#the Dr. Mario stuff is one of the series I find so fascinating

[darkwingsnark]

DR. Mario Universe Bowuigi AU

Random because of another night of being up from pain, but I wish there was more fan content centered around Dr. Mario Au shenanigans. With it being a more work-based medical drama, with maybe the idea that Luigi isn't a fellow doctor and just happens to be the brother of a world renown infectious disease specialist. Mario still has his rivalry with Bowser, just as co-workers with a competitive streak. Luigi visits the hospital often to have lunch with his brother at the hospital food court, more so as he can make sure his older bro is actually making time for it. He's known for being so into his work that he'll skip meals. So of course Luigi has heard his brother come home and complain about that no-good orthopedic doctor keeps dismissing his help when patients tend to have conditions that overlap-- like infections post operations. Or stuff like hearing about fights going down in the hospital during meetings.  So when Luigi breaks his leg, of course he's nervous when that means he'll be sent to the guy his brother hates. That he is told is very demanding and confrontational. Only for Bowser to be an amazing doctor, if blunt and sassy. And he recognizes Luigi as being the guy Mario has lunch with, putting pieces together when he sees his chart. Luigi expects Dr. Bowser to start treating him cruelly. To take out his aggression from Mario out on HIM. Only for Bowser to actually open up more and get chattier-- cracking jokes rather than keeping it strictly business. Well well well, after all that big talk from the guy, looks like there's something Mario CAN'T do: treat his brother. WELP, looks like I'm gonna have t'rub it in that jerk's face n' show 'im how it's done! Cue Luigi and Bowser seeing each other a lot more as Bowser-- from his own sense of pride and wanting to make Mario feel like utter shit-- taking on a lot more of the treatment than he would usually do. Usually he'd pass thing off to Resident Docs or physical therapists. But oooh no, not with THE Dr. Mario's brother! Gotta show that guy up! Luigi's gonna go home and have to constantly tell that clown how wonderfully he's being treated. Mario, of course, is frustrated on some level. But he can't complain when the koopa gets results. Seeing his brother heal and get better is all he really cares about.... Even if he doesn't like the fact he has to hear his baby bro talk about his obvious crush on Dr. Bowser, that he himself doesn't realize yet.

[jaigny]

21 Questarunies! ❣

I was tagged by the sweet @mayusimsie who wanted to see my rubbish attempt  ♡

Rules: Answer 21 questions, then tag people that you want to get to know better.

Nickname : Jaign (Pronouced like Jane)

Zodiac : Libra BEECH ITS LIBRA SEASSSSSON!!! YAAAS

Height :  Short  5′2′ish I think LOL

Last thing searched: “Conssoiuer Mountain  Mint Icecream” (Don’t judge me its my birthday soon 👀)

Favorite musicians: There are so many we would still be discussing this for like forever...sooo... I like a range of music from today, 90′s, 80′s etc and even like music from games like League of Legends and Wow (Like Eurtan’s music is just *Chef kiss*) and I like a few kpop too!

If you had a time machine, would you go back in time or visit the future? I guess it would depend really? I’m human and I’ve made a few mistakes in the past or I would of done something different. But like the fact that tomorrow is basically the future is amazing too and that would be interesting too see too.

Do I get asks? Very very rarely lmao And I mean it’s fine my blog is just quiet and that’s great!

Following: 355 beautiful people that like my trashy content LOL

Would you rather be rich or famous? Rich but not famous being famous wouldn’t be for me LOL

Amount of sleep: well.... 👀.... Atleast 12hrs of sleep...just depends? Cause sometimes in that combined 12hrs I have naps if I sleep averagely 9 hours?...Sleeps great for the skin ya know 

What I’m wearing: Black sweat and a white singlet cami top cause its like my basic comfort zone. Ultra comfort zone only happens in colder weather when I putt out my fluffy marshmallow fleece pjs!

Dream job: I’ve had alot of dream jobs...but I feel like cause I really like helping people of all ages..like..I wanted to be an anime artist when I was a teen...then wanted to be a florist...a counselor...actually started a course on it until I couldn’t do it and had to quit because lots of stuff went down..bad stuff..and a whole bunch of other things throughout the years til I became a carer for my grandmother for 24/7 literally. And as exhausting it was for those 5 years (I had to stop cause mental health reasons that I still to this day have) I’ve decided I like helping people and went and got my Cert 3 in Individual Support for the elderly and am now wanting to do Cert 4 in  Disability. I want to learn more because my youngest sister has Autism and I find that and Dementia just so fascinating despite how it not pretty it is.

Dream trip: Japan mainly and take my boo there for his anime pleasures LOL  And just learn about the culture I’d love to see Ireland and Scotland and other places but beech I’m a broke woman

If you were an animal. What would you be? I would probably be a cat (Literally my nickname is Kitty) 👀

What are some of your favourite books/films/shows/games/etc.?

Books: The Lord Of The Rings, Z for Zachariah, Waterfire, Vampire Academy Books.. SO MANY BOOKS LOL  I mean I even love to nowdays just read Fanfiction of my fave shows anime and tv alike! Like its amazing how creative people can be!

Films/Movies:  Well I gotta say classics like Jaws, Deep Blue Sea, The Alien franchise, Predator (Even the AVP stuff) Tau, Marvel, there’s alot of movies I like too LOL but the genre is mainly rom comedy, thriller scary stuff. I watched the latest It movies and I liked the first one more then Chapter 2 but I was happy Ben finally got his girl in the end lol I’m looking forward to watching Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. And then I love like Disney films like Moana, Tangled and  the classics that I grew up with like Little Mermaid etc Frozen 2 looks interestingly better then the first so yeah lol

Shows: Hmm... I’m currently watching Supernatural, American Horror Story and Dr Who lol But I love Buffy the vampire series and Friends...Stargate...Orange is the New Black..and then I like fail cooking shows like Nail it lol And then I have all my anime I watch LOL

Games:  I grew up like alot of older simmers round my age and older the Sims 1 and Sim City, Mario Bro 2 on Nintendo 64 , Resident Evil 1, 2 3 and Outbreak File #2 on Ps1 and 2 (Love Resident Evil) Final Fantasy 7 on Ps1, Parasite Eve 2 on Ps1 ... I also loved to play Pokemon on the gameboy that my cousin owned lol I remember playing a Digimon game on I think ps1? Oh I played Alien Isolation that was such fun...I played Grand Theft Auto throughout my childhood on Ps2 and then GTA5 I mainly though played Sims 1 and then later on Sims 2 and 3 til Sims 4 came out.

Play any instruments? I used to play keyboard in Music class that was like part of an assessment in highschool but mainly I just like to sing however bad/good I am LOL

Language(s): English (I did learn French in Year 7 and 8 and I know a couple of stuff  in Japanese from watching anime and reading Fanfiction!

Describe yourself as aesthetic: Warm cozy (Not too much clutter) homey Minimalist I guess lol

Tags: WELL! I tag these lovely darling people! (I’m sorry if the people I tage have already done it as I didn’t know!) @tea-sims @stardustsim @peonypyxels @grouchysims @blarffy @99simproblems @whoeverelsewants to do it i guess?

Peaceout and Much love y’all! ♡

[icequeen-shiva]

alright, you know what

about two weeks ago maybe by now, i made a post about how i’ve recently hit 200 followers and i’d like to do a q&a again, and even with a reblog from someone more ~*popular*~ than me, and multiple reblogs once a day for a few days by myself, i didn’t get a single fucking question. not one. earlier today i posted two pictures of myself where i felt pretty (i’ve since deleted them) and nobody i actually know of liked it and i got asked by a stranger who doesn’t even follow me if i had any nsfw pictures. i don’t get asks anymore, i don’t get shit. and that tells me that, you may be following me, but you aren’t connecting with me. and i feel that. i get on tumblr and i don’t feel like i’m friends with fucking anybody. and i did that. i know i did that. 9/10 times i let my fear of rejection and embarrassing myself overcome my desire to talk to people, so i don’t do it, or i let it fizzle out and we go our own ways and we don’t become friends. 1/10 times i actually function as a human being and make a connection or at least something that sticks a little.

so here, below the cut, is a comprehensive (loosely) list of things that i like, in no particular order at all, besides tickling, because apparently both sides of this need a little help connecting on any front.

scooby-doo

beetlejuice

the addams family

the sims

the mcu

classic disney animations; my favorites are dumbo, the great mouse detective, the rescuers, sleeping beauty, and oliver and company (it’s old enough that i consider it in the classic category)

~modern disney animations too; my favorites are treasure fucking planet, coco, and... i’m a sap, beauty and the beast. rise of the guardians too even though it isn’t disney.

musicals; i can’t pick a favorite just fucking ask me, but i don’t know a lot of newer ones honestly

empire records

the greatest showman still

cats (i mean the animals but i also like the show even though it is Weird As Hell)

my cat in particular

alice in wonderland

stranger things

space jam

tsum tsums

elvira, mistress of the dark

dice

kiki’s delivery service and specifically jiji things

winnie the pooh i don’t even fucking care i LOVE HIM AND ALL OF HIS FRIENDS

silly hats

playdoh

interesting earrings

exploring libraries or big bookstores

true crime mysteries; my favorite youtuber for this is georgia marie, bless her. i also watch bella fiori and kendall rae

fictional mysteries too

i have a kind of fascination with jack the ripper and with the lizzie borden case

shipwrecks! i don’t know why but shipwrecks fascinate me! why did they go down? all the stories that went with them!

i once read a novel that was told as a series of letters, or journal entries, by people on the titanic, including the iceberg and it was THE absolute saddest book i have ever read in my life. like, obviously i knew what was coming, but i got attached to the characters, the letters made them alive and it was just like... NO. NO I DON’T WANT THEM TO DIE. I KNOW THEY’RE GOING TO BUT THEY CAN’T. and it was awful. i had to put it down and cry.

cryptozoology

the bermuda triangle theories (i’m not saying i believe sOmEtHiNg’S gOiNg On but i think some of the theories are interesting)

ghosts

the nancy drew computer games

monopoly

i still play a lot of my snes games; my go-to time killer and head-clearer honestly is kirby’s avalanche. i also play a lot of super mario rpg legend of the seven stars, super mario world, kirby’s dreamland 3, and donkey kong 2 and 3

final fantasy x in which i’m guaranteed to call almost (i can’t stress that enough) every character at some point “my child”

hyrule warriors, i know it’s not a tRuE zelda game but it’s fucking fun

same with fire emblem warriors

red dead redemption

kingdom hearts

the uncharted series

splatoon but i don’t have it wahhhhh

mind you i am not very Good at videogames, i just like to play them anyway

game grumps

ninja sex party

jacksepticeye

markiplier

monty python

crocheting

tea

harry potter

classic rock. pretty big on queen lately. i like tom petty and the heartbreakers. i like joan jett and the blackhearts.

i just... like rock. across the board. i like the offspring. i like some rage against the machine songs. acdc on the radio makes me happy. def leppard on the radio makes me happy. beartooth, starset, powerman 5000, as long as it’s got a good beat and good stuff going on behind the vocals then i’m gonna be happy. i’m way more into the guitars and the bass and everything going on instrumentally than i am vocally, honestly. the whole big guitar solo to van halen’s “you really got me” and then that bassline that comes in, that bassline is sexy. it’s so simple but i LIKE it.

anyway music as a whole gets me right in the heart and can lift me up when i am at my literal worst point

it’s hard for me to name a favorite or specific bands that i like because there’s so many and i’m not really picky about it. 

pop vinyls

good ol’ vines

buffalo wings

mac and cheese

grilled cheese

dr. pepper

i drink a l o t of dr. pepper

pretending i know how to do makeup well

history; i watch a lot of expedition unknown and mysteries at the museum, and sometimes i’ll watch a free documentary on youtube if it catches my attention. last weekend i explained the donner party to my boyfriend. just.. on a whim. because i’d just watched a thing on it and he said he didn’t really know what it was. i’m that person.

OH I SHOULD HAVE MENTIONED THIS BACK AROUND TRUE CRIME BUT I READ A BOOK ABOUT H.H. HOLMES AND HIS MURDER CASTLE AND THE CHICAGO WORLD’S FAIR. it was by erik larson, i believe. larsen? i could google this. devil in the white city. there’s been talks to make it a movie. it’s a good read though i will admit i skipped a lot of the fair parts because i was there for the murder.

i also read a book about the lusitania by the same author and i was like ohhh my goooood what. it got a little boring sometimes, i had to push myself to keep going, but i would read dead wake again.

csi: miami reruns are the greatest thing don’t @ me

dark purple and black aesthetics

just like... witchy aesthetics. those colors and black cats

if you haven’t noticed by any selfies i’ve posted, i do have my lip pierced and i love finding new lip jewelry. i have a new opal stud in and i love its look

leather jackets

combat boots; i have a galaxy print pair and a pair with classic marvel comics stuff printed on the inside and you can fold down the sides to show it. they’re my faves.

owls

drunk history

the first 5 seasons of supernatural and i still have a soft spot for the winchesters and castiel

i’m slowly making my way through watching the librarians

i’m also making my way slowly through watching the magicians

(american) football

nature walks

going to the zoo

going to the aquarium

like really take me to either of the above and i will lose my shit

road trips

savannah, georgia

the smokey mountains

last august i drove by myself from ohio to boone, north carolina for a friend’s wedding and that wedding was smack on a mountain top and it was the coolest thing i think i’ve ever done

roller coasters BUT NOT EXTREME ONES baby steps ok

log rides tho, i don’t know why, i always love the water rides

ren faires!

cosplay, even though i’m not exactly active in it myself (but i want to be; one of my offline friends is an actually-getting-kind-of-internet-famous mei from overwatch cosplayer)

cards against humanity

foosball

pool but i suck at it

speaking of pools i love swimming ... but i suck at it, i just like boppin’ along in a pool

cookouts

summer

there is nothing like being out in the middle of nowhere in summer when the evening starts to fall and the sky is dark, dark blue and there’s a sea of shimmering lightning bugs out over a field. it’s beautiful. it’s peaceful.

there’s nothing like sitting outside on a calm spring night and listening to the spring peepers (they’re frogs) either.

if you couldn’t tell, i live in the middle of nowhere. i have to find enjoyment in the little things.

campfires

dancing around said campfire, you cannot have a campfire without good music. this is when a lot of my classic rock education came to pass.

elephants

my favorite books are the abhorsen trilogy by garth nix, tied with the serpent’s shadow by mercedes lackey

i am trying to get into comic books by way of the youtube channel comicstorian. they break comic books down for you and read them aloud with the images, altered slightly to avoid copyright strikes (and that’s all made very clear, it’s not done sketchily), and it’s been really easy for someone like me who doesn’t just have a comics store close (and i would otherwise continue on as i have been, forgetting to ever look for them on the internet). i listened to injustice 1 and 2, and they covered the game. i’m actively following scooby apocalypse, and there was some teen titans stuff i went all the way through up until now. i don’t think it’s finished yet from what i remember.

i love museums

candles

i actually kind of collect tea sets

i also have a collection of sand art bottles AND IF I’M EVER AT A FESTIVAL OR A FAIR WHERE THERE IS A SAND ART STAND YOU CAN BET I AM GOING TO MAKE ONE

yugioh duels; i’m definitely just a novice and it’s just a fun pastime my friends got me into when they found their giant binders of cards again

i’m not actually that big on pokemon, i don’t know a lot of them but it’s still fun and i know some. but i did love pokemon go when my friends still played it (don’t really have time anymore, and it kept crashing way too badly on one of their phones anymore anytime they tried to join a raid and it just wasn’t fun as a group then)

i don’t have any but i like the ~look of crystals and would like to have some, not for my own aesthetic but i just... like having pretty things!

listening to the rain

how the air smells (at least where i live) after a long rain and everything is just cleansed

depression has stopped me from writing for a long time but, in my heart, writing has always been something that has touched me ever since i knew how to do it and could put my stories down on paper instead of having to just talk about them... so i’m going to include that here

root beer floats

hotdogs

hard dip ice cream (if you don’t know what hard dip means... as my boyfriend didn’t... it means ice cream that you have to use a scoop with, not soft serve)

soft serve’s good too tho don’t get me wrong

strawberry milkshakes

this isn’t even stuff that anyone would need to know on this site to befriend me at this point, nobody’s gonna message me like HEY I READ YOU LIKE STRAWBERRY MILKSHAKES ME FUCKING TOO

you’re cool if you do that lmao

so bad they’re good creature features from the 50s and 60s

the old godzilla movies

i like the moon more than the stars, but i like them too

flower crowns

bouncy balls

original skittles

this has gone on way too long, nobody is reading this, your mom’s a hoe, goodnight

no she’s not, i’m sorry, if you got this far then i hope your mom is a nice person

[umbramatic]

This... was a very late Christmas gift for a friend, the identity of whom you'll be able to ascertain as you read it, and a blatant excuse for dipping my toes into a fandom I've wanted to write in for over a decade. With that out of the way, enjoy: The Other Ken

Ken had a relatively simple life. He'd been through many jobs over the years, from amusement parks to Kmart, but his current one involved taking care of adults with disabilities. And he was stuck with one particular one named Joe. Joe lived in an apartment, alone, except for his dog. Said dog was the highlight of the job and showered Ken with affection whenever he visited - and Ken back - but Joe was a bit more passive, quiet, and relatively low-maintenance. One thing constantly occupying Joe's time was video games. If he wasn't playing them he was watching Youtube videos about them. And one game had caught Joe's attention in particular for the past year - Super Smash Bros. or something. He'd been watching countless videos all year about it ever since this E3 thing, and once he got it he started playing it nonstop. Ken didn't get it. He was old. Video games were after his time. Joe made him play a few rounds of Smash but he couldn't figure it out at all. He didn't know what Joe saw in the thing. There was a Ken in the game. That was nice, he supposed. It wasn't really anything major. Nothing that stopped him from going home at the end of the day, seeing his wife and dogs, and going to bed. ---------- Ken woke up. And at that point was when everything went horribly wrong. There were strange pictures lining the walls, of strange people. Things seemed almost... Japanese? Ken was startled, and even more so when he looked down at himself. He was no longer old and out of shape. He was muscular, almost disgustingly so. He was also wearing... some kind of red martial arts outfit. Before he could process anything further the door slid open. A similarly muscled Japanese man in similar but white martial arts gear entered the room, a grumpy look on his face. "...You're up late." "...Who the hell are you?" "Very funny. Now come on, we need to get going." Ken groaned, pushed himself up, and followed the other man. -------------- Ken soon found himself outside a series of apartment complexes. He immediately noticed that milling about this series of apartments were people and creatures of all shapes and sizes he hardly recognized. There were round, pink things and anthropomorphic animals and more sword wielders than you could shake a... sword at. One of the sword wielders, a young man with fiery orange hair, approached the pair. "Hey! You two ready for the big tournament?" "...Tournament?" said Ken. Something clicked for him. These people and creatures... They were all from that weird game Joe played all the time. But what was he doing here? "Yeah! We're having a big one to celebrate Piranha Plant and Joker joining us!" said the redhead. "Granted, they aren't here yet... But hey, we can just have another one when they show up!" "Roy, we all know you want revenge for Ken's 'physics is boring' comment the other day," said Ken's companion. Roy's chest swelled as he took a deep breath. "No I do not, Ryu. Also, physics is not boring, it is by far the most fascinating of the sciences!" "...I didn't say nothing," said Ken. Roy narrowed his eyes. "Something's off about you..." "He claimed to not know me when he woke up," said Ryu. Roy's eyes widened. "Wait... That blow to the head from Donkey Kong yesterday... Maybe he has amnesia!" "Wait, I-" Ken started to say. "...That does make sense..." said Ryu. "Hmm, this is a predicament..." said Roy. "Do you still think he can fight in the tournament?" "Do you remember how to fight?" said Ryu. Before Ken could answer, there was a loud roar from further in the crowd. "Looks like your opponent isn't taking no for an answer," said Roy. Ryu sighed. "Well, come on then." And Ken, protesting all the way, was dragged off. ------------------ Ken didn't know where he was or what he was doing. Main thing he could tell was he was on some sort of tiny tropical island and there was a boat with some kind of... anthropomorphic turtle? But those things didn't really concern him so much as his opponent. The creature noticeably resembled a dragon but one that looked grotesque and wrong. He had needle-sharp teeth, mottled purple skin, and glowing yellow eyes - the latter of which were staring him down with surprising intelligence. Ken heard an announcer count down from three to one and then the dragon charged. He had to react fast. He tried to run away from the thing, and when it barreled toward him anyway, he summoned instincts he didn't know he had and jumped over it. But the dragon lunged at him and sent him flying. Landing with a thud, Ken noticed an energy sword next to him and grabbed it, swinging it desperately at the dragon. It knocked him back a bit, but not enough. The dragon hit him with a savage claw strike and Ken was sent flying and flying and then there was a loud "bam." Ken opened his eyes to find himself hovering over the battlefield, the dragon still down below. Was he dead? Was this an out-of-body experience? Was he- His questions were promptly answered by him being dropped down to face the dragon again, and he quickly panicked and punched him. The dragon was knocked back noticeably further, but immediately came back and raked Ken across the ground with a roar. Ken then saw a strange capsule, grabbed it, and cracked it open, hoping whatever was inside could stop this thing. What emerged was a lanky man in purple, coming to Ken's defense with a cackling laugh. "Too bad, Waluigi time!" Waluigi stomped the dragon into the dirt and then sent him flying off the battlefield with another crash with a swing of a tennis racket. "I may not be in the fight yet, but Waluigi can still kick some tail!" And with that, he vanished. Ken got to his feet and dusted himself off. He kind of wished he could have thanked that Waluigi guy, but he needed to get out of- The dragon swooped in and attacked Ken with his tail. Ken yelled and crashed to the ground, stunned. This was enough for the dragon to hit him with another decisive blow and send him flying off the battlefield with another crash. As Ken descended back onto the battlefeild again, he heard the announcer counting down. "Three.. Two... One... Game!" Suddenly, the battlefield was replaced by an open area facing an audience, and his opponent was giving a victory screech. ----------- Ken had been ushered off to a hospital bed. A short man with a moustache in a doctor's outfit was looking him over, frowning. Roy and Ryu were nearby, looking concerned. "Well, almost everything seems healthy," said the doctor. "But you're right, he seems to have amnesia." "I'm telling you, I'm the wrong Ken!" said Ken. "...Or delusional. One of the two." "What should we do then Dr. Mario?" said Roy. "Give him time, some TLC," said Doctor Mario. "Hopefully his memories and normal state of mind will come back to him." "Alright then..." said Ryu. Ken sighed. ----------- Ken was sitting by himself, gazing at the apartment buildings from the distance. His mind stewed on how he was trapped, alone in this strange video game wo- "Poyo?" Ken paused, then turned a bit. Next to him was a small, round, pink creature, staring at him inquisitively. "Hello?" "Poyo!" "Is that all you say?" "Poyo!" Ken sighed. "What do you want?" "Poyo!" The pink ball somehow grabbed his hand with his... nub and started pulling him. Ken begrudgingly obliged, and the pink ball started leading him toward the apartments. ------------ The pink ball led Ken over to a strange, blue, hedgehog-like creature. The hedgehog was running around the complex at incredible speed, but stopped when he saw Kirby and Ken. "Hey little buddy!" he said to the pink ball. "You need me for something?" "Poyo!" said the ball, pointing to Ken. The hedgehog looked over at Ken. "Oh right. You lost your memory huh?" "You guys keep assuming that! I'm the wrong guy! I just somehow ended up her-" He narrowed his eyes. "Wait a minute... Aren't you Sonic the Hedgehog?" "See! He's getting his memory back already!" said Sonic. "No- It's not that! I recognized you from my world! There's a guy I know who plays your video games!" "Wait, your world? My video games? The weird multiversal stuff isn't lining up!" "Poyo!" "Okay. So what is your deal, Ken?" Ken paused, then attempted to explain himself. It was long, rambly, and contained a several-minute rant about his old job at KMart. "...Woah. I think I see the problem." said Sonic. "You seem to be some other Ken in the Ken we know's body!" "Poyo?" said Kirby curiously. He then turned to Ken and waved. "Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!" "That's... I guess that's what I'm trying to get at," said Ken. "Well how do we fix that?" said Sonic. "There's gotta be a way..." He thought a bit, then raised a finger. "I've got it! There's two guys who can help you out. Come on!" He grabbed Ken and Kirby by their hands and to the displeasure of Ken sped off with them. ----- Ken and Kirby were dragged to a pair of strange creatures, one purple and vaguely feline and the other blue and more distinctly canine. The two were staring at each other intently. "...What are they doing?" said Ken. "Probably telepathically smack-talking each other again," said Sonic. "Hey, you two! We need your petty butts for something!" The two turned to the others. ~What do you need?~ said Mewtwo. ~And why both of us?~ said Lucario. "See, Ken's saying he's really some other Ken!" said Sonic. "And you two have the power to figure out what's up!" "Poyo!" ~Well, Kirby's awfully convincing.~ said the canine. With that, he closed his eyes as strange feelers on the back of his head flared. The feline's eyes glowed as he stared directly at Ken's. Ken felt a strange feeling tingle down his spine. Finally, they stopped. ~You're right Sonic,~ said the canine. ~His aura... it's completely different from the Ken we know.~ ~And yet,~ said the feline, ~I sense our Ken's mind resting, dormant.~ "Can you like... get him out?" said Sonic. ~I cannot,~ said the feline. ~There is a force preventing me.~ ~It seems to be... Some sort of curse,~ said the canine. "Curse? What kinda mumbo-jumbo is this?" said Sonic. "That's bullshit!" said Ken. "Can't any of you take me home?" ~There is Master Hand,~ said the feline. ~But he is... Elusive.~ "Fine," said Ken. "I've had it. We're finding the source of this curse ourselves." He turned to Sonic. "You know where those Ryu and Roy guys are?" "Leave it to me!" said Sonic, speeding off. Meanwhile, Kirby's brow furrowed. ----------- Ken, Kirby, Sonic, Roy, and Ryu had gathered around a table in one of the apartments. Ken was looking around at the others grimly. "Okay, which one of you guys can deal with curses?" "Not me..." said Ryu. "I've got a dragon-killing sword, does that count?" said Roy. "I... beat a genie once?" said Sonic. "Poyo! Poyo!" said Kirby. Ken sighed. "Alright, we're going to have to-" "Poy-YO!" "I think Kirby wants something," said Ryu. "What is it then?" said Ken. Kirby left the room briefly before wheeling in a whiteboard and drawing on it in marker. The others stared as Kirby started drawing bizarre and horrifying creatures - a bloody eyeball, a hulking titan, a queen bee, a... Jester? Once he got to the jester the eyes of everyone but Ken widened. "...Oh. Him." said Ryu. "Is he our man? Or... Whatever?" said Roy. Kirby nodded sagely. "Poyo." "Then we'll get him!" said Sonic. "Wait, who is this guy?" said Ken. "You'll find out soon enough." said Ryu. "Come on." The group all started filing out of the apartment. Ken hesitantly followed. -------------- The landscape was dark. Barren. Silent. Eerie. But the party was trekking through it anyway. Ken looked around at it all then turned to Roy. "I've been wondering something," said Ken. "What is it?" said Roy. "You all... You get together for this big thing. So what? You guys just fight all the time or something." "Oh, it's more than just that!" said Roy. "First off, we wouldn't have stopped threats like Galeem if we hadn't all gotten together. Second... We've made so many friends coming together like this." "Friends?" "Yeah! Like... See Sonic and Kirby over there?" Ken looked. There they were, chatting away. "...So?" "They were from totally different worlds before they came here. All of us were. But now we can forge new bonds. Learn new things. It's incredible." Ken paused for a bit. He looked back at Sonic and Kirby and nodded. "You know... I guess you're right." And they trudged onward. -------------- Eventually the path ended. The group reached a stony arena framed by the dark sky. There in the middle was the jester. Ken noticed he seemed totally unassuming - a bright blue and red hat, a short purple body with big, round eyes, a bow tie, and stubby feet in oversized shoes. He looked at the others. "This really the guy who did this to me?" "Sure am!" said the jester. With that his eyes grew crazed. He sprouted fangs and wings. He floated up in the air, exuding a dark energy palpable to all. "...Oh." said Ken. "I knew meddling with your friend here would bring me to you, Kirby!" said the jester with a giggle. "Now we'll settle this once and for all!" Kirby glared. "Poyo!" "If you're itching for a fight, we'll bring it!" said Roy. "Our discipline will make you break," said Ryu. "And most importantly so will our speed!" said Sonic. "Wait," said Ken, "We're actually fighting this gu-" The fighters engaged. Ryu pummeled the jester with punches and kicks. Roy struck with a flaming sword. Sonic spun into him with his body. Kirby summoned forth various powers to batter him. And yet the jester didn't even flinch, sending blasts and beams at them all the way. Ken yelled and ran away from any attacks that came near, but he soon noticed that his companions were starting to get beaten back. The jester was damaged but still going strong. Ken stopped, paused,then shouted out. "Hey! Clown face!" The jester stopped. Then turned to Ken. "What is it, worm?" "You really think you can stop these guys? Well they've got something you don't!" "What could they possibly have?" "Friendship!" "...What?" "Yeah! They came from... from different worlds and stuff! And now they really like each other! Because they fight and train and talk and play with each other! And if you don't appreciate that then get lost!" The jester laughed, a maniacal cackle. "Fool! Mortal relationships are meaningless! All is meaningless! You really think you can get through to me with that drivel?!" "Well no, but it's a nice distraction." "...Oh shi-" A flurry of blows hit the jester. An uppercut from Ken, a stony strike from Kirby, a flying kick from Sonic, a fierce sword blow from Roy. With that, his powers sputtered, faded, and he fell to the ground and lay unconscious. It was then Ken felt a tingling feeling. Looking down at himself, he saw a familiar hoodie and shoes. Looking next to him, he saw the red-clad person he once inhabited the body of. "Woah..." said the second Ken. "What did I miss?" "So this is the real you, huh?" said Ryu. "He's more unassuming than I anticipated..." said Roy. "Pretty much just a normal guy," said Sonic. "Poyo..." said Kirby. Kirby then looked up. "Poyo!" There, descending from the heavens, was a massive disembodied white hand. All gazed upon it in awe as it seemed to look around. "Okay," said a booming voice seemingly coming from the hand, "What just happened here?" "Uh, I got trapped in that guy's body," said Ken, pointing to the second Ken. "Hmmm, you don't seem to be a fighter... Or an Assist Trophy... Or even a Spirit... Let me check something..." Several portals opened at the hand's fingertips, the hand browsing through them like a cellphone app until it stopped at one. "Oh... that universe. It's not even a video game universe, how did you get here? Is Goku trying to get in again?" "Ah, no," said Ken, pointing to the unconscious jester. "He did it." "Oh. Marx. Always starting trouble. Hold on I can send you home right quick." He selected a portal and stretched it wider until it sat before Ken, beckoning. "Well, I guess this is goodbye, other Ken," said Ryu. "I hope you show any dragons or despots in your world who's boss!" said Roy. "Always remember to look on the fast side of life!" said Sonic. "Baiiiiiiii!" said Kirby, waving. Despite himself Ken smiled. "Thanks guys." And he entered the portal. ------------------- Ken emerged in front of his house. It was the dead of night, and it was cold. He felt the portal close behind him, and somehow felt his keys in his pocket. Without a word he entered the house and went to bed. --------------- The next morning, he entered Joe's apartment. Joe was up early playing Super Smash Bros. The dog greeted him as usual - he could almost hear her going "Hiiiiii!". It was then Joe passed him a controller. "Wanna play?" "Oh, I guess?" He sat down and selected Ken. ***

[wario-where]

WW Meta: character reactions to being “on the outside”

( Never would i ever have imagined myself one day typing “warioware meta”, & i know no one asked for this, but... if you find this kind of stuff as interesting as i do, i hope you enjoy :’) )

It occurred to me that each of the characters in the WarioWare series could be examined separately as a different reaction to being an “outsider”, and so I wanted to write about it and share! As the series is in itself a celebration of the strange, it prides on being different from the rest. But that doesn’t make the developers invulnerable to their own unique circumstances!  This is a long post altogether, but a few short character pieces underneath the readmore. 

This post makes a lot of references to the WarioWare MMG Developer Diaries, which can be found here!

Wario: Selfishness

With his trademark abrasive personality, Wario lives his life with seemingly little regard for his friends -- or for anyone but himself. He refers to himself with the overly grandiose “ore-sama” personal pronoun and continually neglects to pay his employees with every new game in the Ware series. 

But it’s well-established in the Mario universe that, as a child, Wario was jealous of the attention that his better-known counterpart got, thus driving him into the antagonist role of early games in the Mario series. Wario reacts to being othered with greed & a dogged pursuit of self-service, doing most things in furtherance of his own selfish goals... possibly stemming from a belief that if he does not fight for his own wants in life, then no one else will:

“While I was away crusading against the mystery alien Tatanga in Sarasa Land, an evil creep took over my castle and put the people of Mario Land under his control with a magic spell. This intruder goes by the name of Wario. He has been jealous of my popularity ever since we were boys, and has tried to steal my castle many times.”

- Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins English manual, pg 3

WarioWare takes place far after this time in his life, as he seems to have settled down in Diamond City & no longer appears to be preoccupied with antagonizing Mario like he used to. Despite this, he has remained greedy and self-serving in most respects.

Mona: Adaptability

Mona is strange. She has an odd sense of humor, an obsession with nose fortune telling, and a fascination with such unsavory characters as Wario. Despite this, she is also a part-time pop star and cheerleader, has an active & healthy social life, and is unafraid of speaking what is on her mind.

As comfortable with herself and outwardly confident as she is, Mona is a perfect example of adaptability. She knows she’s “different”, but she’s versatile enough to blend in with a wide variety of people and social situations and, for all intents and purposes, lead a (somewhat) average teenage life.

Of note about Mona is her tendency to include as many people as she can in things that she finds fun or exciting, especially those in need of friends. One of my favorite illustrations of this is from the Japanese Smooth Moves diaries, where she commiserates with Ashley over not seeing their parents often, and even invites her to hang out:

“My mama is always away from home because of her work, so I sorta understand how Ashley feels. Don’t hesitate to come and visit me when you’re lonely!”

In Gold, she continues this trend by inviting her old friend & classic boss Joe to a party she is hosting with her friends. Those who make a point to include others like Mona does in the things that they do often understand what it’s like to be excluded...

Jimmy: Nostalgia

Jimmy is entirely unique as an “outsider”, because that status is not with respect to society itself, but to the past & his own youth. 

Though Jimmy is generally placed around the same age as his childhood friend, Wario (~25-26), some of his mannerisms suggest that he still views himself as a younger man. He remains as hip on new trends as possible, embracing email and text messaging and enthusiastically encouraging his coworkers to follow suit. His most jealously guarded secret is implied to be that his large, expressive afro is actually a wig, possibly meaning that he is either losing hair or keeps his natural hair short to make way for the more obnoxious blue ‘do. 

His appearance & preferred style of dance are distinctively 70′s, and in his diaries, Jimmy uses the pronoun “boku” to refer to himself, a pronoun usually reserved for use by teenagers and younger men aged ~14 to ~21. He enjoys disco and spends entire days at Club Sugar, dancing away the day with seemingly no other cares in the world, much like a younger, less mature man would. 

Jimmy does a lot to preserve an air of youthful vitality, but while he does it, he lives in the past. In the end, though, he seems happy with this lifestyle... as does his entire family!

Dribble & Spitz: Observation

Both Dribble & Spitz’s stages & developer diaries revolve almost completely around one facet of their lives: their taxi-driving. The people they meet while on their shift, the places they end up, the strange things that happen on the road… on a typical day, the rest of the world passes by their taxi window.

I think the most interesting things come into play when considering the two individually, though. Of the duo, Spitz seems most content with this lifestyle. Symbolically he has a fascination with outer space, where the only action available to do is to observe, to people-watch. And in one of his more illustrative entries, Spitz views the Earth from space for the first time and is so struck by the planet’s beauty -- and the constant movement of the people inhabiting it -- he begins to cry:

From outer space, the Earth looks perfectly round, beautiful… Thinkin’ about how on the Earth, there was always somethin’ somewhere hastily at work, I couldn’t do anything but cry a few tears… What could I say?

A little more restless than his companion, Dribble talks frequently about wanting to take vacations from work to engage with the people around him in social events. Despite this, he finds entertainment in being an observer, particularly from passengers with strange stories, foremost of those being the frequent misadventures of Dr. Crygor.

Dr. Crygor: Independence

Speaking of! The eccentric doctor lives on an island in the middle of the ocean. From there, he does as he wishes, caring little about the opinions of others and pursuing his unconventional scientific endeavors in peace. 

Dr. Crygor is aware that he is a uniquely scientific thinker and has experience with people disbelieving in his out-of-the-box theories and observations,  apparently even from childhood. Nonetheless, he cares very little about what other people think of his lifestyle, choosing instead to trust in his own intellect and find answers by scientific means:

Long ago, yes, when I was a 10-year-old child, I discovered this fact, and I reported it to my friends with excitement, but no one could believe it. However, I studied with various gums, and I remember reporting the research results to my friends, and them finally believing me. From that moment on, I aimed to become a researcher…

On his island, Dr. Crygor is free to be as he is and perform as many scientific experiments as he pleases, free from the constraints of societal norm -- whatever that may be in the WarioWare universe. Though he is aware he is an outsider, he could care less. He takes advantage of his freedom to take his eccentricity to extremes -- because he can, and because it is suitable for his work.

Kat & Ana: Obliviousness

Like most young children, Kat & Ana are much too young to have any conception of the world’s social norms. The vast majority of their diary entries revolve around their interactions with those in their immediate friend circle and with each other, with very little attention to the world beyond that.  They are certainly different from other kids their age, but they are also entirely unaware of it. So, how can one respond to being an outsider if one has no idea that they are one? :’)

Ashley: Self-Sabotage

Of all the characters listed here, it’s Ashley who is the most destructive in her approach to her outsider status -- because she creates it herself. In fact, many of her most common behaviors seem tailor-made to keep people at arm’s-length.

Ashley stands intentionally on the outside of groups, rarely smiles, and struggles to express emotion besides anger and apathy. Her compliments are halfhearted and passive (“I guess”, “maybe”, “not bad”), while her insults towards the player after losing her games are direct and personal (“pathetic! abysmal! lame!”)! She is vain (“Everyone knows that I’m the greatest!”), has a short temper, and is occasionally very cruel towards even her closest friend, Red. She prides herself on others’ fear of her (“You should be afraid of the great Ashley!”) and defines herself by what she is in relation to her own superiority, and by what she is not in relation to other people (“She never plays with dolls and she never combs her hair / Who has time for girly things like that?”).

And yet in her unguarded moments, Ashley is aware of a side of her that desires friends and companionship. She appears to think about, if not miss, her absent parents. She blushes on the implication that she is enjoying her time at the potluck in Gold. And in yet another revealing moment in her Japanese diaries, in which Ashley tasks Red with writing her diary entry...:

“I'm Ashley's close friend, Red. I haven't told this to anyone, but Ashley is actually pretty lonely. While we were experimenting with magic by the riverbed, we saw a friendly family of apes. Then, Ashley seemed to be looking far away. I acted as though I hadn't noticed, but I know very well. She was probably thinking about her parents from her hometown. Ashley has more cuter characteristics than you may think!”

(https://www.mariowiki.com/Talk:Ashley_and_Red)

We see her trending away from this loneliness slowly, but surely!

Orbulon: Insecurity

Ironically, Orbulon sets himself up as an almost-perfect counterpoint to Ashley. While Ashley consciously builds up walls around herself to keep people out, Orbulon is continuously having to take down the walls others build around him.

In his diaries, Orbulon struggles greatly to communicate in earthen language, his writing riddled with syntactical errors. At a company barbecue, he claims to enjoy himself, not because he is having a good time, but because everyone else is. And notably, he mentions enjoying being around Mona, because “she does not treat me like an alien.” 

In other entries, Orbulon is secretly insecure, caring a lot about what others think of him, especially with regards to his intelligence. When he is invited by 9 Volt to a friendly gaming tournament, he spends the entire night practicing playing video games, worried that it will reflect badly on him if he doesn’t win. In another (somewhat depressing) entry, Orbulon, in a bout of loneliness, makes multiple failed attempts to visit each of his coworkers, even at one point seeking out Dribble & Spitz’s taxi. Eventually, he is able to find Kat & Ana... but leaves shortly after, as he quickly becomes self-conscious when he senses that they are “acting strangely” because he is around. In the end, Orbulon ultimately goes back home to sleep instead.

Orbulon of the diaries is constantly thinking about himself in relation to the earth-folk around him, hoping to eventually belong... but it seems he eventually achieves it. :’)

9-Volt: Rebelliousness

9 Volt is known at his school as a troublesome kid.  His name appears on the blackboard for time-out in Twisted, and his teacher even singles him out during 18 Volt’s classroom introduction! He is uninterested in his schoolwork and has to be bribed to complete it. And despite being very close to his mother, he does defy her by staying up late to play video games and hiding from her when she comes to check up on him in the night. 

But outside of school, 9 Volt is not at all a bad kid. In fact, he is actually compassionate, intelligent, and -- like Mona -- also seems to have a tendency to want to include people who he sees on the outside. He is the only one to approach 18 Volt on his first day in class after their teacher scolds him; when he sees Orbulon walking home alone, he invited him over to his house; he frequently invites Kat & Ana over to play video games... and, perhaps sweetest of all, his “pet”, Fronk, is a rescue:

“A year ago, [Fronk] had been abandoned and I picked him up. I made a personal decision to make him my pet. What would I do without him?”

Clearly not a bad kid! 

Baby Wario Screenshot Source: https://www.mariowiki.com/File:YIDS-Wario_Baby_Bowser_Argument.png

[explosionofpaper]

The Philip’s Best Things of the Year 2017 List

“But Philip, it’s March! Why are you doing your best of 2017 list now?”   Well that’s because it sometimes takes me a while to get around to things, and hey, at least it isn’t April.

Anyway, I had a pretty good time in 2017. There were some really important changes in my life, some great people and events, and a whole heap of good media.

Presented below are some of my favourite medias of 2017. This is stuff I experienced for the first time in 2017, not necessarily stuff which came out in 2017. Also the things aren’t ordered within their sections.

Books

Strange Practise by Vivian Shaw

This was one of those books which I picked up in Waterstones entirely on a whim, and I’m incredibly happy I did (as should be obvious with it being on this list). It explores one of my favourite concepts, that of how the fantastical actually operates in the real world. The main character, Dr. Greta van Helsing (descendent of the usual van Helsing) is a doctor to the supernatural, and through her presence causes the monsters who make up her clientele to feel much more grounded and real than they would otherwise.

The book also makes really good use of public domain characters, placing them in the world such that they feel they belong there, without their public domain status being the spotlight. Another thing the book does well is conveying emotions; in particular it does a fantastic job of conveying emotional vulnerability without it being a synonym for weakness.

Dune by Frank Herbert

You know what Dune is. I don’t need to explain it.

Dune has been haunting my reading list and bookshelf for an awful long time. Every time I would pick out a new book to read, Dune would be there, waving it’s pages to catch my attention and calling “Hey! It’s me, Dune! I’m a classic of the genre. I’m beloved for good reason. You’re not having read me causes you to miss out on many references, and you’re well aware of this. I can explain to you what the Gom Jabbar is. Read me!” And every time I would glance at Dune, think about how long and revered it is, avoid eye contact, and pretend that I hadn’t heard or seen it.

Well this year I finally put that right. It felt good to finally have it stop taunting me, but it felt even better to actually read it, because it turns out that Dune is really fucking good.

The way that the world is built, the interactions between the characters, the way things grow and develop in the book, all of it is just so damn good. It’s Dune, go read it.

City of Miracles by Robert Jackson Bennett

City of Miracles was a fantastic end to a trilogy which I’ve loved. Tying up the major loose ends, answering the major unanswered questions, and taking the world and themes to a wonderful ending point.

The trilogy as a whole did some really nice stuff with the perspective and pacing. Each book has a different main character (though they’re each always important), and they’re set many years apart, decades even. This results in the world feeling and characters feeling very alive and functional in that they’re doing stuff even if we’re not seeing it. The books focus on the three major Divine events since the Blink (incidentally, I’m a big fan of this type of post-big-event setting), and just lets us know that stuff happened during the time between.

The book also contains a bit I adore, in which exposition is explicitly and dramatically avoided in a way which ties perfectly into the characters in the scene.

The Bands of Mourning by Brandon Sanderson

I’d fallen a bit behind on Cosmere stuff recently, so I spent a bit of this year catching up. They were all good, but The Bands of Mourning really stood out to me as excellent, and some of Sanderson’s best work. Something I loved in particular about this book was the way in which it managed reader emotions. I don’t want away too much, so I’ll just say that the reader’s feelings are directed in such a way that it maximises impact and catharsis, and really elevates the later parts of the book.

The Tropic of Serpents by Marie Brennan

The first of the Lady Trent books was good, but it really came into its own with The Tropic of Serpents. The way that these books approach dragons, from the perspective of a natural historian viewing them in a scientific manner, is incredibly refreshing; it’s so nice to see Dragons actually fitting in a Victorian era (I think, I get all the eras named after monarchs mixed up) world, and the characters treating them like they belong.

Even leaving the dragons aside, the handling of the era is really good. It deals really well with the struggle of science in the face of politics, as well as the struggles of women and the lower class within the scientific communities.

The Brothers Cabal by Jonathan L. Howard

I love the Johannes Cabal books. Cabal is a real bastard, and that makes him a joy to read about. He’s not evil mind you, he’s certainly not a pinnacle of virtue either, but he’s mostly kind of a good guy. Any shitty things he does are in service of a greater goal, but he’s still a bastard. It brings a texture to his internal conflicts which you don’t really see often.

He’s a great character, but having his brother around elevates him even further. The two of them are fantastic comparisons and foils for each other.

The way in which the Cabal books handle the supernatural is also great. It feels functional and integrated into the world, yet still unmistakably outside of the normal.

Kill All Angels by Robert Brockway

Much like City of Miracles, this was a fantastic end to a trilogy.

The Vicious Circle books are fascinating and notable for a variety of reasons: there’s the way in which they keep two timelines going throughout the whole trilogy; there’s the way it showcases cosmic horror on a human level, as well as placing the horror on that level; there’s the way it handles the idea of humanity, and what it means to loose it; and there’s also the way in which it takes the question “Why is Mario Lopez so weird?” and builds it out into one of my favourite horror series.

I rather not say any more about the series, just know that I really recommend it.

Also when I said “Mario Lopez”, I actually meant to say “A character similar to, but legally distinct from Mario Lopez”.

Games

Doki Doki Literature Club

This game hits like a ton of bricks, and good bricks at that. At this point I think that most everyone knows the deal with DDLC, but I’m still going to avoid big spoilers.

DDLC is one of those games which catches you by surprise, and isn’t what you first expect. It’s got a big old twist, shocks the hell out of you at some moments, and does some terrific integration of mental illness into the plot and characters. All of that is done fantastically, but the thing which really makes DDLC stick out to me is just how good the core game itself is.

The first part of DDLC, before stuff hits the wall, is the best dating sim visual novel I’ve played. That’s super important for setting up and enabling the later stuff, but it’s also just great. If Team Salvato announced that they were doing a pure dating sim, I would be well up for that.

West of Loathing

Considering the amount of time I’ve put into Kingdom of Loathing over the years (spoiler: a lot), it’s should be no surprise that I love this game. However I will say that I was a tad surprised with just how much I loved it.

KoL has always been a game driven mostly by it’s writing and concepts, and this game capitalises on both of those. There’s an awful lot of writing in the game, and all of it is good. Everywhere where there can be a joke, there’s a good joke, and everywhere where there isn’t a joke, there’s some damn good writing which would have had its impact lessened by a joke (to be clear: all of the joke writing is also good; I mean just that there’s always a good reason for jokes being absent).

The story the game tells, and the way it does it, are both incredible; and there’s a real elegance to the game’s art style.

Super Mario Odyssey

This game is a true delight. I’m famously bad at sticking it all the way through games, but this one kept hold of me and I finished it in a weekend. Not that I’ve 100%ed it mark you, but I also didn’t exactly rush through the campaign, I took my time, did a bit of sightseeing and all that.

The game’s also kept me coming back. I keep on finding myself popping back in to pick up a few more moons.

It’s just so joyous, so lovely, so utterly delightful. There’s just so much in the game, and it’s all just so good.

Just Dance 2017

Yeah that’s right, Just Dance. I’d never really played Just Dance before this year, but I have now and I love it. It’s just a whole heap of fun to play, and a nice alternative to going for a run if I want to exercise but don’t want to leave the flat.

I specify 2017 because that’s the one I’ve played.

Monument Valley 2

The first Monument Valley is one of my favourite games, so there was a bit of a worry that the sequel wouldn’t live up to my expectations. Thankfully those worries were unfounded, and I’d put MV2 right up there with the first. It plays like the first, but with twists on the mechanics to keep it feeling fresh. Similarly, it explores the same themes, but from a different perspective. The looks are just as stunning as the first, and go even further in many points, really exploring what the graphic style can do.

Ultimately the game is more Monument Valley, and that’s exactly what I wanted it to be.

Linelight

Linelight was a nice little puzzle game with straightforward, easily understood mechanics and a delightful, simple aesthetic. It managed to excel due to the excellence in puzzle design, and the way in which it conveyed ideas and meaning.

Put simply, if Thomas Was Alone didn’t exist, then these would be the strongest emotions a game has made me feel about such simple shapes. This game however didn’t have a narrator, instead it used just the mechanics to make me attached to some of my companion lines, and did so in a sublime way.

TV Shows

Girls’ Last Tour

I’ll be honest with you; I picked up this show because they dab in the OP. It turned out that was actually a good decision, as it led me to one of my all time favourite shows.

Girls’ Last Tour is a slow paced, intimate show. It’s an exploration of the two main characters travelling through a dead world, and just trying to survive. The world feels empty in a way which few other post-apocalypse things manage, mostly due to the fact that there are so few characters. In the 12 episode run, only 2 supporting human characters are encountered, and each is around for only one episode. This means you really get to know the main characters, and to truly see how their time in this dead world is affecting them.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable

It’s no secret that I love Jojo, and Diamond is Unbreakable is without a doubt my favourite part so far.

I loved Stardust Crusaders, but I had several issues with it. Diamond is Unbreakable fixes damn near all of them, and it really feels like Mr JoJo learnt some lessons from SC and applied them here. The characters are great and you really get to know them, the fights are cool and satisfying, and all the Stands feel unique and interesting.

Then there’s the actual presentation of the show, which is absolutely stunning. The unusual colour palette gives the world a whole new depth, and the soundtrack is just incredible. In particular there’s a certain use of a certain theme, which results in one of my all time favourite moments in a tv show.

Cromartie High School

Cromartie’s really damn funny, though it’s hard to put into words exactly why. I think a large part of it is the show’s absolute commitment to inconsistency. It’s committed to the extent that not even the show’s inconsistency is consistent. Things are forgotten, the forgetting is lampshaded, but then some characters will remember things whilst others won’t. Storylines will just stop, but then they might suddenly restart at a later date as if they had been going all along. It’s a show where nothing is ever really forgotten, but nothing is ever really remembered either.

It’s art is what I’m trying to say. Pure art.

My Brother, My Brother and Me

That’s right, this one isn’t an anime. It is a spin-off from a podcast though, so it’s a pretty nice lead in to the next section.

Do you like the MBMBaM podcast? If yes, then you’ll love the show. If no, then there’s a good chance you’ll still love the show. The podcast is used as the basis for it, but it’s built up into something even greater. It’s not just that it has editing and a budget, it also shows us new layers to the relationship between the brothers, and puts them in the real world as opposed to the podcast void which they normally live in. Everything in the show is so funny, and so good. I really do love it.

Podcasts

Wonderful

Wonderful is an aptly named podcast; it’s a true joy to listen to.

In the podcast, husband and wife, Griffin and Rachel Mcelroy, talk about the things they like. That’s the entire premise, and it makes for a truly wonderful podcast because it’s just so positive and sweet and lovely. There are no rules on the kinds of things they talk about, so they could be as general as a genre of film, or as specific as a sequence of notes in a particular song.

This podcast is the second iteration of Rose Buddies, which was a Bachelor fancast, and shares the same podcast feed, so watch out for that if you pick it up. Not that Rose Buddies wasn’t also a great podcast, but it was of a different style. The fact that I picked up Rose Buddies in 2016 does make the podcast’s place on this list a touch more dubious, but I’m the one making up the rules here, so I’m saying it’s fine.

Pretend Friends

This podcast is a delight. It’s an RPG podcast with the Continue? guys, and I have a history of finding them funny, so it makes sense I like this podcast. But what really elevates it is the game that they’re playing, that being Space Kings. Space Kings is notable in several ways, one of those ways being that it isn’t actually out yet. The GM of the podcast is one of the devs of the game, and the podcast is a bit of a beta test for it. That’s a nice novelty, but the thing which is really great about Space Kings is how it’s built around making a good collaborative story and having a laugh, rather than being built around firm mechanics.

It’s a podcast of a bunch of friends trying to make each other laugh, succeeding, and telling a story about a bunch of friends travelling around in space and getting up to some good hijinks. At one point a cat cuts a spaceship in half, at another a mop fires a gun. It’s a good time.

The Worst Idea of All Time

You know how I said that Wonderful’s place on this list was a tad dubious? Well TWIoAT is even more dubious due to the fact that I’ve been listening to it for years. The reason I’ve put it here is that it ended this year. TWIoAT was a fantastic ride the whole way through. If you’ve ever wanted to listen to a pair of skill Kiwi comedians lose their minds over a few years, then this is the show for you. Whilst I’m sad to see it go, I’m happy that the two of them can start the road to recovery now.

Web Shows

Super Beard Bros - Dark Souls 3

Beard Bros is a long time favourite of mine, and I think that this might well be one of their best series. Brett is just such a fantastic addition to the crew, and allows the other two to shift into slightly different roles. All of them are on utterly top form in this series, and it leads to a fantastic atmosphere, and lovely series.

The core of it is how wonderfully positive it is. Alex gets frustrated at times, but never really angry and seems to be having a great time with the game. Brett’s a fantastically encouraging person, and a true delight to listen to. And it’s so nice to get to hear Jirard chilled out, and finally having the time to make the wrap of the day.

Press Buttons ‘n’ Talk - Phoenix Wright 2

I discovered PB’n’T late last last year (2016) with their playthrough of Phoenix Wright 1. From there I worked my way through the rest of their stuff and caught up in PW2, which was a pleasing symmetry.

The channel is always great to watch, but the Phoenix Wright games are where they really excel. The voices given to the characters really bring the games to life, and they’re off high enough quality, and consistently enough applied that they’re now firmly in my head as the cannon voices for the characters. Even Phoenix himself, who’s handed back and forth between the two of them, feels consistent and has a real identity in his voice.

It’s a good series.

[terryblount]

Danial’s Top 5 Games of 2019

Merry Christmas, everyone!

The new decade is almost upon us and it coincides with a new console generation. So for this year’s edition of my Top 5 games (some of which I didn’t get to review due to a pile-up of work as usual), one special game from this decade that still holds dear to my heart, will be featured right at the end.

So, let’s dive right into it.

Control

Jessie Faden’s descend into surrealism horror that is the Federal Bureau of Control is how you make a game with multiple universes blend together perfectly to make a narrative that captures the imagination.

Who knew a game where Max Payne and Alan Wake are your dead bosses while you traverse a fully realized SCP Containment Center could be the gem of 2019 but weirder things had happened. And I’m glad Control is getting the recognition that team at Remedy deserves.

Death Stranding

I’ll raise my hand up to say that at E3 this year (or maybe last year, I can’t recall), I was ready to write off Death Stranding as the game that possibly will crash and burn when it launches. End of 2019 later, the “Anime Avatar-Man” switches side onto the folks who see DS as a game that’s flawed in some aspect but will have a good time playing it anyway.

Kojima-san’s latest magnum opus is perhaps something you would have seen at a Cannes movie festival but with the added notion of the quirks and features, you would expect from a KojiPro game.

But it’s basically Euro Truck Simulator and Norman Reedus is your favorite truck/man to ride along with while fighting off ghosts, goons, and Hannibal Lecter as you aim to reconnect the US on behest of Bionic Woman. Quite normal really.

WRC 8

If I were to pick a racing game that had my attention, did not have any predatory micro-transaction and didn’t have the handling of Mario Kart but littered with banana peels, then WRC 8 fits the bill.

It might be a game where you race against the clock (insert Persona 5 dungeon rush theme), but with butter-smooth handling, as you traverse treacherous roads that breaks your car tires every few stages. It’s a great rush just completing a stage as you and your automobile deteriorate while the stages get longer and faster, kinda like a Sekiro boss but the ground and weather is your enemy.

Give this one a go if you feel the alternative isn’t as good as it used to be (looking at you, DR 2.0).

Simulacra 2

If you want to get a horror game that will scare you till tomorrow, then look no further than our local scene. Case in point, Kaigan Game’s sequel to their hit horror mobile title,Simulacra 2.

In this title, you not only get two types of horror, the usual demon horror and the commentary on the horrors of Social Media influencers and their fakeness being part of their day to day life which drains them of empathy. Basically a life lesson of the horrors which befalls you when you become famous, which is Spooky stuff. Go find it at your local Apple Arcade of Play Store.

The Outer Worlds

Take the witty-ness of Fallout and shoot it out onto Space, the last bastion that hasn’t been corrupted by captials- oh it has.  The Outer Worlds will have you enjoying a grand old time with this First Person RPG epic where your choices actually matter and its world-building lore makes you feel right at home with its quirks, fun companions and a storyline that diverges at your behest, intentional or not.

With DLC coming in next year, I expect it to be fondly remembered like it’s cousin, Fallout New Vegas, as well soon. Obsidian did better what Bethsdon’t anyway.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Now for the final act. I shall do a sort of epilogue of a game that had launched in this decade which opened my eyes to the creativity that was needed to create such an experience. A game that has you shifting into other people’s bodies, get into car chases and have a storyline so crazy, it just works.

My game of the decade is…

Driver San Francisco

The Driver series has come a long way, from being the best wheelman rushing through the streets of New York to save the president to jumping the shark with the abomination that is Driv3r. The series’ swansong (for now) saw Ubisoft Reflection incorporating what is good from all main titles and placed them onto one of the best racing title ever.

From the smooth yet tail-happy handling to that infamous 2nd person mission where you control both you and yourself in a 2nd person to not break your cover. It was ideas that were unique towards this genre being realized thanks to the creative freedom that perhaps was bestow upon Reflections.

One aspect that I love so much of this game was during the mission where you help a bunch of Japanese college kids be the best racers of their entire short life, that ends with the character Ayumu breaking the fourth wall and asking your player character, John Tanner, to “Fight your own battles.” 

I’m sad not many can experience this anymore due to the game being not available on sale anywhere but I cannot recommend it enough, you really have to play this game.

And with that, I close my books for this decade with hopes of a pessimistic optimist. The 9th Console Generations is about to be in motion and with games like Watch_Dogs Legion and Cyberpunk 2077 coming in hot, it’s set to be a fascinating 2020.

Until then, Sayonara everyone!

Danial’s Top 5 Games of 2019 published first on https://touchgen.tumblr.com/

[mariosonicfan2017-blog]

In Defense Of Smash Girls and Smash

People say that Super Smash Brothers Melee is the best game of the Smash series. "I love Melee so much because it is really competitive compared to Brawl. Melee is so much better than Brawl because Brawl is not fast like Melee." That's what the fans always say. This happened here. https://www.geek.com/tech/how-the-hell-is-smash-bros-melee-still-this-popular-1662268/  But that is not the case for me, considering how obnoxious its fans really are. The real best game of the Smash series is no other that Super Smash Brothers Wii U, with Super Smash Brothers Brawl being the second best.

Don't get me wrong. I like Melee as well. I even actually like all of the four Smash games. But, I just like Brawl and Wii U much more because the graphics looks crystal clear and the gameplay are fascinating. They even have Final Smashes, my favorite feature. Brawl also has the best story mode about Wii U has the best character selection.  I'm sorry if that offended you. You can disagree with me whenever you like. But don't go nuts about it. People just downright bashes these two games just because they are nothing like Super Smash Brothers Melee. So what if the gameplay of Brawl and Wii U not as fast as Melee. I would rather pretty much have that balancing kind of gameplay than a super fast gameplay. When it comes to Smash Tournaments, they always go with these boring rules. "Players must do one stock, no items, play as Fox and other high tier characters, and play Final Destination only." That is the reason why I don't join the Smash Tournaments. People are allowed to whatever they want because back at their home, they owned the game and they deserved better. People tends bashes the characters whether they are nerfed or replaces their favorite Melee characters (before the Smash Ballot became a thing). First off, these characters were not nerfed to become weaker. They were only nerfed to balance them out. So I could give them credit to become more balanced. Some of those characters are too overpowered in Melee anyways, even Fox is considered to be the overpowered character in Melee. So I'm actually glad they nerfed him. I played Smash for fun, not competively. Second off, I think most Brawl and Wii U/3DS characters are good choices. I am really annoyed that their Melee characters were overshadowed. People should at least be glad that Dr. Mario, Mewtwo, and Roy returned in Smash Bros Wii U/3DS. What's even worst is that the fans always follow the tier lists and be like "You have play as the top tier characters because they helped you win easily. Low tier characters are useless and should not be played as. Actually, no. I don't have to just play as top tier characters. I can play as any characters I want depending which characters I like. I can't be like that dreadful, jerky rival Paul (from Pokémon) by just sticking with strong and useful characters. Lots of characters will always be great on their own. Tiers are for queers and noobs. Tier lists are a complete waste of time. Speaking of characters, this brings me down to female characters in Super Smash Brothers.

I think that it is an excellent idea to add more female characters in Super Smash Brothers Wii U/3DS since 64, Melee, and Brawl lacks the number of female characters. Sadly, the problem is that nobody, nor barely anybody played as these girls. It hurts me that they don't get enough love. What's even worst is that people dislikes those female characters for these stupid reasons. "They're useless, not as strong as male characters, doesn't deserve to be in Smash, shouldn't be played because they're girls, etc." This is one of the reasons why I would never join the Smash forum and the Smash community. No matter what, the fans always say bad stuff to these poor girls, like this. "Peach is so annoying and useless because all she did is let herself get kidnapped. She's even more useless in Smash. Why does she even fight?" "Zelda is a terrible fighter and looks so hideous. Link should just ditch her and be with Dark Link." "Samus is so annoying to play against. Why does she even have to be in that slutty jumpsuit. It's sexist." "Jigglypuff is so weak and slow in Smash and Pokémon in general. Even floaty, she has awful recovery." "Rosalina should not be in Smash. That slot belongs to Daisy. Rosalina must be stealing Daisy and other Mario characters. She should die." "Wii Fit Trainer can't be in Smash. She doesn't make any sense. I want Ridley." "Palutena is terrible in 4 because she has useless movesets. She even treats Pit like garbage by teasing her and gets in the way of Pitcest." "Chrome should be in Smash, not Lucina. She's just a boring Marth clone." "Oh, oh, oh, oh. I despise so many girls in Smash. They're all so useless and annoying. I love male characters and yaoi. They're in the way. I wish these girls should get out of Smash so we can have more evil kings, dragons, legendary Pokémon, and swordsmen." Seriously people? It's okay if the fans don't like them, but this is just too much. I am sick and tired of these people making a huge deal out of Smash girls just because they are "useless", "overpowered", "random", "ruined other characters' chances", "only added for role models", or even "gets in the way of yaoi." This is almost just as bad as despising anime girls because of these reasons I've mentioned. Peach may be a damsel in distress most of the times and not super strong in Smash, but she can also be useful in many ways. Even in Smash, she is pretty good if you know how to use them. Zelda is not that terrible. You just don't know how to use her right. She has the one of the strongest aerial attacks if timed right. Samus, power suit or no power suit, has incredible speed which allows her to be forced to be reckoned with. Just blame the hardcore players. It's not Samus' fault that she beats every single time. Also, her in the zero suit doesn't mean sexist. It makes her more athletic than usual. Usually, hot female characters are always the ones that gets complaints by feminazis. Yet, male characters can look attractive. Even in Smash, Shulk has swim trunks. Nobody minds. Jigglypuff may not be the strongest, but she's not the weakest. It's easy to combo with and easy to finish off with rest. Rosalina was only there for puppeteer. Plus, she's only added to be one of the main Mario cast, not to steal anybody's spotlight. I'll admit. When I first saw Wii Fit Trainer, I thought she was pretty random and out of place too. Now I got used to her when I played as her. Although Wii Fit Trainer is hard to control, she has Deep Breathing, which gives her a boost. Plus, she's enjoyable. While Palutena has worthless default moves, she has amazing custom moves that makes her useful, such as Explosive Flame, Super Speed, Lightweight, Rocket Jump, and more. Palutena does not even get in the way of Pitcest and there's no proof. Not to mention, Palutena only teases Pit for comedy relief. She still cares for him and her own kind of personality is actually enjoyable. Sure Lucina is pretty much a Marth clone, but so is Roy. Nobody complains about Roy. I still like Roy. I just can't stand double-standards like this. Lucina is rather more balancing to me, even when prefers a female. Then at the end of the Smash Ballot, there's Bayonetta. Most people downright bashes her just because she's completely overpowered and their requested characters were not added in Smash. They should learned that Bayonetta won the Ballot and I actually surprised and glad she's in. Yes, those girls may not be perfect fighters. But I doesn't matter to me. I actually like all of the female characters in Super Smash Brothers and I still find them enjoyable. I would even much rather have more female characters to keep the Smash games more appealing. Having more evil kings, swordsmen, dragons, Legendary Pokémon and even angsty pretty boy who has no heart and care would be boring and staled anyways. That's it for today, I hope you all understand my opinions and know how I feel. Please, take good care.  

[terryblount]

Danial’s Top 5 Games of 2019

Merry Christmas, everyone!

The new decade is almost upon us and it coincides with a new console generation. So for this year’s edition of my Top 5 games (some of which I didn’t get to review due to a pile-up of work as usual), one special game from this decade that still holds dear to my heart, will be featured right at the end.

So, let’s dive right into it.

Control

Jessie Faden’s descend into surrealism horror that is the Federal Bureau of Control is how you make a game with multiple universes blend together perfectly to make a narrative that captures the imagination.

Who knew a game where Max Payne and Alan Wake are your dead bosses while you traverse a fully realized SCP Containment Center could be the gem of 2019 but weirder things had happened. And I’m glad Control is getting the recognition that team at Remedy deserves.

Death Stranding

I’ll raise my hand up to say that at E3 this year (or maybe last year, I can’t recall), I was ready to write off Death Stranding as the game that possibly will crash and burn when it launches. End of 2019 later, the “Anime Avatar-Man” switches side onto the folks who see DS as a game that’s flawed in some aspect but will have a good time playing it anyway.

Kojima-san’s latest magnum opus is perhaps something you would have seen at a Cannes movie festival but with the added notion of the quirks and features, you would expect from a KojiPro game.

But it’s basically Euro Truck Simulator and Norman Reedus is your favorite truck/man to ride along with while fighting off ghosts, goons, and Hannibal Lecter as you aim to reconnect the US on behest of Bionic Woman. Quite normal really.

WRC 8

If I were to pick a racing game that had my attention, did not have any predatory micro-transaction and didn’t have the handling of Mario Kart but littered with banana peels, then WRC 8 fits the bill.

It might be a game where you race against the clock (insert Persona 5 dungeon rush theme), but with butter-smooth handling, as you traverse treacherous roads that breaks your car tires every few stages. It’s a great rush just completing a stage as you and your automobile deteriorate while the stages get longer and faster, kinda like a Sekiro boss but the ground and weather is your enemy.

Give this one a go if you feel the alternative isn’t as good as it used to be (looking at you, DR 2.0).

Simulacra 2

If you want to get a horror game that will scare you till tomorrow, then look no further than our local scene. Case in point, Kaigan Game’s sequel to their hit horror mobile title,Simulacra 2.

In this title, you not only get two types of horror, the usual demon horror and the commentary on the horrors of Social Media influencers and their fakeness being part of their day to day life which drains them of empathy. Basically a life lesson of the horrors which befalls you when you become famous, which is Spooky stuff. Go find it at your local Apple Arcade of Play Store.

The Outer Worlds

Take the witty-ness of Fallout and shoot it out onto Space, the last bastion that hasn’t been corrupted by captials- oh it has.  The Outer Worlds will have you enjoying a grand old time with this First Person RPG epic where your choices actually matter and its world-building lore makes you feel right at home with its quirks, fun companions and a storyline that diverges at your behest, intentional or not.

With DLC coming in next year, I expect it to be fondly remembered like it’s cousin, Fallout New Vegas, as well soon. Obsidian did better what Bethsdon’t anyway.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Now for the final act. I shall do a sort of epilogue of a game that had launched in this decade which opened my eyes to the creativity that was needed to create such an experience. A game that has you shifting into other people’s bodies, get into car chases and have a storyline so crazy, it just works.

My game of the decade is…

Driver San Francisco

The Driver series has come a long way, from being the best wheelman rushing through the streets of New York to save the president to jumping the shark with the abomination that is Driv3r. The series’ swansong (for now) saw Ubisoft Reflection incorporating what is good from all main titles and placed them onto one of the best racing title ever.

From the smooth yet tail-happy handling to that infamous 2nd person mission where you control both you and yourself in a 2nd person to not break your cover. It was ideas that were unique towards this genre being realized thanks to the creative freedom that perhaps was bestow upon Reflections.

One aspect that I love so much of this game was during the mission where you help a bunch of Japanese college kids be the best racers of their entire short life, that ends with the character Ayumu breaking the fourth wall and asking your player character, John Tanner, to “Fight your own battles.” 

I’m sad not many can experience this anymore due to the game being not available on sale anywhere but I cannot recommend it enough, you really have to play this game.

And with that, I close my books for this decade with hopes of a pessimistic optimist. The 9th Console Generations is about to be in motion and with games like Watch_Dogs Legion and Cyberpunk 2077 coming in hot, it’s set to be a fascinating 2020.

Until then, Sayonara everyone!

Danial’s Top 5 Games of 2019 published first on https://touchgen.tumblr.com/