#also if any of u all are fans of bayonetta i love u u have excellent taste

[mr-president]

demosolly based on that one bayonetta meme :]

i love gay uncles (9 dead, 7 injured, 0 found)

[josephsaturn]

Danganronpa: 10th anniversary outfits review!

So…quick thought here…I have almost no context for any other character outside of dr1, so if u like some of these characters, and I say something construed as mean…sorry?

(Under the cut):

DANGANRONPA 1:

Makoto Naegi: 7/10

It’s fine, really. Nothing extravagant, nothing stupid

Kiyotaka Ishimaru: 7/10

The only thing I have to say is that I like the color scheme: it takes from his school uniform, and that palette looks great on him!

Byakuya Togami: 8/10

I like it. The fur coat works for his personality, and the color palette works as well.

Mondo Ōwada: 9/10

I’m not exactly sure what this is supposed to be, but it looks great! The palette looks nice and the coat & pants have a really cool design on them.

Leon Kuwata: 7/10

The plaid looks nice, but in all honesty, I don’t really think it fits his character well.

Hifumi Yamada: 9/10

Not gonna lie…I’m actually loving the pinstripes! He kinda looks like a mobster from Guys and Dolls, and considering that’s one of my favorite musicals, it gets an instant high score from me!

Yasuhiro Hagakure: 9/10

That color combo looks really good on him! I’m kinda glad Spike Chunsoft loves putting Hiro in bright clothes, since they fit so well on him!

Sayaka Maizono: 8/10

It’s fairly basic…but it’s cute at least. Also, I like the little detail that she’s holding a yellow rose, since those mean both friendship, and more commonly, jealousy

Kyoko Kirigiri: 7/10

It’s fine. I don’t hate it, but I think they could’ve done a bit better. In all honesty, I think it would’ve been cool if they put her into a “little black dress” like the one in breakfast at Tiffany’s: simple, but elegant nonetheless.

Aoi Asahina: 9/10

I am fully willing to admit I’m biased, so I will. I’m in LOVE with this dress, and Aoi’s rockin’ it!

Tōko Fukawa: 9/10

I really like this dress! The colors, the accessory, the design, her hair, it’s all great!

Sakura Ōgami: 10/10

YESSS QUEEN FUCK IT UUUPPPPP

Honestly, I love this Kimono! The bright pink and yellow, the (I’m assuming) Chrysanthemums, her hair and the decorations, I love it all, and she looks stunning!

Celestia Ludenberg: 7/10

I…kinda like it? The palette’s nice, and the general feel of it is regal-esque, but I personally kinda don’t like it. I feel like they should’ve gone with something more Victorian or Rococo style for her

Junko Enoshima: 10/10

I’m in LOVE with this dress, and it looks gorgeous! I especially love the little masque that pays homage to Monokuma, and the crown being used as kinda like a hairtie! It really looks like something a fashionista would wear!

Chihiro Fujisaki: 7/10

WHY DOES HE LOOK LIKE A LEPRECHAUN AHAHAHAH

I don’t hate it, but they could’ve been just a bit more creative, I think.

Overall: 0/10, no Mukuro outfit

Jk, 8/10

Danganronpa 2

Hajime Hinata: 8/10

I like the white tux, but it looks like a lot of his palette was just eyedropped from his uniform

Rat Man (more commonly known as Nagito Komaeda): 9/10

I love the way this tux looks on him! The white jacket looks great, and so do the designs on it!

Byakuya Togami: 7/10

It’s alright. Nothing bad, nothing new. Maybe if they gave him a different tux design I wouldn’t mind, but as it is, it’s just fine

Gundham Tanaka: 9/10

I really like the accent colors, and the boa is a nice touch as well

I love the hamsters’ outfits! They’re adorable!!

Kazuichi Sōda: 6/10

This isn’t bad, but it just, once again, looks like they just eyedropped his normal uniform colors onto a tux. It’s not bad, but it does feel a bit lazy

Teruteru Hanamura: 9/10

This might seem like an unpopular opinion (and it is)…but I love this outfit! It’s cute, the accent colors and accessories themselves are cute, and Teruteru’s the only boy wearing a cummerbund (fun fact!)

Nekomaru Nidai: 9/10

I’m in LOVE with this guy’s design

I really like the double-breasted jacket (that’s actually what it’s called, I’m not being horny), and the colors look great on him! My only complaint is the fact that he’s wearing boaters. They’re not bad shoes, but I just don’t get why he’s wearing them

Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu: 7/10

I like his color scheme, but if there were any place to put pinstripes, it’s this guy, due to his title. Also, what’s with the rolled up pants? Is he wanting to wear shorts? He does look like a kid…

Akane Owari: 10/10

I ADORE THIS ONE. The pants, the blouse, the color, the CAPE…HOO BOOOYYYYY

Chiaki Nanami: 8/10

I like the color scheme, but, again, the dress seems a little plain. She’s the ultimate gamer, and you’re telling me you can’t reference a video game dress? Really?

Sonia Nevermind: 10/10

I am IN LOOOVEEEE WITH THIS DESIGNNNNN

the way this dress looks is GORGEOUS, and the palette is, once again, beautiful

Hiyoko Saionji: 8/10

It’s a very cute design, but I feel like the colors could be a bit more matched

Mahiru Koizumi: 9/10

GORGEOUS. I have no other words.

No thoughts, head empty, only GORGEOUS

Mikan Tsumiki: 5/10

Eeeeeehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

I…don’t like this one

The way it shows so much skin feels a bit weird, considering fanon states some kinda physical/sexual abuse for Mikan. The only thing I like is the color scheme

The pillbox hat & color scheme makes me think of Jackie Kennedy, so why not put her in something like that? Something a bit more conservative, but still pretty

Ibuki Mioda: 9/10

I really like this one! It seems a bit avant-garde, & I respect that for a character like ibuki

Not to mention it just looks pretty in general

Peko Pekoyama: 8/10

I love the monochrome color scheme and the way her Kimono looks, and her accessories look great as well!

Overall: 8/10!

Danganronpa V3

Rantaro Amami: 8/10

Meh, it looks good, but I think it’s kinda bland

Kokichi Ōma: 7/10

The outfit looks great, but this dude’s HAIR…DISGOSTANG

Like…it’s long enough to put into a rat-man ponytail, so why not do THAT?

K1-B0: 10/10

You know I’m right.

Gonta Gokuhara: 9/10

I like the color scheme a lot, and the chequerboard looks great on him! What a gentleman!

Shuichi Saihara: 5/10

I’m just not a fan of tweed…but also, this just doesn’t look good on him. What they should’ve done was give him something in a different color palette. Maybe reference a 1940s suit for extra levity!

Korekiyo shingūji: 7/10

Idk…everything’s’ fitting together, but at the same time…not. I do like the hakama, tho, & the color palette is once again, eyedropped

Ryoma Hoshi: 9/10

I love the color scheme, the pinstripes look great, and I love both the gloves and the fedora!

Kaito Momota: 7/10

He just kinda looks, once again, like a formal version of his school uniform. It doesn’t look bad, but there’s gotta be something more creative than that

Kaede Akamatsu: 8/10

I really like the color scheme and her decorations, and the ruffles look adorable! It gives off a very “goddess of flowers” vibe, and I love it

Miu Iruma: 100/10

BAHAHAHA WHY DOES SHE LOOK LIKE JEANNE FROM BAYONETTA?

NO SERIOUSLY LOOK:

In all seriousness tho, I do love the dress, it’s so sophisticated and the color palette/ accessories only complement the outfit

Tsumugi Shirogane: 8/10

Meh, the dress is cute, and the color scheme looks nice, but I just kinda wish they swapped the colors of the boa and dress. I think that’d look better

Tenko Chabashira: 9/10

She looks like Willy Wonka……but it works. I like the short skirt-pants, the hose, and overall, it looks great!

We need more people wearing cummerbunds!

(Number of kids wearing cummerbunds: 2)

Kirumi Tōjo: 8/10

She kinda looks like a character from……Genshin, I think? Either way, it looks pretty, but I think they could’ve done better.

Maki Harukawa: 6/10

I don’t really understand the color situation: why is the bodice pink, but the bottom a gradient from eggshell white to egg yolk yellow? If they’d chosen better colors I think I might like the dress better

Himiko Yumeno: 10/10

I love this dress. It’s so cute, and the use of translucent, glittery fabric really makes it look whimsical! She looks like a magical girl, which I guess is the point

Angie Yonaga: 9/10

I’m not exactly sure what she’s wearing, but I do love the colors. They fit really well, and it looks good on her!

Overall: 8/10

[toukenramblings]

Video Games: Mutsunokami Yoshiyuki, Aizen Kunitoshi, Atsushi Toushirou

Oh ho, a fun lil headcanon set like this is so funnnn~!

Warnings: Not much I suppose?

Mutsunokami Yoshiyuki

Sweet MuMu adores video games where we can travel the world. Fantasy world, modern world, past, present, future, he don’t care! An open world game will suit him best! There’s so much to do, and like a lil puppy, MuMu want’s to explore it all!

Extra bonus points if there’s a part of the game where there is something to do with the ocean. He adores the sea after all! Boats, driving them, exploring the ocean, exploring the unknown, oh this TouDan will drink that shit up.

The games that come to mind are Assassin’s Creed: III, Black Flag, Syndicate, Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla. Why? Most of them deal with exploring new lands and some of them deal with piloting ships! III, Black Flag, Odyssey, Origins, Valhalla to be more specific. Syndicate has guns and classy fashion. A little too much for Mutsunokami but he loves playing with the guns in the game - they are very similar in make to his own after all. he also rly likes the sea shanties in odyssey because i rly like them too

If Mutsunokami wants to relax and not play Assassin’s Creed where he goes around stabbing everything that moves, he will play Subnautica or Abzu or Journey to relax. Maybe even Animal Crossing! He loves the cute little animals but I personally think that games where he can just explore the world and meet new people and learn lore just make him happy the most.

Games MuMu would never play are horror games or anything with spiders in them. So Bayonetta and Devil May Cry are out. He loves the idea of gun-toting protagonists but nope, nope. Spiders? Bye fam.

Now that I think about it, he would just be Blathers. He can play Animal Crossing but Gods help him the minute he sees a spider in that damn game. “I THOUGHT THIS WAS A PEACEFUL GAME, WHY ARE THE SPIDERS TRYING TO KILL YOU” cue controller thrown at the television.

Oh MuMu adores party games! Can’t play Smash Bros or Mario Kart for shit. Watch him pay too much attention to the background and yeet himself off of the stage because he saw something shiny. He can kinda play though, but again he gets distracted the most. Buuut ask him to play Mario Party with the rest of the swords and damn right he will play!

Can and will make video games turn into a drinking game. MuMu adores competitive gaming with the rest of the citadel. Will start taking bets on who is gonna win and lose, and sure he may be a pouty loser but he’ll be fiine. But damn right he’ll yeet a tantou to ensure his win. No he won’t he’s not that cruel.

Mutsunokami also adores rhythm games! Taiko no Tatsujin because of Don-chan and the idea of playing with a lil taiko drum as a controller. He’s very much into music after all. There are times when he stops playing a game to just listen to the music and take it all in!

A guilty pleasure game he plays is probably Ghost of Tsushima. No he’s not checking out Jin’s ass whenever they go to a hot spring, what are you talking about? MuMu enjoys it because sometimes just going back to your roots and stabbing a ho is just what you need. dear khotun khan, eat shit

Aizen Kunitoshi

Aizen is also super big on rhythm games. As said above with Mutsunokami, Taiko no Tatsujin will be a favorite of his. He has a secret collection of Don-chan merch, no one is stopping him damn it. Just fucking tRY and take away his precious Don-chan(s). The only ones that can touch his prized collection are the rest of the Rai swords, other peeps he is close to, and maybe you if you two are close/you ask nicely. Get him some Don-chan pajamas and he’ll cry.

Aizen is also pretty good at fighting games, Street Fighter coming to mind because he adores over the top bullshit and the colors! The colors! He mains Ryu though, but he’s more than willing to try new characters!

He’s also pretty competitive at times, so he would adore playing fighting games with the rest of the swords at the citadel. Hotarumaru and he are always playing Smash Bros or Mario Kart, which ends up with a lot of broken controllers. Hotaru has been slightly banned from planning highly competitive gameplay though.

Other games that I know Aizen will be into will be Animal Crossing when he wants to relax. He loves the little yearly festivals and events in the games and it kinda mirrors how life works in the world. Of course he adores Digby and Isabelle, and has threatened Tom Nook with Hotarumaru before. “Don’t you cheat me you stupid tanuki, don’t make me get my brother in here.”

Games that Aizen cannot play are puzzle games. He doesn’t mind them, he just finds them really boring. He watches Akashi play them sometimes but even then, Akashi will conk the hell out. If you play them and have Aizen on your lap watching, Aizen will be amazed at how you are so good at them!

Aizen cannot deal with horror games or sad emotional games. He’s pretty emotional himself and will need a lot of hugs after. He will refuse to play Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons as they remind him of Hotarumaru and himself a lil too much. Horror games is because he’s too scared to. Hotarumaru doesn’t mind them, he likes playing them while Aizen and Akashi cling on to each other and scream in terror.

Aizen also loves games that not only have great music but the visuals and colors just catch his eye. Katamari Damacy comes to mind and he loves the main character a lot. The music! The colors! Ohh man its the best.

A guilty pleasure game he would love is the monster catching genre, Pokemon is an idea but he also loves Yokai Watch. Yokai Watch feels a lil more closer to home, plus Yokai Watch had a crossover with Taiko no Tatsujin! He immediately wasted no time and effort to try and recruit Don-chan. iM STILL TRYING TO GET DON-CHAN ON MY TEAM U LIL SHIt but also im rly biased towards yokai watch and digimon

This lil guy will also love collecting plushies of any characters of the games he plays! Don-chan is his first choice of course but catch him and Hotarumaru in a little cuddle puddle with 70 other plushies from various games!

Most of all, Aizen loves games where he can play with others! Friends, family, you! It doesn’t matter to him! He’ll drag you from your office to relax and just cheer anyone up with something fun! “Come play with me! You promised after all, master! I’ve found a rEALLY cool and fun game to play together with Hotaru!” bless him he’s trying his best

Atsushi Toushirou

Like Aizen, Atsushi will mostly enjoy multiplayer games because of his multitudes of brothers, younger and older. He’ll pick out games like Mario Party, Mario Kart, classics for sure. But then there’s games like Wario Ware or Smash Bros. He wants to play games with as many people as possible! He loves it when he can play with you and his brothers!

If Atsushi wants to play something more solo, he will play something along the lines of Cooking Mama. Houchou got him addicted to it gee i wonder why Houchou loves the game so much but Atsushi just loves the dishes that he can prepare and it almost feels like he can cook! He once tried to follow exactly what Cooking Mama did in the game for cooking once uh...it did not end up. But none the less, he loves the colors and the music of Cooking Mama!

He is also a big ol fan of life simulation games, Animal Crossing being his favorite. Again he and his siblings can all play together and the calm atmosphere almost lulls him to a peaceful sort of sleep that he adores the most. He loves the relaxing vibe and sometimes wishes to live there, wherever the hell these guys live.

Next to Yagen, I think Atsushi will lowkey adore horror games. Yagen does it just to get a rise out of the rest of his siblings and Atsushi is kind of the same. Sure Yagen finds the most gorey and atmospheric based horror to scare the crap outta his siblings, Atsushi will probably play the more jumpscare based horror games just to get a scare outta them too! What good is a horror game if you’re not scared as well??? Damn right he’ll wait until it’s night time to play these games!

Atsushi also does love RPG games! Star Ocean, Final Fantasy, Legend of Zelda, come to mind first. He just loves going on big adventures! Exploring new worlds, meeting new people, learning new things! Bonus points if the game has a really emotional story, catch him and his brothers crying about whatever happens on screen.

Atsushi has a secret fondness for rather childish games. Pokemon, Yokai Watch, so on and so forth. YEs he’s trying his best to be mature and stuff, supporting you his saniwa and all, but sometimes he just wants to be himself and have fun! He has a few mascot plushies from his brothers too, shhh.

Atsushi is also terrifyingly amazing at turn-based strategy games. Mario + Rabbids being a favorite because of the colors and overall fun atmosphere. Fire Emblem is a close second. He knows exactly how to keep his units and characters alive, what upgrades to give them, so on and so forth. “General! Come look at what I did in my game! Wouldn’t it be cool if we could also do something like this?!” he says that as Rabbid Luigi yeets himself off of normal Mario and soars through the air like a bird, landing gracefully without hurting himself. Atsushi no.

He’s the most likely of the TouDans to get into the indie gaming scene, looking at new and upcoming content creators to see what they make! He wants to support them as much as he can!

He’s also one of the more responsible of the TouDans in terms of games. Others will start buying them on a whim but Atsu knows there’s a budget to be had! He isn’t as money crunching as Hakata or anything but he knows his damn limits!

Another game genre he’s secretly into are visual novels. He loves the budding relationships between characters, romantic or not, he loves seeing where they end up! It’s like he’s growing with them!

[xb-squaredx]

B-Squared’s Top 10 Games of 2020

I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that having something to distract me from the genuine horrors unleashed during 2020 was vital to staying alive, and for me that means a lot of video games! I played…a lot of games last year, but I spent a lot of time playing older games, so I didn’t get a chance to check out a lot of high-profile games that launched this year. Still, I do want to shine a light on the games that managed to resonate with me even a little bit, that somehow managed to launch this year. So let’s get to it!

#10 – No Straight Roads

Rarely have I been struck by a single trailer for a game like I was for No Straight Roads. Produced by industry veterans under a new studio, this is a rare game that’s not quite an indie game from a studio full of newbies, but it’s also not produced with the same kind of budget and resources of a Triple-A project. What do we call this? A Double-A game? Single-A? Regardless, I have to give the team at Metronomik some props for delivering a super stylish game in the midst of a very challenging year. No Straight Roads is a rhythm-based action game where two up-and-coming musicians fight to bring back Rock and Roll to the people of Vinyl City. I absolutely adore this game’s presentation, with each major boss being visually unique and having their own feel that compliments the music they bring to battle. There’s some real energy in these animations with character designs that ooze personality, and being a game about music the soundtrack is great! All that being said though, I have to admit I wasn’t a huge fan of the gameplay when all was said and done. It leans way more on the rhythm side of the equation than I was hoping for, and the action felt very shallow. The fixed camera made some phases of some fights a real problem, and the Switch verison, which I played, is plagued with a lot of issues that really brought the game down for me. If the game interests you at all, give it a shot on PC or PS4; I hear those versions are a lot better. Still, I liked the potential I saw in this game and in this studio, so I can only hope they did well enough to continue on. This definitely feels like the kind of passion project that deserves more recognition.

#9 – Streets of Rage 4

OK, so full disclosure: I didn’t grow up with 2D beat-em-ups. I missed out on all of the greats of the genre back in the day. No Final Fight, no River City Ransom, no Double Dragon, and definitely no Streets of Rage. In more recent years I have tried to dip my toe in the genre, as I did in 2019 with River City Girls. However, I came away from that game a bit disappointed by the overall gameplay and wondered if 2D beat-em-ups were for me. Seeing so much praise heaped onto Streets of Rage 4 had me curious, so I knew I had to try it, if only to broaden my experience in the genre. In many ways, this game is the perfect sequel to a franchise that hasn’t seen any signs of new life in years. It retains what made the series beloved with satisfying combat and challenge, but with a modern touch. The overall art style of the game and music work out pretty well, and I found the act of comboing enemies to be really satisfying. It really doesn’t overstay its welcome either, which is very appreciated in an age of endless timesinks. I also struggled a fair bit with the game, even on Normal, and well after some patches that seemed designed for more casual fans like me. Had this game not had online co-op as an option, I don’t know if I could have beaten the final levels. So my time with this game was pretty rough but despite that I can still see this was a game made with care, and if this game DOES do something for you, there’s plenty of reasons to keep playing on higher difficulties, unlocking more characters and even playing online with friends. Let me put it this way; I’m not all that sure I like the genre and I still liked this game, so I think that counts for something!

#8 – The Wonderful 101: Remastered

…this one is kind of cheating, I’ll admit! I had a lot of trouble thinking up ten games that really stood out to me this year, honestly. That said, I’ll definitely use loopholes to plug one of my favorite games from years ago. Seven years ago, PlatinumGames launched The Wonderful 101 on the ill-fated Wii U, where it bombed harder than just about anything on the system. For those that gave the game a shot, however, they were quick to discover a deep, complex, and charming action game that plays like nothing else out there. Controlling a team of 100 heroes at once, players form weapons out of the various Wonderful One’s bodies, smacking around giant robots and aliens far larger than them with the power of teamwork! How could you not love that, right?! Now, years later, PlatinumGames is aiming to become more independent and their first act was launching a Kickstarter as a way to get this game on newer platforms. While we may never know why Nintendo gave Platinum their blessing to release this game on non-Nintendo platforms (being as this is still, as far as I know, a Nintendo-owned IP), I’m just glad more people can have access to one of the most unique action games I’ve ever touched.

To sell it another way, this game combines the overall aesthetic of Viewtiful Joe with the shape-drawing action of Okami but with a bit of Bayonetta flair on the side. Basically, this is the culmination of everything director Hideki Kamiya has ever worked on. The Remastered version fixes some issues present from the game’s original release, and while I do think they could have gone a bit further with some changes, it is likely the best way to play the game for many. All those sections that made heavy use of the Wii U GamePad are a tad awkward though, but that held true even back on the Wii U anyway…d-don’t worry so much about that, though! I’d still recommend this game to anyone looking for the type of over-the-top action that only Platinum (and occasionally Capcom) can provide! So please consider joining the Wonderful Ones and Unite Up!

#7 – Paper Mario: The Origami King

Discourse around the Paper Mario series is…more than a little rough, honestly! Many fans have been quite vocal about not liking the direction the series has been heading with the last few games, but I went into The Origami King with an open mind and ended up really enjoying the game for the most part! What the game lacked in a developed storyline, it made up for with some really strong character moments and memorable setpieces. Bobby and Olivia are among my favorite partners in ANY of the Mario RPGs, easily, and the entirety of the Great Sea section of the game was a really fun adventure. I love the highly-detailed paper-crafted enemies and locales, and the soundtrack really didn’t have to go as hard as it did. While the battles against common enemies didn’t quite click with me, the boss battles throughout the game constantly surprised me with interesting twists on the ring-based combat and are a real highlight for me. I know this game is pretty divisive amongst Paper Mario fans, but I think the franchise has a pretty bright future ahead of it!

#6 – DOOM Eternal

Fair warning here, but I haven’t quite managed to beat DOOM Eternal at the time of writing this, but what I’ve played so far tells me it definitely belongs here. I think Eternal is hands-down the most intense game I’ve played in a long time. It gets my blood pumping as I dash about, shooting and slicing through demons that are extremely eager to rip and tear me to pieces. I don’t play many shooters in general, so I knew I was going to be in for a rough time, but DOOM Eternal brings it to another level right away. In some respects, I don’t quite agree with various aspects of the core game design that makes the game harder than I think it needs to be at times. The scarcity of ammo, and thus the constant need to use the Chainsaw weapon in order to gain more ammo gets tiring, though that somewhat levels off as more weapons are acquired and players learn of more efficient ways to take out the hordes of Hell. The game’s fantastic soundtrack by Mick Gordon definitely elevates the experience, so it is a huge bummer knowing that he and ID Software had a falling out and he won’t be coming back. I really dig the game’s expansive levels and more focus being put on exploring every nook and cranny for secrets, and certain old-school touches like finding extra lives or cheat codes definitely makes the game feel like it was ripped out of a bygone era and given a modern paintjob at times. Doom is eternal, and with it, so is pulse-pounding shooting action!

#5 – Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition

Compared to the other re-release of an old game on this list, I think this particular title had a lot more time and care put into it…and it also happens to enhance one of my favorite games on Wii as a bonus! Xenoblade Chronicles on Wii was a game that almost passed me by but even years later, I still adored the characters and world it introduced, and I’ve been happy to see what started as game that was almost stuck in Japan eventually grow into a full franchise. I consider the first game to the best in the series, though it was held back by a few issues later games would iron out. Chief among the problems was the visuals, particularly the character models and…wow does ten years make a world of difference. The Definitive Edition does more than just clean up everyone’s faces, it also cleaned up the game’s cluttered UI, made it easier to track quests and materials for said quests, and added some fun optional challenge missions for veterans to tackle. The bow that adorns the top of this package, however, is the epilogue story Future Connected that serves to tie up some loose ends and gives a particular character some great closure. If you love massive worlds to explore, a compelling, at times over-the-top story, and a deep, rewarding combat system, I can’t recommend THIS version of THIS game enough. If you’re going to give the Xenoblade series a try, there’s no better place to start.

#4 – Ghost of Tsushima

When Ghost of Tsushima was first unveiled years ago, I didn’t exactly have a high opinion of it. It seemed like a game that put more emphasis on visuals over gameplay, and I was almost certain it would launch as a PS5 exclusive so why bother getting excited when I probably wasn’t going to be an early adopter of the system? To my great surprise, not only was this game confirmed for PS4, it wound up being one of the prettiest games on the platform and well-optimized to boot, even on my old slim PS4. Playing as lone samurai Jin Sakai, players try to repel the Mongel invasion of Japan, but are forced to adopt less-than-honorable tactics to take on this ruthless enemy. Usually when I play stealth games, I find myself frustrated. I feel weak, or limited, and often the games feel overly harsh. If you get caught once, game over and there’s little salvaging being seen. In Ghost of Tsushima however, there’s a great deal more care put into stealth, and at times I’d argue it’s almost too fun to pass up over the sword play. Very few missions in the game force you to go completely unseen, so stealth just because yet another tool rather than a limitation imposed on you.

Swordplay felt a bit less engaging against common enemies (typically just being Simon Says, switching to the appropriate stance for a given enemy), but the one-on-one duels throughout the game were fantastic and I almost wish the game was all about them instead. I can’t overstate how gorgeous this game is either, with a world that feels like it is breathing, as the wind whips through the tall grass, the moon penetrates fog overtaking a creepy forest, or seeing the smoke from an enemy camp wafting over the distance. Hands-down one of the best-looking games on the PS4, and I’m particularly happy that developer Sucker Punch managed to land a hit with a new IP, as those generally feel more risky as times go on. While I’d argue that Ghost of Tsushima doesn’t really redefine how open-world games should be designed, it is an extremely polished experience and manages to do it well, with plenty of opportunities to grow in a potential sequel.

#3 – Animal Crossing: New Horizons

If there’s any one game that people absolutely needed in 2020, it was Animal Crossing: New Horizons. While there are other games of this type, like Stardew Valley or the Harvest Moon (and later, Story of Seasons games), Animal Crossing is one of the few games that gets mainstream attention while simultaneously running counter to most mainstream gaming trends. No conflict, no combat, no overarching story really…just a game that lets you live your live, day by day on your own terms. I tried getting into the series before with New Leaf but just didn’t stick with it, but New Horizons launched at the perfect time in an imperfect world. Being able to escape the uncertainty and dread that enveloped the world as the pandemic spread for even a little while was a necessity, and thankfully New Horizons had plenty to do to keep idle hands busy. Changes like item crafting and eventually limited terraforming of your island paradise give players so much more agency in decorating their homes and building up something they can be proud of.

We all start as nothing but a small tent on a mostly-empty island, but seeing what people were able to do even in the first few weeks or so was nothing short of amazing. We need more unflinchingly wholesome games in the world, and I’m thankful for Animal Crossing for being there when we needed it, and considering how well it sold and how much post-launch content is expected to be added with time, it remains a sanctuary to return to even now. Just…please let us craft in bulk? Pretty please, Nintendo?

#2 – Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity

Last year, Nintendo released Astral Chain, a game that no one knew about before release, which was revealed and released with very little gaps between them. It was a game I didn’t know I wanted until it was presented to me, and that trend continues this year with Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. The first Hyrule Warriors was a fun, surprising spin-off of the main Legend of Zelda series, and Breath of the Wild was a fantastic game that shook up the core of the Zelda franchise, so in hindsight it really does seem like a no-brainer to combine the two into one package. Age of Calamity, for my tastes at least, cuts down on the repetition and overall stressful atmosphere of the first Hyrule Warriors and instead focused on fleshing out it’s core combat and crafting more creative main storyline missions. It helps that the game reimagines iconic locales from Breath of the Wild from before their destruction, and really makes you feel like you’re fighting through actual places rather than just a collection of random keeps that most Warriors games use.

Bringing in aspects like the Sheikiah Slate and Elemental Rods allows players to control the flow of combat more directly on top of letting them be more creative. Freeze enemies standing over water with the Cryonis rune or burn some grass with the Fire Rod to distract certain enemies, among many other things. Each playable character is also very distinct, even in cases where I could have forgiven the developers for reusing some attacks or traits. For one, Link has different movesets for his Sword and Shield, Spear, and Two-Handed weapons, but none of his attack overlap with the other Champions who use similar weapons. Some people might be put off with certain aspects of this game’s story and ultimately not everyone likes the overall structure of the Warriors spinoffs anyway, but for my part, Age of Calamity was one of the best surprises of the year, unveiled right at the end of the year in the nick of time. Of course, there was one game this year that surprised me more than any other.

#1 – Hades

I’ve known of Supergiant Games for quite a while and very recently began looking through their catalogue of games. They’re known for well-crafted narratives and satisfying combat, and yet when I first saw Hades when it was released in Early Access I was tepid on it. It didn’t look bad or anything, but it didn’t exactly blow me away and even now, I think a random screenshot or quick clip of the game might not do the game justice in explaining the appeal. I already wrote about the game at-length (as my only real non-retrospective blog post of the year, oops!), which you can read here if you want more in-depth praise, but to summarize…Hades is the total package for me.

Playing as Prince Zagreus your end-goal is to escape the puts of Hell, and more specifically get away from your overbearing father, Hades. It’s a rogue-lite, meaning you’re expected to finish the game in one shot and if you die you lose any upgrades you picked up along the way and have to start from scratch…to a point. Hades does allow you to keep a fair amount of items you pick up which can towards small, permanent upgrades or even gifts for various NPCs that can deepen your bond with them. Unlike most other games of this type too, the story constantly moves forward, even after death. The game is about dying over and over and then dusting yourself off to try again, all the while other characters remark on your progress or lack thereof. I grew to really enjoy this cast of characters, a fun spin on the Greek pantheon, paired with excellent voice acting for the entire cast. From the imposing, if somewhat sultry Megaera, to the nervous wreck that is the maid, Dusa, to the pompous ass Theseus, I looked forward to each new run just to learn more about this world and those within it. For once, death wasn’t really a punishment, but a reward, and just part of the process.

Of course, incredibly satisfying combat is ALSO part of the process and it just gets…addicting; muttering “one more run” over and over as you try out different weapons and boons, discovering what works well together and what doesn’t. While at first beating the game felt like it would never happen, I grew from my failures, adapted and eventually overcame. Multiple times. If you want the “full” Hades experience, this game can really demand a lot of time out of you but at the same time it stays fresh, so I can’t really complain. With new gameplay mechanics unlocking as time goes on, to the Pacts of Punishment players can trigger if they want a bit more challenge (or a lot more), Hades is that rare game that just keeps giving and giving. Before I knew it, I had dumped well over 50 hours into it, and I STILL need to get back to the game if I want that epilogue.

Compared to every other game that came out this year, Hades is the one game that grabbed me from moment one and would not let go until I hit credits. When I wasn’t playing this game, I was counting down the minutes until I could play it again, and let me tell you that is rare for me these days. At this point, Hades is clearly the breakthrough hit for Supergiant and I couldn’t be happier. The fact that this game got to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with industry titans at The Game Awards is kind of surreal, but I can’t think of many who deserve that recognition more. It helps that Supergiant is a studio that actually takes care of its employees, which is way rarer than it should be. I don’t mean to hype this game up like it’s the cure for COVID or anything, but I mean it with all my heart that this was the best game I played this year, and I’d recommend it in a heartbeat. I couldn’t stop talking about it for months after playing it, just ask my friends! So yeah, it’s pretty OK I guess.

CONCLUSION

I’m sure my Top 10 List looks a lot different from most out there, but that’s what’s great about games! So much variety and so much quality no matter where you look! Every year, without fail, there’s always at least a small handful of games that come out that I don’t get to, and try as I might I’ll never trim that backlog down. I want to keep playing games for as long as I can, trying out so many different experiences and seeing what this wonderful pastime can offer. For a good chunk of 2020 I was more than a little down, not just because of…you know, but a lot of games that were coming out weren’t appealing to me. That said, seeing as this was the year of shadow drops and announcing things at the last minute, I ended up loving a bunch of games I hadn’t already spend months hyping myself up for, which definitely helped to lift me up this year. Already, 2021 has a lot of titles I’m anticipating though, so it’s sure to be an exciting year.

Happy Gaming.

-B

[celestial-vapidity]

Gayonetta: Some Thoughts on My Favorite Video Game

So here’s the tea; Bayonetta is my favorite video game, as of the time I’m typing out this whatever-this-is. I just wanted to put some thoughts down. The teaser trailer has dropped for the third game, but we’ve received no other news yet. 

My first experience with Bayonetta was when I got the first two games for the Wii-U in...I think 2015? Maybe 2016. It was a gift, I know that. But I can’t remember if it was for my birthday or Christmas, let alone the year. But I know it was while I was being homeschooled, so I have a rough idea. I played for about an hour, got stuck on a puzzle, and didn’t touch it again until I turned 18 and decided to start over from the beginning on a whim. And, goddamn, did it make an impression. I couldn’t put it down. Before, when I got home from school, I would have a snack, let the dog out, and take a nap until my mom got home from work. But after picking up Bayonetta, I would go home and play the game all afternoon and evening, only stopping to eat dinner, shower, and other necessary tasks. 

I absolutely loved the game, and everything about it. It kicked my ass hard during my first playthrough though. I lost track of how many times I died. However, I never wanted to stop playing. Most, if not all, the deaths were my own fault. And I was having too much fun to stop in any case.

The story of the amnesiac witch resonated with me for one reason or another. The entire story did, if I’m being honest. Bayonetta was a character I loved. Honestly, I love almost every character in the first game. Bayonetta was stylish, strong, attractive, strategic, clever, and funny. She was guarded, but kind beneath it. She had a lot of baggage, and had difficulty dealing with it. 

I can’t get enough of her relationship with Jeanne. I don’t care what hets have to say. It’s canon if you ask me. The creators posted art of it, and BayoJeanne was included on a poll of the most popular canon pairings from that company. Also, it’s heavily implied in the games themselves. It’s canon that they live together. In one of the documents you can find in the second game, Luka compares Bayo’s quest to save Jeanne to lovers in mythology going on quests to save each other. Let’s not forget the climax of the first game either. That’s gay. No denying it. And, Bayonetta literally goes to hell to rescue Jeanne. Not to mention her reaction when she saves jeanne. She breaks down, thinking she failed, but when Jeanne wakes up, the first thing she says is ‘What, do you need a wake-up kiss?’. They’re lovers, you absolute fools. Here’s the tea sis. She and Jeanne live together. There’s that fan art in the Eyes of Bayonetta where Bayo’s pulling the blankets off of Jeanne to wake her up, and Jeanne is naked. The fact that both Bayo and Jeanne absolutely break down and start crying when they think the other has died. Also, the demon that sends Jeanne to hell? It was Gomorrah. Anyone familiar with Biblical lore will know that Sodom and Gomorrah was the capital of Queer. The ending of the first game is the gayest shit I’ve ever seen. “We’re both one of a kind.” That hits me in the heart. That is the thing that a queer kid (who doesn’t yet know they’re queer) hears and feels a connection to, and doesn’t know why. They know they’re different but they can’t put a finger on it. Also “Now those are the eyes I’ve been wanting to see.” That is incredible. Oh, and “I’m ok!” then “Just stay close to me!” 

Jeanne is a non-binary lesbian, Bayo is bisexual. That’s it, chief.

Anyway, back to me resonating with the story. I mega-resonate with the gay shit, don’t get me wrong. But that’s not all that hits me. Bayo’s guarded personality. Her constant flirting and joking. She acts like she doesn’t give a shit about anything, and she probably doesn’t about most things. But she does have soft spots. Particularly her loved ones, and children. Also. Her relationships with those around her, specifically her parents and the Umbra witches as a whole (excluding Jeanne). She has a shitty relationship with her father, Balder, in the first game. In the second game, when it’s revealed that Balder’s asshole actions were the result of possession, there is a real emotional conflict for her there. She cries. The only other times she has cried on screen (as an adult) were when her mother died, and when she thought Jeanne was dead. That says some shit. 

Nevermind what Jeanne must be going through from this revelation.

For a more in-depth analysis of the queer themes in Bayonetta, I recommend reading Reading Bayonetta as a Queer Disabled Woman; a meta. by Aurora_Lua (https://archiveofourown.org/works/21080381)

Oh, side note, I also love the implication that Umbra witches are a society of queer women who mostly pair with their own. And that Lumen sages are a society of queer men who mostly pair with their own.

Bayonetta is as close to perfect as I’ve ever seen in a video game. The story, the characters, the aesthetics, the visuals, the music, the gameplay, the bosses, the levels, everything. It’s all slappin. Bayonetta 2 is a good game too, don’t get me wrong. But, in my opinion, it's not as good as Bayonetta 1. 

Here are the things it does better. The character designs. I like the designs for Bayonetta, Jeanne, and Luka better in Bayonetta 2. I just find them more fitting and also much more aesthetically pleasing. Maybe it’s just me, but Bayonetta’s beehive gave me second-hand embarrassment sometimes. I liked that we got to see more of Balder and Rosa. 

Ok now onto something very iconic. The music. There are several tracks, both vocal and instrumental, that I enjoyed and still remember from the first game. The music in Gates of Hell, the Angel Attack version of Mysterious Destiny, the music that plays during the final fight against Jeanne, the track for the fight with Balder, Mysterious Destiny, Let’s Dance Boys, and of course, Fly Me to the Moon. The only tracks I can remember off the top of my head from the second game are Tomorrow’s Mine and Moon River. They’re both great songs, but still. 

Bayonetta (both the games and the character herself) remains a modern queer icon. And I eagerly await the third game, which will surely be just as (if not more) queer as its predecessors. Oh and it’ll probably be a kickass game too.

[eggoreviews]

Top 10 Switch Exclusives

With Nintendo finally pulling themselves out of the mild rut they found themselves in with the Wii U, the Switch is now producing games of monumental quality, so I’m here to take you through the top ten essential Switch exclusives for those of you who just don’t know which games to pick!

Note: I’m including Wii U ports here bc the Switch did them better and they’re still Nintendo so u know

10. Octopath Traveler

One of the many fruits of Nintendo and Square Enix’s growing partnership, Octopath Traveler is an adorable, retro-style JRPG that released on the system in mid-2018. The game features turn-based combat and eight playable characters that vary massively from each other in their personalities and backgrounds, meaning the game always has a fresh perspective. Overall, this is a creative but somewhat underrated title for the Switch that you should definitely pick up if you’re a fan of RPGs.

9. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

The latest entry in the DK series brings all of the bright colours, charm and difficulty in glorious HD on the Switch. While this was ported over from the Wii U, it’s certainly a worthy port to say the least. For fans of challenging platforming, Donkey Kong will tick all the boxes for someone who enjoys fun, colourful gameplay that will sometimes make you want to tear your hair out in frustration. Though, if you want things to be slightly less hard, the brand new funky mode lets you play as Funky Kong (but to be honest with you, it’s still hard. I know I keep mentioning it’s hard but I just really need to drive that home).

8. Bayonetta 2

The critically acclaimed hack ‘n’ slash series Bayonetta, while it began on the Xbox 360, is now a Nintendo exclusive, and the sequel to the already mind-blowing first game is definitely something to behold. The fast-paced, combat heavy gameplay is perfect for the Switch and, of course, Bayonetta as a character is as brilliant as ever. So if you’re someone who would enjoy fighting massive demon creatures as a semi-naked, sassy witch then boy is the franchise for you.

7. Super Mario Party

It’s the game that everyone’s citing as ‘the one that made Mario Party good again’. That’s right, the latest iteration of Mario Party on the Switch has ditched the weird car system that made it not into a board game, and now it’s a board game again! Perfect for any small awkward friend group or big party you misjudged and brought a Switch to, this game comes packed with 80 new minigames. Which is a lot. So if you like Mario and party, then pick this up. Prepare for lots of motion controls.

6. Xenoblade Chronicles 2

Another one for JRPG fans, it’s the latest entry in the series that made a name for itself for having anime-style protagonists with weird British accents, it’s Xenoblade 2! Another one of Nintendo’s charming, unique series, Xenoblade boasts an array of memorable characters, a polished, enjoyable combat system and a story just weird enough to be placed alongside most other JRPGs. Throw on top of that a solid DLC add-on in Torna and you’ve got yourself one fine viddy game experience that will definitely swallow up a couple hundred hours of your life.

5. Splatoon 2

The Splatoon series is one of Nintendo’s newest, shiniest IPs that sees their first and hugely successful foray into an online shooter. Splatoon subverts everything we know about the online shooter genre, which now seems to be over-saturated with gritty, laggy messes with little depth and has given us a genuinely fun and colourful game. A variety of game modes, weapons and customisation options for your Inkling bolster this game’s addiction factor and, on top of that, the recent Octo expansion throws in a genuinely solid single player campaign to boot. This is one basically everyone needs to try.

4. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

The latest and greatest in Nintendo’s flagship fighting series, Ultimate was basically dropped on us at E3 and gave us all a heart attack. If you somehow haven’t heard, Ultimate brought back every single veteran to the series, as well as a solid handful of new characters, plus DLC coming this year that includes Joker from Persona 5 and a plant. If that hasn’t piqued your interest, I don’t think anything will. One of the most ridiculously fun multiplayer experiences you will ever have is waiting for you in this game, especially when playing locally with friends, and the new spirits system has helped to conceive an equally amazing single player campaign, World of Light. This game is oozing with fun and intense love for the gaming industry and you can really tell how much hard work they put into this. Go play it.

3. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Quite possibly the definitive multiplayer experience, Mario Kart has been a staple of most people’s get-togethers since the first entry on the SNES. And much like Smash, Nintendo have created the series’ best entry in 8. Ported over from the Wii U, this game includes all of the DLC plus some new characters and karts, so for some reason you can now play as Link in Mario Kart! Cool! I don’t think anyone knows how to feel about this! The point is, it’s fun so you should probably play it.

2. Super Mario Odyssey

Odyssey is hotly contested to be one of the best 3D Mario games since 64, but even if that somehow isn’t true, you can’t deny how wonderfully unique it is. Each kingdom brings something new to the table; a lush, interesting environment in each one. With so many highlights to pick, from the brilliant puzzles to the new Cappy possession system to the boss fight with the massive dragon, Odyssey is packed full of content and collectibles to keep you coming back. Plus, the festival sequence in New Donk City? I want to play that bit forever.

Before I reveal the top pick that might seem glaringly obvious now, here are some other games that didn’t quite make the 10 but are also v much worth your attention!

Kirby: Star Allies

Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu/Eevee

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker

New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe

Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition

1. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

I mean, what else was it going to be? Zelda came roaring through the gates when the Switch was finally released and boy, did it deliver. Being the first Zelda game to delve properly into open world, an intense amount of love and detail was poured into every single moment of this beautiful game. Following the themes of lost memories and friendship, you travel across the vast land of Hyrule as Link trying to recover the memory of who he was 100 years ago. And each combat, each encounter, each visit to literally anywhere will leave you laughing, crying or anything in between. This was a game so powerful, it immediately became my favourite game of all time. I know there are a lot of people out there whose hearts are still with Ocarina, but for those new to the series who want a genuinely amazing, heartfelt experience, let Breath of the Wild swallow your whole life. As sinister as that sentence sounds, you really won’t regret it.

Thanks for reading! Let me know your favourite Switch game down below, if you wanna. Hope u find some money in one of your pockets that you didn’t know about.

[dunkalfredo]

Im in love with your vision of Infinite and Rookie and i want to hear some of your sweet headcanons about their time together. If anyone asked something similar, refer me to this post, please. Thanks!

alskdjnsjklnljkls tysm!!!! yeah sure ill share some headcanons. i did a post on a similar topic about a month ago but that’s more their individual personalities/aesthetics than actual relationship material so ill go ahead and add on some stuff here.

i should note that portions of this are based heavily off of the idea that they grew up together so prepare for some au territory at this point. my backstory for them is becoming so intricate jfc;;;;;; i really hope ur not disappointed with this answer i have like an entire pre-forces narrative planned out in my head at this point OTL if u were hoping for more general stuff just lemme know i can give you some more hcs for that (there’s already some but there’s also Backstory stuff that i can’t really explore through oneshot format)

this is entirely self indulgent tbhhhh anyways click that mf Keep reading button

there’s a lot of like. casual touch. lotsa hugs and leaning on each other and resting their chin on the other’s shoulder (or top of head depending on who’s who bc height difference) while looking over them at what they’re doing and its really rooted in their learning early on how much Gadget loves that sweet sweet Physical Contact (if u scratch behind his ears he will melt, guaranteed, you’ll have yourself a Boneless Gadget with a two-liter coke)

if it’s raining out gadget will insist on doing something that’s not just sitting inside all day but snugglin w/ infinite ends up tempting him into doing Exactly That lol

there’s a lot of companionable silence between them when it’s just Them Alone in a Room. sure they talk and chat and joke but there are so many times where it’s just,,, being Together,,, and enjoying being in the other’s presence as they each do their own thing

sorta going into childhood/backstory stuff but uhhhh:

starting freshman year of highschool they started just bein each other’s dates to school dances even though they were “just friends” for like half of that timespan . i love cheesy stuff like that im sorry bro i had to include that tidbit i know it’s super specific and particular to my own backstory for them but just, they’re best buds and they gonna have a good time at homecoming lol

please imagine: those cute pre-dance pictures that parents take at the stairwell or front porch or somethin right before their kids leave, but with gadget and infinite. gadget’s got braces and they dont really fit in his mouth and his lenses reflect the light in the photo and oops infinite blinked and his shirt is too big and tbh their suits in gen just don’t really fit them right, gadget’s shirt is untucked and infinite’s tie is crooked but it’s okay, they’re both smilin reeeeaaaal big (and besides they figure out how to look Aesthetically Pleasing by junior year)

summers were hot in their hometown (note: i grew up in the north so i know nothing of True Heat, bear with me on this one.) most evenings were spent out on gadget’s fam’s back porch, cold towels resting on the backs of their necks, sweat in and under their fur, and they’re melting into the wood of the deck, fan plugged into that one weird outlet on the outside of the house that’s really more a fire hazard than anything else but the cool air is nice. they’re just lounging around reading comic books and listening to music on infinite’s old zune (lots of mid-2000s punk rock bands bc what else were u expecting) and in later years when they’re in that teen puppy love stage they’re trying to cuddle but it’s TOO DAMN HOT OUTSIDE so they resort to like, gentle hand holding, infinite reading some pretentious literary work or whatever and gadget spacing tf out next to him

when they graduate and are assigned a partner to walk down the aisle with they still end up w/ each other even though technically the partners are chosen according to alphabetical order and they’re on opposite ends of that list whOOPS how’d they do that? (hint: last minute shuffling in line)

when they move outta their small lil home town and into The Big City (im gonna say that would be Sunset Heights to tie in some canon plot relevance) they move in together and share a flat. a) its more financially manageable to just split housing costs like that and b) it’s been a dream their entire lives to live together when they’re older so oh!!! they’re older now!!!!! time to live together

(okay that’s all for backstory stuff back to reg hcs)

neither can cook but its ok

it may seem like they bicker a lot but it’s usually either the like, joke argue of “what do you mean craft mac n cheese is gross take that back” or reprimands like “it’s one a.m. time to sleep u Fool” (self-care is important, lads). they actually communicate really well so high-stakes arguments aren’t super common (and when they do happen they dont tend to explode. i wanted to have them be the type that argue for understanding and not to prove they’re right, so that greatly affects the outcomes of their disputes.)

infinite loves to hum while he’s doing things, or just in gen, and his voice is very low and smooth and gadget looooooves it, so much. they’ll be, i dunno, doing some mundane thing, like maybe they’re out getting groceries or doin dishes or something (i love me that domestic content) and he’ll start humming quietly and it just, it really grounds gadget in a way that sometimes he doesn’t even know he needs till infinite does it.

anyone here ever played bayonetta? any a yall remember those bits where there’s a woman in bayo’s memories singing and/or humming ‘fly me to the moon’ all quiet and low? think that but just,,,, pitched down,,,, yeah,,,

the tunes are usually very slow and while not so much melancholy theyre just? i dunno melodic in the same lax, smooth-tempo’d way a lot of melancholy songs are? i dunno i like quiet, introspective infinite and aesthetics that reflect that

here’s a long one: about a month before infinite “goes missing” and forces happens, infinite lands a job at a local news outlet as one of the column writers and even tho he’s more into prose than journalism he’s so fuckin pumped. it’s mostly just excitement over not doing cashier work and having a money-makin outlet he’s at least somewhat interested in lol …aaaaaand the way ship headcanon works into this bullet is that when he finds out that he landed the job he so excited that when gadget walks into the room (it’s morning and gadget literally was just gonna get some coffee, he’s still in his pajamas, he’s got bedhead) infinite sees him and whoops he tackle-hugs him and then whoops he knocked them both onto the floor but its cool gadget kinda let it happen and when infinite tells him what happened and apologizes he’s now also super excited and happy for him so now there’s two (2) people screaming inside (and out) about this awesome development

here’s a short one: they wear each other’s clothes a lot

gadget’s v cuddly in his sleep so he gets really clingy w/ infinite when a) it’s early morning and they’re just waking up b) it’s Late o’ clock at night and they’re chillin at home or c) he’s Actually asleep and within like three feet of infinite

i dont really know how to end this lol i dont really wanna just start repeating myself and i might think of other stuff later but for now pls consider the following: when they sleep whoever’s big spoon ends up resting one hand over the other’s heart and it’s super sweet

oh and they smooch a lot (i told you this response was self indulgent)

[kiwi-le-survivant]

Kiwi-Le-Survivant’s Best Games of 2017 Post

I bought a PS4 this year, which means I was actually able to play five new games this year. It’s my hope that people will actually enjoy reading my thoughts, and soon I’ll be able to rival The Game Awards and announced Halo 6 or something right in the middle of my posts. Let’s jump right in.

Top 5 Best Games I Played That Came Out In 2017:

5. Tekken 7 - You know, I think I prefer Tekken to Street Fighter now. Although that might be a combination of me being slightly better at the former, coupled with Capcom having no idea what they’re doing lately. As shallow as it sounds, I think a big reason I love this game so much is the novelty of both a Capcom and an SNK character guest starring in a Tekken game.

Not as big on Noctis, though. I was hoping for either Kazuma Kiryu, or another fighting game rep. Although I guess you could argue Noctis represents Dissidia.

It’s at the bottom because the other games are so good. I hope they keep adding more content beyond what’s already planned.

4. Danganronpa v3: Killing Harmony - Apparently opinions on this game are mixed among DR fans, mainly related to the ending. Personally, I liked the ending, and I feel the rest of the game is pretty much in line with the first two in terms of quality. I’m a fan of the new mechanics, like Debate Scrum and Psyche Taxi. The soundtrack is really good, too. I think everyone can at least agree this is a memorable game.

3. Yakuza 0 - I haven’t finished this one yet, but I’m told it’s a fantastic entry point if you want to get into this series. This is one of the few games I can think of where I actually willingly did sidequests, because a lot of them are actually funny, and even heartwarming.

2. Persona 5 - My most anticipated game of 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. I’m a big fan of Persona 3 and 4, and I feel this game is just as good, if not better. I greatly prefer the Tokyo setting to the rural setting of Persona 4.

From the art style, to the setting and music, P5 oozes style out of every orifice. In fact, you could make a case for it being one of the most stylish games of all time. I thought for sure it would be number one, but one game managed to top it.

1. NieR: Automata - I heard this game actually sold really well, and that’s great news. Imagine telling someone that the sequel to NieR would outsell the newest Mass Effect. It’s amazing what an extra layer of polish and removing or altering some of the more tedious aspects of the first game can do.

Honestly, I’m bad at explaining why the game is good. Just play it. I genuinely believe it will go down as one of the greatest JRPGs of all time, and that Yoko Taro can and should be thought of as the next Kojima. If you dismiss it as a Metal Gear Rising/Final Fantasy rip-off that relies on fan service, well, your loss.

Did I mention that both NieR games have strong contenders for best video game soundtracks of all time? It’s true.

This is pretty long, so I’ll include the rest of the awards under the read more.

Top 5 Best Games I Played That Came Out Other Years:

5. Kid Icarus: Uprising - I haven’t played this as much as I’d like, but I’ve greatly enjoyed what I have played. I don’t even really mind the controls, really. I haven’t used the stand yet.

4. Gravity Rush - I started playing this game a few weeks ago, and I already love it. Kat is one of the most likable protagonists I can think of. She should be Sony’s mascot. In all honesty, this is one of the most fun open world games I’ve played. The only thing I’d say is lacking is the combat, but it’s manageable.

3. Va11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action - A game about mixing drinks and talking to people, while trying to save enough money to avoid getting evicted. There are multiple endings, too. The one I got really got to me. 

2. NieR - I’d hate to say it, but for the longest time, the only thing I saw related to the game was the Zero Punctuation review, and I wrote it off as generic based on that. Thankfully, a few friends heavily recommended it, and since Platinum were doing the sequel, I figured “alright, I’ll check it out.” It turns out, generic is probably the worst word to describe NieR, and Yahtzee is an idiot.

NieR is a rough diamond, similar to Persona 3, or the original Yakuza. A game that has more than its share of flaws, but its originality makes up for them. The gameplay is, well, it’s no Bayonetta. It’s not even DMC1, but it’s there to serve the story and characters, which I found myself getting attached to.

I’d recommend playing this before Automata, if you have a say, but it’s not 100% necessary, and Square Enix could have made that option easier, so it’s up to you.

Check out @thathomestar‘s post about it, too.

1. Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc - I knew of this series by reputation, and it seemed like the fanbase overlapped a lot with other things I was a fan of, but I got spoiled on who the lead villain turns out to be years before I played it, and I thought some of the character designs looked unappealing, so I wasn’t sure how much I’d enjoy it.

It turned out, I enjoyed it a lot. It scratches the same itch as Ace Attorney for me. I like the characters a lot more now that I actually know more about them. Funny how that works. Except Hifumi. He looks awful, and is awful.

The second one is probably better in many ways (especially the protagonist), but I feel the first game has a certain humility to it. I get the sense that the developers didn’t think it would take off as much as it did, and some of the rough patches kind of add to its charm. I also think the ending was originally planned to be more ambiguous.

Also, I made at least one friend while playing this game. That’s a plus.

Top 5 Games I Want To Play But Never Got Around To:

5. Cuphead - I felt kind of bad for not having any western games on the last two lists, so here we go. Cuphead looks pretty fun, and I really respect how much effort and creativity went into the game’s visuals. It reminds me a bit of Skullgirls. Sadly, I don’t have an Xbox One, and I doubt my PC could handle it.

4. Sonic Mania - Like Cuphead, this is another labour of love. It was really nice to see people being positive about Sonic again for a few months. Then Sonic Forces came out, but oh well. In a similar vein, I’m also interested in the Crash N-Sane Trilogy, but since Sonic Mania is a new game, it gets the edge.

3. Super Mario Odyssey - Looks really fun. I’ve never played either the Galaxy games or 3D World, but from an outside perspective, Galaxy and Odyssey look like a lot more appealing to me than 3D World. Sadly, I don’t have a Switch.

2. NioH - I suck at Souls games, to be honest, but I find this game’s concept very interesting. I think I’d be into in a Souls game where I can play as an actual character, and not just a blank slate.

1. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Nintendo has impressed me this year. I think this is the first time a 3D Zelda game and a 3D Mario game have come out the same year. I like this game’s art style, and I’m told it’s a breath of fresh air to a formula that was getting stale. However, no Switch, and no Wii U, either.

Top 5 Most Anticipated Games of Next Year:

5. Kingdom Hearts III - Yup. This is definitely coming out next year. Always bet on Sora.

4. Red Dead Redemption II - I was kind of burnt out on open world games, but if this is even half as good as the original, it’s pretty damn excellent.

3. Dragon Ball FighterZ - I loved Dragon Ball Z as a kid, and if this game came out when I was a kid, I would probably say “holy shit!” and also “who’s Beerus?” I think this has the potential to make Arc System Works a big name with mainstream audiences. Then maybe we can get a Persona 5 Arena with graphics like this.

2. Yakuza/Hokuto no Ken thing - I never read much Hokuto no Ken, but this looks amazing. Right up my alley.

1. Soulcalibur VI - I just really love fighting games, man. There arguably hasn’t been a great Soulcalibur game since SCII, in 2003 (2002 if you only count the arcade release), so I’d love to see this series make a comeback. Put Cassandra in it.

If Devil May Cry V were announced, it would automatically be at the top of the list, but sadly, no. As for Bayonetta 3, I don’t think it’s coming out next year. With that said, while I don’t have a Switch, Bayonetta 3 is potentially a system seller for me.

[4colorrebellion]

4cr Plays - Vanquish 10th Anniversary Edition

Platinum Games has always been a fascinating developer. Their games are definitely not designed to appeal to every possible demographic - which might explain their mixed record when it comes to sales - but one cannot argue that their games are boring. They have always felt to me like they are one game away from a true breakout hit. 

Fortunately, two of their best games have just been given another chance to find an audience - Bayonetta and Vanquish. Both games have been rereleased this week on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One to celebrate their 10th anniversary, remastered in 4K and 60fps. 

This is not the first time that Bayonetta has been rereleased, having made appearances on Wii U, Switch, and PC since the original PS3 and Xbox 360 launch. I hope you’ve played it. If you haven’t, change that. It’s sublime. Vanquish, on the other hand, has seen far less attention. 

That is a damn shame, as it might be my favorite Platinum game.

I generally start off reviews by discussing the story of the game, as a way to establish context. I’ll do so here, because I’m old and stuck in my ways, but it honestly isn’t that important. It is the future. The United States has a space colony. Russia is causing trouble. Russia takes the colony and uses its energy transmitter to blow up San Francisco. You play as grizzled DARPA agent Sam Gideon, a man with a sophisticated robot suit. You’ve been sent, along with a bunch of disposable space marines, to throw out the Russians. There are a few twists and turns, but mainly, the gist is that the red guys are bad, and you should probably shoot them. 

The story isn’t particularly deep, and the cut scenes feature acting that would be right at home on Mystery Science Theater 3000. However, it is still pretty entertaining.  The whole thing does have a delightfully cheesy, tongue-in-cheek vibe to it that I enjoy. Just don’t go in expecting the plot to carry the day. 

No, as with most Platinum productions, the star of the show is the game itself. The basic idea is that Vanquish is a cover-based third-person shooter - think Gears of War. You can equip three different guns at once, as well as two types of grenades. There is a pretty large range of weapons to try - assault rifles, shotguns, machine guns, pistols, sniper rifles, and a few esoteric entries like a gun that shoots circular saw blades. As you’d expect, each gun is useful in different situations. Shotguns are devastating at short-range, and utterly terrible at a distance. Sniper rifles are the polar opposite. Assault rifles are good at damage and speed, but lose some accuracy. Grenades can do damage to a whole crowd at once, and EMP grenades can short out machines. It flows pretty logically. 

As you make your way through a stage, you must fight your way through enemy positions, taking care of entrenched foes. Sometimes, the tables get flipped, and you have to endure a siege. In either case, you need to understand and make the most of your environment - taking advantage of cover positioned around a room. Many levels feature degrees of verticality, and you can do well by sneaking under or climbing over enemies - especially since enemies can deploy movable cover, turrets, or huge robotic suits. 

So far, what I’ve described sounds largely like any cover shooter. If that was all there was to it, I definitely wouldn’t be raving about the game. Platinum are largely known for creating complex, stylish action games. They definitely brought that expertise to bear in Vanquish. This largely manifests in the abilities granted by Agent Sam’s supersuit. 

First, booster rockets on the suit allow Sam to slide across a room at superhuman speed, limited by the suit’s tendency to overheat. Second, each weapon has its own melee attack, granting more options in combat if you get close to en enemy. Third, the suit’s “augmented reaction” mode lets you slow down time temporarily, giving you a chance to take out a group of foes or hit the weak points on a boss. This mode can be activated manually, while dodging, or activates automatically when you take too much damage - as a last-ditch effort to save your skin. 

These three twists to the gameplay change the shooter formula tremendously. In many situations, your best bet is not to hunker down and shoot the oncoming hordes, but to take the fight to them - sliding and dodging your way around threats and using your augmented reactions to strategically take down the Russians. The speed that sliding brings to combat is joyful, and the simple act of moving feels fantastic. I love the flexibility that Vanquish offers too in your combat style. You can play it as a standard cover shooter, and it’s still a pretty good one! However, you could also play it more like something like Bayonetta, all dodging and rapid hits - or somewhere in between the two extremes. It all works, and you can find the right balance for your playstyle. 

The 10th anniversary rerelease brings with it clear performance improvements. On the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X, the game plays in 4K resolution. On any form of either platform, the game maintains a fairly steady 60 fps. It is a last-generation game, so it may not look quite as stunning as a modern game. However, it still looks nice enough, and - more importantly - the gameplay is smooth as silk. My only complaint is that the cutscenes have noticeable slowdown. Stuttering in cutscenes feels a little weird, and is definitely jarring. Since it doesn’t affect the gameplay, though, it isn’t a big deal.

If you’re a shooter fan interested in a speedy, stylish take on the genre - or a fan of action games interested in how the genre could be used to infuse the gameplay of a shooter - I can’t recommend Vanquish enough. It’s an incredibly creative game that deserves another chance in the spotlight. I’ve had a blast playing it again, and would love to see the team take a crack at a sequel. Do not hesitate. Just buy it. 

(Oh, and if you haven’t tried Bayonetta, it is worth your time too!)

This review is based on a copy of the game provided by the publisher, SEGA.

Official Website

[yumenosakiacademy]

metr0con 2019 thursday diary

Cosplayed: tsuka-sa suou, summer uniform, w my burger king crown n my leo sign. Breakfast: ramen. Snack: none, but i did bring a package of poptarts.

This is for future me, so i’d prefer if ya didnt read but i mean. w/e.

Okay so.. I had a crappy morning and I only slept for 2 hours BUT! Con tiiiime! I got there and arrived at the hetalia panel a few minutes late but that's okay, it wasn't by many. I remembered I asked sealand during truth or dare n he said dare n I asked him to reenact his favorite fortunate dance n he was like "oh I've been waiting for this" or smth and later, I asked him how his gamer youtube channel was doing n america was like “oh dude i was ur 5th subscriber!!” n sealand was like “subscribe to me plss” n america was like “dont forget to like n subscribe. n receive notifications.” n someone dared canada to b as loud as america n she yelled when they said “be as loud as you were when u lost to russia in hockey”. at another part, someone asked america if she would rather never eat fast food again or save sealand from falling into a volcano n she hugged sealand n said “my lil bro!”. someone dared america to speak in proper english and she was all “oh pip pip cheerio” and mocking england haha

at the end of the panel, a girl came up to me n she said she liked my costume n i was like “!! r u into ES??” and they said “almost” or like. kinda or smth but they took my picture n i felt so happy gjhns

OKAY then i tried to go to the adventure t!me sing-along n q+a panel but they only did truth or dare for a few minutes n im not big into AT anyway so i wasnt rly having fun then they decided to start the singalong when they got the wifi working via someone turning on their hotspot but i had a bad throat so i just left the panel and then had abt 4 hrs to walk around! aw jeez, right?

while on my walk i saw a riku n got their pic n i was like “male idols unite hell yea” n we talked for a bit n they were talkin abt a boy idol series they had heard abt called dank!ra n i mentioned i had also heard abt that! i also came across someone who said they liked my costume or knew who i was (someone in a red beret) n we were talking abt ES n i was like “best boys go” n they said shu and i think keito n i was like “chiaki n mika.. theyre baby” n they were like “ryuse!ta! n rabitz r the most baby in ES” n i was like “oh dude those r my fav units.....” at some point, i saw kuro again!! i saw them but was too shy then later they spotted me as i walked past them n went “tsukasa!!” n i turned around n i was like “erin!!!” n i hugged them n the beret person was there too bc they were their friend apparently and kuro said they were just gonna b kuro for thursday (they were cosplaying summer uniform!kuro like they did in a previous yr) n they just wore it cuz they were hot n went “summer uniform solidarity” (bc i was summer uniform!tsukasa) n we fist bumped and i was digging around my shirt pocket to show them my souma keychain n they were like “oh dude u reaching into ur pocket reminded me i need to get smth from my pocket. i hav Fangs” n they put on costume fangs! eventually they started looking at jojo figures at the stall we were next to n we eventually parted.

at some point, the person running the itabag booth (theyre an ES fan, i kno. their site has ens-tars itabags in the examples gallery n they cosplayed ES last yr) saw me n went “ousama!” bc of my sign n i went over n they were like “guess what ia ctually got to meet arashis va last week” n i was like “RLY??” n they were showing me their arashi itabag n they were like “yea i got to shake his hand n everything aaa. n during his talk/panel (?) i kept showing off my arashi stuff as if to say “I LOVE ARASHI” n i was like “arashi is best knights member.. ara-nee............”

at some point my crown fell off while i was on the escalator? i tried to go back for it but it was gone in the Minute it took me to ride te up escalator? i assumed someone took it to wear but kenyan said someone mightve thrown it away..

i went to metro night live n it wasnt all that funny?? idk what to talk abt from it. they did a “luigi being a gamer” video series n one of them was him playing hotl!ne miami (not knowing it was violent) n he was like “ive never been to florida but i guess this is a game to simulate it!” n it said “proloogue: the metro” n he was like “oh like the convention!” n when the mask selection came up he was like “oh look we can even cosplay!” n he went thru the door n saw one of the mafia members n went “look! a congoer! hello- oh” n accidentaly shoved one of the guys down n he was like “can i help you up-” but then the character (jacket) smashed the guys head in w the button press n luigi went “....o-oh. uh-” and some of the other games were fortnite n he played a violent game n he was like “THERE IS NO GOD HERE NOW” or w/e. they also had an “Edgelords anonymous” skit in which reaper was a new member of the group but it ended w ruby r0se describing brutal ways to kill people (while listing em cheerily) n the others being disturbed n alucard ending the session.

at 7 i had nothing so i walked around. then when 8 hit, i was gonna go to Whose Line Is It Anime but apparently its time had been changed to 7 pm?? the 8 in “8:00-9:00 pm” was scribbled out in sharpie on the schedule board in front of the room n it said 7 pm but now that i think abt it.. i think they meant 7-9 pm. ....shit. oh god damn it. anyway i got sad n left then since it was kinda empty/slow bc it was nighttime, i sat down on a wall thing to open up my sougo plush keychain n some guy next to me started talking to me abt my nails and we got ot talking n apparently he had wanted to go to the dealers room but didnt kno they closed @ 8 n he was here w friend n only had a single day pass bc he had work the other days (his name was spencer) so he was just lounging and i suggested he tell his friends what he wanted n they get it for him if they hav weekend passes n asked if he knew abt the game room n he said no so i invited him to go play smash w me so we went but couldnt figure out how things worked bc there were many consoles n screens w games, but mosst had no controllers but it turns out u borrow the contollers w ur con pass! kenyan was there running the controller borrower table. he said “psst” bc he saw me n i ws like “kenyan!!!” n hugged him n he was like “hows ur weekend going dear” n i said not that great but only bc it was thursday! also my throat hurt” n he was like “did u drink?” n i was like “well.. i have water but..” n he was like “drink juice. it’ll help. that’s what ur dad wwould say” (he woukdnt) anyway we got our controllrs and started playg smash n i went, in order: joker, robin, chrom, bayonetta, greninja n he was teaching me how to play w the gamecube controller (im used to a wiimote) n he beat me every time but i had fun!

after that i was GONNA go to the v-ld panel but i looked inside while walking by n there werent many ppl so i said “okay lets go to the BB panel then. take a look” so i went in there n there were a TON of ppl anyway it was kind of boring bc im not big on murder mysteries n stuff but apparently someone solved it by saying ciel slipped n fell, no one murdered him. then they did the raffle n i didnt win but thats okay! most ppl left after the raffle ended n q+a started n i couldnt hear many ppls’ questions anyway so i was bored n thought of goint to the vl-d panel but ended up not but w/e! oh! also everyone received candy at the beginning of the panel n i ahd a mystery lollipop n it turned out to b birthday cake flavor! id never had that before. it was Good.

after that i was just wandering around n i called dad to startdriving there but the ciel i asked for a picture of, them n their friends were gawking at my nails ns tuff n one of the teens’ dads was like “how do ya pick ur nose w it??” but after that, as i was wandering around, the gundam id sen earlier that day saw me n waved n i said oh hi n went over n they (it was them n an izuru) were like “wanna hang out w us for a while?” so i was like “oh. shoot. id luv too but im waiting for my dad to pick me up” n theyw ere like “it’s okay we can just hang out til then, then, if ya’d like” so i hung out w them n the gundam was talking abt how earlier, a mukuro complimented them on their outfit n they returned the compliment n went to leave n the mukuro was like “uumm arent u gonna hang out w me? we’re from the same series n all” n they were like “not w that f***in attitude” n i was like “did ya rly say that?” n they were like “yea. ppl dont expect me ta hav attitude” n we also talked abt piercings n how i said they seemed cool n goth (the gundam had a nose ring n the izuru had a piercing near their mouth) but how it must hurt n they said it just feels like a pinch. at some point i roled over my bag so my sougo wouldnt get dirty n the izuru saw my rei button n mentioned smth abt only findin one rei button at the idol table n i was like “UR INTO ES???” n they were like “i just kno undead n a few other characters. like [points @ my leo sign] i kno him” n i went “he’s dumbass supreme” n the gundam was talking abt getting the rythm game n i was like “jut read the stories on the wiki the game is boring imo” n the izuru backed me up by saying it wasnt a rhythm game n a lil while later, i showed them the 2 cool rei cgs n i was like “big sexe” n they agreed but the izuru had said theyd seen the croassroads one i showed em (the first of the 2) n the gundam said they wnted to cosplay bloody banquet rei (the other cg i showed em) n the izuru said they wanted to cosplay them All gjhnsm i showed them ryu-seitai too n showed them undead n gundam showed an interest in adonis! we also talked abt k!n stuff n all that! im not gonna go into detail on that (esp bc it’s so late rn as im typing!) but gundam was like “i dont trust junko k!n. like, evreyone else, yea, but junko? no. or like, any other character that’s just so irredeemably shitty”. oh they also talked abt this one messy, ugly, tangly junko wig they found for $300 which shouldnt have been that much n it was just a mess of tangles. anyway t’s getting late oh gosh. anyway they said they’d b on the lookout for me tomorrow so we can say hi again! 

random fun fact: SO many ppl complimented my nails today gjhnsm

[j3nnyjams]

So  Levana’s design has been updated and she’s a vampire now! I don’t think her old design is completely gone, though, or at least not the more octopoid skirt. The vampire squid skirt, though, is designed after her favorite animal

The decision was made as part of a conscious choice to include more monsterfolk into PGA. For Levana, it was an easy change.

Here’s her new profile!

Levana McQueen is a friend of Ashley & co. and is one of the most recurring employees of the rival restaurant to Warpspeed - Brimstone Pizza. Despite the restaurant rivalry, Levana is on good terms with Ashley and Pepper and is one of the biggest social butterflies in the comic, having many connections. She tries to make friends with her fellow employees such as 8-Bat, K'thuloo, Mendy, Honey and Charlotte; she’s also a big fan of the rock star Haley. While she’s probably the most ‘human’ named employee of Brimstone, she’s quite clearly a vampire! Her whole family is vampires, but they’re friendly, and won’t drink innocent peoples’ blood… at least, not too much of it. She likes to joke about drinking her friend’s blood, but she usually doesn’t mean it. It makes a lot of sense that her best friends are a bat and a squid, even though those relationships are fairly one-sided. Despite being vampiric, she’s resistant to the sun, owing either to her melanin or the fact that there’s not really a bad bone in her body. Still, she prefers the night. She’s a goth with an optimistic, perky attitude. She loves vampire fiction, as well schlocky horror fiction about tentacle monsters, and possibly humans having romantic relationships with said vampires and/or tentacle monsters. Her hair is meant to resemble tentacles, with a Bride of Frankenstein streak in their for flavor. She loves all kinds of animals, but especially nocturnal species, creepy crawlies, parasites, and deep sea monstrosities. Her favorite animal is the vampire squid, which she designed her skirt after. She’s also fond of talking about the 'energies’ and 'auras’ she can feel coming from people. She has some Wiccan tendencies in her, but considering there are real-life witches out and about, it’s anyone’s guess how accurate she is with the things she says. Nonetheless, she brings a lot of fun and enthusiasm to any room she’s in. Among her tabletop game group she is known by the code name, 'The Dark McQueen’. Her parents are busy working professionals that leave their spacious studio apartment often unoccupied, leaving her with her fourteen year old sister; this presents many opportunities for spooky parties. She’s also a big gamer with a Nintendo Switch, a Wii U and a PC; among her favorite games are Dark Souls, Bloodborne, Bayonetta and Splatoon.

twitter / dA / commissions / patreon

[chuddzo]

ChuddBear Pre-Switch conference hopes

Coming from a lifetime Nintendo Fan!

OK, I don’t think I’ve been this excited for any one thing since Smash for Wii U came out, so here come some opinions and hopes for the Nintendo Switch conference and beyond!!

1. Get those fighting games in check boy!!!!! What I mean is I really want games like Street Fighter 5, Tekken, and ESPECIALLY Soul Caliber. I love Soul Caliber but I havn’t played it in so long! Also please, for the Smash 4 port, BALANCE THAT GAME! IM TIRED OF PLAYING JIGGLYPUFF AGAINST CLOUD!!!! Cloud is cool and all but he’s just too much, and Bayonetta when she was first released?? HOO BOY. 

2. Give the new Mario title a hubworld like every game previous except 3d world!!! When im playing some dank Mario, half of the fun (for me at least) has been romping around in the hub! Mario Sunshine’s delfino plaza was a blast to run around in, and you would have missions in the hubworld... OOOOH THATS A GOOD GAME. I would’ve enjoyed 3d world so much more if there was a hubworld

3. 3rd party support! Believe it or not, I like call of doopy from time to time! I might not get the latest one if it actually ends up on the switch (purely because I don’t like the whole future gimmick) but who knows about that next one. Also DARK SOULS 3 AND BEYOND HOLY MOLEY if you can secure that partnership its over boys were in the clear. AND IF BETHESDA ACTUALLY PUTS THEIR AAA GAMES like the next elder scrolls or dishonored 2, etc. that would be fantastic

4. Please, please bring back old franchises! Metroid desperately needs a main series title, and ill tell you what, that shit will sell systems!!!!! Another main series Animal Crossing game on home console please!!! How about some Star Fox that doesn’t suck? Maybe a small f-zero game? I know they wont do a full release new f-zero, but they could pump something out so that way Cap Falcon doesn’t become a smash bros only character!

5. A strong virtual console lineup, including gamecube games! I think it’s already been confirmed through so many leaks, but I JUST WANNA PLAY MARIO SUNSHINE AGAIN UGHGUGHUGHGUFIDBNVJILDFBNVJHLREBVHJEFLBBATDRWGBTRBG

6. Lastly, for your next console, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DO NOT MAKE IT A STEP UNDER PS AND XBOX GRAPHICALLY, I DONT CARE IF THE SWITCH IS BECAUSE ITS PORTABLE BUT PLEASE NINTENDORP HELP US

yeah thats about it, once the conference drops thats about all i’ll be talking about, we’ll see if any of my predictions or wishes came true!

[thatguysamaniac-blog]

While looking for images of anthropomorphized versions of the new pokemon with their tits out, we stumbled upon some clickbait. Not just any clickbait, metacritic showing us a definitive fact based, unbiased top 50 games of the 2010's: 1. Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii, 2010) 97 2. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Switch, 2017) 97 3. Red Dead Redemption 2 (PlayStation 4, 2018) 97 4. Grand Theft Auto V (PlayStation 4, 2014) 97 5. Super Mario Odyssey (Switch, 2017) 97 6. Mass Effect 2 (Xbox 360, 2010) 96 7. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Xbox 360, 2011) 96 8. The Last of Us (PlayStation 3, 2013) 95 9. The Last of Us Remastered (PlayStation 4, 2014) 95 10. Red Dead Redemption (Xbox 360, 2010) 95 11. Portal 2 (Xbox 360, 2011) 95 12. God of War (PlayStation 4, 2018) 94 13. Batman: Arkham City (Xbox 360, 2011) 94 14. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (3DS, 2011) 94 15. BioShock Infinite (PC, 2013) 94 16. Pac-Man Championship Edition DX (Xbox 360, 2010) 93 17. Divinity: Original Sin II (PC, 2017) 93 18. Super Mario 3D World (Wii U, 2013) 93 19. Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty (PC, 2010) 93 20. Persona 4 Golden (PlayStation Vita, 2012) 93 21. Persona 5 (PlayStation 4, 2017) 93 22. Mass Effect 3 (Xbox 360, 2012) 93 23. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (PlayStation 4, 2015) 93 24. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii, 2011) 93 25. Rock Band 3 (Xbox 360, 2010) 93 26. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (PlayStation 4, 2016) 93 27. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Switch, 2018) 93 28. INSIDE (Xbox One, 2016) 93 29. Forza Horizon 4 (Xbox One, 2018) 92 30. God of War III (PlayStation 3, 2010) 92 31. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (PlayStation 3, 2011) 92 32. Bloodborne (PlayStation 4, 2015) 92 33. Celeste (Switch, 2018) 92 34. Super Street Fighter IV (PlayStation 3, 2010) 92 35. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (PlayStation 4, 2015) 92 36. Undertale (PC, 2015) 92 37. Fire Emblem: Awakening (3DS, 2013) 92 38. Divinity: Original Sin II - Definitive Edition (PlayStation 4, 2018) 92 39. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (Wii U, 2014) 92 40. Journey (PlayStation 3, 2012) 92 41. Xenoblade Chronicles (Wii, 2012) 92 42. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Switch, 2017) 92 43. The ICO & Shadow of the Colossus Collection (PlayStation 3, 2011) 92 44. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Blood and Wine (PC, 2016) 92 45. LittleBigPlanet 2 (PlayStation 3, 2011) 91 46. Overwatch (PC, 2016) 91 47. Bayonetta 2 (Wii U, 2014) 91 48. Forza Horizon 3 (Xbox One, 2016) 91 49. Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers (PC, 2019) 91 50. Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition (Switch, 2019) Richie:  I LIEK THE DUBBLE ONES! The Last of Us x2 Divinity: Original Sin II x2 Play count: 16 off that list, that's also eight twentyfifths, which is roughly how much of my massive dick your mom can take. Cunzy: Now, we all know the issues with a crowd sourced list. It's dumb. It's like putting together a list of best fruit, or favourite socks. However, every now and then it's useful to pull the wang out to measure it against the communities' wang and see just how weird and misshapen our is (we share genital appendages) by comparison. Play count: 9! What an alternative darling I am! Richie: I mean they are great, and you know they will be, but you have to draw the line somewhere, So you have to choose and say, "Nah I wont play this", better the time sink you know, right? And you choose your reasons, you skim an article, and find the thing that is slightly wrong and then activate your inner drama queen to say "OMG that is not a game I want to play I cant believe they dont have Fred Durst doing the voice of the main character" or something equally nuts. And there is plenty of them on that list that I simply refuse to play for these reasons. And I guess that's fine? Time is finite, I cant go back ten years and play all of the PS3 games I never played? Can I? Cunzy: GUILTY CONFESSIONS, A.K.A those games you know are great but just never got around to: Mario Odyssey, LoZ (the whole franchise), Red Dead (series), Mass Effect (series), Persona (series), Divinity (series), Souls (series)... where do I hand my gamer card back? Richie: Also Overwatch... Do people actually play it, or is that there just because people fiddle with their genitalia to fund cosplay camgirls? Cunzy: Yes, watch me throat this widowmaker dildo on my stream now. Richie: So do we disagree with this list? Well, to be fucking honest I'm not going to research it myself, I'm not sure I have played much more than 50 games this year, as far as i can recall, I played a lot of Diablo 3 and Fallout/Skyrim... but yeah I'm sure the above is good... Actually fuck that, Games of the decade for me are... Every iteration of pokemon that came out in the last 10 years, X/Y, Sun/Moon, Black/White, Sword/Shield, Flaps/Scrotum. Skyrim SNOW VIKING DRAGON SHOUTING Animal Crossing, Shake the tree for Nook. Lego Everything, play, collect, repeat Hyperdimensions Neptunia. Ultra Japanese anthropomorphised consoles as Anime girls. Vert is best Waifu.  Fallouts So many plus expansions, Chandler as a bad guy is special.  Diablo 3, Clicky loot loot  WoW Classic, because...  FFXIII-2, Timetravel-bocolina  Tomodatchi Life, Make your friends on the DS into miis, interact with them, cry alone at night Smash Bros. Repeatedly main Peach till she becomes top tier, yaay Jackbox games, All Gems, probably the best multiplayer gaming actually this decade.  Doki Doki Literature Club, MO-NI-KA Batmanzes, grapple glide Southparkgames, play the stories you have watched and add a weak RPG element. Dragon Ages-s, Way better than mass effect Every Naruto game. Like lego, but with anime ninjas Barrel Scrape: the game, where you frantically look at your steam collection for the games you have most played, and check the dates of your 360 games to see if they fall into this category I played 18 games it seems? Cunzy: *gasps for air*, wipes synthetic jizz from Lollipop Chainsaw skirt. Ten years is a long time. Here's my top 18 games of the decade. Silent Hill Shattered Memories 2010 Silent Hill without the combat and all the more psychologically chilling because of it. Great setting, theme and story. One I regularly come back to and still brick myself.  Endless Ocean 2 2010 Expanding on the first one in every way, shame there aren't more nature lovin' games in this ilk.  Monster Hunter Tri 2010 The only one in the series to have kept my attention despite it being the 'wrong one' according to many in the MH community.  Lost Planet 2 2010 Probably one of the games with the most comprehensive couch co-op mode and ridiculous bosses to team up against. Absolutely bonkers story, giant monsters and jetpacks. What more do you need? Dead Rising 2 2010 I wasn't too bothered with DR3 and DR4 despite absolutely loving the first game. They seem to have crossed the line between goofy but po-faced and just silly apocalypse zombie killing. DR2 arguably gives you a playground more memorable than Willamette and stays on the 'serious' side.  Dead Space 2 2011 One of my favourite gaming franchises I think, excellently built world that is complemented by the tie in anime, comics and spin-off games.   Resident Evil Revelations 2012 It was a good decade for Resident Evil with almost every game seeing multiple ports, re-releases and remasters. It's a close call between Resident Evil 2 and Revelations on the Nintendo 3DS for my favourite of the decade but this one really got it's biohazardous talons-with-eyes into us especially raid mode. Revelations 2 is fantastic co-op but the raid mode side of things isn't as fluid as the original Revelations. Criminally, aside from a brief VR foray into Resident Evil 7, we errr didn't play it.  The Last Story 2012 Oh, I fell in love with this game and despite the small geography of Lazulis City it felt like a living city with many surprises tucked away. Great soundtrack to boot.  Fire Emblem Awakening 2013 Another series that had a rock solid decade starting with Awakening then the rest of the 3DS trilogy, an excellent Warriors game and even Heroes wasn't too bad. Although Fire Emblem Three Houses is the superior game, it's the cast and the support system pioneered by Awakening that has this in my top 18.  Tomb Raider 2013 Sometimes the context in which you play a game is as important as the game itself. A weekend in 2013 with fellow Tomb Raider fans blasting through this excellent and long awaited reboot is fondly remembered. Last of Us 2013 It's hard to put a finger on just one thing that makes this game phenomenal but there's not been much like it since.  LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2013 There were some great LEGO games this decade from opposites LEGO Worlds and LEGO Dimensions to movie tie-ins and a strong series of games based on the Marvel and DC comics. The Marvel trilogy in particular was outstanding.  Everyone's Gone to the Rapture 2015 With age, the more energetic games can leave me wheezing with exhaustion just thinking about playing them and EGttR is a perfect respite from the shootbang games. Honestly, I'd be keen to play more games just like this. The English countryside setting in particular made it extra special.  Mario Kart 8 Deluxe 2017 Honestly, who actually puts Mario Kart on their top games list? Well thinking about it and looking at play records it's probably the perfect couch multiplayer game but with a real challenging depth to those looking to break records and get a hold of those elusive gold kart components.  Splatoon 2 2017 Cheating slightly here by including Splatoon 2 and the Octo Expansion as one entry. I'm really not a huge fan of the central competitive gameplay of Splatoon, although I've put in the hours, but the single player side of things are a worthy first person puzzler(?) in their own right.  Into the Breach 2018 When the options paralysis sets in, which is often, I just spin up Into the Breach. Three hours and a few runs later I'll question why I don't play this game even more often. Hundreds of hours in and still challenges to do, runs to try.  Super Smash Brothers Ultimate 2018 Part game, part nerdy love letter to gaming, part video game museum.  Pokemon Sword and Shield 2019 Okay as Richie pointed above any of the pokemon mainline series could have filled this slot but the last one makes most sense. Twas also a good decade for the spinoffs. I enjoyed Pokemon Conquest a huge deal, put an embarrassing amount of time into Quest as well as Picross, Rumble, Duel, Go and mystery dungeons.  And there we have it, lists, we'll be back at some point in the future with more lists, perhaps with a list spanning the last 2 decades, to present you with our Game of the Century (spoilers, it's SSX Tricky). Also if anyone has a word to describe my above rant about the act of proactively dismissing something despite knowing it will be good to avoid committing to the time sink, please let me know. We live in a time of labels, there must be a word for this! Love and where do you even start with persona! Richie + Cunzy X

http://www.thatguys.co.uk/2020/01/top-50-games-of-decade-commentary.html

[linkseasonmaster]

What would make for a successful port of Darkstalkers?

I’ve been a fan of the Darkstalkers series ever since I stumbled across a random arcade cabinet with Vampire Savior (aka Darkstalkers 3) as a kid in a hotel one holiday break. I was really young at the time, to the point where all of the sexual innuendo went completely over my head. Heck, I legitimately could not tell what gender certain characters were. Even so, the artstyle, character designs, atmosphere, and creativity just left an insane impression on me. To this day, while I’m far from good at any 2D fighters (including Darkstalkers), the series still holds a special place in my heart. I spent many a bus ride to and from school happily playing Chaos Tower on my PSP, trying to unlock all of the endings, while also attempting to track down the OVA and eventually watch it.

So when I learned that Darkstalkers Resurrection was going to be released while I was away at college (and I would be therefore unable to buy it immediately), I wanted nothing more than to do everything in my power to help it succeed. I tried telling people in general about the series, showed the trailers to various friends who I thought might be interested, eventually bought myself a copy on my Xbox 360 during the first break I was home after its release, etc. So when I learned that, despite being a digital bestseller, it was written off as a commercial failure without any evidence provided (namely how many copies Capcom expected to sell and how many ACTUALLY sold), I was furious. In the time since, I’ve come to realize something: EVERY port of Darkstalkers has had something that prevented it from being a truly good re-release. While some of them are elements I had to do extensive research on (for example, the gameplay of various characters seems to suffer in the ports of Darkstalkers 3 that have all 18 main characters available and not just 15), others are aspects even I can confirm despite my lack of skill in the genre.

So as much as I would love nothing more than to see this amazing trailer come to actual fruition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZfy2Qxz6Hs

I honestly would NOT be surprised if the next time Capcom tries to give us a Darkstalkers game, it’s yet another port rather than an actual new game in the series, BUT...if that is how it’s going to be, Capcom needs to learn from past mistakes so that the series really gets to shine. As for what they can do to make it so...well, I have several suggestions. While I’ll be using Resurrection as my main frame of reference, I will also be including concepts utilized in Chaos Tower as well as other Darkstalkers ports and even other Capcom Collections.

Strong Gameplay vs. All Main Characters needs to stop

When it comes to the roster size in Darkstalkers 3 and its various ports, there ALWAYS seems to one of two problems. Either not all 18 of the main characters are available, or all 18 are playable in a single game but the gameplay itself suffers in some way or another, be it framerate, inaccurate hitboxes, etc. One could argue that back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the amount of memory was the reason for this. But this should not have been an issue in 2013, nor should it be an issue going forward with future ports. Have the game playtested by people who know the ins and outs of the various characters to make sure the fighters play the way they are supposed to, but in the end, fans should no longer have to choose between gameplay and roster size when said roster at ABSOLUTE MAX is under 25 playable characters, including secret characters.

No more Japanese and/or console exclusives

Several ports in the series never officially left the shores of Japan, including one that features a secret character that has never been included in a port of the series before or since. Even among the ports that were released in the West, said games were often exclusive to one or possibly two consoles, severely limiting the potential reach. Should there be another collection of Darkstalkers games released, unlike the last installment of Resurrection, said game should be released on more than just the online stores of the current Xbox and Playstation consoles. They should also be available on platforms such as Steam or even Nintendo (admittedly, were it not for games such as Bayonetta 2 on the Wii U, even I wouldn’t have been sure that putting a game like Darkstalkers on the Nintendo Switch could be lucrative). This would help expand the potential market of fans looking to return to or even discover the series and support it in a reasonable manner.

All secret characters and their methods of unlocking/selecting available ingame

Within the series, there are five secret characters, all of whom have appeared in some version of Darkstalkers 3. They are Marionette, Shadow, Dee, Oboro Bishamon, and Dark Talbain. However, Dee has only ever appeared in one game exclusive to Japan, Dark Talbain is unplayable in Chaos Tower, and while Marionette and Shadow are primarily gameplay options for Arcade mode, Marionette is absent in Resurrection, and the methods for selecting any of these secret characters are not stated within the game itself. If another port for the series is to be made, not only should all of these characters return, there should be an option in the gallery of using in-game points unlocked through the awards system (more on that later) to discover what inputs are needed to select each of these secret fighters and which modes they are available in. Note that while this does imply that Dee is available for play in a brand new port released outside Japan, and that he as well as Oboro Bishamon and Dark Talbain are available for play both in and out of Arcade Mode, this does NOT mean I want a port to be the debut of Marionette and Shadow as actual fighters rather than their usual function of altering the gameplay of Arcade Mode. Even I can acknowledge that is something better saved for a brand new game rather than a port.of already made games.

Previous features need to return

There are various features that are available in one port or another, but not all of them. In addition to the natural inclusion of the classic Arcade Mode and Local Match for both Night Warriors and Darkstalkers 3, a future installment should include all of the online features available in Resurrection. These include but are by no means limited to Ranked Match, Tournament, Replays, and a direct upload to YouTube function but one that ACTUALLY works. That last one is due to the game freezing whenever I attempted to perform said feature on the Xbox 360, but when I tried reaching out to both Capcom and Microsoft, each company just told me to ask the other. In addition, there are various options for single players and additional content that are available in earlier ports. These include the Original Character feature in the PS1 port of Darkstalkers 3, the Chaos Tower found in the game by the same name, an options menu for changing various settings (such as Arcade difficulty or controls), the Gallery, and the Tutorials/Challenges as well as the Awards system and Achievements/Trophies in Resurrection. Admittedly, given how some of these features work in each of the ports they came from, just throwing them all into one game would not work. As a result, I have thought of a way of blending some of these features in a way that should make sense and hopefully work.

With Darkstalkers 3 on the PlayStation, the Original Character options enable players to customize and level up a character of their choosing, where reaching certain levels unlocked different parts of the Collection, The Chaos Tower allows players to create a team of three Darkstalkers and fight their way up a tower, with the health of each fighter not being used healing between matches and where meeting certain criteria would grant them an opportunity to face specific fights and therefore unlock unique illustrations in the Chronicles Mode. In Resurrection, the Awards system rewards points for performing specific actions and with these points, players can purchase bonus content such as art and arcade endings in the Vault. This begs the question: how would I go about feasibly integrating all of these features into a single game?

First of all, in a future port of Darkstalkers, there would naturally be the gallery mode (effectively the Collection/Chronicles/Vault from the earlier ports), but there should also be a Shop Menu, with the points used for said shop being earned through the Awards system implemented in Resurrection. The shop itself would have a fair number of songs and voice clips as well as concept and cabinet art available from the start, but some content such as game openings (like those for the original Arcade games and their various ports), character endings, high scores, specific illustrations, and the methods for selecting secret characters would only be added after beating either Night Warriors or Darkstalkers 3 with specific fighters or by progressing through Chaos Tower. As for Chaos Tower, in addition to selecting a team of three characters to play as, it will now include the leveling system found with the Original Character feature. Everything bought within the shop would be viewable in the gallery. As a little bonus, taking a cue from the Mega Man Anniversary Collection, it would be a neat treat if the players could potentially unlock the first episode of either the Darkstalkers cartoon or the OVA, if not both.

This point I will admit could be one of the trickiest to implement. Yet even acknowledging how much easier and even more cost effective it is to just simply port a game raises many questions about the lack of a Darkstalkers game on Steam and other modern platforms, especially Resurrection. Not only are most of the features I’ve listed in this point concepts that have already been included in previous Darkstalkers games in some form or another, but they’ve all been done in previous Capcom titles. Therefore, it stands to reason that the framework is already there.

Be honest and upfront about sales, both expected and realized

As mentioned previously, Darkstalkers Resurrection, despite only being available on the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live, was a digital bestseller. However, Capcom officially deemed it a commercial failure, yet did not state how many copies needed to be sold in order for the game to be deemed a success, nor how many copies actually sold. In addition, no record of EITHER can be found anywhere online, even on their official website. While I acknowledge that Capcom is under no obligation to share this information, especially in so public a manner, they have shown themselves more than able to do just that with games that both heavily underperformed and were poorly received such as DmC: Devil May Cry and Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite. Whether it was out of fear of being seen as unreasonable or just simple negligence, this cannot be repeated if a port of the series is to be used yet again as a means of testing the waters for interest in the series’ future. Public relations is especially important in this day and age, and many fans including myself still remember all too well some of Capcom’s bigger PR fiascos from this past decade alone.

Above all, the game needs to have heart and soul

When a game, be it a port or something brand new, is made solely with the intention of money, it shows. Whether it’s trying to be rushed by a specific date, or simply cash in on a pre-existing franchise’s reputation, the fans are going to be able to tell, and the game’s sales and reception will suffer as a result. From the presentation and execution of the game as a whole to clear signs of there being attention to little details, it becomes blatantly clear when and how much the people working on a game care about it. For a frame of reference, let’s take a look at Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite. I recently borrowed a copy of that game from a local library for two weeks (technically one week with only one renewal), and while I quickly developed MANY issues with that game, Jedah Dohma was never one of them. The Dark Messiah is an absolute delight throughout the story mode, his gameplay is tons of fun, the translation of several of his moves into 3D (despite being toned down due to the graphic nature of them in the source material) was incredible, and the voice actor that was selected to play him was also the same person who voiced Pyron, another Darkstalkers character and the first main villain of the series, in the OVA series from the late 1990s. With all of these factors taken into consideration, it paints a picture of someone, if not multiple people, who worked on the game genuinely caring about the Darkstalkers series. That same love and attention NEEDS to be demonstrated in any future Darkstalkers games, be they ports or brand new installments. Anything less will just damage the game, hurting not only its potential sales numbers, but its reception in the eyes of critics and fans alike.

In the end, these are my thoughts on what needs to go into any future ports of old games in the Darkstalkers series. While I would much rather see a brand new game in the series first and foremost (any ideas for which I will save for a future post), if we are to see another port of older games first, this is how I feel such a game can truly shine and succeed. If anyone has other thoughts on what other elements should go into a future port (within reason) that will help give this series the justice it so rightly deserves, please feel free to share them and I may very well try to implement them into my points above.

[operationrainfall]

Holy crap, what a week! This Smashing Saturdays comes on the heels of one of the most momentous reveals in Smash Bros. Ultimate history thus far. You could neatly slice it between what happened before and after the Wednesday Direct. Before, it was your average week, but afterwards it set all our heads spinning with wonder. While it’s true there were no new posts after the Wednesday Direct, there’s enough provided in that one day to stretch out the rest of the week. So, without further ado, let’s get Smashing!

I admit that when I saw Samus earlier this week, I did half expect some exciting Metroid news in Smash Bros. And while I was technically right, I was missing the forest for the trees. That said, Samus looks to continue being a bad ass bounty hunter that I am completely ill equipped to main. Her devastating tilts and explosive weaponry makes her a force to be reckoned with.

Speaking of explosives, the Bomber item was the last regular reveal before the floodgates opened on Wednesday. This new item is held up by players and within a few seconds a massive explosion shatters the field. The farther away you are from the center of the explosion, the less damage you’ll take, so speedy brawlers should have an advantage. Now let’s begin parsing through all the crazy reveals that happened during the Nintendo Direct!

Any Direct that starts with this is already wonderful

The Direct started with a fantastic trailer showing a terrified Luigi wandering through a mysterious castle. Turns out it had some familiar monsters in it, and it quickly became apparent that Luigi wasn’t in any old castle, he was in Dracula’s Castle itself! Yes, the one from Castlevania, much to my utter shock. The castle itself looked amazing in both the trailer and as a new stage in Smash Bros. Ultimate.

In this iconic stage, which is the darkest of any in the Smash series, you’ll be assaulted by famous foes from the Castlevania franchise, such as Medusa, Death, Werewolf and much more. Oh and did I mention some 30+ songs from the franchise will play while you’re fighting in the stage? There’s even certain conditions under which the dark lord himself, Dracula, will make an appearance. But it wouldn’t be Castlevania without a Belmont, and now two are gracing Ultimate!

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We not only get the mighty Simon Belmont, we also are getting his Echo variant, Richter! While Castlevania purists will no doubt go with the whip wielding macho man, I grew up loving Symphony of the Night, so I’ll be picking Richter. Both Belmonts wield the mighty Vampire Killer, as well as the boomeranging Cross, Holy Water and Axe. The reveal of these two amazing characters would have been enough to cement this as an incredible Direct, but they weren’t done there.

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Fans of Fire Emblem Awakening have been clamoring for Chrom for a while now, just as fans of Metroid Prime have been clamoring for Dark Samus. The good news is, both are now coming to Ultimate. The bad news? They’re only Echo characters. That said, they both look pretty great, and it sounds like they may have slight differences from their source material. I personally am more disappointed Chrom is a clone, since he could have easily been the first Fire Emblem rep to wield a lance instead of a sword. But I really can’t complain about such awesome additions to a game already bursting with cool content. But there’s one more great character reveal that had me jumping for joy!

Large and in charge!

Much as I am a Castlevania fanboy and love Simon and Richter, and much as I appreciate Chrom and Dark Samus coming to Ultimate, I was honestly most excited for the reveal of King K. Rool. Why, you ask? Well, for one thing, I loved the Donkey Kong Country series back in the SNES days. For another, I always like more villains in Smash Bros. And finally, if we can’t get another Kong in Smash like Dixie, I’ll gladly take the filthy lizard king. Oh, and did I mention I actually voted for the King back when Bayonetta won the vote for the Wii U / 3DS Smash Bros?

Proof of my dedication to King K. Rool

Not only does K. Rool use his trademark Blunderbuss and toss his regal Crown, he also has a counter move, making him a diverse character. Best of all, his Final Smash involves his mechanical weapon of mass destruction, the Blast-O-Matic! I was already beyond happy that Ridley was playable, but now that I have two of my favorite diabolical lizards? I’m ecstatic. But wait, there’s more to cover from the Direct!

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On top of all the great new characters, we also got some new Assist Tropies. Alucard is here from Symphony of the Night, and uses his trademark tricks such as turning into Mist and slashing foes with his mighty Crissagrim. There is also the devastating Moon from the Zelda series as as new Assist Trophy, along with my stalwart ally Shovel Knight! (Guess he’s not gonna be playable after all.) They even announced two new pokémon, the amorphous Ditto and the delightfully creepy Mimikyu!

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With regard to new items, they focused on a couple, Death’s Scythe and the Ramblin’ Evil Mushroom. The Scythe will instantly KO foes who have taken significant damage, while the Mushroom will reverse the controls of the characters unlucky enough to be afflicted by it.

They also announced some new modes, such as Smashdown, where the characters you pick one round can’t be played during the following rounds, as well as the Stage Morph feature, which randomly changes between two stages you select during battle. Best of all, they fixed Tournament Mode from the last Smash Bros. game, as now you can play against humans or CPU, so you’re not forced to just play online. And one last curious reveal was the Rathalos from Monster Hunter. Curiously, they revealed he can be an ally as well as a boss, but the Direct didn’t specify where. And usually, if there’s a stage, there’s a playable character it belongs to. Which leads me to my next installment of Most Wanted Brawler!

Most Wanted Brawler

Monster Hunter Edition

Since this was such an unusual week for Smash Bros. Ultimate, it’s only fitting this Smashing Saturdays has a somewhat different Most Wanted Brawler. Normally I would focus on one specific character, but this week has two possibilities. Because I felt Sakurai was playing so coy with the Rathalos during the Direct, I am strongly speculating that one of the next new representatives to Ultimate will be from the popular Monster Hunter series. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that the really popular game series that show up on Nintendo systems have a very good chance of getting playable characters in Smash. But the tricky thing with Monster Hunter is that in general there is no real main character. As such, I’ll offer a couple quirky possibilities, since I know Sakurai loves crazy characters.

First, let’s get the stranger option out of the way. While there aren’t truly any iconic characters in Monster Hunter, the Felyne race comes pretty close. I mean, bipedal cat creatures have a way of catching your attention. Armed with weapons and armor and equipped with feline grace, I can see a lot of possible ways that a Felyne could make a splash as a brawler. But the next option is a bit more likely, in my book.

Monster Hunter Stories was one game in the franchise that actually had a plot and a main character, Lute. This chipper young Rider had a thirst for adventure and many loyal beasts at his disposal. He could even potentially ride one into battle in Smash, or perhaps utilize them for special attacks or his Final Smash. Lute also is a warrior at heart, and could likely make use of varied weapons to attack his foes. Either way, if Monster Hunter was to get a rep in Ultimate, I’d love to see either of these happen.

Thanks again for joining us for such a crazy week of Smashing Saturdays! Be sure to tune into oprainfall next week for the next edition, and you can click here to see our previous entries.

Smashing Saturdays! Week 63: August 6-11, 2018 Holy crap, what a week! This Smashing Saturdays comes on the heels of one of the most momentous reveals in…

[eggoreviews]

13 Nintendo Direct Predictions! - 13.2.19

In case you haven't heard the exciting news, Nintendo is giving us a lovely 35ish minute direct tonight, which is all regarding viddy games for the Switch (I'm not crying over the 3DS you're crying) So below you will find my best attempt at picking out 11 predictions for this direct, all of which I've probably gotten wrong. Enjoy! Note: These are in no particular order, but I'm more confident about some over others. Also, Fire Emblem Amiibo Festival Three Houses news is absent here because we already have confirmation that's happening.

Luigi's Mansion 3 news

I think this one is almost a given, considering it's a title that we know is dropping in 2019 we know basically nothing about. Everyone wants to know what kind of direction the game will take this time around. Will the third in the series take the route of the first and have one big ol spooky mansion for Luigi to navigate? Or will it be a much more fast paced, moment-by-moment experience with multiple mansions to explore akin to Luigi's Mansion 2? Or hell, maybe they'll go down a whole new road with it, it really is all up in the air. All I'm sure of is that they'll be plenty of ghosts and also probably amiibo support. Weird request, but I'd love a King Boo amiibo. Animal Crossing news

Another (almost) given, Animal Crossing is a title we haven't even seen gameplay for yet. This means we've got arguably less of an idea of what kind of mechanics will return. But now the series is finally making its return to a powerful home console, it makes sense to take how the game itself plays into the next gen too. A popular request I've seen thrown about a bit is the ability to customise your town however you want, with the option to build literally anywhere you like. As a newcomer to the series, this would definitely draw me in, as I'm waiting for this title to experience AC for the first time. In any case, I'm sure Nintendo have cooked up a game with plenty of fishing, digging and also amiibo. Trailer for Bayonetta 3

One of my more risky picks, I think we're pretty likely to get our first proper glimpse of the Bayo threequel that isn't just a vague teaser. Whether this will kick off the direct or will be something they'll sneak in the middle, a tentative release date and a cheeky look at gameplay I feel are more likely than some may think. I think the basic rule is that if it's anything like 2, it's gonna be pretty darn brilliant. So watch this space, and if it isn't this direct, I'd expect it soon after. SNES for Switch Online

Another slightly risky pick considering Nintendo haven't confirmed any classic console support on Switch beyond NES, alongside the fact that they're still releasing NES games on the system, it could be that SNES is just that bit further away. But with the recent datamine leak listing 20+ games for SNES online that I feel to be credible enough to keep in mind, this could yet be something Nintendo surprises us with. And if it's true that'd be a little bit too exciting. As for the N64 Classic, I'm gonna go ahead and say we aren't getting that here. Or maybe not at all. Who knows at this point. NO Pokemon

Yep, you read right, this prediction is more of an anti-prediction, but I firmly believe that Pokemon will be entirely absent from this direct for a number of reasons. With this direct focused around Fire Emblem and seemingly other announced but yet to be detailed games, I feel that any games we don't know about yet will either get a small trailer or they'll be saved for something bigger, like E3. It's that and to be honest, I've just got a gut feeling that they're not quite ready to show off the new Pokemon just yet, Let's Go is still relatively new so I think Nintendo will let it simmer for a while longer and focus for the most part on games we already know about. But you know, we'll see. Super Mario Maker

Considering how well Mario Maker did as a whole on the Wii U and 3DS, and seeing how the business of Wii U ports is looking pretty spicy at the minute, I think either a Mario Maker enhanced port or even a sequel could be imminent. The versatility of the Switch would be perfect for a game like Mario Maker and I believe it makes a lot of sense for them to wait this long, as a game like Mario Maker would've very much undermined their recent port of New Super Mario Bros. U. It's either this or they'll have to think about Mario Golf Aces so I reckon they'll take this route. Pikmin

As the list of fairly current Nintendo IPs yet to be represented on the Switch grows ever shorter, fans seem to be turning their attention to the likes of Pikmin. Knowing that Pikmin 4 was finished a while back, but was unannounced as to what system it would appear on, makes a Pikmin 4 trailer pretty darn likely. However, if ResetEra leaker King Zell (who correctly leaked the date for this direct by the way) is to be believed, we could even be seeing a port of Pikmin 3 instead, although personally I find this a bit less likely, especially if 4 is already apparently finished. Zelda HD Port(s)

Continuing the theme of Wii U ports, Nintendo seemed to have wholly recognised that not many people actually owned a Wii U in the grand scheme of things and there's a heckton of people who are eager to play some of the games they may have missed on the last console. I certainly think this extends to the relatively recent HD remasters of Twilight Princess and Wind Waker, both of which I would basically swallow up if they were announced. While this isn't a certain pick, I'd say it's a fairly safe bet with the surprising amount of demand I've seen for this titles. In a really ideal world, this would be bundled alongside a brand new shiny HD remaster of Skyward Sword, but I guess we'll see. Oh, and going back to King Zell for a sec, he's said a new 2D Zelda is happening. As much as I'd love this to death, I'm also going to be saying that won't happen either. Smash Bros. Ultimate Joker Gameplay

Seeing how there's probably been a couple of dedicated months of development for Persona 5's Joker since he was announced at the 2018 Game Awards as the first DLC fighter, it's not outlandish to think that he might be at a stage that a gameplay showcase could be possible. Hell, maybe they'll even give us a rough release date for him, which would get me heckin excited bc I am V E R Y hyped to play as my best boi. Alongside this, a possible stage reveal or a music track list is gratefully very plausible. And although I could see yet another Smash reveal as unlikely but plausible, I think they'll get Joker done and dusted before they drop another one on us, but again, it's certainly not out of the question. Metroid Prime Trilogy

Here it is, the prediction I'm arguably most confident about. Since Prime 4 was halted this month, and the growing rumours around an imminent Prime Trilogy release refusing to go away, I reckon this direct is finally the time for a whole new generation to experience what brought Metroid into glorious 3D. As always, nothing's certain, but part of me would be unusually surprised if this gets skipped out on, especially since this direct is so close to the recent Prime 4 announcement and Nintendo will likely be looking for something to give to the Metroid fans to make them a little more patient. And, you know, to get everyone else excited too. DLC for Mario Odyssey/Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

As I've mentioned in previous posts, these two are basically DLC goldmines waiting to happen. And to e perfectly honest with you, I wouldn't be mad at all. New worlds to explore in Odyssey, perhaps even based on previous 3D Mario games, would definitely elicit some excitement, while the addition of even more tracks and characters to the already great MK8 would help to draw a bit more attention back to the launch titles that got the Switch its initial sale spike. And, you know, in a lovely dream world where BotW wasn't already announced as finished, there would be a DLC pack 3 for Zelda but I'll keep that locked in the hopeless dream box. Dragon Quest XI & Persona 5 for Switch

The latest installment in the long running, critically acclaimed Dragon Quest series has already been confirmed to be coming to the Switch at some point, with Switch exclusive content to boot, but we don't really have any indication when. This direct I believe is incredibly likely to finally deliver a release date. As well as this, Atlus' weird cryptic Persona trailer they released a little while back could very well point to a Switch port on the horizon and, even if it didn't, I still think it'll happen anyway. Especially now Joker's been Smash'd. And these are both must plays if you haven't had a chance to get hold of them yet!

Final Fantasy VII drops immediately after the direct

With the recent announcements of release dates for FFXII and X/X-2 for April this year, we’re still in the dark on when Square Enix plan to release VII and IX. Considering that FFVII has started appearing in Switch adverts, it feels like it’s getting close and I can definitely see them taking us by surprise and dropping this imminently.

Something Kingdom Hearts related?

For those who haven’t seen, Square Enix producer Shinji Hashimoto, co-creator of the Kingdom Hearts series and producer for several of the Final Fantasy games, retweeted the Nintendo Direct announcement TWICE. While this could just be a prelude to more Final Fantasy news, there’s a chance it could be something relating to Kingdom Hearts too. Reeling off the list of slight possibilities here, we could be seeing a 1.5. 2.5 and 2.8 port for the Switch, the announcement of a future Switch port for KHIII or, if we really want to dream big here, the reveal of Sora for Smash. But that won’t happen. So I’m trying to push down my hype as far as I can.

And that's all my predictions for tonight's direct! Want to see my personal wants for this direct? Check it out here and let me know what you think! Whatever happens, keep your expectations tempered to avoid disappointment, because I think we've all been guilty of getting a little too hyped at one point or another. But above all, I hope the game you want gets announced! Unless it's a new F-Zero, because that really isn't gonna happen. Sorry friend.