#the visual aspect of the game is so overlooked

[akimojo]

Something I never see people mention about ffxiii is just how different the entire experience becomes if you just appreciate the scenery in all the locations you run around in

The "hallway simulator" maps are actually pretty damn enjoyable when you spend the time taking in how absolutely stunning the game is, and the incredible ost on top of that makes it even better

[nipuni]

Alright, time to share my opinions about Veilguard!! I have both criticism and praise so bear with me as I jump from one extreme to the other 😆 spoilers ahead of course!

The game has a very rough start with the dialogue being formulaic and rushed and the characters overexposing. It feels like a heavy handed attempt at summarizing all of previous games' lore for newcomers or in case you forgot but it's so overdone it feels coddling and trivializes a lot of previous events. Luckily this gets better once all of the introductions are out of the way, though the excessive hints and clarifications continue until the end sadly.

The locations are absolutely incredible and very diverse!! This is a highlight of the game for me. There is so much detail and care in every map and there are so many of them. My pc is struggling to reach medium settings and yet everything looks stunning. The verticality of the maps is so imposing and the graphics have a very dreamy quality that I love. I also enjoy the maze-like structure to the maps, it's more linear but makes everything look a bit more intentional. The color and light direction was amazing, all the visual development really!! it has to be one of the prettiest games I've ever played.

When I started I have to admit it did not feel like I was in Thedas and it all felt a bit theme-parky, if that makes sense. A lot of previously important and established world elements that made Thedas what it is were overlooked or made irrelevant. But the more I played the more it started to feel a bit more similar to Inquisition, for better or worse depending on what you feel about Inquisition. But!! this also feels like a selectively sanitized version of Thedas compared to previous games. In it's attempt to stay safe and uncontroversial in some aspects it loses a lot of substance and it changes the tone. The surface level politics, ignoring previously established major societal issues and a tell-don't-show approach makes the world seem more simple and shallow with no grey areas to explore. ( the humor also falls flat and out of place often too, and WHY is everyone always smirking, enough!! godlike beings are destroying the planet please this is not the time for Marvel banter aaaa )

The pacing at the start is a bit of a mess. It is so fast it felt like jumping from one world shattering discovery to the next with no time to process. The characters also seem to underreact to important information and major developments. It felt like the game was rushing me through all this to get to the part of the story it wanted to tell me while I was still wrapped in my shock blanket trying to catch my breath lmao. I really like all the key story points they touched upon, I just wish they dwelled more on them to give them more narrative weight. ( though blaming every bad thing to ever happen on the Elves was certainly..a choice )

I think the writing could have used more subtlety in the first half and more boldness in the second 😆 but I loved the thematic parallels between Rook and Solas and how every quest informs the main storyline. I do wish Rook was given more impossible choices and put in more difficult situations that forced them to lie or betray their own to better drive the point home though ( listen I just love a Trolley problem!! we need more of those, I'm the Trolley problem's number one fan!! ) I feel like they missed the chance to put Rook in Solas' role and be as vilified and hated for it as Solas was despite their best intentions which would make Rook's regrets stronger and in turn make their escape from the fade all the more impressive and give them a better understanding of Solas to either use against him or earn his respect. The line 'they called me the Dread Wolf, what will they call you when this is over' from the trailers was so good I was waiting for this!! But everyone just loves Rook no matter what!!

But I feel like I stated too many negative aspects in a row so moving on to some things I enjoyed!

The characters were very lovable to me. The romances weren't as long or impactful as I would have liked but I enjoyed all the companion quests. Emmrich is a delight and his quest is so wild and fun. I loved learning about Nevarra and I was awestruck by the Grand Necropolis. The mourn watch was so interesting, it showed a whole new side of Thedas' lore I knew nothing about! and I loved Manfred! Davrin is so charming, he became a favorite. I loved his quest too and learning more bits and pieces about the Dalish was great, I wish we got more. Seeing the Wardens through his quest also made me enjoy them a lot. Assan was very cute too and I'm glad he was treated as an animal and not turned into a goofy Disney sidekick too much lmao 😭 Lucanis is hilarious. The fantasy Spain/Italy was a bit silly and off at times but he is very sweet! and I love the Spite possession, that was so fun I'm glad they kept him that way! Bellara is adorable, her first backstory quest made me cry and I just love a nerd! I wish the second part of her story was written better however, and she sort of devolves into 'it's hard, I wish it was easy but it's hard' dialogues too often sadly. Anaris and the Forgotten Ones' portrayal was underwhelming and anticlimactic which was disappointing. Harding is also very cute and her Titan plotline was the most interesting to me, I bawled my eyes out in her quest!! I love the dwarven lore of this universe I'm so happy we got more of it!! ( she also fucking died in my playthrough?! I was devastated what the hell 😭 'whatever it takes' WEUEUGHHHG I'M SO SORRY) Neve was a slow burn for me because of my choices in game slowing that relationship down ( saving Treviso I mean, perdón amor 🙏 ) but I love detective novels and she is such a badass I ended up loving her. Taash was unexpected, I didn't think they would be so young. The coming of age story was sweet, though I found myself cringing a lot too at the handling of it I have to admit ( and the Lords of Fortune in general, and the Antaam...and que Qun..listen- kajshfgf ) but I also enjoyed learning more about the first expedition and the Qunari in general despite the messy writing and choices. I also loved Antoine and Evka! and Strife! And I haven't even read any of the novels they are in 😆 also Mila!!!! and her dad oh my god and Felassan haunting the narrative!! speaking of haunting, I would have loved for Cole to be in the lighthouse too I think it would have worked well 🤔 especially with the whole 'reading Solas' secret diary' thing the game had going on lmao

Everyone seems to get along except for a bit of friction that is quickly resolved at the start, which is hmm missed potential? I would have preferred more tension personally. I enjoy the drama! gives me more to work with and gives you a better grasp on everyone's personality by contrasting values. I think they wanted to speed run a found family trope for the new hero to establish some emotional stakes early on but it ended up making everyone seem like a group therapy session instead. The group meetings also have everyone either state the obvious or repeat the same opinion or conclusion to each other, I would have loved these meetings to have more bickering, have people get mad and storm out and also get to listen to different takes on a situation. Make Rook struggle more to take the reins and keep the team functional, learning how to be a leader.

Speaking of Rook! ( who in my case has a northern British accent that I loved so much 🥺) They seem to have a very established personality. I was expecting more of a blank slate but I'm lucky that the personality they went for kind of matches what I would normally choose in a first playthrough. Though the lack of range in the choices is irritating and takes away some replayability and role playing potential. Rook is very supportive and selfless, I wasn't expecting this tbh! But it all made my Rook turn into the team's weird supportive necromancer mom so it worked out in the end I guess lmao. I can't wait to draw her!!

I was so overwhelmed by the amount of information we got about Solas and his past!! I was expecting answers but not these many and not for them to be such an integral part of the plot!! The game feels like it's about him more than anything else. His arc is the best written out of all. He is mentioned in every conversation, he's the main advisor and the narrative foil, you get to talk to him often, you work for him and with him and go into his memories it all feels so surreal to me lmao I love him so I'm delighted ngl! but also making the other Evanuris so cartoonishly evil makes Solas into such an obvious choice of an ally, god of trickery or not, that it sort of takes the decision out of your hands and makes some dialogue options and companions' opinions seem almost nonsensical. I have no idea how this game would feel to someone who absolutely hates Solas' guts honestly. I suppose I will find out soon enough 😆

About Solas' story, I loved it! I somehow also feel that I knew it already, all the speculation and theories that Solavellan fans were crafting for years were so accurate that it was all very validating. Even the wildest ones! Solas as the Maker, the elves spirit origin, Mythal giving him a body, the war with the Titans, the origin of the Blight, Solas being on your side as advisor, I can go on, we knew!! Also I have to mention this I'm sorry but they made him look so hot!! unbelievable. And the bloodied teary eyed pathetic look in the end ouurghhh I'm cheering and clapping!!

The romance conclusion was so lovely 😭 the Loki and Sigyn ending we deserved to such a mythological epic!! and open ended enough for all of us to cook!! and we got to see him fight and transform into the Dread Wolf!! and whimper and cry!! and bleed and love!! that's all I ever wanted, incredible we were really spoiled what the hell I still can't believe it 😭 GDL acting was brilliant as usual! the visuals were also incredible and exactly what I had in mind when I imagined where the story may go, the eclipse, the giant wolf, the glowing eyes, the Elvhenan ruins, the statues, even the hair lmao it all aligned exactly to what I've been painting all these years but better I was thrilled 😭

Solas backstory with Mythal also offers players that didn't romance him a chance to see him act out of love and show a side they wouldn't be able to reach otherwise and I think it was smart! also very tragic and sheds more light into all of his choices and words and his relationship with Lavellan too and the parallels and reversals and uughh thoroughly enjoying the emotional distress 👌

Pleasing both the Solas lovers and haters at the same time was always going to be hard with him being such a polarizing character by design and the world states being so different but I think they did a good job! at least from my side of things.

I think my favorite part besides the Solas related stuff was the Blight. I loved how horrific and gross and threatening it was! I've always loved the concept of the Blights and I'm glad it was such a huge part of the story in this game. I also loved Treviso!! has to be the most beautiful city in Thedas ahhh and the Necropolis!! the gardens!! Vorgoth!!! Kal-Sharok!!! I can't believe we got to see it!! and a Titan!!! the giant floating face of Ghilan'nain in the clouds??? and the huge archdemons and dragons!! oh and that warden dragon trap in the shape of a griffon?? and the giant blight tendrils!! the siege at Weisshaupt was outstanding!! and the floating panopticon castle situation in Minrathous uughh there is so much I loved.

OH I also enjoyed the Varric arc even though I saw it coming since the trailer it was still played well and it was touching 🥺

The ending felt a bit jarring to me in tone though, a bit too cheerful considering...the horrors. Over half the continent destroyed and most of the problems Thedas had before the game are still there. Veil in place and all 😆

But I had fun!! I'm nitpicking really, the conclusion to Solas' story feels very satisfying to me which was my main worry so I'm happy. It is a good game!! with a sort of soft reboot feel to it and aimed at a younger audience which is probably what they were going for? You can sort of feel the struggle the team went through during production in the way the target audience seems unclear sadly. I also can't help feeling like this is an ending, so much was revealed and resolved!! but maybe I feel that way because that is what I felt after Shadowbringers / Endwalker in FFXIV once my favorite part of the story was wrapped? They can always pivot to a new continent and expand on the world and cultures we know almost nothing about, but that is always harder to sell so I have no clue where they will go from here 😵‍💫

Anyway I'm still processing a lot of stuff that I will probably talk (and draw) about later, this is already long enough!! for now I'll look up how to get the artbook because the art direction of this game is fantastic!! I would love to hear your thoughts too really, I'm curious about the experiences of players who made different choices and with different tastes to mine!!

[phoenixblaze1412]

Hello!!! i love your blog a lot and i was wondering something about the child reader au, how would the segments react if child! reader had some form of neurodivergency? Maybe they are below the level they need to be for their age on some topics but above and beyond in others that they fixate on?

Dottore prided himself on logic, intellect, and efficiency. Emotions, sentiments, and attachments were little more than distractions in his work. Yet here he was, a father to a peculiar child with a mind that worked in ways even he had trouble fully comprehending.

You weren’t an average child, that much had been clear from the beginning. In some aspects, you were brilliant beyond your years—your understanding of mechanics, biology, or even abstract theories often stunned the segments. But in other areas, you struggled.

Social cues? Difficult. Routine changes? Unsettling. Basic arithmetic? A nightmare. But if someone mentioned a topic you fixated on? You could talk about it for hours, analyzing it with detail and enthusiasm that made even the segments pause in admiration.

Omega was, by design, the closest in mannerisms to the original Dottore. Logical, composed, and a firm believer in efficiency. At first, he viewed your neurodivergency with mild skepticism—was it a flaw, an imperfection?

But he learned.

The day you explained, in perfect detail, the entire structure of a mechanical device that even he had struggled to perfect, Omega realized that you weren’t broken. You were simply wired differently. And different was not inherently inefficient.

“I fail to understand how you struggle with basic addition yet can conceptualize entire blueprints in your head,” he muttered one evening as you effortlessly explained an invention to him.

You shrugged, fiddling with one of the gears. “Numbers are hard… but machines make sense.”

Omega was not one for sentimentality, but something about that statement struck a chord within him. From then on, he no longer dismissed your difficulties but worked around them. If you struggled with verbal explanations, he provided diagrams. If basic equations frustrated you, he incorporated visual methods to make them more engaging.

Efficiency was key, and Omega ensured you had the tools to work with your mind, not against it.

Iota had always been the most protective of the segments, and this instinct only intensified when it came to you. He was perceptive, noticing the small details others overlooked—the way your fingers twitched when overstimulated, the way you recoiled from certain textures or noises, how a break in routine could leave you spiraling.

And so, Iota adapted.

He subtly adjusted the environment to keep it comfortable for you. He ensured your workspace remained structured and predictable, preventing unnecessary disruptions. If a loud noise startled you, he was quick to soothe you, offering headphones or leading you away.

The day a Fatui recruit made a snide remark about your struggles, Iota didn’t hesitate. He had the soldier reassigned within the hour, his normally calm demeanor replaced with cold fury.

“They don’t get to mock you,” he told you firmly. “You’re brilliant in ways they’ll never understand.”

You never forgot that.

Theta was your escape from rigidity. He was the one who encouraged your creativity, indulging in your fixations and making learning fun. While others tried to teach you through structured lessons, Theta turned it into a game.

Can’t focus on writing? Let’s turn it into a story where you’re the main character. Need help with problem-solving? Let’s frame it as an experiment.

He never made you feel bad for your struggles, never got frustrated when you drifted off-topic. Instead, he matched your energy, meeting you where you were.

When you got overwhelmed, he was the first to pull you aside for a breather. “C’mon, kid, let’s get some fresh air. No point frying your brain over this.”

And when you hyper-fixated on something? He was right there with you, grinning as he listened to you ramble.

“You know,” he chuckled once, “you might just be the most interesting person in this whole damn place.”

Alpha wasn’t always the easiest to deal with. He valued discipline and order, and your unpredictable nature sometimes clashed with his methods. At first, he struggled with your need for specific routines and your difficulty in adapting to sudden changes.

But Alpha was observant. He noticed how your frustration wasn’t from defiance, but from genuine distress. The day you had a meltdown over a last-minute schedule change, he didn’t scold you. Instead, he sat with you, grounding you with a firm yet steady presence.

“We’ll find a way to work with this,” he said after you’d calmed down. “Not against it.”

True to his word, Alpha found ways to make transitions easier for you. He implemented structured warnings before any changes, created visual schedules, and ensured you always had a sense of control over your environment.

Over time, you grew to trust him, knowing that while he was strict, he was also reliable.

Dottore had seen many things in his life, yet raising a neurodivergent child was an entirely new experience. He was not a man of patience, yet he found himself developing it for you. When he first realized that your brain operated on a different wavelength, he studied you—closely, carefully, not as a scientist, but as a father.

He did not try to “fix” you. Instead, he tried to understand.

When you hyper-focused, he let you ramble, never once interrupting. When you struggled, he analyzed what methods worked best for you. When the world became too overwhelming, he was your anchor.

One night, after you’d fallen asleep at your desk, surrounded by half-finished projects, he carefully draped a blanket over you, watching the slow rise and fall of your breath.

“You’re remarkable,” he murmured, more to himself than to you.

Dottore had never expected to be a father. He had never expected to care so deeply for someone so small, so different, yet so utterly brilliant in their own way. But as he stood there, watching over you, he realized something undeniable:

You were his greatest experiment. His greatest challenge. And his greatest joy.

[ebonysplendor]

Pulsatio Cordis Review

TL;DR: You know when you're talking to the person you've got a crush on, and, then, you turn into a certified dumbass and say something stupid? So, imagine that, except it's not you, but your crush, and your crush isn't saying anything stupid, but everything homicidal, and it's like, oh...mkaaaaaay. Suddenly, that weird thing that you said earlier ain't that weird anymore. Talk about awkward...

Game Link: https://lucia-lily.itch.io/pulsatio-cordis

Notable Features: Gender selection, Self-Insert, Affinity system, Multiple endings Spiciness: 0/5 -- It's definitely not innocent, but as far as spiciness? There wasn't any. It was lowkey kind've sweet, though, in an overlook all the red flags and fix him sort of way LI Red Flags: 4.5/5 -- Intense shifts in emotions, stalking, obsessive, drugged us, homicidal, manipulative, kidnapped us, forged a letter, planted evidence

Wanna know more? Well, let's get into it!

Yo. How's it going?

I'm gonna be real with y'all; I really don't feel like doing an intro lmao. Sometimes, I deadass don't know what to say, and I'm at a loss as to how to start it off. I also don't push myself to make an intro either so lol. I figure if I just be honest about it, it won't seem as lazy. Is that working?

Anyways, I think I was scrolling around on...Itch.io? Actually, I think this one came from here. I think I saw, like, a picture or something... Anyways, I discovered this game, and it was pretty solid! I'll get more into it later, but just as a whole, pretty damned solid!

I feel like I should mention something, though. This review has been done for like...weeks now, but I was making a post that kind've goes along with this, and it wasn't done and still isn't, so I never posted this lmao. It was honestly a "hear me yap more" type thing, because there was an aspect of this game that was super interesting, and I couldn't help myself.

...Okay, now, I really don't know what else to say so, we're just gonna jump right in. As always, I'll tell you as much about the game as possible without spoiling the game itself. That being said, let's take advantage of my lack of yappin' and get into it.

So boom.

Let me just cut to the chase: we are down bad for this hottie at school named Liev Lavanté. Like, bro, even his last name is hot. Could you imagine having a last name like that? That was a trick question, because we've already pictured us getting married and living together and being so domestic together with the cooking and the hugs from behind and siiiiiiiiiigh~ <3

Anyways, he's absolutely perfect in every way possible. He's super smart, super popular, super charming, super attractive, super...well, super everything. I point that out, because, aside from there being a massive amount of competition, the main issue is that he is, very clearly, way out of our league, but yolo right? Right. Not to mention that the worse possible thing that could happen was us getting shut down, so...? Fuck it, we ball, and, with that ball, we shoot our shot. Basketball references, am I right? Aha....ha....okay, anyways.

Actually, let me correct that. We kind've shooted out shot (shot our shot didn't hit the same, so it was necessary to be illiterate; just overlook it lmao). In actuality, we weren't that brave about it, but it still took us well out of our comfort zone to make a cheesy ass confession letter and shove it in his locker.

So, now, we're at home, anxious aye eff, because we were extremely bold and basically told this man that we wanted to slob his knob (not really, I'm just a degenerate) in writing, and we're mentally preparing to get rejected, cry it off this weekend, and move on wi-- wait.

Holy shit, wait--!!!!!

AH--!!

FOR A DATE, THOUGH, OR...??! FREE FOR WHAT???

OH M-- ALEXA!! PLAY THAT REMIX WITH BEYONCE IN IT BECAUSE

I.

AM ON.

TO SEE.

MY HUSBAND.

I'M HAPPEH. I'M HAPPEH. TO SEE. MY HUSBAND...until we weren't lmao. Yeeeeeeeeeah, let's dial it back and remember that this is one of those visual novels. Now, let me explain the issue.

So...there are times where Liev gets reeeeeally intense.

Like, insanely so, and, I don't think you guys understand what I mean (well, of course you don't, because you haven't played it yet. Duh moment. Anyways...); he's one of those people that either feels nothing, or he feels everything...sorta. Let me keep explaining.

So, one of the first things that we did was go out to eat, and, admittedly, the staff were struggling a bit, but it's all good, ya know, because we're with bae. Like, we're talkin' and vibin'. We're learning about him, he's learning about us, and we're just chillin'. Time goes by, and the waiter eventually comes out with our main dish, as expected.

Now, that sounds like something totally normal and innocent, right?

Yeah, no...apparently it wasn't, because Liev was really pissed off about that waiter interrupting our conversation.

What makes this more off-putting is that, not only did he highkey blow up about the waiter, but he started saying some pretty dark stuff. Now, mind you! We just confessed to this man and are having our first real conversation with him, and he's coming out of the woodwork with this stuff. Like, Liev was saying that he was in love with us and how everyone could burn in hell and that he wants to hold us but also murder everyone in the room and--

Like, bro, it just kept going...but then he stops and returns to normal conversation like the conversation hadn't ever not been normal. Like, oh...m'kay ._.

Naturally, this kind've puts us off...like, a lot. Actually, this puts us off so much that we've gone into survival mode. Like, we're literally just trying to get through the date without triggering Liev and getting ourselves killed. Now, this seems like a simple enough task, but, aside from the fact that it's never that easy in games like these, it's a guessing game as to what would actually make Liev flip or not.

Like, are stuffed animals the trigger?

Is it holding his hand?

Is it when we've finally had enough and ignore him?

Like, what makes Liev go from being okay to being not okay? It's literally a matter of life or death to know these things, because Liev is not beyond confrontation.

So, it'd be best to tread lightly, or it could get really violent, really fast.

So! Not bad! Pretty damned solid game!

It definitely wasn't one of my favorites, like, story or yandere-wise, but holy hell, was it one of my favorites clinical-wise! The way that it's clearly laid out that, "No, he's not just some random psycho and a bad person; he's legitimately mentally ill and is in serious need of help" was sooooo satisfyingly done. Now, admittedly, it was a lil' obvious here and there, but it wasn't bad!

Designs of the characters were cute, we had an MC with darker skin, which is, personally, always exciting to see, and the flow of the story was done really well, in my opinion! There were times where it'd go from, like, 0 - 75, sometimes 100, without warning, but it actually made sense as to why it'd happen like that, which was fantastically implied and lowkey laid out.

Anyways, I honestly don't have too much else to say about it, except that I really enjoyed the mental health aspect of it. I loved it so much, I couldn't help but do that thing that I tend to do and diagnose Liev. Lol if you want to see me ramble more about that in depth, you can check that out...whenever I actually post it lmao; it's a work in moderate progress at the moment ^^;

To get back on track though, I recommend a casual playthrough! It's the right duration for the story that's being provided, there's multiple endings, which is always interesting, and Liev is a lil' cutie...even though, I really wish that he was at least drinking age. Something about-- well, for the sake of potential spoilers, I'll just say that I don't like that Liev was out here collecting scholarships. Like, that just gave me full ick lmao. It was my fault, though, because had I actually read the game page and not said "Ooh, he's cute and the page is in pink! <3", then I would've saw how it said big as shit that

and

Like, there was no reason for me to be shocked by mentions of him getting scholarships and shit lmao. I literally just had to read.

Okay, wait, no, stop; I got off track. ANYWAYS lol. Me recommend game. Game solid. Game make me go "Damn...that actually kind've sucks, and I feel bad...". Game might make you go "Damn...that actually kind've sucks, and I feel bad...", too. All right! Now with that finally being said, I invite you to go to the dev's page, and tell them, "Hey! You did a good job here! When's the next game dropping? I'll be first in line for it, because I want you to keep doing the thing!". I'm sure that'll make them feel all warm and fuzzy and proud.

That's pretty much it! This review was a little scattered, huh? Well, I'm sure it's all right, because I'm finally done yappin'. The link for the game is right here, and, if you wanted to see the therapist side of me and hear me yap about Liev's potential diagnosis, keep a look out for that post. It'll be posted...eventually lmao. That's honestly why it took me so long to post this rambley review, because the plan was to put them out together, but it was nearing towards the end of the month, and you already knew that I wasn't going to let an entire month go by without posting something. Better yet, I try really hard not to.

Anyways, the biggest preesh for getting this far! Please, please, please remember to drink water, don't be dumb, and hope to see you around~!

Pulsatio Cordis

[whyamiherewhosummonedme]

I swear to god I'm screaming into the void here with the dmc anime discourse

Can't speak for everyone of course, but the reason I'm so worked up over the anime is bc it was SO CLOSE to being perfect. The spectacle of it all, the gore, the thorough understanding of the world and the little cameos everywhere - this was a love letter to the series. Taking a look at the series if the existence of Hell and demons was actually taken known about and taken seriously by government bodies, and taking the idea of morally grey demons and humans that are the case in the games further is a really neat idea! Focusing more on Hell as a mirror to Earth, an alternate dimension that's the same, and then thinking about what Sparda's actions would do long-term to a universe like that - I love these ideas very much. (I wish the original demon designs were more, yknow, creative - make the refugees visually more monstrous! Really make the complicated moral situation pop! But I also know that my standards for monster designs are set stupidly high so I'll let it slide and just enjoy the usage of kickass monstrous designs from the series. Using Rchidna and Plasma and Cavaliere (even if it was very very weird to have a Cavaliere that wasn't an Angelo!) as proper characters in their own right was fucking awesome, I loved Plasma so much and I hope he's not actually dead though I'm sure he is) The aesthetics are perfect, the homage to early 2000s punk culture with Dante and even the military bootlicking worship culture of the era too with how they used Lady, and the gore, oh the GORE. And the soundtrack! The messaging is hamfisted but then again, it's A) netflix and B) dmc has always been pretty hamfisted yknow? So it's overlookable even if shallow. Also I really wish that Dante's monologue wasn't just in the Japanese version - it's such a good deepening of his character! In just a couple minutes it shows that Dante's not a complete moron - that it wasn't lack of knowledge, but rather that he was in denial. That demons killed his family, so even though he knew that he himself was demonic, he denied it as much as he could to absurd degrees as a desperate attempt to simplify the world. It's so fucking good and is integral to his character why was it not included in the other translations

But what gets me, the one thing that has made me unable to love the anime like I so badly want to, is them seemingly forgetting the single most important step of family. The core of the series, the part that makes it so very beloved, is the family aspect of it all. And they seem to have just... Forgotten it. And it makes the rest of the show ring hollow to someone who has loved the games for years, because despite everything being awesome and on point it's just... Missing something. Missing the core theme.

I desperately hope that this was just first season setup blues. The teaser image for season 2 is already giving me hope, as we have Dante with Ebony and Ivory (who were sorely missed during season 1!), longer hair and seemingly embracing his demonic nature more. And on top of that we have Vergil taking a more active role! The idea of what Dante would do in response to a human world that betrayed him so thoroughly is so intruiging to me - he is a weird combination of extremely vengeful and extremely forgiving, mostly due to being basically immortal giving him a very weird perspective on what constitutes pain. Anything that affects himself is basically brushed off and considered unimportant - but touch his family, touch what he cares about, and you are dead. And I imagine, especially from some of the lines at the end there, that what the US Government has done to Hell is enough to have Dante after them once he gets out. The idea of Dante VS The United States Government honestly sounds so incredibly kickass I love the idea very much I hope to god netflix doesn't make him go "uhhh but humans good and demons bad"

So yeah. I'm a masochist and therefore have high hopes for season 2 and am looking forward to it

[maplemaplemaplemaplemaple]

I'm in love with the way you draw Sasha

you genuinely started my love for him and you highlight so many important aspects of his character that are overlooked to make him more 'palatable' or 'sexier' and it's opened my eyes to how wonderful of a character he is.

THANKYOU AAA WOW this means the world!!! :] he’s just so compelling to me and there’s so much in the games to analyse and little bits of visual storytelling to dissect, so i’m really glad that i’m hopefully doing him justice !! my favouritest guy ever

↑ sasha for your troubles

[inventors-fair]

CUSTOM CARD CREATION 101

Never submitted a card before? Let's take it from the top.

If you're on desktop, the gold standard of custom card creation is Magic Set Editor. It's a highly customizable program with versatile options for all sorts of card types.

If you're unable to download MSE, there are a number of free online card making programs. They're far less versatile, but they get the job done. You can find one that works best for you.

You can always ask for help in Discord if you don't have either of these options and would like a card rendered as an image by another inventor. Or, you can always submit as text if that works best for you!

If you're submitting as text, or if you just need a general checklist of things to have before you submit, make sure your card has ALL of the following:

Appropriate/final name

Properly formatted mana cost (if applicable)

Type(s)

Rarity (THIS ONE IS THE MOST OVERLOOKED)

Rules text—no typos, modern wording

Flavor text (if applicable/if there's space)

Power/toughness, if a creature

There are a number of options for ART as well. Art is one of the most recognizable part of any MTG card. Most of us are, assumedly, not professional illustrators. So:

MTG artist Winona Nelson made this fabulous post talking about art descriptions and art direction! You can add that to your post in lieu of actual art.

When adding art descriptions with images, it's easiest for formatting to add them directly to where the art would be. Here's an example:

Or! Do you want to draw your own art? Please do so! We strongly encourage everyone at any artistic skill level to submit with their own illustrations!

Just don't forget: if you're using any kind of visual, you need to have the art properly credited—and that includes yourself.

Otherwise... It's been common practice across the custom MTG community for a while to use fantasy art from across the internet. Pragmatically, as long as it's credited, there's no monetary harm as this is a non-commercial use of art. However, reposting in general isn't exactly kosher and isn't the best practice, and many card creators have tiptoed around that line. If you're able to get permission from outside art, please do so.

Regardless of your personal stances: submissions that use uncredited art will not be accepted. Even if it's fair use, even if it's a stock photo or game asset, even if it's your own art (and we'll remind you gently about that one, a lot of folks forget lol), all art must be credited.

Fair Use/Stock photos & illustrations: Most stock images have usernames of uploaders. Always look for the OP. This includes things like Wikimedia Commons as well.

Game Assets/art: When in doubt, credit the name & developer.

AI generated art is never allowed.

If there's a corner case not included on here, just send in an ask and we can answer it.

For rules text questions, You can use Scryfall to check oracle text for proper wording and other examples of weird wording effects if necessary. This includes keyword orders, if/when clause differences, and more. "Oracle text" is the most up-to-date wording for any given card. Need an example? Check out the card Necromancy.

Flavor text is the most esoteric and hard-to-pin-down aspect of any given card. As a rule of thumb, if you have the space to add it, you should strongly consider it. A strong twist can turn a decent card into a great card.

There are quite a few different kinds of flavor text:

Twists on common phrases/sayings that relate to the card, including puns

Quotes from the characters being depicted

Quotes from other characters in the world

Snippets of story before/during/after the action of the card

When writing flavor text, consider: What does that text add to the card that the mechanics, name, and/or art aren't already telling the player? Why does it matter?

N.B.—when adding quote attribution on MSE, use shift+enter to remove the line spacing before the emdash.

Last reminder: Please do not submit Universes Beyond cards and/or silver-border/acorn cards unless a contest specifically calls for it. Unless otherwise specified/implied, assume that all contests are looking for you to design cards for standard/premier play.

Most importantly, don't forget that we're expecting a lot of you from these cards, because you're doing all parts of the process—mechanics, editing, and presentation. Polish up as much as you can. You're wearing a lot of hats here, and it's hard work! But be proud of what you make, and embrace the challenge.

@abelzumi

[akfamilyhome]

2024 Year in Review

(This is a public post, and is also available on Patreon!)

Wow! What a year. Compared to last year, a lot more things definitely happened, including several core videos I'm very proud of, the launch of Useless Nintendo Trivia videos, and the main channel finally passing the 50,000 subscriber mark! This has been one of the best years for the channel in a while, and I'm very thankful for all the support and feedback.

Outside the channel, my Bluesky account created in 2023 has passed 10k followers, I talked about WarioWare with Scott the Woz for an hour, and lots of very neat things happened in real life for me as well! I was able to switch day jobs in December and work with a company in the retro gaming space which is very exciting, and I visited America, met some of my friends there and attended the Portland Retro Gaming Expo for the very first time! So overall, a very eventful year, and I'm definitely excited to both look back on the stuff I've made, and give some hints about what's next!

You know the drill by now, I'm going to be sharing my retrospective thoughts as well as some fun facts about every video I've made on the main channel during 2024!

The Joy of Nintendo DSi/3DS Camera & Sound

This video idea was the winner of a Patreon poll back in June 2023...and yeah, ended up releasing in January 2024, but that meant it made for a pretty fantastic start to the new year! After talking about previous camera-related offerings from Nintendo like the Game Boy Camera and Photo Dojo, it only seemed natural to talk about the built-in camera and music apps for the DSi and 3DS, and I think it hit a great balance between being informative about the lesser-known aspects of these apps, and also having some decent gags! I even ended up upgrading my 3DS capture card from an old 2DS to a New 3DS XL during the production, just because I had to showcase the 3D mode-exclusive camera features. So far, it's served me incredibly well! I can absolutely vouch for the quality of Loopy's stuff now.

Some folks were wondering I managed to capture footage of the DSi camera and sound apps, the truth is...I kinda lied and that footage was captured on my New 3DS XL capture card! Yes, you can install and run DSi Camera and DSi Sound on a 3DS.

I'd like to once again give a shoutout to ThattsCherry (who also did the animation for my latest intro), who drew two animated shots featuring stylized Nintendo employees! Her style lent incredibly well to these sorts of visuals, though I did accidentally overlook a mistake where there was a 3DS logo in the background of a shot...about the DSi camera. (Oops) I also want to shout out TikaratheMew as well for the fantastic parakeet thumbnail art! (She also did the thumbnail art for my Famicom R.O.B. the Robot video as well!) I posted this sketch/final comparison on social media previously, but here it is again for posterity:

And finally, just a random fact: the brief gag featuring the 'retro-inspired indie game' actually comes from a university programming assignment I did years ago, but reskinned with generic pixel art as the original just used 8-bit sprites from Super Mario Bros.! (It also ran way faster than it was supposed to because it was originally programmed on a Windows virtual machine running on a Mac...so yeah.)

I Went to Hong Kong's Nintendo Live & Pop-Up Store

This video was a great opportunity to document two Nintendo events that were basically happening in Hong Kong back-to-back, and I hope it was useful for those who weren't able to attend these events, or those who want to know more about Nintendo's international events! I still hope these events are successful enough to warrant future large-scale Nintendo events in Hong Kong (which I am totally down to also document), but we haven't had further confirmations outside of a few series-specific promotional events now and then. Here's hoping!

Since this video, more Nintendo Pop-Up Stores have opened in places like Taipei, Seoul and Singapore, with the latest one being part of a manga convention in Barcelona! Seems like they've been doing pretty well, and makes me wonder if they'll ever revisit places for a second round!

Though aside from these pop-up stores, there are still plenty of officially authorized partner stores in Hong Kong that sell both Nintendo products and merch! A very neat one that opened recently was 'Assemble' in Wan Chai, which not only had Nintendo merch (including new stock for the Super Famicom Mini for some reason?), but had dedicated merch areas for third-party partners like Sega, Namco and Square Enix, and even had demo stations for indie games and Arcade Archives releases!

A Cartridge for Nintendo's Lost Devkit

In terms of obscure Nintendo stuff that has been talked about on this channel, the Game Processor RAM Casette is definitely way up there! While these carts (and the Game Processor in general) have been known to exist for a while, and this is also not even the first YouTube video about the Game Processor RAM Casette (Circuit Rewind was ahead of me and figured out how to reprogram one using a Raspberry Pi!), I'm still glad this video was able to get more eyeballs on this little known piece of Nintendo history, and perhaps the dream of finding the Game Processor isn't dead yet! (Hey, if the largest Sony CRT ever made could be found, anything's possible.)

One thing I actually didn't touch on in this video is the packaging that the Game Processor RAM Casettes originally came in! And with a few more auction listings popping up online since that video, I can now show you that...they're basically completely blank Super Famicom game boxes. That's kinda funny.

I mentioned that one of the assets for a Mario Bros.-style game created with the Game Processor's editing tool 'Mario Factory' was later reused for the Mario Bros. minigame in the Super Mario Advance series. While we do have an image proof of this from a flyer scan, I didn't show it in the actual video as the original Japanese accounts that posted these images seem to be a little strict regarding reposting of their work, and I'd like to respect their wishes if possible. With that said, I can now link to those original tweets here, if you haven't taken a look!

How Many Times Have I Paid For Super Mario Bros.?

For Mario Day this year, I decided to just do a scripted video about a ridiculous Mario topic, and since I already had a spreadsheet lying around that kept track of every legal copy of Super Mario Bros. I own, this video was the result, and it ended up as silly as I envisioned it to be. Perhaps Mario Day videos can be another fun annual tradition, though I haven't thought of any ideas for this year's right now. (I mean, I could talk about all my copies of Mario 64 like I teased last time...but that's probably a better fit for the Plus channel!)

The obligatory question is, have I obtained any new copies of Super Mario Bros. since this video was published? The answer is yes: I obtained a loose cartridge of Super Mario Bros. + Duck Hunt + World Class Track Meet on the NES, Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World on the SNES, and a US copy of Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition on the Wii! The count continues.

Those with keen ears may have noticed that the endslate theme in this video is an arrangement of the 'Every Day is a Mario Day' commercial jingle! I asked Megan, the composer of my endslate theme, to give it a little remix for the occasion, and it turned out so well, I definitely have to use it more than once now lol

Useless Nintendo Trivia #1-5

This year marked the start of the 'Useless Nintendo Trivia' series, each installment containing 10 useless Nintendo facts, inspired by my 2023 April Fools video. This was conceived as a relatively simple but fun series of videos that I can put out in-between the major productions, and so far we've covered 50 whole pieces of useless Nintendo trivia! I'm very happy about how this series has been received, so...yeah, more episodes will definitely be on the way! When we reach 100 pieces of trivia, it might be fun to do a compilation of them to see how long they would be when put together!

You might've also seen that some pieces of trivia have also been uploaded to the channel as YouTube shorts. I think this is basically the best way to utilize the shorts format going forward, rather than focusing on making exclusive stuff for it, and if one of the shorts does end up blowing up, it'll still be a nice bonus!

Every Nintendo Stylus

And here's 2024's April Fools video...which if I recall correctly, was another spontaneous idea! I originally talked about Nintendo styluses as an unscripted video on Akfamilyhome Plus, one of the first unscripted videos on that channel in fact, but that video actually left out a few styluses that I didn't have on hand at the time, so I figured if I were to revisit the topic, it would be in the form of a scripted video to cut down on the babbling, and possibly as part of the April Fools series (just because of how ridiculous the topic is). This video blowing up in views is something I can't exactly say I anticipated, but I guess joke topics just do that sometimes...

I made a joke in the video about if anyone ever used the original 3DS stylus by just extending it halfway, so allow me to showcase this incredible reply comment:

When I was looking for accurate stylus terminology for this video, I was made privy to a patent-related rabbit hole that eventually culminated into a piece of useless Nintendo trivia! I'll just link you to the short version here if you haven't seen it yet.

The 34 Games I Beat in 2023

The 2023 game review video ended up coming out in late April because of the Mario Day and April Fools videos (...which may end up being the same case for this year if I can't get it out by February, oops), but this time around it did perform a little better than my 2022 video! It's still neat to have a time capsule of sorts about my immediate thoughts about each game I've finished, and the unpredictable lineup still makes it a fun watch for some. Just to look ahead, 2024's game lineup will be a little shorter at 25 games, but there will be a bonus section or two here and there!

Not much else to add here for this video, but if you look in the description, I have a link to a spreadsheet that compiles an alphabetical list of every game I've looked at in this series of videos, for those who want to look up my quick thoughts about a particular game!

Nintendo's Hotel SNES: The Super Famicom Box

It seems like pretty much every Things of Interest episode released in 2024 was a result of spontaneous new finds and additions to my collection, and the Super Famicom Box was certainly no exception. There have been several YouTube videos that show off the system before, but there haven't been as many scripted videos that also dive into its deeper functionality, so that's sort of what the aim of my video was, to showcase how it would be to set the whole thing up and go through its many settings for the folks (a.k.a. most people) who don't have one, and also offer a simple point of reference for those who do end up getting their hands on one. Really, the only thing I haven't done in the video is basically take the system apart -- there are people out there who are way more qualified to do that!

I've shared the following links in one of my monthly Patreon reports, but for those who haven't seen them, here's a few more interesting videos related to the Super Famicom Box that are worth checking out:

Long Island Retro Gaming has done a mod adding RGB to the system -- and with some results you may not have expected!

Some of their footage was used in my video, but Impendo64 has both added a custom coin slot to their unit, but has also apparently modified one of the game cartridges to add custom games onto it! I hope they make another video showing how they did it in the future!

This is about the original FamicomBox and not the SFC variant, but Yukki games came across a few working FamicomBoxes still doing their jobs in a small Japanese hot spring inn, if you'd like to take in the vibes!

64DD on a Flashcart: The SummerCart64

The Things of Interest video about the SummerCart64 is one of the few unscripted videos on the main channel, where I basically take a look at a thing by just...casually using it and showing off its features! That felt like the best format to show off this flashcart in particular, especially because 64DD support was the one interesting part about it. I did get the price of the Phenom Mod version of the cart a little wrong in the video (I misquoted the PCB price instead of the fully assembled one with shells), but in the end it was still neat to get some more eyeballs on this project, and a few new developments have been made since that video as well!

Since the video, the N64 Flashcart Menu has seen several updates that addressed some of my previous (minor) complaints: there's now a functional settings menu within the interface, and most recently a favorites and history tab have been implemented!

And since Phenom Mod released their version of the SummerCart64 for order, plenty of other cheaper SC64 clones have also started to pop up on the market, particularly ones on Chinese sites like AliExpress. I even got a free product offer from one of the sellers! (but decided against it as it would make for a pretty redundant video) While I can't compare every variety of the SummerCart64 out there, I was eventually able to get my hands on two different AliExpress variants of the SummerCart64. They had pretty different molded shells (one being a tighter fit than the other) and cart connectors, and while in terms of functionality they were fairly similar, making it a viable option for those on a limited budget, they definitely don't have the luxury of the Phenom Mod's more durable build, along with proper support available in the N64brew Discord should any problems arise, so I think there's still some worth in that! This is just my opinion though, it's up to you to decide which SC64 variant you want to go for for your own purposes.

I Broke the Nintendo World Championships Leaderboards

Speaking of spontaneous video ideas, this video definitely was one, being basically born from a stupid Discord conversation while playing the new Nintendo World Championships game. The resulting video is definitely a rare breed for the channel, it's been a hot while since I've done a 'what happens if you do x in y' type of experiment for a video, but it seems people did end up enjoying it!

The week this video went live, I actually tried the same strategy to get on the 2024 Birth Ranking again, and it seems that no one else ended up trying it out for themselves! ...which makes sense, because the setup is way too convoluted. But if there's someone out there still determined to try this trick right now, there's a high chance you'll be able to earn 1st place on the 2024 birth year ranking for yourself! (Or rather, 2025 ranking now lol)

Pyoro: The Bird, The Beans, The Legend

...and finally, this was the next big core video that I was originally intending to make, following the 3DS/DSi Camera & Sound video! As I said in the video itself, this idea came long before the leaker known as Pyoro became a prominent figure, and with the release of WarioWare: Move It, it made for the perfect opportunity to do a Pyoro retrospective with some fun gags sprinkled throughout. And in a first for the channel, this is also the first ever sponsored video on the channel! ...I'll talk about more of my thoughts on that down below in a bit.

If you look at the video thumbnail, all of the Pyoros featured come from a piece of official artwork or in-game sprite...except one, which I drew back in 2021.

Turns out, there were several Pyoro cameos that I forgot to mention: for some reason my mind completely blocked out the fact that Super Pyoro appears in the intro of WarioWare Gold, and there's also a small blink-and-you'll-miss-it Pyoro cameo in WarioWare Move It:

As I said, this is the first video on the channel to be sponsored (by Surfshark)! As taking a sponsor was something I'd never done before, I felt this was a good learning opportunity to do so, and considering how well the video ended up doing, I think Surfshark probably got way more than their money's worth in the end...

Before I ever considered legitimately taking up a sponsor offer, I set several rules for myself: anything I promote must be something I've used in the past and can recommend based on personal experience (if it's something I've never heard of then I would at least do my research and give it a try first), and the sponsor integrations should be made as fun as possible. The Pyoro video was essentially a testing ground for these principles, the idea of integrating the sponsor led to the creation of the VRChat skits, and as a result I think it turned out pretty well! (A post about the sponsor segment itself ending up doing numbers on Twitter, which I think is a good enough indicator lol)

The reason why I took this long to accept any sponsor at all is simply because a lot of offers that come through to my business inbox don't always look the most legit at first glance, especially if it's from a product I've never heard of before. I've also never went through the process of taking a sponsorship myself, and I've heard a few stories of bad sponsors or phishing scams involving fake sponsorships, so I was basically extremely vigilant about them. That being said, this sponsorship was definitely a net positive for me as a learning experience! I don't know if I'll end up taking more sponsors in the future, as it really just depends on the right one stumbling into my inbox that I think I can actually execute properly. And between my inconsistent video schedule and my recent job switch, I don't think I'll have to deliberately seek out sponsors in the near future. I'm feeling content with having this YouTube thing as a side hustle for now, with Patreon support and perhaps the occasional sponsor as bonuses that will potentially push me slowly towards being able to do this full-time in the far future!

And lastly, if you didn't know, some outtakes and animatics for the VRChat skit segments in this video are available to my $5+ patrons!

Nintendo 3DS E3 2010 Demo Showcase

And in time for the new year, another spontaneous video! I originally planned for a Things of Interest episode to release around Christmas or before the end of the year, but while I was working on it, I was contacted by a team working on preserving some 3DS tech demos from a prototype unit in order to make a video documenting them like I did with 3D Challenge back in 2020, and of course I had to say yes!

It was very fun to both help out with research as these demos were being studied, and to write the script for the showcase as well! I think this is one of the best ways to handle a release of this sort: not just hacking the demos so they can be as playable as possible for the public, but also documenting them in a video so detailed info about them is also as easily accessible!

Yes, the ending is a tease for something else 3DS-related to come. Don't know when exactly that will be as research is still being done to put it vaguely, but it's something I personally think is almost as cool!

Akfamilyhome Plus videos

If there's only one thing I regret for this year, it's the smaller amount of content being put out on my second channel Akfamilyhome Plus, because ironically I got busy from all the videos being put on the main channel instead! Still, there are a handful of bonus videos that have been released publicly on there this year:

I gave Alivel Mall from Kirby and the Forgotten Land lyrics for the game's 2nd anniversary

I tried a Gyromite-themed mini board game on a Japanese pencil case from 1985

I talked about how I create YouTube captions from my scripts

I tried the Nintendo Ten Billion Barrel for the first time

...and as mentioned in the beginning, I documented my very first trip to America!

And over on Patreon, 4 exclusive videos were released: I took a look at some third-party Joy-Con, played PC games with an actual Game Boy as a controller, did my annual room tour for 2024 and built a Famicom made out of cardboard!

Alright, what's next

Okay, so as I just mentioned, I was working on a Things of Interest episode right as I was approached to make the 3DS E3 2010 demo showcase, so right now work will be resuming on that video! And seeing as you've read this far into the post, as a thank you I'll let you in on what it's about...

...it's an original, working Nintendo Ultra Machine from 1967! Just like the Super Famicom Box, while there are videos online that showcase it, there's not a lot of scripted videos that get into the history or nitty gritty details, so I'd like to take this opportunity to showcase one of Gunpei Yokoi's earliest inventions!

In addition to that, there is another Things of Interest subject that I'd like to talk about, Useless Nintendo Trivia will obviously continue with new sporadic episodes, and the next major core video topic has already been decided, though with all these projects in the pipeline, it might be a little bit before that's fully in production!

Overall, I'd like to keep up the momentum this channel picked up in 2024. I was pretty close to my goal of having a video out on the channel every month, save for edge cases where I released a video right as a month ended, or September onwards when I was occupied with my trip to America (and documenting that into a video) among other things! While I have switched jobs in real life, I'm currently hoping it won't affect too much of my video schedule going forward, as working on this channel is something I continue to enjoy immensely, and I'd like to thank you all again for watching in 2024.

So yeah, that's it for this long year in review! Once again, as a thank you for watching all the way to the end, here's a 25-use invite link to my Discord server where chill gaming talk happens! I'll let you in on a secret: these links actually aren't clicked on a whole lot if last year's post was any indication, so if you're reading this, chances are it's still available lol

That will be it for now! Here's to another great year for the channel, and I'll see you in the next video!

[charophyte]

Lmaooo I wasn't expecting to get my own game lobbed at me but now I'm curious. I'll answer yours when I'm not on the road but flinging the same ones back @ u so we can compare later

😳⏳🪞 (and an extra 💭 for funsies)

FINALLY getting around to answer this because I really had to stew on it for quite a while.

😳 Instead of swapping f/o's, what would happen if your s/i's got together instead? If this happens, do your f/o's get with each other as well?

The reason I asked this myself is because. Honestly I think Altis and Minthe would be absolutely insane together. I think that the two of them have a good push-and-pull with Minthe's general joie de vivre with Altis' sulking about how their life is over (they hate when someone calls it 'sulking' but it's. sulking). Altis also enjoys resting and chilling out, so when Minthe burns themself out after finishing a piece. They're both fun-loving and enjoy getting into trouble while trying to not get caught, so when they both happen to be in a good mood it's kind of a nightmare for everyone around them.

In the end, however, I don't think that the relationship would be as fulfilling as it would be with their original partners. Neither of them hold the other back from their impulses, and it would absolutely cause SOME sort of emotional spiral (not that I don't want to see that happen lmao. I do love when this happens). Those two would be best as the pair who would occasionally meet up to put up a mural where they shouldn't be. Now... Orph and Poly would be surprisingly amicable with each other. Not anything even close to resembling a romance, but I think there would be a level of unspoken repsect between the two of them. I mean, they are both musicians (or at least, I headcanon Poly to be one lmao) and both ended up being tricked in an underhanded way. I don't think Orph could overlook the "eating people" aspect of him though.

⏳ How does your in-source canon change compared to how it works for your true ship?

THIS ONE'S FUNNY because I am just gonna assume that Orph's canon remains intact, which means Altis is some kind of shade. I imagine they ended up having an unfortunate accident during a heist, dying in an embarrassing way but playing it up in the afterlife. And they're kind of disappointed to see that their "curse" chased after them in the afterlife, too. Not even death could free them from that.

Altis would be listless as a shade since their whole character revolves around risking their life for the sake of it, so I think that they'd just resort to pushing their luck with the others in the House of Hades. In this case, I think they see Orpheus as an easy target, as sad as that sounds. They'd get a kick out of getting him to believe the most outrageous rumors. Though as the two get closer, I think they'd end up feeling kinda guilty about it. They end up looking up to him as a musician.

🪞 What are your swap partner's opinions about you? What about your true f/o's thoughts towards their own swap partner?

Because of Altis' teasing, Orph thinks that they are a kind, knowledgeable, witty satyr. In fact, they're the kindest satyr he's ever met. I don't think Altis would want to jeopardize their relationship with him by telling him the truth about themself.

Minthe and Poly though... Poly's an art appreciator, despite not enjoying much leisure time, but the visual arts are a different matter to him, considering his condition. Still, I think he would respect them for their work ethic, even if he cannot fully enjoy the fruits of their labor. He definitely respects them more than he does Altis.

💭 What are some personal headcanons that you have for your swap partner? (eg. likes/dislikes, habits, personality quirks, etc.) How closely do these align with the headcanons made by their own true partner?

Orpheus has soo many nervous tics- mostly using his hands to fiddle with whatever's near: his hair, the strings of his instruments, the hem of his clothes, whatever he has around his neck. To the uninitiated, he's not all that expressive, but if you open your ears to his music and watch how he holds himself, he's actually pretty easy to read, and he doesn't even realize it. Also, Orph doesn't exactly know how to get Zag to learn anything when it comes to music. When he teaches, he sort of puts the cart before the horse, and also finds it difficult to keep Zag's attention (not from a lack of trying on Zag's part, he's a clever man, he's just not artistically inclined in the same way Orph is and Orph can't exactly put that into words).

Original ask meme here

[2oul2ilver]

I woke up this morning and had a realization - of more well-known pokepastas, I feel like there's trends of themes specific trainers (or maybe games?) get cast/fall into, vs ones they don't as much.

So for example, a couple of the Trainer Gold-centric stories lead to lots of body horror and gore - lost silver, snow on mt. Silver. By proximity champion red follows suit, but only in fitting of the themes. Trainer Silver seems to follow this as well (eg Tarnished Gold) with Gold likewise mirroring the given tropes.

Meanwhile, stories focused on Red (or a variation of) aren't as prone to mutilating the protagonist. Glitchy Red is Arguably a type of mutilation, but it's abstract and semi-temporary. Strangled Red, same concept, aside from maybe Glitching there's not much in way of gore. Creepy Black, same thing, there's Death (inevitably) but minimal gore. Glitchlett semi-breaks the trend but the gore never touches a trainer afaik. I haven't seen much of False Red's romhack but given the vibes it wouldn't surprise me if it's more of the same. Buried Alive Model does break the trend on this aspect at least.

Leaf, while rarely getting any stories, Also has a pattern - in Abandon Lonliness and Fallen Leaf alike, she essentially gets "shelved" partway through her stories, it feels like (Fallen is a very self-aware commentary on the General habit of this treatment)

And mind you these are all like. Half-awake thoughts, not necessarily meant to be some great commentary or critique, and I'm sure if I dug around more I'd see examples that easily counteract this pattern. But it just adds a sense of overall patterns and almost a characterization to the trainers based on these examples- Red usually being an On Top, in-charge figure, more likely to turn On you or the others than to be mutilated; Leaf being overlooked, forgotten, there's Tragedy happening to her, and even other tropes like death or mutilation can occur, but a part of her theming is her tragic self gets overlooked/unseen by npcs around her overall; Gold and Silver are the most prone to visceral, gory fates of one sort or another, never an easy death, always something to really leave lasting images for the viewer.

I think there's easy ways to explain some of these trends - for example, people may feel that the RBY games just don't lend themselves well to gory visuals as easily as GSC. and then again, Fallen Leaf is a very self-aware critique on this sort of treatment, so it makes sense to enforce that particular trope. But it's an interesting thing to chew on....

All in all... it makes me want to toy with roleswap aus lolll

[nightcitygigs]

𝕎𝕖𝕝𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕖 𝕥𝕠 ℕ𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 ℂ𝕚𝕥𝕪!

𝚈𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚛𝚎𝚙𝚞𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚎𝚍𝚎𝚜 𝚢𝚘𝚞, 𝚜𝚊𝚖𝚞𝚛𝚊𝚒. 𝙸𝚏 𝙸 𝚐𝚘𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚢 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚔, 𝙸'𝚕𝚕 𝚐𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊 𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐. 𝙻𝚎𝚝'𝚜 𝚜𝚎𝚎 𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗.

𝕊𝕦𝕞𝕞𝕒𝕣𝕪

Welcome to Night City Gigs - a weekly prompt page that encourages interaction with those in the community! Regardless of your medium, we encourage you to participate and meet new people! Here's how it works On each Monday, at 12:00 (Noon) MST there will be a "Gig Post" with the information for the gig! Gig's will be either issued by a moderator or user-submitted; if you want to submit your own gig, please do from our page!

Once a Gig is posted, commenting under it (it can say anything, but it does need to say the OC who is responding to the gig!) will earn you a slot! Slots for the gig are determined by the Caper Crew Maximum; it will say on the Gig Listing! These slots are first come first serve for each listing- that being said, if you have participated in the previous listing you are considered LOW priority for the next one. This allows others to join in who haven't yet participated! Gigs will be available to join for 24 hours after posting- these posts will be labelled as CLOSED after those 24 hours and the individual's will be @'d in the comments letting them know they got the slot!

You then have time to create! Write, in-game photography, art, or even RP! Whatever you can contribute to it, do it! Have fun! Meet new people! Once you post content, please @ this page! We would love to reblog your content!

We ask that you read the rules below before participating (this is a requirement) and like the post to ensure that you have read it in full ♡

ℝ𝕖𝕤𝕠𝕦𝕣𝕔𝕖𝕤

Want to use our generator? You can find it here!

Formatting lines are from here!

ℝ𝕦𝕝𝕖𝕤

Anything above and below is subject to change- I'm sure that I'm overlooking certain aspects and rules might get more lenient or strict as we see how these go. Please message this page with any and all feedback or suggestions that you have! That being said, for now we ask of a few things:

References

Before applying for a slot, please ensure that you have some kind of reference for the character that you are entering for that gig. This is kind for those who are working with visual mediums. Not having a reference (even an in-game reference is better than nothing) might have you restricted from future gigs.

Please be kind to those participating.

As this is a group activity, there are going to always have a variety of skill sets, personalities, and tastes. Everyone has come here to allow the community to flourish and celebrate our interests. Finally, being kind is a lot easier than being mean. We're all adults here- please have a kind and calm conversation if you've come to a disagreement!

Tapping Out

Someone might enter a gig and then might not be able to create due to personal circumstances. In this instance, we please ask that you message the appropriate parties (it could just be this page) so you can pull out of that Gig. This is only a preventative measure so that nobody is taking advantage of free resources or having the rest of the Caper Crew members feeling as if the circumstance is unfair. Tapping out this way will NOT bar you from future gigs!

Age Restriction To stay safe, we ask that you are 18+ to participate and follow this blog. You will be immediately blocked and blacklisted if you break this rule.

Thank you for reading!

As we said, there might be changes with any of this. We will keep you updated when the rules have been changed!

Special thanks to @another-corpo-rat for helping with any and all ideas & writing! You're an amazing and talented person and this wouldn't be possible without you. Thank you for continuously supporting me, my ideas and endeavors! Love ya!! ♡♡♡

[roomwithavoid]

i didn’t like it. i didn’t like world of goo 2 and i want to fucking cry about it. i AM crying about it.

world of goo is literally my ALL TIME comfort game. it was my favorite game as a kid. i played it hundreds of times. i have it on my childhood wii and on mobile and on steam i’ve bought it so many times because i love it so much. coming home from school in kindergarten and seeing my brother playing it on the tv, how it was revealed to me my family now had a wii, kickstarting my love of video games. it literally might be one of my earliest memories. one of my first special interests. hell, i had a world of goo themed birthday party in kindergarten! my mom made cupcakes that looked like goo balls with marshmallows for eyes and a cake with donut holes connected with sticks to look like a stack of goo. i played this game before i could read. hell, playing this game is part of what TAUGHT me how to read. i still remember accidentally deleting my save file because i didn’t know how to read the words “erase save data” and crying for days, learning for the first time in my life how to accept loss and try again. and i did. i played it over and over. i played it on my ipad in the car while waiting to pick up my brother from school in the 4th grade. i remember streaming myself playing it for what must’ve been the hundredth time to my highschool friends because i wanted to share something that was so important to me. it never, and i mean NEVER felt like it lost any magic just because i had gotten older.

i was ELATED when world of goo 2 was announced. i couldn’t believe my eyes. it was like the thing child me wished on stars for finally came true, despite me now being 20. and i played it in the span of a couple days, and you know what? i didn’t like it.

sure there were good things, the graphical upgrade was nice to look at, and the remasters/remixes(?) of the old songs were lovely to listen to. but i honestly don’t know if i have that much more to say positively.

the levels were almost entirely these sort of “remixes” of the old levels, usually with some sort of added difficulty. the new goo mechanics didn’t feel fun or inspired, and shifted from the bridge-building aspect to a “look what happens when you shoot liquid in different directions” simulator. the few new mechanics that actually feel fun are criminally underutilized. but none of those issues, issues i probably could’ve overlooked if the puzzles were a smidge more interesting, hold a candle to the section that singlehandedly soured the entire game for me.

like in the original world of goo, chapter 4 takes us into the future, introducing a chapter-long gimmick that completely changes the way the game is played. however, unlike the internet gimmick in the original world of goo, which kept the core mechanics with a new coat of pain and introduced enticing new goo species to play with, world of goo 2’s chapter 4 introduces a split path with 3 different gimmicks that ALL ware out their welcome the second they’re introduced.

chapter 4 almost assaults you with the impression that the developers would rather be making literally any other game than world of goo 2. enjoying the physics based puzzle game? well how would you like to play 2d golf? what about a point and click noir visual novel? no? alright, not to worry, we still have sections that involve goo, but fret not, because we’ve introduced an exhausting gimmick revolving around how coordinated you are with moving your mouse in a perfect circle! oh, your hands are a little shaky? too bad! this level is unbeatable if you move even a millimeter incorrectly! the best (WORST) part of the chapter? it’s themed around the tired cliche of “game company sells out and makes a hundred of their game until they’re unrecognizable garbage” because playing a bunch of intentionally garbage games that masquerade as a game you love when they have nothing in common except maybe one character is always SOOOO much fun, right?

any fucking good graces i had with the sloppy puzzles of the first three chapters were shattered into pieces because of chapter four. there is legitimately nothing cute or funny about baiting your audience, who mind you has waited SIXTEEN YEARS for a sequel, into spending an entire chapter making some shitty noir game that you KNOW is shitty.

not to mention, the strong anti-capitalist metaphor from the first game translates to a muddy “i dunno maybe people have too many babies?” in this game. wog1’s message was so well done and clear and straightforward but wog2? wog2 is all over the damn place. hell if i know what they were even trying to say with half of it. i understood the first game’s message as a kid better than i understood this one as an adult! the only coherent bit of it was the “we have to figure out how to build tracks faster than the train is going” thing which was immediately retconned i guess by the train going in circles????

what a fucking disappointment.

[classicdatabase]

CD Entry #005

Released in 1993 exclusively in Japan, the Famicom board game-style spinoff of the classic series, Wily & Right no Rockboard: That’s Paradise! is notable for several reasons. While it is far from the most obscure Mega Man game, it is certainly the most overlooked of the 8-Bit era, and a majority of non-Japanese fans likely have only a vague knowledge of the title. As such, this entry will cover several miscellaneous tidbits related to Rockboard, as well as its impact on the later series.

Rockboard, as a general overview, is a digital board game commonly likened to Fortune Street or Monopoly. Players compete to purchase ownership of property spaces and accumulate money through charging rent on other players, though there are also a number of cards one can randomly obtain with varying effects.

This premise is, on its surface, completely unrelated to the Mega Man universe, and could be misjudged as a generic tie-in. However, in actuality, Rockboard introduces enough classic series charm that it actually established aspects to later reappear in the more well-known entries. ‘Zenny’, for instance, is a reoccurring currency in many Capcom titles, but first made its debut into Mega Man serving as the money in this game. It would later appear prominently in the two spinoff series of Mega Man Legends and Mega Man Battle Network respectively. The mechanic of cards is also one rich with charm, as they are all effects based on, and using sprites of, characters from throughout the series up to that point. Game Boy exclusive characters such as Quint and Enker had their only Famicom appearance in Rockboard, as well as the bird robot Reggae, who was created for and first appears in this game; he appears both as a card that deals negative effects as well as a visual to taunt the losing player. Reggae would make his next appearance two years later as the invalid password icon in Mega Man 7, and after that became an infrequent support robot to Bass much the same way Beat is to Mega Man.

One of the most obvious oddities with this title comes with the very characters you play the game with. Despite the game’s name, Mega Man only serves as a sort of host and mascot, introducing game rules and appearing on the results screen but not taking part in the game directly. In his absence, players choose from any of the named human characters in the series up to that point, including consistent antagonist Dr. Wily, as well as Roll, the only playable robot. The game’s loose plot justifies this as each of the five having their own ambitions, from world domination to becoming a princess, that all happen to require building up their own real estate and acquiring plenty of funding. These characters also get plenty of dialogue throughout a match reacting to the various goings-on, though little of it is of any substance besides conveying game information. Still, Rockboard marks the first time that these characters’ personalities are elaborated on to this extent within the game itself.

To conclude, it’s somewhat common knowledge at this point (but still very much worth noting) that Rockboard was intended to receive a full port to Game Boy, making it the only Famicom Mega Man game to receive this treatment as opposed to a ‘Mega Man World’ game. This port was mostly completed, even having full battery saving compatibility, but was shelved for reasons not fully known.

Thankfully, this version of the game has been preserved through 2020’s Nintendo Gigaleak, and can be played through emulation or a flash cart today. Famicom Rockboard itself does have a rough, yet functional English fan translation that can also be played in the same manner, so even though the game has never received an official re-release, anyone intrigued by either version of this under-appreciated title is able and free to play it in the modern day; even you, the reader!

[republicsecurity]

View from the Helmet

HUD Integration Enhances Paramedic Body Armor Suits

In a society that thrives on precision and control, the latest breakthrough in paramedic technology comes in the form of the Generation 5.2 HUD (Heads-Up Display) system, integrated into the body armor suits of our dedicated paramedics. Developed under strict protocols by the innovative minds at Chilon Tech Corporation, this HUD system is poised to revolutionize the way our paramedics operate on the field.

X5UI7: "The HUD? It's like having a second set of eyes that can see through walls. It's a game-changer, especially when seconds can make all the difference."

Information at Your Fingertips

One of the most remarkable aspects of the Generation 5 HUD is its tactical overview, which includes real-time maps and data overlays. Paramedics can effortlessly access vital information about objects, fellow paramedics, and even patients, all displayed within their field of view. This integration minimizes decision-making time and allows for faster, more informed actions, ultimately improving patient care and mission success.

B6KP2: "The HUD is like having a personal assistant in my head. It's handy for quick access to patient info."

AI-Powered Assistance

Perhaps the most groundbreaking aspect of this HUD system is its AI-based treatment advice overlay. Drawing on vast medical databases, the AI can suggest treatment plans and interventions in real-time, guiding paramedics through complex medical situations with precision. This AI augmentation has already led to quicker diagnoses, more effective treatments, and, ultimately, higher survival rates for patients.

N4YH6: "The HUD is a double-edged sword. Yeah, it's helpful, but it's also a constant reminder that our every move is monitored and controlled. It's like we're puppets in a digital theater."

Optimized Focus and Control

The Generation 5.2 HUD system also features an innovative graying-out mechanism that minimizes visual clutter by dimming non-focus or unimportant items. This means paramedics can maintain their focus on critical elements while reducing cognitive load. Moreover, the HUD provides wearers with real-time feedback on their own physical conditions, ensuring they are at peak performance even in the most challenging scenarios.

X8JN3: "It's ironic, really. They give us these advanced HUDs to enhance our abilities, but then they decide which parts of reality we get to see. It's like we're on autopilot, following the prompts without even questioning it."

Supervisor Control and Oversight

Beyond individual capabilities, the Gen 5.2 HUD system also offers a control feature for supervisors. This remote access allows supervisors to view a paramedic's HUD display, assess the situation in real-time, and provide guidance or adjustments if necessary. This enhanced oversight not only improves mission coordination but also enhances the safety and efficiency of our paramedic teams.

PDS83 (Drill Instructor): "Now, we've got this shiny piece of tech that can plunge these paramedics into scenarios so vivid, so believable, they don't even know if they're living it or just floating in a digital world. Gone are the days of knowing when you're being tested. Now, we can mess with their minds, blur the lines between real and unreal, and see how they handle it. It's like playing puppeteer with their experiences, all from the comfort of our control center."

360° Vision for Enhanced Situational Awareness

The inclusion of helmet cameras in the Generation 5.2 HUD system opens up a new dimension of situational awareness. With a 360° view of their surroundings, paramedics gain an unprecedented understanding of their environment, allowing them to respond effectively to every angle of a situation. This comprehensive view not only enhances safety and decision-making but also ensures nothing is overlooked during critical missions.

C4C39 "Thanks to the HUD overlay and the seamless integration of the helmets into the VR systems, our training scenarios have taken a leap into the future. It's like stepping into an alternate reality where every decision we make matters. It's both exhilarating and a bit eerie, knowing that the lines between training and reality can sometimes blur so perfectly."

Virtual Reality Integration for Immersive Training

The integration of VR training systems with the Generation 5.2 HUD takes paramedic training to an entirely new level. Through seamless connectivity, paramedics can transition from virtual training scenarios to mission ready mode with a simple command by their superiors. This immersive experience offers realistic simulations of various emergency situations, allowing paramedics to sharpen their skills, adapt to different environments, and practice teamwork in a risk-free virtual space.

[crusherthedoctor]

For the top 5 prompt: Top 5 Eggman boss battles.

This is yet another list that probably shifts depending on the day, because there's a lot of good ones.

5.

An underrated one. Like Rush Adventure in general.

There's no deep reason, I just think it's a neat fight, and since it uses the Jeweled Scepter, that grants it a plethora of unique magical attacks that you don't often see in an Eggman battle.

4.

I couldn't decide between these two, so fuck it, they're both here. Can you blame me? They're both well-known, and for good reason.

The Egg Walker marks the end of Tails' story, and it follows up the race to the missile in the city. The battle itself is fine, if perhaps a bit easy, but Eggman's tranquil fury in the cutscene prior really sells the mood. Shame he's rarely been given opportunities to show that side of himself since then. But that's where Stellar comes in. Either way, between that and Tails standing his ground, it's a great moment for both characters.

As for the Viper, we all love the obvious meme, but like the Walker, the fight is also fun in itself, and is reasonably tricky for a final boss. But as weird as it might be to say, the ending is what really makes it for me. The way the music stops the instant you get the last hit in, the way Tikal warns you about his kamikaze dive, the way the lonely sound and visuals of the explosion lingers before culminating with what could be mistaken for a volcanic eruption... awesome.

3.

It's an awesome mech. It's an awesome battle. It's an awesome moment for both the hero and the villain. Capped off with descending towards the center of the earth. As someone who considers Unleashed flawed in ways that I can't ignore, even I can't deny that this is one of the game's standout moments, and it deserves all its praise. I'd argue it's a better final boss than the actual final boss, and I'm not just saying that because the latter is another giant monster... okay, maybe that's part of it.

Shout out to the Generations version, because I really enjoy that one in its own right.

2.

Oh boy, here comes the controversial one. How dare I put anything from Forces on a top five that isn't derogatory, amirite.

In all seriousness... look, say what you will about the fight itself. I think it's alright, but I get why it might be considered perhaps a little anti-climactic compared to what it could have been as far as gameplay goes. And you guys know that I always consider gameplay to come first and foremost, no matter how good or bad the story of the game in question is, so it's not like I'm ignoring that part. And of course, there's the Nega-Wisp Armor reskin aspect that everyone complains about, which caused Twitter to throw the baby out with the bathwater and consider Eggman's position as the final boss to be the true problem. Which is probably why the final boss of Frontiers ended up being a talking ballsack. Thanks, everyone.

Anyway, all that said, I think there are certain elements that elevate it in spite of its ultimately okay status. There's the music, but that goes without saying for a Sonic game that isn't Chronicles. But another factor is the combination of the seriously underrated sound design, with the complete and utter silence on Eggman's part, which like @skaruresonic, I interpret it as the doctor being too focused on killing your ass that he disregards his usual banter, and like the Egg Walker cutscene in SA1, I think the effect really works, regardless of the actual intent or reason behind it.

So yes, I'm putting it as #2 for these overlooked attributes. I'm not sorry.

1.

The finale of S3&K will always be particularly special to me. There have been many great Eggman throwdowns, but this one illustrates how the doctor's high octane levels of pure determination rival Sonic's own; perfect for an arch-nemesis. There have been godlike figures who go down after a single fight, meanwhile this mortal man belts out a bonanza, because the mere concept of giving up the Master Emerald does not compute.

The build-up also goes a long way: S3&K as a whole establishes and maintains this aspect of Eggman's character throughout. He's going to get the Death Egg back up and running, and nothing is going to stop him. His robots set the jungle on fire. He himself destroys the ruins in Marble Garden, in the hopes that Sonic will get killed in the process. He's not even phased when the Death Egg falls smack dab into a volcano; his dedication never wavers. Then come the endgame, where he finally fucks off with the Master Emerald after telling Knuckles it was Nothing Personnel Kid, which is followed up with a dramatic chase through the crumbling Sky Sanctuary, which then culminates in the final showdown aboard the eponymous vessel... and then continues even after it blows up.

It's iconic, it's fun, it's climactic, and Eggman's ridiculously exaggerated refusal to quit being on full display cements it as one of my favourite Eggman portrayals, despite hailing from a 2D game with no dialogue.

Honorable mentions (that currently come to mind):

Death Egg Robot, cause c'mon, it's a classic. This mostly refers to the original Sonic 2 version as well as the variations in Generations and Mania.

Egg Shrimp (Sonic Advance 2), for being petty enough to abduct Vanilla after his plan's been foiled, and for the badass moment afterwards in which Sonic narrowly saves Vanilla.

Egg Emperor, because I don't care if it's Metal Sonic, it's an Eggman mech, he's trying to mimic Eggman, shut the fuck up or I'll do a in-depth Shadow the Hedgehog level tier list. The design is rad as hell, and it has the iconic TAKE THI-TAKE THIS, TAKE THI-TAKE THIS.

Egg Salamander (Sonic Rush), for capping off the dynamic between Sonic and Blaze... and because Wrapped in Black.

Nega-Wisp Armor, because the fight is fun despite its simplicity, and it's noteworthy because Eggman finally got to be the true final boss of a 3D mainline installment for the first time. And it only took a decade...

The endgame for Mania, in which Eggman menacingly jumps around in a Pokeball and then holds his own in a three-way standoff instead of being tactlessly upstaged like he's nothing.'

The one in IDW that doesn't exist.

[adamwatchesmovies]

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)

Each viewing of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World��reveals new depths to its narrative and humour, making its failure at the box office an even bigger shame. Well, better late than never. Go in for the memorable characters, arresting visual style, humour, and creative story. Come back to catch all the gags you missed. See it a third time to see what this movie is REALLY about.

22-year-old Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) is a slacker musician dating 17-year-old high schooler Knives Chau (Ellen Wong). He's with her because he knows it’ll go nowhere. It's only a matter of time before he dumps her, which will be easy. Enter Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). Promptly ditching Knives for the Amazon delivery girl of his dreams, Scott learns he must defeat her seven evil exes before they can date.

If the plot sounds crazy, it is. Director Edgar Wright (who co-wrote the screenplay with Michael Bacall, based off the comic series by Bryan Lee O’Malley) injects special effects in nearly every scene. References and Easter eggs to video games are everywhere in the form of health meters, bonus points, sound cues, non-sequiturs, and more. You can have a great time with a notepad playing “spot the reference” but it’ll be tough. There are so many and the deluge of gags is one hell of a distraction. It’s an outlandish tale with many characters and to ensure you never forget who’s who, we have a hugely talented cast bringing these quirky people to life. Kieran Culkin as Scott’s gay and very seductive roommate, Chris Evans, Brandon Routh, Jason Schwartzman and more as Ramona’s evil exes, Anna Kendrick as Scott’s disapproving younger sister, Aubrey Plaza, Brie Larson, Alison Pill, Johnny Simmons and Mark Webber as Scott’s friends/bandmates... Every time one of them appears on-screen again, you perk up. What hilarious new line are they going to deliver? It never fails. You always laugh out loud.

This is sort of a “battle of the bands” movie, meaning you get all sorts of musical talents adding extra oomph to the dazzling visuals. The score & soundtrack is another character, another reason to re-watch the film so you can properly see (well, hear) how every note perfectly compliments the characters’ actions and the point we’re at in the story.

While you’re dazzled by the audio and visual, you might overlook one of the most important aspects of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: its theme. Those references to bands and video games? They’re just gravy. The fact is, this movie has a great message. It’s not actually about battling a bunch of crazy enemies in order to get a prize lady. All that’s a metaphor. What this movie is actually about is a slacker, a person you’re not really supposed to like. Scott is lazy and he’s stringing Knives along. Even when it’s obvious he wants to move on to the new hot thing, he takes way too long to admit it. When he does get with “the girl of his dreams”, he takes forever to get over the fact that she has a past, that Ramona broke some hearts and was selfish in her past relationships despite Scott having done the same thing to Knives. The battles he fights are actually against himself. To win Ramona, what he must actually do is learn humility and self-respect. This is what pushes Scott Pilgrim vs. the World from being “merely” good to being great. If you really look at it, you’ll learn something.

I might change my mind about this the next time I view it but right now, the only flaw I’ll bring up is the running time. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World a fast-paced, highly economical movie, which makes seven evil exes A LOT of enemies. The combat actually winds up slowing the film down and I can think of a couple of bad guys who could’ve been removed without losing much. Otherwise, it’s an instant favorite. You’ll want to come back to it over and over thanks to its unmistakable style, the ample creative choices made throughout, the humor and the characters. (On Blu-ray, July 24, 2020)