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Spookami 27 - Crossover! I've been wanting to do something like this for AGES, and here it is, my entry for day 27 of @genderenvyforwaka's 2023 Spookami- Crossover! And of course it had to be Trigun ;)
Not sure if this is TECHNICALLY a crossover, and I did have something more elaborate planned for today but I didn't get to finish it, so here's my other thing; Trigun but Okami style!
#okami#trigun#okami/trigun crossover#okami fanart#trigun fanart#my artwork#spookami#spookami2023#what the fricc do I even tag this with that the-#trigun vash#vash the stampede#trigun wolfwood#nicholas d wolfwood#trigun meryl#meryl stryfe#trigun milly#milly thompson#auahjfsfh they look so cute tho#OKAMI VASH OKAMI VASH OKAMI VASH#as much as i love okami the art style is so SO hard to get right#especially since Trigun is so different to Okami aesthetically#so combining the two was a challenge#oh but so fun hahah
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At @moominhands behest here is my game list thing! <3 Reasoning under the cut:
Favorite game of all time: If i absolutley have to pick one it'd have to be Shadow of the Colossus, tho runners up are definitely ICO, FNV, Okami, Windwaker and Twilight Princess. it's hard to choose just the one honestly there's so many more too, but this game was so influential and i sunk so many hours into just exploring the world and taking in every tiny detail, it and ICO really changed my perspective on games in general.
Favorite Series: Dragon Age, it's camp and has a lot of issues, but it gave me extreme brain rot and i love it a lot.
Best Soundtrack: ICO, this game has barely any music! But when it does, it really goes all out, the resting theme and the erie music before the final boss are my favorites.
Favorite Protagonist: Hawke, from Dragon age 2, this is surprising to absolutely no one.
Favorite Villain: Dormin from SOTC, I love this thing, is it even really a villan? who knows but it's very cool and i love the voice acting for it! runners up are the shadow creatures from ICO for similar reasons and The Master from Fallout 1.
Best Story: Night in the Woods. This was really hard to pick tbh i could've put a few in this spot but this is one of my favorite story focused walking sims and i love to revisit it.
Have not played but want to: Disco Elysium, I've attempted to play this game on console very briefly once but couldn't get used to the controls. Now that i have a PC I'm planning to play it but i need to be in the right headspace for big CRPGs as i find them hard to get into so, i just need to wait till the time is right to play it. I also want to play Hades.
You Love, Everyone Hates: The Last Guardian, everyone hated this game SO MUCH, especially at launch.. Heaps of streaming people who had only ever played Shadow all expected it to be SOTC again but when it turned out to be much closer to ICO with only some elements of Shadow people just hated it so much for what it wasn't. This game much like ICO can be frustrating at times but it's really good and had a lot of love put into it, the A I of the Creature Trico is especially cool as it learns depending on how you interact with it and becomes more responsive and easy to direct. It's certainly not a game for everyone but it didn't deserve the amount of disdain it received on release.
You Hate, Everyone Loves: (please don't kill me for these I don't actually hate them they're just not for me) Kingdom hearts, I tried multiple times to play these games and i just couldn't get into them, they're just not for me i think, i don't really find the gameplay or story elements particularly engaging. Sad! a lot of my friends really love these and seem to get a lot out of them. I never had the chance to play them as a kid though so i feel like i may have had different opinions if i'd started playing them earlier. Last of us 2, The weird opinion split when it released between bigots who hated it cause women and queer people were in it and then the other people saying it was the most profound piece of media ever was really frustrating because it kind of shut down a lot of good faith criticism. I think the main problems i have is that it came out in a really depressing time where something with such a bleak and unsatisfying ending came across as a bit gauche even though the devs couldn't have anticipated it. And that there's a bunch of good elements about it that just didn't really stick the landing for me, or were handled poorly imo. Personally the overall message it's going for via it's gameplay and story had already been done, and done better over 10 years prior (see Shadow of the Colossus; Ico was a stated main inspiration for the first last of us and i'm pretty certain Shadow was for part 2 considering the parallels), and it would've been quite ground breaking back then but now it's not so much. Again this is personal opinion of how it's just not really for me.
Best Art Style: Okami! Kind of self explanatory, even on ps2 this game's graphics still hold up because of that art style, and i love how it was incorporated into the gameplay.
Favorite Ending: Zelda: Twilight Princess, love this game, the climactic boss rush and the story conclusion is so good, it's such a long game and the characters go through so much it all really wraps up nicely even with it's melancholic tone. This was the first Zelda game i fully finished so the ending had more of an impact on me too because of that.
Favorite Boss Fight: Crimson Helm, from Okami, this guy is super fun to fight, cool design, great arena, always a good one to revisit.
Childhood Game(s): my first ever game was Duke Nukem DOS on the floppy disk on my dads old computer, it's a side scroller that's sound effects are drilled into my brain. Frogger i got later on the same computer once dad upgraded his for work, it was the first game i ever finished. and Nintendogs i got much later again with the old clunky silver DS, i played this game way too much.
Relaxing Game(s): Lil Gator Game, it's so fun and cruisey to play, really charming and great controls. Flock, I only played this recently but it's so fun, very pretty, you just fly about and spot new creatures to list in your encyclopedia! A Short Hike, really great chill vibes, i love revisiting this one every now and then. Proteus is also a good one.
Stressful Game: Mass Effect 2, I love these games but they're so stressful trying to avoid people dying from random dumb choices you make hours prior omg! 2 is especially bad for it off memory, i remember writing up a strategy sheet for that last big level so i could avoid people dying.
Game you always come back to: Drakan The Ancients Gates, I love this one, it's a bit janky but it's got a really weird and interesting world, with a weird plot and bizzare character design.
Guilty Pleasure: The Dog Island, this game is so silly but i played so much of it as a kid it was kind of ridiculous, so i really enjoy revisiting it every now and then, it's also kind of bizarre in terms of how the story is written.
Tons of Hours Played: Baldur's Gate 3, I've only played it through twice but it's stacked up a bunch of hours, really good tho! others that I've spent way too much time with is Dragon age Inquisition, Animal crossing NH and NL, and of course SOTC but i dont actually have the hour count for that one, i can only assume.
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What are your favourite art books? 💕💕love your work
thank you! 🌟 oh artbooks?! that's actually a really interesting question hmm... I don't physically own any (expensive ⚰️) but I've seen them online for some games and artists I like! idk how interesting they'll be if you're not into those specific games but nonetheless i think the art is a treat to see even without context! i'll answer under the cut, this ended up being rly long
Dai Gyakuten Saiban 1 & 2 / The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles (Kazuya Nuri)
- Nuri's soft lilac shading is so beautiful + unique to his art! I also appreciate that this artbook is mainly full of sketches and renders you don't see in game. They're so expressive, I wish other artbooks had more doodles of the characters goofing off, you can tell Nuri loves these characters a lot hehe (how often can you say the lead artist drew april fool's furry designs + canon animal plushie designs for the mcs)
the doodles that really stuck out to me are spoilers so i won't share those, but they really feel like snippets from a slice of life anime which humanizes the characters so well
Fire Emblem Echoes (Hidari)
- Hidari's designs are so classy and elegant, the way his fabrics all have a palpable weight and texture to them, and his coloring is so warm... there's a good reason why his designs keep getting circulated with praise every once in a while hehe. I really hope they bring him back for another game!
a personal favourite... she's very pretty!!
(on a side note i rly love Nuri and Hidari's female character designs, it's refreshing to see! not to say that modest designs are inherently better than more fanservicey ones, but i find that the female character designs are even more memorable because of it! it's mainly a personal preference)
Fire Emblem Awakening + Fates (Kozaki Yusuke)
- god of drawing armor and anatomy in perspective... his poses are so dynamic because of his mastery of foreshortening. I love seeing his work in Heroes, it only continues to get better over the years! plus he designed Lucina and Inigo so :D
as much as i love his artbooks my favorite art from him comes from fe heroes! his units have the most unique posing in the game, it always makes me excited to see more of his art (i especially love how conscious/deliberate he is with body types in his designs)
Persona 5/ 4/ P4 Arena Ultimax (Shigenori Soejima)
- Soejima's art influenced my artstyle a lot back in 2017(?) and 2021! (I mainly enjoy his b&w rougher style since it's so bold and also a fun style to draw in, although his painted stuff is fantastic as well) I enjoy seeing the Persona designs since they're so different to what I usually draw and it's really hard to capture the grace he draws them with (especially P4's)
this video of Shigenori Soejima drawing live changed me in 2017
youtube
persona 4/arena ultimax have my favorite persona designs out of the modern games!
Death Stranding (Yoji Shinkawa)
- It's a shame you don't see Yoji Shinkawa's artwork in the game much (to my knowledge) because it's stunning how vivid, gritty, and yet effortlessly elegant it is. The monster designs are so haunting gahhh it's so cool! The mastery he has with ink and brush is insane he can be so loose with the lines and yet it conveys everything you need to know
the full body ink sketch of die hardman... it's so loose and yet it's very controlled aghh it's so impressive (i saw hunter schafer got her portrait drawn by him and like. imagine yoji shinkawa drawing you. ohmygod)
Okami (Takeyasu Sawaki, Kenichiro Yoshimura, Mari Shimazaki)
- when I was in middle school I didn't even know games could look like this?! The obvious traditional Japanese art influence makes the designs really unique even compared to modern games. The calligraphic brush strokes are so striking and I especially love the subtle ink bleed outside of the outlines, it honors traditional media so well. honestly this game's style in general is one of a kind
love how playful these are! i forgot how much i loved this game
Journey (Matthew Nava)
- (although it is an artbook I've only been able to see a few of the pages! Nava does have an archived GDC talk where he presents the book that I still have to take a look at) I found the color script for the complete story interesting since it shows both the color corresponding with the literal height of the mountain for the hero's journey that the game was so inspired by. Plus the alternate designs for the iconic main character are so cute!
masterfully crafted experience... i think this is the first time i've seen a color script for a game? (although i guess i'm not that familiar with games)
These aren't actual art books but I really like the concept art for them:
Transistor (Jen Zee)
- my favorite Supergiant game! It's a shame there's so little of the concept art out there (I'm pretty sure I saw more years ago but I couldn't find them more recently... link rot grr...) Jen Zee's painterly style is gorgeous and the colors are so warm, so uncharacteristic of the cyberpunk genre we're typically familiar with! her art was also a big inspiration for me when I was younger
Apex Legends
- apex does have an artbook but l mainly enjoy looking at the character designs and the transition screens for compositions (especially the season 4 Revenant's trailer ones, one day I hope my background/environment art can reach a level anywhere close to that). The character designs and overall setting are different from my usual style so it's cool to see the attention to detail in fabric texture, prop design, worldbuilding, etc. and try to apply it to my designs
this transition has such a strong sense of narrative in the illustration, it impressed me so much i drew something inspired by it (i'm not sure who the original artist is, i thiiink it's liam mcdonald...?? i really hope i'm not misattributing it;; out of the concept artists his illustrations look the most similar...?)
I'm interested in Outer Wilds' artbook and Disco Elysium's but I don't think I can look at those without spoilers! both phenomenal games that i really need to finish (i know outer wilds' main story but not echoes of the eye)
hit the limit on pictures 😔 and i've been sitting on this ask for a while... I feel like there are more artbooks that aren't coming to mind ahh I should really keep track of them better! thank you for the ask, it was nice to revisit these again 💞
#my asks#anonymous#this took a while bcs i wanted to hunt down the artbooks + write my thoughts on the art instead of just listing them
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Saw this and had some time to kill, so.. have a thing P: Definitely not a definitive list for sure lol there's a lot of games I could put in each of these categories
Overall best
I don't have any one "favourite game of all time" so I just put BOTW in there as a placeholder since it's a pretty good summary of a lot of things I like in games and one of my faves for sure
Fave series
Charming style, charming music, gameplay based on solving riddles... i just really like these games <3 Close seconds are KH, DA and LIS though
Best OST
Not just Journey but all of Austin Wintory's stuff is just... chef's kiss
That being said tho it's SO hard to choose, there are so so many games with amazing music
Favourite protag
Sassy sweet dumbass who doesn't shut up ever and gets into the most stupid and hilarious shenanigans, delightful all around. Hawke is a very very close second because I love them,, so much,,,,,
Favourite villain
Iconic, terrifying, snarky, tragic... also she lied about me getting cake and that automatically makes her the most evil villain
Best story
This was a tough one cos I couldn't really pick any one best story, but TTM's is definitely one that stuck with me the most
Haven't played yet but want to
Boy there's a LOT of games I still want to play, but TW3 is a big one
You love but everyone hates
Re:Coded is one of the least popular games in the franchise, and I agree that the story is one of (it not the) weakest in the series, but the gameplay is hella fun imo
You hate that everyone loves
Honesty no idea.....
Best art style
There are. SO many gorgeous games, but Okami is hands down one of the most visually unique and pretty ones out there. Some other styles I really love are both Ori games, TWEWY, and NITW (and a whole bunch more but those are some of my faves)
Fave ending
Again super hard to choose, but FFX's ending sequence was one of those that hit me in the feels with a ton of bricks and just... ughhh
Fave boss fight
Tbh I don't often care for boss fights, specially rpg ones, but the Unova E4 were ones that I really liked
Childhood game
BFBB was the first video game I had (and for a long time the only one I had lol) and the one I remember the most of, tho Pokemon Stadium and Little Big Planet are close contenders
Relaxing game
I wasn't sure if I was gonna like this one cos I'm not super into management sims, but it's delightfully relaxing and charming
Stressful game
I tend to avoid stressful games so i wasn't sure about this one, but funnily enough when I think of stressful games the first that come to mind are all from the Löwenzahn CDs I had. I loved them, but boy did some of those games stress little me tf out
Game you always come back to
The last couple years, Celeste! Every now and then I'll give the bonus levels another go, or restart the main game to try and beat them faster/ with fewer deaths
Guilty pleasure
Dunno if I'd call it guilty pleasure exactly, but whenever I play Minecraft I'm only ever on creative building stuff. Wanted to put this in the "relaxing game" slot but put it here instead p:
Tons of hours played
DA:I :'). It's a long game..... and I always wanna explore everything and do all the sidequests.......
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What are your Bobasoka headcanons? I've already gone through all of the (criminally little) fic on ao3 and I especially loved Smothered and Covered, and I saw the majority of the fics in the tag were gifted to you so I'm assuming you're the OG shipper. Feel free to essay if you like!!
Thanks for the ask and kind words about that fic :3
Oh, Bobasoka … where to begin? It’s a pairing that’s been bumping around in exchange requests for a few years — I figure it’d be easy for anyone invested in Ahsoka’s relationship with the clones to be compelled by the idea. Lledra used to draw Boba and Ahsoka interacting, and it was probably a few panels of their incredible Destinies comic that set my Bobasoka wheels turning. I’m also drawn to them because their journeys traverse so much canon; there’s not just a sandbox to play in, but a whole goddamn stretch of beach, stretching far out into the horizon ... (#AhsokaLives #BobaSurvived :D)
I have to lead with the proviso that almost everything I write/daydream about/headcanon has a groundsheet of Rexsoka. Ahsoka’s interest in Boba, in my head, is intimately tied up with her attraction to and/or relationship with Rex — or, at the bare minimum, her intimate fellowship with the clones. She went through puberty (maybe with heats!) surrounded by a literal army of handsome, roughly college-aged dudes; that must’ve been a heady mix of heaven and hell. If she didn’t quench her thirst before war’s end and her (eventual) separation from Rex, she’d probably be pretty dehydrated when stumbling across Boba. As for Boba’s attraction to Ahsoka, well ... she’s very pretty, she’s potentially useful, she’s not likely to skewer him in his sleep (+2) on account of being a Jedi (-1), and now she’s the one down on her luck; if he falls in bed with anyone, why not this girl who isn’t afraid of him and stares a lot at his lips?
And Boba is like a hot shipping potato — satisfying, hard to fuck up, goes well (read: makes for an intriguing story) with almost everyone. And I think it has everything to do with his liminality, something he shares with Ahsoka and probably recognizes.
Their neither-this-nor-that-ness overlap in such interesting ways, and they each bring their identity issues to the table — Ahsoka as an on-again, off-again Jedi; Boba as a clone who isn’t a Clone™, a Mandalorian by birth and bearing, but not by the book. At different points in their stories, they identify as different things, and that would affect their headspace and color their view of the other. They wrestle with themselves and each other. Force-user and bounty hunter; privileged topsider and orphaned juvenile delinquent fugitive; GAR commander and outcast clone; Jedi and Mandalorian; Disillusioned veteran and disaffected army brat; Rebellion agent and Imperial contractor.
And as much conflict is baked into these dynamics, it also generates a certain magnetism; and I believe they recognize, on some level, their shared trauma and the symmetry in their experiences. Boba and Ahsoka both have happy childhoods with very little to distress or vex them (beyond the art, I do not jive with Age of Republic: Jango Fett, a Disney-canon comic that not only doubles-down on the Jango-wasn’t-Mando nonsense, but shows him being rather cavalier about Boba’s life); Geonosis happens and their adolescent lives are dominated by war (which is how they came to actively threaten each other as space!secondary-schoolers — whaaaaatf!); they are both dubiously (even wrongfully) imprisoned; and they both suffer alienation and incredible personal loss.
Boba was set apart from the clones before he was even pulled him from the jar, othered and elevated from the beginning. He never bonded with brothers, he does not identify as a clone. And while there are examples of clones making overtures to him, canonically his relationship with them is fraught and probably made worse when he gets banged up in Republic Central at the tender age of eleven or twelve — and of course, Ahsoka is an accessory to this, the second chapter in his tragedy at the hands of the Jedi. He needed help (whether he wanted it or not), it was not given by clones or Jedi alike (hamstrung by bureaucracy, sure, but surely some other means of intervention might have been lobbied for?), and Boba becomes a right teenage disaster, well-balanced only in the sense that he has a chip on both shoulders.
(n.b. Putting my RepComm hat on for a second, I can’t help but sniffle-laugh at the idea that the Alphas watched him get thrown in a maximum-security slammer and were like “Ah, there he is, the feral vod’ika. First time, we’ll let the little snot earn his stripes. Second time, we’ll bust him out and send him on a tough love retreat with A’den or Jaing.”)
Ahsoka, meanwhile, is part-and-parcel of the institutions that Boba sets himself against, even after she too has been cast out by circumstances beyond her control. She grows up in a supportive Jedi community and then spends some seriously formative years with a whole slew of brothers — brothers that should have been Boba’s!
Boba, on the other hand, is a great example of the proverb that a child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth. (As he tells Hondo, “Why should I help anybody? I’ve got no one.”)
The resentment that must create! But also, later, the quiet empathy too — maybe when Boba’s having one of his better days and Ahsoka’s obviously not.
And all of the above is interesting enough, without also touching upon the wildcard that is Mandalore.
Boba’s relationship with Mandalore .... well, that’s contested in- and out-of-universe and I won’t allow myself to essay overmuch. I subscribe firmly to a Mandalorian Fetts construction of canon, even though Boba must be someone who struggles mightily with Mandalorian identity. He’s raised by a bona fide Mando, a solicitous, loving father who’d have no reason not to pass on his language and beliefs; but at the same time, it takes that village, and when Boba’s clan of two is shattered, he has no one else. The loss of his dad unmoors him from his only anchor to Mandalorian culture and clan.
If Boba had been close to the Cuy’val Dar, one would think he’d have turned to them rather than fall in with Jango’s criminal acquaintances; or maybe the bounty hunters just scooped him up first, and troubled lil’ Boba was shepherded through bereavement by folks who enabled and encouraged him to externalize his anger in a way that gave him a (false) feeling of agency and strength.
Whatever the reasons, Boba does not repatriate himself to Mandalore (much to Fenn Shysa’s melodramatic dismay). He strikes me as a lapsed Mandalorian; he doesn’t exactly follow the creed besides wearing the armor (scavenged? his dad’s sans helmet? canon is confused on this point, but he doesn’t go Mando until the unfinished arcs at the end of TCW, either for lack of stature, lack of armor, or lack of enthusiasm). I feel like if someone rocked up to Boba in a cantina and had the balls to ask “hey, so you a Mandalorian?” Boba would be like “<ominously slow helmet tilt> who’s asking” and never give you a straight answer.
Meanwhile, Ahsoka gets a crash course on Mandalore from none other than someone who, at one point, belonged to a sect that wanted to expunge Jaster’s legacy from the galaxy — and at the very least, had reason to dislike clones. This isn’t the place to explore my Boba/Bo-Katan feelings, but know that they are fathomless, and I would pay good money to be a fly on the wall of that Kom’rk when Bo-Katan gives Ahsoka Mando History 101 with her own special sauce. Ahsoka is probably more up-to-speed on Mandalore than Boba, and at one point, she may even own more beskar than him! (n.b. After the crash, I think one of the first places Rex and Ahsoka bounce is just inside Mando space, to scope out the Sundari situation and maybe try to scramble a signal to Bo-Katan; she’d have the goodwill to at least get them back on their feet if she can’t help them lay low herself. For a variety of reasons worth maybe ficcing down the line, they aren’t successful.)
I don’t really have a concluding statement except, I just think Bobasoka’s neat :) They hit all my depressed-Millennial buttons.
Headcanon by bullet-point isn’t really my style, but this is tumblr so ... tl;dr:
They recognize a lot in each other, even if they’re slow to admit it, if ever. Boba’s a cagey bastard and Ahsoka doesn’t ever like him enough to be emotionally honest.
They bump into each other during Ahsoka’s walkabout(s) ‘cause Coruscant’s Underworld ain’t big enough for the two of them. Without Slave-1, Boba couchsurfs at Nyx Okami’s garage, but he does his laundry at Rafa’s. He might even borrow the Martez’s new, useful friend for a job or two.
Ahsoka eventually matures enough to be sensitive about her use of the Force on and around clones, and she definitely doesn’t use it around Boba. Definitely not during sex.
Boba is privately weirded out every time Ahsoka uses Mando slang she picked up off the clones or the Nite Owls.
Boba absolutely kills Cad Bane in that shoot-out, keeps the hat, and lets Ahsoka have it. She shoves it out the airlock and uses it for target practice.
So many great smut flavours! Hatesex. Acquaintances with benefits. “You’re traumatized and touch-starved and you look just like him/them, and I know how to be gentle and what to do, so maybe we could … ?” They’re both privately comfortable with their bodies and sexuality, but Boba’s got trust issues a parsec long and Ahsoka’s lost confidence; it’s always an awkward affair, but desperation wins out.
They exchange comm codes every time they run into each other, which is kind of pointless because they both use burners.
Ahsoka hitches a ride on Slave-1 more than once. There really is only one bed, so it’s either sleep upright, sleep in a pokey prisoner hold, or sleep with him.
For a few years, Boba can pass as a last-generation clone — the ones that got sold off in bulk units to slavers before Kamino sunk another three years’ food, board, and training into them. Boba pretends he doesn’t notice, easy to really, since he tells himself his helmet is his face. But occasionally, when Ahsoka can convince him there’s profit in it, he agrees to play sleeper agent and assists in liberating a few here and there.
They don’t talk about Aurra Sing.
When an Imp really crosses him, Boba passes on intel to Ahsoka to ruin their day.
Once, when they’re both super skint, Ahsoka volunteers to get handed in to some relatively minor and out-of-the-way Imperial garrison, so Boba can collect, bust her out, and split the pot with her. It’s the closest she ever comes to telling him “I trust you” — and when he brushes the idea aside, citing something about risk, it’s the closest he ever comes to telling her “I love you.”
Boba sees Inquisitors as muscling in on his game. There are so many lousy Force-users around nowadays, it should be easy pickings, but Inquisitors get privileged information. So he makes sport out of misdirecting them, especially from Ahsoka.
When he pisses her off, Ahsoka fantasizes about Bo-Katan taking Boba down a peg or two while she watches :)))
Boba experienced Ahsoka’s heat once, secondhand through a cabin wall. He thought he was being clever by shooting Rex up with some Nevoota stim pollen, locking him in with Ahsoka, and hijacking their locked ships. Longest three days of his life, limping on broken hyperdrives and shared fuel stores to the nearest waystation to a soundtrack of violent lovemaking : \
Bounty hunters invariably bump into spies and agents because they work in the same areas. The agents pretend to be bounty hunters, eccentric business people, sex workers, or a range of other things. Sometimes each party knows all about the other, but it’s only polite not to mention it. This happens to Ahsoka and Boba A LOT, especially once she becomes Fulcrum; rebel cells and Imperials often want the same people. Occasionally they exchange fire. A couple times Boba gets imprisoned in Ahsoka’s own brig. Once, Boba blows her cover and definitely lives to regret it.
(this essay was originally punctuated with pics, but replies with images won’t show up tumblr tags so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯)
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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
#top ten list#gaming#animal crossing#paper mario#xenoblade chronicles#ghost of tsushima#doom eternal#no straight roads#hades#streets of rage 4#thewonderful101#age of calamity
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Stealing this from twitter, one of those 1 like = 1 video game answer
1. Very first video game
I have hazy memories of playing Sonic on the Genesis and if not that then most likely Pokemon Red? Twisted Metal is the oldest game I own that I didn’t buy myself and just always had so maybe that one.
2. Your favorite character
God gotta be Geralt. It is hard to separate his Witcher 3 iteration from the books, which is probably the best compliment I can give CDPR’s adaptation as the more I read the books the more I appreciate how faithful that game was. Geralt’s the typical grumpy dad who puts on a show of having no emotion but really does care about others and frequently acts on that (no need to read into how that reflects myself).
3. A game that is underrated.
Tough because underrated as in metacritic or just in general like mass audience reactions? I think overrated would be an easier pick for metacritic but for mass audience underrated I would say something like Disco Elysium since it was PC only and even there seems to have found a small but dedicated niche audience. I would also say Rain World but honestly need to play more.
4. Your guilty pleasure game.
LA Noire, Alan Wake, Alien Isolation, games people are mostly either like, that was okay or didn’t like but I really love.
5. Game character you feel you are most like (or wish you were)
Damn guess its time to admit how Geralt reflects myself.
6. Most annoying character.
Got some classics like Navi (OOT), Dutch/Micah (RDR2), Ryder (GTASA), I feel like there are more good ones but I can’t find/trigger their memories.
7. Favorite game couple.
Geralt and Yennefer (Witcher), Red and her unnamed lover (Transistor), Harry and Kim (Disco Elysium)
8. Best soundtrack.
Fuck. Hyper Light Drifter, Final Fantasy VII, DOOM, Transistor, Halo Reach/ODST, Red Dead Redemption, Kingdom Hearts, Alien Isolation, LA Noire. Licensed: Grand Theft Auto San Andreas, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1, 2, 3, Fallout 3/New Vegas (even if they repeat way too often).
9. Saddest game scene.
Ending of Crisis Core, death of Avalanche members in Final Fantasy VII, ending of Red Dead Redemption, ending of Transistor, saying goodbye to Clementine in The Walking Dead Season 1.
10. Best gameplay.
Titanfall 2, DOOM, Hitman, Halo 5 (Arena multiplayer only), Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 (revert is king), Metroid Prime (on Wii).
11. Gaming system of choice.
PS4/3/PC in that order
12. A game everyone should play.
Disco Elysium, Bioshock 2, Rain World, Yakuza 5, Final Fantasy Tactics (either PSOne Classic or War of the Lions)
13. A game you’ve played more than five times.
lol full playthroughs Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, DOOM. Games I’ve started and made significant progress in so many times: Final Fantasy VII, Modern Warfare 2, Alan Wake, Red Dead Redemption, Grand Theft Auto San Andreas, LA Noire, Halo Reach, Final Fantasy Tactics The War of the Lions
14. current (or most recent) gaming wallpaper.
Wallpapers on phone have been Evangelion for years now. The rotating desktop wallpaper folder only has Alien Isolation because of how much it looks like Alien and Breath of the Wild because of how much it looks like Ghibli landscapes.
15. Post a screenshot from a game you’re playing right now.
It would be something from Apex (a win screen) or Red Dead Redemption 2 (landscape)
16. Game with the best cutscenes.
God most games have cutscenes that are really boring (shot, reverse-shot, in-game engine puppets, black bar zoom ins, economical choices because of how often they’re going to be used but so boring) so I guess Control because its got styyyyyyle.
17. Favorite antagonist.
uhhhhh the greater structure of the world in Disco Elysium? Human opponents in Apex Legends. The rain in Rain World. Tenpenny in Grand Theft Auto San Andreas. Xenomorph in Alien Isolation.
18. Favorite protagonist.
I mean Geralt (Witcher), Alan Wake (the titular Alan Wake), Harry Du Bois (Disco Elysium), Red (Transistor), John Marston (Red Dead Redemption), CJ (Grand Theft Auto San Andreas), DOOMGUY (DOOM), Jesse Faden (Control)
19. Picture of a game setting you wished you lived in
Most of video game worlds are trying to kill you but Breath of the Wild, San Andreas, Kingdom Hearts, Morrowind
20. Favorite genre
Seems to be shooters, some open world if the angle is good.
21. Game with the best story.
Story as in fiction? Disco Elysium. Story as in the thing its trying to sell you on as you play? The Last of Us, Bioshock 2, Transistor.
22. A game sequel which disappointed you.
Not technically a sequel but Bioshock Infinite, Red Dead Redemption 2, Fallout 4, Metal Gear Solid V, Uncharted 4, Halo 5, Infamous Second Son
23. Game you think had the best graphics or art style
Persona 5, Disco Elysium (those portraits jesus so good), Shadow of the Colossus (PS2 version, the fog and unfocused edges make it such a #mood), Morrowind (I love the fucking early 2000s 3D graphics), Final Fantasy VII (the pre-rendered backgrounds, I could star at them for days), Control, Hyper Light Drifter, any of those Yoshi art games (crayon of Yoshi’s Island and fuzz of Wooly World are standouts)
24. Favorite Classic game
Pokemon Gold, Link’s Awakening, Doom, Final Fantasy VII/Tactics, Spider-Man
25. A game you plan on playing
boy I have a whole spreadsheet for this on but the one on my mind is Okami, Alpha Protocol, Madworld
26. Best voice acting
uh idk the expensive games, Red Dead Redemption 2, The Last of Us?
27. Most epic scene ever
when I get a win in Apex Legends with like 8+ kills overall
28. Favorite game developer
Remedy Entertainment, Respawn, uh hard to find consistency, most of my favorites have been one-offs where I either haven’t played or don’t really like the rest that developer made.
29. A game you thought you wouldn’t like, but ended up loving.
I usually don’t play games I don’t think I would like because I know my tastes and don’t waste time but I guess something like Hitman was a surprise because I had heard all the praise about it long before I finally sat down to play it myself and it was fucking great.
30. Your favorite game of all time.
God uh I mean I’ve been returning to games like Uncharted 2, Final Fantasy VII, San Andreas for like a decade now. Pokemon Gold too if I would finally buy the stuff to replace the battery in it. So I guess one of those since they’ve been part of my life the longest.
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Video Games Pt3: Video Game Challenge
I saw this list on Pinterest out of nowhere, and what better way to ring in the new year than with another questionnaire, about my favorite pastime! This is the spiritual successor to Part 1 and Part 2.
Day 1 - Very first video game: Pacman and/or Mortal Kombat and/or Samurai Shodown on arcade machines (way back in the day when laundromats had arcade machines and gumball machines and such in them--good times, good times U_U); Tetris on computers; and a buttload of PS1 titles (again: back in the good ole days when consoles came with promo demo discs--I had Frogger, Need for Speed, Medieval, and a bunch of others).
Day 2 - Your favorite character: Here’s my Top 10 Males post and Top 10 Females post.
Day 3 - A game that is underrated: I will preach the greatness of PS1′s Legend of Dragoon till my dying day. It was doomed to dwell in Final Fantasy 7′s shadow, which came out earlier that same year, and it’s a real shame, cuz LoD was E V E R Y T H I N G.
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My favorite aspects of the game are:
Its lore and worldbuilding. On top of the fact that the premise of the game is could be an anime series in its own right, you just get SO EXCITED to visit each new location, and uncover more about the world’s history, and see the different architecture, technologies, cultures and different races (I LOVE the Winglies, of course). It’s actually a gorgeous game for its time.
The combat -- I STILL have some of the Addition patterns memorized to this very day! They get progressively harder as you level up, but once you get used to the timing you feel so dang good. Die, More and More!
The soundtrack and cutscenes. The NOSTALGIA? O_O Bruh. The story is just really good, and was the very first video game to make me cry when certain...events...happened. Play the game and find out for yourself!
Day 4 - Your guilty pleasure game: The Sims, Dragon Age...any and all EA games. Effing ashamed of myself every time I give that nest of corporate demons at Electronic Farts money. “Surprise mechanics” my arse.
Day 5 - Game character you feel you are most like (or wish you were): Has Jar Jar Binks been in a video game yet? Then that’s me. XD But I wish I was most like Lara Croft, as explained in my Top 10 Females post.
Day 6 - Most annoying character: For females it’s Lightning from Final Fantasy 13, and for males it’s Vaan, from Final Fantasy 12. I don’t mind as much when supporting characters are effing annoying (Vanille, Hope, etc), but when it’s the MAIN protagonist?! WHY, Square Enix? WHY.
Lightning was just a negative nancy debbie downer. I wish they had swapped Serah and Lightning, I seriously do. I just couldn’t stand her dry and soulless personality. She wasn’t being edgy or bada** or cool or sexy or FANG or anything; she was just a bitter jaded unhappy wench.
And with Vaan I just effing hate that dude. Why was he even there? They tried so hard to make this pushy entitled kid relevant, but I was like no, the story could’ve easily been told without him, and I wish it had been; he’s a effing idiot.
Day 7 - Favorite game couple: Yuna and Tidus from FFX (hardest I ever cried playing a video game -- THE FEELS I TELL YOU).
Day 8 - Best soundtrack: I used to think it was Skyrim, but nope, it’s Witcher 1, 2 and 3. Just listen to ALL of the songs CDPR ever produced for the entire franchise, including all the unreleased tracks, and enjoy the eargasm.
Day 9 - Saddest game scene: Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice had me legit depressed for a good week. Get your tissues and holy water ready; it’s seriously effed up. The entire game is the saddest I ever played, jfc.
Day 10 - Best gameplay: Witcher 3, duh. Main quests, side quests, combat, dialogue, plot, graphics, worldbuilding, creatures, bosses, soundtrack, characters, Gwent, NEED I GO ON.
Day 11 - Gaming system of choice: Playstation for life. But the Nintendo Switch is effing brilliant, ngl; once they put Skyrim & The Witcher on it I was like SOLD.
Day 12 - A game everyone should play: At least ONE Final Fantasy game. There’s 15+, and Dissidia and Kingdom Hearts. It’s not just a game, it’s an experience.
As much as I rag on FF13 and FF15, they’re still admittedly LEAGUES better than a lot of other crap out there. I just happen to feel that Square Enix is out of its frikkin mind lately, and tbh I’ve been rapidly losing my hype for the FF7 Remake. I was never much of a FF7 fan to begin with, aside from being a rabid Sephiroth fangirl and watching Advent Children a billion times. But Square’s gotta be drunk as a skunk if they think I’m paying all that money for god knows how many of these effing “episodes” they’re gonna piecemeal us to dangit death with. HAYUL no. I’d rather not get too attached.
Day 13 - A game you’ve played more than five times:
Day 14 - Current (or most recent) gaming wallpaper: Huh?
Day 15 - What game are you playing right now: Speak of the devil, I’m replaying God of War for the zillionth time already.
Day 16 - Game with the best cut scenes: In terms of graphics and story impact IMO might be Red Dead Redemption 2. That game was frikkin gorgeous, and the story was SO DANG GOOD. Braithwaite Manor!? O_O
Day 17 - Favorite antagonist: For females it’s either Edea from FF8, or Yunalesca from FFX. For dudes it’s Sephiroth, from FF7. That man needs some serious counseling.
Day 18 - Favorite protagonist: Yuna from FFX for the ladies, and TW3′s Geralt of Rivia for the dudes.
Day 19 - A game world you would like to live in: The more Middle Eastern-inspired scifi/steampunki-medievalesque world of Ivalice from FF12, or the medieval French/Swiss Toussaint from The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine.
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Day 20 - Favorite genre: RPGs and JRPGs, and pretty much action-adventure games with swords and sorcery.
Day 21 - Game with the best story: Red Dead Redemption, which is a good thing and a bad thing. A lot of the time I felt I was watching a movie, rather than playing a game. But it was still an Oscar worthy movie. XD
Day 22 - A game sequel which disappointed you: Technically it hasn’t come out yet, but from what we’ve seen of the Nioh 2 beta release, omfg what’s going on? U_U Now, don’t get me wrong! Nioh 2 looks AMAZING. But....that’s cuz it looks exactly like Nioh 1, just with new yokai gameplay thrown in. o_O Uh...is this a DLC expansion pack or what? Cuz it sure ain't lookin like a full-fledged sequel! :P Dare I call it an asset flip. Come on, don’t do this; do MORE. Unless this is actually an expansion you’ll sell for half the price. ;)
Day 23 - Game you think had the best graphics or art style: For graphics it’s RDR2, but for most unique art style it’s always been Okami for me. <3
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Day 24 - Favorite classic game: Spyro the Dragon. Their reboot for PS4 was AMAZING.
Day 25 - A game you plan on playing: Cyberpunk 2077. I’m so bummed, knowing the game’s been delayed to September 2020 instead of April, but oh well. As long as CDPR gives us that master-class level of Polish we all know and love from The Witcher 3, then take as much time as you need, I guess. At least they’re not like effing EA or Bethesda. XD
Day 26 - Best voice acting: BOY. Freaking iconic, Kratos. :P
Day 27 - Most epic scene ever: Ciri beating the absolute tastebuds outta Caranthir in TW3, not once but twice. Most OP Witcher EVER, girl; WERK.
Day 28 - Favorite game developer: Though I effing hate them, I’m still a Square Enix fangirl at heart. It’s just saddening to see this weird turn they’ve been making recently, with garbage like the Quiet Man, and especially with Final Fantasy, my favorite game series of all time. U_U I’m not looking forward to the FF7 Remake anymore, tbh. I just hope FF16 is more of a return to form.
Day 29 - A game you thought you wouldn't like, but ended up loving: Skyrim. I was never a big fan of Elder Scrolls games, and when Skyrim came out I was very meh at first. But then the mods started coming out for it and I was like wow. O_O
Day 30 - Your Favorite game of all time: Legend of Dragoon on PS1, Final Fantasy X on PS2, Skyrim on PS3/PC, The Witcher 3 on PS4, and The Sims on PC.
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Thanks for reading!
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Not All Powerful Female Characters are Warriors: Okami
Okami is a video game that I was exposed to back in college. (My friends were computer game majors.) And I was introduced to it by my roommate who had been following the development of the game for a long time. She adored the game since it featured a wolf as the lead. (For once, a reason for the silent lead to actually be silent! Woof!) We were both lovers of all things Japan and the game's art style was in Japanese ink painting. Which, if you know anything about gaming, 3D realistic was the way to go even back then. Clover studios tried it and didn't like the results. (To put this friend into perspective, she also loved SMT: Digital Devil Saga, the RPG where you play part demons that can eat enemies. Yes. EAT. But that was also based on Bhuddism and Hindu Mythology sooo..)
Okami was about Okami Amaterasu and her fight against the minions of Yame in order to cleanse and defend Nippon. The story line too many of the stories and legends of ancient Nippon (and before) and wove them into a cohesive story about Amaterasu and the people she was helping. The goal of the story was to earn praise of the locals by helping them, cleanse the land of cursed zone and solve logic puzzles, oh and fight monsters. Lots, and lots, and lots of monsters. As Amaterasu progressed through the game and overcame challenges or inspired the people of Nippon, she would regain her 13 powers of the brush.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evRYEFzAY8w
With the brush, you could 'draw' on the screen using your controller to do magic spells. These magic spells ranged from restoring/mending objects, growing plants, moving water/fire/lightning/ice, walking on walls and slowing down time. This was a really innovative style of game play at that time and inspired other games.
I always felt that Okami was a game that not only would appeal to boys (most game studio's target demo) because of the fights and the bosses, and also to girls because of well, the pretty graphics, the style of game play (at least the first half of it) and the multiple female characters. Though it's not for children. (Sake, bouncing boobs, and so on and so forth.)
Amaterasu, the silent wolf lead, is well, a female, based on the Japanese Goddess of the Sun, Amaterasu with her divine mirror and beads. (The third divine weapon was the sword, which also had significance to Amaterasu in Japanese Mythology.) There were also several major female characters throughout the game that were important, even if they weren't all warriors. Female characters don't have to be warriors to be strong characters and strong women.
Kushi's bravery to face Orochi and her sake brewing helped Amaterasu and Susano (a male warrior) defeat the 8 headed dragon. Himiko and Otohime were two Queens whose bravery, abilities and willingness to sacrifice themselves for a cause they believed in, helped find Oni Island and allowed Amaterasu to actually get there. (Otohime did this while pregnant too. Multiple props to her badassery.) There was a female villainess and despite the fact the game has been out for 10 years or so now, I don't want to spoil it for you! Just to say, that she is there and man does the game keep you guessing. Then Kai and Lika in the last arc are important in helping Amaterasu navigate the forest of confusion and keeping Nippon from turning into a frozen wasteland. Plus, there were other female characters that Amaterasu helped too, Princess Fuse, Moon Maiden Kaguya, the Sasa Sanctuary daughter and so on and so forth.
Yes, they were all supporting players. Without their help, and prayers, and belief, Amaterasu wouldn't have been able to succeed in her quest.
The end of the game in the fight against Yame (who was a big ball, sigh, what is it with the Japanese...) there was a large emotional pay out because of the structure of the game and all the work and help Amaterasu had provided to the people. (In order to level Ammy up, you had to get praise to increase health, ink pots for magic, lives and increase the money pouch.)
I was really sad and upset when Capcom closed Clover Studios in favor of making another Resident Evil rather than Okami 2 that they'd clearly set up in the end of the first game! Because, I wanted more cleansing, helping people and earning praise shenanigans.
That's the upside of Okami.
But there is a downside to the game. It's long. I mean, it's long. Don't start unless you've got 40 to 60 hours to put into it. There are a lot of side quests and a whole bunch of collectibles to find. And yeah, you need a lot of money in order to get some of the higher level magic spells and divine instruments and fighting techniques, so you will be doing a large amount of fishing and minion fighting.
And because it's long and because they spaced out getting the brush techniques. It's A) easy to forget the earlier techniques and when you need to use them. And B) the later techniques and even some of the middle techniques aren't explored to their full potential. Ice in particular and even Wind falls into this category.
The second half of the game also becomes less about restoring the land and more about dungeons and monster fighting which makes it less innovative and more like every other platformer game out there ever. In fact, the last third of the game, the Northern arc after Ninetails and before going into the Ark of Yamato, is mostly exposition. I mean lots of boring, repetitive, exposition, where they tell you the same things at least three times. The first 2/3 of the game, they spend that time having you "relive" the story and hand holding your way on what to do next in Sei-an City. (Kusa Village is also unmemorable despite being between Kamiki and Sei-an.) The last 1/3 of the game, forget hand holding (trying to figure out what to do next can be a bit of a chore and it's a bit jarring) and the tale of the Ark of Yamato gets told, over, and over, and over. ENOUGH ALREADY. I GET IT.
I mean, sure the stump city of the Poncles was great and going back in time was sort of fun? (Except this means you defeat Orochi 3 times in the game. And let me tell you, he's not that interesting of a boss.)
Thus, I tend to forget the second half of the game. It's annoying. It's boring. I dislike dungeons and racing clocks. I spend too much time facing bosses that I've already defeated. Can I please go back to clearing cursed zones and making cherry trees BLOOM?
Despite this, I do love the game. I think it had a lot of potential and really did break some boundaries of the way games were made and stories were told. It was also beautiful. Don't let the video fool you. The PS2 version wasn't that fuzzy. If it had been that fuzzy, it would have been unplayable.
They did make a digital HD download of Okami for PS3, which is too bad because I prefer hard copies of my games. (Just a quirk.) Otherwise, in order to play it again, I will have to open and set up my PS2. Fortunately, the let's play on Youtube reminded me why I won't be bothering anytime soon. (Even if I did yell at the screen a lot at the player.)
If you have the time for it, love Japanese legends and lore and enjoy platformers. I do recommend Okami.
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Let’s Talk About Pokemon - Z...eroara?
570: Zorua
Welp. This is it. It's all downhill from here. This is the highlight. The big triumph over my heart. We won't see another Pokemon be able to top this one across the entirety of this review series. (Unless of course something even more perfect graces us in a future Generation...)
That's right folks. If you know me from my personal blog, it may be no surprise that I absolutely adore Zorua here. I've done my best to not outright say it on here, but I wouldn't be surprised if I laid out less than subtle hints. If not, well, er. Here it is. Zorua, my absolute #1 favorite Pokemon. And if that's not enough, these two collectively are also my favorite evolutionary family to boot!
And while I'll make an entire segment to just gush about both of them, I'll cover the two individually since they're fairly aesthetically different from each other.
Zorua here is the absolute perfect fox creature for me. Literally the only absent bit to it is that it's not a baby nine-tailed fox. But we'll be fair since we've already come up with one, and this one has a cooler theme at least just stand-alone as a fox. The tricky and shady look to it isn't just a personality choice; this Pokemon can change its appearance on a whim. Emphasis on appearance though. It's not like ditto where it'll literally shapeshift, but rather more like an illusionist; only appearing to shape shift. Which can create situations where you can fake-out opponents (or cheese the computer-controlled trainers by making it take on the shape of a Poison type as they desperately try to hit it wish Psychic moves that just won't work for whatever reason.)
The lil guy's tuft of hair even takes on the appearance of a little leaf over its head. Giving it some Tanooki vibes! Which is a Japanese mythical creature I'm surprised took this long for us to get a representative of. And even then, it's a fairly indirect one. It loses the look entirely when it evolves, but it at least fits with Zorua between the “leaf” on its head and the ability to psuedo-shape-shift.
Not to mention, Zorua's also got a bit of sentimental value being not only the first Pokemon I've laid eyes on from Gen 5 (comes with being the first of the two revealed, alongside Zoroark). But also this little bit of self-trivia I suppose. By now, a lot of people that follow me on any social medias or art sites will see me draw plenty of Pokemon the day they're announced to exist in a trailer or what-have-you, especially if I like them a lot. Zorua's the very first time I've ever done this. I guess granting I didn't start taking art seriously until well after Gen 4 was released, but still.
Personal Score: 10/10
I'm not quite done talking about Zorua, but let's get a word in for Zoroark too before we really get into gushing mode.
571: Zoroark
Zoroark may understandably be a put-off given it had marketing advertising it as the next Lucario and it's another anthropomorphic canid. But Zoroark is leagues ahead of Lucario with an overall tighter theme and aesthetic. Zoroark looks much more animalistic; mostly enough to be firmly out of any uncanny valley that it would have fallen in, and its design elements flow much better than Lucario's rather clunky execution. So I didn't mind Gamefreak trying to push this one as the “your new favorite Pokemon” shtick they like to pull. That's very selfish I know, but...
It's also very unique given anthropomorphic foxes in fiction. A lot of them take after Renamon or the like to be very pretty and upright. While Zoroark's still a design I'd describe as “pretty,” it's also very gangly and menacing, complete with the shit-eating grin, long face, and a design the emphasizes a flow into aggressive forward...ness.
My one solitary issue with the design is that its midsection looks a bit too skinny. I get it, sleek, tricky fox. But that's a step too far, I feel.
Personal Score: 10/10
A pair of near-perfect tricky foxies!!
Overall:
Ohhhh no. We're not getting off Matt's wild ride that easily. It's my absolute favorite, so instead of an “overall” segment, I'm gonna take a number from Bogleech and say let's do a...
Top 10 Things I Love About Zorua and Zoroark:
1. A Fox
Let's get this out of the way since that's a given. But I don't meant to point that out because I'm shallow like that; I can get REALLY picky about how my fox monsters look. But rather, these two are plenty unique among the other fox or fox-like Pokemon. Sure, I love me some Vulpix, Fennekin, and some of the Eeveelutions, but they all end up sharing the same general cutesy look. Zorua on the other hand takes on a whole other personality from the previously established foxy Pokemon. And Zoroark too! Ninetales and Delphox generally lean more toward looking beautiful more than anything, but that's not Zoroark's sole focus here. Instead, we get a much cooler looking monster with a more gangly face, which is a type of fox-look sorely missing from the foxmons all the way up until now. The only downside is that it isn't full gangly crookedness like Murkrow. But that's fine by me.
2. The Kabuki Dancer Theme
More prominent with Zoroark, for sure, is the fact that these two take heavily after Kabuki theater. Zoroark's really rocking the tons-o-hair look, with the both sporting some red markings to look like makeup.
3. Their Color Scheme
It's hard to go wrong with black and red, sure. That's a pretty go-to color scheme for something shady or, dare I say, “edgy”. But it serves these two better than most given they lean more toward the “shifty shadows” type of critter than “ultimate edgelord” like Shadow or Reaper or what have you. Then you also add in the teal, bluish green. Just the absolute perfect amount. A tiny accent and little more. Not too obtrusive or anything, because too much of that color could've easily thrown the whole thing off. But they held their restraint. Thank goodness.
4. Their Faces
I've gone over Zoroark's face enough by now, and how wonderful it is. But Zorua's adorably smug look and sly fox visage is the totally perfect foxy face. Now flaws. Just a sleezy friend.
5. They're Fluffy as Hell
Okay, this one I will admit is shallow as heck. But I don't care. Zorua's got the good ol neck ruff that makes it look super huggable. Zoroark may be sorely lacking a tail, but it plenty makes up for it with that big, poofy head of hair. Hair so big and poofy that their Zorua children can sleep in it. That's cute as hell.
6. The Okami Vibes
Obviously not in art style or even saying they deliberately went for an Okami look, but they certainly look like they wouldn't be too out of place as a creature out of Okami wouldn't they? Zoroark's design even calls Ninetails to mind, even moreso than the actual Ninetales. While Okami does tend to favor ogre-ish and Oni-like designs for their monsters, they do have such creatures running around like the tricky Tube Fox.
7. They Don't Kill Each Other's Vibe
It happens far too often that a cute or unique Pokemon will evolve into an ultimate badass that, while cool, end up really losing out on the original form's charm. These two, while pretty drastically different, aren't so completely detached that I'd say Zoroark is missing the same aesthetic cues of Zorua or vice versa!
8. They're Even Fun To Use Ingame!
Because of their Illusion ability, they can end up having a unique play pattern different form most other Pokemon. Especially if you're playing in the single-player parts of the game. Sadly, Zoroark can be predicted into with online battles since you get to see team layouts, but in a regular casual playthrough of a Pokemon game it's definitely fun to watch the AI fall for your disguise tricks. Especially when you disguise your Zoroark as a Fighting or Poison type fighting a Psychic type and watch as they hopelessly attempt to use Psychic moves against a Dark type.
I've also got a fun fascination with shapeshifting, so. Even psuedo-shapeshifting like with these two is neat. Ditto is cool and all but. A fox that shapeshifts? Get outta here. Now you're just toying with me.
9. Ridiculously Photogenic
Yeah, I guess technically any Pokemon is subject to this but. Just looking at illustrations of them is always really nice. Especially when you find really good ones. TCG art is for the most part pretty great, so of course I'm a fan of the illustration on certain cards.
10. Extremely Fun to Draw
Yeah, maybe that's not a totally fair thing but. I really can't say I'd ever get tired of drawing these two. I could draw them into infinity if I really wanted to just never draw anything else ever. That's the true problem with the world! To many things that are also fun to draw! Keeping me from drawing Zorua constantly! Bah!
There are two shames to this line. One being you could say that these two are pretty much sequels to Riolu and Lucario, Pokemon I've previously tore into. And Pokemon's not seemed shy of introducing, I hate putting it this way but, “furrybait” Pokemon. So these two had a success formulated in much the same way as Lucario. But they both pull it off so much more tastefully than Lucario's nonsense design does.
The other bummer being that, in a post-Gen 5 world, their popularity has significantly fallen off. Don't get me wrong, I'm fine with Pokemon other than my absolute favorites getting some time in the limelight, but it's so annoying seeing repeated Pokemon Marketing All-Stars that you find boring getting things like Mega Evolutions or Alolan Forms with your top favorite Pokemon of all time sadly getting left out. Lucario can get a Mega, Charizard can get two, but not Zoroark?!
Anyway, sure, this review has gone on long enough. Fiiiiine. I got to sing all the praise I can. Fox Pokemon has historically been the best of the canid Pokemon. So hopefully all foxes from this point onward don't disappoint. You got high standards to live up to!
[Archive]
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12, 13, 26, 29?
(from this!)
12. Easiest part of body to draw
answered here! :D
13. A creator who you admire but whose work isn't your thing
HMMMMM........at the top of my head i'd say maybe naoki urasawa?? i love his perspective on things from watching his manben series and his technique and style is incredible!!!!!! but genre-wise his work isn't something i usually read KDAFGHDH but who knows that might change someday 🤔
26. What's a piece that got a wildly different interpretation from what you intended
IT IS. SO SO FUNNY TO ME THAT U ASKED THIS BC OH MY GOD UR TIMING SHLGKHLGFK DEFINITELY THIS POST RN LIKE. i did not expect it to get That many notes and so many of the tags and replies r mentioning the actual price of a ygo card deck and. i put that caption half as a joke b/c 1.) i couldn't think of anything else to say 2.) i genuinely didn't know the price and copied down the amount from the og meme and prayed and 3.) i used the caption as a sort of disclaimer to perhaps not read too much into that $$$ part but. i think it definitely had the opposite effect and unintentionally drew too much attention to it LDSJGHSLGHL
29. Media you love, but doesn't inspire you artistically
spy x family, vocaloid (specifically project sekai cuz i just like playing the silly little tap tap game LMAO), mother 3, okami,,,, i've drawn fanart for most of these b/c i enjoy them but it's not usually something i look towards for inspo when i have art block or something LOL-- tbh these were kinda hard to come up with cuz a lot of the stuff i DO enjoy inspires and motivates me one way or another :v
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So. Let’s talk about Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse. (Spoilers below the cut)
Tl;DR: Excellent animation carries a story that’s generally good but makes some missteps.
Let’s start with the good:
The animation is, in a word, excellent. It really takes full advantage of the medium to display a lot of different styles, and all of them look genuinely quite good. The characters all move fairly fluidly.
The sound design is also generally excellent. A few of the songs weren’t to my taste, but I do have to admit they were at least well made. They also match the action quite well.
All of the characters are good! Miles, Gwen, Peter, even Penny--they all drip with character and make it easy to see their primary drive and motivation, and they all have a clear conflict and a clear divide between who they are and who they want to be.
The story is, despite it all, generally good. It tackles some interesting questions about agency, expectations, and responsibility, which makes for an interesting reinterpretation of the classic quote--”With great power comes great responsibility”. Unfortunately it stumbles a bit here, which segues smoothly into my main criticism.
The main thrust of the plot is about expectations. This is how we’re introduced to Miles--he’s struggling at school and with his family specifically because of the expectations they put on him. Even around his uncle he struggles with expectations, just a different sort, and his boundaries still aren’t respected--he clearly didn’t want to go to the Underground, he was just dragged along. This is only exacerbated by his superpowers--at least to me it’s pretty clear he didn’t enjoy getting or having them, and although he certainly felt guilt over not saving Peter, there’s never any indication that he actually wanted to be Spider-Man, he just felt like he had to. His next few fights end up coming to him, and he spends most of the time running, and his trip to the lab is explicitly out of wanting to fulfill the dying Peter’s wishes. Even in the very end, he fights Kingpin solo specifically for Peter Parker, which while heroic doesn’t show any real change in his character.
In my mind, this is the key issue with the plot; in a plot about agency, the main character never really feels like he has any. This isn’t, inherently, a bad thing, but it’s not the story Into the Spiderverse wants to be. Everything about the movie, all of its major plot beats, are selling this idea of self-determinism, the idea that you alone get to chose who you are. Unfortunately, that’s not what the end of the movie says; it certainly shows him being better at being Spider-Man and doing better in school, but there’s absolutely no indication that he actually wants these things. In fact, a big deal is made earlier in the movie about how he felt crushed by the school and the social environment around him, and since no future scenes were really about classes we have no reason to believe that’s suddenly turned around. What was supposed to be a message of “You get to chose who you are” is turned into a message of “If you try hard enough, you can live up to other people’s expectations”--which for a lot of people isn’t inspiring at all!
This is exacerbated by the specific context around Miles. Although it’s never explicitly stated, it’s fairly clear* that Miles Morales is supposed to be a Gifted Child(tm), and as any former Gifted Child(tm) can tell you, this comes with a lot of pressure to be excellent at everything. As such, many of them grow up without ever having learned how to study and then burn themselves out trying to reach strict academic goals. They don’t even get to fall back to try something different, because they know they are technically possible of success, and changing goals or even approaches would be “laziness” or “giving up”**! This is a really tricky issue that’s hurting a lot of people and doesn’t get talked about much, and Into the Spiderverse has a stance on it: “With great power comes great responsibility.”
No! Stop that! What that quote should mean is “Don’t be selfish, and if you can help people, do so.” What gifted students get told it means is “Since you’re so smart, you’re responsible for making the world a better place entirely by yourself, also you’re not allowed to imply you’re better than other people in any way.” This movie is clearly aiming for the first but ends up hitting the second square on the head. The most annoying thing about this is that it wouldn’t be hard to fix--literally just put in one scene of Miles deciding that he actually wants to be Spider-Man, above and beyond his sense of obligation. Put in one scene in which he speaks out against some of the things people expect him to do (do well in school from his father, be “cool” from his uncle) and he actually gets treated as correct by the plot. Heck, you had an entire flashback montage of him hearing quotes, but instead of something about him (they could have put in a quote about how he really likes to tag up the street!), they just had a bunch of stuff talking about how scary it was, and what we have is a montage of a gifted child (but still a child) pushing himself to do something he doesn’t want to do and doesn’t think he can do, just because “We aren’t a family that runs away from problems.” I sincerely hope that this was simply a tonedeaf plot choice and that other people read some choice into his later actions, because the alternative is that someone out there is intentionally repeating the exact rhetoric that gives tons of people anxiety and self-image issues.
There are some other issues issues with the characterization. In particular, the side characters (Spider-Ham, Noir Spider-Man, and Peni Parker) are never really properly used as well as they could. Spider-Ham was enough of a comedy character that they certainly didn’t need a second one, yet this was all that Noir Spider-Man was reduced to, rather than using him to actually give us a different perspective on the plot. Likewise, the narrative seems to want Peni to be a comic relief character herself, yet she’s actually just a compelling and interesting character who gets mostly ignored. The fact that SP//dr*** was made by her dead father and she just pilots and maintains could certainly have been explored much more, especially considering how well it ties into the movie’s themes of responsibility and obligation, but she never gets enough characterization or development to do anything with her. There was an excellent metaphor waiting in the wings where each of the spider-people symbolizes one of Miles’s views of being Spider-Man, with Peter Parker showing it as an unreachable goal, Spider-Gwen as socially isolating, Spider-Ham as all just a fun game, Noir Spider-Man as a unpleasant and morally ambiguous task, and Peni Parker as an obligation he’s obliged to act out. Instead, Peter Parker is pretty much exactly the “sleazy mentor who used to be great” (albeit with some interesting characterization involving Mary Jane thrown in), Gwen Stacy is reduced to “cool but aloof love interest”, and Noir Spider-Man is just an edgelord, while Spider-Ham disrupts the flow of the plot and Peni is along for the ride. All of these characters were interesting enough for their own comics (and I would certainly watch an entire movie about Spider-Gwen or Peni Parker), but here they’re barely more than set dressing.
Some of the people reading this may have played Okami, a rather popular game largely due to its art style which resembled nothing so much as traditional Japanese painting. Strip that away, however, and you were left with a fairly standard Legend of Zelda clone****. Much the same is true of this move; the usage of animation is so far outside the box that it helps paper together a plot which is solidly within it. The writing is good in the moment and each individual scene is clever, but step back and the plot is stretched thin over the many characters, with an accidentally terrible moral. I still recommend it for the animation alone, but only reluctantly; it’s an enjoyable movie while you’re watching it, but not for one second longer.
* At least, I thought it was clear--other people might see him differently. That being said, he got into an elite school on a “lottery” that was more likely some kind of merit exam, he cracks “smart jokes” when under pressure, and a lot of the classroom behavior we see makes a lot more sense when you parse it as a room full of people whose entire self-esteem is staked on being the smartest person in the room.
** If this sounds familiar to you: when you are told you have a responsibility to people, that includes yourself, and as such you’re allowed to simply not strive for goals you don’t care about regardless of how easily you can reach them. Also, intelligence is not in any way a measure of moral value, school performance especially in higher grades is not a measure of intelligence, and you should seriously learn to take notes because at some point you will go from not needing them to really needing them (speaking from experience).
*** Yes, that really is the mech’s name. I checked. Apparently in the comics, it’s also more Evangelionesque, but this version of Peni and SP//dr are good in their own right.
**** Not to call it bad--anything that follows the Legend of Zelda formula at least competently will be fun to play through!--but merely to state that it really wasn’t original or innovate in anything save its art and its controls.
#long#really long#I did not mean to write a 3 page essay with footnotes but I Guess We're Doing That Now#me @ me where is this energy for classes?#Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse#Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse spoilers#review#at least between Spider-Gwen and the new Deadpool there's a possibility for Gwenpool someday#and a Gwenpool movie would be Nuts
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Okami Posting again
Hey so guess who defeated Orochi and is sobbing, hard, because ???? A lot of reasons. So many reasons. I know there's still some story left to cover, but....here goes some Thoughts, lads.
This is the only moment in my life I will ever experience this game for the first time? I mean, I'm sure I'll play it a hundred times over, and that I'll never stop enjoying it, it's such a good game, but it's dawned on me that I will never really feel this same satisfaction, I'll never again feel this sense of completion in this game ever again because, I'll have done it before. Sure, maybe I won't struggle as much figuring things out, but figuring it out, making mistakes, the struggle is what really makes it so amazing the first time playing a game, any game really, but especially games like Okami. It's a little hard to explain how big of a sense of accomplishment I feel when I solve an issue, when I defeat an enemy, when I complete a task, in this game. Honestly, it's pretty indescribable.
Also, just...when Kushi is saved, at first Susano is serious, he's depressing, it's sad. And Kushi, Kushi really just...she makes him happy. And their relationship is sweet, if silly at times. It just makes me really happy, and maybe it's the lack of sleep and the fact I'm hyped up on soda, but it honestly just fills me with pure joy, and it has throughout the game, but in that moment, in that pure, romantic, sweet moment? Pure utter joy, a sense of wanting to see them grow even further in their relationship. Even though there's not always enough of a view of the two together throughout the game, there's always a feeling you get when you speak to them, that maybe they belong. I don't know it's just a feeling I get.
The end dialogue? The "this isn't the end, only the beginning" piece? Hey that hit me in the feels, hard. Dunno how to really explain why it hit me so gosh darn hard, so I'll just leave you with that.
And, also, I know it sounds cheesy as hell, but this game is really just so amazing, it's so beautiful, everything about it from the art style to the story, from the characters to the individual lines of dialogue. I love this game so much, and I don't think I will ever stop loving it.
This is getting long, so:
TL;DR it's 3:00 A.M and I'm breaking down crying because of how much I love Okami.
#we88y#im?????? still crying and also i started writing this half an hour ago!#ok to rb#gosh everything about this gane is wonderdul#aaaaaaa#long post#wowowow i cant believe it took 30 minutes to write#i mean its partially bc i temporarily forgot a bunch of words#but shhhhhh
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Don’t Call It A Throwback
The “new old” is a phenomenon hardly unique to games, but a large corner of the medium can be identified as an intentional recreation of interactive entertainment's past. In film you have the 2011 silent film The Artist, in traditional art you naturally still see paintings in the style and approach of painters from centuries ago, and popular music is nothing if not big on recycling past sounds – just look at the turn-of-the-decade revival of 80s synth sounds in the UK. But it's in games where the past isn't so much referenced for new inspiration as it is recreated wholesale; brought out of the loft, dusted off and presented anew for a new generation of players.
Just look at the number of older games re-released in some form over the last 12 months. Off of the top of my head, I can think of Final Fantasy XII, the original PlayStation 1 Crash Bandicoot trilogy, Okami, Street Fighter 2, Pokemon Gold & Silver, PaRappa the Rapper, Yakuza (as Yakuza Kiwami), Mega Man 7 through 10, Full Throttle and the swathe of games released under the Arcade Archives and SEGA Forever banners. These releases include remasters (preserving the game with technical enchancements), remakes (building the game anew from the ground-up, often with new features) and more-or-less straight dumps of the original code running on emulation software. Whatever the format, publishers and developers are now fully committed to the notion that bringing old games to new platforms – and new players – is a winning strategy.
This is nothing new, of course, as anyone who remembers Super Mario All-Stars or the glut of Final Fantasy collections on PS1 can attest to. But classic titles working their way into the catalogues of new consoles does create an interesting juxtaposition in 2017 – as technology improves and games get more sophisticated, and new design trends emerge, what purpose does making old games readily available serve? Many new titles supplant or enhance their gameplay – of the above franchises mentioned, Pokemon, Final Fantasy and Street Fighter never slowed down, and games like Parappa and Full Throttle evolved into modern day titles like Rock Band and Telltale Game #353 Episode 1. So is it really the classic game feel that people are seeking? Or is the pull of an oldie simply born out of rose-tinted mythologising?
A handful of titles released in the last year make the argument that, actually, it's both. In 2017 SEGA released Sonic Mania; Terrible Toybox released Thimbleweed Park; and Playtonic released Yooka-Laylee. Each of these titles exists solely to recreate a particular style of game from history in the style you remember it, positing that, yeah, these games did play well, and still do. They occupy a fascinating space between ruthlessly chasing the cutting-edge, evoking classic gaming to explore more contemporary design like so many independent releases do, and bringing old titles to new platforms. In rebuilding a piece of the past that was left behind, each title ends up standing out as more interesting than they otherwise may have been in their heyday, or if they simply conformed to the modern-day standards of their genre playmates.
Let's start with Sonic Mania, a game that feels like it should have existed years ago in two ways. Firstly, it's a clear continuation of the original Sonic The Hedgehog platformers from the Mega Drive – a mission statement of the developers being to create the Sonic that the Sega Saturn never got to have. This results in a game that looks dazzling, and yet in line what with came before – this is Sonic The Hedgehog 2 with far more detail (and an extremely welcome 16:9 upgrade). This is a defining trait of the “new breed” of retro, in that it keeps what worked about the original games visually, and buffs it to a shine without it becoming unrecognisable. Sonic has always enjoyed rich sprite work and detailed backgrounds, and Mania feels as good on the eyes as players in the 90s maybe remember those original titles looking. You can imagine it being around circa 1996, blowing minds with new visual tricks like silhouettes, polygonal special stages and Sonic, Eggman and the gang's gorgeous animations – just looking a bit fuzzier on a CRT, of course.
Sonic Mania feels remarkably overdue in more recent terms, too – it has a slavish adherence to how Sonic span, rolled, bounced and launched in the Mega Drive/Mega CD quadrilogy, making the hedgehog feel better in the hands than he's felt in years. Dodgy physics and a wrong-headed speed emphasis in modern Sonic titles should have provoked a re-examination of the classic title's feel a good while ago. It's a cliché in Sonic conversations that the new is in the shadow of the old, but the idea that design progression does not necessarily mean a genre has objectively improved is a good one to keep in mind, despite it being otherwise scarcely considered. Mania doubles-down in proving the original Sonic feel needed a second outing; the physics and level design philosophy resurrected, developers Christian Whitehead, Headcannon and PagodaWest polish their levels with modern considerations including a dearth of cheap tricks, more inventive level gimmicks than those seen in the originals and an aural accompaniment that bridges poppy jazz, fidgety hip-hop and slowed-down mood music. It feels “old”, but almost only ever in ways that make the whole endeavour fun and surprising.
Thimbleweed Park mostly follows that same philosophy, and is largely as successful with it. Thimbleweed is an adventure game ripped straight out of the late 80s and mid-90s, complete with roughly a third of the screen lost to an ever-present inventory and list of possible actions. Akin to Maniac Mansion, you have a handful of characters to use at any time, and progression requires solving puzzles that tend to require an item being used in a particular way on a particular object or character. Like Mania, Thimbleweed takes that structure – one that used to too often be riddled with obtuse puzzles married to logic from the thirteenth dimension – and refines it, with puzzles following more earthbound ways of thinking and a handy hint system riffing on the old hint lines that no doubt rang up some hefty phone bills in the point'n'click heyday.
As someone who was born the year before Day Of The Tentacle released, I've had to experience classic point'n'click through reissues, which has occasionally been a frustrating experience. Thimbleweed felt like a more comfortable ride, a game I saw through to the finish with the right ratio of time being stumped and time making progress. The game has a lovely, corny sense of humour that always feels to follow Lucasarts' (and Double Fine's) games about, and the game's look is gorgeous sprite work – again, like Sonic, this is an old aesthetic as they truly imagined it. The game isn't necessarily a better time than, say, Day Of The Tentacle – it's not as funny or as clever at its heights, and the ending is maybe a little too self-indulgent – but its flaws never felt like they came from its inspirations. This type of adventure game, a remotely hands-off experience with plenty of opportunities for experimentation and getting stuck, felt relevant again.
Having not played Yooka-Laylee, I can't comment too much on its success, but based on commentary it sounds rather similar to something I have played – 2008's Mega Man 9, one of the earliest original titles to turn back the clock on gaming's progress. That game was brutal – its 8-bit style offered minimal improvements over what was capable on the Nintendo Entertainment System, and so did its gameplay, full of rock-solid boss encounters, pixel-perfect jumps and overwhelming enemy opposition. It felt like an old Mega Man game, but as someone who only played their first Mega Man game in 2007, it felt /exactly/ like a Mega Man game – my time with Mega Man 3 (that is, dying a lot) was more or less the same time as I had with MM9. It felt squarely for classic fans – a novelty, though undoubtedly a well-made one. As far as the commentary I've seen surrounding Yooka-Laylee, it sure sounds similar, stringent design authenticity taking the place of considered design. I don't want to write off a game I haven't played, but as exciting as the new breed of “original throwback” is, this is an important pitfall to signpost.
There are other examples of this kind of throwback, of course – 2014's Shovel Knight is a keenly-made mash-up of elements of Castlevania, Ducktales and Zelda 2, and like Sonic and Thimbleweed it beautifully maintains a era-appropriate look whilst working with more colours and on-screen objects than that hardware could manage. Its level design is tight, challenging whilst constantly incorporating new ideas to keep the whole thing fresh. It's a bizarre concept, a game on the surface unnecessarily slavish to the old school ending up feeling refreshing in the finer details and overall experience, but Shovel Knight, Sonic Mania and Thimbleweed Park all manage to pull this off with aplomb, and they set an exciting precedent for die-hard fans and embattled veterans to spruce up long forgotten gameplay styles. To answer the original question, is there an appetite for the way old games play? Sure – but a side of 2010s artistry sure helps it go down well.
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@persephinae I’m not going to tag anyone or come up with 11 more questions because I’m really bad at coming up with questions, but I DO love being tagged in these things so hell yeah you can tag back!
how many blankets do you sleep with? it varies by the season. in the summer if it’s hot enough I’m one of those devils who can sleep without a blanket, and in the winter I’ve slept under upwards of 8 blankets because it’s Minnesota and shit gets cold
what fictional universe do you wish you could live in? oh man. oh gosh. this is always a hard one because there are so many and I can think of so many downsides to all of them haha, but let’s go with . . . . Ratchet and Clank? Intergalactic travel that takes maybe a few weeks at most, robots and organics living mostly in harmony, guns that shoot black holes and fuckin, thousands of minirockets per minute and other extremely entertaining ammo, cat people, a wide variety of easily accessible biomes and planet spanning cities and space stations, and fuckin JET BOOTS, and like, everything is super vibrant and also THERE ARE SPACE WHALES so like. yeah, fuckin ship me off to the polaris galaxy, I’m down
ocean or forests? well I’m much more familiar with forests than I am with oceans
When you get to customize a character, do you make it look as much like you as possible or as different as possible? I tend to go for as different from me as possible, so dark skin, light hair, dark eyes, attractive, and so on and so forth. basically I try to recreate Storm from the X-men whenever I get the chance lol
Expanding on question 1, are you able to verbalize why you make those choices? no video game has ever given me the option to make a fat character, so whatever I end up with isn’t going to look like me anyway. If I can’t be me, then I may as well be someone who is distinctly not me and never could be mistaken for an attempt at idealizing myself.
Fave hair color? blue haha (for realistic hair colors probably light brown)
What song is playing on loop in your head lately? I’ve listened to this song so many times and I still have no idea what the lyrics are supposed to be. I googled it, and man, those are not the words I hear haha
What are some common character traits that attract you to your favorite characters? I like the characters that put up a front of toughness or coolness to hide the fact that they’re squishy nerds, characters who care a lot more than they’d like to let on, and also trickster and joker type characters (especially again, if that is a front to hide how much they care haha)
Do you need complete silence when you sleep or do you need some sort of white noise or music? I have the tinitus so I definitely need something to cover that up a bit, preferably music with a slower tempo
Cyberpunk or steampunk? cyberpunk I think. steampunk is cool but I love the neon in the rain aesthetic a bit more probably
Dumbest impulse purchase? I spent $50 on okami-san at an anime because the art style was similar to toradora so I hoped it’d be a similarly fuckin adorable slice of life romance thing or whatever the hell. it was not. in fact it fuckin sucked. but at least I got a sweet princess jellyfish reusable tote bag with it. also it finally, FINALLY broke me of the bad habit of buying anime because I think the cover art is interesting
#buying anime because you think the cover art looks interesting is how you end up owning shit like glass fleet and fractal#or Utawarerumono tho at least I only spent like 10 bucks on that since it was the SAVE edition#11 questions
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2016 Anime/Animation Challenge ~ December (Part 1 of 2)
Splitting this month to make it easier on myself and not assault your delicate senses with my walls of textspam.
Princess Kaguya A Studio Ghibli film, Princess Kaguya was actually directed by Isao Takahata and not Hayao Miyazaki, and was based on the 10th century Japanese folk story "The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter." Like the folk story, Princess Kaguya is about a baby girl found in a glowing bamboo stock by a childless bamboo cutter. He takes the little girl home to his wife and they raise her as their own, like the child they never had. It's a touching, heartwarming story of her growing into a beautiful young lady and her transition from the countryside to the riches and glamour of the city as her new found parents try to provide the life of a Princess to their child.
What draws your attention immediately is the visual appeal of the film, like a Japanese painting come to life. For those of you that fell in love with the artistic style of the video game Okami, this is something for you. The watercolours and charcoal strokes really do give it an authentic style for a story based on such a classic folktale.
Between the gorgeous art style and a bittersweet ending, it's really a shame Princess Kaguya did not do so well at the box office because it really deserves to be seen.
Deadman Wonderland Easily nailed this series in two days since it was on the list of things to watch that I kept either forgetting about or putting off because of other stuff. Being a Loomy is hard. In Deadman Wonderland, we have a middle school student, Ganta Igarashi, who is accused of killing all his classmates in a massacre, then sent to a private-owned prison called Deadman Wonderland.
Like the title. Mind blown.
He also learns he can use his own blood as a weapon because he's a "Deadman." Handy little ability there given he's imprisoned in a place where Deadman are forced to fight each other for the entertainment of others. Not so cool.
The anime suffers from adaption distillation, changing certain aspects of the series and character interactions, so if you loved the manga and nipped over to the animation side of the pond, expect these changes in advance. If that's not too much of a problem or, like me, the anime is your first dive into DW (not Darkwind Duck, btw,) this can still be an entertaining series in terms of action and, if you like that sort of thing, bloody action. With blood tricks. Because Deadmen.
Ganta is a sympathetic figure, thrown into the thick of it against his will after being stitched up and forced into the Deadman Wonderland hellhole. His albino friend, Shiro, who knew him as a child, is like the marmite of anime characters; you'll either love her childlike mannerisms or find them a tad on the irritating side. Sadly, for myself, I leaned towards the latter. There's only so many times you can hear a bubbly girl saying the main character's name in that way before your patience wears thin. She's not all bad, but can be on the annoying side, especially later. Other characters, like Hummingbird, are interesting in the way they defy your expectations and really surprise you.
I did find Deadman Wonderland more engaging in the first half than the second, but it's worth a watch if, like I said before, bloody action is your bag in a confined setting like a prison.
Bananya Another series of short and sweet episodes, Bananya is about cats. Cats in bananas. Or bananas that are cats. Bananya cats. Each episode is about the titular Bananyas getting into all sorts of silly situations, whether it's invading the fridge or fulfilling the dream of being a chocolate covered banana. Yes, really.
There are different Bananya, like Tabby Bananya, Daddy Bananya (complete with a combover and newspaper,) Bananyako (the girl Bananya,) and even the Narrator who gives us insight into the daily lives of these curious creatures. Every episode ends by telling us a little about each Bananya.
Perfect for raising spirits and feelings of sweetness between more depressing shows. I already want plushies of these cute wee things. <3
Yuri!!! On Ice That gay show about ice skating, do I really have to go into this? Yuri!!! On Ice is everywhere, even professional ice skaters tweet about this one. Promising ice skater Yuri Katsuri finds himself being mentored by professional Adonis of the rink, Victor Nikiforov. It's an anime with a lot of heart, with characters you root for, even when they find themselves facing each other in professional skating tournaments. The fact the couple went canon instead of being just fujoshi bait made it even better because same-sex represenation needs to be a thing. The skating routines are beautiful, especially Yuri Katsuri mirroring Victor's performance in episode 1. Although the animation does dip at points in the later episodes, they are still beautiful spectacles. It's a lovely show. Give it a go.
We're Going On a Bearhunt Christmas Eve gave us the first ever viewing of We're Going On A Bearhunt, the animated feature based on the book by Michael Rosen. From the makers of The Snowman, this tells the story of four children heading out in search of a bear, singing a song about what a beautiful day it is and they're not scared whatever they find and whatever the weather. It's definitely one to watch if you've got younger ones about the house because it's one to enjoy as they squelch through the mud, paddle through water and stomp through the snow in search of an elusive grizzly. My only qwibble is how depressing the ending is, a far cry from the cheery book. Way to tear my heart out in time for Christmas, you guys.
Rewatch Who else remembers the Samurai Pizza Cats? The more I think about this special cartoon, the more I realise it might have been my first proper anime cartoon of sorts, one of two things that really got me into my love of Japan (the other being the Ganbare Goemon games.) Set in a mechanical style Little Tokyo, the city is defended from the villainous Big Cheese (or ) by a group of crime fighting, pizza loving heroes known as the Samurai Pizza Cats. Speedy Cerviche (Yattaro) is the leader who wields a sword when fighting crime. Polly Esther (Pururun) is the fiesty feline who attacks with the power of love itself... or her claws when the situation calls for it. Lastly, Guido Anchovy is the cool dude sporting the Samurai Sunspot Umbrella in battle.
I'm very attached to this series since I watched it on telly as a little Loomy and, like I said, it was a part of my gateway into Japanese cartoons, even if this one was localised with very strong liberties. However, that is actually part of the fun since you can tell they just rolled with it and had fun with the script. Even as a 30 year old, I still find it a blast to watch for old times sake.
I still remember the Samurai Pizza Cat Fanclub Oath. Say it with me, friends. :)
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