#It's not the only font I've made either though more on that in a future post

[curls101]

Tav Loredump Round 2 (Evil Edition): Regan Coleridge

me and @ms-scholars-gown-bnoc have been embarking on our Evil playthrough while we wait for a Act 3 bug to get fixed and they're taking over our brains

LIST (from @tolkien-fantasy )

Round 1 with my good boi Ralxire

This is Regan. Human, Knowledge Domain, Cleric of Mystra. Absolutely gorgeous, but also the most power hungry woman to ever live.

Why did you pick the race you did for your Tav?

Again, I'm trying to play all the races and honestly... I think this was the only way I was ever going to play a Human. It should be the first red flag amoungst my characters - I never play humans. Especially as we'd already established my bud was going to play Drurge, I knew I was going to need to make a really neuanced Tav

Why did you pick the class you did for your Tav?

Listen... I love evil clerics. I love them. I love the idea of piety as not inherently good, but rather neutral at best. Devotion as a force of destruction is my whole shit. I also love the idea of the persuit of knowledge/power as a neutral act.

Mystra is a neutral goddess - not a good one. She is magic. Magic is a tool, something to be understood. Regan does not see magic - or Mystra - as something beautiful. It is a power that can be harnessed and should be harnessed to the extreme.

What is your character’s moral alignment?

Neutral Evil / True Neutral depending on how you look at it

 How did you choose your Tav’s name, if you gave them a unique one?

The party Drurge was already called Cordelia and King Lear happens to be my favourite Shakespeare play. Regan had the right vibe for me - plus some of her scenes have been alarmingly close.....

Coleridge is an injoke just for me. I hate Coleridge. I was made to read the Ancient Mariner in a single night and I've never forgiven him for how long it is.

What are your character’s strongest and weakest stats (strength, charisma, etc)? 

Highest is WIS at 18 (currently). Lowest is DEX at 8. She's a tank

 What is your Tav’s origin story? 

When Regan was about 10ish she was given to a clergy of Mystra. Her parents lacked the means (or, in Regan's eyes, the will) to raise her. She would have been a wizard - most precious to Mystra - but she lacked the aplitude. Knowing that ejection from the monestary would spell her doom, Regan comitted herself to reverence instead. Day in and Day out she performed perfect piety. She contented herself to a future of kneeling at Mystra's feet.

Then the mindflayers happened and suddenly kneeling didn't seem so appealing.

 What was the most significant moment in your Tav’s origin story? 

I think we're in it. But in truth, it's not a single moment that is significant. It's the day-in, day-out subservience of worship. That grated on her.

 What deity, if any, does your character worship? 

Mystra. As the font of power. In future.... perhaps a more apt god will replace her.

 What is your Tav’s biggest priority or goal?

The persuit of power, enough that she may exert it on others.

If your Tav didn’t become an adventurer, what else would they be doing?

I think she'd either still be in that Temple, or she'd become the Main Villian of another DnD campagin

What is your Tav’s most used weapon or spell? 

We're still pretty low level, but I think it will be Spirit Guardians.

 What is your Tav’s favorite school of magic/weapon type?

Her go-to is Weapon and Shield - ideally spear or mace. She's a radient magic girl

How does your Tav fight in a combat situation?

She is in the thick of it, tanking blows and throwing out healing as she can.

 Does your Tav know any other languages besides Common? 

Likely several! Celestial at the minimum

 If your Tav could/does multiclass, what other class would they choose?

Paladin. Hard to think of an Oath she wouldn't break for her convinience though

Which of the companions does your Tav trust most? 

Cordelia/Drurge is cheating, although that's probably true. She sees Gale as imminently manipulateable, so likely him. Everyone else has too much self preservation

Which of the companions does your Tav distrust most?

Shadowheart. Cleric rivalry. Also, she's smarter than she lets on

 Who is your Tav’s biggest rival?

Mystra.

 Who is your Tav romancing, if anyone?

Sorry Gale......

If you’re romancing anyone, why did your Tav fall for them? And why did that character fall for your Tav?

This is some toxic stuff. This isn't a nice romance. Gale fell for her early - and who wouldn't! She's gorgeous and devoted to knowledge. She adores Gale's long winded explainations. Her relationship to Mystra is almost as complicated as his is. He just... didn't see the red flags until it was already too late.

Does Regan love Gale? I think unfortunately yes. But she doesn't love him to make him better. She loves his aptitude for magic, his boundless ambition that drew him to the Orb. She sees his folly not as a moment of weakness - a moment where his inherent insecurity led him to do something terrible - but merely poor execution. She lacks the moral compass that would make Gale better, in another timeline.

 If you’re romancing anyone, who fell first and who fell harder?

Gale and Gale. Sorry, bud

 How does your Tav act around their crush?

So confident. In the real world, she'd be the kind of girl to act supremely aloof around her crush and it would seem like she hated them

 What is your Tav’s favorite moment they’ve had with their lover?

We haven't got to weave sex yet, but it will be weave sex

 What is your Tav attracted to? What are their turn-ons and turn-offs? 

Power, bby. Or, more specifically, ambition. The willingness to chase power.

Turn offs are laziness, lack of ambition and extreme morality

 Does your Tav have any biases against other classes or races? 

Not specifically, only moral stances

 What is the most prominent color in your Tav’s color scheme?

White + pink/orange tones. Ideally I want to lean into white + gold for peak High Priestess vibes

 What is their sense of humor like?

Sarcasm. A little mean, but not intentionally.

 What is your Tav’s guilty pleasure?

Wine and sunbathing. Lounging like a cat. Fine, expensive things - things she's never had

 How easily offended are they? How do they act when offended?

Not especially easy to offend, but if you do get on her bad side, you're never recovering

 How does your Tav react when someone insults their friend/partner?

It depends what her relationship to them is. She's not quick to violence, but verbal beratement is on the table

 How does your Tav dress for different occasions, like very fancy situations?

Regan would have the wardrobe of an empress if she could. Her fashion sense is like... Ethereal Seductress. That dress in Act 3 is going to be a staple

 How did your Tav get their scars, if they have any?

Currently, she doesn't have any. That won't last

 What is your Tav’s relationship with their family?

Nonexistant and she's going to make it everyone's problem

 What is your Tav’s opinion on nobility and authority?

Complicated. She has respect for people who are "self made", but dispises those who are in power by virtue of their birth

 How does your Tav react to wearing the Wavemother’s robe? How do they react to their partner wearing it?

She would wear it 24/7 if she could. She would LOVE Gale in it. She's exactly the kind of woman who would have a thing for dressing up their partner

 What is your Tav’s favorite type of environment? Like in a tavern, a library, out in the wilderness, underground, etc.

Library, ruins...Surrounded by lost knowledge on all sides

 What would your Tav’s Zodiac sign be?

Gemini

 What is their favorite season?

Summer

 Where in the world does your Tav want to visit the most?

Anywhere and everywhere. She's never really been anywhere

 What is the biggest mistake your Tav ever made?

This... is tricky. Unfortunately for the world, she's pretty on the up-and-up rn. She would say something like "not finding another way to apply herself to the arcane"

 What animal best represents your Tav?

You and I both know it's a Fox or a spoiled all-white Cat

 What flower/tree/plant best represents your Tav?

Angel's Trumpets! Gorgeous. One of the most deadly flowers in the world, actually part of the nightshade family. The symptoms of it's poisioning are....knarly. But it's still widely cultivated because it's just so pretty. Comes in pink.

( This means that two of my BG3 characters have toxic plant connotations btw - my drurge in my solo playthrough is a Spores Druid called Amanita Ocreta )

 What does your Tav smell like? 

Chanel CoCo Mademoiselle

 What song best represents your Tav?

When I was making her, this song came on and it was just perfect

Gale @ her though:

 ALSO this is the theme for the run:

What would be your Tav’s favorite music genre?

Pop forever

 What role would your Tav play in a highschool AU? (nerd, jock, bully, goth, etc)

Mean Girl. She's basically Regina George already

 What is the most important item your Tav has?

Regan doesn't have many! Honestly it's money. She never had money before, she didn't need it. Now it's everything

 Where does your Tav feel most at home?

The Center of Attention

 What is your Tav’s philosophy on life?

That ultimately the world is merely about power. Regan has the reductive but unfortunately common view that it is the duty of the smart and capable to grab for power, and the weak to suffer. She'd be a hustler irl.....

 Does your Tav think more with their heart or their brain?

She doesn't have a heart to think with

 What does your Tav want in their future? (domestic bliss, more adventure, a family, etc)

Stability in a position of power. Control.

 What is your Tav’s worst fear?

To be forced to serve

 Is your Tav easily tricked or deceived?

Yes. Her power grabbing is transparent

 If your Tav was granted a single wish, what would it be?

Godhood

 How does your Tav feel about keeping secrets, both their own and others?

A necessity. Secrets are to be used and traded like all else

 How would your Tav react to a love confession?

Amusement

 What are your Tav’s biggest insecurities?

That someone will see her ambition for what it is - fear and insecurity.

 What decision would your party have to make in order for Tav to consider splitting off from the group?

The destruction of knowledge. Sitting around waiting to die. All other positions she at least sees as malleable

 What is your Tav’s favorite food?

Fruits

 How generous is your Tav, especially to those they don’t know?

Regan does not believe in generosity for its own sake. Only for gain.

 If an evil character told your Tav that they wanted to change and help them, would they believe it?

Hah... Well, they'd be talking to the wrong girl

 What meme describes your Tav the best?

  What does your Tav want to be remembered by?

Influential. Strong. Powerful. Awe

 What Tarot Card best represents your Tav?

The Magician both upright and reversed

 What would be your Tav’s major in college?

Buisness or Economics

 Does your Tav consider themselves a hero, villain, victim or something else?

Victim or Hero. She is a Villian though

 How good is your Tav at giving advice? How good are they at following it themselves?

Regan only gives advice to maniplulate others into doing what she wants or to earn their trust. She doesn't take advice. She's too self-important

 How does your Tav get along with each party member?

Gale -> He loves her. She loves that about him Astarion -> They're running the same grift. They get along accordingly Shadowheart -> Tentative. Regan is who she pretends to be La'zel - > They haven't figured each other out yet Wyll - > N/A Karlach -> N/A Minthara - > Remains to be seen. But something tells me they'll get on

 What are your Tav’s other hobbies?

Reading, mostly. I think she learns sections of history for fun.

 (Free Spot: Ask any question you’d like!)

Weirdly, I always think about Caeser when I think of her? I think she's also aiming for like taking an obscure religious office and turning it into power.

[danpuff-ao3]

Danni! Where do you get the images you use for your banners? They always look so good and convey such strong vibes! xoxo

Hi there Anon! Thanks so much! I've always envied people who had such cute banners so it feels really good to have ones for myself that I really like now! 😄 The answer is: Canva!

I've only been doing this for like a week but I started getting things setup for @hp-fruit-fest and needed banners! So I toyed around for a few hours one night until I got some images I liked. It was very trial and error, but it was a good starting point since "clean, simple, colorful" was the vibe I wanted.

Once I was more comfortable making images for fest use, I decided to play around some more in Canva for potential story banners. The natural place to start was Contempt. A story I really loved and was really familiar with and was willing to do a lot of trial and error on.

In fact, let me go un-delete some photos so you can see the progression:

My very first thought was to search "red silk" because I liked the idea of it, but quickly nixed it after doing a series of "fabric themed" titles for the series. (The other options I won't show since the stories aren't out yet!) They were cute, but weren't quite right.

Then I moved onto fire. A natural choice imo! Harry our fiery Leo; the fire of his passion, and how it energizes and consumes him. The second image got me to breakdown and pay for a monthly subscription.

On the note of subscriptions: I don't think I'll keep it ongoing, as I think it's a bit pricey for something I don't imagine I'll be using super often outside of my immediate needs. You can create perfectly serviceable images with the free option, but it is annoying that when you search stuff the "pro" options show up as well. I will say if you're tempted by the pro version, do it a month when you have the money to spare and a lot of images you want to make and just do it a month at a time. 🤷‍♀️ But definitely not necessary!

Anyway, so the second image's background tempted me too much at the time, though I'm less impressed by it now. The look of like a fiery sky with stars! That led me to another round of series images that were sky themed. I did keep one image from that round, for the Kinkuary fic I'm posting on the 14th!

After a while I just wasn't impressed with any of the fire images I was creating, and so then I moved onto snake. Specifically: a red one!

I have a lot of thoughts about symbolism in general, but specifically for Contempt. In fact, I wrote a whole meta about it that I soon deleted out of embarrassment. 😂 Maybe I'll put it back up one day, idk, we'll see!

So there's the representation at face value: the snake for Slytherin for Severus. Red for Gryffindor for Harry. Then you get into the symbolism of the serpent (rebirth, eternity, life, danger, lies, evil) and the symbolism of red (passion, courage, anger, danger, violence.) Then the specific connections to the story, with the serpent on Severus' door (and the symbolism of doors being either imprisonment or opportunity.) Then, when discussing the embroidery with Mari (onbeinganangel) I got into the nature symbolism, and how it represented both beauty and brutality, which I associated with their love and their story.

Luckily searching "red snake" landed me the perfect image. Then I spent ages determining the font. Actually what's really missing from the lineup above was a really cool but also terrible font choice. Maybe I should go recreate it just to show you. 😂

Ngl, I still like it, I'm just not sure it's the right mood. 😅

Anyway, by this point, "perfecting" Contempt made me feel much more confident in what I was doing. So I actually spent a lot of time yesterday creating title banners. Only a few I've shared, though! Some I have saved for future "Self-Rec Saturdays" and 2 for the 2 Kinkuary stories that are finished but not yet posted! (Snarry coming on the 14th and Riddledore on the 27th!)

Most of them I had a pretty good idea of images to search for, but for the Swiftly Snarry series I was actually at a bit of a loss. No imagery really stuck out at me, at least nothing I could easily find and use. I did a lot of random word searches. "Headmaster's office", "wizard office", "antique office", "antique desk", etc. I searched "books" and...hmm. Other stuff I'm forgetting at the moment.

I actually found the key image I used for A Chain Reaction of Countermoves first. I had to create a new page to drop the image into so I wouldn't lose it! Then I went back to the page I was working on Clandestine Meetings & Stolen Stares in. The key worked in my head since in the story they're meeting in an inn and the whole "key to my heart" idea. Plus it had the antiquey feel I was sort of looking for.

Settling on the key also made me decide to have a "one object" feel for Clandestine Meetings, so I searched "quill" and...tbh still spent too much time looking, but at least I had an idea of what I wanted after that. Then a matter of choosing the right colors for the font. The font itself was easy enough as it's a text template I like that is easily adjusted for size and color.

Then, last night, while making a "Self-Rec Saturday" banner and testing how the drafts looked on Tumblr...I realized Canva had an option to save with a transparent background! -gasp-

Original Self-Rec banner options:

Which are still cute, don't get me wrong, and maybe I'll use them one day, but the transparent background???? Look!!!!

and:

That was some trial and error of it's own having to check how it would look once on Tumblr, too, with font color (but also remembering I use Tumblr in dark mode hahaha) and image size.

So yeah that's what I've been doing all week. Playing with Canva. 😂

Sooo...

TL;DR: I used Canva. It takes some trial and error and practice to use but once you get the hang of it you can get some cute stuff!

[roseymoseyberry]

Hey.. I need your help. So I've been writing fic for awhile now but have never posted them online until recently. And i got positive feedbacks right which made me love writing even more. My readers are all so nice and they're patiently waiting for updates which i had written halfway. Anyway life kept me busy for awhile buT now i can't get back into fics.. Rereading my fic i only see flaws and now with each new comment i received i just get overwhelmed. Kinda wanna delete my ao3.. What do i do

I’m so sorry it took my a couple days to get back to you anon. Life has been... well, life, lmao.

But ok, listen. I absolutely feel you. I went through a writer’s block as recently as this past summer/early fall for... I want to say two or three months at least? It was rough. I hated reading over my own stuff because it all just read as terrible to me, the pace rushed and dialogue bad, etc etc etc. (and lord almighty, don’t get me STARTED on how I felt when I realized I was abandoning a fic from an old fandom oops)

It’s hard to get out of that. And ultimately every writer is a little different, so I can only tell you how I get out of ruts.

Before we get to how to start writing again though, I want to say that if you’re overwhelmed by the stress of thinking of reader’s waiting for more? Officially put the fic on Hiatus. Edit your summary to say “This fic is on Hiatus” so that you know that anyone reading it knows it could be a very, very long time, if ever. I have only really needed to do that once, but found it helped to take the pressure off. If you receive email notifications for comments, maybe turn those off for a while. Come back to them later.

Ok, and now. My big, fancy, all important advice:

For me, the number 1 objective is to force yourself to get words down on the page. To get yourself writing again, you need to fucking write.

There’s a couple different strategies I’ve try when I’m stuck.

One of the first is to reread the story I want to work on. That usually works if it’s the kind of block that isn’t about hating my writing so much as just staring at the page and not knowing how to word. In your case and with that specific kind of feeling though, it may not be so relevant because yeah. Right now your writing feels like shit to you. So this is something to consider for future blocks.

The next thing I’ll usually do is just. Brute force it. I force myself to write a sentence, and won’t let myself delete it. And I’ll keep forcing myself to write until I’ve got at least a paragraph or two. It’ll be slow, and it will be painful, and it will feel like I’m writing the worst writing in the world. Just absolute garbage.

But a paragraph or two will eventually roll over into more, and usually when I reread over it later I’ll realize it wasn’t nearly as bad as it had felt like it was at the time. And the most important thing is I’m getting back into the flow of the fic. Often from that point the rest just falls back into place.

Brute forcing it by yourself can be tricky though. If you’re not sure how to get yourself to do that, look into some writing tools to motivate you to just get down words as fast as you can! A couple suggestions I have are:

Word Sprints: This website is just one way to do this particular exercise, but I found it super helpful in the past! Word sprint/word wars/speed runs/etc are basically a game-like situation where you and other writers have a set amount of time to write as many words as you can. The Word Sprints website has 25 minute spans with 5 minute breaks, and you can either join the global one (which I don’t recommend lmao) or you can make your own group and invite other writers to it. This specific site allows you to see how many words the other folks in the group have written in real time, so it can help motivate through fun competition if that’s something that appeals to you.

You don’t have to be constrained by the site though. I’m part of a TF fan content creators discord where folks sometimes just run our own, usually with more like just 10 or 15 minute long sprints and then everyone shares how many words they wrote at the end of the sprint. It can be a really nice way to change the focus away from the quality of the words your putting down to the quantity. Because listen -- you can always go back and edit lower quality writing, but you can’t do anything with no writing to work with at all, you feel?

(If you happen to be in the TF fandom and feel comfortable messaging me off anon, feel free to do so and I’ll definitely send you an invite to the discord. It’s really nice to have a space to talk with other writers and problem solve with folks who know the pain, haha)

Fighter’s Block: If something that involves other people doesn’t appeal, no worries! This web app is basically a simple little rpg style game. You put in a word count that you want to reach (so maybe something as little as 100 or 200 words) and then you go into a fight. In this case you’re motivated to write fast because your health goes down while you’re idle, and the enemy’s health is your word count, so you defeat them by reaching your word count. It’s a fun little game and is a great alternative to word sprints.

I know there’s other similar sites, so don’t be afraid to search for a tool that fits you.

Another way you might be able to get words out is by abandoning where you left off for now and writing another scene that you’re excited about. I personally don’t do this because I have to write in order -- I just have to!!!! -- but I know a LOT of writers who bounce around and then knit the scenes together.

Or really, just mix it up in general. Do you always write at home? Try taking your laptop to a coffee shop for the express purpose of writing. That’s something I do a LOT. Always write on a computer? Try writing on your phone. I’ve even seen a post going around about changing your font to comic sans and that helping! Shake things up. Try something new. You might find something that works better for you!

Mmmmm I think that’s about all the advice I have personally since those are my go to’s. But keep in mind it’s not the end of the world if that doesn’t work for you -- all writers are different!! If I’ve learned anything from talking to other writers, it’s that we all have different ways we do it, different tools and formats and styles and all of it.

And ultimately? Don’t forget that fanfiction is about self-indulgence. It’s about you! If it’s stressing you out way too much, take a break. Put that shit on hiatus. Turn off notifications from ao3. Leave it alone for a while. You do you. Ultimately, while it may feel cruel, you don’t owe your readers anything. You’re doing this hobby because you like to, and you shared it with them by choice.

If the need is strong enough that you want to delete, look into orphaning your works. That way it’s no longer connected to you in any way, but it’s still available to readers.

I wish you only the best, Anon, and can only hope I was of any help at all, haha

[cwtwheely]

Pokémon Let's Go Review

Well... this has been a contentious Pokémon game, hasn't it?

While fans were excited that Pokémon was going to be released on the Switch (even if some were disappointed that there would be no more main series games on the 3DS), knowing that the first would include Go elements put some off entirely. Which is understandable; it took about two years for the app to fully form, and its "gameplay" is rudimentary.

But I like Go regardless, and I was looking forward to Let's Go, especially after learning that it was a remake of Yellow (which desperately needed a remake, as the original is incredibly dated).

As for this? I love it. I've been playing it as much as I can since it was released, and I've been having so much fun.

First off, let's talk about the Go aspect. Yes, you no longer battle most of the Pokémon you encounter, but they make sure you have enough of an incentive to catch them other than filling the Pokédex. And it all comes down to catch combos.

Catch combos are earned by catching one species of Pokémon over and over again (you can encounter another Pokémon, run from it and not break the combo). The higher the combo, the more candy and berries you earn.

Candy, which can also be earned by transferring Pokémon to the professor, replace the God awful medical based boosters from the other games which were so expensive and scarce to find in the wild. There are 6 different candy you can earn:

Health - raises HP

Mighty - raises Attack

Tough - raises Defence

Smart - raises Special Attack

Courage - raises Special Defence

Quick - raises Speed

These candy come in normal size (can be used on any Pokémon), large (only work on Pokémon above level 30) and extra large (only work on Pokémon above level 60). There are also Pokémon-specific candy (like Go) which raise every stat of that Pokémon and its evolutionary line (eg: Charmander candy works on Charizard), and the rare candy retains its main series effect of raising the level of a Pokémon.

With these, it's never been easier to unleash the true potential of your Pokémon. It's gotten me into competitive battling a lot more than I thought. And if any system needs to bleed into the main series, it's the candy system.

That said, if it does become a mainstay, it needs a tweak. While I'm not too fussed about grinding for the candy, using them can be incredibly tedious and unnecessarily time consuming. It takes, at most, 10 minutes to fully raise a Pokémon, and that's if you have enough candy to get it that far.

In Go these days, if you have more than one rare candy, and you want to give them all to one Pokémon, you can do so in seconds. It would be nice if that was possible with the Let's Go candy system too, especially with the Pokémon specific candy.

Catch combos offer more benefits than just candy. The further along a chain you get, the more likely you are to find one with the best base stats. You can check these with the Judge feature, which is given to you once you catch 30 different species and talk to an aide on the eastern building out of Fuschia City (heading to Lavender Town). It's another feature that makes it so much easier to invest in getting the best out of your favourite Pokémon (and another feature that needs to be kept).

And, yes, chain combos make things easier to find shiny Pokémon. With a combo over 30, odds are slashed from 1 in just over 4,000 to one in 341. And these odds are made better if you set a lure off and (once you've registered every Pokémon in the Pokédex) the shiny charm.

Also, the higher the combo, the more experience your Pokémon get. While that's great, as is the even distribution of EXP for every Pokémon in your team, it's not ideal. Say you've built a team that you're not entirely happy with. You find a Pokémon you want to include, but realise it's at a much lower level. The only way to build that Pokémon up is to remove all of your current team and grind it up, which is the only major flaw with the catching mechanic. Fortunately, this could only be an issue with any future Let's Go games (if they make more of them).

Yes, some will say "just send it out first in trainer battles!"

You need your stronger Pokémon to support that weaker one, so all the EXP your weak Pokémon gets, your stronger one gets, too (actually, the higher level one gets more, I think). Y

Your team still shares EXP from trainer battles, so you have the same problem.

There aren't as many Trainers as there are wild Pokémon.

Whether they stick with Go catching mechanics, revert to normal, allow players to battle, beat then catch Pokémon (like they do with Snorlax, the Electrode in the Power Plant or the Legendaries) or allow players to choose the best option for them, chain combos should be kept, especially if they're wanting to double down on the competitive scene and allowing everyone a chance to get involved in it.

The catching itself is... alright. While I do like using the Poké Ball Plus, the gyroscope technology in handheld mode is also really good. That said, in a game made to be as accessible as possible, disabled people are abandoned by them.

As someone who is disabled, I'm incredibly fortunate to have little issue using them... for now. One wrong move, however, and I could probably never play the game again. Granted, that's a worst case scenario, but with my condition, that is also a possibility. For a full report on this, I'll refer you to this Kotaku article:

Seriously Nintendo, stop forcing us to accept motion controls! They utterly destroyed Star Fox Zero and they are restrictive as all hell for a series that's meant to be universal! Make them an option if you must, but for God's sake, motion controls should never be the only way to play on a home console!

With all of that out of the way, the story is... well, pretty much the same as the original Yellow version. There are some tweaks; your rival is friendlier than Blue was, Lorelei helps you with Team Rocket on route 10, you see the Cubone try and interact with its dead mother (the most heartbreaking scene in media since Up), you see Blue take over the Viridian City Gym after you beat Giovanni (explaining why you faced him in Gold, Silver and Crystal).

But on the whole, it's simple yet effective. Frankly, it's a better story than Black and White because it doesn't reek of hypocrisy (they're using Pokémon to try and push a message to not abuse animals) and never takes itself too seriously. Besides which, the twist of Giovanni being the Viridian Gym Leader as a means to boost his operation is so unexpected and well handled that it's never been matched.

But on the whole, you beat the Gyms, catch the Pokémon and be the best. It's a formula that works.

Where the game truly shines, however, is the graphics. By the end of the game, I was thinking "why hasn't Pokémon been on a home console before now?" Sure, they wanted people to come together, which was more likely with handheld consoles. But frankly? It held the visual storytelling back so much. And this game is proof of that.

I've mentioned the Cubone moment before, but that whole subplot is the best, most heartbreaking storytelling the franchise has ever had to offer. But the only time that actually worked, and was properly felt, was in this game.

The Gyms also got an upgrade. Most of them were slight updates, but two (Saffron and Cinnabar) have similar mechanics, but a much different feel. Cinnabar especially is so over the top with its quiz theme is just brilliant. I loved it. Saffron's, however, was just breathtakingly beautiful. It was also TARDIS-like in that it's much bigger on the inside. But it's another example of why the Switch makes the game look so much better.

That said, there were a couple of times where I experienced significant frame rate drops in handheld mode (I can't say if it's the same in docked mode as I don't play it that way). It mainly happens at the start of Viridian Forest when there are a lot of Pokémon on screen (be careful when setting a lure off there). I didn't experience any major bugs or glitches other than that, though.

And yes, your Pokémon can (finally) follow you around again. Some (Arcanine, Persian) you can ride on to traverse the world faster. And you can fly over the overworld on a Charizard or Dragonite once you beat the Elite Four (it's tougher to enter buildings though, so you have to spend a couple of seconds trying to land).

Hopefully this means that this feature will be a mainstay. Not only is it fun to interact with your buddy, but they also help you find hidden items in flowers or rocks.

The only Pokémon you can fully interact with is your starter: Pikachu or Eevee. It's similar to Pokémon Amie from X, Y, Sun and Moon, and... well, it's so charming. I often went in just to see her reactions and I wasn't disappointed. She danced, she got excited, she even gave me presents. It's just adorable! Hopefully this stays as well, only for every Pokémon that follows you around.

The menus are fine as well. But in handheld mode, it is rather cumbersome to use the buttons to navigate through them. The touchscreen can be used to interact with your partner Pokémon, so why it couldn't be used to navigate the menus I don't know. Maybe this is one of the aspects they intentionally stripped back? Either way, all us handheld players to use the touchscreen more for the next game please, Game Freak.

Also, the move selection boxes in battle seem... a tad small. It would be nice if they, and the font in them, were made a bit bigger in future games for those with poor eyesight. It's not like they're working with a small 3DS screen any more.

Overall though, I love this game. Yes, it is a stripped back game compared to Sun and Moon (no abilities, less moves). Yes, it has levelling issues. Yes, it has accessibility issues. But the things the game adds make them a fantastic entry point to the series, and competitive battling as a whole.

Plus, it was nice to experience Yellow with a fresh coat of paint. The hardware really helped to enhance the story (again, the Cubone subplot is heartbreaking), the return of travelling partners was great, seeing the Pokémon in the wild made the world feel more alive than it's ever felt.

I'm really looking forward to what they do with the franchise for generation 8. But to tide people over, this was a great instalment. I'd honestly go as far as to say it's one of my favourite Pokémon games ever, just behind HeartGold, SoulSilver, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire.

Is Let's Go perfect? Absolutely not. But I've had more fun with this than I have with a Pokémon game since ORAS. It just puts you in the world and explore everything it has to offer. And for a Pokémon game, that's all I really want. It's a lot more fun than sitting through nearly an hour of cutscenes to actually do anything, only to do it again in "follow up" games that could easily have been sold as DLC rather than another full price release.