#look I like classic Zelda villains

[the-moon-files]

The Chain being Down Bad🐕‍🦺™️ for Your Voice lol (Masc!Reader)

(Content under ✄----- )

@peepthatbish once again, our lovely muse peep (name twins!!) Has come to bless me, and hopefully i did that gorgeous idea justice, and dw im not done writing them all out yet :)

<333

Sun: Masculine Reader (he/him)

Orbit: Headcanons-ish

Stars: a dash of everybody <3

(except rare ones like Fierce/Koridai/Courage/Sage/etc.)

☆

Comets & Meteors: Content Warnings: fluff & Trigger Warnings: none known.

Please comment if i missed any. /gen

Ok but like

Ur voice is absolutely iconic to them

(Like the fairy fountain theme or the appearance of the Master sword, its unimaginable to them for your to not sound like that)

And its not only the heroes of Hyrule, but anyone else who could hear you

Well it helps that it used to be ur only sort of external sign of presence to outsiders

(the Links could also somewhat "feel" you in their own chests sometimes, like when u were stressed over a boss, or sad over a cutscene)

The only others who usually hear you are mostly things like the Great Fairies, the Deku Tree, other weird ass beings that know way too much (Fierce Deity)

So needless to say, when u first crash landed thru a portal into Wild's Hyrule (ur latest Zelda game you've played u guess thats why)

And the Chain had seen u in the distance, met up with you to try and help what they thought was some poor guy who accidentally fell thru Hylia's portals

But as they heard u stutter thru an introduction, instead they knew immediately it was you

Sky and Twi seriously teared up, Hyrule/Wild/Four/Wind all attacked you with a hug and excited shrieking, Legend and Wars were just gaping in shock, and Time was just staring at you

It took you a minute to pinpoint who was from what game, but as soon as you figured it out u literally jaw dropped at Time/Wild/Twi/etc.

(The ones that look different from their in game model or way better irl than graphics could ever capture)

U also may have screamed. A very manly scream. Not high pitched at all. You didnt make Legend cover his ears or the four that tackled u scramble off in fear, what- haha

(U cant blame urself, u were in literal shock, bc that's ALL the LINKS??!! Like u needed a shock blanket like rescue/ambulances gives ppl)

After calming down, it wasnt even an outright discussion or decision u could rlly choose,

They were basically kidnapping u along for the ride, also u were there for them (in pretty voice alone but still) for all their adventures,

So u even suggesting leaving u behind bc u couldnt keep up as well as them had them looking at you like they never even considered it

(And also making them individually go thru the 5 stages of grief: 😨😟😡😭🥺🙏🙏 they were all outright begging u, in their own ways, deadass by the end of it)

So as u travel, you get to understand the full impact of Your Voice, or the Guide's Voice™️.

If anyone has a nightmare, what would normally take another hero poking them with a stick and dodging the reflex punch, or them waking up unable to go back to sleep after having the nightmare, etc.

U quickly realized only took you talking to comfort them, with no reflex punch when they woke up, if they woke up, sometimes u were so good at it the nightmare just cleared ended according to their face

In your first battle against the shadow, along with lots of black-blooded monsters, u realized how much more confidently every Link fought as soon as you were speaking from behind them

They got even better and less stressed abt fighting when u managed to crack a few jokes or go toe to toe verbally with the Shadow lol

Legend outright guffawed when you pulled a dumb "sigh... well i guess... maybe... ur mom." joke in response to his villain monologue, like wiping a tear and everything, saying "u used to say that all the time after dumb long evil speeches, its a fucking classic" 💀

Literally will have them asking you to make more jokes bc it makes them feel better in tense situations/battles (most to least frequently: Sky, Wild, Hyrule, Wind, Twi, Time, Wars, Legend, Four) but they love it equally

Okay but,

U have Definitely. Sent chills down their spines when u get into lower ranges lol

U dont understand why everyone needs to talk to you so bad first thing in the morning,

or alternatively why they keep wanting you to go on a rant abt ur fav book/tv show/thing either???

U are always the last for story time at the campfire every night, and unlike the others, they refuse to let you take a night off, u have to say smth every night??

It amazes u they like ur voice so much, huh, Wild/Twi/Wars/Four/Hyrule must all be getting a little too close to the fire, theyre faces are looking a little red/pink

(Legend and Time just look rlly pleased/happy to be here, they only ever look a little overheated when u specifically look at them while ur talking/or tell a story abt them, and they usually are always the ones asking u another question to prompt u to keep going forever)

Wars may or may not have a life changing moment he told u abt ur voice on his adventures where Cia was like, "Ah Link... let me get a good look at you..."

Link: 😰🤢🥲

You: "... and girl, I am only looking at your tiddies right now."

If Wars had smth to drink right then he wouldve spit-taked.

It was like the one time he was caught so genuinely off-guard, and u just made him suddenly feel 10x more comfortable facing her, he literally couldnt keep his knight trained composure together, he had to lean on his knees he was crying with laughter

That was the first Cia heard of you too and she literally audibly gasped lmao

It was like all of a sudden Wars and Cia had been in on a joke no one else could hear around them (Shiek/Zelda is confused to this day by that)

And there are countless moments like this from each of their adventures where u did this, u cant help but feel mildly embarassed when u hear it at first

But then seeing how much ur voice and comments meant to them and how happy it made them u can help but want to talk more and more and more

Youve never felt more comfortable talking to this many people in ur entire life,

Bc u can literally see their elf ears twitching cutely when they pick up ur voice

BEST BELIEEEVVEEEE

u arent getting out of singing to them.

Yeah, sorry, theyve heard u sing ur fav songs while gaming too many times, they need to hear u sing irl, Now.

Most of them ignore or sort of passively enjoy bards/musicians on their journeys, but as soon as u so much as hum-

Its like they're all clambering to get closer to hear u, but also not make u aware thats what theyre doing, so they end up just:

Four/Legend/Hyrule trying to hide behind various (upside down) books, behind plants that're not that bushy, or one memorable time, when u sang "Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy" quietly to urself, a bard's tune got close and reminded u of it,

and Four fully threw his hammer on his toes bc he was so shocked/lovestruck, he completely missed the anvil and just threw it at the ground/his feet LMAO

Time and Wars, cheeky strategists they are, immediately fall back behind u wherever u are, so u cant see them, but they can still hear u lol

(Theyre the only ones youve not caught actively listening/straining to come closer to hear u... bc theyre behind u lol)

Wild/Sky/Twi all fully whip their heads around fast enough to crack it, then clumsily try to recover so u wont stop

Wild/Sky just fully accidentally like fall into lakes/ponds trying to stay just out of range or even (they both tried it once, and never again after u got onto them) got on a rooftop

And fell. When u got quieter they tried to get closer and- yep.

(Idiots were fine and smiling when u came to check on them)

Twilight.

Twilight's the worst ngl.

Just fully stares in awe at you until u stop out of embarassment, and has had the audacity multiple times to pop up as Wolfie and just happily listen like you havent also been thru the adventure that literally made him a werewolf

Wind is a cutie, he always joins in, esp when he recognizes the song, and since they can somehow remember the songs u sang while gaming, it will never not be a core memory for you to sing "Drunken Sailor" back to back with "I LOVE YOU HOE" by ODETARI (ft.9lives)

with Wind Waker Link.

You nearly died when you heard him singing the chorus, like literally right after drunken sailor 💀

(Its catchy u got it stuck in ur head from tiktok audios)

(Wind absolutely makes fun of the others for being in love with ur voice, like he'll trick u into ranting abt smth late at night when ur voice is husky or ur just low energy atm, and then from behind you just mouth at the rest of them, sitting looking up at you like ur an angel,

G A Y Y Y Y 🫵🫵🫵 )

☆

Sorry to anyone whose sent in stuff to my mailbox! I promise ill answer u tomorrow!!

Im acc running another blog for a diff fandom and i got busy today :/

BUT THANK U SM AND I LOVE YOU TO ANYONE WHO SENT STUFF IN !! <3333

Like, i would write a fic for u tysm for showing me ur interest bc it feels like tumbleweeds are blowing thru LU fandom when i check the tags 💀

Which isnt awful! I just like hearing feedback from ppl or just talking abt LU and stuff :)

Peace out,

🌙

[ganondoodle]

one of the few zelda youtuber guys that seems to actually love totk made a video about it (i guess bc so many talked about why they dont like it) and while i didnt watch it i took a peek into the comments and of course its full of people going "LMAO people only dislike it bc it didnt validate their crazy theories!!" "its always the same when a new zelda comes out lol at first they hate it and then later its a classic haha idiots" "people who dont like it are just caught up in their nostalgia and cant accept anything new being introduced!!"

also thanking him for "speaking up" about loving the game ... which i find kinda mind boggling bc the internet is full of praise and 10/10s for it

i obviously dont want to villainize people that love totk but like .. these kinds of comments are so unecessarily judgemental? how dare someone NOT like an entry in the franchise and voice legit criticism, how dare someone not worship the game just bc it has zelda on it! CLEARLY they are just made delusional by their own fantasy and will realize later just how wrong they were! hah! those fools!

on my rants there were quite a few people who actually said they like the game but agree with alot of my views on it regardless, it is very flawed but i can also see that the good things outweigh the bad stuff for others, even if i legitimately hate it; but i also had to block multiple people bc they got so butthurt about me criticising it

and i dont think its 100% just an opinion thing either, totk, even when i disregard my personal feelings on the matter, has alot of problems, moreso than the other zeldas (each judged for how it was in their time) and in pretty much every part of the game too (story, lore, continuity, gameplay and rewards, UI-) and i think alot of it stems from its conception, they have never done a true direct sequel before and it came from a DLC idea, and it shows (though i still believe even coming from that you could have done something way better..... bc they also made botw, which seemed to prepare fertile ground for more storytelling that was all discarded for NO reason)

BUT that doesnt mean you cant like it anyway! there are some very horribly shitty games out there that are beloved by people anyway! and thats fine! i love ww and botw, both of which HAVE flaws too! and thats okay!

you dont need to be dismissive of any hint of criticism like that, there is no holy honor to defend, it just makes you look like a jerk

[izunias-meme-hole]

Okay, I keep hearing about the stuff about “TOTK is Pro-Imperialism” and I want to share my thougths.

TOTK isn’t Pro-Imperialism, but it isn’t Anti-Imperialism either

This debate has been surrounding The Legend of Zelda: Tears of The Kingdom for quite a bit, so I’m just here to state my thoughts on it based off of stuff from previous games, and stuff from in-game to try my best to form the clearest possible explanation to all of this. I apologize if this sounds like ramblings, I’m just trying my damnedest to condesce my thoughts on this matter into one post.

Point 1: Rauru is flawed, but not a monster

A fair amount of people think Rauru was the real evil, primarily due to the imperialism, but the reality is not exactly that. Rauru genuinely is a good man, and doesn’t exactly match the image of a conqueror or malevolent being in the end, but he does fall into an archetype the series likes presenting; The Questionable Hylian King. King Rhoam and Daphnes both fall into this category by both being men who would do whatever they can to preserve the Kingdom of Hyrule, but they aren’t exactly great people. Rauru however is a unique case, because despite having a good heart, he is still questionable because of how he was planning to build his kingdom, the stash of Zonai Secret Stones that were just kept in the castle at the time, and based off of how he planned to handle Ganondorf before the bastard became the Demon King, he didn’t consider the potential problems. 

As for the Imperialism, based off the scraps of info we have on the Zonai, and the fact that Rauru even considered on having that be the base for the system that Ancient Hyrule would function on once, it leads me to believe that the Zonai Civilization was most likely an empire that lived in the skies that mostly kept to itself and was around since Skyward Sword. Still, empires are destined to fall, and as a result, only 2 young Zonai were left, Rauru and Mineru. I think that when Rauru was founding Hyrule with Sonia, he was most likely thinking about the Zonai Civilization, and what aspects of that he could carry over into this new kingdom. Still, it’s clear that when building Hyrule, the one thing he DID consider was that he wanted a kingdom and land that would bring peaceful and orderly, and he might’ve flirted with the idea of a United Hyrule after finding out about the other races and civilizations.

Rauru if anything, wanted order. He wanted Hyrule to be a land that wasn’t sullied by evil, and he had good intentions and a good heart, but his methods were flawed at best and just garbage at worst. If anything, Zelda and Link are meant to basically are meant to look at him and learn what NOT to do when rebuilding Hyrule. Order may be something that’s usually associated as something good, but it just depends on who’s trying to establish it.

Point 2: Ganondorf has a motive and it’s one that brings only chaos

I hear talks about how Ganondorf has no motive in this game, but that isn’t the case here. This is mostly denied with some lines of his english dub and his motive is explained clearly in the Japanese dub. He, much like his other incarnations, is one of those antagonists who follow “The Mandate To Heaven,” which is basically a “the strong thrive while the weak perish” mentality that was used by a lot of real life emperors and conquerors, however there’s also another element to his character that seperates him from other incarnations of the character. He’s an embodiment of chaos and is aware of it.

Look at Ganondorf’s Demon King design, and his personality in this game and tell me that he isn’t chaos incarnate. Ganon has ranged from being a classic villian, a tragic villain, and magnificent bastard as a human, to a generic doomsday villain in his beastial forms. But here? He’s aware of his capacity for causing chaos and uses it to his advantage to ruin Rauru’s attempt at establishing order. Not only that, but he believes that hard times make people strong, and that anyone who desires peace is a coward. He and the Gerudo have thrived in a chaotic environment, The Desert, however while the rest of the Gerudo wish to just be left the hell alone, Ganondorf wished to extend his reach across the land, and after becoming the Demon King, his first act was to revive dead monsters, reintroducing chaos into the world as a result. He abandoned the Gerudo for the sake of his goal to dismantle the young Kingdom of Hyrule and turn the land into a hellscape where only the strong can thrive, a hellscape ruled by him, a king who MUST crush any opposition and rule.

This is a similar, yet different take on Ganondorf that not only remains true to his kingly mentality, but carries a chaotic and destructive energy that helps cement him as a true enemy to order as a concept, and not a king who’s selfish heart caused him to go power mad (OOT, TP & WW) or a genuinely good leader who still carries a monstrous and power hungry side to him (HW). This Ganondorf is not just evil, nor is he just a conqueror. He’s the enemy to peace and order, no matter who’s trying to establish it, all because peace and order doesn’t align with his worldview.

Point 3: Zelda is not a monster, but she does carry an impact

This one should be obvious, especially since Hyrule was still realing from The Calamity, but apparently it isn’t. Zelda is the last Hylian Royal in the present, but not just that. She’s been helping people recover, alongside the Shiekah too. She’s probably kept in touch with the Gorons, Rito, Zora, and Gerudo during that time and helped them too, and considering that she was friends with their champions, it gives her even more reasons to help, despite the fact that she would’ve tried to help anyway. Zelda in all of her appearances, especially in BOTW and TOTK is a genuinely good person, but unlike Rauru, she’s only concerned with peace and is careful with her steps. Remember, she DID question Rauru’s plan to keep an eye on Ganondorf. Sure it’s her duty to ensure order, as The Princess, but she genuinely believes that peace should be the objective of any royal. Zelda is willing to do whatever she can for peace, but she knows that there are certain paths that she cannot tread, unless she desires to abuse her power, and this is why she values wisdom, and this is why people trust her as much as they do.

Ganondorf’s puppet copy of Zelda did some heinous shit with her face, but even then, it still managed to fool some people. The puppet was designed to take advantage of that trust, and put people in distraught. In other words, when the REAL Zelda came back, you bet your ass that shit was set stright.

Point 4: The imperialism is just… existing in ancient hyrule, and is never glorified or demonized

Yeah, imperialism is implied, but it’s not glorified or demonized. It was just there for Ancient Hyrule before Ganondorf threw the land into chaos. Aside from that, based off of everything we know about BOTW and TOTK, whatever imperialism was in going to be in Ancient Hyrule, it didn’t see the light of day BECAUSE of the chaos created by Demon King Ganondorf. If anything it was just known as a thing exclusive to that era, and I explained Rauru’s deal. It’s almost like the imperialism was just a thing of the past and nothing more, a failed byproduct of a founder who was flawed as a King.

Before anyone brings it up, yes, the Gerudo of the past (TOTK Memories and OOT) are different from the ones in the present, and they even fought Rauru, but juding by how their leader revived a bunch of long dead monsters and tried to turn the world into his “only the strong survive” dreamland, it makes sense why they ditched him, it’s the same reason why the Gerudo centuries after OOT are allies of Hyrule in the BOTW timeline. They may have their problems with the hylians and men, but they’d rather work with them than pave the way for Ganondorf to bring them to ruin.

Conclusion: ToTK is not propaganda, it’s just a simple game with a piece of lore that has imperialism

As I said in point 4, the game isn’t pro imperialism, but it isn’t anti imperialism either, it just brings it up for the flashbacks as the implied system of government Rauru probably wanted to set up (Which I theorize was due to the Zonai Civilization being something akin to an empire that kept to itself before inevitably falling) for the purpose of genuinely wanting peace and order, and when the war against Ganondorf begins, that idea falls apart because chaos is sweeping the land and Rauru basically sacrifices himself to stop it, and Zelda at the end of her journey learns from the founders mistakes.

Hope this helps, but it probably won’t ☠️☠️☠️☠️

[blueskittlesart]

how would you define a ‘zelda’ game? im making an au of sorts for it but sometimes i cant tell if im taking the zelda out of zelda- whether the master sword is a requirement or not (maybe not because of the four sword?) or having light vs dark/good vs bad as a general theme. this also kinda fascinates me as people tend to complain abt botw as being less of a zelda game compared to past entries. why though? ive seen the lack of stakes being complained about but i dont think a story should have to have world ending stakes to be a zelda game or a good story- could be wrong though. also with how every zelda game strives for a different Vibe than the last what makes one better than the other? anyways yadda yadda replace a ships wooden boards until every board is replaced is it still the same ship, whatre your thoughts?

actually what makes a zelda game a zelda game anon here. i think a better question would be what makes a zelda story a zelda story

as someone who has also/is also writing their own zelda game i do have a lot of thoughts about this. obviously one of the things that defines mainline zelda games is the formula, which if you're doing a ganon/demise villain and you want to be canon-compliant, you're gonna want to follow to some degree in order to stay consistent with the lore. there are other things that go into it though, like the themes, writing style, the presence of certain elements, etc. let's get into what i think is important!!

first of all, the formula. this only applies to mainline games, so if you're looking to do a sequel-style story you have a LOT more freedom, and certain games bend these rules quite a bit so they're not hard-and-fast, but if you want your game to FEEL canon-compliant it's good to take these steps as a general guideline.

opening segment--this is where link wakes up with nothing and has to run around the starting point of the game collecting items to progress. almost every mainline game will have him begin sleeping in a bedroom of some kind, and the player's first action will be to move him out of bed, so if you're struggling for a start point, that's a classic. he usually needs to find at least a sword and shield in this segment, and the player will be encouraged to talk to npcs to get some exposition along the way.

at the end of the opening segment the player is given the true first task of the game, which usually involves travelling somewhere, often with the goal of meeting zelda. the player may also be told to begin seeking out dungeons at this point, or zelda might tell them when they meet her in person for the first time.

the first dungeon section of the game will usually include 3-4 dungeons, often forest/water/fire/air themed and located in those respective regions of hyrule. these dungeons will have a map item to be found as well as (usually) some other dungeon item which allows you to progress through dungeon puzzles (classic items include bombs, boomerang, bow & arrows, hookshot, etc) and a boss fight at the end. when the player completes each of these dungeons, they are given an artifact which they have been told will somehow progress the gameplay for them once they collect all of them. (e.g. in oot the 3 gems unlock the temple of time) this is a crucial point bc no one is gonna want to do your dungeons without a gameplay-advancing reward at the end.

after the final initial dungeon there's usually a mini-boss fight of some kind, often with a secondary antagonist (girahim, agahnim, zant, etc) (if you're using botw as a reference point, stop doing that now, because botw ends here in terms of formula)

after all of that, there's what i like to refer to as a catalyst. this can technically be anything, but the most important point is that it must dramatically shift the trajectory of the story and/or the player's perspective. in oot it's the time change, in wind waker it's the underwater-hyrule reveal, etc. often (but not always) this reveal will come along with a new gameplay mechanic in which something about either the player or the world can be modified to access new areas of the map/solve new puzzles. (oot age-switch, alttp dark vs regular world, tp wolf form, etc) if your game includes the master sword, this is usually when the player will get it.

with a changed perspective and access to new areas, the player is now informed of a NEW goal, usually to beat ganon, who by this point has definitely kidnapped zelda and is holding her hostage. this kicks off the second segment of dungeons. usually there are 6-8 dungeons in this section, following the same map/item/boss/reward formula. (most classic games have you rescuing PEOPLE from these dungeons, but modern ones kinda did away with the damsel-in-distress thing lol)

once those dungeons have been completed, it's time for the final dungeon of the game, which is ALWAYS hyrule castle. this one may have a map, but usually doesn't have any dungeon item or even that many puzzles, it's really more about hacking through menial enemies to get to the big guy. the final battle of the game will be your big bad (usually ganon) and will traditionally have 2 phases, one inside the castle (where, if he ever looked human, he will look human) and one outside of it (where he will become much more monstrous.)

that's the VERY BASIC formula of MOST mainline zelda games. but like i said, plenty of games bend or cut out parts of this formula completely, and some games that follow it pretty well don't feel quite as 'zelda' to me as others. so there are obviously other things that make a zelda game a zelda game.

the first & one of the most important to me is the theming of the games. the franchise has cyclical overarching lore which really lends itself to explorations of coming-of-age, trauma, and healing, which is often what the most successful games focus on. I don't think a successful game NEEDS to be a coming-of-age, but it ABSOLUTELY needs to have SOME central theme to be built around. the best zelda games are the ones which clearly have something to SAY, a secondary thematic narrative that makes their stories relatable and impactful instead of just pure fantasy escapism. if you're looking to emulate the impact that zelda games have on their players, finding something relatable to the human experience and building your story around an exploration of that theme is a great place to start.

another thing to consider is the zelda writing style. zelda games occupy a really interesting niche among modern rpgs because they have such a long history and are often very married to emulating their predecessors. What this means in terms of writing is that zelda still employs a VERY player-based mode of storytelling. the games which define this franchise were built and released when storage space was the single biggest constraint game developers had on their stories; thus, they were built with the incentive to keep cutscenes and dialog to a minimum. this meant that if the developers wanted to tell a story in their games, they needed to get the PLAYER to tell that story for themself. what sets modern zelda games like botw apart from other rpgs (for me, at least) is the almost complete lack of action-breaking cutscenes and dialog. whenever you have a long cutscene in an rpg, you're forcibly removing the player from control of their character and therefore taking them out of the action to some degree, ESPECIALLY if the player character makes decisions during those cutscenes free of the player's influence. zelda games are very careful to avoid taking the player out of the action in almost EVERY instance. you will very rarely see cinematic cutscenes, and you will NEVER have link moving or taking action on his own independently of the player. the entire story & writing process tends to follow that same principle--how can we convey this story to the player through the player's own actions? very rarely will the story be outright stated to you through dialog or cutscenes, instead you will have to piece things together yourself, keeping the player centered in the story at all times.

you mentioned the presence of the master sword in your ask, and i think that breath of the wild is a good example of a zelda game that removes a lot of the standard elements of the franchise without losing the feeling of a zelda game. the master sword, while technically present, is not required to beat the game at all, and it's completely possible to beat ganon without ever finding it. the triforce is totally absent and not even MENTIONED throughout the ENTIRE game. despite this, (in my opinion) botw doesn't lose that zelda feeling. i think the reason for this is because it holds on so tightly to the theme and writing style i mentioned above, and pulls in just enough elements of the formula that it's still recognizeable despite clearly being something new. (the divine beasts are the dungeons, dungeon items are replaced with runes, there are clear REFERENCES to the lore even when its not stated outright, etc.) i also think part of the reason that botw is successful in this regard is because there's a REASON thematically for it to be divorced in this way from other games. it takes place at least 10k years removed from every other game and in the wake of a massive kingdom-ruining tragedy, so the fact that some changes have been made to the standard mechanics players are used to feels natural when paired with this changed version of hyrule. if you want to make a drastic change like that, i think it's always going to feel a bit more natural if you give players a REASON for that change, even if the reason is just 'well EVERYTHING is different so obviously this thing is too.'

final point, and not necessarily as important as the others but still worth noting, i think mood and art direction are something worth considering as well. I have NEVER seen a dark&moody adaptation of zelda that still felt like zelda to me. not to beat a dead horse, but these games originally come from the NES. for YEARS they were defined by sharp, brightly-colored graphics, and i really do think something is lost when you strip all the color and cartoonish-ness from them. (this is NOT a dig at botw btw, i actually think botw did a REALLY good job of creating a world that was both adequately colorful AND realistic. this IS a dig at twilight princess.) many of my favorite zelda games are defined by their bright and blocky art styles, and if anything i think zelda games are a testament to the fact that you can make a thematically dark game WITHOUT sacrificing your art direction to black overlays.

anyways!! hope this helps lol

[smilesrobotlover]

ooh hyrule warriors? the regular one, not aoc

Oh gosh I love this game. It’s so silly and insane and it embraces that, yet it’s deep at the same time? I love this incarnation of Link and Zelda, this Ganondorf is one of my favs, Impa is also one of my favs, and Lana is such a lovely character and a joy to watch. The story overall is fun and the game is a BLAST to play through! Every character is fun to play for me and some of the music that aren’t an adaptation of classic Zelda music are so good. I really like this game and am trying to 100% it, it’s just a slow going process 😅

I mostly wish that Cia didn’t look like that. Like… this is a zelda game does she need to wear that outfit? If it was a more mature game I really wouldn’t care, but it doesn’t fit the whole vibe. I also wish she and Lana shared the same skin color. Like why on EARTH is Cia darker skinned than Lana even tho they’re the same person? What are they implying with that. Very weird and not a fan. I overall don’t like Cia much as a character. I also…. Just… no Groose??? There’s no groose at all? The twilight era has two heroes and a villain. The era of time has two heroes and sorta a villain if you wanna count Volga? But the era of skies??? It only has Fi and Ghirahim?? Where is Groose? He’s the best characyer ever why isn’t he there? The groosenator is there so why isn’t he??? Is it cuz he’s not easy on the eyes or somethin??? C’mon groose deserves to be in this game 😭😭😭😭 and this is more of a personal gripe but I despise Agitha. Why isn’t groose there but this weird bug lover npc is??? Why couldn’t Rusl or even Ashei be there?? They’re actual fighters! They have an important role to the story! Why is Agitha there I will never let this go. I get so upset over it HDKSBSKS

I also kinda wish the enemy in the dlc with Tetra and Daphnes was more unique and not… phantom Ganon. Like imagine if it was Bellum :o that would be cool

Idk I do like this game a lot it’s very silly and fun and I like the characters :) except Agitha. And cia, and Wizzro lol

[reds-fluff-extravaganza]

Fandoms I will write for

I'm surprised I haven't done this sooner. Anyways, time for a proper list of fandoms I will write oneshots for!

Ace Attorney

Andy's Apple Farm

Bee and Puppycat

Balan Wonderworld

Castlevania

Danganronpa

Deltarune

Demon Slayer

Final Fantasy (these may take me a bit longer to write as I'm still new to the series)

Friday Night Funkin (FNF)

Gregory Horror Show (GHS)

Hellsing

Jujutsu Kaisen

Legend of Zelda (except for Tears of the Kingdom characters since I have yet to play it or look at a play through!)

Mega Man (classic, X, battle network, star force, and legends!)

My Happy Marriage

OFF

One Piece

One Punch Man

Kingdom Hearts (these may take me a bit longer to write as I'm new to this series as well)

Kirby

Pokemon (main games and side games like PMD, Ranger and Conquest)

Pokemon Creepypastas (Steven and Mike (Strangled Red), Glitchy Red, Snow on Mount Silver Gold (Blake) and Red, Lost Silver and Grey)

Persona (these may take me a bit longer to write as I'm also new to this series)

Resident Evil

Senyuu

Sonic the Hedgehog

Stardew Valley

Spy x Family

The Amazing Digital Circus

The Devil is a Part Timer

Undertale and AUs

Villainous

Wii Deleted You

[saemi-the-dreamer]

For the pairing ask meme: Mareach, Zelink, Powser and Ganzelda?

Oh, so I've got the Princess/Hero VS Villain/Princess? 😏 Childhood OTPs ahead, let's do this!

Mario/Peach

Yes, yes-yes-yes!! Especially in the "Paper Mario" series games and "Mario RPG"! It's the classical hero/princess done right, Mario is always so respectful and sweet towards Peach, never expecting anything from her while Peach is always so graceful and looking at him with such a loving gaze aaaaaAAAaaaWWww!! SWEETNESS OVERDOSE!! And in games where we get them to team up 👍👍👍 Love their energy and bond, it's both sweet and fun to see!

Bowser/Peach

Excellent fanfic material - depends on which games - and I love it! Beauty and the Beast vibes always work for me 😂 They could have a "opposites attract" dynamic, which is always interesting and fun to read/see. As long as Mario doesn't get heartbroken or bashed, I'm all for it!! One-sided, complicated relationship, star-crossed lovers or happy ending, I love all of them for this pairing!

Zelda/Link

Another childhood OTP, especially after "Ocarina of Time". The whole reincarnation and sort of "soul sisters" is also a good touch for me. It depends on the games though, there are some in which the two don't interact much and Link got to bond with another endearing character, but Zelink still holds a special place in my heart. So far, my favourite versions of Zelink are: Ocarina of Time (+ Majora's Mask, that flashback!!), Wind Waker, Skyward Sword and A Link to the Past BotW is good too, it's just that I didn't get to play it yet 🤣 , only watched some bits here and here and from what I saw, they are adorable there too <3

Zelda/Ganon(dorf)

I am a big fan of @figmentforms comic and I really like the potential of this pairing! Not as much as with Peach/Bowser, but I am fascinated with the concept of them being eternally (or not?) star-crossed lovers because of the cycle/spirits or Gods they are the reincarnation of getting in the way. I'd love to see Ganondorf breaking from Demise's hatred and living his own life someday, let Ganondorf be part of the team!! 😭

[inumbrapugnabimus-maybe]

🟦🟧

thank you so much for the ask!!

I decided to answer the second one first since talking about OCs might take a while…

Rambles (and art!!) under the cut :)

I have a few different answers to this one! I definitely draw Legend from linked universe the most, but my favorite to draw is Link from Skyward Sword (both his normal design and his linked universe one)! But that is just when it comes to faces! My favorite outfit to draw at the moment is ALTTP Zelda’s!

and now on to the dreaded topic of OCs… I have a LOT. Some are connected to a loz au I’m sort of working on every once in a while and the other’s are from an original story that’s been fermenting in my brain since middle school… their designs aren’t finalized and neither are their personalities for the most part. I guess I’ll tell you about some from each?

ok! Here are Zelda and Link from my au! (These designs are months old and I’ll probably redo them completely at some point)

I don’t have much of the plot and personalities determined yet, with the exception of Zelda’s. She is pretty young and naive at the beginning, and is pretty timid too! She has to grow out of herself a lot and once she moves past her shyness she has a fiery spirit and a strong sense of joy at discovering the world around her. She is also a menace. You’d almost think she’d have the triforce of courage, but she still wields wisdom, though in a more decisive, instinctual way (almost like she is just following her gut) Sheik is a disguise she uses partly to hide from Ganondorf, and partly because she wants Link to think of her as someone more than the scared little girl he rescued a year earlier. Link, on the other hand, I have no idea how to portray. Much like Ganondorf in this au, his personality eludes me. I do know he is a bit grumpier and pretty serious, and has travelled all his life.

I don’t want to write too much, but I do have a lot of ✨thoughts✨ about them, if anyone is curious!

and as for my actually original OCs, I don’t have any good examples of their designs…

I don’t want to describe the entire plot, so I can’t explain most of the characters at all XD

my main villain however (tho he’s not exactly a villain), I can talk about! So the story is set in a sort of fantasy sort of medieval setting but the poor guy (I haven’t figured out a name for him yet) got sealed away for centuries… he used to be the chieftain of the nomadic tribe that dominated the island they live on, but centuries later with a king on the throne he is a bit out of place! (and also furious about losing everything he knew and loved) His main motivation is revenge against those who (to him) usurped his power and killed his wife and their yet to be born son. He is not at all aware that he is in the future and the very usurpers he seeks to destroy are his own descendants.

personality-wise, he’s a little out of his mind, and has a very sharp wit. He is very barbaric and a bit wild, but carries himself like a king. He has a lot of traits of the classic cool and calculating villain, but his main motivation is the love for his family twisted into a primal rage. When he’s angry he becomes hysterical and tends to speak almost softly, almost laughing, before exploding into anger.

oh, and he’s not exactly human anymore. He’s at this point, and through no fault of his own, basically sentient black mist that can talk and change form. He chooses to stay in the form of his human self however, but looks less so the more he gives up what humanity he has left.

he’s probably my favorite part of the story tbh.

ok! That’s it!! Hope I didn’t dump to much info about my OCs; I wasn’t sure how much to share…

[plainndry]

I think I am gonna make a Media thread to share what I’ve played/watched this year. It looks like a fun thing to do! (Copied from my Twitter thread)

Here’s what I experienced in 2023

Dark Souls 2 Scholar of the first sin:

While souls games tend to be frustrating for me, they are also brilliant experiences, and I had a ton of fun with DS2! The Halbert in this game specifically is my favorite weapon in the entire series as of rn.

Neon White:

I hope everyone finds a game that fits their taste as well as Neon White fits mine. One of my new favorite games with such a satisfying sense of flow and rhythm that I couldn’t put it down till I got a gold medal on every stage.

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish:

I loved the TV show they did so I wasn’t totally surprised but this exceeded my expectations. Gorgeous art style, fluid animation, compelling characters, and the most intimidating animated movie villain in a long time make this a winner in my book!

Bocchi the Rock Season 1:

IT’S SO CUTE AND FUN OMG!!!! A really heartfelt and well realized story with an absolute banger soundtrack. I loved every single character and every single episode so much, it’s truly an amazing show!

Elden Ring:

This game is scary in how good it is. It’s massive, intensely difficult, detailed, and beautifully crafted. It’s so much that I’m inclined to say it’s too much. But too much of a masterpiece is still a masterpiece. I’m carrying this victory with me for a long time.

Transistor:

Holy wow, I haven’t been surprised by a game like this in awhile! It’s an extremely well designed tactical action game with an unconventional narrative structure and absolutely killer visuals and music. I’ll definitely consider returning for another run later on!

Summer Wars:

An absolute rollercoaster of a movie. I really enjoyed the family dynamic and the different ways the story unfolded. It wasn’t what I expected at all and I think it was better for it. The visual design is incredible too! It’s very pleasant to look at. A fun movie!!

Journey:

I’ve rarely seen a game so perfectly titled. It was a true journey. It was an experience that was unique to me and my own playthrough. That’s what I think is truly special about this game. The people you meet and the way you progress while linear is truly your own

John Wick 4:

Absolutely lives up to the quality of this series. John wick continues to impress me with its action choreography and cinematography. This entry specifically has a strong set of side characters, some excellent music compositions, and amazing settings. Loved this one!

Portal 2 (Co-op):

I played the single player years ago but I finally got to finish the co-op campaign and it was a blast!!! Portal is one of if not the most satisfying puzzle games I’ve played. Reminds me how much of a classic this one is. Shoutout to my cousin for joining me!

Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves:

A really enjoyable action comedy movie! It did a good job capturing the dynamic of a dnd party. A super fun time with genuine humor, great performances all around, and the appropriate amount of chaos for a movie in the dnd universe.

The Super Mario Bros Movie:

A solid film! The Music stole the show for me, Peach and Bowser were huge highlights and Luigi and Toad had great performances too! I was disappointed by the Kongs voices but it’s a film with a lot of love for the series in there! Peach is great btw💕

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom :

This game somehow impresses today in the same way botw does. The improvements rocket this game into the stratosphere. While i suffered the same fatigue I did with Elden ring at the end, I also found myself in awe almost the entire time

Spider Man: Across the Spiderverse :

I um, don’t know what to say. Visual feast, extremely compelling plot, character work that hit so so hard, an animated movie the likes of which I’ve never seen. Just incredible

Barbie Movie:

It was so incredibly fun. I had a good few laughs and it had really compelling characters. Very appropriately campy with the depth to back up the camp. A well made film

Cassette Beasts:

What a fantastic game. It recaptured the magic I haven’t felt since playing Pokémon platinum for the first time. It’s battle system is so engaging, story filled with mystery, characters absolutely lovely, and a world that is just the right size for exploring. 💕

[tokiro07]

Ostensibly Nintendo plans to make BotW/TotK the default Zelda style going forward, which while I love these games, is bad news for me because I prefer the 2D Zelda games

How many variations and alterations can they make to Hyrule in order to make reexploring it consistently fun? Sure, TotK has a vague feeling of nostalgic familiarity because it’s been over six years since I played BotW and there’s just enough changed about the terrain that there’s also a sense of unfamiliarity, but what if I’d just played BotW last month to prepare for TotK?

And how long will there be between TotK and the next one? Will the next one follow the same Link, or a new incarnation of the Hero?

I was talking to my wife about this, and she suggested that there’s nothing stopping Nintendo from revisiting Links we’ve already seen, just like they did with Wind Waker Link in Phantom Hourglass after there’d been like three new Links already. From there, I realized that there is at least one way to redo Hyrule that would be sufficiently different while also playing on one’s familiarity with it: exploring the sunken Hyrule of Wind Waker, like combining Zelda with Subnautica. I’m not sure how much mileage one could get out of that since canonically there are no Zora or other sentient creatures underwater after the Great Flood, but maybe this could be long after the events of Wind Waker and the non-Rito-fied Zora have returned to Hyrule

Alternatively, I suppose we could see a fully rebuilt and arguably industrialized Hyrule; needing to navigate populated cities rather than dilapidated ruins and slowly rebuilding towns would definitely be a new experience contextually while also showing how the kingdom has recovered, but where do you really go from there?

Lorule? The Dark World? While seeing a corrupted version of Hyrule could be neat, the post-Calamity devastation doesn’t really make for a very good contrast, not to mention the fact that Lorule was restored at the end of LBW and the Dark World was turned back into the Sacred Realm at the end of LttP. Still, if we do journey through Lorule, that’s an opportunity for Ravio to get a game, I suppose. Not that they’d ever give us that

Other than that, I think the best bet is to just go to new kingdoms entirely. Seeing the structure of the Twilight Realm as its meant to be would be much appreciated, and I certainly wouldn’t object to seeing more of New Hyrule now that the Spirit Tracks are back in order

What I’d REALLY like to see, though, are Holodrum and Labrynna. They’re much more likely to just do a straight remake of the Oracle games like Link’s Awakening, but if I got to ride Ricky and bump into my girl Maple in 3D? I’d go NUTS

But most likely they’ll create new kingdoms after they run out of ideas for Hyrule itself rather than revisiting and expanding old ideas. Maybe if we’re lucky we’ll get to meet new races and villains

Either way, I’d prefer that they alternate between 2D, classic 3D and open-world Zeldas, but as it stands it looks like Zelda’s going the way of Sonic: sticking with one formula for x-number of years, jumping to a new one for the next few years until it gets stale and they find something else, and revisiting the classic style every once in a while

[twistedsamuraiadvice]

Prosecutor Blackquill (and Fool-- I mean Fullbright can answer too if he'd like),

Do you like The Legend of Zelda at all or do you have any opinion on it? If so, do you have a favorite game? One of my friends asked me to draw you in Link's champion outfit and it's sitting in my doodle folder (honestly I think you look really good in it).

Please give Taka some extra love from me, he's a good bird and deserves all the love and attention in the world!

-Sun

Sun,

I am not much of a gamer, but I've no objection to the legend of Zelda. It is a classic tale, the Princess, the Hero, the Villain, typically Ganon, yes? A mad man driven by power. It's a simple formula, but that is not a bad thing. As a youth I played the minish cap, and while that is the only one I've interacted with personally, Athena is quite found of the new one, with the horses. It looks very well done.

I am certain I would look fine in it, and would be intrigued to see your work. I would be lying if I claimed defeating that vatti was not an enjoyable experience, perhaps I would feel similar to defeating others.

Taka is the best bird, and shall receive all of the attention deserved, rest assured.

-Simon Blackquill

[undercityrezident]

A Zelda RPG

I think I mentioned this briefly in my reflection on TotK, but after being able to have the sages travel and fight with you in the game (and then their avatars later) to the point of having five characters fighting alongside you at once, I’ve suddenly gained the intense craving for a party-oriented turn-based or tactical RPG of Zelda.

And I don’t think it’s such a weird or far-out idea either because mainstream Nintendo franchises have branched out into other genres, including RPGs. Just look at Mario RPG, Paper Mario, and Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga.

I would absolutely dive into a turn-based RPG with Link and any number of staple characters from the franchise in any number of Zelda game settings (i.e. Ocarina of Time’s, Twilight Princess’s, Hyrule, or BotW/TotK’s). Hell, maybe we can have a sort of untold side story based on something we didn’t see in these games, such as TotK’s Imprisoning War where we only saw how it started and ended.

Imagine gearing up and altering characters’ classes against their typically expected roles. Maybe Link starts out as some sort of swordsman class, but you can eventually outfit him with Din’s Fire or any of the magical rods to give him spells to qualify him for a spellsword class. Give Zelda a special melee weapon so she can tear up the battlefield as a warrior/sage hybrid. I can think of tons of possibilities.

Then you can add in great battle interactions, like damage types for varying effectiveness and secondary effects, weapons with special properties, tools like the hookshot to stun or move enemies around, combination attacks, and, if we’re going the tactical RPG route, terrains with hazards such as malice/gloom. Not to mention that the plethora of enemies that Zelda has to draw from, big and small, could radically change how battles work from encounter to encounter.

And game overworlds can easily reflect the game’s setting, with towns and landmarks recognizable from whatever world its based on, dungeons that act as their own zones when you enter them with potential for classic Zelda puzzles that you have a different view on compared to the usual behind Link’s back perspective. I can already picture Golden Sun-esque gameplay between battle encounters. Zelda could fit that mould very smoothly.

And, naturally, most RPGs lend themselves toward great stories and deep characters, so we can dive even deeper on the personal struggles of characters in this universe. Just off the top of my head, we could have a Gerudo scholar who’s struggling to prove her theory on some aspect of the Seven Heroines legend, a Zora who’s intensely afraid of ice due to Zora’s domain being frozen over once, a Goron who doesn’t want to follow through on his family tradition of enter the mining business, or a Rito whose wings didn’t grow in correctly and wants to prove themselves an equal to their brethren. Oh, and I want Link and Zelda fighting alongside one another in the same party. No, I will not accept her falling into another pit, being flung back in time, or being kidnapped by Ganon on the onset. I want her as a party member from start to finish!

Speaking of Ganondorf, he already has the qualifications for a major RPG villain. He’s immensely powerful, manipulative, charismatic, and can easily cause problems all over the map for any number of party members, giving all people involved in your party motivations for wanting to join and stop him.

And RPGs still leave room for all the side-quest-y goodness Zelda is known for, especially if your party members have their own aspirations and motivations aside from defeating Ganon. There’s no shortage of content in the Zelda mythos that could fill in countless hours in a Zelda RPG.

As well, this would be a chance for whoever develops this Zelda property to take some liberties in style. Since it wouldn’t be rooted as a mainstream Zelda title, developers could experiment with its look in the same way they tried cel-shading with Wind Waker or the Link’s Awakening remake diorama style. Hell, maybe we could go retro in the same way as Octopath Traveler and have a modern take on the Link to the Past style?

Nintendo, you have a lot of potential in your hands with the Zelda franchise. Maybe consider this as a potential side project? Nintendo has been getting better about lending their IP to other companies. I don’t see why they couldn’t give this a shot while their main group at headquarters works on the next title in the main series. Not that they’ll ever see this post, but I had to get this idea out of my head, regardless.

Also, let’s leave the collectible Koroks out of this one. I’m down for having a cool potion-making Korok party member in the vein of that one from Wind Waker, though.

[izunias-meme-hole]

My Top 5 Favorite Zelda Villains (outdated)

Number 1. Ganondorf/Ganon - Honestly after so many years, Ganondorf still holds up as a villain. Ganon was the biproduct of a curse created by Demise to ensure that his hate is reincarnated just so he can destroy Link and Zelda’s descendants, and Ganondorf himself was born as the only male in a desert that belonged tribe to warrior women known as The Gerudo, eventually ending up as their king thanks to Gerudo traditions. Ganondorf had a huge presence in Ocarina of Time, manipulating you into locating the Triforce and immediately took over Hyrule during your time skip. In Hyrule Warriors, Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, and A Link To The Past, he adapts in some form either that be because of genuine character development, an ego increase, or a desire for revenge. However in Breath of the Wild, the end of all three timelines, he fully succumbs to Demise’s curse and uses his hate to create an entity known as Calamity Ganon. In short, Ganon started out as an intelligent and ambitious king, a man to be exact, but eventually he turned into a beast fueled by hate. Then in Tears of The Kingdom he returns, and not only so we learn that he DIDN’T succumb to Demise’s curse after all, we learn that 1,000 years ago, he reincarnated and began to EMBRACE it becoming the new Demon King in the process, and he came back to life to continue his reign. Overall Ganondorf is a surprisingly versatile and interesting take on a evil king, combining power with intellect, tragedy, anger, class, and pure EVIL which is why he’s the greatest villain in gaming history and fiction in general.

Number 2. Majora - When Nintendo was making Majora’s Mask, they KNEW that they couldn’t just make Ganondorf the villain again, so the developers cooked up a pretty great and just as iconic substitute. A batshit insane and mysterious mask that wants to hurl a moon into the planet and cause chaos! Majora is basically a childish eldrich abomination, and much like Ganondorf, he appears rarely throughout the story, yet we see the damage he’s pretty much caused to the land of Termina. Overall this insane cryptic is deserving of the number 2 spot on this list.

Number 3. Vaati, The Wind Mage - The king of underrated villains. Vaati could easily be compared to Ansem/Terranort from Kingdom Hearts 1 & 2. A young, ambitious, and curious apprentice explores the darkness in the hearts of men, becomes power hungry, and then becomes an insane creature of darkness. He’s also the only major Zelda villain to canonically appear in 3 games, a feat not even Ghirahim has achieved. Also I find it hilarious and sad that he basically went from “I need power” to “Hmm, I shall kidnap maidens and the Princess.” Bro really became lustful after he got his ass bear and lost his mind! In all seriousness though, Vaati is a Ganon tier villain, and I wouldn’t mind seeing him again. Such a shame that Nintendo ignores thie guy.

Number 4. Yuga - Yes, I know this guy is Lorulean equivalent of Ganondorf. Yes, I know that he hijacked Ganon instead of it being the other way around, but if I’m being honest… Yuga is a breath of fresh air when it comes to the classic timeline games, both as a concept and as an actual character. A Link Between Worlds is nowhere near perfect, but Yuga was an excellent villain, purely because he’s basically Ganondorf without the status as royalty, muscle to back his mind, commanding appearance, or the overwhelming power he’s known for. Yuga is a simple sorcerer and an “artist” who looks like a clown. The only things they share is they’re both manipulative, cunning, ambitious, and pure evil. In short, Yuga is a perfect subversion of Ganondorf, while still carrying that same sense of danger, and in terms of 2D Zelda villains he’s great.

Number 5. Ghirahim - The only Zelda villain who won succeeded in carrying out his plans, and it had serious consequences for the rest of the series. Ghirahim as a character is vain and flamboyant, but he is not a pushover in the slightest, which makes sense since he’s the literal sword of Demise! Still the fact that he did indeed free his master is impressive, and the best part is that is feels earned. What a magnificent bastard.

[totallynotgayforyou]

My Little Video Game Review

Okay so this is a review of all the games i've played in 2022 cause i have thoughts and opinions. This isn't in any particular order either.

Going Under

Going Under was a fun little indie rouge like where you start work at a social media company and have to delve into the companies dungeons to improve within the company

its very funny and silly and doesn't take itself too seriously while also being very obvious with its anti capitalist themes

I had a really good time playing it 7/10

Boyfriend Dungeon

Boyfriend Dungeon is a dungeon crawler plus dating sim where you're weapons are your love intrests

This was a very fun game along with all the pretty people you're romancing and with the different weapons you can have, the writing is really good and theres a good selection of datable characters

the story is a tad short but i with all the different romance paths you can go down each character has their own story. 7/10

Psychonauts 2

Psychonaughts 2 Like the the previous game, the player controls Raz, an acrobat that is training to become a Psychonaut, a member of a task force that uses their psychic abilities to stop those that perform nefarious deeds with their own psychic forces

This game has a very classic platformer vibe and doesn't dissapoint with how fun it is. The story is very fun and emotional and has some really good writing and theming when it comes to mental health

also theres gays in it so cant complain there. 9/10

Back 4 Blood

Back 4 Blood is a spiritual succsessor to Left 4 Dead where you play as 4 characters killing hordes of aliens

Theres nothing really to write home about this game, i didn't enjoy it at all. I don't have much to say so 4/10

Doom Eternal

Doom Eternal follows our beloved Doom Man/Guy/Slay Er in defeating the forces of hell again.

The gameplay has been improved from 2016 and gives you a bigger arsenal to really go to town on these demons as well as the music being absolutely incredible 9/10

What Remains of Edith Finch

This game follows a woman who returns to her family home to uncover buried secrets that her mother hid from her.

Its a wonderfully sad story about a quirky family and their big silly house that you must uncover by traveling through the house. 9/10

Tacoma

This game follows a Woman visiting an abandoned space station in order to aquire the ships A.I

Throughout the station are augmented reality holo videos of the crew that you must uncover if you are able to peice together what happend. If you've played gone home its by the same developers.

Its a very relaxing game with a satisfying story 8/10

FAR: Lone Sails & FAR Changing Tides

These games are 2D sidescrollers that have you play as a child in some post apocalyptic world controlling a huge vehicle in order to traverse the world.

Its a very chilling and interesting game about taking care of the machine while it takes you wherever you're going 7/10

Resident Evil Village

I did finally get to this game this year and it didn't dissapoint. In this you play as Ethan who has settled down with his wife mia and child in somewhere vaugly eastern europe cause the devs don't know any countries in that area. Blah Blah baby gets kidnapped by quirky evil villains and you have to save her from Lady "All i wanna do is see you turn into a giant woman" Dimitresc

An extremely fun game if you like seeing your hands be mutilated 8/10

Immortals Fenyx Rising

In this game you play as "Insert Guy/Girl here" where you are tasked with saving the Greek gods from the god Typhon and their own egos.

It's basically Ubisofts answert to Breath of the Wild but you get wings and its also really fun. If you're looking to scratch that Zelda itch or your just a greek mythology gay then this is the game for you.

MoonLighter

Have you been struck by the autistic need to want to Sell Things in a Shop but dont want to leave the comfort of your bed? Well look no further.

In this game you play as some guy who fights through a dungeon killing monster to sell their precious airlooms to people. It's genuinly a fun game if you like that sort of stuff 7/10

Soma

Soma is a game where you're suddenly transported to an underwater facility with killer robots. And when i say you i mean some random canadian guy.

Seriously though this game really delves deep (aha get it) into the ideas of transhumanism and what does it mean for a person to be a person.

Its also about taking forever to actually get to the place you want to go 8/10

Fall Guys

Those guys sure do fall 4/10

Metal Hellsinger

Do you want to play a game about a demon lady and her cowboy skull bf? then you should give this game a go

as a lover of Doom and Rhythm games this was a fun ride and you too can play it if you love games that need extreemly specific button presses just to get anywhere. 6/10

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy

The guaridans of the galaxy hit the video game sphere with a genuinly great game, the gameplay is a real time strategy type thing in the vain of the FF7 remake but not as good cause you only play as Starlord.

The dialoge and writing are honestly really good but if you can handle the Chrisp Rat knockoff and his whining then you'll love it 7/10

Hardspace Shipbreaker

In the hyper capitalist future you must pay off your debt of existance by throwing ship parts into a furnace.

This is a great game if you just want to waste some time or if you just like to take things apart and throw them in a fire 8/10

Scorn

Scorn is a game about... something something penis.

Is this game an intersting introspection about the how treating people as if they were insignificant and using their bodies as a power source can lead to becoming detatched and eventually lead to you're own downfall? Yes.

Is it fun to play? No 4/10

Overwatch 2

Its like Overwatch 1 but with a Battle Pass and some key chains

The Callisto Protocol

As a Dead Space lover i really wanted to like this but it just felt like a mediocre version of it. The gameplay, the story and the characters all just seem like its missing something i cant quite put my finger on.

I guess the main guy is hot so 5/10

Bayonetta 3

Oh Bayonetta its such a shame the multiverse parasites got you. The thing about this game is that its an extreemly fun game, everything about the gameplay is 10/10 but the story and characters just fall flat

its a no from me dearest cereza 7/10

[thescrapbookingscientist]

Biweekly Media Roundup

- Across the Spider Verse (Movie) - I pretty much already knew this movie was going to be amazing given how Industry-changingly Incredible the first one was, but wow man-What a spectacle. Visually I think it’s even more impressive than it’s predecessor and honestly the best looking thing I’ve seen all year, with the different animation styles for each character and dimension being a joy to behold every time. Gwen’s watercolor dimension was my favorite location and I loved how the colors would shift with the characters emotions and bleed down the screen. Spider-Punk was a standout as well with his paper-craft style and fantastic design making him steal every scene that he was in. I also really liked Miles as a protagonist in this one, he really got to shine here. I don’t really have a lot to complain about, the writing was tight, both villains where fantastic, the soundtrack slapped, the only thing I’m mad about is that I have to wait a year to see the story resolved-but that’s a feature, not a complaint.  As a side note I do find it pretty funny how horny everyone is for Miguel btw, like don’t get me wrong I get it, he’s a big tiddied well designed tragic backstory vampire cringe fail DILF, he’s lab tested to be popular on the internet, it’s just pretty funny that I can’t scroll for 5 minutes without seeing his thiqq ass plastered on my screen, y’all are thirsty. 

- Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Video Game) - Progressing a bit slowly due to some other stuff I’ve got going on, but still greatly enjoying it! I beat the water temple and now ghost Sidon follows me everywhere which is cute, and I’ve enjoyed seeing the memories play out. I wish it was a bit easier to make money given how much I spend, but maybe that’ll change once I do more story stuff or spend more time in the Abyss, we’ll see. 

- Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (Movie) - I’m surprised with how much I enjoyed this, given how little I’ve heard about it. It’s a really cute and fun little found family story in a classic fantasy world. The movie is accessible to any audience (As my parents loved it with no knowledge of DnD), but you can tell that the creators had a lot of love for the game in how the characters and dynamics are depicted. I love that the two main characters are a completely platonic male female pair who are best friends and raise a child together without any hint of romance? Incredible. I love how there’s a character with huge “OP NPC the DM created for lore purposes who despite the players protests the DM won’t let join the party because that would make the game to easy” vibes. There’s a lot of creative and funny scenes, and while I wish there were more explicitly queer characters, it’s nice to see familiar DnD conventions in a well-made product. I would love if they made more of these and would recommend it to basically anyone as a fun family film. 

- Stalker (Movie) - My dad wanted to watch this old indie Russian film after reading an article about it being a formative sci fi film, so we watched it and. well. It certainly was a film. I will give it credit in that the idea of a location that miraculously grants ones deepest desires being portrayed as sinister not due to a monkey’s paw style twisting of how the wish is granted but due to the self-reflective horror of having to face what your deepest desire truly is and what that says about you as a person is pretty rad, but outside of that cool idea this movie was kind of a mess. There were a lot of self indulgent “Auter” style rants on art criticism and faith which honestly just came off as more complaining than anything else, and while I can respect the unique shots they were able to get the majority of the time I was just thinking “Man, it looks like they are straight up filming at an worn out/ abandoned sewage tunnel, it can’t possible be safe to have the actors crawling around in all this rancid water can it?”. Turns out I was even more right than I thought as they were in fact filming on an abandoned nuclear waste facility and just a few years after this film the director, his wife, and several members of the crew died from cancer that was heavily speculated to be the result of the radiation poisoning from filming this movie. Insane. Anyway my main take away from this film is thank god we have OSHA now.

- Kill the Lights (Webcomic) - Read this as a quick self indulgent relaxing one, and I enjoyed it for what it was. I have a soft spot for Skip Beat! style actor-based narratives where you get to see the actors thought process on how to enhance/ play out a scene, so that aspect was fun. Actually, I kind of wish the story was way more about that, I was getting into those scenes and found myself disappointed whenever it switched back to the romance stuff, despite that being the reason I came here in the first place. Aw well, I wouldn’t exactly say this is memorable enough to recommend to anyone outside the BL genre, but I liked the protagonist, side characters, and art. Also, how weird is it that with this, Mo Dao Zu Shi, and End of the Road, there are 3 completely unrelated stories in which an asian man who’s ruffian background made him adept at combat dies young and is then reincarnated into the existing body of a rich twink with a reputation for sleeping around who then runs into an even richer man from their past who turns out to have secretly been harboring a borderline obsessive crush on the protagonist and is now the sole person able to recognize them in their new body? Like, 3 isn’t a lot but it’s weird that it happened thrice right?

- Heavenly Delusion (Anime) - Genuinely impressed by how often this mystery show will pull the rug out from under you, lulling you into a false sense of security in which you think you have the plot figured out and then hitting you with a reveal that leaves you with more questions than answers - Good work.

- Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies (Video Game) - I think I took a long enough break, I’m ready to finish the Ace Attorney series now. The Dual Destinies DLC case was too long for my liking but at least had decent characters, and I do like both Athena and Blackquill, I wish they didn't have to share time with the previous leads and just got to do their own thing though. 

- Crazy Ex Girlfriend (TV) - How does this show have so many straight up bangers. My Spotify playlist is wrecked now. 

- The S Classes That I Raised (Webcomic) - Some interesting revelations in recent chapters that shed Han Yoohyun’s motivations in a new light. I’ll admit, while I did quite like him as a character, this new information is helping to retroactively fix some of my complaints about his actions towards Han Yoojin in the first timeline, making me like him even more- The brothers are just very cute honestly I love how much they care about each other. Also adding a Yoo Myeongwoo photo here because I miss him. 

Listening to: A bunch of Crazy Ex Girlfriend songs, including After Everything You Made Me Do, A Diagnosis, and Remember That We Suffered, Eat Your Young by Hozier, LosT by Bring Me the Horizon, Let’s Get This Over With by They Might Be Giants, Read Between the Lines and Hey I Don’t Work Here by Tom Cardy, That’s What I Want by Lil Nas X, He Mele No Lilo by Mark Keali’i Ho’omalu, Stalkers Tango and Lent by Autoheart, Across the Spiderverse OST.

[nintendokids]

Today’s Nintendo Direct was absolutely bursting with content! Way too much for me to comment on now but there was something for everyone.

New entries to established series like Pikmin 4, Fantasy Life i, and Octopath Traveler have me excited. Remasters of Metroid Prime, Advance Wars, Tales of Symphonia, and Etrian Odyssey all look like great new takes on these classic games. Updates to Splatoon 3, Xenoblade Chronicles, and Fire Emblem show Nintendo’s dedication to keep these popular games running with new content. Game Boy and Game Blu Advance games coming to Nintendo Switch Online? Awesome!

A quick shoutout to Splatoon 3’s first wave DLC featuring Inkopolis from the original Wii U title. I put a lot of hours into the original Splatoon and I’d love to go back there. It looks like a faithful recreation.

There was far more content, but of course, the grand finale was another look at The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. It looks like Breath of the Wild but with some new tricks up it’s sleeve and that’s fine with me. We still don’t know a whole lot about what is going on. What’s the deal with that glove that Link is wearing? Why are there landmasses floating in the air? Who was that villainous voiceover? Ganondorf???

Tears of the Kingdom is now available for pre-order digitally and the price of the game is in line with the current generation AAA titles. Nintendo is asking $70 for this game. Personally, I’m fine with it but I know this is a divisive decision.

Overall. This was a great Nintendo Direct and shows that there is still a lot of life in the Switch in 2023. I suggest you watch this one when you can.

-Christian