#definitely deserves a remake more than Adventure 1

[misterbaritone]

A Sonic and the Secret Rings remake would probably go hard.

[grigori77]

Movies of 2024 - My Pre-Summer Rundown (Part 1)

The Runners-up:

20.  ROAD HOUSE – ranked VERY HIGH INDEED on the list of great movies that really don’t need remaking, Doug Liman’s stab at turning 1989’s beloved original guilty pleasure action-fest into something a bit more modern doesn’t QUITE succeed, but it’s still a whole lot better than it has any right to be.  Jake Gyllenhaal’s Dalton is a very different beast from Swayze’s but he is the surprisingly warm heart at the centre of this deeply revisionist take.  Ultimately the old one’s STILL the superior film, but this is still a very admirable attempt.

19.  ARGYLE – while it ultimately fails to capture the charm of director Matthew Vaughn’s far more enjoyable original Kingsman film, this gloriously DAFT sort-of-meta adaptation of the popular espionage adventure novel is still a whole lot of fun.  Bryce Dallas Howard is charmingly nerdy as the author who discovers that the fictional adventures she writes about Henry Cavill’s titular master spy are actually VERY REAL, but the true star of this film is Sam Rockwell as one of the most unlikely action heroes out there …

18.  SIXTY MINUTES – Netflix’ razor sharp, super-trim real-time action thriller is a tour-de-force breakneck romp which is sure to provide a major breakout for French writer-director Oliver Kienle (Isi & Ossi, Two Hands).  Martial artist Emilio Sakraya shines as Octavio, an MMA fighter who ditches a match in order to attend his daughter’s birthday party, only to find himself fighting his way through various thugs as he races through Paris streets in a desperate bid to make it on time to avoid losing custody of his little girl.

17.  I.S.S. – sneaking in largely under the radar, this super-tense sci-fi thriller from director Gabriela Cowperthwaite (Blackfish, Megan Leavey) deserves a lot more attention than it’s likely to get.  The International Space Station becomes a microcosm for the world as the sudden eruption of nuclear war between America and Russia leads to a fraught standoff between the astronauts and cosmonauts in orbit.  If nothing else, this should be a star-making turn for its lead, Ariana DeBose (Hamilton, Schmigadoon!).

16.  GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE – 2021’s Afterlife may have been a clunky misstep in Sony’s attempt to soft-reboot the franchise, but this follow-up definitely gets things RIGHT back on track, delivering a much more interesting and original story and making the new generation of spook-wranglers a good deal more interesting.  It’s still a ways short of the quality of the original Ivan Reitman movies (or even the unfairly maligned 2016 movie), but it’s at least good enough to appease us the fans …

15.  SOCIETY OF THE SNOW – writer-director J.A. Bayona (The Impossible, A Monster Calls) retells the true story of the desperate battle for survival of the Uruguayan rugby team who crash-landed in the Andes in 1972, previously brought to the screen in Frank Marhsall’s divisive 1993 movie Alive.  This is a far more introspective and authentic film, and ultimately proves the superior cinematic account, lending a moving air of poetic beauty to an otherwise harrowing tale of loss and hard-won triumph

14.  REBEL MOON, PART TWO: THE SCARGIVER – once again, this is likely more of a placeholder than a true review, since I fully expect to give both movies a far more comprehensive once-over when the Director’s Cuts of Zack Snyder’s two-part overblown sci-fi space opera are finally released.  Suffice to say, this is already a MUCH better film than Part One, regardless of what the reviews are saying, so I can only imagine whatever we get in the extended version will only add flavour to what’s already a perfectly decent flick.  Honestly, I really LIKE these movies, even in their chopped-down condition they’re far more fun than we really expected them to be, and there’s no escaping the fact that, just like the first half, this is a genuine visual work of art, Snyder again proving that whatever else you might wanna say about him, he really is a master of visual storytelling.  We’ll just have to see how the proper FINISHED films turn out, whenever that is …

13.  DAMSEL – Millie Bobby Brown shines as a princess shipped to a far-off kingdom to wed a prince in order to save her impoverished land from succumbing to famine, only to discover she’s really being sacrificed to a ferocious dragon.  Following the Dragonslayer blueprint of playing medieval fantasy as pure survival horror, this taut suspense thriller from 28 Weeks Later director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo does a really beautiful job of taking a classic genre trope and turning it on its head in winning style.

12.  ORIGIN – both adaptation and biopic,this moving drama from writer-director Ava Duvernay (Selma) tells the true story of journalist and author Isabel Wilkerson (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) while also following her journey as she wrote her incredibly important nonfiction novel Caste: the Origins of Our Discontents.  The subsequent film is at once a powerful account of a woman’s struggle to overcome personal grief and a potent treatise on how centuries of systemic racism and elitism have created massive social divides all across the modern world.

11.  MONKEY MAN – Dev Patel makes his directorial debut while starring in this wonderfully bizarre action thriller about a poor boy living in Yatana while seeking revenge against the powerful men who destroyed the forest home of his childhood.  Touted as an Indian John Wick, this is actually a far more psychologically intriguing film than that, tackling weighty sociopolitical themes with powerful emotional and theological resonance.  That being said, the action sequences ARE genuinely spectacular too …

[shoujoinvestigation]

Our 2020 Drama Recs

What a year 2020 has been - a time of tumultuous change, anxiety and reflection. During this time, dramas have certainly become a safe space for comfort and entertainment. Fortunately, we’ve also seen more and more quality dramas released in 2020!

As we head into 2021, here are our top 2020 dramas picks:

1. Winter Begonia 鬓边不是海棠红 recommended by Admin JY

The story of two seemingly polar opposite characters in 1930s China - a feisty traditionally-trained Beijing opera star and a wealthy Western-educated businessman in a setting where Western influence meets Chinese traditions. Yet when they finally cross paths, their parallels in fact draw them closer to each other. The main characters shine and sparkle both as independent characters with their own depth, flaws and quirks and with their ever-so-natural chemistry interacting with each other, in what could be the most healthy and balanced relationship dynamic I have ever seen between leads.

Winter Begonia presents brilliantly written three-dimensional, human yet relatable characters growing with each other through a time in history of change and uncertainty, in addition to great acting, beautiful costume design, production value and showcase of Beijing opera. If you are looking for a show with drama, history/culture, comedy, family, action (and tragedy), look no further than Winter Begonia for an entertaining yet reflective story of growth filled with all the *feels*.

2. A Murderous Affair in Horizon Tower 摩天大楼 recommended by Admin JL  

What’s your idea of a feminist drama? An ensemble of badass, confident female cast kicking ass and bonding with each other? For Horizon Tower, it is to be concealed in a mystery. Two detectives take us through the life of an attractive cafe owner after her death, retracing it through the eyes of people new to her and old ones who had known her well. They all have various things to say about her - each have a different piece of the full picture. What part of the truth do we trust? How do we, or can we judge her? While women are often expected to be the “perfect victim”, Horizon Tower says, the simple truth is, a victim is a victim, and a crime is a crime, regardless the conduct of the victim.

Horizon Tower is a sophisticated, brilliantly written and directed story. It’s fast-paced, compelling as it plays with multiple facets of the truth. There is no simple dichotomy - of black vs white, of women vs men. Instead, it fundamentally embraces the complexity of human nature - which is what makes it feminist. For me, this drama will stay in my heart as one of the most powerful and brilliant feminist stories to exist. In a time of feminist movements, it feels extra important and meaningful for China to have produced such a drama this year. Thank you for being the voice we all needed, Horizon Tower!

Watch the official episodes, subbed, on Youtube.

3. Hyena recommended by Admin JY

Not quite simply a law drama, nor a “badass” law drama turned into a sweet romance drama - Hyena is great for its culmination of confident writing featuring strong and unique characters that break stereotypes, balanced with a refreshing focus on morally ambiguous law cases.

Just as much as the focus was placed on the well-paced and exciting stakes in  the legal cases featured, the drama always gave space for the characters’ legit explosive chemistry to shine through and be developed further. While KDramas have been attempting to write “badass” female leads, Jang Geum Ja always stayed true to her anti-hero and morally grey character, with her gaudy, loud masculine style, unscrupulousness and shameless ambition to the end - a truly strong and admirable female lead who may not be fully likable. Yoon Hee Jae as the male lead also deserves praise as a more sensitive and softer portrayal of a privileged and powerful male lead, without ever overshadowing others or overstepping his boundaries.

Even as someone who struggles to watch purely-law/detective dramas, there was much to appreciate and enjoy from this drama, with its quality acting, writing and even memorable OST that can only be fully appreciated by watching.

4. The Bad Kids 隐秘的角落 recommended by Admin JL 

This is China’s year of high quality, sophisticated suspense dramas! Alongside Horizon Tower, The Bad Kids is certainly the one which had first carved out that status. Before it was named one of the Best International TV Series of 2020 by Variety, it had already achieved a phenomenal status in China with plenty of good fun memes and incisive meta created.

The success of The Bad Kids, in my opinion, represents creativity and the heart for storytelling triumphing over rigid, spartan censorship. It’s a testament that witty and thoughtful writing is what you need to tell a good story - and even censorship can’t get in the way of this (sometimes). It told a compelling and introspective story threading into moral fallibility while opening up questions to audience about what we perceive and know. This is a rare accomplishment when so many other recent cdrama stories are increasingly sanitised. The auteur-level of directing was vital in shaping the experience as well, down to the quirky selection of music.

So, do you believe in fairytales or reality? :)

5.  Brutally Young 十八年後的終極告白 recommended by Admin JY

How far would you go to hide the secrets from your past to protect your present? - that was the simple but solid foundation that this HK Drama delivered.

A group of high school friends are forced to reunite after 18 years to unravel the mystery of a recently discovered corpse, related to their shared pasts. Through this premise, mystery and suspense unfolds as the characters’ complex motivations and hidden pasts are revealed.

Despite the wide ranging cast, many characters are given good depth and personal arcs for development, and even decent romance feels. The pace of the story is also kept tight and remains consistent and realistic throughout.  Definitely an unexpected dark horse from TVB’s 2020 lineup, worth checking out!

6.  Candle in the Tomb: The Lost Caverns 鬼吹灯之龙岭迷窟 recommended by Admin JL

Okay, after two heavy suspense dramas from me, is there anything more lighthearted to watch? I’m usually not an action/adventure fan, but I’ve been a fan of the remakes of Candle in the Tomb directed by Fei Zhenxiang along with his team, following after the prequel adaptation last year, The Wrath of Time. 

This time, we have Pan Yueming as Hu Bayi, forming the Iron Triangle with Pangzi and Shirley, embarking on a tomb-raiding treasure-hunting adventure. Director Fei makes action digestible and fun to watch, on top of the witty script, great character-writing and performance - true to canon (as far as possible). As far as old fans of the franchise and new ones of the drama know, this is the best remake so far. I’m looking forward to the next instalment, The Worm Valley, likely out early 2021!

Watch the official episodes, subbed, on Youtube.

-

Let us know what your picks for 2020 are!

Written and gifs by Admin JY and Admin JL, unless stated otherwise.

[blazehedgehog]

What Sega Saturn games would you recommend?

Actual Classics

The Panzer Dragoon Trilogy. I think I mentioned this in my Panzer Dragoon review for TSSZ, but these were like... the original Team ICO games, in a way. Not literally, of course, but I get a very similar vibe from these games as I do, say, Shadow of the Colossus or whatever. Ancient, quiet worlds, completely unlike anything you get from typical medieval fantasy content. The first game is a bit simple, but things do pick up in Zwei and Saga.

Powerslave. This is apparently a white whale for Nightdive right now, as far as their efforts to revive classic FPSes go. The story of Powerslave is a really weird one. Depending on whether you play on Saturn, PC, or Playstation, you get a completely different game. As far as I'm aware, the bulk of people agree the Saturn is the best version, but it's definitely not unanimous.

Most Sega Arcade Ports. I say "most" because you should probably stay away from launch software (Daytona USA, Virtua Fighter 1, etc.) but there are a lot of stellar, almost-arcade-perfect ports out there like Sega Rally Championship, Fighting Vipers, Decathlete, Die Hard Arcade, and so on. Virtua Fighter 2 on Saturn apparently manages the rare thing of being better than the arcade version, with higher resolution output and smoother framerates. I wouldn't classify Daytona USA C.C.E. as a very accurate version of Daytona still, but it has tons of bonus content to make up for that fact, and that content has never appeared in any other release of Daytona.

Fighters Megamix. Not really Sega's answer to the Capcom vs. series, but close enough. All of AM2's fighters come together to battle it out and it's just a good time. Absolutely nothing in terms of story, but there's a surprising amount of single player content regardless. More than most fighting games, I'd argue.

NiGHTS and Christmas NiGHTS. Don't feel bad if you don't connect with these games, as they aren't for everyone, but if you do connect with them? They're incredible.

Mega Man 8. I know this was on Playstation, but the Saturn version is subtly different in a lot of ways, making it a little tougher. It also has exclusive bonus fights against Cutman and Woodman.

Curiosities

Mr. Bones. I don't think anyone would call this a "good" game, but it is a weird, wonderful game -- more of a minigame collection, with a bizarre storyline and lots of rhythm and blues music. Everyone deserves to experience Mr. Bones at least once in their life.

Bug!, Clockwork Knight, and Astal. Rumor has it these were three different experiments by Sega to find a replacement mascot to supplant Sonic. All of them failed for different reasons. The most interesting of the three is definitely Astal, in my opinion. Clockwork Knight kind of got Sonic & Knuckles'd, so even though there are two Clockwork Knight games, they're more like two halves of one larger project. And Bug... the second game plays better than the first but the second game also has some dated racist middle eastern stuff in it that's not great.

Resident Evil. You can probably skip this, but it's interesting insofar as Capcom had to remake a lot of the 3D models for this game because the PS1 assets were totally incompatible with the Saturn. So all the characters and monsters look subtly different. Gameplay is nearly identical, though there are a few small changes, and an extra "Battle" mode.

Legend of Oasis. Sequel to "Beyond Oasis" on the Genesis. Kind of Sega's "Zelda." I own a disc of this game and I've never been able to reach the third dungeon because the puzzles seemed kind of obtuse. But I also haven't played it in 15+ years.

Shining the Holy Ark. I'm putting this here instead of the "classics" section because I've also never beat it. It's a pure dungeon crawler RPG, with grid-based movement and everything. Hard to play very far when your Saturn can't save data because the battery is dead.

Keio Flying Squadron 2. The original Keio was a Sega CD shmup, but this is more of a 2D platformer/action game. It's got that weird, Japanese sense of humor. Pretty nice sprites.

Sonic R. It's just interesting to see how slightly different this version of the game is compared to the PC version.

Shinobi Legions. This has been a mainstay at GDQ for a couple years now where they do a run during Awful Block. By all accounts it doesn't seem like a great game, but it does have a lot of sentai-esque live action FMV.

Super Tempo. Tempo on the 32X kind of reminded me of "Japan's Earthworm Jim." This sequel doubles down on lavish animation and absurd humor, which... kind of makes it unplayable! But dang, it looks good.

Games I've Never Played But Hear Are Good

Burning Rangers. I keep meaning to tackle this and just haven't. Thought about maybe doing it on stream one day, some day. Apparently a progenitor to the camera problems people had with Sonic Adventure.

Grandia. By all accounts it sounds like the Saturn version of Grandia is still the best, most complete version of the game... but it also never got localized in to English, so it's sort of lost to the ages.

The Mansion of Hidden Souls. Apparently half FMV game, half point and click. Was on Sega CD, too. I never paid any attention to it until recently when RetroPals seemed to sound positive about it after streaming both versions of the game.

Three Dirty Dwarves. From the developers of Ecco the Dolphin comes... a bizarre beat'em'up about rude medieval dwarves with attitude getting warped to the 1990's and having to fight monsters in an urban sprawl. Sega pushed it a lot back in the day and then the game fell off the face of the planet, but people have been rediscovering it lately and it doesn't sound like the worst thing ever made.

Shining Force III. I've heard good things about this game, but Shining Force games are turn based strategy and that's not my bag. Also, only episode 1 ever got localized in to English (and apparently the voice acting is stunningly cheesy). There might be fan-patches for Episodes 2 and 3, however.

Dragon Force. This was an early Saturn game that got propped up as a killer app for a while. Also a strategy RPG.

Guardian Heroes & Radiant Silvergun. These are classic Treasure games. I'm not a fan of shmups, so I never touched Radiant Silvergun. I think I own Guardian Heroes on XBLA, I just haven't ever booted it up.

Dark Savior. This is apparently a sequel to Landstalker and by all accounts seems to be a game people liked, but I've never ever investigated it even a little bit.

[currantlee]

My Top 5 favorite Pokémon Boss Battle Themes

So, I fell into a pit of my Pokémon nostalgia. Don't look at me, I loved these games as a kid, and I don't enjoy what they have become. That being said, I really hope the Sinnoh remakes - both BDSP and Legends - are good, since Sinnoh was my first region and I'd hate to see it butchered. Plus, they look promising. But I'm not getting my hopes up yet, I'll wait for reviews.

Anyways, one of the things I enjoyed so much about these games is the music. I could probably hum you some of the Sinnoh tunes, or even sing the lyrics I imagined for them (it's obvious that Sinnoh is still my favorite region, isn't it?). Or I could list some of my favorite music tracks from all across the series. So... I did just that to get my hype energy somewhere 😂

So yeah, I hope you enjoy this little list 😊 I tried to explain the stories and memories associated with those musical themes as well as I can for those of you who aren't into Pokémon. That being said - spoilers for Pokémon OmegaRuby and AlphaSapphire, Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver and especially the Sinnoh games ahead.

Oh, and if you do know Pokémon - please leave a comment or reblog and tell me what your favorite boss battle theme is, I'd love to know!

Since Pokémon doesn't have an explicified boss definition, here is what I define as boss battles in Pokémon:

Rival Battles

Gym Battles

Elite Four Battles

Champion Battles

Commander Battles

Admin Battles

Legendary / Unique Pokémon Battles

Frontier Brain or similar Battles

With that being said, let's go!

#5: Pokémon UltraSun/UltraMoon: VS Ultra Necrozma

I will admit, I haven't played the game. I heard this battle is actually pretty difficult, but I can't speak for myself on this. Pokémon games have stopped to be enjoyable to me with Sun and Moon, which had an amazing storyline and some great gameplay concepts, but just... Not enjoyable to me. And USUM seemed like cashgrab to me. I will say though, this musical theme has something and might as well be the best legendary battle theme of modern Pokémon for me.

#4: Pokémon OmegaRuby/AlphaSapphire: VS Brendan/May

In Gen3, Game Freak tried out a new approach with the rival character. See, you always have a rival in Pokémon, and up until this point, all rivals were pretty much jerks. What this new approach was? Well... Let's just say they made the rival character the crush of the player character.

Depending on whether you play as Brendan (whom everyone thought to have white hair before ORAS, except Hidenori Kusaka and Satoshi Yamamoto, who make the Pokémon Adventures manga) or as May, the other will be the rival, and let me tell you, the game pushes this ship really hard in my opinion. It's no wonder why the manga chose to write Ruby and Sapphire, Brendan's and May's counterparts respectively, as a romantic couple, who even confess their love for each other - twice.

Their battle theme conveys this perfectly: this isn't two people who hate each other battling, these are two friends, who might like each other more than you like a casual friend, battling to spend time together. Despite that, both of them are determined to not lose.

One of my favorite moments in the entire game is the ending of it. After the credits (during which Brendan and May are riding their bikes home together) have rolled, you arrive at the pond where you and your rival first met, and they will challenge you to a battle once more. It's when you hear this theme, the one you've listened to every time you battled Brendan or May during the game, and it's just an amazing moment in my opinion, one that is accompanied by this soundtrack, following absolute silence.

And yes, I prefer the remake version of this track.

#3: Pokémon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum: VS Cyrus

Since Kingdom Hearts is currently my main fandom and therefore most people following me probably know more about that series than about Pokémon, let me explain who Cyrus is: Cyrus is the Xehanort of Pokémon. And that up there is his battle theme. And safe for the one time they butchered it by turning it into a disco song for USUM, it's absolutely perfect.

I especially like the beginning. It conveys intensity and the dangerous situation you're in. I mean, Cyrus literally wants to destroy the universe to replace it with a new one he will rule as a god. He also regards all emotions as weakness and will openly admit that his grunts are useless and merely tools to him. Honestly, he is the most terrifying antagonist of the entire series to me, mainly because his plan is that of a madman, but he is actually serious about it (and unlike Xehanort doesn't let go of it even after his defeat).

At the same time, the musical theme sounds hopeful - like all will be good. And I mean, all is eventually good. You have your Pokémon with you, and Cynthis (who also has a badass battle theme by the way) helps you out too. Here is a great thing about the Sinnoh plot: Cynthia has been built up as a character you can trust, and her philosophy is the direct contrast to Cyrus'. So when she helps you battle Cyrus and Team Galactic - you know she won't let anything happen to you. Despite how terrifying Cyrus is as a villain, you know you're safe, because you have not only your Pokémon, but her on your side. Oh, and she is the final boss of the game. So in the end, you and your Pokémon overcome not only the villain, but also the person who held your hand the entire time.

Sorry this turned into me gushing about the plot of the Sinnoh games, but I can't help it 😅 On with the show!

#2: Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver: VS Champion/Red

If Cyrus is the Xehanort of Pokémon, then Red is it's Yozora. And while his musical theme is technically not his alone, I definitely associate it with him more than I associate it with Lance.

One of the best things about Red in my opinion is how he is foreshadowed during the entire game. Like, in the first city you visit, an elderly man will tell you about a boy named Red who three years ago saved the neighbouring region Kanto from the evil Team Rocket. Then, you hear nothing about him for a very long time - until Blue Oak mentions him again on Cinnebar Island and you meet his worried mother at Pallet Town.

While Red is technically an optional secret boss, the game makes you want to beat him through the little details it reveals about him. That he is a legend, that he is the true Champion of the Indigo League... To me, his mother worrying about him was always what got me the most.

I have to say, I also got a soft spot for the 8-Bit-version of the theme, it's just not what I grew up with. I admittedly never played GSC. I also like the Gen7 take on the theme, which mixes the original melody with the Alolan vibes.

#1: Pokémon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum: VS Dialga / Palkia

I don't know how, but they managed to make the piano in this theme as epic as a theme for those two Dr Who-deities deserve. It sounds mysterious and it makes you respect what is in front of you, without sounding bombastic like Arceus' theme (which is also freaking amazing, ngl). Not that that is a bad thing, but I feel like the mysterious vibe fits Dialga and Palkia, who are the embodiments of two very abstract concepts. Arceus is simply god, and that's that. But Dialga and Palkia are the embodiments of time and space, two concepts that are far more difficult to grasp than "god".

Dialga also has an amazing battle theme in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time/Darkness/Sky, which definitely deserves an honorable mention here (Palkia's theme in said game is okay, but they definitely got the short end of the stick IMO).

I really hope they're not going to butcher this theme (or Cynthia's. Or Cyrus'. Or any of the Gen4 themes really) in the remakes. But the one thing Pokémon didn't mess up completely for me so far is the soundtrack (except that one time they turned Cyrus' theme into a disco song, which really doesn't fit him at all). So I have faith in that at least.

What's your favorite boss battle theme in Pokémon? Leave me a comment if you like, I'd love to hear about it!

[crusherthedoctor]

Can we have some unpopular Sonic opinions?

I tried to cram in a lot, so I hope this satisfies you. :P I tried to stick to the ones that I haven't brought up quite as often, since by this point, we all know that I think IDW's storytelling is dire, SA2's story is overrated, X Eggman is an embarrassing portrayal (at least from season 2 onwards), Blaze shouldn't be handcuffed to Silver, Shadow's backstory had issues with or without the Black Arms, Neo Metal Sonic looks silly, etc. But anyway, here we go:

- Knuckles may be tricky to incorporate into plots that don't relate to Angel Island, but making him obsessed with his duties is no better than having him forget about Angel Island entirely.

- I like Marine, and never found her annoying. Oh, I understood what they were trying to do with her, but I honestly wasn't put off by her, and found her Aussie lingo more endearing if anything. Since her debut was during the period in my life where where I couldn't stand Sonic himself, I instead thought he was irritating (and hypocritical) for getting annoyed with her for doing shit he would often be guilty of.

- Silver is just as guilty of being shoehorned into games and plots as the Deadly Six are. Having more fans than the latter is irrelevant, since we're still talking about a character who constantly has to time travel in order to be present.

- Speaking of Silver, if he has to stick around, please do something different with him. They've pulled the doomed future routine multiple times now, and it's been boring every single time. I wasn't interested when it involved Iblis. I wasn't interested when it involved Knuckles drinking the edgy Kool Aid. I wasn't interested when it involved a council of dumbasses... give it a rest already.

- The Tails Doll can work as a mildly creepy thing, with maybe more to it than meets the eye when it's time for a boss fight or what have you. But the memes about him stealing your soul are just dumb, and I thought it was dumb even back in my teenage youth.

- “Eggman is supposed to be clownish!” Yeah, well he's also meant to be a genuine villain with a 300 IQ. These qualities don't have to be mutually exclusive.

- “Sonic is supposed to have attitude!” Yeah, well that's not the same thing as being an absolute cunt. Sonic was only ever meant to come off as having an edge compared to Mario. He was never meant to be a GTA-tier protagonist.

- Rouge is not a villain, and never was a villain. Literally the whole point of her role in SA2 was to reveal that she was working against Eggman and Shadow the whole time, albeit using sneakier tactics to do so. You'd think all those people who exult SA2's story would remember this, but apparently not. She barely even qualifies as an anti-hero, since aside from stealing the Master Emerald, she rarely does anything morally questionable otherwise. She's got a lot more good in her than people give her credit for.

- Captain Whisker is a better Eggman Nega than the actual Eggman Nega. And as far as robot characters in this franchise go, Johnny's design is pretty underrated.

- I don't like Iblis or Mephiles, but I DO like Solaris, and it annoys me that it was out of focus for most of the story due to all the time spent on its less interesting halves. Had they kept the backstory with the Duke and his experiments, and worked from there, I think they could have provided an interesting contrast with Chaos (since Solaris can also qualify as a monster with a sympathetic backstory) instead of recycling the surface level schtick.

- Black Doom may technically be just as bad as Mephiles, Nega, Scourge, Mimic, etc, since he's yet another villain with one-note characterization and fucked over Eggman. But because he never gained a disproportionate fandom, he doesn't annoy me to the same extent. It's easier to ignore him by comparison, and his Dr. Claw voice and face shaped like a lady's delicate part make him enjoyable to mock.

- Likewise, while Lyric is also on the same level as these other villains, it's easier to dismiss him because I was never invested in the Boom games anyway, and being an obvious alternate universe (compared to Sonic X or IDW, which retain the Modern designs and plot elements), it never had an effect on the main series. I also unironically like his design, and if nothing else, at least this snake didn't start a hypnotism fetish across the internet.

- Sally - and the rest of the Freedom Fighters for that matter - have had their importance in the franchise severely inflated. They may have been lucky to be the face of popular media (SatAM and Archie), but they're not these magnificent entities that the game characters are but a speck of dust in comparison to. Having a “legacy” doesn't make them more entitled to shit than any other character, old or new.

- Conceptually, the treasure hunting gameplay is one of the better alternate gameplay styles IMO. But it was let down in SA2 by its one track minded radar (the levels may have been big, but I don't think that would have been an issue on its own if the radar was better). If they brought it back and made it more like SA1's treasure hunting, I'd be all for it, although it would probably be better suited for a spinoff title.

- This goes for a lot of games, but when it comes to 2D, I prefer sprites over models. Not that the Rush models are bad (though the ones in Chronicles sure as fuck are), but the sprites in Mania and the Advance trilogy are just so charming and full of character.

- I actually like Marble Zone. Yeah, the level design is a bit blocky, but I love the concept of an underground temple prison, mixed with lava elements in a zone that otherwise isn't a traditional volcano level.

- I also like Sandopolis Zone. Again, completely understand why it's not the most popular zone around, but I've been a sucker for the Ancient Egyptian aesthetic since childhood (you can thank Crash 3 for that), and Act 1 is visually stunning.

- I prefer the JP soundtrack for Sonic CD over the US version overall... but I also prefer Sonic Boom over You Can Do Anything.

- SA2's soundtrack isn't bad by any means - I love Rouge's tracks, and The Last Scene is one of my favourite pieces of music - but as far as variety goes, it's a step down from SA1's soundtrack.

- If Sonic X-Treme had been released, it probably would have been unenjoyable and confusing. Whatever your thoughts on SA1, it was probably the better option between the two as far as Sonic's first legitimate translation into 3D goes.

- I have no qualms with Modern Sonic and the other Modern designs and characters, but I also fully acknowledge that changing gears from Adventure onwards - and doing it with a great amount of fanfare - was always going to create one of the biggest divides in the fandom, and fans shouldn't act surprised that this happened. The fact that they felt the need to hype up a new design and direction in the first place (compared to Mario, who has mostly been the same since the beginning, with only the occasional minor change with little fanfare) also indicates that they weren't confident enough in Sonic and his universe being the way it was, which often gets ignored by all the “SEGA have no confidence!!!” complaints you see with their recent games.

- Unleashed did not deserve the incredibly harsh reviews it received back in the day... but it doesn't deserve its current sacred cow status either. It had more effort put into it than '06 to be sure, and I can respect that, but much of it was misguided effort, and even if you like the Werehog, you have to admit that the idea came at the absolute worst time. The intro cutscene may be awesome, as is the Egg Dragoon fight, but 2% doesn't make up the entire game. Chip was also quite annoying, and I wasn't particularly sad when he pressed F in the chat at the end.

- On the other hand, while Colours definitely has its shortcomings, and people have every right to criticse those shortcomings, a lot of its most vocal detractors tend to have a stick up their arse about the game because people actually enjoyed it, and it had a gimmick that people actually liked. Yes, it may have been the first game to have those writers everyone hates, but then SA1 was the first game to give the characters alternate gameplay styles and have other villains upstage Eggman, so...

- Forces is absolutely not on the level of '06. It's nowhere close. A game being flawed does not make it the next '06, clickbait YouTubers. Or should I say, the game they want to retroactively apply '06's reception to, since they've been trying hard to magically retcon '06's own quality...

- To echo @beevean, ALL of the 3D stories have their issues. SA1 is probably the most well-rounded of them on the whole, but even that one isn't perfect.

- To echo another opinion, although I do love SA1, I'm not crazy over the idea of a remake, and would prefer them to just take Sonic's gameplay from SA1 and work from there. Because with a remake, you're stuck in a hard spot: Do you keep it the way it is bar the expected graphical upgrades, and risk accusations of not doing anything to actually improve the experience? Or do you try to address past criticisms, and risk the wrath of the fans who will inevitably go on a #NotMyAdventure crusade about it? What people fail to consider is that the Crash and Spyro remakes were accepted gracefully because their original iterations were still unanimously beloved for the most part, whereas SA1 - and especially SA2 - have always been divisive, and have only gotten moreso over the years.

- People take their preferences for the character's voice actors too seriously. I have my own favourites like anyone else, but I don't make a big deal out of it.

- And with fandom voice actors, they usually focus too much on doing a basic impression of their preferred official voice actor, and not enough on the acting. So you end up getting a lot of fan voices who sound like decent impressions of Ryan Drummond or Jason Griffith on the surface, but they sound utterly empty beyond that impression, because there's no oomph or depth to the actual emotions. They think about the actor rather than the character, when it should really be the other way around.

- The thing with Ian Flynn is that he is capable of telling a decent story, and he can portray some characters well. But he's proven time and time again that everything will go off the rails if he's given too much freedom (ironic, given how quick he is to point the finger at mandates when something goes wrong).

- Ian Flynn and Shiro Maekawa are not the only people in the world who are allowed to write for Sonic. I understand that one should be cautious when seeking out new writing talent, but for all the fandom's accusations of playing it safe, they sure aren't in a rush to experiment outside of their own comfort zone.

- And of course, the big one: You don't fix the franchise's current problems by crawling back to its previous problems. It's much more helpful and constructive to discuss the good and bad alike with each of the games. Less “THIS GOOD, MODERN BAD”, and more “This could work, but maybe without that part...”

[aros001]

Going in blind: Watching season 2 for the first time. Random thoughts.

Huh. Only 7 episodes. Not complaining necessarily. For series with an ongoing plot I've definitely become more in favor with their seasons only having as many episodes as they need rather than them having to stretch themselves out to full up a certain number of episodes, which can lead to padding and just bad character moments.

Episode 1: Jeez. Catra visiting Shadow Weaver's cell just to rub her success in her face and verbally abuse her back for once. It's like a twisted version of Zuko and Ozai from ATLA. Catra's upbringing under her was abusive but this is far from a healthy way for her to deal with it. She's basically deliberately swimming in her resentment.

Episode 2: It's not that I'm rooting for her but by-golly was it fun to watch Catra act like just the absolute worst she could while she was Glimmer and Bow's captive.

I touched on this in season 1 but part of the drama of the heroes feeling guilt over leaving Entrapta behind is kind of lost on me a bit simply because it was her own fault it happened. She deliberately went back into the purge room because of her machine obsession, which then closed on her and erupted in flames. It was more than reasonable to assume she was dead and no one but her was to blame, so I'm not really able to be invested in their guilt over it.

That said, weirdly enough I do like that her "abandonment" doesn't seem to be even a blip on the radar for Entrapta herself. She hasn't joined the horde because she resents the heroes or felt left behind, she simply is so obsessed with machines and experimentation that she'll be on the side of whoever lets her do the most of that. Like, it's selfish and irresponsible but it's very in-character and I'd far rather have a traitor motivation be based in that over something stupid like a misunderstanding.

Episode 3: I love the mental image of Shadow Weaver thinking up princess-themed ghost stories to tell Adora as a child.

So, if the previous She-Ra Mara separated Eternia from the other realms/planets/whatever she did and that's what cut off the She-Ra line for 1000 years, I'm guessing Hordak may be from the time before that happened, thus his drive to create portals and calling Eternia a backwards world. Either he's naturally long-lived or his technology is extending his life.

Episode 4: You know, you could maybe argue it was vague enough that it could be taken other ways but I'm definitely getting some vibes here that Scorpia is crushing on Catra. She literally refers to the two of them as soulmates at one point. I know she says she's trying to be friends but this feels a level beyond that.

Fun little reference to the original She-Ra cartoon thrown in there (and maybe Cowboy Bebop...? James Bond...? What was Glimmer's art style supposed to be?). I like how it is more like just playful ribbing than anything outright dumping on the original. Again, I've never seen original She-Ra but whenever remakes/adaptations go out of their way to trash to the original I always kind of wonder why they bothered doing an adaptation if the original is just that bad? Also, I was having trouble sleeping so it was about 2am when I watched this episode and the very Eartha Kitt Catwoman Catra made it very difficult for me not to lose my **** and stay quiet. With how much of a contrast that version is from the one in this series, that was hilarious. Bonus note, it's a nice touch that Frosta's version of Catra is a pretty crasher in that sweet suit, since that's the only impression of Catra she's ever had.

Adora being a chosen one is definitely elevated up simply by how much the pressure of what she's supposed to be is getting to her. I'm likely going to keep making Avatar The Last Airbender comparisons throughout the series but that's partly because I went into this series figuring it'd be at least structured similar to ATLA (season 1 being more episodic and a little more kid-friendly as it builds up the world before getting more serious later). Adora and Aang are interesting to compare here. Aang's worries early on were less apparent because he was more in-denial/choosing not to think about his problems that much, which fit with his character as a free-spirited Air Nomad. While Adora is much more military-minded. She can't keep herself from thinking about her problems and trying to prepare for the worst-case scenario. And jeez, that idea of who/how Catra is in her mind. Not only beating her but making her watch as she takes everything she cares about away. Not Shadow Weaver, not Lord Hordak, but Catra. That whole Lion King Mufasa/Scar moment between them in episode 11 and their fight in the S1 finale really did a number on her mental image of her old friend. Not reasonably so.

Minor note: I'm sure I'm the only one who got this impression but by the look of it, the way the robot's eye moved, and the music, after getting the soda spilled on it that little spybot gained sentience for half a second and then immediately died. It was so darkly comedic I had to laugh.

Episode 5: So that red disc is basically She-Ra's Red Kryptonite, having an effect on the mind rather than the body. The drunk Adora joke doesn't really do it for me but it did get some nice interactions going between Scorpia and Sea Hawk, two characters I certainly wasn't expecting to bond. I did really like Catra's panic when berserker She-Ra nearly beheads her. The implication is that is Adora really wanted to kill her Catra would already probably be dead. It's a thing I like about powerhouse characters like Superman or Aang, who could just demolish everything around them and don't simply because they're a good person...which in turn makes them the scariest person on the planet when they're well and truly ticked off. I'm not going to lie, I do kind of want to see a She-Ra version of Aang when Appa was stolen or when Superman fought The Elite.

Also, Catra's line of "I have control over Adora. I'm not giving that up for anything.". There's a lot to read into there.

Episode 6: I guess my prediction was sort of right. Shadow Weaver became basically a magic parasite and while it did increase the power she's capable of the implication seems to be that she needs a constant fix of magic to keep herself going, thus her attachment to the Black Garnet.

Have we seen Micah before? Given how long ago the flashback seems set, the fact that Shadow Weaver didn't kill him and thus he probably becomes someone important later in life, I'm guessing he's Glimmer's dad and the queen's late husband, since I think he's the only important male character whose face we haven't seen yet. Also, he's voice by Ezra from Star Wars Rebels and that cracks me up for some reason. It's the exact same voice and a relatively similar character.

I compared Catra and Shadow Weaver with a kind of twisted version of Zuko and Ozai and that definitely still fits here. Both Catra and Zuko confront their parent and call them out for the inexcusable abuse they put them through but while that moment was the start of Zuko's upwards journey this and SW's betrayal seems like it's going to cause Catra to spiral even further. Makes sense why Adora leaving affected her so much. She's probably the only one Catra's ever had that she could consistently trust and rely on, even if she did somewhat resent her.

Not surprised Hordak is getting along with Entrapta. She's not socially aware enough to be scared or intimidated by him, so she'll speak frankly, and since all she wants to talk about is the machines, experiments, and how they could get them to work Hordak probably doesn't take much issue with that. She's producing results, which is what he cares about, thus also why Shadow Weaver and Catra started losing favor with him. I wonder if Catra is going through imposter syndrome? Shadow Weaver had that line that Entrapta earned her place next to Hordak and, if you think about it, Catra hasn't really "earned" anything. We saw that she didn't really take her training or studies that seriously, showing up late to combat practice and even getting partial credit for what Adora beat. She wasn't promoted to Force Captain because of her own abilities but because Adora had defected when she was supposed to get that title. She's come close to a few victories but never really had any except for Glimmer and Bow's kidnapping...whom she then basically let escape when she returned Adora's sword to her. She doesn't have the slightest clue how the horde's bureaucracy works when trying to get things done, like simply getting troops armor. Given how much better than her Adora always was and how little she herself has to her name, I wonder is subconsciously Catra believes she doesn't deserve her current position and thus why she's fretting so much over trying to prove herself.

Episode 7: Am I mistaken or did Bow's parents say that he's the youngest of TWELVE siblings? I was going to ask whether Bow was adopted or if his dad's used a surrogate or if maybe there's even just simply magic in She-Ra's world that allows two people of the same sex to have a child together but now I'm just focused on the 12 kids thing. I get nervous just imagining myself having more than one. You should see me when I'm with two cats. I have to pet both of them because I'd feel like I'd be making one feel left out and like the other is the favorite. I'm a mess with kids.

The dad with dreadlocks (Lance?), his design looked familiar to me and I finally realized it reminded me a of a fanart design for a human Grim from The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy. Very different voices between those two characters though.

I wonder if there's any significance to the robot protecting the crystal having the same design as those in the artic in episode 5? Obviously both have the connection to the First Ones but the robot in the forest who was also protecting First Ones' tech had a more insect-like design over these more worm/Graboid ones.

I'm kind of curious what Hordak would have done if Catra had told the truth. Given his interactions with her and Shadow Weaver he doesn't seem like the time to tolerate failure but I suppose the implication here is that he at least would respect those who own up to their failures. Or I suppose more simply he was just testing to see if she would lie to him and since she did there's little merit in keeping her in a position of authority anymore where she could lie about important things again.

Season 2 verdict: Still enjoying it. Another person on this reddit recommended I view seasons 2 and 3 as one since they are basically just one season split in two. I was going to do that but this ended up longer than I thought I would, so I'll just do 2 and 3 separate to keep them semi-organized and easier to read.

I think overall Catra is my favorite character since she has the most interesting backstory, interactions, and just general path through the story out of everyone. She's like Pearl from Steven Universe or, well, Zuko. There's just so much baggage there that she's trying and kind of failing to deal with. I'm always invested in whatever's happening when she's onscreen. Hordak so far is a good big boss villain for Adora to face but Catra is a good archenemy for her.

Original Reddit post: https://www.reddit.com/r/PrincessesOfPower/comments/o027y3/going_in_blind_watching_season_2_for_the_first/

[iaintyourbro]

Even as a CT fan i still stand by what i say that Tifa deserves someone better than Cloud she’s too good for him in AC i hated how he treated her the girl was so vulnerable she needed someone to be there for her ,she’s a selfless person who thinks about other before herself ,yes as a CT i still think he was insensitive toward her esp after everything she’s gone through just to save him i still cringe the moment he become sonic just to save A but he was meh toward saving T if it wasn’t for A (1)

Sorry if i seemed like an anti C but for a girl he liked and known since childhood he sure put A before her many time a girl he knew for short period of time in the OG and a bit of the remake, sorry about that i just try to accept him but I can’t he still didn’t prove he deserves Tifa i want to see more care from him ,enough with LTD SE give is a good story this time i want to see more of Tifa, a heroine like A is so outdated she so 90s people want to see more badass heroines like T(2)

Hey anon.

I had to take a bit to think about this one last night. For one, there’s been a lot of discourse over on Twitter, and I’ve seen this rhetoric thrown around that Cloud was casting Tifa aside in favor of Aerith. It seems to upset Cloti fans and they start to question everything. 

There’s going to be links to other posts in here as well, I’ll put them as subjects come up.

I think a lot of people think Tifa deserves better. She is selfless and definitely puts others before herself constantly. The thing is, we may feel that way, but Tifa doesn’t. Tifa loves Cloud. 

What sucks about this is how much trauma both of them have been through. Cloud is just a mess. He’s seen his village burned down, his mother killed, he thought Tifa was killed, then he’s stuck in a tank and experimented on for four years, they get out, he sees his best friend die in front of him, and he mentally completely collapses and creates his false persona. Then while that’s going on, when he meets up with Tifa and fully assembles this new Cloud personality, we go on the adventure.

Then Aerith pops in. You’re with her for a very short time and she’s killed in front of him. Cloud also attempted to kill her twice before this. Add this to the already compounding shit that’s happened to him. 

Cloud ultimately was Aerith’s bodyguard. Cloud historically takes these types of responsibilities very seriously. He did in BC with somebody he barely knew. He knew Aerith, so that makes it even worse. He couldn’t protect her.

I also think that CoT does Cloud some justice. AC is where things get hairy and he got that Emo Cloud reputation that seemed to never leave him. Remake is clearing that up. The devs keep saying Cloud is an awkward dude. He’s not emo. 

Case of Tifa and The Kids are Alright

Tifa and Cloud deal with their guilt differently. Tifa pretends everything is fine. Even then, Cloud picks up on the issues in CoT and tells her that he’ll remind her to be strong. This scene takes place before the downward spiral starts with him. 

I feel like with AC they’ve released a lot of information to clarify that Cloud’s issue with Aerith was guilt related not pining. In these discussions, Zack is also forgotten, and I’d say Zack had an even bigger impact on Cloud due to their relationship and the amount of time he knew the guy. 

Why Zack is Important to Cloud

I have my thoughts on why they did what they did with AC. They also changed AC and rereleased it which in itself says they realized they may have made a few mistakes and/or just wanted to clarify the story. 

In terms of Cloud putting Aerith as a higher priority,  I need examples. Many of the ones I’ve been presented with over the last week are pieces of scenes to justify a point. The whole scene isn’t taken into account.

For example, the Train Graveyard (full of fun scenes, honestly), before Eligon when Cloud saves Aerith, this moment is regarded as so romantic. Fact is, he gets her out of the way, gets up, doesn’t even check on her and walks away. Tifa takes the baton and deals with Aerith’s well being. 

One of the funnier ones to me that they will blatantly ignore is when the train falls. He clearly diverts to his left to cover Tifa. The screenshots and analysis for that scene are below. There are also things to look at on the cargo container fall and the triple arm grab. (Part 4 of this series was more of a parody)

Train Graveyard Part 1 Falling in the cargo container Triple Arm Grab

Train Graveyard Part 2   Triple Arm Grab

Train Graveyard Part 3  Part 1 of the RUN scene

Train Graveyard Part 3.5 Part 2 of the RUN scene

Train Graveyard Part 5 Cloud and Tifa nope the fuck out

We’ve got Chapter 17 with the Whisper Tornado that Aerith gets stuck in. Tifa is the one who saves her from it. Cloud is standing right next to her and does nothing. 

The Shinra building rescue is often brought up as well. They claim Tifa didn’t care about saving Aerith, but it’s so far from the truth it hurts. Tifa and Barret both know the situation with Elmyra the first time they talk to her about this is escalating. Remember, Cloud is mentally 16. He thinks he can keep pushing and get his way. Ultimately the team calms him down and they go back to Sector 7. 

Cloud was very concerned about Tifa during Chapter 13. He didn’t seem to be in a rush at all to get back to Elmyra’s house. He was happy they found Wedge. 

So we go through the night, you get one of three resolutions. The next morning, Tifa and Barret back Cloud up in going to the Shinra building. They make it up there and Tifa gets discouraged because there is a very large security presence. Some say SEE SHE DIDN’T WANT TO GO, CLOUD HAD TO TELL HER.

Except it’s BARRET that says that. Tifa thinks it may be a lost cause. Barret says some lost causes are worth fighting for. Cloud then says “Let’s just think this through.” He wasn’t disagreeing with Tifa. Then Tifa is the one who points out the truck to get them in. Seems like she’s helping.

Once there, you have a few times when Cloud has to remind Barret to stay the course. There’s one time he reminds Tifa and that’s if you take the elevator. She’s also going down a bad path. Their goal is to rescue Aerith. He’s trying to keep her on track. 

Don Corneo’s basement is another one brought up. Cloud helps Aerith up. Why wouldn’t he? Girl just got knocked out with gas. He doesn’t blow Tifa off.

We can talk about how he blows Tifa off in Chapter 9 as soon as he sees the Chocobo Wagon too. Except once Aerith is up and goes over to see Aerith. 

Chocobo Cart: Cloud in Screenshots

Cloud and Chocobo Sam

I’m not really sure why they’re so hellbent on making people think that he only cares about one person. Cloud cares about EVERYBODY he meets. They show it with Avalanche, they show it even with Barret and Red. He’s not a douchebag.

In terms of Cloud deserving Tifa, I am really torn on it. Yes, she deserves the best. I then look at Cloud and think of how much has happened to him (and to Tifa) and if he really does make Tifa happy, then my opinion doesn’t matter much.

I think once we get through Remake, we’ll have a better idea of how Cloud will be. He’s already pretty affectionate towards Tifa, so I’m not sure. 

I am curious about specific examples though to the second part of your question about him caring more about Aerith. 

This post has other links to other users’ blogs in it to go over the LTD discourse. 

The Future of the LTD

[radramblog]

Game of the Year 2020...?

Ive scrolled the list of games that came out this year to see what my GOTY ended up being, but turns out the only game I played in 2020 that released that year was, uh…….

Fucking good game but like I’m not gonna hand it GOTY by default (That goes to Hades, based solely impressions from other people). Actually, I’m not handing out any awards, really. So I guess I’m just gonna go over a bunch of the other games I did play last year, regardless of whether or not they came out then.

Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition

A mate got me this for my birthday in December 2019, and unlike the other games I got then (Kirby Star Allies which I burned through that month and Octopath which I still haven’t played) I spent a fair few hours playing it last year. This was before the sequel was announced, and also a little bit after the fact- figured I should try and finish one before playing the other. Unfortunately, I have yet to purchase Age of Calamity nor finish Definitive Edition, because the former is expensive and the latter is expansive. Holy shit there’s so much fucking content in this game. I don’t think I ever will finish it to be honest, though despite the repetitiveness it never really felt boring to me. It’s the only Warriors/Musou game I’ve played, and I’d be interested in trying others based on the experience.

(I’m not playing Fire Emblem Warriors though fuck that)

Pokemon Sword and Shield DLC: The Isle of Armor and the Crown Tundra

Sword and Shield felt somewhat lacking on release, and while the DLCs released this year did much to try and fix this its still a bit shit that it required an extra paycheck out of you to get the full game- outside of outsourced mobile games like Go and Shuffle, or services such as Bank or Home, Pokemon has never actually had DLC/microtransactions, so this was a little disappointing. I’d argue that it absolutely wasn’t worth it when Isle was released, as fun as the content was it was again, lacking. Crown Tundra I would argue exceeded my (admittedly low) expectations, however- the new and returning mons are cool and welcome (I despised Calyrex’s design on first reveal but their behaviour in story redeemed it more than enough), and the Max Lair Adventure offered a surprisingly replayable romp that has been great to just try and grind out with friends. I can’t say I’d recommend the DLC pack though- only if because you’ve probably made up your mind already as to whether or not you’re getting it, or this doesn’t apply to you at all. I could also put basically every main series Pokemon game on here, seeing as I’m pretty sure I nuzlocked every region at some point during the year, but I don’t want to make this *that* long. 

Super Smash Bros Ultimate Expansion Pass

Smash is still Smash. I don’t find myself playing it much on my own, and even in Perth get-togethers weren’t super common last year. As neat as the DLC characters released this year are for the franchise as a whole, none of them convinced me to play significantly more than usual, and I can’t wrap my head around half of them, so.

Also, I’m still salty about Byleth, and I actually really liked Three Houses, it was my first FE game. Why the fuck wasn’t it Claude????

Rivals of Aether

On the other hand, in the last few months I’ve found myself grinding match after match of Rivals with one of my best mates and the game is a fucking blast, holy shit. I still haven’t bought it for myself, but its basically 100% of the reason I have played 0 smash for the last few months since we’re too busy mashing Orcane vs Ranno over and over and not really getting tired of it. It requires a specific type of person to get into it, but if you’re in that group then its just an excellent game.

VA-11 Hall-A

I first played VA-11 Hall-A (Vallhalla, since typing that is a pain) by pirating it and playing it on my laptop in the dead of night.

It quickly became one of my favourite games of all time.

When the Switch port dropped, I felt obliged to actually pay for it this time around, since the developers had more than earned my money. And then I replayed it again, playing it on my switch in the dead of night (At least this time I had the excuse of being a nightshift worker). With the sequel unfortunately delayed into 2021, it might be time to run it back once more or drag more of my mates into Glitch City since I already forcibly exposed a few of em to it.

The post-credits title screen is still my phone background.

Fallout: New Vegas

I don’t really have much to say about FNV that hasn’t been said already, especially considering HBomberguy’s recently released video, but it is also on my top 5 list and I only got around to playing Lonesome Road and Dead Money this year. Also went out of my way to 100% achievement complete the game on Steam, which I believe is the first time I’ve done that for a game.

Zero Escape Series (Nine Hours Nine Persons Nine Doors, Virtue’s Last Reward, Zero Time Dilemma)

The Danganronpa series’ less colourful sibling, Zero Escape was a series I finally got around to finishing after having borrowed a friend’s copy of VLR back in high school and playing it wrong due to not deleting his save file (oops,). I think VLR remains my favourite, and I really hope the series continues at some point (unlikely as it seems now) considering how ZTD missed the mark pretty hard. The first 2 games are still excellent mystery games and a lot of fun, though you do need somewhat of a tolerance for words.

A Hat in Time

Oh god this game is so fucking cute. Also, just an excellent platformer. Is the DLC still on sale? I should buy that.

Fallout 4

Its just not New Vegas. It just isn’t. I really tried with this game, I really did. The gunplay is great, modding and building shit is fun, but its just not the same.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

A couple years ago I bought a SNES Mini, but until 2020 I didn’t really have a convenient way of playing it seeing as my monitor didn’t have an HDMI port. But now I do have one with one, so I got to start playing this classic! And then stopped because of uni. Should finish that, probably.

Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon

Shit Keara I still have your copy sorry I’ll get back to it :<

Pokemon Stadium

I also managed to get my N64 up and running, and despite being the wrong region for most of the games available in local shops, I somehow managed to get Stadium for a great price. Got to dig out my old Red cartridge and anything. Fuck me though, this game is brutal. Seriously, Gen 1 battle mechanics are tough to deal with at the best of times, having to do battle after battle with said mechanics without losing is just nuts. I still haven’t managed to get Round 2 unlocked.

God, fuck you Blaine. Goddamn fire spin Rapidash motherfucker.

Super Mario 64 Speaking of, I managed to pick up a Japanese cartridge of SM64, complete with BLJ glitches and 3 entire save files. After much effort, I managed to actually get it working, and spent most of the night of Christmas getting smashed and trying to beat Bowser in the Fire Sea. I played a lot of the DS remake as a kid, and I feel like an idiot for struggling as much I did with the original.

This is all of course a buildup to the fact that I was lying about not assigning a GOTY. Because there is only one N64 game in my small collection deserving of Game of the Year, because its deserving of Game of the Year every year since its 1999 release.

BEETLE ADVENTURE RACING MOTHERFUCKEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER

[wiseabsol]

20 Mewtwo Fanfics Recs

Since I’ve been getting more Mewtwo asks recently, I thought I would make a post to promote some of the Mewtwo fics that have caught my eye over the years. Here is a round-up of the ones that were the most memorable and influential to me when I was growing up, as well as some that look promising for other fans to check out!

MEMORABLE FICS:

1. Damaged by Cheshire Kat24

Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8906040/1/Damaged

Summary: Living life to its fullest is never easy. A lesson Mewtwo learns the hard way after sustaining an injury that even his abilities cannot heal without help. With his new friends, he embarks on a journey that will define not only his place in the world, but that of his entire species.

My thoughts: While I never managed to read the entire story, this is a classic and was probably the first long, multi-chapter story with Mewtwo as the lead.

2. Shadows Like You by cosmicmewtwo

Link: Not available, though you can hit her up on Tumblr for the file.

Summary: Driven by his hunger for power, Giovanni creates three new Mewtwos. The clones seem to be under control...but for how long? And how will Mewtwo himself be affected?

My thoughts: This was incredibly influential to my writing, being a huge part of the inspiration behind “TPRS.” The Mewthrees introduced here were great and I checked every day for updates until this fic was complete. As a humorous aside, when I was a wee lass with barely any fic to my name, I sent cosmicmewtwo a message asking if I could use Mewthree characters in my own story, without realizing that cosmicmewtwo didn’t own that concept. She, bless her heart, confusedly told me to go ahead with my story and supported some of my earliest fics.

3. Anomaly by Dark Magician Girl Aeris

Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/3173119/1/Anomaly

Summary: When Mewtwo erased his memory from the minds of Team Rocket, he overlooked the computers they used in studying him. Now a second member of the race has been created by even more unorthodox means than the first. And boy, is she mad!

My thoughts: Aeris is excellent at writing Mewtwo, to the point where this is probably the most canon-compliant depiction of him that I’ve come across. This adventure story is also well-written and has a lot of feel-good moments. I wish that she’d managed to finish it, but what she has, along with the connected one-shots, is worth digging into.

4. The Sword and Shield Series by Kayasuri-n

Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/3535877/1/Sword-and-Shield

Summary: Detective Brenda Johnson was looking for something suspicious when she entered the lab, not a connection between Team Rocket and gym leader Giovanni Rocketto. She certainly wasn’t expecting Mewtwo. Rated M for Murder and other subjects.

My thoughts: So if you’re looking for a super fun murder mystery ride, this one is for you! I still desperately want to see what the remake would look like. That said, there are several entries in the old series, all of which are great.

5. More Than Just Shadow by Kirlien

Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/3602934/1/More-Than-Just-Shadow

Summary: Amy was sitting quietly on the doublebed, watching over the wounded Pokémon. “Mewtwo…What are you?…Who are you?” she whispered faintly, her fingers brushing against his cheek slightly in a soothing motion.

My thoughts: I remember this fic for how it captured the golden feeling of innocence in the Pokemon franchise. While dark things were happening in this story, there was a sense of warmth and compassion that I’ve always admired. This is another one that I wish had been finished, but what is here is worth digging into.

6. Between Two Worlds by Leonardo Mystic

Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/505048/1/Between-Two-Worlds

Summary: Ki is a teenage girl with special powers. Who one day accidentally discovers the Team Rocket project of Mewtwo. 

My thoughts: This was one of the first Mewtwo fics I ever read and was the most memorable in the romance category. I’d call it one of the classics and an interesting rewrite of the original movie. 

7. Forgotten by Melora Maxwell

Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/926885/1/Forgotten

Summary: The humans have a most strange saying. Curiosity killed the cat. I suppose in my case, it would be curiosity killed the clone. For it is what I am.

My thoughts: This one was responsible for the genesis of “Angelic Shadows.” It’s angsty and, despite being lean in the way of descriptions, it has a strong emotional impact. It’s a shame that it never got an ending, because it seems like it was within a few chapters of being complete. Even so, if you like gritty, this is a good one to look into.  

8. Eclipsed by Meriah

Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/4468231/1/Eclipsed

Summary: A young woman named Sutichay carries Arei, a miraculous child, whose birth will bring about a religious conflict. Later in the chaos, Arei is made the priestess of Mewtwo, and her growing attraction to him stirs the anger of Sabrina, his wife.

My thoughts: While this fic only has a few chapters, the premise is imagination, the writing is lovely, and it deserved more attention than it received. This was also the inspiration for my story “Hollow.” When Meriah discarded the original prologue for “Eclipsed,” she allowed me to use it—and the character Arei—as a jumping off point for my own story. The result was two very different tales with similar thematic cores.

9. The Incomplete Soul Saga by Miyuutsuu

Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/u/888889/Miyuutsuu

Summary: What is my true purpose in life?

My thoughts: If you’re looking for more grit, we have this odd series by Miyuutsuu, who wrote his stories with the Rule of Cool. Want Mewtwo to have a sword? An angsty romance with a gym leader? Possibly some loss of limbs? Then here you go! It’s a dark action/adventure story with a different flavor than anything else on this list.

10. Of Moonlight Shadows and Echoes Past by ZeoViolet

Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/620186/1/Of-Moonlight-Shadows-and-Echoes-Past

Summary: A Psychic teenager named Sharie, daughter of one of Mewtwo’s creators, finds a baby Mewtwo Giovanni forgot about…and eventually, runs into Mewtwo himself.

My thoughts: This was my favorite Mewtwo fic and one that I still think of fondly. The writing is lush, the premise is solid, and I definitely wanted to see where it would have gone. It’s another classic of the fandom.  

11. If You Let Me by Byoshi

Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/4129309/1/If-You-Let-Me

Summary: Every Pokemon Smasher must have a master, and the rule is no different for Mewtwo. A tug-of-war begins between Peach and Ganondorf, conflicted but united in their attempt to use Mewtwo to overthrow Master Hand.

My thoughts: I don’t have much to say about this one, other than I really enjoyed it, found the premise intriguing, and wished I could have seen more of the central relationship in it. Sadly, like many of these entries, it was discontinued.

PROMISING FICS:

These are fics that I haven’t actually read, but appear to have pull in the fandom and have definitely had a lot of hard work put into them.

12. Mute, Too by FalconPain

Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/3931388/1/Mute-Too

Summary: After losing a battle to the dark Pokémon Darkrai, Mewtwo awakens to find that he no longer has his psychic abilities. No longer able to float, read minds, or even talk to humans or Pokémon, he must rebuild his life. But how much of this can he take?

13. Forsaken by lilpurplebird

Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/5842142/1/Forsaken

Summary: Being a Legendary isn’t always a good thing—they realized that too late when the world came to an end. Mercifully, they were given another chance, but at a cost: They had agreed in a previous life to become mortal should they have failed to uphold their duties. Unbeknownst to them, however, there is a dark power lying in wait, targeting Mew and Mewtwo to do its dirty work…

14. Crossing of the Paths by MMMAJ Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/1252581/1/Crossing-of-the-Paths

Summary: Mewtwo can no longer stand living with humans, so he creates a dimensional portal and randomly wanders the web of infinite universes. This is the tale of the places he sees and the people he meets. 

15. Lines in the Sand by Shinymonkey8

Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/6847646/1/Lines-in-the-Sand

Summary: After finally escaping from Giovanni, Mewtwo has a chance to live his life free, and sadly alone… But when fate leads him to something he would have never expected, a female of his own species, his life is turned upside-down…. 

16. Human, Monster, Hybrid Series by TheFrogFromHell

Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/3082844/1/Human

Summary: When Mewtwo lured six trainers into his trap on New Island, he’d planned to begin his reign of terror on the human world. He hadn’t planned on being nearly destroyed by the battle that ensued, or on being nursed back to health by a human—a member of the species he’d despised enough to want to eradicate from the earth. Now, Mewtwo is torn between his hatred for his creators, and the new, mysterious emotions he feels for Misty, the human that saved his life. One again, his true purpose is in question: will he still choose to destroy the world, or will these unfamiliar insights change the way Mewtwo views humans, pokémon, and even himself. 

17. From Dark To Light by Whozawhatcha

Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7659746/1/From-Dark-To-Light

Summary: Mewtwo falls for a Gardevoir, but hesitates to reveal any of his past to her, considering the circumstances. However, his past and Team Rocket do catch up to him, and how will they manage? And with strife with this Gardevoir’s mother, how will they continue to be together? What are her true motives for keeping her daughter from this mysterious pokemon?

18. The Mewblade Series by Vaporeon Lugia Krabby

Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/2967855/1/Her-Beginning

Summary: Welcome to the real complexity of the Pokemon World. Here we experience the full extent of this world alongside Mewblade, a Mewthree. This prologue introduces Mewblade, following the beginnings of Mewtwo. This opens a larger plot, full of depth and death.

Note: While this isn’t a Mewtwo-centric fic, it has been a prominent work in the fandom for ages.

SOME CAUTIOUS SMUT RECS:

So looking up Mewtwo smut can be dicey, since many of the writers of said smut tend to prefer dub-con or non-con scenes, with Mewtwo being a dominant alpha male/sexually-aggressive character. This can be triggering for some readers. The following two stories are not exactly exceptions to that pattern (well, “The Mewtwo File” is, but I have different qualms about it), but the romance in them helps to mellow them out.

19. The Mewtwo File by Alisonven

Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/4200365/1/The-Mewtwo-File

Summary: This is the story of the young clone Mewtwo and Aiko, his only human friend, the daughter of his creator.

My thoughts: This is a well-written story and has some good Mewtwo/Ai content in it, albeit features an AU version of them. That said, I have qualms about the sex in here, thanks to the difference between Mewtwo’s and Aiko’s psychological maturities. Aiko is clearly an adult, while Mewtwo reads more like a teenager. Some readers were fine with that; I felt squicked. There is also a casual use of sexual assault in a later chapter, so be aware of that going into this.

20. Primial Instinct by Sonic Sunshine

Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/3486169/1/Primial-Instinct

Summary: Mewtwo tells us the story of how he found and nearly lost love through his eyes. His journey of discovery is one filled with dilemmas, and even the most powerful Pokemon is helpless to stop it. Mewtwo x Lucario.

My thoughts: There are also casual uses of sexual assault in this, including from Mewtwo, which I wasn’t keen on. That being said, this is well-written and the central relationship is interesting, so who knows, it might scratch the yaoi itch for those of you who love the genre.

[eliaspsuedo]

Making Pokemon Adventures an Anime

“Pokemon Adventures needs an anime” is definitely a phrase you’ve heard before if you’ve been to any discussion on PokeSpe. It definitely deserves more attention, that’s for sure, and an anime definitely brings so many eyes to it. Just look at all the manga series that exploded in popularity once an anime got made of it!

On the other hand, I can see why The Pokemon Company wouldn’t really make one for a number of reasons.

The Pokemon Anime is still very popular and profitable, so another Pokemon anime on TV would just be cannibalizing their returns and skew the audience. Not to mention eat up resources like animators or budgets.

Upcoming products like Pokemon Masters are much higher priority to make a promotional anime out of, rather than something that’s promoting out-of-date things, like how cool Steel-types, Zorua, etc. was.

A number of prominent Pokemon and even moves are embargoed from appearing in other media besides the games. Notably Kadabra, Earthquake-like moves, and especially Porygon. Maybe you can get around Sabrina’s Kadabra by just making it an Alakazam, but how about Blue and Gladion’s Porygon?

This a bit more speculative, but I imagine there has to be some form of royalties for the writer and artists for using their versions of the characters, not just the OC’s, but the specific versions of the dexholders found in the manga.

And many more reasons why it probably won’t get a full length TV anime any time soon.

But what if it did get an anime? What would be the format? How would they condense a 50+ volume series, with multiple main characters and interconnecting plot points, and all to boost sales and show what makes Pokemon Adventures a great piece of the Pokemon franchise, into an anime?

The most realistic option: A 2-3 minute PV promoting an upcoming arc like SwSh, or better, the whole series for an omnibus rerelease. A basic sizzle reel of various scenes, with a narrator for minimal voice work, is what’ll mostly be.

The ideal option: A promotional anthology web series in the vein of Pokemon Generations.

Now this definitely has been suggested before, but I want to get into the specifics. Here’s how I imagine it:

One 10-12 minute episode will be devoted to a specific character or, for the remakes, one arc (Episode Red, Episode Diamond, Episode HGSS, etc.), covering roughly 2-3 rounds or chapters. This is so that there will be enough material to see who this character is, the basic plot of their arc, and the basic plot of this particular generation. It’s short, straight-to the point, and can easily sell Pokemon Adventures. Let’s not forget, it has to be an inviting and exciting episode for newcomers!

Now there has to be a lot of changes to fit the runtime, so certain scenes and dialogue has to be cut or skimmed. Some original parts has to be put in to for the episode to flow better. Plus, I imagine getting into the exciting Pokemon battles will be more appealing than earlier chapters, which are very exposition heavy. So cold opens or going from the introduction scene in the opening chapter to an “In Medias Res” battle is some later chapter, is one of the many tricks to keep the flow going.

The reason why I say 10-12 minutes is because of the amount of episodes it will take to cover all the Dexholders and the remakes alone! At least 21 Dex Holders + 3 remake arcs. The amount of resources it’ll take would be pretty large, even with a reduced runtime, and I don’t think TPC would shell that much cash. Even then, most promotional anime series clock in at around 6-8 mins, not enough time to properly show off a character or a cool battle. So if it can go above the usual time, 10-12 minutes is what I think it could be stretched too, while keeping the costs to make it low. I also want to see an episode devoted to the evil teams or villains, as that too is one of PokeSpe strengths. It’ll bump up the episode count for sure, unless the series is broken up into chunks by generation and released months apart.

But which chapters? Well here’s a few examples on how I see it being adapted:

A basic adaptation with bits and pieces of later chapters.

Episode Red: Round 1 & 2 and maybe a bit of Round 3 or 4.

The introduction chapter starts things off, of course! The basic structure of the two chapters can remain the same. A few bits of dialogue can be trimmed, most notably Red explaining what Pokemon are, and some scenes can be altered, like Blue being seen with a Pokedex when fighting Mew, to streamline the story. For the ending bit, Prof. Oak’s narration at the end of round 3 while Red and Blue argue, establishing their rivalry, is a good way to cap it off. Alternatively, the part in Round 4 where Red is trying to befriend Pikachu and Blue challenging him that he’ll get the boulder badge first, is also a good cap to the episode.

A two-parter with original material.

Episode Gold: Round 91-95

We can better start out with Gold playing billiards, and listening to the radio, and getting Elm’s bag. The Hoothoot part can be offscreen, with a quick shot of Team Rocket stealing his bag. During the end of his and Silver’s battle, where he gets knocked out by Elekid, we save Silvers part for his episode. Gold wakes up, gives his account to the Police, and goes after Silver. Ending Prof. Oak appearing and giving him the “What are Pokemon to you?” Question.

Episode Silver: Round 94, 95, a bit of original material.

Starting off when Gold was knocked out, we get Silvers battle with Team Rocket. A bit more original scenes may be needed after Silver makes his escape and maybe talks to Green. Actually seeing Prof. Oaks account of how he stole the Pokedex can also be included. Ending with Gold getting the Pokedex after giving Prof. Oak a good answer, cutting out the part where he saves Ratata for time.

Opening scene then cut to an “In Medias Res” Battle

Episode Emerald: Round 303-304, 306-307 Emerald calming down Sudowood will open things up. After his declaration of conquering the Battle Frontier, the title card appears, and we move to Emerald moving up the Battle Tower, showing off his skills and strategy. A “How did we get here?” Narration from Todd can quickly explain the time skip. The episode ends with the discussion over Sceptile, brief flashes of Wally, optional.

And that’s just a few examples I can show! I actually did write a list of what rounds are suitable for this sort of adaptation, but I think a few will do.

If there’s one thing PokeSpe definitely needs, it’s more promotion. As part of the marketing machine that is the Pokemon franchise, it’s actually surprising how much less love this branch gets is in comparison. I think it has to do with a lot of factors, Viz not printing the series past Vol 7 for the longest time, Not wanting to overshadow any of the other manga series, Being over 50+ volumes long, etc. Recently, it’s been getting a bigger push both in Japan and the US, so things are looking up. 

At the end of the day, it’s all about seeing the world you love and thought you knew, come to life in new and different ways. Pokemon Adventures has the love and spirit through and through, and it’s better shared with familiar and newer faces.

It’s like when Red got his Pokedex, he thought he knew all there is about the Pokemon world, and revealing that maybe he didn’t quite knew everything, showed him there’s a whole world out there to explore. One filled with mystery, danger, and friendship.

Plus, showing that the Arbok lived might finally shut most people up.

[bombshellsandbluebells]

What I Watched Last Week

I’ve been watching a lot of great films lately and want the chance to talk about them, so I’m starting a weekly series.

 The idea behind making these posts is to 1) talk about movies, which I always love to do 2) keep a journal of great films I’ve seen that I may want to go back to and 3) spread the word on some lesser known foreign and indie films that I think should be seen by more people.

If you’ve seen any of these films and want to talk, come chat with me!

1. Bad Genius dir. Nattawut Poonpiriya (2017, Thailand)

A genius level high school student makes money after developing elaborate methods to help other students cheat.

This movie is just fantastic. It might just be about cheating at tests, but it’s as action-packed and suspenseful as any other heist movie I’ve seen and constantly had me on the edge of my seat. I swear there are more dramatic twists in this than any Mission Impossible film. The cinematography is wonderfully creative and the editing is fantastic. And the main character, Lynn, is an absolute badass.

There’s apparently an English remake in the works, but I can’t imagine it’s going to top the original.

2.  The Last Black Man in San Francisco dir. Joe Talbot (2019, US)

Jimmie and his best friend Mont try to reclaim the house built by Jimmie's grandfather, launching them on a poignant odyssey that connects them to their past, even as it tests their friendship and sense of belonging in the place they call home.

I’m lucky enough to live next to a local theater that plays a lot of indie films and got the chance to see this film in theaters. Which was well worth it, because the gorgeous visuals of this movie deserve the big screen. This film is just stunning. Every shot is gorgeous. The soundtrack is beautiful. And the somber, longing mood it creates stuck with me long after I saw it.

3. Extreme Job dir. Byung-heon Lee (2019, South Korea)

Narcotics detectives work under cover in a chicken joint to try and bust a gang of organized criminals. Things take an unexpected turn when their new recipe suddenly transforms the run-down restaurant into the hottest eatery in town.

This movie is hilarious. The plot is fun and the situations are silly, but what really makes this film so fun to watch is the ridiculous cast of characters and how they interact. Lovers of the found family trope should definitely check this out, because this team really does act like a family. The highlight of this film for me is definitely Detective Ma, played by Jin Seon-kyu, who has impeccable comedic timing and the greatest facial expressions.

4. Booksmart dir. Olivia Wilde (2019, Canada)

Academic overachievers Amy and Molly thought keeping their noses to the grindstone gave them a leg up on their high school peers. But on the eve of graduation, the best friends suddenly realize that they may have missed out on the special moments of their teenage years. Determined to make up for lost time, the girls decide to cram four years of not-to-be missed fun into one night -- a chaotic adventure that no amount of book smarts could prepare them for.

I finally got to see Booksmart! It’s been showing only at weird times in the theaters near me and I thought I was going to have to wait for it to come out on streaming, but I managed to make it to a showing. This film has already gotten a lot of attention and it deserves it! It’s hilarious, but it’s also a really great twist on the classic high school coming-of-age story and the classic “mean, popular kids vs. smart nerds” stereotypes most of those films set up.

Also, it’s so clearly written and directed by women. You know how sometimes you see how the female characters interact in something and you just know, in your soul, that it was written by women and it feels like a breath of fresh air? Yeah. 

[aion-rsa]

Dragon Quest Games Ranked

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Even if you’ve never played a Dragon Quest game, you’ve undoubtedly played other titles influenced by the series. Basic JRPG tropes like the overhead view, turn-based combat, and the medieval fantasy setting all got their start with the original Dragon Quest (then called Dragon Warrior in the West).

While many of these game design innovations are attributed to Final Fantasy, which was released in North America first, the Japanese release of Dragon Quest actually beat Final Fantasy by a full year at a time when Square and Enix were still separate companies. In fact, Final Fantasy probably wouldn’t exist if not for the massive success of Dragon Quest.

Since then, the series has seen plenty of ups and downs. While Dragon Quest has always been a huge hit in Japan, the original game sold so poorly in the U.S. that it was given away with subscriptions to Nintendo Power. Unsurprisingly, a couple of games in the long-running series took more than a decade to see English language releases. But with the most recent game receiving widespread critical acclaim, and even a nod in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the series is finally getting the recognition it deserves around the world.

With 2021 marking the 35th anniversary of the first game’s release, there’s no better time rank the best and worst Dragon Quest games in the main series. Unfortunately, we could not include the Japan-only MMORPG Dragon Quest X in this ranking as its never been released in North America.

10. Dragon Quest II: Luminaries of the Legendary Line

1987

Dragon Quest II improved on the original in almost every way, but these days it’s more so viewed as a stepping stone for what the series would become rather than an essential entry. While the first game only allowed for 1v1 encounters, Luminaries of the Legendary Line introduced three-person parties, encounters with multiple enemies, and deeper combat options. 

But those innovations came at a cost, including nasty difficulty spikes and a high encounter rate. Add in a rather rote story about a prince saving the world, and there’s just not much here to justify a playthrough now, even if the many re-releases have slightly improved the gameplay. 

9. Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies

2009 

While well-received when it was released, time hasn’t been especially kind to Dragon Quest IX. It remains a high point in the series for allowing lots of customization for both the main character and party members, but that feature was tied to the game’s online capabilities, and Nintendo shut down its DS network years ago. If you try to play Dragon Quest IX now, you’re just not getting the full experience.

Square Enix has shown a strong willingness to remake and re-release Dragon Quest games over the years, and given that we’ve already seen remakes of the first eight games, it seems like it’s only a matter of time until we see Sentinels of the Starry Skies return in all of its customization glory.

8. Dragon Quest

1986

There’s a reason why so many indie RPGs are still built on the bones of this classic: the great grandfather of the JRPG genre holds up remarkably well 35 years after its initial release. Dragon Quest still has incredible charm and addictive gameplay, even if it isn’t the deepest title when compared to modern RPGs. 

With only five towns, five dungeons, and 1v1 battles, Dragon Quest is a simple and relatively quick playthrough by today’s standards, but it perfectly scratches that role-playing itch if you don’t have the energy to spend hours tweaking a character and planning strategies in a modern game. 

7. Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past

2000

Arriving at the tail end of the PS1 era, Dragon Quest VII was in many ways a culmination of what many still consider to be the genre’s golden age. Opening on a small island that at first seems to be the only landmass left on the planet, Fragments of the Forgotten Past features one of the most interesting stories in the series, and the challenging gameplay mixed with the deep class system gives it plenty of legs. 

But Dragon Quest VII also suffers from a major Achilles’s heel: its monumental length. The game certainly straddles the line of what can be considered too long, with a single playthrough typically taking around 100 hours. You have to really, really like the sometimes meandering story and the gameplay to get through this installment. Still, if you have the time and patience to put into it, Fragments of the Forgotten Past delivers like few other RPGs. 

6. Dragon Quest III: The Seeds of Salvation

1988

Dragon Quest III is the first title in the series that really feels like a typical JRPG. It was the Dragon Quest game that introduced the ability to swap between multiple party members throughout the adventure, as well as quality of life improvements like quick item sorting and the ability to fill all HP with a menu command. 

Best of all, The Seeds of Salvation features a more fully fleshed out plot than the first two games. Yes, you’re still the legendary hero out to save the world, but this time when you think you’ve won, the “real” evil appears, and it turns out there’s a lot more game to play, a then-innovative plot twist that would become an RPG staple for years to come. 

5. Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation

1995

Realms of Revelation is a really solid entry in the series that arrived way too late in the West to get its proper due. Originally released for the SNES in 1995 at the peak of its popularity, the big hook is switching between a “real world” full of typical medieval castles and villages, and a more surreal “dream world” made up of people’s dreams. There’s definitely a strong Link to the Past influence.

Unfortunately, Dragon Quest’s popularity was at a low point in North America at the time of its original release, and we only saw the excellent DS port of Dragon Quest VI in 2011. See? There is some hope we might see Dragon Quest X in other territories, it just might take another decade or so. 

4. Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen

1990

For better or for worse, the Dragon Quest games are notorious for following a pretty strict formula of an unnamed hero gathering a party to venture forth and save the world. Dragon Quest IV was the first game in the series to change things up, and the results are still praised three decades later. Instead of starting off as a hero, the first four chapters see you playing as different party members, before finally meeting up with the protagonist in the fifth chapter. Then you save the world. Okay, so it’s not a huge departure from the other games in the series, but each chapter is really well written.  

Originally released in Japan and North America for the NES, Chapters of the Chosen was also remade for the PlayStation 1. The stateside release of that game was cancelled at the last minute, but a second DS remake featuring a brand new sixth chapter eventually saw a worldwide release in 2008.

3. Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of Cursed King

2004

Journey of the Cursed King is the first game in the Dragon Quest series to feature fully 3D graphics, although the classic gameplay didn’t change much. In fact, you still select attacks in first-person mode. But it does feature one of the better stories in any Dragon Quest game. This time, the nameless hero has to save the king, who has been turned into a troll, and the princess, who has been turned into a white horse. Great characters and the inclusion of voice acting elevate the game above most other Dragon Quest titles, and even most JRPGs of the era.

Thanks to the bright, cel-shaded graphics, Dragon Quest VIII has aged remarkably well for a PS2 game, but the 3DS port, with extra playable characters and new story scenes is arguably the definitive version at this point.

2. Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride

1992

Dragon Quest V is still the pinnacle of storytelling for the franchise. The game starts with the birth of the hero, and then proceeds to follow him through the ups and downs of the next three decades of his life. For the first and only time in the series, you’re even joined on your quest by your two children. Hand of the Heavenly Bride delves into the life of its main character in a way that few other JRPGs ever have. Add in the ability to recruit monsters to your party for the first time, and you’ve got the recipe for a legendary adventure.

While Dragon Quest V was well-received in Japan, it arrived at a time when sales for the series were so poor in North America that Enix closed down its American office, so the SNES version was never officially localized. Thankfully, the DS remake finally saw a worldwide release in 2009. That version has gotten pricier in the last few years, but it’s well worth tracking down for any RPG fan.

1. Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age

2017

Echoes an of an Elusive Age is everything that makes the Dragon Quest series great wrapped in a beautiful HD package. The turn-based combat offers more options than ever; the characters, from the magic-wielding sisters Veronica and Serena, to the flamboyant performer Sylvando, are among the most memorable in the entire series; and the story is incredibly deep and emotional. And just when you think you’re finished, a surprising bit of time travel opens up the final third of the game, which is actually its best act.

The original release of Dragon Quest XI would have topped this list, but with the extras added in the 2019 Definitive Edition, it’s going to be difficult for any future title in the series to approach its greatness. Square Enix also added the ability to play the entire game in a 2D mode similar to the Japan-exclusive 3DS version of the game. There are also secret missions that call back to all 10 previous games in the series. Echoes of an Elusive Age is the absolute pinnacle of the series, and easily one of the best RPGs of all time.

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[wazafam]

Gaming with friends is always an enjoyable pastime, no matter what the genre might be. Bullets might fly, starships might be destroyed, and fighters might be met with gruesome and gory fatalities, but there are few themes more enjoyable than joining together on a quest in search of an adventure.

RELATED: 10 Best Story-Driven Games On PS1

RPG games come in a variety of flavors from fantasy to sci-fi and beyond. Since it's dangerous to go alone, why not invite a friend or two to join in on the loot and the action? There are dozens of titles to choose from, and the genre is rich in quests, side missions, and excitement to share.

10 King of Dragons

RPGs and side-scrolling-beat-em-ups are two games that are often blended together in a delightful cocktail of action and adventure. If gamers are just getting into that beloved combination, this Capcom classic is an excellent way to start.

The beat-em-up combat is the core of this adventure, but it has a healthy handful of RPG elements that perfectly complements the traditional fantasy aesthetic. It's an arcade gem that more than likely inspired a number of other games on this list, so why not give the original a go?

9 Castle Crashers

It might not be as classy as some of the other entries on this list, but it's impossible to say that Castle Crashers isn't fun. Beating and brawling through a cartoony fantasy kingdom will definitely keep players entertained for hours, but don't let the Newgrounds look mislead, there's some strategy at play too.

RELATED: Castle Crashers & 9 Other Best Beat-Em-Ups on Switch, Ranked

Players can upgrade their knights, pick different weapons, assign skill points, and take different paths throughout this over-the-top adventure. And with plenty of unlockables, there's reason to come back for more.

8 Borderlands Series

Borderlands has been called a hybrid of FPS and Diablo, and that essentially isn't too far from the truth. Fighting off hoards of mutants and bandits through a cell-shaded wasteland has never been so much fun, especially when this game has more loot than a dragon horde.

With multiple classes, tons of weapons, and four entries in this cult-favorite series, there are plenty of ways to get thrown into the fray. Best of luck, Vault-Hunters.

7 Torchlight Series

This top-down RPG might have a Diablo-inspired makeup, but Torchlight has a fantasy flavor all its own. Its lore, world, and characters alone are worth giving the game a once over, but as is the case with most dungeon-crawlers, this one is definitely better with a full party.

RELATED: Torchlight 3: Best Things to Do After Beating The Game

There are plenty of monsters to mash, character classes to experiment with, companions to aid, and a world to explore and conquer. Single-player is fine, but nothing beats a full party.

6 Lord of the Rings: War In The North

An underappreciated hack-and-slash title, but one that will scratch every fantasy itch imaginable. An epic journey set against the backdrop of Tolkien's War of the Ring with a fellowship of three original characters? How has this not gotten a re-release yet?

The split-screen might take a little getting used to, but it makes for an epic quest between friends once everyone's locked in. The action is the biggest selling point, and crushing orcs together never gets old by any means.

5 Gauntlet Series

If there's one co-op RPG that the entire genre owes its life to, it's Gauntlet. It's the OG of dungeon crawlers and every entry from the arcade original to the modern remake deserves to be played with a full party of adventurers.

RELATED: Best Video Games Of 2020 With Crossplay & Multiplayer

Warrior, Wizard, Valkyrie, and Elf join forces together against an army of goblins, skeletons, and more on their quest to raid dungeons, gather loot, and get to the exit. A little rinse and repeat, but not a formula without its own distinct charms.

4 Battle Axe

Perhaps the newest entry on the list, but not one that was considered lightly. Battle Axe is what happens when Gauntlet, Golden Axe, and Zombies Ate My Neighbors get put in a blender. When an evil sorceress puts a curse upon the kingdom, three heroes must join forces to stop the world from falling by her dark hand.

It's an arcade adventure at its finest, but certainly not without its flaws. Single-player mode can be as difficult as a quarter-eating arcade cabinet, so having multiple players literally provides a better experience.

3 Stardew Valley

Not all RPGs have to be about fighting evil, casting spells, or raiding vaults for guns. Sometimes it's just nice to unwind and plant a garden together. Enter Stardew Valley for players who just want to unwind and veg out.

RELATED: Stardew Valley: 10 Things To Do In The Secret Woods

The 16-bit paradise of Stardew Valley offers more than just sharecropping to pass the time. In fact, players can mine for ore, explore dungeons, raise livestock, and even just take a simple fishing trip. Why not exchange codes and come over for some company?

2 Dragon’s Crown

It's been said time and time again, but the reputation still stands. Dragon's Crown is one of the most beautiful RPGs ever created, thanks mainly to the art design from Vanillaware. It checks a lot of boxes for traditional action RPGs, but it's a classic experience any fan of the genre should have.

It's practically a love letter to the genre and with a full party of adventurers to choose from, each offering their own way to play, it offers a great deal more than the standard fantasy beat-em-up.

1 Diablo III

While the second entry in Blizzard's famous dungeon-crawler series is regarded as the best, Diablo III arguably brings just as much content and carnage to the table as its older brother. Plus, it's the one that's currently available across a multitude of consoles.

Players have their choice of heroes, armor, builds, weapons, and of course that all-important share of the loot. Raiding dungeons and killing demons will always be a go-to activity for RPG fans, and Diablo just makes that multiplayer pastime an absolute dream.

NEXT: Diablo 4: Character Classes That Should Return From Previous Games

10 RPGs That Are Better Played With Friends | ScreenRant from https://ift.tt/3htIun9

[thefreecheese]

The Free Cheese Game of the Year 2020

This year, we’re changing a bit of how our awards are chosen and announced. We’re limiting the entire process to a single, shorter episode. We’ve worked behind the scenes using a spreadsheet and some math, with a bit of wiggling one way or another to determine the winners of each category.

As we read through each category, we’ll name the winner and two runners up. Then, we’ll share some of our experiences with each game and why it deserved the award.

We’re going to spend a few minutes throughout the episode to celebrate some of the games that stuck with us the most in 2020. These might not have been released in 2020, but they meant something to us when we played them. In between rounds of award winners, we’ll each share a game that meant something to us and why.

When we reach Game of the Year, we will read our current list of nominees and deliberate the winner as we would in previous years, eventually crowning a winner.

Out of Time

While we found ourselves with more time to play games this year, we still have games that we missed out on playing. For one reason or another the games we nominate slipped through the cracks. The award goes to the game that we wish we would have played and will hopefully be talking about throughout the next year.

Winner: Spelunky 2

Runners Up: Nioh 2, Paper Mario: The Origami King

Favorite Industry Moment

One thing that has continually brought us together are those times in the video game industry where developers and publishers get to show off what they have been creating.

While 2020 was a change in the way we typically received video game news, we saw companies find new ways to reach us and we were able to share excitement and hope for something new.

Winner: Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 Reveal

Runners Up: Open World Navigation Map Reveal for Halo Infinite, Demon’s Souls Remake Announcement

2020’s 2019 Game of the Year

As we are highlighting even more this year than previous years, we play a lot more than just what was released in a single year and often find ourselves catching up with something from the year before.

While last year, we never landed on a winner, we found ourselves with quite a bit of 2019’s games to choose from this year.

Winner: Ring Fit Adventure

Runners Up: Tetris 99, Untitled Goose Game

Retrospective #1

2020 was the perfect year to get lost in something. We each felt the pull of exploration and a want for discovery, and we each found our own answers to satisfy the need.

Metroid: Other M

Dark Souls

Half-Life/Black Mesa

Best Xbox Game

Microsoft managed to transition into a new generation of consoles with ease and Xbox Game Pass let us stay up with everything published by the first-party. This year continued to exemplify why Xbox Game Pass is essential for Xbox owners.

Winner: Ori and the Will of the Wisps

Runners Up: Phantasy Star Online 2, Tetris Effect Connected

Best Multiplayer

Since we played our first game we have found a way to share it with others, even when it wasn’t designed to do so. This award is for the game that did something special to unite us, for the game that found a way to get us playing together.

Winner: Trackmania

Runners Up: Phasmophobia, Deep Rock Galactic

Best DLC/Expansion

Downloadable content, expansions, and updates are a regular part of video games today. Thanks to post-game support, the games we love the most can get even better. Some games turn around entirely and become something we never thought they would. This award is for the piece of content that made the biggest impact on us in 2020.

Winner: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate x Sephiroth

Runners Up: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate x Minecraft, Pokémon Sword and Shield: The Isle of Armor

Retrospective #2

In a console release year, it’s strange that we didn’t have a racing game to test drive new consoles with. Two were announced, but without release dates. Instead, we explored some of racing’s past to see how the genre can change, and we looked at racing with a new perspective.

Daytona USA

Motorsport Manager

F-Zero X

Best PlayStation Game

With the end of one of its most successful generations, PlayStation was home to so many exclusives that took advantage of the years spent on with the hardware. Games on PlayStation 4 in 2020 were often long in development and finally came to us just as we looked beyond to the next generation.

Winner: Final Fantasy VII Remake

Runners Up: 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, Persona 5 Royal

Best Ongoing Game

More than a single update or piece of content, video games have the chance to live. We all have the one game that we keep coming back to, and this award celebrates the games that remain fresh and continue to offer reasons for us to return.

Winner: Call of Duty

Runners Up: Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Rocket League

Most Surprising

This award is for the game that we had no idea we wanted. In some cases, our nominees were first announced and released in the same year where others simply caught us off guard with what they ended up doing upon release.

Winner: Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2

Runners Up: Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim

Retrospective #3

2020 was a year where we were able to say “What was that game?” We spent time with relics of the past otherwise forgotten to history, got lost in a world through another lens, and finally stepped into the games that got away.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

AeroPorter

Umurangi Generations

Best Nintendo Game

Nintendo was different this year than I think any of us had anticipated. Listening back through our predictions, you can hear what we expected from Nintendo in 2020 and seeing a smaller year for Nintendo was a bit of a surprise. Even with some absences from the release calendar, Nintendo celebrated the 35th anniversary of Super Mario Bros., released a thirty year old Fire Emblem in the West for the first time, and even snuck out a new Game & Watch model.

Winner: Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Runners Up: Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition

Most Anticipated

Suffice it to say, 2020’s release calendar is a lot different than we or the developers making the games anticipated it would be. A lot of what we were excited to play slipped into 2021, to the point where new consoles launched without the one. Rather than grant an award to a single game, we’re instead going to share three games each that we’re most looking forward to in 2021.

Game of the Year

Final Fantasy VII Remake

Persona 5 Royal

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim

Yakuza: Like a Dragon

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Superliminal

Ori and the Will of the Wisps

Demon's Souls

The Last of Us Part 2

Click to listen...

[sirbadgerduke]

Retrospective Thought: Top Ten Games of 2017

Another year goes by, and another list of games that I thought were stellar, great and splendid to play. 2016 was a pretty alright year for games, but this year, with a myriad of stellar as fuck releases? personally blew the previous year out of the water with some stellar as hell titles, new IPs or new entries in existing franchises. As good as games this year might be, 2017 was NOT without its controversy, specifically the rise of Loot Boxes(thank you EA, Activision-Blizzard). Nonetheless, without further waiting, here’s my top ten games of 2017. 

10) Yakuza 0(PS4) -

I’m a huge fan of the Yakuza series, seeing it as the last bastion of good Sega Games made by Sega themselves, despite their continuation of fuckin up Sonic. Yakuza 0 is basically a prequel, set before the events of the original game and putting you in the shoes of a young Kazuma and a young Majima Goro. The action is ridiculously fun and over the top as previous entries, including a new Fighting Style that allows you to switch between styles for varying strategies against waves of foes. The story is still as crazy, funny, emotionally gripping and tense as one can get from a Crime Drama centered around the Yakuza. The characters are all larger than life, greatly developed and just a pleasure to see, whether its new guys just for this entry or returning characters at a younger period of their lives. Pick this game up if you haven’t played the Yakuza games, it’s a great starting point. Pick it up if you’re a fan of the series too.

9) Nioh (PS4/WIN) -

Tecmo Koei’s “Dark Souls” only it’s set in Feudal Japan, post Nobunaga. Originally, this title was expected to be out in 2004, but was kicked into development Hell until it’s re-announcement in 2015/16. Following the adventures of William Blake as he searches for Guardian Spirit who has been taken by the evil Edward Kelley. William meets many allies, some who may sacrifice themselves to help him help Japan’s Amrita problem. the gameplay is great and greatly fun, solid and responsive as it needs to be. It blends both the flashy badassery of Dynasty Warriors and the tense, pulse pounding grit of Dark Souls. While playing second fiddle to the gameplay and loot system, the story is delightfully cheesy and over the top, it’s hilarious in most parts and well worth getting engaged in. Buy it for your DW/DS/both DS and DW fix.

8) Resident Evil 7(PS4/WIN/XO) -

Resident Evil needed a dire rehaul, reinvention and a total reimagining from the ground up. RE6 was a dumpster filled with half ideas and lazy gameplay. Resi Evil 7 was teased, showing a rather stylistic change, possibly to jump on the hype left by Silent Hills, but nonetheless it ended up working for the better. The scares were there, more cerebral than ever whilst taking that traditional Resi Evil feel and introverting it into quite possibly the best RE game since 4. Get it if you’ve been wanting that AAA Survival horror atmosphere, definitely worth the price.

7) Pyre(WIN/PS4) -

from the developers of Bastion and Transistor, two incredibly stellar indie titles, Supergiant Games brings out Pyre this year. You are the Reader, you’re travelling with a group of exiles taking part in these “rites” to seek your freedom and return to the commonwealth. mixing parts of an adventure, an RPG and a fucking sports game of all things, these systems and mechanics are all solidly blended together in superb fashion. The story is also one to follow as well, dealing with redemption, rebellion and even death, this is a tale in which character’s mature over time, developing into whichever way you choose throughout the game. A fabulous indie game developed by a stellar indie developer, pick this up as soon as possible.

6) South Park: The Fractured But Whole (PS4/XO/WIN) -

Admittedly, I was not expecting much from this sequel, considering how great Stick of Truth was. But Whole is a fantastic follow up and quite possibly the best licensed game that I can really think of. You follow the story of the kids, Eric and co, as they decide to play Superheroes, hoping to find a lost kitty. In classic South Park style, everyone is not safe, everything WILL be mocked and made fun of, even the “Difficulty” slider is not spared from the same bout of vicious shit flinging. If you’re familiar with South Park, or at least the previous game and it’s brand of humour, then you’ll have a great time with this one, though if you don’t particularly enjoy South Park? You may want to avoid this title. Recommended for those who love offensive humour and South Park. 5) Assassin’s Creed: Origins(PS4/WIN/XO) -

Well it seems taking a year off, retooling and rebuilding the franchise has helped GREATLY with AC:O. Ubisoft are not the greatest of developers/publishers, but I commend them for actually crafting an AC experience that is on par, if not BETTER than AC2. You follow the story of Bayek, a Medjai who’s seeking out individuals of an Order after they had killed his son. While gameplay still has those “creed-isms” Such as stealth and assassinating, the combat, ranged and melee have both been redefined from the ground up for mostly better.While it has a rocky beginning, the story for the most part is damn great, with some really impactful moments here and there, the dynamic between Bayek and his wife ground themselves in a relatable way, giving the series another “good” protagonist in a sea of “bad” ones. If you’re a fan of the series, be wary of the changes to combat, but for the most part you will love it. Buy it to see how an open world is done right. 4) Pokemon Ultra Sun/Moon(3DS) - 

Sun and Moon are great pokemon titles and even good games in their own right, but their “updated” iterations make a good game fantastic. Sure, it’s really a remake, but the added stuff is enough to give a second journey through Alola. More pokes to capture, wider selection of wild pokes in the earlier game, new forms and even new pokes add a much meatier experience on the gameplay side of it whilst the story is vastly improved on with added scenes and characters, giving the UBs more importance helps to make their inclusion not so last minute. While it may be harder to recommend to a passing fan, it’s definitely worth picking up if you’re a pokefan through and through. 3) Injustice 2(PS4/WIN/XO) - 

I loved the original Injustice, even its mishaps, heck Mortal Kombat X was one of my GoTYs for 2015, and I still adore that game/series now. Injustice 2 takes a hard long look at it’s predecessor, looks at its shortcomings and decides to get rid of them, for better or for worse. IJ2 is a vast improvement by definition, more varied selection of fighters to choose from, a better written story plus a Villain that will make you go “Holy shit that’s dope” trust me on that. The game picks up from the last title; Batman is now running things after Dictator Chairman Supes is now put in a cell of kryptonite, whilst Supergirl wants to go rescue her cousin, Earth is in peril by the invading Brainiac, a Krypton Super-Computer who wants to collect all knowledge. The gameplay takes some elements from MKX and even improves upon them, especially the added loot system, giving you that chance to customise how your favourite DC Fighter(or Hellboy/MK/TMNT Fighters, yes even Hellboy and the Ninja Turtles are in this, take that MVC:I!). Varied roster, solid gameplay and a story that doesn’t have any right being as good as it is, a must buy for Fighting Game and DC Comics enthusiasts. 2) Persona 5(PS4) - 

The Persona franchise is one of those JRPG franchises that you either love or hate, I love it if you haven’t read my review on Persona 5. The fifth(Main line, that is) in the super popular gem that is Persona is a fantastic, well written piece of JRPG goodness with music that will blow your socks off, and a story that’s goofy, hilarious yet serious, dramatic and engrossing all packed together neatly. The gameplay while standard Turn Based affair is so solid and fun and with a surprising amount of choice, since you can potentially recruit enemy personas to your team. Each character grows and develops throughout the story, with tragedy and hope mixed in to give you a sorta mix of Persona 3 dark and Persona 4 lightheartedness, and that’s a good thing. Quite possibly my favourite JRPG of this by a huge, wide and long road between the other stuff. Recommend whether you’re new or a veteran to this series, god damn play this game now! Honourable Mentions: In no particular order, here’s a few honourable titles that I loved but haven’t included in my main top ten. Tekken 7, Yakuza Kiwami, Battlechasers: Nightwar, Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus, Evil Within 2, Middle Earth: Shadow of War, Gravity Rush 2, Horizon Zero Dawn. 1) NieR: Automata - 

This game...this game is why I love games, stories and music, all in one. A fantastic experience from start to finish, a rollercoaster of emotions whilst using gameplay in conjunction with narration and to break the fourth wall on multiple occasions. You play as 2B and 9S, androids that are fighting the Machine menace to save the earth for humanity, by destroying them to pieces and dodging and moving through bullet hell like segments and even Shmup segments too. Seems standard affair right? Well the story really _really_ slowly reveals itself, giving even development to the bosses and enemies you face, no major character here is one note, at all. Platinum Games managed to get one thing they could never quite master right; an engaging, dramatic and heartfelt story/narration. Execution is far from perfect, but this game is so near perfect it deserves to be played by everyone. The music? There’s a few refrains and already established tracks from the previous game, but why fix something if it ain’t broken right? The music is heartfelt and really emotionally heavy. Yoko Taro is truly the Madman of Video Games. But his mad genius is executed for the most part, really great. Pick this game up if you desire something memorable, meaningful and fantastic. So there’s my list, obviously this is my opinion, you may think differently, or think the same way, it’s fine, everyone’s got an opinion, but this is MY list, so don’t hate because a game I like that you don’t like is here, it’s kinda pathetic. Hopefully 2018 brings even more diamonds.