#super mario galaxy 2 original soundtrack

[bravio-san]

Ça mérite d'être partagé rien que pour ça !

[7grandmel]

Todays rip: 17/05/2024

Athletic Doctor

Season 1 Featured on: GilvaSunner's Highest Quality Video Game Rips: Volume 1 Also on: SiIvaGunner: Starter Kit & Essentials

Ripped by Psynwav

ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL!!

I haven't slept in so long...I forgot what dreams were like.

Honestly - what better way could there be for me to celebrate the 365th main post on the blog, than to be fashionably late by a whole weekend? It's unfortunate, but...oddly befitting, really. Back when I was first starting out with the blog, I actually forgot about posting daily for a solid two weeks - and so, some old-ass posts like Chillin’ Like A Villain and (YTPMV) Bob​-​Omb Battlesources were made in quite a hurry retroactively. Nevertheless, it was on May 17th 2023, over on my main blog @melblur, that I suddenly decided that I wanted to write about one SiIvaGunner rip a day just for fun. After File Select Fusion Collab, I realized that it made more sense just to put these on their own blog, and with Snowball Park - Super Mario 3D World I moved everything onto here. It's all been a bit of a bumpy ride, is my point. But today, I've reached the big milestone that I was originally aiming for all the way back with Running Through Cookie Country - a year's worth of almost-always-daily posts on the weird and wonderful world of SiIvaGunner. And what better rip to discuss alongside this milestone than the channel's biggest hit, the milestone rip to stand above all others: Season 1's Athletic Doctor.

Now, I've been following SiIvaGunner since some of the earliest moments of Season 1, following along with the initial GiIvaSunner termination, the entire Reboot saga discussed in I Saw a Brainwasher Today, the Mashup Crusaders arc of Mr. Rental [B Side] ~ Out of Options, the channel ending of Epic Flintstones... Basically, I was there for just about the entire initial 9-month run, and have with but one Season's worth of an exception (Season 5) been following the channel damn near obsessively since. The point is that, through this, I have been able to follow the channel's most popular videos chart up and down with each passing month: I recall, for instance, how Nintendo GameCube Startup - Console/BIOS Music soared past all other rips back in the day and stayed on top for five month's time. That was, of course, before finally being surpassed by we are number one but with outdated memes over it and subsequently helping kickstart the entire We Are Number One meme trend (funny enough - you can actually find a youtube comment left by me on the rip in late December 2016/early 2017 expressing mild annoyance over the rip's popularity...). Athletic Doctor in comparison was of course always popular, but it took a while to truly climb its way up there - it was in the top ten, then top five, always rising, bubbling in the background. Eventually, starting with Season 3's premiere, the team decided to just make the rip the trailer for the channel for new viewers - where it still sits today, now as the far-and-away most popular rip on the channel.

I feel like the reason the rip became used as the defacto channel trailer, the reason it keeps being referenced in videos demonstrating what SiIvaGunner is all about, is pretty obvious. I've talked a lot in posts like Live and Ooooooooooooooh about how outright *effective* many of Season 1's rips were, and Athletic Doctor is the most prime example of that imaginable - it is a damn near pitch perfect joke executed shockingly well for the time of its upload in the channel's history. EVERYONE knows the music to Super Mario World, either through its usage in the game itself in the 90s, its appearances in games like Super Smash Bros. Melee in the 2000s and Super Mario Galaxy 2 in the 2010s - or just through sheer overexposure to it in just about any era of gaming YouTube. The game's soundtrack is the perfect blend of being immediately recognizable and incredibly easy to hum along to given the entire game basically only has three or so melodies, relying on its central leitmotif to a degree bordering on parody. Likewise as well, EVERYBODY knows Witch Doctor, either through excessive radio play, being a big hit with Alvin & the Chipmunks...or the 2007 Live Action Alvin & the Chipmunks movie that I myself grew up with, it's the kind of vaguely obnoxious (also arguably quite racist) nonsense novelty music that's incredibly appealing to young kids, the same way something like Crazy Frog or its ilk was in the 2000s as well.

Put simply, Athletic Doctor was a match made in heaven - and the joke is pulled off so expertly that it feels redundant to put into words. The Athletic Theme intro is iconic enough to where you're led into a false sense of security right off the bat, the melody swap is subtle enough as to not immediately be noticeable, making the moment you notice it even more noteworthy - only for the track's second loop to become a full-on mashup with the Witch Doctor track. Absolutely perfect escalation, just the right amount of buildup - but most importantly, it ends up actually sounding really good! The joke's great to be sure, very much like Live and Ooooooooooooooh - but I feel like the core reason why Athletic Doctor has continued to endure for so long on the channel, why it keeps getting remixed and referenced and paid tribute to on so many instances, is because it's just a genuinely good listen once the joke sets in. In other words, it is the purest distillation of SiIvaGunner's appeal - a joke so simple, yet pulled off with a magical appeal that remains even all these years later.

Through running this blog, it's that very specific appeal that I've wanted to try and encapsulate with the rips I cover, with what I write about them, to uncover that elusive magic of this dumb shitpost channel. Joel's big Grand Dad reaction that kicked the channel off is a good bit, to be sure, but its not a bit that could've lasted eight years and counting: In its earliest days, its easy to see how the channel could've just become naught but a novelty and fallen off the face off the earth once interest in it died. Yet through each year of the channel's life, with every Season that passes, it's evolved and adapted. Be it the spontaneous chaos of Season 1, the building storyline of Season 2, the mystery and nostalgia of Season 3, the sheer talent on display in the King for Another Day Tournament in Season 4 Episode 1 and the sheer joy of celebration found in Season 4 Episode 2, the whimsical experimentation of Season 5, the sudden introspection and moodiness of Season 6, the pure adoration and love for everything the channel stands for in Season 7, and the ongoing pure silliness of Season 8 - each period of this channel feels as if it's growing in a new direction, never content sitting in one place for too long - and yet the appeal of a rip like Athletic Doctor remains oh so core to the entire SiIvaGunner experience. The experience of which I've made my best effort to cover across all 365 posts on this blog. To show everyone the layers in which this channel goes in.

That's what I've been wanting to show you... but now, before I end this post, I want to briefly talk about what you've shown *me*. I know its a cliché thing to say, but really - it warms my heart EVERY time I receive messages about the blog. This all began as just a way for me to practice my writing ability, but suddenly I was having the actual rippers - the names that I'd admire from my MP3 player but hardly ever considered able to actually interact with - messaging me in private to express how happy my posts made them...not to mention the people in SiIvaCord discussing rips with me, digging into my writing, sharing anecdotes I'd never heard of, and everyone who requested rips genuinely eager to see what I had to write about them...like, again, its the biggest cliché on the planet, and I know this blog really isn't all *that* big in the grand scheme of things - but I never expected to even get more than five people actually engaging with what I post? To everyone, and ESPECIALLY to the silent majority reading my posts without a Tumblr account, the ones engaging from a distance - thank you SO much for validating all that I've done on here.

Now, there's still plenty of posts I have left in me, plenty of ones already in the drafts and unfulfilled requests well in the dozens. But like...tons has happened since when this all started 12 months ago. I got a summer job! I'm wrapping up what's hopefully my final three school courses! I've started listening to so much new music, expanding my music tastes, in huge part thanks to all the digging this blog has made me do! And, of course, getting to be this open about what's likely my absolute weirdest special interest has honestly made me feel more confident in myself as a person, made me a more outgoing individual in general. And so, to get all of my ducks in a row, to help straighten things out for a bit...I'm going to take a break from regular posting on here. I'm aiming for it to be no longer than a month's time - again, I have much I still wish to write about!! - but you'll of course still see me reblogging fanart and other such things on here just from using Tumblr casually. And hey - if you haven't already, I recommend you take the time to go scavenging through The Archive for daily posts that you might have missed! Having a blog with so much writing on it, so many posts, so much to discover for readers old and new...In a way, I've basically made it so that navigating the blog feels just like navigating the vast seas of the SiIvaGunner channel itself. And isn't that just the most fitting way to leave it all on - an ocean of posts, waiting for you to uncover them?

THAT SIIVAGUNNER TUMBLR BLOG WILL RETURN IN SEASON 2

[galactic-glamour-girl-posts]

My Rosalina Headcanons

--It's pretty clear she likes to read, but I think she enjoys reading AND writing. We already know she turned her backstory into a storybook and that the events of Galaxy 2 were made into/were a story in one of her storybooks so I think most of the books in her library were written by her and are stories based on the events in her life and the people she's met. She's been alive for at least 100 years-probably way longer-she'd have a lot of material to work with.

--She can play guitar. This is based on artwork used for the 3D World soundtrack and some Mario Odyssey concept art:

I like to think she can play acoustic, but prefers the bass guitar.

--Aroace. That is all.

--She's a brilliant engineer. She'd have to be to fix a spaceship and build an entire home...whilst she was still a child.

However, the older she got, the more adept she became at using magic, and the less she'd rely on her engineering skills.

--Rosalina seems like a very patient person and and we already know she’s not a temperamental person because she pretty much never gets angry; but I imagine that in the rare instances she does she just stares in silent fury as gravity changes around her, unconsciously lifting objects in the air until she calms herself down. Kinda like what happens in her losing animation in Mario Strikers Battle League.

--I think her bond with the lumas grew so strong she is literally part luma/star now. Sorta like an Ash-Greninja situation but the other way round I guess? Stars in the Mario franchise are known to be powerful, be it super stars, power stars, etc, so I imagine that's why she can do the spin in 3D World when Mario needed a Luma inside of him (not like that) to do that in the Galaxy games. I also think that's why she’s lived for so long, and on top of that still looks young-compared to how old most stars are she IS still young (I don’t think she's immortal but I assume she will live as long as an average star does in real life).

--Originally I wasn’t gonna include this one ‘cause it’s a bit morbid but I dunno I think it’s sort of a cool idea: what if when Rosalina dies she literally becomes “one with the cosmos” and becomes the Cosmic Spirit (from Galaxy 2).

-- I still think she's one of Peach's ancestors-it makes sense! She was born into royalty (notice the crowns)

Used to live in a castle with a similar silhouette to Peach's Castle

Is likely from the Mushroom Kingdom since an old and rusted starshroom was near where she lived

And just look at her mother!

Plus the story does mention that Rosalina has (...had?) a brother, so if you're wondering how they could be fully related since Rosalina went to space as a child, he's how.

And just to be clear, when I say ancestor, I mean ancestor. Not descendent, and especially not daughter. That'd be dumb.

[poof346]

The Super Mario Bros. Movie: A Rollercoaster Ride of Thrills (spoilers inbound)

So, last Sunday I finally got around to watching The Super Mario Bros. movie in theaters. I feel like I should preface my thoughts by giving a summary of my history with Mario as a series. When I was a kid, my family got a Wii around 2007, and I played a bunch of Mario Strikers and the Galaxy duology with my sibling. I got a DSi sometime afterwards and played a bunch of the first New Super Mario Bros., SM64DS, and Mario Party DS. From there, I eventually went on to play...pretty much every platformer this dude has starred in, alongside the mountain of spin-offs. Needless to say, I feel qualified to talk about how much I fucking loved this movie on nearly every front as a representation of the series.

Do I think it was great as a film? Ehhhh, not necessarily, the pacing was a little fast due to how Illumination writes their films and I think a longer runtime might've helped them flesh out certain interactions more. But I only really noticed these flaws when reflecting on what I saw at home. In the moment, I was overcome by a feeling of childlike joy and wonder at almost every scene, seeing every element I love about Mario on the big screen. The colorful world and art design, the beautiful and upbeat music, the kinetic and fluid platforming action...all of it. Pretty comparable to how I felt when I watched Sonic 2 in theaters, funny enough.

That said, I'm not really interested in comparing the two films against each other to see which is better. I got a similar level of enjoyment from both and can accept they're going for different approaches, while also wishing they would've made some improvements. This is solely about the Mario movie on its own, which I feel already gives me plenty to talk about. So, I wanna start with my negatives first so I can get to everything I loved in an uninterrupted burst.

As I alluded to before, my main issue was the pacing. Particularly, I think the speed at which scenes moved caused some character arcs to feel a little undercooked, like with Donkey Kong. The movie wanted a moment where Mario and DK realize they're not too different in chasing after approval from their fathers, but this exchange gets like, 30 seconds dedicated to it before they're back into action. I understand that as a kid's movie, it's probably preferred by the staff to have a high volume of fun stuff on screen to keep the kids entertained, but I always feel like Illumination struggles with a good balance.

While this is a much smaller issue in comparison, I also wish the soundtrack had remained entirely original without the licensed songs. Mario has a very particular kind of sound that these song choices didn't quite fit with, plus it meant that they took the place of original tracks written for the movie. There was also the case of songs lifted directly from the games, like the DK Rap and Fury Bowser's theme, where the original composers weren't credited for their work. Proper credit is generally a big issue with productions like these, so I wouldn't say it was surprising to see, I was just a little disappointed.

That's about my main issues out of the way, now for the fun part.

Most immediately striking, this is a gorgeous-looking movie, but that's something I had no doubts about going in. If nothing else, Illumination has proven to me they know how to make visually appealing films. However, I need to give special credit to the artists and animators for capturing the look and feel of Mario's world so perfectly in every detail. The blocks, the hills, the girders, the karts, everything is colorful and exactly how I wanted it to be. Plus, the scenes of action have great kinetic energy that matches the platforming you'd do in Mario games, they were all fun to watch.

The music is also a particular highlight for me. I feel like a lot of video game movie adaptations don't properly pay tribute to the soundtracks of what they're adapting, so hearing all these iconic Mario tracks seamlessly fitting into scenes is a treat. And of course, Bowser's piano ballad about Peach, absolute classic already. I would've been very upset if they didn't use the casting of Jack Black as Bowser for a musical number.

Since I mentioned casting, I'll also address the voice cast for the main characters. While I'm still not totally on-board with the practice of celebrities taking voice acting roles, they did pretty well! My personal highlights were Charlie Day as Luigi and Jack Black as Bowser, they really fit those roles. And yes, I did actually warm up to Chris Pratt as Mario. Honestly, the commercials must've had something out for him, the takes they selected didn't give a proper impression of his voice throughout the movie (and some weren't actually used, like the "Mushroom Kingdom, here we come" line).

In general, I would say the Mario movie was a great experience as a first watch! I compared it to a rollercoaster ride in the title for a reason: it was exciting and fun in the moment, but there's also not a lot to analyze in terms of story or anything like that. The mixed reception from critics does make sense to me after seeing it, since if you don't have the prior attachment to the Mario franchise, would probably feel like a lot of spectacle with little substance.

[yeidi]

Playlist: Autumn Playlist Relaxing Nintendo Video Game Music for Sleep, Study to , Work ( w/ Farm Ambience ) User: stardew_valley454

Timestamps: 00:00 Stables - The Legend of Zelda- Breath of the Wild 02:27 Autumn at Night - Story of Seasons 05:49 Break It Down - Persona 5 09:04 Fall (Night) - Harvest Moon- Animal Parade 13:01 Autumn Theme, Rune Factory Frontier 16:28 Ordon Village - The Legend of Zelda- Twilight Princess 18:35 Jovial Gustafa - Harvest Moon A Wonderful Life (SE) 20:16 Romantic Date - Harvest Moon- Animal Parade 23:20 A Lonely Night - Animal Crossing The Movie 24:41 Alright (Elp Version) - Persona 5 26:28 Fall Theme - Harvest Moon MM 30:18 Autumn Theme (Daylight) - Doraemon- Story of Season 34:23 The Professor's Trunk (Minicar) - Professor Layton 37:43 8 PM Snow - Animal Crossing Wild World 40:35 Gate - Pokémon X & Y Music 42:41 Aquatic Ambience - Donkey Kong Country 46:15 Scrooge's Office - DuckTales Remastered 47:20 Valak Mountain (Night) - Xenoblade Chronicles 50:22 Forest Interlude - [Donkey Kong 2 OST] 55:17 Lost Forest - Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box 58:27 Cosmic Cove Galaxy - Super Mario Galaxy 2 1:02:00 Story of Seasons [Soundtrack] - Autumn at Night 1:05:21 Stardew Valley - Fall (The Smell of Mushroom) 1:08:54 Evernight Peak - Rabi Ribi 1:11:53 Overture - Underhero 1:14:42 Tarrey Town - The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild 1:18:22 Chrono Cross - Dream of the Shore Near Another World 1:20:45 Church Hill 1:24:19 Stardew Valley - Winter (Nocturne of Ice) 1:27:42 Hollow Knight - The White Lady 1:32:00 Stardew Valley - Grandpa's Theme 1:33:01 Clocktowers Beneath the Sea 1:37:06 Ori and the Blind Forest - Up the Spirit Caverns Walls (feat. Tom Boyd) 1:42:57 Harvest Moon- Animal Parade 68- And so... 1:45:21 RiME - Promenade 1:48:48 Undertale - It's Raining Somewhere Else 1:51:41 InnerSpace - Sunchamber - Aerial Exploration 1:54:56 Chrono Cross Opening 1:57:26 Undertale - Waterfall 1:59:34 Hollow Knight - White Palace 2:04:03 Pyre Original - Downside Ballad 2:08:24 FAR- Lone Sails - Colored Engine

[lomote]

Super mario galaxy 2

#SUPER MARIO GALAXY 2 SERIES#

The game is the ninth bestselling Wii game worldwide with sales of 12.80 million. It won several awards from gaming publications, including multiple "Game of the Year" titles, and became the first Nintendo title to win the BAFTA Award for Best Game. It received universal acclaim from critics and fans, who praised the game's visuals, gravity mechanics, soundtrack, setting, and story. At the time of its closure in 2019, Super Mario Galaxy was the highest-rated game of all time on review-aggregating site GameRankings.

#SUPER MARIO GALAXY 2 SERIES#

Super Mario Galaxy was a critical and commercial success, hailed as one of the best games in the series and one of the greatest video games ever made. The soundtrack was composed by Mahito Yokota and Koji Kondo, using a symphony orchestra for the first time in the series. Nintendo aimed to make the game appeal to players of all ages, and the team had more freedom in designing it compared to other Super Mario games because of the outer space setting. The concept for the use of spherical platforms originated from ideas used in Super Mario 128, a GameCube tech demo shown at Nintendo Space World in 2000. Nintendo EAD Tokyo began developing Super Mario Galaxy after the release of Donkey Kong Jungle Beat in late 2004, when Shigeru Miyamoto suggested that Nintendo should commission a large-scale Mario game. Certain levels use the motion-based Wii Remote functions. The player character is controlled using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, and completes missions, fights bosses, and reaches certain areas to collect Power Stars. The levels in the game consist of galaxies filled with minor planets and worlds, with different variations of gravity, the central element of gameplay. As Mario or Luigi, the player embarks on a quest to rescue Princess Peach, save the universe from Bowser, and collect 121 Power Stars. It is the third 3D game in the Super Mario series. Super Mario Galaxy is a 2007 platform action-adventure video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii.

[blazeredfire]

My ranking of all the 3D Mario games. This does not include any re-releases or DLC additions. This list is for the 3D Mario games in their original form as they were released. Without further ado, here's my ranking of the 3D Mario games.

Super Mario 3D Land

Super Mario 3D Land was the only 3D Mario game released on a handheld unless you count Super Mario Odyssey on the hybrid console the Nintendo Switch. The game was a solid game. Unlike previous installments that focused on collecting items to progress through the game, Super Mario 3D Land was closer to the classic 2D games where each level was about overcoming obstacles and reaching the flagpole at the end. Super Mario 3D Land was a satisfying game if not a little smaller than it's predecessors.

Super Mario Sunshine

As the first successor to Mario 64 on a newer more powerful console, Mario Sunshine could've easily simply improved on Mario 64. Instead much of Super Mario Sunshine's gameplay revolves around a power-up called F.L.U.D.D. To some F.L.U.D.D. was a cool addition, to others it was tedious. Mario Sunshine never got the same success as its predecessor or successor, but nonetheless was a fun Mario game that many fans remember fondly to this day.

Super Mario 3D World

As a sequel to Super Mario 3D Land, Super Mario 3D World brought it's predecessors gameplay to home consoles and added multi-player. Being a console game 3D World improved heavily on the previous game with bigger levels and green stars you could find in the levels. While Super Mario 3D Land doesn't quiet reach the heights of some of the best 3D Mario games it nonetheless provided a satisfying fun experience that you can play with friends.

Super Mario Odyssey

After games like Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario 3D Land featured slightly more linear levels, Super Mario Odyssey went and the opposite direction and made the levels huge. Mario also gains the ability to possess enemies and objects with his hat which provides countless variety. With nearly 1000 moons there is a ton to accomplish in this game. We wouldn't be disappointed if the next Mario game was a sequel to Super Mario Odyssey.

Super Mario Galaxy

When Mario came to the Wii it shaked up the classic Mario 64 formula once again. Mario Galaxy to traditional platforming and turned it upside down, literally. Mario Galaxy introduced small 3D worlds shaped like planets that each had its own artificial gravity. This allowed for all kinds of unique platforming opportunities that made Mario Galaxy and its sequel stand out from other platformers.

Not only did Super Mario Galaxy have amazing gameplay, but the artstyle stood out as well making Super Mario Galaxy's graphics rival even PS3 and Xbox 360 games. The game also had an amazing orchestral soundtrack with plenty of original tunes and remixs of classics. Mario Galaxy was simply a top notch Mario game.

Super Mario Galaxy 2

Super Mario Galaxy 2 was the first 3D Mario game that served as a sequel to its predecessor. While some might say that by being a sequel Super Mario Galaxy 2 is less original and inferior to the original, this game takes everything from the first Super Mario Galaxy and makes it better.

Several elements from the first Mario Galaxy return as well plenty of new elements. The cloud power up is one of the coolest powers in the series and lets you create platforms as you jump. Yoshi returns after being absent from the first Mario Galaxy and is able to eat enemies by pointing the Wii-Mote at enemies and can help and help Mario reach areas he can't access on his own. Unlike the first Mario Galaxy game instead of recollecting all 120 stars as Luigi, you instead have green stars available. These green stars are hidden throughout all the levels and are often hidden in hard to reach locations that will test your platforming might. The game also featured the return of Whomp's Fotress from Super Mario 64. Speaking of......

Super Mario 64

All of Mario's 3D outings have been a treat and it all started with Super Mario 64. The game not only redefined the Mario series, but platforming and games as a whole. By no longer being restricted by a 2D plane, Mario was able to explore in all directions with a controllable camera. While it's camera may be annoying by todays standards, it was revolutionary for its time.

Mario 64 also introduced the concept of platformers where you have several items to collect in each level. The shift from action to exploring was a welcome addition to the series and gave alot more freedom to how you progress through the game. All the levels were unique and creative with each having its own theme. There were also several hidden areas and hidden stars throughout the castle.

Mario 64 is a rare type of game that comes and redefines its entire genre. With its influence on all future 3D Mario games and even some of the 2D games and spin-offs, Mario 64 earns its top spot as the best of all the 3D Mario games.

Agree? Disagree? What's your favorite 3D Mario game?

Let me know in the comments section.

[notquitechrome]

8, 13, 15

8. Best soundtrack?

Maya I can't pinpoint just one don't make me do this cmon man

I gotta give a top 3 in no particular order: Flower, Abzu, and Kingdom Hearts 2. Those soundtracks have the key to my heart (pun intended) and I am so glad I have them.

(Honorable mentions include the Uncharted series, KH (all games), Undertale, Outer Wilds, and Super Mario Galaxy)

13. A game you were the most excited for when it wasn't released yet?

Oooo good question...I'm not usually a pre-order person when it comes to games, so this is a hard question for me. But if I had to pick, I'd probably say Control by Remedy...having played it, I certainly like it. But that's just off the top of my head!

15. Which two games do you think would make a great crossover?

Off the top of my head? Subnautica and Outer Wilds. Both amazing games about alien exploration, and both kinda terrifying in their own right. But they're both also beautiful and really reach points about connectivity stretching to the far reaches of our understanding, so I think they'd be a pretty interesting crossover!

Thank you so much for the ask my dear, you da best 😘

Lay 'em on me, I'm loving these!

Original post found here

[blazehedgehog]

Thoughts on Nintendo making the Super Mario 35 game and 3D All Stars limited physically and even digitally?

It’s legitimately surprising how blind Nintendo is certain things. And even if they aren’t blind, they’re... ignorant, in a sense? Frugal to a fault? They’re dumb. Amazingly dumb. Let’s go with that. That's a nice way to put it.

I tweeted that I’d recently finished replaying Super Mario Sunshine a year or two ago (it took me roughly four years!) and that I’d burned through the PC port of Super Mario 64 not that long ago over the course of a single weekend. And that, because of this, I found it hard to justify paying $60 for the Super Mario 3D All-Stars collection.

I don’t want this to sound like “because I played them for free, I don’t want to buy them.” I already bought and paid for Super Mario Sunshine on the Gamecube, and I own at least two, maybe even three copies of Super Mario 64 (original cart, Wii VC, Wii U VC). That's because Super Mario 64 is also one of the most influential games of all time. I know I say that a lot, but I'll repeat it as many times as I need to. Any third person action game made in the last 25 years owes something to what Super Mario 64 figured out -- analog character movement, how to set up the camera, all of it. Even if Super Mario 64 didn’t invent everything about 3D character movement, it probably still figured out a better way to do it. All modern game design roads lead back to that game. I will absolutely buy another copy of Super Mario 64.

But you have to do it right.

If you aren’t matching or or exceeding the work that fans are doing for free, then you are asking me to pay money for a worse quality product.

I can play Super Mario 64 at wide screen, in 4K, at 60fps, with modern camera controls, thanks to the PC port. It sounds cleaner, and it looks better than the N64 game did. Even if you subtract the recreated textures and the high-def models and just play the game with the original assets, it’s still running smoother and plays tighter, but still feels like Super Mario 64.

A case could be made that these enhancements to Super Mario 64 are pretty big and would require lots of new work and testing (as if Nintendo couldn’t just account for that). But, then, what about Super Mario Sunshine? Now, the All-Stars version has been updated to run in widescreen, sure, but even more could be done without messing anything up.

Super Mario Sunshine as it shipped on the Gamecube ran at 30fps, but that’s not always how the game was shown. For a large portion of its development, Super Mario Sunshine actually ran at 60fps. At some point, Nintendo decided to cap it at 30fps, likely because it couldn't maintain a stable 60. Using the emulator Dolphin, and the right Gameshark/Gecko code modifier, it’s possible to restore Sunshine’s original 60fps framerate.

All the game logic under the hood was probably always running at 60fps, it’s just they capped the rendering at 30 for the final game. And yet, the All-Stars version seemingly retains the 30fps cap, even though the Switch could probably do 60fps in this game with both joycons tied behind its back.

For a company that constantly oversteps their boundaries when it comes to fighting the threat of piracy, they sure seem to be making an excellent case for why people should pirate their games, because they’re lowballing things like this and expecting consumers to gobble it up. Thank you Mister Nintendo, sir, for this generous offering of reheated table scraps.

No other extras, no other bonuses. You get these three games and a soundtrack player. Development history? Alternate versions, like Super Mario 64 DS? What about archival material? Concept art, or anything like that? A lot of people are over the moon about Nintendo history right now thanks to the Gigaleak. No? You’re not going to provide anything interesting or cool? Just a bare bones collection of three games presented basically as-is? Not even Super Mario Galaxy 2? Can't be too generous, after all. It's only been 35 years, and Mario's just one of the biggest, most important franchises in all of gaming. Gotta save Galaxy 2 for the, uh... next 3D Mario collection...?

The whole release date thing is just the final slap in the face. It’s Nintendo creating their own artificial scarcity. This is something I’ve picked up on regarding t-shirts -- I run a Redbubble store with shirts I’ve done, and the sales have never been stellar. In four or five years, I’ve made something like $18. Total.

Why? Because they’re always available. The few times I’ve actually encouraged sales a little bit is when I suggested some shirts might be getting retired, eventually. And when you think about it, that’s the entire crux of something like The Yetee. Either you buy this shirt right now, right here, today, or it goes away and may never come back. Limited edition stuff boosts sales because it forces people to make a decision.

It also boosts a festering aftermarket, where, because people know this is a limited edition thing, they can effectively “buy stock” that will effectively collect interest over time. Buy them at $60 now, mark them up for $80, or $90, or $120+ in a year or three. But then all that does is create a scenario where legitimate customers aren’t going to be able to buy the product, because the people who flip these in the aftermarket will have spent $1500 hoping to make a return of $2500-$3000.

You saw this with Amiibo. You saw it with the NES Classic and SNES Classic. It is TWO THOUSAND AND TWENTY and every store front worth a penny allows “third party sellers.” Everything is Ebay now. Wal-mart, Newegg, Best Buy, Amazon, Target, whatever. You name a major retail brand, and they probably let some random goober scalp aftermarket products out of their garage. In many states, scalping tickets is banned, but online this is just “business.” I’m sure Jeff Bezos is elated you spent $230 on a Squid Sisters Amiibo double pack (original MSRP: $30). You don’t get to be the richest man in the world by forcing your best moneymakers to play fair.

Nintendo has taken many notes. The bare minimum of effort, for full price, and “oh, gosh, you better buy it now! It might not ever come back! The faster you give us your money, the better!”

Go jump in a lake. I get better and more features in an emulator and I can play these games right now, today, if I really wanted to. If you aren’t going to offer competitive features and business, then our conversation is over.

[popmusicu]

My favorite soundtracks from video games

Monkey Island: Main theme 

What a suspenseful beginning. The slow buildup, the soft bongo, light percussion, and then.....BAM!!! All these beautiful instruments come together to create one of my favorite video game intros. It perfectly encapsulates the Monkey Island games and their aesthetic. In a humorous game inspired by the Pirates of the Caribbean theme park ride, what better soundtrack could there be than this, a so-called “pirate reggae” style of music?

Secret of Mana: The Color of the Summer Sky

Fun and sweet town tunes are a staple of RPGs, Dragon Quest, Illusion of Gaia, Super Mario RPG, etc, they all have them. But what makes Secret of Mana’s special to me is nostalgia. This was one of the first games I played and actually got really far in it without my siblings' help. All of its music and locations are so special, but the first time i heard the town theme stands out. Going from the wild fighting monsters to this warm and colorful village feels great, it immediately puts you in a cheery mood and even the shopkeepers can’t help but dance to it.

 And it becomes even more special when contrasted to Phantom and a Rose, the sad theme that plays when you’re forced to leave the village.

Katamari Damacy: Katamari Mambo

I recommend this soundtrack for when you feel tired, I'm almost 100% sure it will give you energy. 

The whole Katamari OST is something truly unique, and that’s because that was the intention of the music director Yuu Miyake. He and his team had complete control of the sound design in the game, so they focused on making whatever sounded good and fitted best. This resulted in a shibuya-key style album with jazz and samba influences that features vocals by many j-pop artists and anime voice actors.

I love this album so much, every song is so different from the last one, but they still all feel cohesive. My favorite has to be Katamari Mambo, something about it is so addicting to listen to. Ka-tama-ri Mambo de~

Doom: All of it 

You are the Doom Slayer, woken from your slumber and in a mission to brutally destroy every demon that crosses your path. The soundtrack that accompanies you in your journey? Industrial Metal. 

It’s just perfect.

Breath of the Wild: Stables and Kass‘ Theme

Breath of the Wild is probably my favorite game of all time, and the sound design is one of the many reasons why I love it.

The stables theme is so soothing and comforting, when you hear it you immediately know that you’re safe and there are people around. Every time I traveled to a new location and suddenly heard the guitar and bongo I got so excited because I didn't expect a stable to be there. Like when i was in the snowy mountains, low on health and thinking that i was all alone and about to die, but then i heard the stable theme and rushed to get there. It really helps cement the idea that while it seems like Hyrule is desolate, there are still small communities here and there, doing their own thing.

Super Mario Galaxy: Rosalina in the Observatory 2

This game makes me emotional, even though it’s not very plot heavy (because it’s a Mario game), Rosalina’s backstory impacted me a lot when i first played this game years ago. Going into the observatory and hearing this song before knowing the whole story is nice, but listening to it knowing what happened adds something more emotional to it for me. The fact that the ship and the Lumas became Rosalina’s home make this song bittersweet. The observatory is where she tells her story of being left alone in the galaxy which is very sad, but it’s also where the Lumas gather around and remind her that she’s not all alone after all. And i think this tune encapsulates that feeling, a little melancholic but hopeful and uplifting, and i really like it.

Life is Strange: Mountains - Message to Bears

Every time I play this part of the game and this song starts playing I tear up. I love this song not because it makes me happy or feel good, but because of the pressure it puts on my chest. The rapid beat and overwhelming instrumental simulate the anxiousness you feel when desperately hoping that Rachel is alive. And the lyrics only add to that feeling; they repeat, over and over, a promise to run away to something better or at least different, but in the end it stays as only an unfulfilled promise.

Ib: Game Over

The song’s name is actually El Sueño de la Muñeca by Agustín Barrios. I just think it’s so random that the creator of the game decided to use this as the game over theme. It’s such a nice guitar composition and i’m glad i found out about it through Ib. 

Silent Hill 4: The Room: Drops of shame and The Suicidal Clock Chime

Paranoia in song form. Two great compositions by Akira Yamaoka for a pretty good game (in my opinion). The atmosphere in these songs is so suffocating, it emanates despair and the feeling of someone being near. The soundtrack of Silent Hill is a pretty big reason for me not finishing the games, I get too scared. But I love listening to the OST whenever because it makes for good background music.

Animal Crossing: K.K. Metal.

Of course, animal crossing is known for it’s amazing songs, especially the ones by the humble superstar K.K. Slider. He’s given us bops such as Bubblegum K.K, Stale Cupcakes, Rockin’ K.K, among others. All of them performed on guitar and accompanied only by his beautiful vocals.

So what does he do when performing a metal song and he needs to shred like on an electric guitar but he doesn’t have one? He sings the arpeggios. And it would be the cutest thing ever, except him howling right after wins the prize.

Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja 5: Opening Theme

In the beginning I said the opening of Monkey Island might be my favorite game intro, but actually, the Ultimate Ninja 5 OP is a strong contender for the top spot. That piano and ominous deep vocals in the very beginning used to be my favorite thing about this game, and i would actually close and open the game just to see the intro cutscene with naruto emanating red light and transforming into his four tailed fox. And then there’s of course the explosion of classic naruto action music, but mixed with something darker and some beautiful piano melodies.

Pokemon Sun and Moon: Abandoned Thrifty Megamart

This was a really cool part in Pokemon Moon. The song by itself would sound good, but very normal and typical, so the effects make it so much better. The background supermarket static effect is great, and also the fact that from time to time the sound will stop working in one of your earbuds is a fun touch. It all makes for the perfect song to a spooky part in the game where at the end of the section you find the best pokemon of all creeping on you, Mimikyu.

Touhou Project 8: Imperishable Night: Reach for the Moon, Immortal Smoke and Immaterial and Missing Power: Doll Judgement

Touhou has too many good songs, but for the sake of not making this 4k words long i decided to only include two. 

Fujiwara no Mokou is my favorite Touhou character and her theme song is equally as cool as her. A little soft and forgiving in certain parts, but fast and exciting in others. Like all Touhou enemy songs it perfectly fits her attack patterns and is incredibly rhythmic and catchy. I also really like the arrangements fans make of this song, they’re so talented and transform these themes into something so different.

And speaking of arrangements, IaMP’s Doll Judgement is a jazz version of Alice’s original theme exclusive to the fighting game. When i first played IaMP and heard this version i had to search for it on youtube because i liked it so much. It’s so smooth and a little theatrical, and it keeps the sound that made the original such a classic for fans, so much so that i might even like it better than the original.

  There are many other songs from video games that i love, but i don’t think i can mention them all without making this post 10 pages long, so i’m going to leave it to here. 

-Violeta Silva

[heccapeach]

Hey guys, welcome back to my TED Talk and in one of the last episodes of my TED Talk, I expressed the idea of taking Bellbridge from NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams and transforming it into the fiery infernal chaotic hellscape dubbed as “Hellbridge”. This TED Talk is going to be returning to the subject of Bellbridge. I have thought about an alternative modification of Bellbridge and that alternative modification is taking it and fusing it with New Donk City from Super Mario Odyssey, which is my most favorite area in that game and the game’s iconic area. I came up with this when listening to “Broadway Guide” from the soundtrack of Journey of Dreams. It just really reminded of “Jump Up, Superstar”. That, and I have a knack for taking walks at night listening to various music. However, if I recall, the Broadway Guide song played in a level of JOD where Will and Helen had to travel through the city of Will’s dream and remembering that city, it’s a lot more comparable to New Donk City since it’s more flashy and technical. Which is not much of a wonder of why I was reminded of New Donk City and its festival level. You would think that I should’ve just only mentioned Will’s dream city (I’m just gonna call it Broadway Guide from here on) and compared that alone to New Donk City since they are more alike than Bellbridge in terms of design, but hear me out: when I mentioned Bellbridge at first, I actually meant to be more specific on Bellbridge. I mean the game’s level revolving around Bellbridge itself.

The Bellbridge level’s second part that plays the song “Cruising Together”, which is a very enlightening song that makes you feel powerful and encourages you to make your way through the level itself and where Will and Helen would later find and save NiGHTS, the emotion and power resonating with this song reminded me of the emotion and power resonating with “Jump Up, Superstar”. I mean, they’re both songs that motivate you and encourage you to stay strong and persevere through odds within your journey. Be it through the world or through dreams themselves. They’re both songs that are supposed to get you moving. And they both play during a city-themed level. I just thought of a crossover scenario in JOD within the true climax of the game at the second phase of the Bellbridge level, Pauline (in her festival dress) and her New Donk band come out of nowhere and warp the scenery of Bellbridge to make it resemble New Donk City and starts to sing “Jump Up, Superstar” in order to cheer on Will and Helen. There’s and retro styled scenery or models in the background and fireworks popping in the night sky and you’ll have some of the New Donk people in their black suits and hats and the nightopians appear on top of the buildings dancing and cheering all while Mario eventually runs out of a horizontal retro green warp pipe (the green warp pipes that take you to retro styled level themed around the original Super Mario Bros.) and jumps and flips his way through the stage, “wahooing” all the way and using Cappy of course, since it’s Mario Odyssey after all. Mario catches up and follows the path of Will and Helen, as they fly their way through the now New Donk City-warped Bellbridge. At the ending point of the level, Mario is seen running into another horizontal retro warp pipe, disappearing from the level altogether. Once the story progresses to the scene of NiGHTS getting rescued and fighting the last two bosses of the game (the final phase of Reala and then finally Wizeman himself), the entire New Donk City scenario is treated as if it had never happened. The most likely answer is because Wizeman had warped the scenery back into what it was supposed to look like within the script of the game and its story, meaning Pauline, Mario, her band, and a crowd of her people vanished along with the scenery altogether, as they were nothing but figments of the dream itself at the end of the night. (I’d kill for a mashup remix of Cruising Together or just simply Dreams Dreams and Jump Up, Superstar.)

However, there is a secret Konami code in the game in which upon being entered, unlocks Pauline in her Super Smash Bros. Ultimate spirit form, where Pauline was a truly terrifying and powerful force to be reckoned with. She had the ability to summon Mario in his wedding attire and a Donkey Kong to serve as her goons while she was powerful enough to manipulate gravity and even limit time itself. Her two bodyguards were also immortal as long as she was around. If was defeated, they would be defeated, similar to the logic around Wizeman and his creations in which should he be killed off, all of his creations (like NiGHTS and Reala for example) would be killed off alongside with him. Gosh, I wouldn’t be surprised if Pauline were to eventually become the Wizeman of her own beautiful and flashy, yet nightmarish realm that’s a surrealistic replica of New Donk City within the Night Dimension where she’s still mayor albeit in a more menacing form. She’s powerful enough and a nightmare of her own to fight Wizeman himself. Which is why she is an unlockable secret cheat code in the game. It instantly jumps to the final boss encounter. In the cutscene before the final boss, Pauline replaces the character model of NiGHTS with her own and dualizes with Will and Helen to fight Wizeman. Oh no, now she’s double and that she can now summon Mario and Donkey Kong 2X!!! That, or the additional two summons would just be Bowser and Peach. A dual mash up remix consisting of “D’Force Master” and “Jump up, Superstar” plays during the fight. The script of the story would still remain the same while the gameplay itself would be different. But maybe fans would be more willing to see the story’s script get altered too, hmm? With two powerful nightmares going at each other, this fight sure becomes ironic in of itself. Don’t worry, NiGHTS comes back at the very last scene of the ending and they have absolutely no idea what just happened or that Pauline was even there to begin with. But wait, there’s more! There is an unlockable level after you have entered the Konami code, unlocked Pauline, beat the final boss, and got the true ending, you get a level based off of the New Donk city festival from Mario Odyssey but now structured as a NiGHTS level that features NiGHTS, Will, Helen, Pauline, her New Donk band, the nightopians, the New Donk people, and Mario all at the New Donk City festival where the tall building in the background is replaced with Bellbridge’s clock tower. Mario functions the same as he did in the Bellbridge act 2 level where he’s seen catching up to NiGHTS (who’s dualized with Will and Helen and are now two beings like in the final boss fight) and completing the level in his own fashion. At one part of the level, NiGHTS enters a retro warp pipe and traverses through a Super Mario Bros./Donkey Kong arcade styled area that maintains the NiGHTS level structure now in 8-bit and they defeat the retro Donkey Kong in there and eventually make it to where Mario and Pauline are at which is the end of the original level in Mario Odyssey. Mario is seen dancing near Pauline and eventually the two NiGHTS stop, undualizes and NiGHTS, Will, and Helen all dance along with Mario and Pauline too. The camera then pans to where the full moon and firework explosions are seen at a distance. The level ends.

Now after you’ve entered the secret Konami code, unlocked Pauline, defeat Wizeman, get the normal true ending, then afterwards unlocked the secret level, and complete the secret level, you unlock an extra secret level where Mario replaces both Will and Helen in the part where the player has to play and traverse through Broadway Guide without NiGHTS. Mario maintains his Odyssey controls and moveset, therefore can do much more action than Will and Helen could. Take advantage of your jumping and batting skills in order to reach secret places that contains moons and a bonus level that has a moon at the end like in Odyssey itself. Find Peach and Tiara (Cappy’s sister) who are also touring through Broadway Guide and hear their opinions on the city itself. You are given a moon as a reward. The song of “Broadway Guide” and “Jump Up Superstar” are mashed up together. Anyways, Mario encounters and fights a 2nd level Nightmaren who is.....(Honestly, I don’t know. The chameleon magician that was actually in JOD itself? Jackle? Really, Jackle would be a much better choice and more fanservice! Hell, maybe the Broodals are in this game and their teaming up with the nightmarens for some reason like how in the Sonic Lost World Nightmare Zone DLC where the Deadly Six had teamed up with the nightmarens to beat Sonic but Sonic beats them all in the end). After Mario defeats the 2nd level nightmaren, he achieves a multi-moon and the secret level ends.

Now after you’ve entered the secret Konami code, unlocked Pauline, defeat Wizeman, get the normal true ending, then afterwards unlocked the secret level, and complete the secret level, unlocked an extra secret level where you play as Mario, make your way through Broadway Guide, defeat the 2nd level nightmaren, and get the multi-moon at the end, you unlock an extra, extra secret true climax in which Bowser replaces Wizeman, the grand star replaces the ideya of hope, and Mario replaces NiGHTS. The beginning of the true climax is just the scene in Super Mario Galaxy 2 where after you defeat Bowser and you’re just about to grab the grand star, Bowser jumps out of nowhere, eats the grand star, grows to his titan size again, and initiates the final phase of his fight. JOD’s rising true climax has NiGHTS and either Will or Helen, depending on which dream you’re playing first, find the ideya of hope. But before they could grab it, an earthquake happens and Wizeman comes out of nowhere, steals the ideya of hope, zaps NiGHTS unconscious, then leaves and now the visitors have to take a leap of faith, traverse through Bellbridge, rescue NiGHTS, Reala appears out of nowhere, NiGHTS and Reala fight again in the most boring way possible for them to fight, AGAIN, then NiGHTS and the visitors fight Wizeman, kill him, therefore NiGHTS and all of the existing nightmarens die, the visitors wake up, they’re sad, they achieve their dreams and spend time with their parents and friends, the vanish all of a sudden once Will and Helen meet each other in reality, some asshole turns off the lights and jump scares the visitors and the player themselves, it starts snowing, Will and Helen laugh together, you see either one of them in bed again, and outside of their window, NiGHTS is back and standing on top of the Bellbridge clock tower playing the invisible flute because everthing involving the nightmares in the Night Dimension had reset afterwards. I recall ALL OF THIS because the scenes in both of these respective games are pretty alike. Will and Helen have to fly through a now Super Mario Galaxy styled Bellbridge, rescue Mario, dualize with Mario (don’t ask me how, just roll with it), fight the final phase of Bowser Jr., and fight the titan-sized Bowser and save Peach. I’m getting lazy here, so the ending here is just the same but with Mario instead of NiGHTS. Maybe Rosalina comes out of nowhere in her own titan size like in the ending of the first Mario Galaxy and thanks Mario, Peach, and the visitors and the screen turns white and the visitors wake up.

Also, did you know that Will and Helen are actually alternate interpretations of Link and Zelda within the Zelda Timeline somewhere? Well, now after you’ve entered the secret Konami code, unlocked Pauline, defeat Wizeman, get the normal true ending, then afterwards unlocked the secret level, and complete the secret level, unlocked an extra secret level where you play as Mario, make your way through Broadway Guide, defeat the 2nd level nightmaren, and get the multi-moon at the end, unlock the extra, extra, secret true climax in which the visitors and Mario fight Bowser at the Bellbridge, Mario and the visitors briefly meet Rosalina, the dream ends and you get the same true cinematic ending as before because I’m getting lazy and tired here and this TED Talk is getting really, really long now, you unlock an extra, extra, EXTRA, secret in which by entering another Konami cheat code, you can give both Will and Helen both Link and Zelda alt skins (Will gets the Link costume and Helen gets the Zelda costume and doesn’t have her ponytail so that she could resemble Zelda more closely in her cosplay) that they can wear on another run through their dreams in the game. And I think the ideya of courage, growth (which was originally wisdom in the first game), and....(aw crap, there’s no power, uh...intelligence??? I suppose that’ll have to do.) come together to form their own triforce in the true climax of the game.

Anyways, this was long as hell, I’m tired, and I’m sure you’re tired too, so

Thank you for listening to my TED Talk.

(If you even bothered to do so...)

[7grandmel]

Todays rip: 11/07/2023

Knowledge of the Depths

Season 5 Featured on: The SiIvaGunner Spooktacular Halloween Horror Special: Curse of the Fallen Angel

Ripped by Heboyi

Requested by an anonymous reader!

About a week or so ago, I got a request to discuss some of the channel's storylines more in depth on this blog. The ongoing storytelling on the channel has always been one of its biggest draws to me, and at this point I've been following the lore for so long that I could write pages upon pages on speculation, interpretations, theories, et cetera. However, this blog is specifically about individual rips, so I'm only going to be discussing story events in relation to individual pieces of music. That may change in the future, but for now this is how I'll compromise.

In the midst of Season 4 Episode 2's All-Star Summer Festival, we were introduced to Woodyana Stones: Raider Made of Lost Bark, an Indiana Jones parody in the form of an audio drama starring channel protagonist Wood Man. This kind of storytelling was somewhat new to the channel, and is sort of the spiritual successor to the King For A Day tournaments of the prior two seasons: More self-contained stories featuring an ensemble of characterized memes, whilst still serving up small nuggets of lore here and there. Season 6 would later clarify that these events were Wood Man using his powers of interdimensional travel to visit alternate universes as a way to keep himself occupied before returning to SiIva's main universe. A cynic could call them filler, but that would be disregarding the insane amount of effort that's gone into each of these stories, and all of the weight they still hold, both as beíng genuinely quality and funny and in serving some very interesting pieces of lore for the channel as a whole.

The storyline that today's rip is from - Curse of the Fallen Angel - currently sits as my favorite, though I admit the others are also due for a relisten. For me, a big part of that is due to the intriguing lore concepts it introduces that were directly tied to the channel's ongoing status at the time. Masked Wolf's Astronaut in the Ocean and Lady's Yankin were two themes that had become feared by commenters after infecting the channel's regular uploads during Season 5. The reasons for this dislike are many and long-winded, so for the sake of summary: Think of it like The Bean from Season 1, a type of rip that had commenters work together to warn one another to move to different rips. What this audio drama does is establish these themes, "Figments" in SiIva lore, as "Cursed", holding some sort of abnormal dark power beyond that of normal figments. The audio drama sees Wood Man and a band of companions journeying to hunt down these Cursed before their powers can be used by "The Fallen Angel", referring to the most powerful Cursed of them all in Yankin'. One day I will go further in talking about Yankin' in particular, but trust me: Of all antagonists in SiIva lore, I don't think it would be exaggerating to say that she's the one the fanbase fears most due to her overwhelming presence on the channel in Season 5.

With the mood now set, what I love about todays rip in particular, Knowledge of the Depths, is the atmosphere its able to instill with this background knowledge in mind. It sets the stage to the third act of the audio drama, with Wood Man and c.o trying to find this accursed entity submerged deep underwater, with powers completely foreign to both the characters and us in the audience. Like most of the storyline's soundtrack, its a fully original composition, but uses elements of Astronaut in the Ocean's progression and vocals to keep its presence known. A theme otherwise only known on the channel for its low quality rips is now able to set a genuine mood of suspense and fear, with a sound akin to Kenji Yamamoto's Metroid music or Super Mario Galaxy's Drip Drop Galaxy theme. Its immaculate stuff!

Its even more interesting hearing this theme come from Heboyi in particular, based on the impression I've gotten of them beforehand. They're behind a lot of the funniest rips on the channel in recent memory, often using ironically-bad sources much like Astronaut in the Ocean itself, yet here do a complete 180 in emotional reaction. Its very funny to learn that the person most apt in wielding the Astronaut's power for comedy is also just as capable in wielding it for atmosphere and mood-setting.

[trainzelda]

Super Mario 3D All-Stars games rated by trainzelda

My copy of Super Mario 3D All-Stars came today and I got the chance to try out everything on it. This is a release I was really looking forward to and I went in with high expectations so I thought it might be worth sharing my experience to anyone who might be on the fence.

Super Mario 64

This game looks so crisp, you could cut yourself on the edge of each of Mario’s polygons. The text is actually legible now. Unfortunately that’s everything good I can say about this port. The lack of BLJ glitch is a disappointment to speedrunners everywhere. They changed the camera controls for seemingly no reason other than to force you to unlearn years of muscle memory. The display doesn’t fill the screen in either direction in handheld mode. It’s still fun, but it feels sloppy. 

5/10, mostly decent port but loses points for no gay bowser

Super Mario Sunshine

This was my favorite Mario game of all time. The first video game I ever owned. Don’t even touch this one. The controls are so fucked up it’s literally unplayable. Soft R and hard R press are now 2 different buttons. FLUDD’s controls are backwards now too so good luck aiming at anything. And again, just sloppy. Like the dialog icons are still images of a gamecube B button, with the letter B just replaced with an A. Dive has been moved from B to Y to make room for the absolutely nothing that they had to put on B. The changes to this game are mostly the same ones as in SM64 but they feel so much bigger in a game where aiming and diving are vitally important mechanics. I know it sounds nitpicky but it’s a big enough deal that it cancels out any fun

0/10, what have they done to my boy???

Super Mario Galaxy

This is probably the strongest port considering the controls are pretty much exactly the same. It’s just the same game with a better picture. There’s still some awkwardness collecting star bits and such if you play handheld or with a pro controller, and some weird motion-control holdovers from the original that I would rather them have provided an alternative to, but I’m not really gonna hold it against them when those problems were present back then as well. Maybe the other two games aren’t so bad if you’re new to them but if you’ve played all three before, this is the only game worth playing on 3D All-Stars instead of original hardware.

9/10 A solid port but im docking a point because I was just never that fond of this game in general

All 3 games soundtracks:

7/10 Idk it’s just sounds. There are a lot less music tracks than you’d expect. I’m still never using my switch as a music player so who cares

[monkey-network]

Sonic Rebuilt review, Babey

So I just saw the reanimated ‘96 Sonic OVA and this was better than the live action Sonic movie. Let me put it this way: If the Sonic Movie is New Super Mario Bros Wii, Sonic Rebuilt is Super Mario Galaxy 2. I was very much hyped for the people behind Shrek Retold coming around for another full collab and just like Shronk, this did not disappoint in making this feel like an utter fever dream. Visually, that is. Sadly unlike Shrent, the audio was not of an original cast nor did it have an original remixed soundtrack. Not docking points for this, but it would’ve been a little nice hearing people trying to replicate Sonic, Tails, or Robotnik’s voice.

Voices aside, we certainly got a ride

Now I’ve never seen the original OVA myself, only clips and memes, but after seeing it in time for the remake I gotta say it was entertaining it its own right. Knuckles has a different backstory, but I say they captured his personality regardless. And it’s weird that this was meant to promote Sonic Adventure even when none of it is really related to the game, but you can still say it’s its own thing. My only negative is the dub, especially when the characters are screaming. It never got too irritating, but I’ll say Sara’s dub voice tested me. It’s an old looking anime in some cases, but the animation is pretty great where it counts and it really felt like what a Sonic film could be. It jumps right into the swing of things, we get who Sonic and the other mainstays are about with no BS origin story beyond the creation of the antagonist Metal Sonic, and we just get to see the blue blur, Tails, & Knuckles get to whoop ass and sled fast.  

And ya can’t go wrong with having a catgirl in your film too

Overall, this was a good movie and the reanimation honestly enhanced it for me. The fluctuating mix of animation and live action kept me invested, ironic or not this was beautiful, felt like every artist had fun making their specific scenes if ever short. Favorite moments would have to be with Sonic and Tails are dashing through the land of darkness in the beginning and some of the final fight with Metal Sonic. It isn’t Shrek, Kirby, or Spongebob ones, but as a Sonic fan, I’d say my thirsts were quite quenched.

Check it out if you have a good hour to kill and if ya love Sonic and I’m giving this bad boy a 4 out of 5

[foxune]

We’re at the end of the decade, and I saw a buddy do something similar a day or two ago, so I decided to look through the past 10 years of gaming and pick out what I’d say my favorite game of each year was. Note that I’m going by US release dates.

More details in the Read-More below:

2010- Super Mario Galaxy 2

Both of the Mario Galaxy games are pure masterpieces, but 2 still manages to be an improvement across the board. It expanded on pretty much everything that made the original great, and added great new features to the mix. Definitely my favorite game to ride Yoshi on, too!

2011- Pokémon Black & White

This year was probably the hardest to choose for.....namely because there wasn’t a whole lot of standouts. While I have trouble going back to the sprite-based Pokemon games at this point (they just feel kinda dead in comparison to the games from X/Y onward), this one stands out for having the best narrative in the series. It’s the only one where I actually cared about the human characters.

2012- Xenoblade Chronicles

Honestly, anyone who’s been following me for a while probably knew this one was going to be here. It’s a serious contender for the best JRPG of all time, in my opinion. While the graphics are a bit dated, literally everything else about Xenoblade Chronicles is borderline perfect. Great story, likeable party that all have their own part to play, massive world....

2013- Animal Crossing: New Leaf

This game was a huge part of my life throughout 2013, and I continued to play it sporadically for the better part of the decade. It felt like a huge step forward in the series, while remaining familiar enough that it didn’t feel too too different. Also, it was probably the funnest game to liveblog and watch other people blog about.

2014- Tomodachi Life

This is probably the weirdest pick of them all, but this is one of the most charming games I’ve ever played, and it’s one I find myself going back to constantly even though I think I’ve experienced almost all there is to see. It’s just super weird, funny, and genuinely touching at times. I don’t think there’s any game I want to see a sequel to more than this. Kinda says a lot that I put this above the likes of Smash 4 and Mario Kart 8.

2015- UNDERTALE

Memes aside, there’s not a lot I don’t like about this game. Top notch character design and dialog, really interesting and unique battle system, and an amazing soundtrack. A bit on the short side, but made up for that by providing really creative replay incentive. In fact, it goes above and beyond the call of duty to provide replay incentive. Definitely one of the best games of this decade as a whole, and an all-time great in the RPG genre.

2016- Starbound

Another weird pick, but this is the game that really got me into PC gaming as a whole, and the first game of its kind I actually tried (played it before Terraria, and I still have yet to try Minecraft). I also go back to it more often than any other PC game. Like 2011, 2016 wasn’t exactly a stacked year for me, either, but unlike 2011, this one was a bit of a no-brainer for me.

2017- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

In my opinion, 2017 was one of the best years for gaming, period. This wasn’t an easy choice to make, with Super Mario Odyssey, Persona 5 (in the west), and Xenoblade Chronicles 2 all having come out months apart. BOTW is truly special, though. So much to see and do, and practically infinite ways to go about doing it. Truly one of those games that really deserves every bit of praise it gets.

2018- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Honestly, this is probably my favorite game of all time, let alone in just 2018. It’s literally everything I ever wanted in past Smash games, and is a crossover of nearly all my favorite video game franchises. Helps that it’s insanely fun and has a ton of depth. 

2019- Fire Emblem: Three Houses

This one’s kinda funny.....I honestly had zero interest in it whatsoever in the year or so leading up to release. It wasn’t until AFTER it came out that I got interested, after learning details about the plot and the characters themselves. It’s top notch as a game, and I really enjoy the narrative. It subverts expectations constantly and in ways that don’t feel forced. I really dig that.

[bearpillowmonster]

Top 15 Games!

I saw some people make this but with 20, I decided to do 15 but with the rule of using ONE PER SERIES to make it tougher and so I didn’t just fill it will KH games. This is in no particular order so I’ll just explain them all the way I have them.

Minecraft: I must have logged more hours into this game than any other, I would wake up just to play mods on the weekend, it’s just something to kind of pass the time or do just whatever with.

Tron 2.0: I’m a sucker for Tron and for them to have made an FPS genre about it with a great system to add buffs or powerups such as high jumping/silent walking. To have different weapons (A sniper called LOL I mean come on! How do you not adore that?!)

Daxter: May be a PSP title but worth the time, good world building, character, and spunk.

Super Mario Galaxy: Who are you if you don’t have Mario on your list, the question is which one? Mario Galaxy has an epic orchestral soundtrack that is one of the main reasons I got a Wii.

Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando: Why this one? Why not-

Oh...but in all honesty, it builds upon the first game and just has a better story in my opinion, yeah the 3rd one has neat weapons but this one stays close to me.

Spider-Man: Oh boy, Insomniac strikes again. This game plays magically. I love the acrobatic parkour fluent style of Spidey’s movement, I can tell how other players differ from me in their play style and it just overall has a ton of stuff to do.

Kingdom Hearts II: While I will say I like the speed of KH3, KH2 has a slight edge because of the story, the weight of your actions (keyblades, character movement, etc.) and it has not only a Lion King world but a Tron world!

Epic Mickey: While you can play as Oswald in the sequel and I really like that, this feels slightly more grounded with it’s narrative and originality, I like the dark sense it gives while also introducing one of my favorite characters of all time to me. OSWALD! Also paint, has a really cool paint thing.

Pokemon Platinum: While I love seeing Pokemon go to 3D, this game still remains my favorite in the series. Pokemon Diamond got me back into Pokemon but this game improved on that in almost every aspect...otherwise the Reverse World and Darkrai/Shaymin capabilities. 

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D: I love playing handheld Zelda but there’s something that most of them just don’t get that the console ones do so when I got this game you can imagine it was the best of both worlds. Improving on the original OoT, while having it on the go just felt great, this was an adventure. 

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End: You would think a long lost brother that was never mentioned would seem kind of cliche but they deliver it with style, the graphics are great and the gameplay is at it’s best. You can shoot a nerf gun, what can I say?

Chibi-Robo: Plug into Adventure: I’ve reviewed this on my blog before so I’ll just sum it up. It gives a nice sense of duty without feeling too pressured, yeah days go past but you never have to do anything in any certain order for the most part, you just do stuff at your own pace, in your own way and it really goes to show how much a character that doesn’t talk can later become your tumblr icon because he’s so cute and relatable.

Halo Reach: I played a good bit of the Halo franchise, with friends that is, I never had my own Xbox but the new collection is coming out on Steam, I’m so excited. This one in particular had the most memories for me, yeah Halo 4 did some cool stuff, so did 3 but this just for some reason strikes me as the best in the franchise and I feel like I’d have a lot of people back me up on that.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution: I was going to give this to Control or Portal 2 because this game conflicted me but then I remembered...I may not have been the best fan of this game at first but I played it anyway and I had a gosh darn good time, I feel like this is more of a fun game than anything, even with Mankind Divided, I liked this one better, the way it’s set up with mini open worlds, cyberpunk ideas, potential for different augments, the feeling you get from the stealth, the feeling you get from going in guns blazing, it was just a good time.

Metal Gear Solid: I think the gameplay belongs to MGS5 but the story belongs here. I have to say, for a PS1 game, this is the cake. It has a remake on the Gamecube and it still doesn’t beat this, this is stylized, this is an experience. I didn’t play it until MG5 was already out and I still loved it with gameplay flaws and all, if it can age that well then it deserves it’s spot. 

The next potential in this list is either Death Stranding or FFVII Remake