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redglassesgirl-maruma · 4 years

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Hello Everyone!

A day like today 20 years ago the first novel of our beloved series was published in November 2000. This is an incredible anniversary and that’s why we’ll celebrate the whole month with events!

I hope you can join this special occasion and contribute a little bit by sharing your posts and art here in tumblr.

This is not the first event run by this blog, if you want to see what we did in previous years you can visit my tags MA Event, MA Event 2017 and MA Event 2018.

The dynamic of the events is to have some deliver themes and inspiration divided in different sections. This event will run weekly, except for the last week of the month when we’ll have daily content shared to inspire you even more.

Please save the date around the last weekend of November for our Live Chat! I’ll post more information about the exact date and time along the next weekly posts.

Update: Live Chat Sunday 29 at 1am Buenos Aires timezone GTM-3 You can check online comparing with your time zone here. We’ll meet and chat, share opinions, and play some games or draw together!

20th Anniversary MA Event - First Week Activity Share your MAlove, share your MArt! From November 1 to November 8

This week we’ll draw fanarts, write fanfics or make any other kind of media to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the series. We have list of 365 prompts in case you need a little bit of extra inspiration, please check under the cut and try to mix anything you pick with a festive mood to make it really special ;D

Remember to tag your posts with #MAnniversary 2020 and #MA Event

Links to the weekly event’s posts:

Prompts:

01. Introduction

02. Love

03. Light

04. Dark

05. Seeking Solace

06. Break Away

07. Heaven

08. Innocence

09. Drive

10. Breathe Again

11. Memory

12. Insanity

13. Misfortune

14. Smile

15. Silence

16. Questioning

17. Blood

18. Rainbow

19. Gray

20. Fortitude

21. Vacation

22. Mother Nature

23. Cat

24. No Time

25. Trouble Lurking

26. Tears

27. Foreign

28. Sorrow

29. Happiness

30. Under the Rain

31. Flowers

32. Night

33. Expectations

34. Stars

35. Hold my Hand

36. Precious Treasure

37. Eyes

38. Abandoned

39. Dreams

40. Rated

41. Teamwork

42. Standing Still

43. Dying

44. Two Roads

45. Illusion

46. Family

47. Creation

48. Childhood

49. Stripes

50. Breaking the Rules

51. Fanart

52. Deep in Thought

53. Keeping a Secret

54. Tower

55. Waiting

56. Danger Ahead

57. Sacrifice

58. Kick in the Head

59. No Way Out

60. Rejection

61. Fairy Tale

62. Magic

63. Do Not Disturb

64. Multitasking

65. Horror

66. Traps

67. Playing the Melody

68. Hero

69. Annoyance

70. 67%

71. Obsession

72. Mischief Managed

73. I Can’t

74. Are You Challenging Me?

75. Mirror

76. Broken Pieces

77. Test

78. Drink

79. Starvation

80. Words

81. Pen and Paper

82. Can You Hear Me?

83. Heal

84. Out Cold

85. Spiral

86. Seeing Red

87. Food

88. Pain

89. Through the Fire

90. Triangle

91. Drowning

92. All That I Have

93. Give Up

94. Last Hope

95. Advertisement

96. In the Storm

97. Safety First

98. Puzzle

99. Solitude

100. Relaxation

101. Hello World

102. Fear

103. Anger

104. Regret

105. Happiness

106. Love

107. Family

108. Friendship

109. Home

110. Childhood

111. Adulthood

112. Birth

113. Death

114. Me

115. You

116. Thoughts

117. Emotion

118. Sun

119. Rain

120. Thunder

121. Noon

122. Midnight

123. Twilight

124. Rooms

125. Window to the Soul

126. Games

127. Halo

128. Serenity

129. Firefly

130. Phone

131. Movie

132. Television

133. Plants

134. Freedom

135. Forgetfulness

136. Remembrance

137. Memorial

138. War

139. Fight

140. Loss

141. Winning

142. Losing

143. Nature

144. Hurricane

145. Storms are brewing

146. Lightning

147. Colors

148. Bravo

149. Punishment

150. Picture

151. Another Wolfs

153. The Life You Dream Of

154. Dreams

155. Tears

157. Smiling

158. Laughing

159. Crying

160. Looking in the Mirror

161. Steam

162. Candy

163. Cats

164. Dogs

165. Glasses

166. Orbit

167. Satellite

168. Stars

169. Jade

170. Emerald

171. Gems

172. Dreaming Out Loud

173. Insomnia

174. Rabbits

175. Snake

176. Borders

177. The Year

178. This Time

179. Last Time

180. Forever and a Day

181. Sometimes

182. Always

183. Power

184. Weakness

185. Green

186. Purple

187. Blue

188. Sight

189. Blindness

190. Hurtful

191. Stages of grief

192. Arguments

193. Country

194. Frog

195. Forest

196. River

197. Flying

198. Mountains

199. Snow

200. Goodbye

201. Heart of Glass

202. My Life

203. Me In a Nutshell

204. Forever Yours

205. True Colors

206. My best friend’s girl

207. Impossible Love

208. Forgiveness

209. Fibers of Our Lives

210. Challenging Dream

211. Living My Dream

212. Forgetting Myself

213. Saving Grace

214. Lonely

215. Unbalanced

216. See-saw

217. Math

218. Match Making

219. Beyond Good and Evil

220. Second Sight

221. Double Take

223. Upon Review

224. Losing You

225. Baseball

226. Shouting

227. Farmland

228. Heartland

229. Brick Wall

230. Glass Houses

231. Eyes

231. Ring

233. Circle

234. Square

235. Boxes

236. Moving

237. Well Being

238. Insanity

239. Repetition

240. Learning

241. Class

242. Flowers

243. Special

244. Snowflakes

245. The Man They Call Jayne

246. Malicious

247. Pretty on the Outside

248. The Outside

249. Thankful

250. Neglect

251. Remorse

252. Embracement

253. Reflecting on My Life

254. Space

255. Constellation

256. Collection

257. Magic

258. Thrill

259. Attack

260. 20 Seconds to Mars

261. Unable

262. Foolish

263. Science

264. Sign of Life

265. Motto

266. Me

267. Balloon

268. Self Esteem

269. Narcissism

270. Ideology

271. Pageantry

272. Keeping Up With the Jones’s

273. Crack in Your Armor

274. Spilling Your Guts

275. Lean on Me

276. Crippling Emotion

277. Biggest Fear

278. Prejudices

279. Fresh

280. Corn

281. Sugar

282. Ice Cream

283. Accents

284. Speech

285. Writing

286. Doom

287. Shape

288. The Real You

289. My Name Is ____

290. Who are You on the Inside

291. Hidden Hatred

292. Hanging

293. Jacket

294. Jail

295. Stepping Up to the Plate

296. Star Player

297. My Hero

298. Castle

299. Losing Yourself

300. Finding Hope

301. Pirates

302. Fallen Angel

303. Drowning Lessons

304. Ghosts in the snow

305. Rawr.

306. Pidgeons… Birdy

307. Broken Hearts Parade

308. Paranoid

309. Vampires

310. Betrayal

311. Emmi&Rumura

312. The three friends

313. Horror

314. Mirror

315. Candlelight

316. Spider moneky

317. Devil

318. Flowers

319. Teddy Bear

320. Mist

321. Kingdom Hearts

322. Ferret

323. Vanilla

324. Thunder

325. Pinto Pony

326. M&Ms

327. Killer

328. Grass

329. Peace

330. Chibi

331. Mr. Klaw, polite Lion

332. Eternal

333. Star girl

334. Hats

335. Calvin & Hobbes

336. Misery (A cup full of something… unknown )

337. Hot chocolate

338. My Chemical Romance

339. Light in the darkness

340. Laughter

341. Nightmares

342. Necklace

343. Fire

344. Clorotaint and Treegirl

345. Swirls

346. Pokemon

347. Friends

348. Double Trouble

349. Do not cross

350. Unknowing

351. Chocolate

352. Time

353. A phone

354. Little kids on a playground

355. Darkness

356. A purple lady

357. Writer’s block

358. The dark corner in my room that I go to cry at (and a unicorn)

359. Sunglasses

360. The sun relaxing by an air conditioner

361. A girl fleeing from her nightmares

362. A girl staring at a blank canvas

363. A visual representation of poetry

364. Trolls

365. A hat

#kkm #kyou kara maou #kyo kara maoh #maruma #ma event #MAnniversary 2020

51 notes · View notes

mha-adore · 4 years

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hey! ty sm for doing the matchup exchange with me, i look forward to writing your match! i’m rita and i go by she/her pronouns. i have a preference for men & i’m 16. my quirk would be similar to shinso & inumaki from jjk,, i can control ppl and animals just by saying a command,,, an indicator for when i’m using my quirk would be my eyes changing color & a side effect to using my quirk would be getting light headed.

i’m a libra sun, aquarius moon, & leo rising. a slytherin & intj-t. i’m v polite and reserved when you first meet me. i’m pretty introverted and i have anxiety. it takes me while to open up since it takes me a while to trust ppl. i do tend to get annoyed and angry by others easily,, i’m a bit of a hot head. i’m pretty chill and like joking around once i open up,, i can also be kinda dumb. i’m a bit of a loner and i don’t have many friends. i’m actually a bit of an emotional person but only when it comes to shows, movies, books, etc,, i tend to keep my emotions bottled up. i’m self conscious and self critical. i care a lot about having perfect grades and getting into a good university but i’m so lazy (lots of breaks & procrastination) at the same time,, i end up getting everything done on time though. i’m impatient when it comes to my own things so i like doing things my way bc i feel more comfortable that way. i also like keeping things neat. i’ve also been told i have a resting sad face & that i’m intimidating. i wear a lot of black and i’d describe my style as dark academia mixed with 70s-90s fashion. when i’m at home i just wear comfortable clothing like pajama pants and a t-shirt.

my likes/hobbies/interests are baking, playing the sims, writing, and playing board games with ppl i’m close to. i also like relaxing in bed and spending time with people i’m close to and having fun. i’m interested in psychology, true crime, & history. i don’t like arrogant & closed minded people. i look for a partner who is loyal, kind, & open-minded. my love languages are gifts and quality time (both ways).

i hope this isn’t too much,, ty again! <3

Hey friend, it's my pleasure! Thanks sm for offering 💖

Can I just say super quick that your quirk is really cool? You could command an army of bears, raccoons or fire ants. I would be terrified. Also I'm an Aquarius moon and INTJ too, air moons gotta stay together. I totally got a Libra vibe off you when you first messaged me and you're super sweet 🎀 also I totally get you on the anxiety part, I have anxiety too. I know how terrifying it can be to reach out to new people so please know I'm proud of you for taking the chance to reach out to me 😊 and it's never too much; the more detail the better!

I match you with Shoto!

Say hi to the walking AC and heater unit. A couple reasons I picked him is because you mentioned having anxiety and being hot headed. With his father being, well, himself and his mother being the anxious person she is, Shoto understands both sides of the coin very well and knows how to deal with both parts. He can balance being calm and stern at the same time and he has the patience of a saint. He would give you the time and space you need to grow comfortable around new people and surroundings, as well he would be able to keep you grounded when your temper gets the best of you. He mellows you out. My personal headcanon is that he's a Capricorn sun, Scorpio moon, Virgo rising, Ravenclaw and INFP.

He returns your jokes with dry humor. He can keep a dead serious face while making the stupidest jokes too. He could look you dead in the eye, face straight, and rip a monster fart and not giggle just to see your reaction. Honestly the image of him holding eye contact while aggressively farting is funny in my head. I know I have the humor of a 9 year old.

He isn't bothered by you not having many friends. He's a private person and doesn't want a lot of people up in his business. He prefers few close friends over many distant friends. He knows you aren't stupid and pays no attention to anything you say that may sound dumb. He's heard so much dumb shit he learned to filter it from his brain.

He understands that you're closed off on your emotions. He really can't blame you, he's quite the same. If you get a little teary eyed over a book or movie he'll let you talk it out and cry if you'd like, but he won't push you to be uncomfortably open to him. He values your happiness over his own and doesn't mind you keeping your feelings to yourself. He respects your privacy. Regardless of what you may feel conscious or critical of about yourself he's there to remind you that you're perfect. You're healthy, you're strong and you're doing the best you can. No one could ask any more from you. He's lived a majority of his life feeling outcasted and ignored because of his scar and wouldn't wish the same on anyone, so if there's any part of you that you feel bad about he's always reminding you that you have no imperfections, everything about you makes you one of a kind. You're irreplicable.

He isn't worried about you procrastinating on studying or homework. As long as you get it done and do well enough he isn't concerned. If you ever have difficulty with a subject he's happy to help you study and learn. If you want he can ask Momo to join for a study party if you want the extra help or company. He just wants to see you succeed and get into the college of your cotton candy dreams. Oh and don't worry about your tuition, he has it covered. Don't even mention it to him it'll already be paid off, including books and living arrangements. He only wants you to pay him back by doing your best in school and showing him you can handle the hard work.

He always has a suggestion on ways you can do things but he knows you prefer to do them by yourself, so he'll neber bombard you with his ideas. If you ask for his input he has plenty to give but otherwise he gives you the room to make your own moves. He's a neat freak himself and is always happy to help you keep your room clean and well put together. He has good room decor ideas too if you want to spruce up your room.

He really doesn't see you as intimidating. He sees a confident, independent and strong young woman who can hold her own. He occasionally wonders if you're really sad or if that's just your expression and he'll occasionally ask. He's only making sure you're okay. If you're sad he's on it with a cute or funny movie, some snacks, a shoulder to cry on and a whole night's worth of stuff to talk about.

He likes your sense of fashion, he enjoys darker and warmer colors. He lives for the 80s aesthetic and loves to see you mix the two so effortlessly. He can, wants to and will give you his t shirts to wear at home. He'll also loan you hoodies and sweaters. He won't outright buy you a hoodie, he'll buy one for himself and let you get away with stealing it from him.

He's so soft for home made cookies and would love for you to make him some. Home made dinners are also great. He would love to help you bake and would enjoy baking dates. He'll also watch shows like Hell's Kitchen with you. He isn't exactly a huge gamer but he likes simulation games and RPGs like Sims, Animal Crossing, Pokemon, Harvest Moon etc. He'll binge these games with you all day and night. Your Sims have to get married to each other it's the law. He enjoys reading what you write - what you don't mind sharing of course. He won't go peeking in your personal writing, he knows it isn't his place. Concerning what you do share he'll read it with great interest and share his thoughts and any ideas he has. He would really enjoy writing something with you, like a short story or a comic. He loves how you convey your writing and would be honored to take part in it. His favorite board game is Candy Land, a close second being Monopoly, followed by Scrabble. He pulls out a big ass dictionary during Scrabble just to prove to people that he knows his vocabulary. He loves you dearly but all bets are off during Monopoly, it's a dog eat dog world and he isn't bailing you out of jail. He will, however, offer you real money in turn for properties in the game. No that isn't cheating the rules say nothing about it. He has no problem with a lazy day in bed though and wouldn't mind just dozing or watching shows together. Any time spent with you is time spent well. You two could watch paint dry together and he would have a blast. He'll buy the paint.

With his personal involvment in hero work he has lots of info on true crime cases and can share stories and books with you. He has everything from small robberies to Ted Bundy and beyond. If you have a question about a true crime case he has an answer. As for psychology I imagine he would study it himself, perhaps as a secondary career or freelance hobby. He'll examine characters from books and movies with you and run his own behavioral analysis unit from his bedroom. The FBI doesn't hold a candle to him. He can, will and already has tracked down your enemies and he has their addresses. With his father being the new number one hero he essentially has the force of the law in his hands and if need be, he will use it. He won't do anything unjust unless your safety is in jeopardy but he won't hesitate to bring someone down. As for history he has plenty of books ranging from founding of countries to wars, to major technological advancements to the invention of toilet paper. He knows some very niche history facts. If you need to impress a teacher with knowledge on history he has you covered. He'll make the teacher quit their job in shame.

Shoto is absolutely loyal to the end, open minded and kind to a fault. He understands how it's like to be ignored, misunderstood and bullied and he won't treat anyone else that way. Regardless of his opinion on someone he still gives them respect and kindness. He doesn't care how rude or petty someone acts, they're still a human and deserve to be treated as such.

He goes out of his way to buy you special gifts, he values personal meaning over monetary value. Between a basic cheap necklace and an expensive bracelet of your favorite gemstone and color, you bet he's going for the bracelet. The cost isn't important to him, he just wants to see your face light up when you open the gift. As for gifts from you he doesn't care about how much you spent, he just wants something from the heart. You could give him an origami swan that cost you nothing to make and he would treasure it like a rare antique. As for quality time, he always enjoys a good movie, board game, cuddle session or just a nap. Like I mentioned before, any time spent together is time spent well.

I hope you enjoyed this friend!! 🥀 I'll be sending my part your way soon, thanks again for the offer! I had a lot of fun with this one 😘

#iidastiddies #mha x reader #bnha x reader #matchup #mha matchup #bnha matchup #matchup exchange #shoto #todoroki #shoto todoroki #todoroki shoto #todoroki x reader #shoto x reader #shoto todoroki x reader #todoroki shoto x reader

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jaybug-jabbers · 4 years

Text

Review: Pokemon Gold and Silver 97: Reforged

The Review

What a fantastic game. I went looking for a hack that fully realized the sort of pokemon game we glimpsed in the Spaceworld ‘97 demo, and I was not disappointed.

This alternative version of Gold and Silver takes that Spaceworld demo and builds on it with loving care and attention to detail. All the beta pokemon sprites were freshly made from scratch or edited to update them for the final, polished Gameboy Color look. The pokemon movesets and stats were crafted so that they were balanced and didn’t contain placeholders, and the pokemon were populated throughout the world in a logical fashion. Dex entries were written and the pokes were integrated smoothly into the world. There are even different sprites and different encounter rates for Gold and Silver-- although you can ‘catch them all’ in either version, an excellent choice.

Meanwhile, the world map was colored, tweaked and polished, allowing us to explore that beta world that was stunningly different from the final Gold and Silver. It’s a place that in many ways seems even more vibrant and varied than final Gold and Silver, and is truly exciting to explore.

Along with this fully realized map, this hack’s creators also gave us a fresh new plot for Gold and Silver. This one was inspired by the differences glimpsed in the demo, including Oak’s increased involvement in the story, Silver’s different personality and role, and the inclusion of an Imposter Oak. The plot stays true to the style of pokemon games and doesn’t seem out of place.

All of the exciting little beta details were included too-- including the original Type alignments, the original Gym Leader designs, beta pokemon moves, new hold items, access to the Skateboard, being able to name your Mom, and even the minigame on the game start screen. The attention to detail and the polish on this hack is truly impressive.

Essentially, I feel like this hack can be considered the definitive edition of the beta Gold/Silver that we never knew. It gives us a chance to experience this alternative world, and breathes life into these wonderful pokemon that never were. Giving us a chance to know and love these beta creations is truly a gift for pokemon fans.

Perhaps the only downside is the sadness that this is not the official version of Gold and Silver. I experienced Pokemon a little bit differently then my peers. As a child, I adored Red and Blue, but once I’d finished with those games, I moved on from pokemon. I have no nostalgic memories of Gold and Silver to hold onto. I only returned to pokemon years later as a teenager. At that point I played several generations, one after another, at the same time, as a sort of “pokemon binge.” While most would call it blasphemy, I was never too terribly fond of Gold and Silver. I think it was largely because I didn’t happen to like a lot of the pokemon designs in those games. In many ways, this ROM hack presents a Gold and Silver that I adore and can love even more than the originals.

That’s not to say the official Gold/Silver games are all terrible, of course. There are still definitely some beta pokemon that I feel were axed or altered for good reason. Not all of them are better then the final cuts. And there are other elements that are an improvement, too; for example, I actually really like Silver’s storyline in the official games and the fact we dealt with a character who actually stole pokemon and treated them poorly.

That said, there is an awful lot to love in this ROM hack, and I’m grateful that we have it. Pangshi, Bellrun, Warwolf, Madame, Volbear and others may not be officially recognized by the Pokemon franchise . . . but they will always be very real in my heart.

The Team

Cinnamon (Flame Wheel/Crunch/Scary Face/Earthquake - Charcoal)

Selecting the starter was difficult, because both Honooguma’s line and Kurusu’s line appealed to me. Ultimately I think I went with my old Fire bias. Cinnamon was everything you’d expect a Fire starter to be-- powerful, intimidating, and very reliable. My only real complaint would be that I happened to strongly dislike the sprite the team had created for Dynabear. This isn’t really anyone’s fault, because the team did an excellent job with spriting-- for example, their sprite for the mid-evolution, Volbear, was incredibly good and I adored it to bits. I think it was just a matter of personal taste; I just didn’t like the final evolution’s face. (I’ve actually replaced the sprite in this picture with the original sprite, because I don’t want it to dampen my love for this species) Other than that, seriously, they did this evolution family justice. It was a joy to have on my team.

Doomsday (Curse/Confuse Ray/Body Slam/Shadow Ball - Power Wings)

The second member of my team was found in Brass Tower, to my great excitement: Kurstraw. This was possibly my favorite evolution line to come out of the beta discoveries. This pokemon’s stats were not exactly breaking any records; he went down pretty easily if I wasn’t careful. However, that never really mattered. Doomsday still did his job anyway-- pulling his weight just fine, relying on Confuse Ray and Curse a fair bit to take care of foes. He often was an excellent team player, messing with especially troubling pokemon before passing them over to an ally to finish off. His Normal Immunity also was a strong advantage at times, which I made sure to make use of. Basically, he was a fantastic companion, who helped me all the way through to the Elites and Champion fights.

Rumtum (Slash/Thunder Wave/Thunderbolt/Crunch - Leftovers)

Along with a Rinrin, this round good boy was added to the team next. I was slightly wary of Kotora because it seemed to be one of the most popular beta pokemon among fans. But, the pokemon does seem to be worthy of praise, as it turns out. It is an excellent, cute, cheery little creature and seems to do Pikachu’s job just as nicely as Pikachu, both in fighting and in charisma. Where Pikachu is focused more on speed, though, Kotora and its evolution focus a little more on bulk. The tanky tiger was able to take hits long enough to outlast the competition, even when working with relatively low basepower moves. When he *finally* learned Thunderbolt, though, man, look out -- he was quite a force to reckon with.

It’s funny, actually. When I first saw this tubby tiger, I assumed it was a fire type. Electric was somewhat surprising, but I quickly grew to like it as that typing. Most electric type pokemon are rodent-focused, as Pikachu clones, or Magnemite’s kin. Having a big, bulky tiger is unexpected for the archtype of electric pokemon, but it’s a very refreshing change.

Poprocks (Fire Blast/Surf/Body Slam/Flame Wheel - Mystic Water)

Next on the team was this awesome fellow. Well . . . sort of. Technically, next on the team was TRICKY the Bomsheal, which I traded a Rinrin for with an NPC. Later on, I felt like being able to name the pokemon myself, so I bred Tricky with Cinnamon and trained Poprocks up from scratch. This seal was the cause of some angst for me. I loved Manboo’s evolutionary line a lot, but I also loved the fire seal. They both vyed for the position of the water type on my team. For a while, I used Manboo (and Anchorage) . . . intent on keeping it. But I missed the seal so much, eventually I went back for it to retrieve it from the PC. Yes, it only added to my team’s Rock/Ground weakness, but I didn’t care. I loved this guy too much.

I’m not sure what it is. The freaking amazing typing of Fire/Water? That was definitely a big part of it. But there’s also just something so appealing in its design, simple as it may be. He’s just a cool seal with a fireball. And boy . . . I sure learned how INTENSE its stats were. This seal was RIPPING through the competition. Using it was basically pushing the win button. Honestly it might need to be nerfed a little, it was nuts. But yeah, Bomsheal is a badass and doesn’t need any evolutions to be cool. Best surfer ever!

Darkwing (Slash/Fly/Swords Dance/Faint Attack - Stick)

Right around when I was handed the TM for Fly, I ran into an area that had two types of birds available, depending on the time of day: Hoothoot at night, Farfetch’d at day. As cool as beta Noctowl looks, I eventually decided I needed to have a Madame. I just had to. Like many others, I always, always felt Farfetch’d deserved an evolution and was kind of screwed over. Learning it used to have one was a revelation.

Madame on this team was kind of funny, though. Next to all of these exotic beta pokemon, Madame seemed so . . . normal. She had moves and performed pretty much the way you’d expect a Normal/Flying type to act. It was much like using a Pidgeotto or Fearow. She couldn’t take many hits but usually could take out one pokemon. Her typing had her as an ideal Generalist pokemon-- something that could be used in various situations, not to any amazing effect but usually to a passable one.

That may sound a little underwhelming to you, but honestly, it’s what you’d expect of this cool-looking swan; it’s a Normal/Flying type. It fills that archtype as a familiar, dependable generalist. And I am someone who can really appreciate a generalist pokemon. I think the pokemon world’s richer for having Madame in it, even if only in our dreams.

Alpha (Strength/Blizzard/Screech/Ice Punch - Nevermeltice)

The final member of our illustrious team. You have to wait until fairly late into the game, when you reach the snowy towns, to get a hold of one of these fellows.But the wait is well worth it. What a beautiful pokemon design these two are-- mysterious little creatures hiding inside their wolf pelts, a perfect mix of cute and creepy. Wolfman/Warwolf actually struggled for quite some time on my team, unfortunately, just because of its movepool. I was left with the very weak Icy Wind for a long time. To compensate, I taught Strength, which worked somewhat, but I could still tell Warwolf wasn’t reaching its full potential. I taught it Blizzard, but the poor pokemon had a rough time ever landing its hits. What I SHOULD have done from the start is buy and teach it Ice Punch for a reliable STAB move with decent base power. I FINALLY decided to do that around the time I reached the Elite 4. I kind of had to-- its learnset wasn’t providing it with reliable, decent Ice moves, for some reason. Once Warwolf was properly equipped, he did great work. Admittedly, a pure Ice type pokemon isn’t the best, defensively. They have four weaknesses to some very common move types-- Rock, Fighting, Fire. (Steel moves weren’t really implemented in this game). That said, when used wisely, a pure Ice type can still be a valuable team member.

There was one hitch, though. Warwolf was mainly a physical fighter. This makes sense if you look at him. Of course he’d be a physical fighter. Thing is, in gen 2, Ice moves were all special. So I suppose technically Warwolf still isn’t hitting at his full potential-- not until the special/physical split in gen 4 so he can take true advantage of physical-type Ice moves. Still, despite that fact, he did a great job anyway. He landed the final blow that defeated Lance and won the game, after all.

I think my only real regret is how relatively little time I spent with him when compared to the others. This is, of course, just the nature of the game; you find some pokemon later on when you’re nearing the end of the game. If there’s any sort of post-game, perhaps I can spend more time with him.

And the Ones Who Didn’t Make the Cut . . .(This Time)

There were so many beta pokemon that it was impossible to have them all on the team, of course. I was especially sad about leaving my Bellrun, Tibbs, behind. I adore Rinrin and Bellrun’s line, as yet another set of pokemon that should have been included in the final cut of the official games. Alas, ultimately I removed Tibbs from my team, though. The reason was simple enough. With the beta Type alignments, Dark type was heavily disadvantaged. It was weak to Normal-type and Dark-type moves (as well as Bug), which was extremely significant. Pokemon’s movepools were positively saturated with Normal and Dark type moves, and it was impossible to avoid. With her already weak stats, and her lack of any decent basepower moves for so long, there was just too much stacked against her. It’s my hope that Rinrin/Bellrun get a bit of a buff in future updates, because they really seem to struggle.

In any case, there were also plenty of others not on my team: Aquarius, Noctowl, Belmitt, Jumpluff, Turban, Plux, Grotess, Girafarig, Leafeon . . . and so many more. Honestly, that’s fantastic. It gives such replayability to the game. I have no doubt I will return to do more runs and get the chance to try out other pokes.

And, who knows? Maybe in the future they’ll even update this hack to include even more beta pokemon that were uncovered last year. If they don’t, I’m sure someone else will.

(This hack is largely the work of lvl_3, who created ‘Pokemon Super Gold 97.’ Then, the hack was further changed and refined by a team into ‘Pokemon Gold and Silver 97: Reforged.’ Both can be found at the PokeCommunity as patches.)

#pokemon reviews #pokemon ROM hacks #pokemon fan games #mycontent #beta pokemon #spoilers

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gamersonthego · 4 years

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Chase Koeneke’s Top 25 3DS Games

The fun thing about doing lists for the best handheld games each year since 2013 is that you can compare your opinions then to what they are now and see what holds up. Some things have decidedly shifted over time. For example, Monster Hunter Stories has dulled a bit since I named it my 2017 game of the year, whereas repeated playthroughs of Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia have given me new appreciation for this entry in one of my favorite series. Even more interesting: 2013 claims three of my top five 3DS game slots. Hell of a year. Read on for all 25 of my favorite games for one of my favorite systems ever.

1. Fire Emblem Awakening

Hardcore Fire Emblem fans tend to dislike Awakening for becoming too casual and too broken, but those are the things I kind of appreciate about the game. Permadeath has always been my biggest gripe about Fire Emblem (well, ok, it’s actually the limited weapon uses, but permadeath is a close second,) so it was great to see Intelligent Systems create an option to never lose characters independent of the difficulty. Awakening has a really fun and varied cast, some strong music and an incredible array of customization to turn your units into literal killing machines. I put over 500 hours into Awakening in 2013 alone and I’m still thinking about it to this day.

2. Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia

Echoes is right up there too. In a number of ways, I even prefer it to Awakening. From my Best of 2017 list:

Whereas Awakening and Fates are built from a rich history of mechanics from past Fire Emblem games, Echoes is almost experimental by comparison.

This remake of Fire Emblem Gaiden is such an interesting mix of new, old and old made new. A gorgeous artstyle, doing away with the weapon triangle, magic costing health, dungeons to explore, full voice acting and a split story that is one of the more compelling tales in the series. It’s held back by some outdated and boring map design, but Echoes does so much more right than it does wrong and it’s my favorite game in the series to go back to.

3. SteamWorld Heist

From 2015:

It scratches all my itches: Tactical combat, party customization, loot, and then wraps them up in this fun and friendly 2D world.

All still true, but the thing I forgot to mention is what makes SteamWorld Heist so unique: It’s aiming. When you attack in other tactical franchises, your hits are either guaranteed or there are dice rolls to determine whether or not your attack lands. But in Heist, your weapons have a slight sway, requiring skill and timing to hit your shots. It’s a very inventive approach that brings finesse to a genre that’s normally pre-determined. Image & Form made something special here, and while the Dig games are great, I’m hoping that more Heist is on its way.

4. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

One of my big video game shames is that I’ve never finished A Link to the Past, despite numerous attempts. I always get lost somewhere in the middle and become frustrated in having this big world to explore, but still feeling like I’m locked out from experiencing most of it. A Link Between Worlds alleviates this problem by letting you rent equipment, making more of the map accessible at any one time and allowing you to tackle dungeons in the order you prefer. For my money, it’s the best Zelda game of all time.

5. Pokemon X/Y

Despite playing and enjoying every Pokemon game since X & Y, I think this was the last generation I truly loved. The first mainline Pokemon games to move into the third dimension, X & Y’s new coat of paint truly felt fresh, despite hewing pretty closely to the tried and true Pokemon formula. And though it started a disappointing trend of gimmick features in each new generation, X & Y’s Mega Evolution was a real game changer that made it exciting to go back to old favorite monsters and see how they changed. Combine that with a fun array of new Pokemon (and a new type) and you’ve got the best modern Pokemon game around.

6. Bravely Default

7. Dragon Ball Fusions

8. Fire Emblem Fates

9. Monster Hunter Stories

10. Super Mario 3D Land

11. Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars

12. Bravely Second

13. Mario Kart 7

14. Pushmo

15. Animal Crossing: New Leaf

16. Pokemon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire

17. Kirby: Planet Robobot

18. BOXBOY!

19. SteamWorld Dig

20. Picross 3D Round 2

21. Mario & Luigi: Dream Team

22. Fantasy Life

23. Mario Golf: World Tour

24. Shovel Knight

25. Paper Mario: Sticker Star

#chase koeneke #3DS #nintendo

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recentanimenews · 4 years

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The 42 Greatest Anime Moments of Monkey D. Luffy

May 5 is the birthday of One Piece's main character Monkey D. Luffy, and over the past couple of decades of his existence, he's given us some moments that will stay in our minds forever. And so I've decided to chronicle 42 of his best ones, antics that will hopefully remind you how much you love the free-spirited, determined, ridiculous Birthday Best Boy. One note, though — while this list does contain some of those sweet, sweet fight scenes, I've already written a list that ranked his 20 greatest knockouts against bad guys. So, in order to not repeat that list entirely, I've tried to mix it up a little bit.

1. Luffy Wakes Up From A Great Nap

I can't think of a better anime debut for Monkey D. Luffy than "wakes up in the barrel that he miraculously survived a whirlpool in and immediately knocks out some pirates by accident." It's everything fun about the dude rolled into one.

2. Luffy Gets Coby To Hit Him

One thing that doesn't get mentioned enough about Luffy is his haphazard, yet skillful ingenuity. He knows that Koby will never get to join the Marines if he's associated with pirates, so Luffy, his one brain cell working overtime, gets Koby to punch him in order to prove that they're not friends because would friends brawl on the floor of a restaurant?

3. Luffy Gets The Straw Hat

A moment from the first chapter of the manga that was delayed until Episode 4 of the anime, Luffy getting the straw hat from Shanks is iconic. It sets in motion his entire journey and creates a symbol that represents freedom, adventure, and destiny.

4. Luffy Gives Nami The Straw Hat

Luffy giving Nami his straw hat is more than just a simple, comforting gesture. It's Luffy telling Nami that if she wants, she'll be a Straw Hat now and for the rest of her life. Nami may have problems, but she'll never have to deal with them alone ever again.

5. Luffy Gets His First Bounty

By gaining a bounty when he takes down Arlong, Luffy is introduced to the wider world of pirating, the World Government, and eventually the Grand Line. Though Buggy's reveal that he knew Shanks and Mihawk's appearance hinted at a wider world, this is Luffy's first real step into it.

6. Luffy Smiles At Death

Luffy obviously doesn't want to die. But as he smiles at the crowd and his crew while Buggy brings a sword down onto his neck, he grins. Because he didn't die in vain. He never became Pirate King and he never found the One Piece, but he did live his life exactly the way that he wanted to. And that's more important than any title or treasure. I'm glad he didn't die, though. They never would've found the Grand Line if Zoro had ascended to the role of Captain. They'd probably still be arguing in the Loguetown harbor.

7. Luffy Holds Up Hiriluk's Flag

Wapol wanted to destroy Hiriluk's flag and thus eliminate his legacy. But Luffy — smoking due to being recently shot by a cannon and holding up the flag — proved that's not something you can just do. As long as someone is there to fight for it, a flag is forever.

8. Luffy Disagrees With Vivi

Vivi, frustrated, enraged, and embarrassed about the treatment of her country, was more than ready to sacrifice herself for it ... and only herself. But Luffy wasn't hearing it. If she was going down, they were all going down. It wasn't just Vivi's fight anymore. The Straw Hats had reached Ride or Die status.

9. Luffy Beats Crocodile

I did a list of Luffy's best knockouts so I'm not gonna list every major punch here. However, the ones that are especially meaningful deserve recognition. And this one, where, after two defeats, Luffy battered Crocodile up through the streets of Alubarna, is inarguably one of the most memorable. It's a triumph that's a long time coming, equal parts brutal and satisfying.

10. Luffy Lets Himself Get Beat Up And Meets Blackbeard

Mirroring Shanks' restraint when he let himself get harassed by the Mountain Bandits, here we see Luffy decide not to fight Bellamy and instead he listens to Bellamy's foolish proclamations about why dreams suck and why you shouldn't have them and why Mylo Xyloto is the best Coldplay album, probably. However, even if he didn't need the pick-me-up, Blackbeard meets him outside to reaffirm that dreams never die. It would be a super nice remark ... if anyone but Blackbeard was saying it.

11. Luffy Is Immune To Enel

Until this point, Enel is borderline unstoppable, able to strike down anyone in his path and — with the help of his "mantra" — barely takes any damage in the process. And it's made him pretty cocky. But to see Enel's face distort in cartoonish disbelief when he realizes that Luffy is a Rubber Type Pokemon and that he's impervious to Electric Types is so joyously satisfying.

12. Luffy Decides To Get Rid Of The Going Merry

With the Going Merry slowly becoming unusable and actually becoming a handicap to the crew, Luffy figures that it's time to find a new ship. It's a sad moment, but you can't help but see Luffy's side. A good pirate crew needs a good pirate ship. And if the Going Merry suddenly sinks, Luffy is dead. Like very, very dead.

13. Luffy Faces Usopp

Usopp relates to the Going Merry, fearing that its "weakness" and "inadequacy" represents his own. And so when Luffy decides to get rid of the ship, Usopp lashes out, causing Luffy to have to "put down" Usopp. It's a difficult decision, but it shows that Luffy isn't all laughs and "I'm gonna be King of the Pirates!" declarations.

14. Luffy Does Not Recognize Sogeking

And then, after the most heartfelt showdown in the series, Luffy doesn't even recognize Usopp's Sogeking disguise, despite the fact that he has most of Usopp's traits, most of Usopp's weapons, and showed up only a little while after Usopp left. Oh, Luffy. Never stop being you.

15. Luffy Goes Second Gear

Power-ups are pretty common in anime. But Luffy saying that he needs to take his skills up another level so that he won't lose his friends still feels pretty special. And then the music kicks in and Luffy beats Blueno to a pulp and it's one of the most hype scenes in the entire series.

16. Luffy Declares War On The World

He'll always have a target on his back, he'll never be able to rest easy again, and the World Government will pursue him as long as he draws breath. Luffy knows this, but when the time comes to save Robin from CP9 in Enies Lobby, he doesn't hesitate to take on the whole world. It's just what friends do.

17. Luffy Refuses To Fall

When Luffy and Lucci fight, it isn't a quick contest. They go to absolute war on one another. And when Lucci thinks he's won, having left Luffy spitting up blood on the floor, we see that ... no. Luffy will not leave his feet. He has too much pride, too much grit, and too much determination. Defeat is not an option here. He will stop fighting to retrieve Robin when he's dead.

18. Luffy Is Reunited With Garp

For a long time, Luffy's actual flesh and blood family was a mystery. Shanks is kind of a cool uncle and Ace is someone that Luffy considers his brother, but where did Luffy, ya know, come from? As it turns out, his grandpa is the cannonball-throwing Marine Vice Admiral Garp, who is not only just as goofy as Luffy, but also really, really, really strong for being 76. What's his secret? Low carbs? Eiichiro Oda, please let me know.

19. Luffy Punches The Celestial Dragon

Luffy can't stand bullies or anyone that relishes the misery of others. So when a Celestial Dragon shoots Hatchan in the auctioneering house, Luffy walks right up to him and turns his face into a catcher's mitt.

20. Luffy Loses His Crew

Luffy's darkest hour (so far) comes when, in a fight with Kuma, Kizaru and the Pacifistas, his whole crew eventually gets wiped out and spread across the world. All the while, Luffy is powerless to stop it — his Gum Gum skills no match for Kuma's abilities. It's a truly pitiable thing to see Luffy beat his fists on the ground in futility, something entirely unlike any scene in the series before.

21. Luffy Covers Sandersonia

Back in Little Garden, Luffy agreed it wasn't necessary to actually have a reason for the fight between the giants. They were having an honorable contest between warriors. That was enough. Later when Sandersonia's scars were about to be revealed after a battle, Luffy covered them up. He had no interest in killing them or exposing their secrets. That is not what the battle was for. The contest was simply one that he wanted to win so he'd eventually get back to his crew.

22. Luffy Decides To Save His Brother Before Reuniting With His Crew

When Luffy learns that Ace is to be put to death, he must make a choice: Get the gang back together or dive into the depths of Impel Down and try to rescue his brother. He ends up choosing the latter, which shows a great deal of trust and respect for his crewmates. He knows they're strong enough to be OK without him for now.

23. Luffy Embraces Mr. 2

This is just plain wholesome. Luffy's love for his friends is might be the best thing about him.

24.Luffy Falls From The Sky

Luffy's story isn't just about his quest to find the One Piece, but the formation of a legend. And when Luffy and the other Impel Down escapees plummet from the sky into the Marineford war, you can practically see that legend being written.

25. Luffy Faces The Admirals

Yes, Luffy's attempts to kick a frozen log at them goes nowhere. And yes, Luffy is almost immediately knocked down by Kizaru when he tries to rush past him. But the guts in that kid! Facing down three of the most powerful men in the One Piece universe and demanding they give Ace back to him. That is moxie, my dudes.

26. Luffy Goes Comatose

Ace is dead. The mission has failed. A brother is lost. And all Luffy can do is go numb and lifeless. He has no words or actions to explain or react. A chunk of his soul has been ripped away.

27. Luffy Realizes He Still Has His Friends

Yes, his attempt to save Ace was a bust. But in the most hopeless of times, Jimbei asks him what he still has. And Luffy remembers he still has his friends — friends he has been there for in the past and who will most certainly be there for him later. They are still there. And because they are still there, Luffy's existence has worth.

28. Luffy Gets An Upgrade

Reuniting with his crew in Sabaody, it doesn't take too long for Luffy to find a way to show off the results of two years of training. He's been doing some grinding, so his skill tree has some new branches. He's unlocked some new abilities, and he's reached his evolved form. When a Pacifista comes at the Monster Trio (Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji,) they beat the bear out of it.

29. Luffy Decides To Make Fish-Man Island His Territory

For the most part, Luffy doesn't really care about the dominance sought by other powerful characters. But after he's gotten to know the citizens of Fish-Man Island and he sees the terror caused by Big Mom, he tells her straight-up he's gonna defeat her and take Fish-Man Island under his protection. It's the closest that Luffy has ever gotten to being a character in Goodfellas.

30. Luffy Allies With Law

And then, shortly after talking trash to Big Mom, Luffy teams up with Trafalgar Law in a plot to overthrow Kaido, another Emperor of the Sea. It's a real leap forward for Luffy. One day, you're just a kid from East Blue punching everyone that seems mean. The next, you're taking an active role in changing the power structure of the entire world. That's just how it is sometimes, though. As Logic once said, "Who can relate?"

31. Luffy Has Been "Picking Fights All Along"

Luffy knows he doesn't just tumble from one situation to another. He isn't just a poor guy caught up in the gambits of powerful evil forces. No, Luffy has definitely chosen to live a life where he will interfere with your best-laid plans if he feels inclined to. And if that includes a lot of fighting, well, so be it.

32. Luffy Reunites With Sabo

It's been pretty much non-stop action since the beginning of the Post Time Skip era, and that hasn't really allowed for a ton of emotional moments for Luffy. But when he reunites with Sabo in the coliseum and his scream comes out as a mix of happiness, confusion, and surprise, he finally gets one. Cry it out, buddy. We love ya.

33. Luffy And His Allies Head For Doflamingo

From orchestrating a breakout in Impel Down to creating a charge toward Doflamingo with all the allies he met in the tournament to win the Flame-Flame Fruit, Luffy has slowly gone from being the captain of a small crew on a ship with an animal head on the front to being the full-on leader of a Pirate Alliance. Luffy 2020 is what I say.

34. Luffy Goes Fourth Gear

Years after the reveal of Second and Third Gear, we get Fourth Gear, a power-up that even more freakishly transforms Luffy's body. It's not graceful, nor is it particularly beautiful to behold, but it gets the job done.

35. Luffy Beats Doflamingo

Doflamingo — a man that's been a thorn in the side of nearly everyone in the world for about 15 years of anime history — finally gets taken down. And still, it's only a stepping stone to Wano. Somehow, Eiichiro Oda creates these moments that seem like the biggest events in history, and yet, they're only just the beginning.

36. Luffy Refuses To Fight Sanji

Luffy knows Sanji is conflicted and not really a bad guy. And he's also aware of the fact that he'll be creating an even bigger issue if he fights back against his chef. So he just takes the kicks, hoping Sanji sees there's another way out of this. Sadly, it'll be a few episodes before he realizes that.

37. Luffy Waits For Sanji — And Then Punches — Sanji

Sanji finding Luffy because his captain's stomach is grumbling super loud is so cartoonish and lovely — because what is Sanji's role if not to feed his captain? Of course, Luffy enjoys Sanji's rain-soaked cookin' and then he punches Sanji for still being a twerp that won't admit what he really feels.

38. Luffy Clashes With Big Mom

Luffy stood beside Whitebeard, but this is his first real showdown with a Yonko. And it doesn't go very well. Big Mom is easily able to block him, which shows that, while Luffy has come a long way, he's still got a bit farther to go.

39. Luffy Places The Hat On Katakuri

Much like the previous covering of Sandersonia's shame, Luffy covers Katakuri's mouth with his hat after their duel. The two combatants fought and earned each other's respect. And so Luffy leaves Katakuri with his pride.

40. Luffy Knows He's Arrived In Wano Due To The Swords

That giant baboon is using a sword? Obviously this must be Wano, the land of samurai. That's Luffy logic at its most pure.

41. Luffy Promises Tama She Will Not Be Hungry Again

For the most part, heading to Wano seemed like a pretty impersonal act. The only reason he thought about going there in the first place was because Law seemed pretty confident it was a solid idea. But then he meets Tama and learns that she — along with most of the country — is starving. So his journey to take down Kaido gets some personal stakes. He's now shouldering the hopes of an entire group of people.

42. Luffy Is Beaten By Kaido

OK, so Round 1 didn't go so well. Luffy pummeled Kaido with everything he had and Kaido one-shotted him with a melee weapon attack. Luffy has to rethink his strategy and expand his move-set and maybe, with some luck, Round 2 will be a tad more even. I can't wait to see what Luffy moments we have in store when One Piece returns!

What is your favorite Luffy moment? Do any on this list stand out to you? Let me know in the comments!

Daniel Dockery is a Senior Staff Writer for Crunchyroll. Follow him on Twitter!

Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

By: [email protected]

#Anime #News #Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!

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itcameuponamidnightqueer · 5 years

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a happier 2019 wrap-up

every year for new year’s, my mom gets everyone one-a-day calendars tailored to their interests. for 2020, she got me a calendar of funny/stupid answers people have written on tests.

but for 2019, she gave me a calendar with a different trivia question every day. i had two rules for this calendar: 1) i had to write down an answer for each question, even if what i wrote down was the dumbest shit in the world, and 2) i wasn’t allowed to look at the answer until the day after.

i saved up all of the ones that i got right bc i like to quantify things, so if nothing else, i know 93 things—

january 18: many musicians have recorded and performed the song “hallelujah.” who wrote it?

january 29: thurl ravenscroft was an accomplished voice actor who sang “you’re a mean one, mr. grinch.” however, ravenscroft was best known for voicing which TV commercial icon?

february 7: who was the first african american appointed to the US supreme court?

february 12: mount rushmore features the giant carved faces of george washington, abraham lincoln, thomas jefferson, and which other US president?

february 13: what is ninjitsu?

february 26: mae c. jemison went into space in 1992 aboard the endeavor, earning her what distinction?

february 27: who wrote and first recorded the song “big yellow taxi”?

march 2: what is the longest running show in broadway history?

march 5: what is the largest library in the world?

march 8: what two novels did the lesser-known brontë sister, anne, write?

march 12: which reptile can breathe through its rear end?

march 16: the winner of best picture at the 2017 oscars was moonlight—but, in an historic mix-up, the announcers initially declared which other nominee to be the winner?

march 21: which is the smallest planet in our solar system?

march 22: why is a pound cake called a pound cake?

march 23: the hit musical wicked is based on a 1995 novel by which author?

march 24: billy eichner, comedian and host of billy on the street, once had a role on which beloved NBC sitcom?

march 27: name the star who plays offred in the hulu series the handmaid’s tale?

april 6: the 2015 song “fourfiveseconds” was a collaboration between rihanna, kanye west, and which other legendary musician?

april 8: why do apples turn brown when sliced?

april 16: what is a pooh-bah?

april 19: what is the belgian town of duffel’s claim to fame?

april 29: what ancient babylonian king created a compendium of 282 laws to guide society in 18th century BCE?

may 2: what is the name for the condition in which a dog’s feet smell like corn chips?

may 5: in mary shelley’s frankenstein, which character is named frankenstein?

may 7: name the australian pop star whose debut studio album blue neighborhood included hits “youth” and “wild”.

may 10: which superhero did british actor benedict cumberbatch play in a 2016 film?

may 16: which american film tradition began this day in 1929?

may 17: in science, what does “triple point” refer to?

may 26: what function do cats’ whiskers serve?

may 27: where is the tomb of the unknown soldier located?

june 1: which cult classic film popularized the red swingline stapler?

june 3: who is barbie (the doll) named after?

june 4: eid al-fitr is an annual muslim festival that marks the end of what?

june 10: which actor was offered a role on the o.c. but turned it down for a role on one tree hill?

june 11: the sport that americans call soccer is known as football in many other countries. where did the term “soccer” originate?

june 17: there is a species of horsefly known as bootylicious. which celebrity inspired the nickname?

june 18: the amc series the walking dead is based on a series of comic books penned by which accomplished writer?

june 24: which actress played wonder woman in the 2017 film of the same name?

june 27: what makes chili peppers hot?

june 28: which architectural engineering feat allowed the ancient incans to cross canyons and rivers with ease?

june 29: the word “scuba” is an acronym. what does it stand for?

july 3: who is the bestselling fiction writer ever?

july 5: which animated film was the first to be nominated for best picture at the oscars?

july 9: which item did women living in the dust bowl during the great depression commonly fashion into clothing?

july 16: in nintendo’s mario video games, the nefarious wario is mario’s foil. who is luigi’s foil and archrival?

july 18: pop stars taylor swift and zayn malik teamed up to record the song “i don’t want to live forever” for which 2017 film soundtrack?

july 22: which is the only letter that doesn’t appear on the periodic table?

july 23: which novel is considered frank herbert’s masterpiece?

july 25: name the three women who were cast in the first season of SNL in 1975.

july 26: during which years did the olympics award official medals for the arts, including painting, architecture, sculpture, music, and literature?

july 28: what are the ingredients of a moscow mule?

august 2: which “luxury” music festival was supposed to take place in the bahamas in april 2017 but dissolved into chaos and was eventually canceled after attendees began to arrive?

august 3: what is the claim to fame of anchor bar in buffalo, NY?

august 8: the la brea tar pits are a popular tourist attraction and fossil excavation site. what does “la brea” mean in spanish?

august 9: the popular board game clue goes by which other name in the UK, where it was invented?

august 11: what is earth’s largest ocean?

august 12: who wrote johnny cash’s “a boy named sue”?

august 13: what were the original 3 pokemon that players could choose from at the start of pokemon red and pokemon blue, the first pokemon video games released internationally?

august 14: what kind of music did katy perry release as a teenager before she became a pop star?

august 20: philip k. dick’s novel do androids dream of electric sheep? inspired which 1982 film with a different title?

august 30: batman is to gotham city as superman is to what?

september 6: what is the hottest planet in the solar system?

september 9: the first book of the “his dark materials” trilogy is known as the golden compass in the US, and what in the UK?

september 15: one of the classic monopoly player tokens is a dog. what breed is it?

september 16: why are spiders technically not considered insects?

september 22: on her debut album, lily allen included a song called “alfie” about her little brother. alfie allen is best known now for his role on which TV show?

october 2: a killer whale isn’t technically a whale. what is it?

october 8: name the breed of large domestic cats native to new england

october 10: which company uses the slogan “because we’re worth it”?

october 12: which female pop star had a brief stint in an R&B group called basic instinct in the 1990s?

october 16: if you ordered a berliner in a cafe in wisconsin, what would they serve you?

october 21: in 1943, when many NFL players were drafted for service in WWII, which two teams combined forces and formed a team called the steagles?

october 25: virginia was the birthplace of 8 US presidents. which state follows close on virginia’s heels as the birthplace of 7 US presidents?

october 28: bram stoker’s legendary vampire dracula is widely thought to be inspired by which real-life romanian prince?

october 30: in european folklore, what is a familiar?

november 1: what does nanowrimo stand for?

november 13: name the movie that imagines how playwright j.m. barrie came to write peter pan.

november 14: which US state has the smallest population?

november 16: who technically owns all of the unmarked swans in england?

november 19: which entertainment icon was offered the role of phoebe in friends but turned it down?

november 22: robert louis stevenson’s novel treasure island features a cast of colorful characters, including the infamous long john silver. what is the name of the novel’s young protagonist, an innkeeper’s son who ends up serving as a cabin boy on a sea adventure?

november 23: where is dollywood?

november 28: not surprisingly, americans eat more food on thanksgiving than they do on any other day of the year. which day boasts the second-highest food consumption?

november 29: “swish swish”, a song on katy perry’s 2017 album witness, was rumored to be a diss track about which other pop star?

november 30: which actor wore a hairpiece every time he played james bond?

december 2: in greek mythology, perspehone was the goddess of the underworld and the wife of hades. who were persephone’s parents?

december 3: which prominent magazine declined to run an excerpt of the catcher in the rye on the grounds that the characters were unbelievable and the writing was “show-offy”?

december 12: which comic book series featured batman’s first appearance?

december 14: what was elvis presley’s natural hair color?

december 21: a 16th century da Vinci manuscript known as the codex leicester sold for over $30 million. who was the wealthy buyer?

december 23: ancient egyptian queen cleopatra had relationships with both julius caesar and mark antony. which of the two men was she buried next to?

december 27: which of the following hollywood stars did not get their start on the disney channel—shia labeouf, hayden panettiere, keri russell, ellen page, ryan gosling

december 29: technically, peanuts aren’t nuts. what are they?

#i thought about including the answers but then no one else could play along #anyway no surprise that most of the ones i knew are pop culture but #oh well #idk what purpose this serves other than to satisfy me

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maswartz · 3 years

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Golden Defenders

It feels weird to actually put this into words but this was my first imaginary universe. I was like 9 or 10 when I came up with this. The basic premise is Pokemon crosses over with Digimon mixed with Ronin Warriors and Power Rangers. It starts with Team Rocket attacking Ash with an Andromon and he and Pikachu get pulled into the Digiworld where they meet the Digidestined during season 1. Pokemon exist in the digiworld and they’re made up of Poken (really past me... really?) Then the Ronin Warriors stuff comes in... Ash Tai and Matt find a golden pokeball and golden digivices and it gives them armor and elemental powers. Ash (who has the crest of bravery...really past me?) has Fire and a double sided sword and his finisher was the Fire of Bravery Tai has Water and a bow and arrow and his finisher was the Water of Courage Matt had nature and twin tridents (basically MMPR Blue’s weapons) and the Nature of Friendship When they return to the real world to fight Myotismon they meet Ritchie (from the anime) who is revealed to be Ash’s cousin and some guy named Chris who for some reason I decided was Tai’s cousin... Chris had the Crest of Power and his partner was Mousemon who evolved to Ratmon and then Kangamon and finally Kingaratmon. He had a golden digivice too and his element was wind and his weapon was basically MMPR Black’s weapon. Ritchie had the Crest of Strength and his partner was still his pikachu. He had nunchucks and his element was ice. I gave the pikachus ultimate and mega forms... Thorchu and Zeuschu... God damn it past me... Then when Digimon 02 came around I kept it going. TK Kari and Davis got golden digivices too. TK was hope and his weapon was basically the lance from PRIS Black. Kari was light and her weapons were batons Davis was Fire and Lightning (years later I shortened it to just lightning) and he just did energy blasts. I gave Pikachu and Mousemon armor evolutions, Statichu and Rodentmon. It kept going with Tamers I remember giving Takato armor based on Leomon. Ash and Misty had a son and daughter, Aaron and Mary (later I renamed her Rosemary) and they both had armor with Rosemary having Dreams. By the end of all this Brock had Loyalty with the element of Spirit with a hammer Gary had Truth with the element of stone with a spear I gave Misty Dreams as well, both her and Rosemary had a staff with an egg on top and the element of Stars I brought in Crystal from the game and gave her Justice with sound power and tonfa And there was a big plot where Ash was captured by Team Rocket and found out his dad was Giovani and the second in command killed him and Ash exploded the team rocket base in anger. I even kept it going for Frontier with Ash’s grandson Andy as the warrior of Life who turned into Celetwo (REALLY PAST ME?) and Celecat with the spirit of Celebi) That’s where it just petered off. I know at some point the heroes had a satellite base or something... I think I even gave Joe the Titanium Ranger powers from PRLR but decided against it.

#pokemon #digimon

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0chazuke · 7 years

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About Pokemon: I choose you! The Movie (non-spoilers version) *small edit: 18/Jul*

Salt or not, you should watch it - it is hard to criticize the experience only by reading spoiler notes/plot reviews. Go watch the movie without much expectations, even with some (big?) flaws it is quite an entertaining film.

If you love Ash and Pikachu’s friendship, I’m pretty sure you will enjoy this - their relationship is indeed the big deal of the movie. Their voice actresses do an incredible job in this movie, it is worth to note how much their talent make a huge difference in the quality of the movie. The animation has some really pretty scenes and cool battles, I loved how expressive Ash and Pikachu were!

M20 is also a good treat for fans of the original series soundtrack, it has some nice rearranges of the old time classics! Plus so many references from previous movies!

Many people cried during many parts of the film, I noticed also some surprised gasps and bursts of laughter around/in front of my seat range too. I missed watching flawed Ash.... And, oh, he does answer what does a "Pokemon Master" mean this time lol.

On the other hand, the plot and the pacing… are a big mess. Too much info, not enough time to develop each thread, then it ends in a very rushed way. No wonder why I ended up with so many mixed feelings about the whole thing, hahaha, I personally wouldn’t rank it as my favorite pokemon movie but… I don’t think it is also as awful as some people have claimed xD

It is indeed a very strange experience, for instance… New characters are not bad, they have some background and personality - I’d say they are fitting and likeable but also kinda of pointless at the same time? Or, another example, emotional scenes are intense but they are also solved so quickly that is barely no time to let the info sink lol. IMO this film was better than the last recent movies, it’s like “well, M20 was really nice, I’m not mad but it had potential to be much better - but still, it was very fun, go watch it”? Please try watching it!

So many people in the movie theater - both kids and adults… also, so many 3ds devices lol (Marshadow is a gift through local wireless network. They included a short announcement at the start/end of the movie by Shokotan-Joy reminding us of that!). I’m happy that I got Marshadow and also a Ga-ole card with Movie!Hat Pikachu - it can be converted to Pokemon USUM in the future…

I’m still unsure which Hat-chu should I redeem with my ticket code. Maybe AG one?

Oh, (long) ramblings and spoilers after this cut:

Spoiler talk:

I don’t think Pikachu’s speaking scene was as bad as some people said… I thought that was very emotional and meaningful? It is very ambiguous scene, I saw that moment as Ash understanding Pikachu’s pokemon words with full clarity, he was so weak (c'mon boy was exhausted lol) and I don’t think Pikachu literally spoke in human language… The atmosphere kinda implies it is something only Ash could understand that instant, like the blurred and muffled sounds.

I really like Ash and Pikachu and I guess anyone who has/had a partner like that might get emotional over that. Ugh, maybe it’s Ootani’s acting… idk, either way that crushed my heart really badly. I surprisingly got much more emotional about it than I thought I would, even after being bombed with pre-screening spoilers.

^few minutes before I was honestly wanting to laugh/cringe at MARSHADOW WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING and the UGH incineroar’s PELVIC BELT FIRE ATTACKS WHY DID YOU REMIND US OF THAT DETAIL FROM THE GAMES DDDD:

Convoluted plot much? Yamachan is a nice Marshadow! But… Kinda too bad the Pokemon itself in the story is really confusing. Pacing is also weird, felt like the plot is too long and suddenly close to the end they had to wrap it up in a rush? I thought it was nice in a way that you don’t get bored because things go nonstop, however it would definitely work better as a short TV series than a single movie.

They must really like those guest celebrities to create the two new rushed Please!DPPremake!characters. I do think the movie would work better with Ash and Pikachu traveling alone - for example, Bonji could easily sometimes fill the gaps the role of the two companions are meant to be… I mean, Souji and Makoto are nice, but still… Ugh, it does feels a bit like they were forced to be there.

I hope you like Entei better than Suicune and Raikou lol. It’s like… The first one is a badass and the other two are simply… there. Suicune only appears to Makoto and they exchange glances... and that's all.

Team Rocket’s cameos are very short but cute. I liked the best the one at the beginning, at the Pokemon Center, when Joy goes"omg those guys!!!“ and instead of attacking the place, TRio just leave excited like the other kids "yaaaaay Entei!!!” XD

I apparently wasn’t the only one who was confused about Marshadow’s intentions in that movie. Judging by the viewers’ reactions, I noticed a lot of people were confused about it… Even understanding Japanese language didn’t help much tbh.

Going back to Ho-Oh and Marshadow, I didn’t get it at first, but…

…Well, Ash got one of Ho-Oh’s feather and it kept shining with bright colors because he has a good heart - if the feather gets dark, according to the legend, it is thanks to humans being evil, which results in things going really bad, right?

Marshadow knows that black feather = not good - that’s why when Ash is blinded by frustration and the feather gets darker, he creates that dream world where Ash realizes how important Pikachu was for him and tries to find his partner even though he can’t remember him in that illusion world. It takes a while to Ash realize he was being reckless and stupid, but after he remembers and understand he was being stupid, he quickly wakes up and apologize to Pikachu with real regret, and the feather goes colorful again, right?

The second time the feather goes dark is when Cross snatch it from Ash’s hand and later on, Marshadow takes it and start destroying everything around it. Bonji tells Ash he should get his feather back asap or else Marshadow will never stop unleashing its power, right….

1) so you could say Marshadow is like a guardian that creates a trial for those who bear the rainbow feather, ensuring pokemon are safe from evil people/good people can meet Ho-Oh (does it mean when Ash “dies”, he actually goes under Marshadow’s trial and he quickly returns to the real world due to his bond to Pikachu?)

ooor

2) Marshadow actually a sneaky little chaotic pokemon that is very aware that when the feather gets dark, it is its opportunity to snatch it and unleash its power. That explains why dark feather = bad stuff happens and why Marshadow stop hitting the humans and fades away after the dark feather in its hands disappears and reappears as a colored feather in Ash’s hand)

So… Which one is the actual thing, 1 or 2?

I’m not planning to watch it a second time soon, but let’s see if someone else does it and help us figuring out the plot lol. It’s probably easier to understand it after a second view (I mean, I HOPE SO lol).

About specific stuff I was asked on Tumblr, in no particular order:

Oh, the credits with old characters was not a full screen part… Only a small portion of the screen. They all begin as shadowed figures that look at the camera, reveling their full bodies. The background is the same for all characters.

Misty was riding her bike! May tied her bandanna! Clemont’s glasses were shining! Serena kept her old looks, everybody had their original clothes and style… TRACEY! o/

Max appeared together with May and Bonnie appeared together with Clemont.

I was very intrigued that only (cute upside down) Iris and Serena were smiling in their respective scenes… Everybody else looked slightly surprised/confused somewhat? So odd. :/

While Makoto is checking out her “smartphone”, after some pictures of her friends (we can see that Souji is the one who cooks for the trio) and their pokemon we can see her mother’s picture (+Piplup and Empoleon). Yeah, possibly Cynthia - she’s missing the trademark hairclips and the hair color is slightly darker… but that long peculiar hair is quite similar to that character… Plus Makoto herself hints "my hometown (Twinleaf - Sinnoh) has a very famous trainer..."

The teacher inside the classroom of IRL Ash was Agatha, wasn’t it?

Professor Oak has a Squirtbottle.

Souji is seen spotting an Articuno at the end of the movie. Meanwhile, Makoto explains she will go back home to see her mother.

Ah, close to the end I remember seeing the Alolan starters animated - sorry, I don't remember when exactly but it was before the credits, when Ash and Pikachu already said goodbye to Souji and Makoto.

The Lapras is not Ash's, it's Makoto's. She kisses the pokeball before throwing it...

Pikachu's spoken lines: "ずっと一緒にいたいから" (zutto issho ni itai kara): Because I wants to be with you, always.

Oh, Ash does define what does it mean to him to be a pokemon master: to become a friend of all pokemon in the world!

#pokemon #pokemon m20 #pokemon i choose you #kimi ni kimeta #pokemon m20 spoilers #m20 spoilers #pokemon movie

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joyofcrime-elinorhigh · 5 years

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2017 Year in REVIEW: Part 2

Hello everybody, my name is JoyofCrimeArt and welcome to the final week of Deviant-cember! It's been fun ride, but it's time to wrap up 2017. And I'm doing by going over all the major animated series/animation related news that came out this year, ranking the shows from best to worse, and deciding which animation network "won" the year. If you haven't seen part one yet I suggest you check it out before continuing this part, 2017 Year in REVIEW: Part 1 But for those of you who have seen the first part, let's just jump back into things. Teen Titans Go! had another miniseries this year as a follow up to Island Adventures. This time, based off the episode "40% 40% 20%." one of the most popular episodes of the series. And to celebrate this event Cartoon Network decided to have a marathon airing nothing but Teen Titans Go! and the newly premiered O.K. For an entire week! I'm starting to feel numb to this. This is the "Night Begins To Shine" Miniseries, how was it?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGIe8d9w8O4

Now before I get into this, I do feel like I need to briefly go over my opinion on the episode "40% 40% 20%" since that's the episode that this miniseries is directly based on. And my opinion on it is pretty much the same as everybody else's. The episode is great, and shows that Teen Titans Go! can be genuinely good when it wants to be. The episode featured a stylish art style, a story that focused on abstract visual storytelling, and a really catchy song. The episode isn't without it's faults, but it is one of the best Teen Titans Go! episodes, in my opinion. So how did this sequel do? Well let's start with the positives. The visuals in the music word are still really good, capturing the 80's aesthetic perfectly. It honestly reminds me a lot of Moonbeam City. Anybody remember Moonbeam City? No, oh. Okay... The covers of the song "Night Begins to Shine" by Fall Out Boys, CeeLo Green, and Puffy Ami Yumi were also neat to hear. Especially Puffy Ami Yumi, it was a nice throw back to the old show having them preform. However, I do wish that more time where devoted to these covers. However, the special does have it's fault. One problem, surprisingly, is that the special focuses too much on story. Complex stories are not Teen Titans Go's! strong suit. Part of the reason why "40% 40% 20%" worked so well was because of it's simplicity. It focused less on story and more on visuals and atmosphere. But by trying to stretch the story out to an hour, and giving the music world this whole backstory it takes away that simplicity. Also we spend a lot of time in the real world, away from the psychedelic visuals that we all came for. And while "Night Begin's To Shine," plus the new song they make are both extremely catchy, they aren't enough to fill up an entire hour. And since all the covers are all shoved in at the end, the song kinda get's old after a while. And visually they don't really do much new with the music world that wasn't done in the first episode. However, I don't want to be to hard on the episode, because unlike a lot of other episodes, you can really feel the passion that went into it. It feels like the people behind TTG were really trying to make something epic. And while I don't think it entirely works one hundred percent of the time, I do give them an A for effort. The special is better than Island Adventure from a technical standpoint, but it doesn't have the "so bad it's good" element that Island Adventure had. So it's kinda up to you're own personal preference to figure out which mini-series is more enjoyable. But that's not all CN did, as like I said before, It wasn't just a Teen Titans Go! marathon, but also a marathon for there new show "OK KO: Let's Be Heroes."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWyHZQARrnM

OK KO: Let's Be Heroes, created by Ian Jones-Quartey, follows the adventures of KO, a young optimistic kid who work's at a mall plaza. The twist however being that it's set in a world with the rules and logic of a shonen anime or a beat-em-up video game, and by working at the plaza he'll be able to fulfill his dream of becoming a hero. Already the show has a lot of promise with it's premise alone, but how does it succeed in terms of execution? Let's start with the characters. They're all pretty good for the most part. KO is a very likable character very reminiscent of the young hot blooded shonen protagonist that he is inspired by. Enid works well as the straight woman- But not to straight, ammiright!? Up top!

Oh man, we got ourselves a sad lonely lesbian up in in this hiz-ous! Quick, Somebody give this show an Emmy! Also I'd like to give special mention to Lord Boxman and his robot children, who are my personal favorite characters. Imagine Megaman's Dr. Willy and his robot masters crossed with Team Rocket from the Pokemon anime. The only character who I'm not super crazy about is Rad. He's not awful or anything, but his obnoxious personality can definitely become overbearing at points. Also his entire character arc is pretty much just Lars' character arc from Steven Universe, only not as well done. But he doesn't ruin the show for me or anything. The animation for the show is kinda hit or miss. The show has a very sketchy art style that people seem to either love or hate. Personally, it's not really something I gravitate to. Though I do admire that it has an art style that looks different from the traditional "CN" art style that we've seen so much of the last couple of years and also do like how it has a kinda "middle school doodle" aesthetic to it. It's not a bad art style, just not really my thing. However, what is a bigger problem is the consistency of the characters designs. And thus we enter the online debate that's been haunting the animation community have been having since Ren and Stimpy came out in the nineties. Is off model animation ugly or expressive? I feel like it can work in some cases, but I don't think it works here. Characters look off model so much that it just comes off as sloppy. Which is a shame because if we're talking just about the actual movement this has some of the most fluid animation that I've seen in any Cartoon Network series. I also have a bit of the problem with the writing. I don't know what tone this show is trying to go for. Half the time it seems like it's trying to be this super silly cartoon while the other half of the time it tries to be a serious lore show and it doesn't gel well. The comedic elements mix well with the lore, like having the big season one mystery revolve around a falling sandwich. I just couldn't find myself caring about it all. Also the shows main evil shadowy figure pulling the strings name is Shadowy Figure. I'm sorry I can't take this villain seriously. Coupled with some episodes with some really hammered in morals and a odd amount of gimmicky episodes, the show ends up feeling like a jumble of interesting yet disconnected ideas without any clear cohesion. But is the show bad? No. What I think saves the show is the characters. They are genuinely likable and I like just seeing how they interact with each other. It's defiantly an improvement over there last couple of shows (Ben 10, Mighty Magiswords, Powerpuff Girls,) but I don't think it lives up to some of there other modern classics (Like Steven Universe, Adventure Time, or We Bare Bears.) OK KO is Okay...KO. The unwatch button is down there. I completely understand. Meanwhile Disney decided to get into the reboot game with Ducktales 2017. And can i just say that I genuinely think that if they didn't use the old theme song everybody would hate this show. Like they could keep everything else the exact same, but if they cut the theme song down to say thirty seconds like most cartoons now of days people would hate this as much as they hate the Powerpuff Girls reboot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKSU82afy1w

Well the show doesn't have any of the original voice actor and the creator's different, so the show must be awful right guys? Okay cool, done. Next show- No, obviously I'm kidding. Let's talk about Ducktales 2017. No need to spend to much time on the plot, cause it's Ducktales. You all know the story. Three trouble making young ducks move in with there rich adventure loving Uncle Scrooge, and shenanigans ensue. They solve mysteries, rewrite histories ect. Disney hyped this show to hell, and even aired the hour long series premiere TWENTY FOUR TIMES IN A ROW! I really wanna know, was there anybody who watched ALL twenty four showings back to back to back? I mean someone must of, right? Now I don't know much about Ducktales. It was WAY before my time, though from what I can gather this is a pretty good series in terms of it being a reboot. It isn't just adapting the old show. It's combining elements of the old show, the comics, and new ideas and that's honestly the best way to go about a reboot in my personal opinion. I'm glad they just make it a rehash with all the still living cast members returning, and a ton of wink and nod references to the old show that new fans won't understand. I give the show a lot of props for that. I also want to praise the shows beautiful art style. I love how it looks like a comic book, not only calling back the series roots, but also giving it a unique visual identity. The show is also really funny, having a very clever wit mixed with a very comically exaggerated world. The world feels very comic book-y and has a real sense of fun to it. It's cool seeing all the creative shrines and temples that exist in this world, just waiting to be explored. The characters range in quality, though that may not be the shows fault as episodes are being aired out of order, and as such the amount of attention given to each cast member is not equal. But I won't hold that against the show. However, the show is far from perfect. It suffers a bit from what I call Milo's Murphy's Law syndrome. As in, the show is great on it's own but is so similar to what came before that it takes away some of the enjoyment. "But JoyofCrimeArt" I hear you saying "I thought you said that this show wasn't rehashing the original Ducktales cartoon." And it's not. It's rehashing Gravity Falls. Okay, maybe "rehash" is a strong word, but It's hard to not notice the similarities. I don't know if this show is borrowing from Gravity Falls or if Gravity Falls was actually just a ripping off the original Ducktales and it just took me five years to realize it, but just take a look at the similarities.

We got a group of tween age twins/triplets-

-who move in with there miserly jerk with a heart of gold great uncle.

And a socially awkward spunky girl with a grappling hook-

-Who are trying to solve a mystery involving a missing personal. All without letting the miserly uncle know what's going on.

With the miserly uncles dim witted older assistant-

-and a cool "older sister" like role model along for the ride.

With an antagonist who is a rival businessmen to the miserly uncle. Seriously, it's pretty blatant. And to be fair it's not an exact rip-off or anything. Some things are executed differently. The world and comedy of Ducktales is definitely a lot more cartoon-y and over the top than Gravity Falls. And there are elements in one but not the other for sure. But there are definite parallels, and judging by the marketing Disney is doing for this show it seems pretty clear that they want this to be their "new Gravity Falls." It's not that the show is bad per say, but it's hard for me to not compare it to Gravity Falls, and I'm sorry but Gravity Falls is definitely the better of the two series. In fact you could say that this show is basically...

Also can I just say that I don't give a crap about this shows lore. Like, at all. They try to do the big overarching mystery thing and I am just not invested at all. I like shows with lore, I really do, but this is far from a new concept at this point and if you're going to do it now you got to add something new to it But this is just the same beats. And I could be wrong, but I feel like I know exactly where it's going. Without going into to many specifics there's a character who mysteriously disappeared, and it looks like they did something really bad before disappearing. But I know their's going to be some explanation given to make their actions justifiable because I know they wouldn't make this character a bad guy. Their's another character who their playing up as working for the villain, but I know their going to give this character a redemption arc because that's what all lore shows like this do. Their doing that thing where they're solving this mystery but they don't want anybody to know about it, without any real reason why other than just the "we can't trust anybody" crap. Character's keep secrets from each other just so there can be more mystery. These tropes were new and innovated when shows like Gravity Falls and Steven Universe came out.. but that was a while ago and we've had a lot of mystery shows since then we've seen all these story beats in those shows, and nothing new is brought to the table. So yeah, I can't say that I love this show as much as most people. But that doesn't mean I hate it. Their are things I do really like about it. Like the humor, the cartoon-y atmosphere and the art style. But it is a shame when the mystery, the thing that's suppose to be the most enticing, ends up being the shows weakest element. I think if this show came out a couple years ago. before so may cartoons followed this kind of formula, I would of liked it a lot better. But hey, at least it's better than Marvel's Spider-Man. Ha-ha! Segway!

Yeah...this show doesn't really have a theme song... Now it's hard to talk about Marvel's Spider-Man without talking about the previous Disney XD Spider-Man series, Ultimate Spider-Man. I only watched a little over one season of USM before I dropped the series because honestly, it wasn't very good in my opinion. The whole show felt like it was made by a committee featuring dumbed down writing, obvious cross promotion to other Marvel properties, and a Spider-Man who came across less like a nerdy genius and more like an arrogant buffoon. So when this series was announced, with official press statements referring to it to a "back to basics" approach to the franchise, I was hopeful. How did the show turn out? Well...it's better than Ultimate. I think.... Honestly it seems odd that they cancelled Ultimate Spider-Man for this because the series feels like it has most of the problems that Ultimate Spider-Man had. Just slightly less so. The writing still feels dumbed down, but slightly less dumbed down. The series is less focused on cross promotion and mostly features Spider-Man characters, which is a plus as I though that Ultimate Spider-Man was a bit too "Marvel Universe Centrict." But that still hasn't stopped the show from already having an episode where Spider-Man meets Iron Man, and another episode where he meets the Hulk. IN THE FIRST FOURTEEN EPISODES. This version of Spider-Man is more of a nerd which is good, but they messed it up by going in the opposite direction by making him TOO MUCH of a nerd, with him constantly talking about how awesome science is at every possible opportunity. Also the animation of this show is really bad. Nothing is shaded properly, and it's very distracting. The only thing that I really like about this show is Norman Osborn. He's voiced by Josh Keaton, who played Spider-Man in the Spectacular Spider-Man and I was shocked to see how well is was able to pull off such an opposite character. He's just as petty and cartoonishly conniving as Norman Osborn should be. But other than that, the show doesn't have much to offer. It's clearly made for really little kids, and their isn't really much for adults. It's that bland kind of bad, where it feels like there just wasn't much passion put into this. I'm sure that's not true but that's how it feels. Speaking of reboots of 80's properties, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2012 aired it's final episode after five seasons and over one hundred episodes. Now like I said in part one, I've only seen the first two seasons of this show, so I don't know how good the last three seasons where, but I'm glad that the show got a good run. From what I saw, it was a pretty great show. However what does annoy me is that Nickelodeon moved it to Nicktoons with only TEN EPISODES LEFT! Like really Nick? You couldn't just air the last ten? Meanwhile at Netflix, not satisfied with just one anime-esq cartoon project they decided to make another. This is...(sigh) This is Neo Yokio. Or, another installment in my side series series, (Oh, the Cringe!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLNRZ_1WyzM

Neo Yokio, created by Ezra Koenig and starring Jaden Smith was a show that was originally pitched to the Fox ADHD block, but ended up in a state of development limbo after said block got canned. But someone at Netflix decided that this show was something that the world desperately needed and decided to pick it up themselves. The series stars Kaz Kaan, the most popular bachelor in the entire city of Neo Yokio. He's you're average millionaire celebrity dealing with all the first world problems that a millionaire celebrity have to deal with. But he's also a demon hunter...and..and...and... Jaden Smith is younger than I am. How come he has his own anime?! I want my own anime! Come on Netflix, pick up "Average Spirit Warrior" please! This show is odd. Not just odd, it's an odd kind of odd that's hard to explain. I don't know what this show wants to be, and so I don't know how to judge it. Sometimes it seems like it's trying to be an action show. Other times it seems like it's trying to be a straight forward comedy. OTHER other times it seems like it's trying to be parody of anime. And other other OTHER times it feels like it's trying to be a serious show about social issues like the wealth gap and the gender spectrum?! Is there just some rule in the Netflix contracts that says that every Netflix show has to tackle gender identity, regardless of it it fits the series or not? Is that why Bill Nye's show had a rap about a vagina? Is that why? It has a real adult swim vibe, like they bought the rights to some obscure early 2000's anime and decided to make there own dub. The animation even has the quality to it to, with lots of really bad lip syncing. The show's art is also not that great, looking like it's ten years older than it actually is. The show varies in quality from so bad it's good, to actually pretty dull. Unlike other over the top weird anime Neo Yokio has a very slow pace, which makes everything feel at lot more mundane. Also Kaz is a very hard character to relate to because he is so rich and so oblivious to the world around him. Though the show does definitely have it's stand out moments. The show is so bizarre that there are plenty of funny "WTF" style moments, like the running gag with the Big Toblerone bar and some of Jaden Smiths bizarre spiritual-isms. Jaden Smith, while pretty monotone as a voice actor, did surprise me a couple of times with some okay comedic timing believe it or not. The show also has some interesting world building that I wished they elaborated more on. There's sort of this alternate history element to this world's history that result in a lot of creative idea. It's a world with no 9/11, the Soviets are still around, Japan and Italy are somehow one nation... You know I bet if your reading this without watching the show first I sound like a raving lunatic. WHY IS EZRA KOENIG MAKING AN ANIME? He's primarily a INDIE GUITARIST! Do I recommend watching it? Ehh, I can say that I have never seen a show quite like it...I'd say watch the trailer. It's a good representation of the show, and if you find that trailer "funny bad" then you'll probably get a kick out of this show. If not, then you can skip it. Overall, to me at least, the show just didn't have much synergy... But hey, don't say you love the anime if you haven't read the manga...

And Teen Titans Go! is getting a movie and wait...what? NEXT JULY!? Shouldn't there be like a...trailer or something out then?! I mean Spider-Verse has a trailer and that's not coming out till December! But hey..."In general, if a traditionally animated film comes out in theaters I'll see it just to support the medium." Right? I mean that's what I said in the last part...rIgHt?1 Now all the stuff that I've previously mentioned we're all fine, but none of it was grabbing the cartoon community attention to much. Ducktales came the closest, but with Rick and Morty Season three about to end there needed to be another show to be the new big thing. Then...Big Mouth Happened. Or...another installment in my newly booming side series (Oh, the Cringe!) REAL WARNING: NOT SAFE FOR WORK! For Real.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8DlpO5UOnI

Now when I decided to watch this show in preparation for this review, I thought that I was going to be the only person in the cartoon community to really talk about it. I thought that this show would like "Legend of Chamberlain Heights" or "TripTank." An awful show, but a show that would fly under the radar just because of how "generically awful" it would be. That's why I was suprised when this show became the biggest hot topic in our community,and a widely debated topic at that. For real, I haven't seen a show this polarizing in a long time. People like Mr. Enter and I Hate Everything say that the show is awful, and one of the first cartoons ever, bordering child porn in terms of the content that the series shows. Other's like PhantomStrider on the other hand found the series to be a smart and deep dive into the lives of prepubescent adolescents and tackling the topic well. Which side do I land on? Ehh, somewhere in the middle I guess. I'll start with the pros of the show first. The show's biggest strength it's relatability. Being a show that tackles puberty it is almost impossible for you to not relate to this show on some level. This does help ground the world and get you into the characters easier because you see yourself in their shoes. The characters are fairly good for the most part, with Andrew being the most stand out character out of the main four kids. This I think was what surprised me the most, as most of these shows tend to make the characters assholes for the sake of being assholes but they stay mostly likable. Though the best character overall to me personally is The Ghost of Duke Ellington played by Jordan Peele. His performance is just so over the top and it's just such a random idea for a character that I can't help but kinda like it. Also there's this one gym coach character who I feel like I should be more annoyed by, but I kinda end up really liking. Though that might be just because he reminds me of Coach Z from Homestar Runner.

I show also covers a lot of topics that aren't covered in a lot of other shows, and covers them well. There is actual thought put into it. Honestly I think this show would be a good one to show somebody who is in puberty, as it gives a lot of informative info out in a much more personal way then most sex ed videos do. The internal continuity of the world is very hey wire. Sometimes people can see the hormone monsters, sometimes they can't. Sometimes they have the ability to effect the world around them, while other times it's kept ambiguous to weather or not they even are real, or just figments of the characters imagination. But I also don't think that it's really the point of the show. I think it's just whatever is funnier in the moment. There's a fluidness to the reality. However, there are definitely some problems with the show. Whenever the humor is trying to be crass or offensive the jokes tend to land a lot less. The show can end up becomes genuinely uncomfortable, and there were a lot of moments where I did end up changing tabs while watching. Being on Netflix they are able to get away with a lot, including showing full uncensored penis, vagina's, semen, and more. Often times involving the kids, and there is a real creep factor to it. I know the shows about puberty and that's the subject matter, but I feel like this is a rare case where "show don't tell" doesn't apply to storytelling. This is the shows biggest issue, and it's hard to ignore cause it's in almost every episode. The shows art style also isn't the best. It has this "Family Guy meets Klasky Csupo" look to it. And those are to properties that aren't most well regarded for there animation. Overall I can say that I did enjoy the show more than I was expecting to. Though keep in mind my expectations were "Brickleberry." I think the show is more good than bad though, with the comedy and the likable characters being the saving grace. But if you don't like ugly animation or gross out, then just pull out now. Meanwhile in the real world McDonalds released the "Mulan Schezwan Sauce" to the public for one day only. All in honor of a Rick and Mortyjoke from the first episode of season three. Fan's rioted as there was not enough supply to meet demand, leading to the story getting national coverage from major news outlets. Honestly, I have nothing to add to this, I just think it's funny. But forget about joy, it's time to become suddenly all serious and depressing! As the #MeToo movement happened several animators where accused of sexual misconduct. Some of the names of those accused include Loud House creator Chris Savino and Head of Pixar and Disney animation John Lassenter. I do want you to keep in mind though that these are just accusations. It seems like lately when a celebrity is accused of something like this people always decide that their guilty until proven innocent. Because they don't want to come off as victim shaming. However that doesn't mean they didn't do it either...yeah I have nothing else to really say here. Chris Savino was fired and John Lassenter was put on a six month leave, with rumors saying he'll be fired afterwards. Um...there's no non awkward way to segway out of this topic is there? Crap. Um, anyway Teen Titans Go! had there 200th episode. And guess how they celebrated. Go ahead, just make an educated guess. Well if you said an almost four day Teen Titans Go! marathon over Thanksgiving weekend, then you'd be right!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7MWNWJReqU

Okay well, at least this one was actually celebrating something! So there's that at least!

Meanwhile the same night Nickelodeon premiered "Hey Arnold! The Jungle Movie." The finale thirteen years in the making.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfSPjRoQjCk

He's got a journal and a long lost relative. Y'know what that means, it's time for some LORE! Now, I've never really watched Hey Arnold before, outside of a few episodes- JESUS CHRIST! WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN?! -But despite that, I did find myself enjoying this movie more than I thought I would. The movie is fairly stand alone, and for the most part can be enjoyed without prior knowledge of the show. The biggest strength of the film is the cast, who are genuinely likable, and the comedy which is genuinely funny. I also like how the movie does have a bit of a darker approach to it. It's not Samurai Jack dark or anything, but the villain is genuinely threatening and there are some actual onscreen deaths. It's not bloody or anything, but it's pretty intense for Nickelodeon. This really gives the movie a since of stakes and danger that I really enjoyed. It earns the PG rating. There are some problems though in terms of the story telling. There are some forced conflicts that seem like they're just there to be there. Also the movie is actually pretty confusing in terms of what is magic and what isn't to the point where I'm still not one hundred percent sure if the ancient prophecy was true or not. Maybe I missed something, but it seems kinda muddled. Also the villain, while threatening, isn't very interesting. He's just the cliche "want's money" villain, with nothing making him really stand out. But most of these problems aren't TOO glaring and I was able to enjoy the film regardless. And if I enjoyed it then I'm sure people who actually watched Hey! Arnold probably loved it. And I'm glad that the fans finally got a proper ending after all this time. Unfortunately, despite trending on twitter the movies actual ratings were not very good, getting a 1.7 million across three networks. That might sound okay, but it only barely beat out The Loud House episode that aired right before and that only aired on one network. Even Teen Titans Go! 200th episode, which airs on a much less popular network, was only a couple thousand views less than it. I'm torn, because on one hand I liked the movie and wished it did better, knowing how long the creator and fans were waiting for it. On the other hand, I'm hoping that this might help Nickelodeon get out of their "90's kids phase" that they seem to be in. i mean there's Hey! Arnold, Invader Zim, Rocko. All these announced revivals really makes it feels like there kinda having a mid life crisis. And while there nineties shows where great, I think they need to acknowledge that it wasn't there only good period. If there's something to take away from this, it's that as much as you hear people talk about how much better things were better in the nineties, these people are the minority. Most of the people who watch these channels are kids, and kids don't care about old nineties and two thousands shows they've never heard of. They care about what's on now. Also, while this news effects much more than just animation, Disney bought most of Fox's entertainments rights for fifty two billion dollars. Which is an amount of money that I cannot even begin the fathom. That's enough money to buy everybody in the world five large McDonald's Soda. And that includes like new born babies and stuff. (Alternatively, that might be enough for about three Schezwan Sauce packets.) In terms of animation, that means Disney now owns The Simpsons, Family Guy, Bob's Burgers, Archer, All the Ice Age and Rio movies, Allen Frickin' Gregory. I'm honestly a bit worried about this. Disney is become more and more powerful, and I feel it's only a matter of time till they monopolize entertainment. I'm also worried how this will effect other TV channels. For example, if Disney wanted could they pull all the Fox shows off of adult swim, or TBS? Only time will tell, as this deal will take about a year to really go into effect, but hopefully our new mouse overlord will be merciful. And to cap of f the year, Cartoon Network decided to celebrate Christmas by having an EIGHT DAY LONG TEEN TITANS GO! MARATHON! (with two episodes of Steven Universe sprinkled in.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qc7hwNB4Cv4

Now I know what you're probably thinking. "Wait, if they just passed two hundred episodes, then doesn't that mean they only have enough episodes for about two days?' Well normally yes, but even though there's only enough episodes that last two days, through a miracle it was able to last for eight nights. And that's why we celebrate Hanukkah. For real though, I try to defend Cartoon Network, but this is just too far! We had JUST gotten a multi-day Teen Titans Go! marathon literally a month ago! While annoying, at least I understand that one. It was for there two hundredth episode. It's a big milestone that should be celebrated. But this is just Christmas! Cause who wants to watch Christmas specials on Christmas right?! And it's not just Teen Titans Go!, I'd be upset regardless of the show. As of the time of this being posted it's still going on. And it's not just CN. Nickelodeon had a last minute schedule change replacing several of there Christmas specials with Spongebob and Loud House reruns. Not all there specials though, and it was only for one day, so it's far less egregious. But it shows that when one channel falls they can all be effected. Ugh! Yeah, I hate to end on that note, but honestly I'm just happy that I didn't end on sexual harassment, which was a real concern at one point. 2017 was a wild ride for the animation community, and I'm glad you came along with me on this look back through it all. Now, it's time to rank the shows. Keep in mind though that this is just my personal opinion. Also I'm not very good at these list things, and my opinion tends to change all the time. This is more of just a "for fun" thing. Let's do this. 9. Bunsen is a Beast 8. Castlevania 7. Marvel's Spider-Man 6. Ben 10 5. Neo Yokio 4. Big Mouth 3. (TIE) OK KO: Let's Be Heroes and Ducktales 2017 2. Hanizuki: Full of Treasures 1. Samurai Jack Season Five Though that's just my opinions now. Who knows how they might change in the future. And keep in mind that there were a lot of shows that I didn't see or talk about that came out this year. Like these... (Apollo Gauntlet, Big Hero 6: the Series, Billy Dilly's Super Duper Subterranean Summer, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Danger and Egg, Dorthy and the Wizard of Oz, Hotel Transylvania: The Series, Legend Quest, Mysticons, Niko and the Sword of Light, Sex Swings, Strech Armstrong and the Flex Fighters, Tangled the Series, Tarantula, Tarzan and Jane, Tender Touches, The Jellies, The Magic School Bus Rides Again, Unikitty, Vampirina, Wacky Races 2017, Welcome to the Wayne, Wishfart) As for the grade, last year got a B-. Good, but could use improvement. This year...honestly I have to give a C. Just...average. Even not counting the shows I talked about this year there were several shows that I watched, intending to put into this review, that I ended up cutting cause I had nothing to really say on them. And honestly, even shows like Ducktales and OK KO, which are pretty high on my list have their problems. But I acknowledge that every year's quality won't be exactly even, so I'm not going to panic just yet. I still have high hopes for 2018. Now for the network that "won" this year. BTW since this is a new segment, I'll announce the winner for 2016 too. Last year I would say that Nickelodeon "won" the year for their success with The Loud House and for getting Spongebob out of it's seasonal rot. I've never seen the public opinion of a network to change so quickly. As for this year, I will say that the winner was Netflix, for really proving that their committing to animation. In addition to having the most shows I talked about this year (3/10) they also had other series that I didn't mention like Strech Armstrong Magic School Bus. Not to mention new seasons of Bojack, F is for Family, Voltron, Trollhunters and more. Sure not every show they had was great, but it shows initiative, and shows that they are a worthy contender in landscape of animation. So that was 2017 year in review. While not the best year, it did have it's some very memorable series and moments. And I can't wait to see what 2018 has in store for the world of animation. What did you think of any of the shows or stories that I talked about today? Are there any that I missed? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment down bellow. I'd love to hear them. Please fav, follow, and comment and have a great year. See ya in 2018! (I do not own any of the images or videos in this review all credit goes to there original owners.)

https://www.deviantart.com/joyofcrimeart/journal/2017-Year-in-REVIEW-Part-2-722602821 DA Link

#Ducktales #Neo Yokio #OK KO #review #ok ko let's be heroes

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ruzhansky · 7 years

Text

i pray this will never end, i have my heart open wide

This report is not going to cover my teams, spreads and so on, as it was in 2015. I even don’t know if I should call it a ‘report’, I just want to slop down some thoughts about 2017. Have a nice read.

Why did I return to vgc? I DONT KNOW. As you might remember, I was a tryharder in 2015, but Nats loss and Autumn Series event loss completely broke me. 2016 season wasn’t a thing I’d like to try out (especially with the 2015 wounds) and I got some serious mental health problems in 2016. New pokemon game was a thing that could possibly make my days a bit brighter, and yea, I liked the game, the tapus, the ultra beasts and I became curious about the new format. The first russian tournament was announced to be held in late December, but I was busy with exams prep and haven’t even completed the main story. Though the tournament was tempting. I tested my first ideas on PS which included Instruct spam xd, but Nihilego with proper support showed a real potential at our early days of metagame. I could make it to the tournament (MSS Q1, wow Russia got midseasons...) and somehow won it. It’s like WHATTT how could i... but still. This thing lit something inside me and I decided to give that season a chance.

this is a very bad and old drawing of my mss q1 team xd sorry

January brought the first meta shift, and I started struggling with the team I had. I accidentally joined a random coversation on twitter and then I texted PephanVGC something like hey, did you remember we wanted to talk about teams. And he was very nice to me right from the start, he helped me out with the team and then we started to chat about everything. About friends, life, our past, loneliness and other troubles, and I thought I’ve found a real soulmate. We started to chat every day, but some days ago we were complete strangers to each other. This is so great.

Pephan shared a team with me I instantly fell in love with. It was Winter, so yeah Hail was cool to use, and that was the warmest winter I have :3 though Arcanines already were everywhere, and I removed Life Orb from his Koko to make it Electrium Z Koko AND IT BECAME MY MASCOT FOR THE WHOLE SEASON (i thought so before specs has come to mind...) Also I played the same team with Pephan at Melbourne Challenge, and I got paired with him on r2... I lost in a close set and got broken so much, but he still helped me a lot with that and taught me how to treat losses less painfully. I love Pephan.

February IC poster with @Elveman yeah we had fun once

Then I built an AFK team too but with fucked item choices (firium arcanine just why), but I also had Scarf Porygon-Z and it was amazing to use.

I brought Hail team to St Peter (yeah I travelled to St Petersburg) and Moscow PCs, got 1st and 2nd, AFK PZ team - to MSS Q2 AND I WON AGAIN. I was wondering why my enemies rivals didn’t visit our events, but ok, it was not my problem. Especially when our 2016 nats champion became my main enemy.

This was my season flow. I traveled, I played, I was studying at university and it was my graduation year, I had a job and tried to combine it with studying and pokemon, sometimes it affected my results. I was invited to represent Pokemon at Hinode 2017, the huge annual Japanese event in Moscow, with my main rival, famous russian pokemon community moderator and some TCG guys. It was definitely a nice experience. I got money from that just because I told people how amazing pokemon is, I teached them how to battle and showed that there’s much more than Pokemon Go. Yes, I don’t like Go. All pokemon players don’t like Go here.

b-but they’re so young!!! pic from Hinode.

Well, I thought season should have something else besides MSS and PCs, and hell yes, 8 Russian Special Events at 8 different cities were announced in May. Moar travelling! We(my rival, me and our tcg frens) decided to go to St Peter (again), Perm, Astrakhan and Ufa. Someone decided to go to all 8 SE because he wanted to.

The big-big drama started at our community but I don’t wanna share it here.

I graduated, traveled and played, and since my rival missed 2 Specials due to his own graduation and some other issues, my invite made a bit more real. Wait. THE DREAM OF MAKING WORLDS BECAME REAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But I still needed to put a lot ot work into it. Top 1 vgc gets paid invite, I was 1st, but tcg guy with a good amount of vgc points was second (because he always played vgc after tcg at special events). I thought he will play TCG after all and he won’t interfere with my road to worlds, but I found out that he is going to the city we’re all decided not to go, to grind some tcg AND vgc points. I got angry as a rival and made an impulsive decision to go to Irkutsk Special before Moscow Special. And I went. And got some important points. And pretty locked up my invite. But I said to myself that I shouldn’t sсream it out loud and dance in the shower before the official ceremony in the end of the season. I still had Moscow event.

Huh. Our system this year allowed travelling, and 8 Special Events were held in June and July. Because I had the will and money to travel, because I got a job and combined it with studying at university and somehow haven’t lost it, I visited 6 Special Events. People started to shittalk me. I am wallet warrior, I am noob, I am not worlds caliber, I bought an invite and so on. I even partly agree. At that point winning russian events isn’t close to winning or doing well at EU/US events. Not every SE at regions gave us a strong competition. I am deadly far from WolfeyNails/Markus/etc level. But even with that, should I leave my spot and act like a fucking noble idiot? ‘Oh I am bad and not worlds caliber, guess I should give up now’. Yes. Definitely. Absolutely. It sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? I have a game I love, a desire to travel, a job and money for that, so why not. If you don’t play and try, you can never ‘get good’. Sitting on a sofa and thinking ‘oh I will never be good enough so I better don’t play’ is a shitty mindset as well. And then twitter drama about ‘free worlds not being elitist’ happened, I’ve become so sick of that.

Moscow Special. The long-awaited end of the season. Really long-awaited because I felt like every day had 48 hours. I didn’t have special plans for Moscow. I didn’t want win it out as hell, I just wanted everything to end. And it ended.

the event

party after d1

i remember how to draw

the main scene

turn your main enemies to judges lol

#lifegoals

Despite tons of personal shit happened to me this season, apparently I found myself a better person. i don’t know if this is growing up, I am already 21 and difference between 19 and 21 doesn’t seem too big, though my mind and attitude to some things have noticeably changed.

Got rid of fake elitism, as it was in my early days of competitive and my -most famous year- (2015). I can’t even imagine now but then I thought that competitive is the BEST part we can have about pokemon, and everyone else who likes casual playing or anime are absolute losers and can never be as cool as us. Your dream is completing dex? Breeding a shiny? You love some anime characters and wanna watch fuckin dummies’ anime forever? Uh, dream of becoming a xXxWORLDCHAMPIONxXx just disparages your shitty life goals. I laughed at people i don’t know in person and who didn’t do anything bad to me.

I don’t know what changed my mind in particular. It’s like I just woke up with thoughts “why should I do this”. I saw that people who are not only about competitive can have and reach their own pokemon dreams, they’re valuable too. They can travel not only for competitive. For love to the franchise all of us are fond of. I am sorry for being an asshole :)

Got some skills of loving myself. Yup, y’all might know it was a big problem. Tl,dr: I haven’t a reason to. My only ray of light was being successful enough in vgc and when I wasn’t it became a catastrophe. Bad runs at IC, losses at regionals stages, bad BS sessions? Oh god, i am so shitty, i hate myself - and it was the softest thing I said. It was a mix of hatred and sadness and absolutely wasn’t a great thing to feel. It cost me a real depression in 2016 - though I didn’t even play that season, it hit me hard. I let it happen, I let myself think and treat the game that way. Now it is slightly better, and it also feels so new. It’s like WOAH you actually may not hate yourself for a loss? In 2015 I had my Nats spot already reserved, but every mediocre regionals stage run made me feel terrible. This season I was fighting for the Worlds (Worlds > Rus Nats) right from the start with no ‘safe options’, I was losing too, but I could cope with that. Though losing is always sad. The difference is in being frustrated and hating yourself for days or week and being frustrated and hating yourself for an evening, and then you’re saying something like enough, it won’t make me better, learning and practice will make me better, so let’s play tomorrow. Pephan helped me out a lot with this. Tons of love to Pephan.

Well, also I reached a dream. When I was 17, I watched 2013 Worlds with excitement, though I understood nothing because I was an OU child. New format? Big event? That was very unfamiliar but holy crap so breathtaking! Two guys were fighting for the honourable title with some beautiful teams and strategies, I felt their drive even when I was so far away. That blew my mind. I told myself that I want to visit Pokemon World Championships too. The long way of getting better started in 2013 and will never end. I won Russian VGC 2014 big event and got closer to my dream. I qualified to Russian National Championships in 2015 and almost made my dream real, finishing 2nd. I got broken and gave up because sometimes it was too hard to keep up. I remembered how I sang lyrics from “Wavin Flag”: ‘when I get older, I will be stronger’. The dream wasn’t dead. And I tried again. And I did it. The most trivial thing I can say now is do not give up and fight for your dreams, but this is really true!

Every Trainer has a choice To listen to that voice inside. I know the battle may be long, Winners may have come and gone I will carry on! Yeah, this dream will last forever, And this dream will never die, We will rise to meet the challenge every time. (Advanced Challenge) Yeah, this dream keeps us together, This shows that you and I Will be the best that the world's ever seen, Cause we always will follow this dream!

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Nothing can be perfect in one second. I still have issues with rivalry and with the community, though I wonder how we will do in 2018.

Thanks for reading and, finally I can say it, see you at Worlds!

Shout-outs to: PurpurVGC, Loui, PephanVGC, Elveman, Sergey, Annet Ilvers, unhealthy rivalry and Havkai for making this season amazing.

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notthedisneyyourelookingfor · 7 years

Note

Hello! I'm sorry to bother you, but would you be willing to add/reblog your post with/make a second post with descriptions of the prize images in your giveaway? I can't load the images for some reason. Sorry, and thanks!

NO NEED TO APOLOGIZE. YOUR REQUEST IS PERFECTLY VALID.

Sure thing! …and I’ll edit the main post with a link to this list !

PRIZES FOR “BIGGEST TUMBLR GIVEAWAY EVER ?”

Blu Rays

Tinkerbell and the Neverbeast

Oliver and Company

The Rescuers + The Rescuers Down Under

Robin Hood

Aristocats

The Jungle Book

The Sword in the Stone

101 Dalmations

Sleeping Beauty

Peter Pan

Enchanted

The Little Mermaid

Aladdin

The Hunchback of Notre Dame + The Hunchback of Notre Dame II

Hercules

Atlantis: The Lost Empire + Atlantis: Milo’s Return

Treasure Planet

Wreck-It Ralph

Frozen

Big Hero 6 (Blu Ray only, missing DVD disc)

Zootopia

Coraline Limited Edition Gift Set

Complete Lithograph Sets

Tinkerbell and the Neverbeast

Peter Pan

101 Dalmations

The Jungle Book

The Little Mermaid

Aladdin

Frozen

Big Hero 6

Zootopia

Disney Movie Rewards Exclusive Lithographs

Tinkerbell and the Neverbeast + Big Hero 6

DVDs

Harold & Kumar White Castle unrated

My Name is Earl complete series

The Boondocks seasons 1 & 2

The Super Mario Bros. Super Show (ep. 1-24)

The Love Guru

National Lampoon’s Van Wilder unrated

Juice

Final Destination 3

Drillbit Taylor

Hustle & Flow

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles complete original trilogy

Frozen: Target Exclusive Bonus Disc

Music CDs

Linkin Park - Meteora

Ne-Yo - Because of You

2Pac - 2Pacalypse Now

2Pac - Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z.

2Pac (Thug Life) - Volume I

2Pac - Me Against the World

2Pac - All Eyez on Me

2Pac (Makaveli) - The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory

2Pac - Nu Mixx Klazzics Vol. 2 (Evolution: Duets & Remixes)

Miley Cyrus - Breakout

Miley Cyrus - Hannah Montana 2 / Meet Miley Cyrus

Billy Ray Cyrus - Some Gave All

Oasis - Dig Out Your Soul

Sassey - The Sassey Project

Sassey f/ Ghetto Romeo - Kiss You (single + instrumental + a capella)

Method Man - Tical

Soul for Real - Candy Rain

Coraline Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Classic Swing: The UK Mixes Album

Nappy Roots - The Humdinger

Tha Dogg Pound - Dogg Chit

Jin - I Promise

Redman - Red Gone Wild

Ant Chedda - The Process of Progress

Drew Da Legend - Boink Muzik

Frozen: 2-Disc Deluxe Edition Soundtrack

Video Game Systems

Super Nintendo Entertainment System + AC adapter & A/V cable

Nintendo 64 + AC adapter & A/V cable

Game Boy Advance (plays GBA, GBC, & GB games)

Game Boy Micro (plays only GBA games) + charging cable

SNES Games

NBA Jam

Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World

Super Mario Kart

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time

N64 Games

Diddy Kong Racing

Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards

Jet Forcce Gemini

GB Games

Pokemon Red (save file contains several Mews)

GBA Games

Mario Kart: Super Circuit

Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories

Disney’s Magical Quest Starring Mickey & Minnie

DS Games

Mario Kart DS

Kingdom Hearts Re:coded

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

3DS Games

Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance

Mario Kart 7

Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion

GCN Games

Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door

Pikmin 2

Dragonball Z: Budokai

NBA Street

Mario Superstar Baseball

Wii Games

Wii Sports

Wii Play

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

New Super Mario Bros. Wii

Donkey Kong Country Returns

The Conduit

Tatsunoko VS. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars

The House of the Dead: 2 & 3 Return

The House of the Dead: Overkill

Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles

Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles

Metal Slug Anthology

Dead Space: Extraction

Sin & Punishment: Star Successor

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption

SNES accessories

Official controllers (x3)

Official controller (missing physical R button, still pressable & registers)

Asciiware Fighter Stick officially licensed by Nintendo

N64 acc.

Official controllers (1 red, 1 yellow, 1 transparent purple)

GB acc. (compatible w GBA playing GB games)

Link cable

GBA acc.

Link cable

GB Micro acc.

Charging cable

GCN acc. (all compatible with select Wii games)

SNES controller adapter (makes SNES acc. compatible with GCN, which in turn makes SNES acc. compatible with select Wii games)

Official controllers (silver x2, Japanese exclusive white x2)

Controller extension cords (x2)

Wii acc.

Official Wii Remotes (x4)

Official Wii Nunchuck

Nyko Nunchuk Cord Free Wireless Adaptor

Nyko Wireless Nunchuck

Nyko Perfect Shot pistol grip (x2)

Wii Remote Hand Grips (1 yellow, 1 red, 1 green, 1 purple)

Official Wii documentation

Official Wii stand

Official Wii sensor bar

Official Wii AC adapter

Official Wii LAN adapter

Official Wii Component A/V cable

Collectibles

Nintendo Bandages f/ Mario enemies

Pop! Baymax Vinyl Figure (Baymax 2.0 Edition)

Misc.

Guess men’s watch (gold plated accents)

Guess men’s watch (minimalist design)

#disney #nintendo #kingdom hearts #mario kart #coraline #ask #wooferdill

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mistyhollowpro · 7 years

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I was tagged by @goldendaydna. You tricky person, you. e-e

Rules: Answer these 92 statements and tag 20 people. <- Imma break that last one.

THE LAST: 1. Drink: Water 2. Phone call: Insurance company. 3. Text message: Kung Fu Panda Gif 4. Song you listened to: White Noise by Femm. 5. Time you cried: Probably within the last couple of weeks.

HAVE YOU: 6. Dated someone twice: not even once <- You and I both, Day. You and I both. 7. Kissed someone and regretted it: I have kissed someone... My Levi body pillow. No regrets. 8. Been cheated on: Yep. This kid back in second grade cheated using my test. The asshat. e-e 9. Lost someone special: Of course. If anyone answered no to this, then what the hell is your secret? 10. Been depressed: Yep. 11. Gotten drunk and thrown up: I’ve been giggly before, but never inebriated to the point of not being able to drive. I’m still fully cognizant, and trust me when I say that I am so over protective of that shit. I won’t ever be the reason someone else or their family is harmed or killed. Ask @marichansensei. She would tell you.

LIST 3 FAVORITE COLORS: 12-14: Blues, greens, and most recently, lilac. Just painted my whole room in that color.

IN THE LAST YEAR HAVE YOU: 15. Made new friends: Yes 16. Fallen out of love: Yes... I unfortunately had to break it off with Eren of Attack on Titan. *Sniffles* You will always be apart of me. 17. Laughed until you cried: Of course. Don’t let me read funny auto corrects from iphones. I sound like I’m having an asthma attack mixed with crying. 18. Found out someone was talking about you: Yep. I work in a salon as an assistant leader. When someone isn’t doing their job right and I get on them about it, you know they’re bitching in the back. 19. Met someone who changed you: Uhh, not changed me per say. Changed a view point maybe, but not changed me. 20. Found out who your friends are: Yes 21. Kissed someone on your Facebook list: Lance McClain isn’t on my FB friends list, so no.

GENERAL: 22. How many of your Facebook friends do you know in real life: Just about all of them. 23. Do you have any pets: Four cats and a dog. 24. Do you want to change your name: My middle name, sure. Only because of where it comes from. Otherwise, no. 25. What did you do for your last Birthday: ...... Holy shit, what did I do? o-o I don’t remember. 26. What time did you wake up: 6:30 a.m. -_- 27. What were you doing at midnight last night: Reading fan fiction which is bad because I have dark circles, and I can’t have that. <- I have to steal Day’s answer here, friend. I cannot deny what I’ve done. 28. Name something you can’t wait for: VOLTRON SEASON 3 AND MIRACULOUS LADYBUG SEASON 2!!! Also, world peace. 29. When was the last time you saw your mom: Five seconds ago when she walked out of the room. 30. What is one thing you wish you could change in your life: This is a long winded, open ended question, but a short answer would be nothing. While I have many complaints and may not always be happy, I need to personally accept what I’ve been given and make the most of it. 31. What are you listening right now: The voice in my head. 32. Have you ever talked to a person named Tom: Yes 33. Something that is getting on your nerves: People at work who don’t listen to me, because they’re older, but still terribly immature and won’t do their job. If you’re 53 years old, you should not have a 22 year old telling you how to do the job right!!! 34. Most visited Website: Youtube or Netflix. I never go on cable anymore.

LOST QUESTIONS. I JUST PUT IN RANDOM INFO ABOUT ME 35. Mole/s: One on my toe. 36. Mark/s: I’ve got a scar under my lip, on my foot, and freckles. 37. Childhood dream: The childhood dream was to be a chocolatier. Not even kidding you. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory right here, friends. 38. Hair color: Auburn. I have a stripe of green under it though. Gotta make that a new color. 39. Long or short hair: I’d say mid-length for now. It’s past my shoulders a few inches. 40. Do you have a crush on someone: *Sighs*................ Listen, it is not my fault Bex-Taylor Klaus made me gay for her, OKAY?!

41. What do you like about yourself: My open personality and my stubbornness to never change myself, because of other people.

42. Piercings: My ears are pierced, but I never wear earrings. 43. Bloodtype: I wouldn’t know. Get me a vampire. They can tell me. 44. Nickname: Misty when I’m online. 45. Relationship status: Forever alone. 46. Zodiac: Aquarius. 47. Pronouns: She/her 48. Favorite TV Show: Voltron, AOT, Nabari No Ou, Home Improvement, Friends, Owari No Seraph, lots more sitcoms. Wait, was I supposed to pick one? 49. Tattoos: None right now. I’d love a puzzle piece and black kitten for my brother and my cat, but I’d also love to go full Voltron trash and get all the paladin V’s. 50. Right or left hand: Right hand. I am that dominant gene. Fear me. 51. Surgery: Tonsils, stitches in my food, and most recently my wisdom teeth. 52. Hair dyed in different color: The little green strip. 53. Sport: Horseback riding. 54. (question wasn’t here) <- Well where did it go?! 55. Vacation: Japan twice. 56. Pair of trainers: Are you talking about pokemon trainers?

MORE GENERAL: 57. Eating: Noodles with beef. 58. Drinking: Water 59. I’m about to: Upload some Pance fanfiction.

Uhhh, where did 60 and 61 go???

62. Want: World peace and for children to not go hungry... But I could also go for some cookie dough right about now. 63. Get married: No. 64. Career: Right now hair, but I’m going into voice acting.

WHICH IS BETTER 65. Hugs or kisses: Can’t argue either of these since I’ve only ever gotten a hug. 66. Lips or eyes: Eyes 67. Shorter or taller: Reach for the skies, friends! 68. Older or younger: Younger. Young people are cool, because their excuse of being children is because they are children. When adults act like children, they’re usually doing it because they aren’t getting their way, but have the money to sue people. 70. Nice arms or nice stomach: Arms to wrap around me in a hug please? 71. Sensitive or loud: Loud. I have an autistic brother, another brother, and loud parents. I can’t live without ruckus. 72. Hook up or relationship: Relationship. PLEASE. 73. Troublemaker or hesitant: That depends how far the trouble maker goes. Are we talking put whipped cream in your shoes trouble maker or I’m about to go rob a store trouble maker?

HAVE YOU EVER: 74. Kissed a Stranger: No? That’s called sexual assault, friend. 75. Drank hard liquor: Nope 76. Lost glasses/contact lenses: No. Can’t see without them. 77. Turned someone down: Yeah. I get hit on by men in their 60′s-70′s while cutting their hair. I reiterate: I’m 22. 79. Broken someone’s heart: In fanfiction, sure. I torture characters. 80. Had your heart broken: Yeah 81. Been arrested: No, but I’ve ridden in a cop car before. That was fun. :’) 82. Cried when someone died: Yes 83. Fallen for a friend: A crush once or twice, yes.

DO YOU BELIEVE IN: 84. Yourself: Yes, it’s just going to take some time. 85. Miracles: Yeah. 86. Love at first sight: No. Attraction at first sight? Of course. 87. Santa Claus: Don’t make me answer this. I’m in denial and I refuse to answer this. 88. Kiss on the first date: I wouldn’t mind it so long as it’s the right person. I’ve been raised with the idea first kisses and stuff like that go to the right person, hence why I’m 22 and still single.

OTHER: 90. Current best friend name: Her name is Pidge Gunderson. Fight me. 91. Eyecolor: Brown. Mud. 92. Favorite movie: Spirit, Stallion of the Cimarron.

@goldendaydna Why would you torture me with this much writing?! X’D

Feel free for anyone who wants to do this. I’m too lazy to tag.

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beowulfs-booty-call · 7 years

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So I’ve been thinking of making a Pokemon team based on myself and my aesthetic and I’ve got so far,

Clefable / Umbreon / Zoroark - “Magic is but an extension of you,”

the mystic of the unknown,

smiles after the dust settles,

being a walking aesthetic,

Kirby incarnation,

the only Moon™ enthusiast,

“I love you to the moon and back”,

Sailor Senshi Pride™,

a grimoire waiting to be opened

Staying up past 2 am listening to Night Tempo/Yung Bae/ Funk

Sailor Moon Wave

Not everything “dark” is evil

“Have you ever looked in the face of a demon and smiled...?”

The sound of a dozen pages being flipped through

Leather bound books making a dull stretch as you open them

Black cats and bats on Halloween night

Lopunny - “Friendship never dies”,

hope,

the warmth of a hug when you’ve had a rough day,

the feel of felt / fur,

giving presents for no real reason you just thought that letter to your friend was sweet,

collecting stamps for your special book from other places around the world.

Sleeping with someone under blankets and just feeling them wrapped in you arms

Love letters that makes you feel like you’re walking on air

Seeing someone who makes you so happy nothing can phase you

“No doubt about it, my heart’s never wrong...!”

Shopping with friends

“Everyone deserves a second chance to change.”

Realizing you are a good person through the interactions of others, and you are an even better person from before because of those people

Tagging people on tumblr

Sending sweet anons, even if you don’t know the person, because you wanted someone else to feel the joy

Espeon - “In the end, that’s what best friends are for.”,

Being told how much someone loves you,

seeing someone after a long time,

a friendly stranger paying for your coffee,

a Barista leaves a cute message on your order,

The weather being so nice out you could wear your favorite outfit,

long walks in the city,

eating outside at a cafe and picnicking for lunch

Dress Down / 80′s synth / Forget-Me-Not (Patrice Roberts)

Butter cookies with chocolate chips in them

Sketching while it rains with a hot drink nearby

Writing and saving draft after draft until you’re sure it is absolutely perfect

Just knowing your friends need you without being told

“If you need anything, just call me and let me know.”

Videos of cats and dogs and always sending them to those you know

“i’m not always a morning person, but when I do get up, I go back to bed and try to finish my dream.”

Pastel colors and mixing color palettes

The feel of a brush with silk on your fingers

“The weather man lied, I will take my fate in my own hands.” *Brings umbrella just to be safe*

Milotic - “Anyone can change”,

Beauty is only relative to the person,

True beauty lies within,

Learning to love yourself through taking simple small steps to the long end of spa trips,

that immersive feeling in lush where you’re shown the bath bombs and someone gives you that tour,

knowing you are as beautiful as everyone sees you for who you are.

“The world is your oyster”

Warm showers

Cocoa butter on your skin

Opalescence

Gemstones

Smooth Jazz

Stretching in bed as lazy as ever

Rising above the hatred and hurt you had felt prior and looking back on how far you’ve come

Grace even in the face of defeat or mistakes

Holding your hands together to be presentable, but, also to hold yourself and console yourself.

Painting with watercolors and dripping the colors onto a canvas

Lucario / Absol - “You aren’t as alone as you think,”

Comparing yourself doesn’t help yourself if you can’t see the good in yourself,

spirituality and balance is key,

alone you are strong but together you are invincible,

a wolf never abandons his pack,

nature is but one way to hone your sense of focus,

a warrior always strives for the best of his fellows even if it would put him in an inconvenience

Being you doesn’t mean you have to be exclusively you

The crisp feeling of walking in the woods alone

Brisk winds from fall

Moon watching

“Wear white, and you invite mudslinging...”

“I forgive, but I never forget.”

Conviction in yourself and others through understanding

Seeking the best in yourself and others, even if sometimes that isn’t the easiest thing to do.

The rough feel of flannel pushed by the wind

The cool touch of steel and the clanging of a smithy

Walking the beaten path of a road never seen before

Xatu - “The future is yet set in stone”

Crow feathers collected in a leather book

Ravens cawing as the time ticks by

Tarot cards thrown on the bed, various meanings on them with no real true answer

“We cannot answer what we cannot understand, so why predict what cannot be fathomed?”

Watching the clock in anticipation,

Dressing in your traditional wear from your culture

the smell of incense burning softly in the air

The feel of cool gemstones in your palms giving energy

“Take to the air, brothers! Keep up with me if you can!”

“Witness it... The sinking of the sun…”

The past may be concrete but the future is forever changing

You are not your past, but you can choose your present

“Do you understand the shifting of the sands? The waves of the oceans?”

Discovering new ways to express your inner philosophy as you walk home

Saying prayers with a sense of renewal and grace

“I speak not for the dead, but those who wish to ascend the living.”

Teetering the balance of the waking and spirit world

Reincarnation and the inevitable idealism of becoming the best you there can be

#Pokemon #Me stuff #Late night thoughts

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entergamingxp · 5 years

Text

DualShockers’ Favorite Games of 2019 — Cam’s Top 10

December 30, 2019 10:00 AM EST

2019 has been a pretty disappointing year overall for me when it comes to video games, but there was still plenty to love too.

As 2019 comes to a close, DualShockers and our staff are reflecting on this year’s batch of games and what were their personal highlights within the last year. Unlike the official Game of the Year 2019 awards for DualShockers, there are little-to-no-rules on our individual Top 10 posts. For instance, any game — not just 2019 releases — can be considered.

2019 has been an insane year for me. After getting my Bachelor’s in Journalism, I’ve been working to get my foot into the gaming industry to write and talk about what I love, and I’m forever thankful for the opportunities that have unexpectedly fallen onto my lap. I’ve traveled the country and have met and made connections with numerous members of the industry that I look up to, and eventually want to stand along side. So much has happened in such a short amount of time that I’ve spent most of the time that I can outside of playing games to prepare myself in big ways moving into 2020. If you are reading this, whether you are someone I know or someone I don’t, you are helping my dreams become a reality so, thank you. Now let’s get into what you came here for.

Depending on who you ask, some will say that 2019 was a great year for video games, while others will say that it was okay at best; I happen to sit on the latter. We have been spoiled with absolutely mesmerizing gaming experiences in both 2017 and 2018. If I’m being honest, I don’t think any game in 2019 would be in a serious discussion for Game of the Year if they came out in either of those time frames. Last year, I was incredibly conflicted about which title would be my Game of the Year between Red Dead Redemption 2 and Dead Cells to the point where I just said both (at this point though, it’s Red Dead).

For 2019, my GOTY immediately sat at my number one spot, and no other game made me question that choice as the year has progressed. 2019 has just been a mixed bag of games that a lot of people genuinely love, but nothing that most people could hold hands on and say is an absolute frontrunner. I don’t want to seem too down on the hard work that these creators put into their games, because I had some great gaming experiences in 2019, and still am going into 2020. I love talking about games, and I’ve been anticipating writing my top 10 games of 2019 so let’s get to it, shall we?

(Notable Games That I Did Not Get to Play in 2019: Ape Out, Astral Chain, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Judgment, Katana Zero, Luigi’s Mansion 3, Link’s Awakening, Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order and Telling Lies)

Honorable Mention: Death Stranding

Alright, let’s talk Hideo Kojima for a second. I’m sure it will sound crazy to some, but Death Stranding is my first real crack at one of his games. I’ve always wanted to get into the Metal Gear Solid series, but the stars have never aligned for me to do so. Ever since the fallout of Kojima and Konami to the announcement of the game at E3 2016, all I ever thought was “what’s the big deal here?” while everyone else was dancing their pants off. All I got from him is that he likes to go big and over-the-top while naming his characters way too literally. Regardless, I wasn’t entirely sold on Death Stranding until a few weeks before its release. By the time I pressed start, I still had no idea whether or not I was going to like “a Hideo Kojima Game.”

After trying out Death Stranding for myself, the verdict is I like it. The scary part is that I think I INCREDIBLY love it, and the reason that is scary to me is that I want to do everything this game has to offer. I want to do every premium delivery, earn every absolutely pointless star and I don’t care because I love…delivering packages. I love sorting everything as best I can and keep them clean for the drop off. I’ve played almost 30 hours of this game and I am still on Chapter 3. I just refuse to mainline this game because it is such a disservice to the world that has been made.

Even with all the things I love about this game, there are an equal amount of things that I hate about Death Stranding. I still can’t even say much as to what I think of the story. The stealth mechanics are terrible, even coming from a developer that practically invented the genre. Specific areas of this gorgeous world are just designed for you to want to bang your head against the wall.

While I equally hate what I love about this game, what I love about the game wins at the end of the day. So I will keep playing it slowly but surely, probably until the end of next year along with everything else that 2020 has to offer. I will finish this game; I will complete everything possible because I want to feel that satisfaction and I will likely write a very long article about that entire experience.

Until then, it doesn’t feel right to rank it on my 2019 list. I have no idea where I’m going to be at with everything once the time credits roll. All I know is, Death Stranding is one of my favorite games that I will never play again, once everything is said and done.

10. Creature in the Well

Creature in the Well is the first game from developer Flight School Studio, which focuses on an engineering droid known as Bot-C who awakens from a deep slumber in an endless storming desert. Coming across a small village with a lifeless power plant, Bot-C ventures inside to restore the plant while evading an unknown creature that lurks in the dark. Known as a “pin brawler,” Bot-C travels through different dungeons that involve pinball puzzles.

By charging energy cores and batting them at bumpers I solved engagingly fun puzzles that helped me restore the plant to its former glory. It is a straightforward but challenging experience that makes me want more of that addicting gameplay. Knowing this game was created by a two-man team makes me applaud it even more. Creature in the Well left a lasting impression, and I will be keeping my eyes on what that team is working on next. The game has one of my favorite art styles of this year along with atmospheric music and environments, making it a favorite of mine in the indie sphere of 2019.

Check out DualShockers‘ review for Creature in the Well.

9. Control

Within the first couple of hours of playing Control, I was enthralled with everything about it: the world, the lore, and the aura, which is one of my favorites in any video game. It is beautifully made and feels haunting no matter what part of the bureau that you are exploring through. Being able to throw debris at enemies and levitate across platforms is incredible fun, even if the combat as a whole is pretty one-note.

At first, Control shot up to my Top 3 games of 2019, but as the game progressed and more of the story was explained, I felt like it fell to shambles. By the time I hit the end of Control, it didn’t feel like there was a proper “ending” to the story. It felt like a “to be continued” moment for the game’s upcoming DLC, with the number of things from the main story that didn’t get resolved. Even though the game didn’t entirely land on its feet, I still love the premise of what Remedy brought to the table with Control, along with its fun combat.

Check out DualShockers‘ review for Control.

8. Borderlands 3

After waiting far too long since Borderlands 2, Borderlands 3 hit all the right notes for me except for what I was looking forward to the most, being the story. In Borderlands 2, I was so blown away by how strong a narrative that Gearbox was able to create in a universe that was so explicit and self-aware. Ending on a cliffhanger teasing the departure of Pandora to travel the galaxy for vaults on other planets encapsulated me, but I was worried about what was to come, especially after the end of Handsome Jack.

The story that was served in Borderlands 3 is such a disappointment on every level, but that doesn’t mean the full package wasn’t still great. With the amount of the quality-of-life changes made in Borderlands 3, the franchise is at the best place that it’s ever been. It is the first entry where I want to play as every Vault Hunter, just because all of them stick out so interestingly.

Even though I don’t get to play in co-op often, when I do it is some of the most fun that I have ever had in gaming. Gearbox may not have gone in the direction that I wanted with its story, but I love shootin’ and I love lootin’, which is exactly what Borderlands 3 is truly about.

Check out DualShockers‘ review for Borderlands 3.

7. Indivisible

Indivisible is one of the few games from that come back to my mind of the most memorable gaming experiences that I had in 2019. When I reviewed it, I said that it was hard to put into words how I feel about the game, and up to now that is still true.

It has my favorite art direction of any game in 2019, all handcrafted and beautifully detailed. There’s a vast and unique set of party members that you can recruit into battle (including a lightning dog!), which gave me nearly endless ways to execute combos. The platforming is incredibly satisfying on so many levels, and it’s easily my favorite in the genre this generation. The story presented makes you truly consider the consequences that you might bring onto others based on the choices that you make.

There is very little about this game that I don’t think works in its favor. Give it a shot.

Check out DualShockers‘ review for Indivisible.

6. Pokemon Sword and Shield

Pokemon was the first gaming franchise that I fell in love with. To this day, whether or not I am anticipating the newest mainline entry of the series, I will always pick it up and play the latest installment.

Earlier this year, I wrote about how the franchise has been a far off memory from what it once was back in the first three generations. For the longest time, there was nothing in the recent Pokemon entries that brought back the love I once had, until I played Pokemon Sword and Shield. When I found out that Nintendo was moving away from a handheld-only platform with the Switch, I finally thought we would be getting a new title similar to Pokemon Coliseum or XD Gale of Darkness back on the GameCube.

While Sword and Shield isn’t particularly that, it feels like what a modern-day Pokemon game should be. I’m always going to like the grindy old school versions more, because that is what Pokemon is to me. But with the incorporation of the Wild Area, being able to run into Pokemon from any generation and the variety with which they show up feels fresh. I can run into a Snorlax and then walk a few steps into a Drapion.

I know that a lot of people within recent years have criticized the series for having random encounters, which I still think is a weak criticism being a turn-based RPG, but I like how Game Freak was able to appease all players in that sense. This of course just speaks to the number of quality-of-life changes that Pokemon Sword and Shield made to make the series more accessible, combined with its great new setting. The Galar region–while on the nose a little bit too much–has a fascinating backstory, and how the legendary Pokemon Zacian and Zamazenta fit into that story is much more interesting than previous generations.

Pokemon Sword and Shield may honestly make the best changes that have ever been done in the entire franchise. The best part is, I’m not even finished with the game yet. I’m only five badges in as of writing this, and when I’m not playing Pokemon, all I’m thinking about is wishing that I was, which makes me so enormously happy. The only reason it isn’t higher on my list is that it is still just more of the same (which is not a bad thing at all).

Check out DualShockers‘ review for Pokemon Sword and Shield.

5. Baba is You

I’ve never been a huge fan of puzzle games. There are specific titles in the genre that I live and die for, but as a whole, I don’t go out of my way to play them unless they’re recommended to me. I heard great things about Baba is You and after hearing about its concept, I wanted to try it out. By playing as this rabbit-sheep thing known as Baba, you move words around changing the effects of items and environments around you. I can change a wall into water, or I can change my playable character to a rock instead. All of the game’s systems are new and cool.

Baba is You happens to make me feel like a complete imbecile the majority of the time that I play it, and I love every second of it. I will spend an hour trying to figure out a puzzle and not feel fatigued of my efforts, just stupid. Why is that ok? Well, it’s because after all the trial and error that I ensue by the time I figure it out and win, I can’t help to think that all that time and investment was worth it. It’s one of those puzzle games where you want to YouTube how to beat a specific level just to progress, but you refuse to do so because you’re doing the game dirty and you want to figure it out yourself. It makes me want to feel validated by beating every level so I can say “I beat Baba is You.”

Check out DualShockers‘ review for Baba is You.

4. Fire Emblem: Three Houses

It is crazy how in-depth and detailed that Fire Emblem: Three Houses is. It includes a massive suite of fleshed-out characters that you get to learn about and build them the way you want to utilize them on the battlefield, or you can let them do whatever they want. While teaching my students, I found out pretty early on that I could recruit kids from the other two houses over to my house (Golden Deer REPRESENT), taking them away from the other house leaders. However, knowing that there are technically four different routes that you can choose from in this 60+ hour game, I decided to stick with my original house members to focus on them because they were in the house I chose for a reason, and I didn’t want to sacrifice their characterization for other unassociated students.

Developer Intelligent Systems decided this time around to get rid of the weapon triangle, which isn’t a bad thing per se. But in previous Fire Emblem titles, I felt more inclined to use every character as equally as possible, and with the absence of that long-running franchise mechanic, it also made the combat feel slightly less engaging. I haven’t gotten to finish Three Houses yet, but with the amount that I have played so far it is probably, in my opinion, the best first-party title on the platform in 2019.

Check out DualShockers‘ review for Fire Emblem: Three Houses.

3. Disco Elysium

If I had to make an unbiased, objective choice for Game of the Year in 2019, it would have to go to Disco Elysium. It is simply one of the most well-written games I have ever played (and there is A LOT of writing). Throughout every conversation I have with an NPC, I learn something about them or the world that exists around me while I’m trying to solve a crime about a man hanging from a tree. Each character I interact with has great charisma, and I feel like that fits into the city of Revachol as a whole.

At the start of the game, your character doesn’t know who he is, so you’re figuring it out along with him. As an RPG, your skills speak similarly to how your brain sends messages to you before you decide what to say out loud. Depending on how you build the detective, you can attempt skill checks to get the information you want, whether it is with charm or force. It is all so intricate and fascinating that I wish I had more time to play games, because it is another that I have yet to hit the credits for.

That being said, everything that I have experienced up to the point that I am currently at has been innovative and gripping. I can’t wait to go back to explore more of Revachol and find out its mysteries along with the murderer.

Check out DualShockers‘ review for Disco Elysium.

2. Kingdom Hearts III

Oh god, here we go. Listen, Kingdom Hearts III…no matter what people thought of the game whether you loved it, liked it or hated it, it never would have met anyone’s expectations. After waiting almost 15 YEARS it could have been everything fans wanted and there would have still been backlash.

When it comes to me, I loved it. Were there issues? Of course. But where the game succeeded is where it truly matters to me. Kingdom Hearts is about friendship, caring for one another, making connections and how those connections lift us. Even though I think that Nomura could have structured the game better instead of shoving everything that we’ve been waiting all these years for in the final act, I think it delivered in the end. Kingdom Hearts III, especially with being such an acquired taste to many gamers, could have been A LOT worse than people were making it out to be. Even then, it is still a great game, even if it isn’t the great game that everyone wanted.

The combat is exactly as you’d expect from a mainline Kingdom Hearts title (although I wish they kept Limit Commands). There are numerous quality-of-life improvements made, like being able to upgrade your Keyblades and transferring them over to new game saves. Square has already added the much-beloved critical mode and is releasing a patch where players can modify exactly how they want to play through the game.

Kingdom Hearts III is great, and the upcoming Re:MIND DLC seems to be adding a lot of things that fans wanted originally in the main package. There is much still to look forward to as a Kingdom Hearts fan, and I’m incredibly excited to see where Nomura takes me.

Check out DualShockers‘ review for Kingdom Hearts III.

1. The Walking Dead: The Final Season

The final season of Telltale’s The Walking Dead can be — and to a degree is — a reprise of the first season, but it is so much more than that. It is a game that teaches you valuable lessons in parenting and how to build up children as they take your place as the future of humanity.

Playing as Clementine one last time felt like a chapter of my life was coming to an end. I’m not a parent yet, but seeing this young woman grow from the girl she once was into a motherly figure must feel similar to watching your own kid in the same way. This was also the first time where I felt like I could build Clementine into who I think she is as a person. I loved that there was an option to romance someone for those who see her having a partner, but I loved it even more that I could decide Clementine doesn’t need that, because she has AJ. She has always walked her path up to this point that way.

Throughout the game you are teaching AJ important lessons about life. These lessons may be focused on the reality of living in a post-apocalyptic world, but they all translate into normal life as well. Constantly I saw myself being presented with challenging questions of morality on what AJ should learn, and constantly I sat by myself in an empty room questioning my choices over and over, just because I didn’t want my choices to affect his decisions poorly. Even if Clem and AJ were partners throughout the story, at the end of the day, he is just a kid who was born into this world that doesn’t know what it is like to be a “normal” child like the other children that he meets, and it is Clementine’s job to show him what is right and what is wrong.

I experienced a vast variety of emotions playing through Clementine’s final chapter. I laughed, cried, cheered, and applauded due to the wonderful, frightening, and heart-wrenching moments that occurred throughout. But it wasn’t just a sendoff for the series, it was a bow of respect to Telltale; the old Telltale who started it all. With everything that the studio went through, it was an utter joy that Skybound was able to bring back a portion of the original team to finish the game. I was continuously invested in the story and characters, not even including Clementine. By the time credits rolled, I was crying ugly tears while smiling cheek-to-cheek.

All I have left to say is thank you. Thank you to every single person who had a part in making The Walking Dead a reality, whether it be the final season or any season prior. Thank you for creating one of my favorite characters in any medium and thank you for telling her story…Clementine’s story.

Check out DualShockers‘ review for the final episode of The Walking Dead: The Final Season.

Check out the rest of the DualShockers staff Top 10 lists and our official Game of the Year Awards:

December 23: DualShockers Game of the Year Awards 2019 December 25: Lou Contaldi, Editor-in-Chief // Logan Moore, Managing Editor December 26: Tomas Franzese, News Editor // Ryan Meitzler, Features Editor December 27: Mike Long, Community Manager // Scott White, Staff Writer December 28: Chris Compendio, Contributor // Mario Rivera, Video Manager // Kris Cornelisse, Staff Writer December 29: Scott Meaney, Community Director // Allisa James, Senior Staff Writer // Ben Bayliss, Senior Staff Writer December 30: Cameron Hawkins, Staff Writer // David Gill, Senior Staff Writer // Portia Lightfoot, Contributor December 31: Iyane Agossah, Senior Staff Writer // Michael Ruiz, Senior Staff Writer // Rachael Fiddis, Contributor January 1: Ricky Frech, Senior Staff Writer // Tanner Pierce, Staff Writer

December 30, 2019 10:00 AM EST

from EnterGamingXP https://entergamingxp.com/2019/12/dualshockers-favorite-games-of-2019-cams-top-10/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=dualshockers-favorite-games-of-2019-cams-top-10

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iln2001saudah · 6 years

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The Good Immigrant (Nikesh Shukla, et. al, 2016)

The Good Immigrant is a collect of essays by BAME writers in the UK. For this project, at this point, I have found the following essays the most useful.

Namaste - Nikesh Shukla (p.1-9)

This essay was the most relevant to me personally since it was about the British Indian experience ( and I am half Indian myself). There main focus of this essay is the bastardisation of language and also the importance of ‘voices’.

In terms of language, he focuses around the bastardisation of Hindi and Indian culture through yoga, seeing ‘hippies wearing OM and Ganesha parachute pants, their hair in dreadlocks, bindis mark out the third eyes in the middle of their foreheads’. They all keep saying ‘Namaste’ and claim to channel all their different spiritual energies but there is no understanding. As Shukla says ‘Namaste...it just means hello’.

I think this is a very important point in terms of TCK’s because it highlights one of the many conflicts that they feel they feel when trying to assimilate into their second culture whilst also maintaining their first. He is carrying around his tiffin, wearing typically kurta kameez and yet all that people know of this Indian part of his culture are things they have stolen with no regard for origins. So it leaves a conflict as to how do you fit into society when the two aspects clash.It also highlights the distress and anger many ethnic kids feel about their cultures being somewhat ruined by outsiders.

When it comes to voices, this was an interesting topic from as personal perspective, which I will get to later, but also provided a good explanation of the multiple identities developed by TCK’s, especially as they grow up.

‘my mum had three voices. She had her white-people-phone voice, her Guju-lish talk-at-home voice and her relatives voice. I have three voices too. I talk in Guju-lish, my normal voice and white literary party... I’ve splintered into personas’

Especially in a class based society such as the UK, the way that you talk is paramount to your perception. Furthermore, how you speak ‘back home’ or amongst your other family members also determines how they perceive you (for example, the infamous London accent when speaking Hindi). It is interesting that Shukla is talking about these different voices as different personalities, as opposed to different parts of the same person (refer back to Guardian article and the idea of MASKS). What I think was interesting from a personal perspective is that I hadn’t even recognised that I had different voices because it is so innate to the habits of TCK and biracial children. Shukla describes how he is unsure which is his real voice. I think from a personal perspective, I am also unaware of what my actual voice is. Is it the voice I use most frequently or is it the voice that I use when I am most at ease? Even that is subject to change. It all comes back to the sense of splintered personality and he difficulties of trying to navigate that maze, which is different from person to person.

A Guide to Being Black - Varaidzo (p.10-21)

‘With most people, their race is perhaps the only aspect of their identity guaranteed from the moment of conception...For mixed-race children it’s a little more confusing. We don’t always come out looking like your parents, and often we’ll be racialised differently to them’.

This essay looks specifically at the adoption of black culture by those who are mixed and therefore have different experiences to the expected understanding of black culture. She opens this essay by saying how she wished someone had written a guide on how to be black since she was raised by a white mother and furthermore, unaware of race since her ‘first four years of life had not really included race. A better description was that race was so commonplace as to make it an obsolete issue’.I think this is particularly the case for kids that, on top of growing up in multi-ethnic households, also live in multi-ethnic backgrounds. In my case, race and the performance of its expectations was never an issue for me until I was in a majority white secondary school and suddenly you were subconsciously sorted into the white kids, the black kids, the Asian kids and even if there was a mix between the two, it was still within the boundaries of these cliques. I had never had to think about fitting in with Asian or white kids as up until now, no one cared if you were Asian or white, they cared what Pokemon cards you had or if you had seen the latest Pixar film.

One of the interesting metaphors that she uses in the essay is the colour story. When she was a child she was obsessed with the colours red and yellow, and she knew that red and yellow mixed to create orange. Therefore, ‘with on black parent and one white, I was the orange to my father’s red and my mother’s yellow, not quite either but rather something altogether new’. However, as she discusses this further, she also points out that ‘a drop of yellow in red paint won’t do much to change the colour, but one drop of red into yellow and the whole pot is tainted forever’. This shows very clearly to my mind, how there is a prevalence of some ethnicity over others when it comes to the fate of a TCK’s or biracial child's perceived nature. This is especially the case for mixed raced black kids. No matter what the other part of you is, if you look black you are classified as black, and this is often the case with those who have features that set them apart from their peers. In this case, the idea of voices and masks become more taxing because there is no way to be multiple when you, visually, are only considered as having one face. I, on the other hand, can be seen as both Celtic and Indian since I can be seen as either a fair skinned Indian or a normal Celtic person ( so in my case my identification comes from my hijab, which is a different situation).

By the end of this essay, Varaidzo realises that the existence of a rule book would do more harm than good, as it would homogenise the black population when in fact ‘there is no one way to be black. Our worst performance is entertaining the idea that there is’. That blackness is not bound by hairstyles, n-words or performing to a standard explicitly or implicitly set by the western world.

Shade - Salena Godden (p.181 - 197)

‘Your shade is not just about your heart and soul; your religion and spirituality, your elders and your history, your connection to a country, to geography and to a time and place. Your shade is an industry, your shade is a token, shade is a passport, shade is a cage and shade is a status. You tick: Other.’

This essay looks at the history of racism and immigration as a whole along with the remnants of imperialism but often touching on its effects on the modern day situation for the mixed-race children who are a result of it. As a result, not all of this essay was wholly useful, but there were passages that expressed how ultimately everything is down to the shade of your skin and how you adapt. How there is an irony of skin bleaching in Asian countries and yet tanning in the UK. ‘Wherever you live, wherever you are from, it seems it is all about shade’; How fair or dark you are and if you are int he middle, are you a darker person or a lighter person? Godden uses many metaphors in this essay, one of which is that of a Giant sorting through glass bottles at a recycling banks, your shade of glass determines your box. Yet, as Godden explains, ‘Most people aren’t simply one or the other...where are you putting the two toned people?’.

In fact, in this essay, Godden makes an emphatic argument that if anything, people with multiple ethnicities are not any less, ‘I am two shades and therefore not half anything, but whole, I am double caste. But half sounds shadier. Half is best because half of you means less... you are half a person’. Having said that, she does later on express how there is also a sense of a dream, ‘a grand idealism, that mixed-race people are the hope for change, the peace keepers, we are the people with an other understanding, with an invested interest in everyone being treated equally as we have a foot and a loyalty in many camps, with all shades.’ Ultimately, no matter how we are perceived, there is an expectation based in out shade and our ethnicity.

She also briefly mentions the concept of mixed race people, particularly adults, being chameleons. That we will adapt to take advantage of a situation, even if it is through distasteful means like minority quotas, positive discrimination and pandering to expectations. ‘...to chameleon, to camouflage, to make your shade darker or lighter. To morph into what is required or expected. whatever it takes to survive...to be heard...to get the job’.

Apart from these specific ones, many of the other essays were useful in terms of providing the context of racial experiences in the UK that would have contributed to others. There is also a common thread I have found in many of these essays about the presentation of different races and mixed race people in media and pop culture (whether this is the Chinese and east Asian community mentioned by Wei Ming Kam (p.84 -95 ) or the typecasting of Asians by Riz Ahmed (p. 159 - 168 )). This could also be another subject I could explore in my work as I have often believed that the experiences of mixed and ethnic children have existed in pop culture, but in the form of non mixed characters.

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