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leqclerc · 3 years

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Did I have to screenshot the ask and publish the answer as a separate post because it got so unbelievably long?...Maybe

Oh hello, nonny! Nora asks are always appreciated in this house 👉🏻👈🏻 You know what, that’s...actually close enough to the backstory I had in mind?

Basically they discuss adopting a child potentially at some point in the future and sort of agree that they’d probably take a slightly older child (like a toddler) to skip the not-sleeping-through-the-night stage and make it slightly easier on Charles who’d still obviously be racing full-time at that point. Seb signs them up, they get put on the waiting list and then sort of leave it alone, not really expecting anything to happen for the next year or so at least. (Yes, I will have to research adoption procedures for this, shh).

Anyway, a few months later (in like mid to late December, so during the winter break) he gets a call from the agency saying there’s this baby...and if they’d maybe like to meet her. The guy from the agency apologises, saying he knows that they specified that they’re looking to take a slightly older child and not a baby, but no pressure to make a decision or anything. So they get in the car and tentatively head out.

The baby’s like three weeks old and absolutely tiny, the smallest baby Charles has ever seen in his life. She’s been left by an anonymous mother in a baby hatch (I’m not sure how common this is in other countries but it’s definitely a thing where I’m from. The Italian term for it is Culla per la vita I believe. Not that I’m Italian but maybe the agency they’re adopting from is Italian? Basically it’s a place where people can bring babies, usually newborns, and abandon them anonymously in a safe place to be found and cared for.) So...they don’t really know who her mother is. Maybe there’s a note; a handwritten I’m sorry or similar, but no other details. They assume she was young, maybe even a teenager, and didn’t feel like she could give the baby what she needs, but figured that maybe somebody else would. Maybe the baby doesn’t even have a name.

Charles is definitely more reluctant, more uneasy I guess about the whole thing. First of all because it’s happening way sooner than either of them had expected (this was supposed to be like a, “oh maybe one day” thing, not...in a few months) and also because, well...this is a tiny baby. He doesn’t have much experience with kids, and certainly not newborns. Sure, he vaguely remembers his parents caring for Arthur when he was a baby, but he was a toddler at the time so he obviously wasn’t taking much responsibility. Lorenzo never had kids, Arthur...never had kids and in Charles’s mind he’s way too young to even think about that sort of thing. And yeah he’s held his uncle’s baby, like, once (this is...actually true, he posted an IG story about it and oh god my heart melted because imagine him with Nora---but anyway, tangent) but this is obviously way different and if he’s being honest he doesn’t exactly feel prepared or qualified for this.

I think you nailed his initial reaction: fidgety and nervous and at a loss for words. Hell, maybe he’s afraid to even hold her at first, too scared that he’ll do something wrong and hurt her somehow. So Seb has to step up, take the baby in his arms. It’s a bit awkward (again, mostly Charles’s fault) but they spend some time with her anyway. At some point Charles reaches out to very tentatively touch her and...to their surprise, she wraps her tiny hand around his finger and just holds him like that for a moment. They do that thing where they just wordlessly look at each other and suddenly everything is understood. “She shouldn’t be alone for Christmas,” Charles murmurs. The implication is clear.

And yeah, again, the adoption agency people keep reiterating that they shouldn’t feel pressured to adopt the very first child they meet or anything...that they shouldn’t feel pressured to take a newborn baby if they don’t feel ready for this commitment...but they don’t even consider any alternatives at that point. They know. They want her. That’s their daughter. Everything else they’ll figure out along the way.

Again, I don’t know much about the process but I’m sure it involves some paperwork so maybe they can’t take her home that same day. I imagine she gets another medical checkup and they have to sign things and go through with all that before they can officially say she’s theirs. Plus they...don’t own any baby stuff. She doesn’t even have a name. (Which Charles of course has a meltdown over. They need to name a child. She’s going to have that name for the rest of her natural life --- or, well, as Seb teasingly points out, if she really hates it she can legally change it when she turns eighteen. Which freaks Charles out even more because yeah, they’re...really going to have a teenager in the house one day. :panik:)

Anyway. Whether they actually get to take her home for Christmas or if it happens a little bit later (like, in the days between Christmas and New Year’s) I...haven’t decided yet. Christmas would be lovely but maybe a tad bit too sweet and convenient? I don’t know. 😅 Either way, it’s a very eventful winter break for Charles who has to balance not only physical training, simulator work, factory visits and the run-up to winter testing but also parenting a newborn. Good luck, Charlie. ajsdfkdjfg But no, he loves her dearly, even when she’s crying in the middle of the night and re-arranging his entire sleep schedule; even when he’s burning himself while trying to test the temperature of baby formula on his wrist; even when he has to spend three hours straight rocking her to sleep in his arms...It’s all worth it. And if he’s a bit more frazzled and exhausted than usual by the time the circus comes together for winter testing in Barcelona, well... <3

As for why they didn’t opt for a surrogate...One of them would have to contribute (genetically) more than the other, so already that’s a bit...unfair. Also, I think their whole point was, “if we have the means to help a child who doesn’t have a family, shouldn’t we?” It’s only a small thing, but it makes a difference to somebody’s life. And yes there’s the discussion of whether or not it’s fair of them to bring a child into this crazy, very hectic, public life that they chose for themselves but then again...drivers can be fathers. They’ve had plenty of examples of fellow drivers making it work. And Seb had already announced or was about to announce his retirement plans post-Ferrari, so...At least one of them will always be there, providing stability and keeping them away from the limelight, at least until they’re older.

#replies #anonymous #sebchal anon #sebchal asks #headcanon asks #fic asks #nora asks #(jfc the tags)#i can't believe i just..........spoiled the entire backstory in a tumblr ask. but look you asked and i couldn't help myself okay 😅🙏🏻🙈#this will probably make it in the /actual fic/ too - or at least references to past events will be made #but yeah god this ask hit me elsewhere and next thing i knew i was 1000+ words in. wish i was joking. but here we are :dorime:#*nora au intensifies*#long post #like EXTREMELY long post holy fuck

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cafeleningrad · 3 years

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Do you have an opinion on Call Me By Your Name? This anon watched it (by means they cannot talk about, as it was not aviable in cinemas in their country) and enjoyed it deeply. They found it an esthetically pleasing story that hit some of their most id-pleasing tropes. Anon hears some Italian bloggers criticizing its clichedness, and is curious what Lewis thinks.

Hey hey Anon ^^ It's gladdening to hear you had a great summer movie watch! I can't tell you much on the movie as I haven't watched it yet. I read the book when was 16 years old in a pretty remarkable translation, so I can give you a vague connection about things I heard about the movie and what I remember form the book. ;)

The plot has a soft spot in my heart since the writing was a real pleasure to me (tbh, I also read Camus for the style although not enjoying the plot - still, I believe good writing craft becomes more and more scarce, so I believe in giving credit where credit is due). Even if the book was targeted at an older audience, the sentiment of first love, the underlying complications of same-sex attraction came to me in just the right time. From the screenshots and longer movie reviews, the direction of photography and cinematography are just... gorgeous. Even if I imagined things differently when reading, these images speak of a beautiful atmospheric vision understanding how to translate the means of a book into the medium of movies. Say, the images were created by someone having read as well as considered the content of the book, weighing in with all other ideas the creators had for the translation from text to film. The colours and the lighting are balanced in a manner to never tip over into kitsch whereas remaining bright, preserving the glistening colours one perceives in summer. From an Italian perspective, I kinda understand how it's once again a movie of foreigners lavishing around in the touristic Elysian vision of Italy. One sided vision of a country in foreign movies can grow into annoyances, especially the dolce vita fantasy when actually living in the places is no actual Elysian vision. (Sympathetic French understanding when non-French movies frame the country either as Paris = France, or Provence as lavender and sand coloured paradise growing exciting sex god lovers for mid-life crisis New York-divorcées..) On the other hand, the dream-like vision, a heated, ideal summer is kinda the point of biased narration. Dunno, it can be an annoying framing yet none which is fundamentally disturbing the movie's quality.

(small anecdote: A friend of mine who wasn't much into cinema found his entry interest into watching more indie movies with CMBYN because he loved the unusually calm movie making and careful steps towards building up the romantic relationship.)

#Anon #Lewis' ask box management

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sussexnature · 2 years

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The Cottage in the Cottage Garden. Sissinghurst.

November 2021

First off I looked through my archive photos to show the cottage from the outside. These are the best I could find and yet they don’t really picture it to make you much the wiser. When we visit in better weather, this is usually quite a crowded area of the gardens and I do try hard to get snaps without people in them, taking what I can get.

This screenshot is taken from a discontinued Sissinghurst blog and you can see what Crow and I were talking about...how strange is the roofline on our left.

Well, on this visit, after all our years of visiting, we were to find out why. Despite South Cottage being open to public view for a number of years, we’d never seen it open before and actually had assumed it was occupied by staff. Let me recap.

Vita and Harold used various cottages and spaces for different purposes, their teenage sons were billeted over in the Priest’s Cottage (Delos) for example and entertaining was in rooms a little way away by the entrance, but this South Cottage is where Harold often wrote (Vita had her room in the Tower) and where they both slept. It was rebuilt for the Nicholsons from the ruined end of the old and original manor house and that explains both the roof line and the height of the ceilings.

Our look around was rushed due to visitor numbers and social distancing and I didn’t manage to get any photos of Vita’s bedroom this time, but here are the rooms I did get.

An attractive display at the upstairs landing window

The bathroom was fitted out like this at a later stage by family, but there was a bathroom in this location beforehand. There are wide and mellow floorboards and artisan door hardware similar to the work on the landing window seat. The view from the bath, which is on a raised platform, is directly over the cottage garden. The bathroom window is to our left and one of Vita’s bedroom windows to our right in the exterior photos. I like the way they’ve styled the ‘room with a view’ - a book rest and candle holders on the bath rack, but as I type I’m shivering at the thought of bathing in that room.

These photos are a huge disappointment. All the photos are very snatched and taken on my phone but these just didn’t come out - should’ve checked better but we had to move on for other guests. I’ve included them as this is a map of Great Britain and a measuring guide to show distance between two points. I’ve searched on line but not really found anything similar for a better photo, not as yet anyway.

We were admitted to look inside Vita’s bedroom, which has windows looking out to the Cottage Garden and to the Orchard on the other side, but of course, we didn’t get to see the view ourselves as the windows are kept screened. There’s an absolutely enormous fireplace in that room, presumably it was reclaimed from the original hall on this site, or some other architectural salvage operation. Harold’s room next door and down a few stairs is also dual aspect, looking I think to the Orchard and Moat side and then back toward the Tower building. It also has a fireplace, but not nearly as grand. I did take some photos including the ones in my post below of the physical knighthood honour.

The bedcovers in both rooms are absolutely beautiful, they really are embroidered to an exceptionally high standard. I think it’s so noticeable because everything else is so plain, soft furnishing wise I mean.

The rooms are kept at very low level light so as to preserve the colours for as long as possible and protect the fabrics.

As the rooms are presented they’re simply furnished with quality items, much as I expect they would have been back in the day. With a fire roaring and the thick drapes at the windows I imagine they’d have been cosy rooms, much like the downstairs where the front of the cottage is knocked into one large library come sitting room, which looks quite inviting too (no photos sorry) The only other room we went in to was an old scullery type room, which is styled as the Flower Room - a cook prepared all the food and it was eaten elsewhere. Here are the remaining photos from our November visit.

This is one window view that both Harold and Vita had from their bedrooms above. It’s a really lovely spot looking through the edge of the Orchard down to the Moat.

Take a look below at the Honour cabinet in Harold’s room in the post below and for more of my garden photos, the main blog pages can be found HERE on Tumblr. You will also find a tab with other National Trust property home pages if you’d like more information.

#Sissinghurst NationalTrust SouthCottage gardens

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righthererightzao · 6 years

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Zaoka Reviews: Rayman

Platform: PSX Release Date: September 1995 Developed By: UbiSoft Published By: UbiSoft Screenshot Source: https://raymanpc.com/wiki/en/Main_Page

Hey folks, I thought I’d try something a bit new with my blog, alongside my usual content of screenshots, RP write-ups and Asks, and so I’m starting a little review series on the side where I’ll be looking at games both old and new (or in between in the case of the recent remakes that have been coming out!). Figured I’d start with one of my favourites! It’s safe to say that Rayman on the Sony Playstation holds a very special place in my heart, it’s one of the first games I owned on the console next to Crash Bandicoot, and it’s one of the few games next to Final Fantasy IX, Aliens Versus Predator 2 and Alien: Isolation (We’ll get to those soon) that I could happily play each year and not get bored of it. Mind you, it is hard to be bored of something when over time you find yourself being slowly consumed by a fury that knows no bound threatening to rend the controller you hold in your very hands in two when it reaches critical mass! We’ll save that for later though!

When we start of the game we’re given an animated cut-scene in which we are greeted by one of the side characters known as “The Magician” who fills us in on the backstory. We’re told how everything is hunky dory in the world of Rayman thanks to something known as The Great Protoon which keeps everything in balance. Alas this peace is not to last as the main villain of the game, Mr Dark up and steels the Protoon causing a bunch of small folks called the Electoons to scatter across the corners of the world where they are kidnapped by Mr Dark’s minions, and more distressingly, we’re never told what became of the Neutoon. Declaring the need for a hero, we’re then introduced to the titular character as he lazes on a hammock and giving us a casual thumb up!

With our mission clear we can start the game and find ourselves being drawn in by the visuals of the game. The levels are beautifully designed, with each stage baring all kinds of neat little details, such as the dancing flowers and the little mushrooms that pile on top of each other (only to fall down shortly after) in the forest of dreams. Not only that, there is the music, which I think is one of the best parts of the game itself. The music is unforgettable, with a wide range of tones from upbeat and adventurous tunes in the earlier stages which slowly becomes more sombre as you near the end of your adventure, and then there’s the track used in the “Chase” segments of certain levels that used to cause a younger me to panic as soon as I heard the crash of the gong that heralded the impending that was slowly drawing nearer. Then we get to the final stage, the candy chateau, ready for our final showdown with Mr. Dark, and clown music happens.

Moving onto the game play, Rayman is a 2D side scrolling platformer where you traverse a wide variety of levels rescuing tiny little critters called Electoons from captivity while combating a host of freakish enemies under the employ of Mr. Dark, the games main antagonist. When you start off you only have the ability to walk at a brisk pace, jump, climb and make silly faces to scare away these lanky green safari hunter looking dudes. As you progress through the game you are given new abilities by Betilla the Fairy, ranging from a punching attack to launch your enemies into orbit or clear obstacles, to a sprint ability.

As well as rescuing Electoons, you find 1up trophies that grant an extra life and these little blue sparkling gems called ‘Tings’ which each play a musical tune when you pick them up, making it all the more satisfying to pick them up in rapid succession in order to play out their own little melody. Not only that, but collecting 100 tings grants you an extra life, and if you have a certain amount of tings when going through a level you can pay the Magician to take you to a bonus level where you can earn an extra life upon completion.

Alongside various types of enemies, the levels also contain a boat load of hazards to avoid, many of which can result in instant death in the form of rivers (both good old fashioned H20 and in Picture city, Ink), bottomless pits and spike traps. Not only that but walking over certain parts of a level can trigger a “surprise” often signalled by a small twinkling sound. These surprises can be beneficial as a 1up trophy or an Electoon cage. Most of the time it’s a bunch of dudes about to ruin your day.

Raymans movements are also a bit on the slow side, and jumping can be a little bit floaty, with some instances requiring some precision jumping from the player when it comes to how fast some of the platforms can move over the aforementioned instant death traps. Not only that, but is Rayman is hurt by anything he yelps and is pushed back a space which can make any platform over an instant death pit a soul crushing experience when you accidentally clip an enemy, or an environmental hazard only for Rayman to go plummeting to his death. This experience isn’t helped by the track that plays upon any death, which can only be described as the loosing horn from hell and they would have achieved a similar effect by recording Michel Ancel screaming“Y’DONE MESSED UP SON”.

With that I move onto the next point and this tends to be the largest criticism of the game, the difficulty curve, ye gods, the difficulty curve. The difficulty curve can only be summed up thus; The first zone in the game ‘The Dream Forest’ moves at relatively decent pace, with the difficulty increasing steadily but always in a fair way as the game tests the skills you’ve picked up so far, leading you to the first boss of the game, Moskito. Once beaten, you get the ability to swing and also grab faraway objects like 1up trophies from a distance and that allows you to replay the previous levels to get any of the missing Electoons, completing the zone with each level bearing a giant purple smiley face. You feel good! You’re making progress, you’re going to move onto a whole new zone now! Then Band Land happens, and the difficulty curve decides it want’s to explore neighbouring star systems and takes you along for the ride.

With the introduction of slippery slopes and the “surprise” ambushes the game suddenly turns into an obstacle course of outlandish proportions, and can feel unfair at times as it begins to feel more like going through trial and error than anything else, and as both health and the number of continues are limited, this can make each subsequent death all the more frustrating. On top of that the Electoons become increasingly harder to find and every missed Electoon cage means you have to replay the stage til you get all of them otherwise you won’t be able to complete the game, as the final level is gated off until you get every single Electoon Cage. I actually have vivid memories of playing this as a kid and there was one Electoon cage that I just could not find and it almost drove me to tears, and then... I found the cage!... Completely by accident! only to die on my last life and my very last continue. To say I was upset was an understatement, as at the time we couldn’t afford a memory card and had to save my progress through writing down passwords on a diary, said passwords only registering 100% completion on any given level.. so if you miss an Electoon on one level, as soon as you continue via password you have to get every. Single. Electoon cage in that level all over again.

Despite all that, though I never felt like the game was impossible, with each failure I just pushed myself to do better, I wanted to see what new places it would take me to, go up against the new challenges they presented to me, and ultimately it all paid off. I finally got through to the Candy Chateau, and while the fight with Mr. Dark wasn’t what I’d hoped it was for all the effort I had to go through, seeing the end credits with the little “Where are they now” style pictures going by made it worth it. To this day I still think Rayman on the PSX is a great game, despite it’s flaws. Even with Raymans ponderous movement speed, there’s an oddly satisfying flow to the game, and it was really cool seeing how Michel Ancel would then go on to build upon and improved how each level flowed in Rayman: Origins and Rayman: Legends.

I had lost my copy of the game a while ago, but thankfully the game is up on the PS Store under PSOne-Classics going for £3.99 and can be played on the PSP and the PS Vita!

Thanks for reading folks! Hope this will be helpful in some way and folks enjoy it! Is this something you think I should continue doing? Are there any games you’d like me take a look at in future, or maybe share your own thoughts on the game itself, please let me know! Til next time, have fun n’ take care!

#Not Final Fantasy #OOC #Mundy Thoughts #Zaoka Reviews #Rayman

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shirlleycoyle · 3 years

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Parents Must Pay Son $45,000 for Trashing His Eclectic VHS Porn Collection

A man whose parents trashed his massive porn stash will get $30,000 from them to recoup the loss of his collection, as ordered by a judge last week.

U.S. District Judge Paul Maloney in Kalamazoo, Michigan ordered David Werking's parents, Beth and Paul Werking to pay $30,441.54 to their son and more than $14,500 to his attorney in legal fees, according to court records pulled by Motherboard. MLive.com reported on the case last week.

Werking, a 43 year old living in Indiana, won a lawsuit against his Michigan parents in December 2020, but the judge delayed making a ruling on the damages until last week.

According to a series of excruciating emails and the lawsuit, Werking’s parents threw away multiple boxes of pornography and sex toys left behind in their home after they kicked him out. He'd moved back in with them after a divorce and lived there for 10 months, but they'd called the police on him after he allegedly caused a disturbance in their home in August 2017. Two days later, according to emails from his father, they found him on the streets and took him to LOVE Inc, a Christian ministry center. That same day, they found his porn collection and started throwing it out. Werking repeatedly asked his parents for his porn collection back, the emails show.

In December, according to a police investigator's report, Werking’s parents brought him some of his stuff, and he noticed items missing, and they said they destroyed them. Werking claimed that the items totaled $10,000 and the emotional attachment to them would be worth around $30,000. Investigators called his mother, and she said they had asked him not to bring porn into the house.

Emails between Werking and his parents outline years of back-and-forth about Werking's divorce, his inability to find work or an apartment, and their disapproval of his vast porn collection. In one email, his father Paul Werking lists some of the genres he claims to have found in his son's stash, including incest, beastiality, slavery, torture, and rape. "Any civilization that tolerates or promotes these acts will not survive. Any individual that puts this garbage into his mind (whether or not he commits these acts) will also suffer," he wrote in an email to his son in March 2018.

Werking outlined his inventory of thousands of DVDs and VHS tapes in incredible detail in court documents, including titles like Piss N'Fist, Debbie Does Dallas 3, and Big Bad Grannys.

A screenshot of part of Werking's porn inventory. Source: court documents

“It is very difficult to find a price for many of these items. Many titles are unavailable, and when I say unavailable, I mean unavailable ANYWHERE,” Werking wrote on his inventory. “I have had these titles on my wishlist/wantlist for a year with no postings. Think: ‘Not just out of print, but the entire studio making it dissolved, and that was twenty years ago.’ I bought all of these items either in New/Mint or VG+ condition. I played them maybe once or twice because I didn't want them to get scratched or messed up.” The list details thousands of DVDs, VHS tapes, and sex toys.

Particularly valuable pieces, Werking said, were Max Hardcore Extreme School Girls 16 ($100), Older Women Eat Pussy ($100), Muff Divers Delight ($100), Fuck My Ass Please 8 ($100), and the Elegant Angel 1992 classic Snatched to the Future ($100).

His father wrote in an email to Werking in January 2018 that they found 12 moving boxes full of pornography, plus two boxes of sex toys, and threw them all out. The amount was awarded after a Victoria Hartmann, director of the Erotic Heritage Museum near Las Vegas, appraised Werking's inventory.

"Theres plenty of porn on the internet if you want to watch that Dad. Try youporn or xhamster," Werking wrote in a December 2017 email. "Believe me, I know you need it with mom around. I needed it with Mary around. Meanwhile for me there are college girls out there waiting to be made into women." He went on to list everything he left at their house that he wanted back, including "the sex toys, my music cd's, my tambourine, my black comforter, my record player, my wedding rings, 8 8×10 gesso'ed canvases, my art bag, a 'Owner get's Clipped' poster, 1 long container of smutty magazines," and a bunch of PS Vita games, including Rayman Origins and Little Big Planet.

"One other thing was just stupid. Why did you keep so many VHS tapes? Did you just want to get arrested? I mean, who buys VHS tapes now-a-days?" Paul Werking wrote. "Do you even have a tape player? Frankly, David, I did you a big favor by getting rid of all this stuff for you. If you are smart, you will get counselling and give up your porn addiction. However, if you really want to totally ruin what is left of your life, by all means go ahead and sue me."

Parents Must Pay Son $45,000 for Trashing His Eclectic VHS Porn Collection syndicated from https://triviaqaweb.wordpress.com/feed/

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lostsummerdayz · 4 years

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Ratalaika Games releases Syrup and the Ultimate Sweet on console; Announces six more visual novels slated for 2020

There’s nothing that keeps you quite hooked, like a good book!

By Nay Holland

Or in this case, a good novel is enough to push your emotions full throttle!

As mentioned previously, story driven games have always been a mainstay since the text-based games of old. Evolving from the “green text on black background” era of the 80s to 90s, the genre of visual novels were born.

Almost thirty years later, the visual novel genre thrives brighter than it ever has been, especially in the independent scene. With the intent to bring underground titles to the light of consoles, Ratalaika Games showcased a whopping seven titles. All of which will be released within the upcoming months, with one already available by the time you finish reading!

Some are PC classics that are ported to console while others are purely original stories made available for the first time. Nevertheless, the diverse range of titles will guarantee to leave something for someone.

Unless otherwise stated, all games featured here will all be released on the Nintendo Switch, Sony PlayStation 4, Sony Vita, and the Xbox One..

Syrup and the Ultimate Sweet is the first of the seven titles available right now. Originally released by NomnomNami, this is the first time that this game is made available for purchase across multiple platforms. The colorful art and characters all appear aesthetically pleasing, with an in-depth story that’s icing on the cake! PS4/Vita Xbox

Long Live The Queen, developed by Hanako Games, is a visual novel princess building simulator where you take control of Princess Elodie. The goal is to raise her to become the queen of her kingdom, while fending off assailants who would deny her. The game itself was first released in 2012 on PC yet console players can ensure her survival later on in 2020.

Blind Men, developed by Man-Eater Games in 2017, dubs itself as “a parody of spy fiction” according to the original Steam page. It is also a “boys’ love'' centered game, which is great to see as inclusion is always a personal plus in my eyes. This will be one of the earlier releases from Ratalaika Games as this will be released on consoles in April 2020.

A German language option as well as partial voice acting are also planned for the future, providing more content for console players.

Angels with Scaly Wings is another visual novel that was released in 2017 originally. Developed by Radical Phi, this game looks to be a slice-of-life visual novel complete with dragons and an underlining conspiracy theory. These were my first impressions from the trailer alone, but any game involving a cast filled with dragons is a game of interest in my eyes! Expect a release within 2020.

Speaking of “games that include its main cast as a single species,” Quill Game Studios’ A Summer with the Shiba Inu definitely fits the criteria. A visual novel based on dogs! Of the titles announced thus far, this is one of the newer ones as it had a 2019 release on PC.

The premise revolves around Syd, a Shiba Inu who returns to the island of Shiba Inu after ten years. During her return, she uncovers hidden truths, old allies, and other hidden dangers. Expect a 2020 release for all consoles!

Tales of Aravorn: Seasons Of The Wolf, originally released in 2014 by Winter Wolves, is a hybrid visual novel. It is a fantasy based visual novel with RPG elements including turn based battles, word building, and character development via relationships. It reminds me of Long Live The Queen with the emphasis on stat building having a direct effect on the gameplay. The fantasy setting is always a nice touch.

Finally, there’s Jisei: The First Case, or Jisei for short. Developed by sakevisual, out of the games announced, this one is the oldest; A decade old. As such, several improvements were made for this HD release. These improvements include a widescreen display, updated graphics, and overall quality of life changes.

Just looking at the two screenshots for comparison's sake, with the HD remaster on the bottom and the original Steam release on the top, you can see the difference.

The first in a trilogy, this murder mystery aims to reach a widespread audience later in 2020. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the other two games in the series, Kansei and Yousei, be given the same treatment later on down the road.

That about wraps up the Visual Novel showcase! Be sure to follow Ratalaika Games on both their official as well as their new Visual Novel account for more information on these releases and many more throughout the year!

To see the trailers and the showcase in its entirety, check out the video below!

youtube

#ratalaika games #syrup and the ultimate sweet #visual novel showcase #video game #game

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elf-archaeology · 7 years

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How did you get interested in Hakuouki? :3

Hi! Thanks for the question!

I first got interested in Hakuoki 2 years ago when I was in the military. I had been playing the mobile otome games from Voltage for a couple of years and had just discovered Tumblr (this was before I had my own blog). One of the blogs that o followed posted a few screenshots from the Hakuoki mobile app and I immediately fell in love with the art style. I downloaded the app and finished all 6 routes in one weekend (and so began my love for Harada Sanosuke). When I left the army and moved back in with my parents I bought my brother’s old PS3 and Vita to play Stories and Code Realize and Norn9. And my obsession has grown from there. (The release of Harada-hen has increased it exponentially)

#annahakuouki #answered #sarah rambles

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satoshi-mochida · 7 years

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Nippon Ichi Software has released the first details, screenshots, and opening movie for its upcoming “death game adventure” Exile Election for PlayStation 4 and PS Vita.

Get the information below.

■ Introduction

I remembered.

They killed my little sister… they killed Misa.

Because I was hurt. Because I was about to die.

There can be any number of reasons for it.

But I can’t forgive them.

It’s unacceptable.

I will kill them all.

■ Summary

When he came to, he was standing at the entrance of the amusement park.

“…If you don’t do it soon, it will be too late. Look, the monster is right there—.”

Right after that, a monster he has never seen before with a strange voice raided the plaza and began to devour people. The monster’s appetite settled, and after it hurriedly left, there were 12 survivors.

“Like I said earlier, the only humans that were saved are those that are here now. But I cannot allow all everyone here to survive. That said, from this point on the number of people… will be decreased until we have just two people.”

The words that followed were far worse than can be imagined.

“Everyone will choose. Who should survive. So then, who should survive?”

■ Setting

Outside of “Aliceland,” the amusement park where the protagonist and company are based, is a devastated world in every respect.

There are monsters wandering the outside, and since they will undoubtedly kill and eat you if you encounter one, escape is impossible.

The protagonist and company, imprisoned in an amusement park that can be called a last fortress or even paradise, must participate in a death game called “Exile Election,” prepared by a mysterious mechanical doll named Alice, in order to survive.

■ Story Overview

The goal of the protagonist, Kaname Ichijou, is to get revenge on the nine people who exiled his little sister in the very first election.

By sounding out the personalities, connections, pasts, weaknesses, and so on of the nine participants, you will gather information for the election held once every three days.

Deceive your opponents, take advantage of their weaknesses, and pretend to work with those who have mutual interests. Take any means necessary in order to enact your revenge.

The player will be able to freely select which characters to exile during an election.

■ Characters

Kaname Ichijou

Voiced by: Yoshitaka Yamaya

Gender: Male

Age: 17 (high school student)

The protagonist of this story. Misa Ichijou’s older brother, and childhood friend of Ichika Houshi. While he is rational and calm, he uses this game to get revenge on the nine people who “exiled” his little sister. He has synesthesia, so he can recognize sound as color, allowing him to see words that are lies in red.

Misa Ichijou

Voiced by: Marika Kono

Gender: Female

Age: 13 (middle school student)

Kaname Ichijou’s younger sister. A cheerful and energetic mood maker who mediates the relationship between her older brother and Ichika Houshi. She values the stuffed anime doll her older brother bought her when she was little.

Since she was the one chosen in the very first “Exile Election,” she became the prey of monsters and died.

Ichika Houshi

Voiced by: Yurika Endo

Gender: Female

Age: 17 (high school student)

Kaname Ichijou’s childhood friend. She has absolute trust in Kaname, and even in extreme situations, works together in order to fulfill their goal.

Noori

Voiced by: Akira Saito

Gender: Female

Age: Unknown

A pure and innocent little girl who lost her memories. She doesn’t understand human language, and her behavior is also immature. Kaname and Ichika care for and protect her.

Miori Himeno

Voiced by: Nao Shiraki

Gender: Female

Age: 15 (middle school student)

Yuuri Himeno’s older sister. She has a gentle personality, hates hurting others, and does not want to participate in the election. She is the center of her three-person group.

Yuuri Himeno

Voiced by: Natsumi Fujiwara

Gender: Male

Age: 14 (middle school student)

Miori Himeno’s younger brother and Michimune’s best friend. He has a kind heart, just like his older sister, but also considers her advantages and disadvantages. He is the brains of his group.

Michimune Isurugi

Voiced by: Tomoki Inoue

Gender: Male

Age: 14 (middle school student)

Yuuri’s best friend. He has a refreshing personality and a strong desire to protect Yuuri and Miori. He his confident in his physical strength, but it proves to be of little use in the election.

Hakushuu Isumi

Voiced by: Shun’ichi Toki

Gender: Male

Age: 20 (college student)

Aasha and Kaasha’s neighbor. As someone who was once Aasha and Kaasha’s tutor, he still has tremendous admiration for them. He has a chronic illness and always carries a portable pill case containing his medication.

The Tadenomiya Sisters

—Aasha Tadenomiya

Voiced by: Risae Matsuda

Gender: Female

Age: 13 (middle school student)

—Kaasha Tadenomiya

Voiced by: Satsumi Matsuda

Gender: Female

Age: 13 (middle school student)

Twin sisters. They talk in an old fashion and have a sharp mind for their age. While they are obedient towards Hakushuu, they often kicks him around. They show no interest towards the other groups.

Izuki Ayara

Voiced by: Taku Yashiro

Gender: Male

Age: 20 (unemployed)

An outlaw. Someone with repeatedly aggressive behavior against others. He is isolated among the 12 survivors, but doesn’t seem to care.

Issei Ninchouji

Voiced by: Kengo Kawanishi

Gender: Male

Age: 25 (chef)

A young man who works for a restaurant. He has a sociable personality. As the older one of the group, he often takes cooperative action against others.

Shihori Yurizono

Voiced by: Ayaka Imamura

Gender: Female

Age: 21 (college student)

A woman who is always by herself. She indifferent towards other people, shows no desire for the election, and has no attachment to living. She carries around glasses for her bad eyesight, but rarely wears them.

Alice

Voiced by: Hiromi Igarashi

A mysterious mechanical doll who calls itself the administrator of the humans that survived. Its goal is unknown, but it holds an “Exile Election” and enjoys the election’s progress.

■ Theme Song

The theme song of is “Melody and Flower” by Yurika Endo, who plays Ichika Houshi. The single will be released on April 26 for 1,250 yen.

Exile Election is due out for PlayStation 4 and PS Vita in Japan on April 27.

Watch the opening movie below. View the screenshots at the gallery.

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#Exile Election #visual novel #PS4 #PS Vita #Nippon Ichi Software #Gematsu #long post #Don't read the comments

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tomb-of-ash · 7 years

Text

Shantae: Half-Genie Hero (PS4) Review

Guest article by Wing See Li.

Another Day, Another Pirate Infestation

Figure 1: The title screen is accompanied with its theme and the theme song, “Dance Through The Danger”.

There’s nothing like a pirate attack to start the day. That’s a day in the life for the belly-dancing, hair-whipping half-genie, half-human Shantae.

One night, Shantae suddenly wakes up from her deep sleep by a peculiar, blinding bright light shining through the bedroom window of her lighthouse. Curious to know where it’s originated from, she climbs out of the comfort of her bed and exits her home. After running along the long wooden bridge to her uncle’s home, she discovers Uncle Mimic snoring even as he sits in an upright position and the same blinding light emitting from an open trapdoor. She then jumped down, entering a subterranean cavern. While running through the cavern whilst avoiding the bats that were attempting to assault her, an odd voice lures her through it until she finally arrives at the source of the light and the voice. Demanding the voice to reveal itself, it materialises in a form of a white floating sparkle hovering above the mysterious, crystal clear water and it reveal itself as the messenger from the fabled Genie Realm. Before she manages to receive answers from it about her mum, the genies, the Genie Realm and her origins, everything is abruptly enveloped in a white colour, transporting Shantae to the real world. She suddenly sits upright in her bed, taking in everything that happened in her dream. Is there more to the dream than meets the eye or is it a vision foreshadowing the events that are yet to come?

The storyline itself isn’t substantial as per se, Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse, but the gripping, suspenseful, dire and bone-chilling moments, plot twists, in-game jokes, innuendos, adult undertones and the outlandish, hilariously humorous script and dialogue make up for the lack of a deep plot as the story develop. To sum it all up, the game didn’t take itself too seriously. However, the fourth wall-breaking humour and the game taking the mickey out of itself, memes, pop culture references and the internet got in the way of the burning desire to know more about the lore of Shantae’s mum and dad, the genies and the Genie Realm. The aforesaid story is episodic where each level (and character) is comprised of their own mini or sub-plots.

It’s difficult to tell whether Shantae: Half-Genie Hero serves as the fourth instalment of the Shantae series or it’s a reboot/soft reboot. It’s probably both seeing as it’s not a relaunch, a remaster or a remake. It’s released for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Wii U, Xbox One, Steam etc, on both physical and digital versions. Unfortunately, the Risky Beats Edition is only released in America, which leads to my next nitpick that will be explained in the review later. Strange enough, this game comes out on the PlayStation Vita instead of the Nintendo 3DS and New Nintendo 3DS this time. Later on after the initial release, a Risky Beats edition launched for these consoles, which comes with a physical CD soundtrack.

Figure 2: Just like the previous installments, this game does what it does best: break the fourth wall.

Unlike the previous Shantae video games, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is the first Shantae game to be crowd-funded. According to its Kickstarter campaign webpage, $776,084 is pledged to the game and have far exceeded the $400,000 goal thanks to 18,558 backers. Sadly, only $800k is reached, in terms of the stretch goals.

Figure 3: Risky Boots, the bodacious buccaneer, returns as the main antagonist of the Shantae series.

Figure 4: Sky and Wrench (the large bird) acts as the transportation for Shantae.

Sequin Land is divided into seven islands or rather… levels which are known as Scuttle Town Square, Scuttle Town Main Street, Mermaid Falls, Tassle Town, Cape Crustacean, Hypno Baron’s Castle and last but not least, Risky’s Hideout. In this game, Wrench (Sky’s massive bird) acts as an aerial transportation for Shantae and a means for travelling from one island to another.

Before starting the first level, Scuttle Town Main Street, Sky hands Shantae a whistle to summon Wrench whenever she needs to. The fact that the whistle can be used whenever and wherever you want (even in areas for instance, the Tinkerbat Factory) surpasses the Pirate Flare from Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse since the aforesaid Pirate Flare can only be utilised outdoors and it’s not allowed to be used in the dungeons.

Figure 5: Pressing the Touchpad brings up the Subscreen (as mentioned by Sky and the other non-playable characters).

The gameplay at its core plays like a traditional old-school platformer: a 2D side-scrolling platformer with precision in terms of platforming and it’s jam packed with secret collectibles that are hidden from view, which encourages the player to search for them in every nook and cranny at your own pace. Hopping from one platform to another without grabbing on to platform ledges requires accuracy, concentration, eye-coordination and timing. Failure to do so will result in you falling to your death and you losing a tiny fragment of one of your hearts, which resembles your health.

Occasionally, the gameplay change depends on where you are in Sequin Land. The ever-changing gameplay can range from a 2D side-scrolling shooter before arriving at the Tinkerbat Factory to sliding down the diagonal slides outside of the factory in Mermaid Falls and escaping Risky’s Hideout.

Here are the game controls:

· Touchpad – Subscreen/Pause Screen

· Left control stick – Move, choose options or decide on a transformation dance from any set included in the dance menu

· D-Pad – Move, pick options or select a transformation dance from any set included in the dance menu

· Right control stick – Unused

· Square button – Elephant Dash/Charge

· X button and Down – Elephant Stomp

· X button – jump, press the X button twice to double jump in the spider form to stick to underneath the platforms using her spider web, confirm options or fly in the harpy form

· Circle button/R2 – Use weapon/magic/item or transformation capability and cancel option

· L1 or R2 – Cycle through weapons/magic/items

· L2 - Backdash

· Square button – Hairwhip, use transformation ability or speak to non-playable characters

· Down D-Pad/direction – Crouch

· Down D-Pad and Control stick – Crawl

· Options button – Unused

· Share button – Upload video, video clip or screenshot

· PlayStation Logo button – Return to home screen

· Triangle button – Cycle through transformation modes or cancel transformation

Aside from Shantae’s monster whipper (her signature attack), her attacks are utilising magic that are named as Fireball, Triple Fireball and Flamethrower and weapons which are known as Scimitar (a pirate sword that first appeared in Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse), Pike Ball, Super Pike Ball, Storm Puff, Mega Puff and Super Mega Puff. Not to mention, her dancing in order to transform into an array of animals ranging from a monkey to a harpy, each with their own abilities, skills, strengths and weaknesses. In addition to her possessing a large number of animal dance transformations which she’ll take full advantage of at her disposal, there are other novelty dance transformations such as the Blobfish Dance, Gemjug Dance, Dryad Dance, Revive Dance, Super Revive Dance, Obliterate and Warp Dance, some are more useful than others. The Blobfish Dance, Gemjug Dance, Dryad Dance, Revive Dance, Super Revive Dance, Obliterate and Warp Dance are available to buy from a female snake merchant called Tuki who hides in a little purple pot or container.

Speaking of items, if you explore and uncover enough as the game progresses and the story unfolds, you’ll eventually come across the game-breaking collectibles such as the Magical Tiara and the Invincibility bubble. With those combined, practically no one and nothing will touch you (not even lasers) with the exception of bottomless pits, deadly lava and one-hit kill spikes and these aforementioned items will render the game to an easy difficulty.

During the adventure you stumble across relics such as Shampoo, Super Shampoo, Mega Shampoo, Silky Cream, Super Silky Cream, Mega Silky Cream, Red Stone, Green Stone, Magic Bracelet, Bikini Armour, Metronome, Attract, Super Attract, Max Attract, Backdash, Monkey Bullet, Elephant Stomp, Crab Claw, Mouse Bite, Harpy Talon, Bat Sonar, Waterfall Relic, Spider Venom, Mermaid Bubble and so on which can either upgrade your hair and moveset, boost your defence or help you to advance. Thankfully, you can toggle on and off these relics at your own free will if you presume the game is deprived of a sense of challenge.

Besides the relics, you also come upon the whistle, Mega Potion, Roast, Orange, Gator Steak and Monster Egg which make up your inventory. Nearly all of these items are used to replenish your health and your adversaries drop them if you char them to a crisp or make use of a different attack. The quantity of these items you can carry with you is nine at maximum. If I’m short on oranges, I’m inclined to transform into Dryad form to harvest them without having to repetitively revisit Mermaid Falls to ride down the slide.

Along the way you happen upon Heart Holders you can uncover from treasure chests located in the secret areas, through the portals and a female, tall, but blonde, non-playable character you encounter in Scuttle Town Main Square who you have to take on a fetch quest for. Every time you obtain a Heart Holder, your health will increase by one heart. Think of these as Heart Containers from The Legend of Zelda series. If you want a real challenge, refrain yourself from collecting them.

On the subject of dance transformations, these can be acquired after defeating a boss, uncovering them in hidden locations via portals or searching for them in secret areas. Sometimes, animal abilities are found in these locations and just like the transformations, they are locked in treasure chests. Every animal have only one ability and these skills will help Shantae enter areas she couldn’t gain access to previously because she didn’t have the right transformation.

Another shortcoming this game had is there are certain transformation dances that I don’t use frequently. WayForward should’ve gone for the “less is more” approach given that the Crab Dance, Spider Dance, Mouse Dance, Bat Dance, Blobfish Dance, Gemjug Dance and Dryad Dance are redundant. They are either pointless, useless, I almost never bring them into play, a complete waste of my time or they’re cluttering up my dance menu. I appreciate the game developing company for introducing new things or being a tad bit ambitious but I just wish it didn’t bother, otherwise these aforementioned new aptitudes end up unused.

If you’re not exploring, most of the time you’re fighting. The combat is simple and not complicated for novices and veterans alike, in addition to tight and responsive controls. If you mess up, it’s not the game’s fault but it’s rather your fault.

Although, this is not the case when the game throws a few curve balls at me, in terms of the difficulty. There are times when the difficulty catches me off guard and bite me in the rear like for example, when I’m scaling up the Tassle Tower while running for my life from the screen-filling, memory-consuming worm, Wilbur. I ran like my life depended on it! Good gravy… who knows how many times I kept dying which results in me resorting to using profanity. Luckily for me, there are no lives to lose.

Animation and presentation wise, for the first time Shantae, her friends, her enemies and the other non-playable characters are in HD, hand-drawn art. It took me a while to get used to the new art style since I’m used to seeing them in pixels which WayForward is known for but the new art style instantly grew on me. The animation is fluid, streamlined and smooth and how well detailed the animations and the artwork were such as the way Shantae swayed her body and arms on the spot in rhythm to the music if she’s left idle for a while to her feeling exhausted when she’s low on health. It’s the littlest of things such as this makes me appreciate the animation more. It felt like watching a Flash animation, a Saturday morning cartoon or an anime. The old style marries with the modern style incredibly well as both the 2D background and 3D foreground blends beautifully with each other. But if I have to be honest with myself, I actually miss the pixelated art style.

In light of character development, it’s somewhat lacking on account of how some of the characters are portrayed. For instance, Risky Boots is depicted as a stereotypical villain who is heartless, ruthless and selfish as well as completely void of any emotions, remorse and regret and she doesn’t care who she hurts as long as she gets what she wants, even if it means causing mass destruction and ruining people’s lives in the process. Not to mention, she didn’t acknowledge the events that ensued in Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse. It’s like as if she isn’t human. In the third Shantae game, at first she’s unwilling to cooperate with Shantae but as you progress through the game, she begins to open herself up to the former half-genie and enlightens her with her account of her past and spoilers alert! She, Twitch and Vinegar assists Shantae in dealing out the final blows to the Pirate Master during the final showdown.

One of the minor issues I’ve come across is while I’m playing the game, the framerate takes a dive or it stutters sometimes. Normally, it’s not noticeable because I’m so immersed in the game but it occasionally dips whenever lots of things are going on at the same time, all on one screen. Take the side-scrolling shooting section prior to infiltrating the Tinkerbat Factory for instance, while I’m repeatedly launching my Mermaid bubbles at the underwater enemies, sending them to their graves, shooting at the breakable blocks which are obstructing my pathway and temporarily recruiting more starfish creatures to my “swim team”, wave after wave of foes kept entering my line of vision and this is when things start to become frantically crazy. As a result, the framerate decreases as the game couldn’t take any more.

But in between levels, you’re constantly backtracking which is to be expected in a Shantae or a platforming game and you’re embarking on countless fetch quests more than you can shake your belly and bum at. They’re mandatory since you need these items to progress. For example, you come across Twitch and Vinegar (the two girls who work for the Ammo Baron and first appeared in Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse) at Scuttle Town Square and they ask you to revisit the factory in Mermaid Falls to reduce the gators to smouldering ashes before you give the gator steaks to them. In return, they hand you a red-coloured race ticket. It’s kind of like doing a chore unless you don’t mind retracing your steps to the same levels over and over. It’s tricky to estimate the amount of fetch quests you have to undertake but the total might be roughly the same as the total of fetch quests there are in Jak 2: Renegade and Jak 3.

Throughout the game, I’ve noticed this game ditches the dungeons to make way for a linear structure that I find jarring. Thereby, eliminating the Metroidvania genre this game is supposed to be attached to. In nearly every level, you’re going from point A to point B that I’ve seen a lot in modern, bog-standard Mario games. To be honest, it can get very old quickly and this is coming from a person who hates change with a burning passion. At least, Scuttle Town Square serves as the main hub area. At the end of each level there is a boss, which put your platforming and manoeuvring skills to the test in contrast to the repetitive modern Mario games. Each boss have their own weaknesses and weak spots and every battle can be just like puzzles as you figure out how to inflict damage to them.

Similar to the past instalments of the series, Scuttle Town function as the main hub place which contains Uncle Mimic’s workshop, Sky’s Hatchery, a shop, a Bath House, the Art Gallery etc along with the green-hued save guy who this time around doesn’t have his own room or building. Instead, he is spotted at the far left side of the town near the workshop. The workshop is where Mimic lives and work on his groundbreaking inventions and technological devices, Sky’s Hatchery is where Shantae can hitch a ride on Sky’s bird, Wrench, to distant locales, the shop is where the half-genie protagonist can purchase important essentials for her escapade, a Bath House is where she can relax to recover her health and ask the bath house lady for hints and advice, an Art Gallery is where the main heroine can observe a lot of the artwork and concept art that goes into creating the game as well as fanart from the loyal fanbase and the backers of the aforementioned game’s Kickstarter campaign. Conversely, some of the fanart aren’t professionally done and are up to an amateur standard at best but most of them are the cream of the crop. In my opinion, the art gallery reminds me of the Insomniac Museum from the Ratchet & Clank series.

The other differences I’ve spotted are there are slide segments that kind of remind me of the slides from Super Mario 64 (sans the enemies, hazards and obstacles), the options menu is bare-bones in terms of how much content there are to toggle with and the save system is different. The save guy who seems to be fatter than usual tends to appear whenever I enter a new level, after I finish the level, before I confront a boss and after I emerged victorious from a boss fight. Basically, I’ve been prompted every five minutes if I want to save my progress or not which can get annoying and bothersome. It’s like as if the aforesaid save guy is holding my hand. I prefer the old save system from Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse and Shantae: Risky’s Revenge where I can find him in the numerous save rooms in Scuttle Town, the levels and the dungeons. In this day and age, I still find it strange none of the Shantae games feature an auto-save system.

Aside from the savepoints are checkpoints that are littered all over the place in each level in random spots. You’ll know if a spot is a checkpoint if you accidentally freefall into bottomless pits or if you touched one hit-kill spikes and you’ll instantly respawn at the previous checkpoint you went past.

Another nitpick I’d point out is the lack of a map. Without a map, there is little to no direction of where to go or what to do next. When I’m not exploring the levels, the majority of the time I find myself wondering what to do and figuring out where to travel to next which caused me to read the guides on the GameFAQs website, which is something I normally wouldn’t do when I’m playing a Shantae game or a platformer. If you end up reading a guide, then there’s something wrong.

On the subject of the map, whenever you’re at the level selection screen, said map shows which collectibles and animal transformation abilities are in your possession or what you’re missing underneath the name of the chosen area. This is extremely helpful for backtracking to previous levels, fetch quests and completing the game 100%.

It’s hard to believe this video game originated from the Kickstarter website and how far WayForward have come, from the cartoon tie-in games such as American Dragon: Jake Long – Rise of the Huntsclan which is released on Game Boy Advance and American Dragon: Jake Long – Attack of the Dark Dragon which have come out on Nintendo DS to recent video games such as Ducktales Remastered and Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, to name a few. This is definitely a Kickstarter game done right. The game may be successfully funded but it’s a shame not all of the stretch goals were met.

Just like the Ratchet & Clank (2016) and Ratchet & Clank Movie soundtracks, I have mixed feelings with the Shantae: Half-Genie Hero soundtrack. Once again, Jake Kaufman reprises his role as the composer and he really knocked it out of the park! With a soundtrack like this, he could do no wrong! This time around he gives the aforementioned soundtrack a modernized touch in terms of the heart-pounding bass of the beats and how the music sounds overall which keeps me pumped up and motivated to complete the levels or handing the bosses humiliating defeats. Don’t get me wrong, I love listening to the soundtrack but most of it is unmemorable, the majority of the music tracks are nothing to write home about and it falls short compared to the previous Shantae soundtracks such as Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse and Shantae: Risky’s Revenge to be honest. At the end of the day, will you remember the soundtrack of Shantae: Half-Genie Hero in many years to come? Will you be able to hum all or most of the music tracks? In my opinion, I feel this is the game’s lowest point. The reason why I feel this is the weakest soundtrack is most likely Jake have set the bar so high. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have favourite music tracks. Some of my favourites from said soundtrack are, “Dance Through The Danger”, “A Mysterious Fountain”, “Scuttle Town”, “Neo Burning Town”, “Mermaid Falls”, “Tassle Town”, “The Sky Bridge”, “Cape Crustacean” and “Tinkerbat Factory” in no particular order. On the other hand, I still reckon some or most of the music tracks don’t match well with their respective locations. Take the “Tassle Town” music for example, it doesn’t complement well with Tassle Town itself due to the jazziness and funkiness of the music, which are music I normally don’t associate with video game desert locales.

Once again, Cristina Vee made a comeback to provide her voice for Shantae and Risky Boots for the fourth time. Originally, the game would have full English voice acting but alas, it isn’t meant to be when the stretch goal isn’t reached. In spite of this, the game containing some voice work is better than nothing.

I can’t stress this enough (constantly in my mind) but the Shantae series have many things such as a colourful cast of characters and personalities, exciting, exotic locales and rich environments to explore which are exploding with various cultures and well-written, laugh-out-loud dialogues and scripts that the modern Paper Mario games (Paper Mario: Sticker Star and Paper Mario: Colour Splash) clearly lacked these days. Therefore, I jumped ship. In other words, for the first time ever I bought a PlayStation console first before any other video game console. In the past, naturally I buy a Nintendo console first before any other video game console. As sad as it is to say, Nintendo isn’t “wowing” me last year due to the lack of variety when it comes to 2D and 3D platforming games. It’s all well and good to play as Mario or Kirby but what I really want is to play as other platforming mascots. The Shantae series might as well replace the Paper Mario series the way things are going.

Similar to the previous three Shantae games, there are good and bad endings. Your actions determine which kind of ending you’ll unlock. If you strived for 100% completion, you’re most likely obtain the good ending. For example, spoilers alert! If you go out of your way to embark on fetch quests for the previous bosses (Techno Baron, Ammo Baron, Squid Baron and Hypno Baron) you engaged in battle, they’ll each hand over a piece of Risky’s belongings (there are four altogether) in return for the items they requested. When you give Uncle Mimic all of the clues when you return to his workshop, he hands over the Magical Polarizer to you.

By the time I knew about the Shantae series, I’m too late to back the game on Kickstarter. If only I knew about the series earlier, I would’ve backed the abovementioned game in a heartbeat! I still regret not backing this game to this day.

Along with the main storyline mode/campaign is the Shantae Hero Mode where you start the game at the beginning from scratch but your dance transformations remains intact and the level designs, structures and layouts are varied. It’s also usually reserved for speedruns. There isn’t much known about the Risky Boots mode and the other character modes other than Rottytops, Bolo, Sky etc have their own stories, abilities and endings and these aforesaid modes might be paid downloadable content. However, the Risky Boots mode will or might coincide with the main storyline mode and Shantae Hero Mode. Sure, I loathe speedruns but this aforementioned mode and the character modes provide the game with replayability and replay value.

Most arguably my biggest issue or gripe with this game is the fact the physical version of the PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Wii U, Xbox One etc ports are released only in America is inexcusable, unforgivable and a sin. I can’t justify myself importing the game at an expensive price; despite it comes with the soundtrack. There’s more to the world than bloomin’ America, you know. Although the digital version of the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita ports cost £15.99 in the PlayStation Store but that’s nothing compared to how much it costs on the Amazon and Ebay websites. The Risky Beats edition costs £39.95 on the UK Amazon website and £25.90 (and £14.64 postage) on the UK Ebay website for instance. It depends on which price you’re looking at. To make matters worse, if there are downloadable content, I have no choice but to set up another PlayStation Store account on the US PlayStation Store if I imported the Risky Beats edition of the abovementioned game. I hope there will be a UK physical version of the console ports in the future. I still find it exasperatingly irritating I have to resort to importing games from other countries outside of the UK.

As much as I enjoyed playing the game immensely, it didn’t have what it takes to win the coveted “Game of 2016” title or trophy. In fact, my pessimistic criticisms prevented it from topping Ratchet & Clank (2016) as “My Game of 2016”.

As it stands, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is inferior to Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse (which is deemed to be the best of the series) due to the criticisms I outlined earlier. Regarding the series as a whole, I’d reckon Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse tops the list, followed by Shantae: Half-Genie Hero in second place. As for third place, it’s either Shantae: Risky’s Revenge or Shantae. Concerning the soundtracks, it’s Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, Shantae: Risky’s Revenge and finally, Shantae, in ascending order.

Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is a retro-inspired platforming wish come true and a hidden gem among the ever-increasing line-up of platforming video games filled to the brim with nearly everything a platforming game fan ever wanted and it’s a breath of fresh air from the samey Mario and Kirby platforming antics. It introduced newcomers and a new generation of Shantae fans to the series while at the same time it stayed true to its nearly perfected gameplay and formula of what made the Shantae games insanely addictive, bundles and oodles of fun and extremely entertaining in the first place whilst the characters returned to form only to be let down by the slightly underwhelming, forgettable soundtrack, the short length of the game, fairly easy difficulty, the small dips in framerate whenever things become frantic and a ton of action takes up a lot of the screen, the absence of physical PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Xbox One and Wii U copies and the physical Risky Beats edition soundtrack being released in my country and Europe, the price of the game which is £15.99 in the PlayStation Store, the incorrect localisation (British English should’ve been used instead of American English), typos and spelling and grammar mistakes, the lack of a map that result in little to no direction of where to go and what to do next, the non-existence of dungeons, the game-breaking items and the list goes on. Despite the negative criticisms, this game is worth every penny and I never regretted purchasing it from the PlayStation store. Unlike Intelligent Systems, Nintendo, Activision and Toys For Bob, WayForward didn’t stray away from the phrase, “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it”. To end this review on a positive note, I’m delighted to say Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is one of the few reboots that’s not abysmal and doesn’t deter both sides of the Shantae fanbase. Intelligent Systems, Nintendo, Activision, Toys For Bob etc should take notes from WayForward of how not to screw up a winning formula and to stick to the status quo.

By Wing See Li for Tomb of Ash

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Shantae: Half-Genie Hero Kickstarter Webpage

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#wayforward #indie #game #gaming #games #shantae #half-genie hero #developers #indie game developers

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marcus-kay · 5 years

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What is Playstation Plus?

After getting my new PlayStation 4 (PS4), I was wondering if I should subscribe to PlayStation Plus. The thing is, I only play my PlayStation games about once or twice a week, and I don’t play online multiplayer games very often.

Is PlayStation Plus still worth getting? How does PlayStation Plus membership work? What are the PlayStation Plus benefits? Do I even need PlayStation Plus? How much is a PlayStation Plus membership?

To answer these questions, here are what I found and how I came up with my conclusion. If you have the same question, read on to find out your answer!

What is PlayStation Plus?

What are the benefits of PlayStation Plus membership?

How much does PlayStation Plus cost?

PlayStation Plus FAQ

Is PlayStation Plus worth getting?

What is PlayStation Plus?

First things first: what is PlayStation Plus?

PlayStation Plus (PS Plus) is an online subscription service that enhances your existing free PlayStation Network account. It gives you free games, discounts and other perks that help you get the most out of your PlayStation 4. It is also necessary for playing online multiplayer games on PS4.

PS Plus is available to purchase as 1-month, 3-month and 12-month PlayStation Plus memberships in all countries that have access to PlayStation Store.

What are the benefits of PlayStation Plus membership?

You might be wondering: what does a PlayStation Plus membership get you?

PlayStation Plus is a subscription service that gives you these perks:

Play Online Multiplayer games

Get two free PS4 games every month

Access to exclusive discounts

Store game saves in the cloud

Play with your friends using Share Play

Now, let me elaborate on each of these perks below…

1. Play Online Multiplayer games

If you want to play online multiplayer games on your PlayStation 4, you’ll need PlayStation Plus. That’s just how it is. If you try to use the online multiplayer features within a game without subscribing first, you’ll see a message saying you need PS Plus.

Is PlayStation Plus required?

PlayStation Plus isn’t required for playing single-player games, and it isn’t required when playing multiplayer games if everyone playing the game is sitting in front of the same console with a controller. It’s only required for online gaming.

Can you play online without PS Plus?

If you have a PlayStation 3 or PlayStation Vita, PlayStation Plus is NOT required for online multiplayer gaming. You can play online games for free.

Also, PS Plus service isn’t required for using other online features, including media apps like Netflix and YouTube, or the PlayStation 4’s web browser. You can use all these features even without a subscription.

2. Get two free PS4 games every month

Every month, Sony offers several free games to PS Plus subscribers, also known as “Instant Game Collection” games. During the month these games are available, you can choose to “buy” them for free on the PlayStation 4. You can then keep these games in your library, download them and play for free as long as your PS Plus membership is active

PS Plus Update: Starting from March 2019, the free games Sony offers include only two games for the PlayStation 4.

If you don’t redeem the game while it’s free for a month, you don’t get it for free. This means you won’t get any of the previously free games when you subscribe to PlayStation Plus. It also means that, if you don’t download your free games every month, you’ll miss some and won’t get them for free. For gamers who have been members of PS Plus for a long time, they may have a library full of hundreds of games they acquired for free.

PS Plus Tips: You can only download and play the free games in your library while you have an active PlayStation Plus membership (check out this video to see how). If your subscription expires, you won’t be able to play the games. The exceptions are free themes and avatars, which you will continue to have access to, even if you are no longer a subscriber.

If you restart your subscription, you’ll regain access to all those free games you previously acquired and you can play them once again.

You can view the current free games for PS Plus subscribers on Sony’s website, and a list of games Sony has previously given away on Wikipedia. Don’t expect the latest big-budget games on their release date, although you may see them for free several years after their release dates.

3. Access to exclusive discounts

As a PlayStation Plus member, you can get access to exclusive deals and deeper discounts on PlayStation Store sales.

Some of the sales on the PlayStation Store are only available for PlayStation Plus subscribers, i.e., exclusive deals. Other sales offer a higher price for non-subscribers, but a cheaper price for subscribers. In this case, you’ll see two separate prices for an item on the PlayStation Store. The cheaper price is for PlayStation Plus subscribers, while the other price is for non-subscribers.

However, bear in mind that you generally won’t get a discount on big new games as soon as they come out. Discounts are typically available only on older big games, or perhaps newer small indie games.

PS Plus Tips: It gets better: whatever you purchase through these sales is yours to keep, even after your subscription expires.

4. Store game saves in the cloud

With PlayStation Plus, you can upload, store, and download game save files with 100GB of online storage. It means you can upload your saved games to the cloud and transfer them from one PlayStation 4 console to another.

PS Plus Update: Since Feb 2019, Sony increased the cloud storage space from 10GB to 100GB for PS Plus members.

This feature frees up the limited system storage of your console. It also lets you play your precious saved games on a different console without the need to carry a USB drive around.

Your PS4 can also automatically uploads your save games to Sony’s servers, and you can download that save data on another console, or the same console, if you’ve deleted the save games.

PS Plus Tips: Want to know the best part? Enabling both Online Storage and Auto-upload ensures you always have an up-to-date copy of your save games, even if your PlayStation 4 console dies and needs to be repaired or replaced.

5. Play with your friends using Share Play

You can invite your friends to join you in your PlayStation 4 games through Share Play, even they don’t own the same games.

Share Play is essentially the modern day digital equivalent of having a friend come over and sit on your couch to play a game with you. Besides the ability to broadcast your gameplay to a friend or share screenshots, you can also invite a friend to take control of your game or join you in multiplayer even if they don’t own a copy of that particular game.

However, there are some limitations of Share Play:

Friends must also have a PlayStation Plus membership to join a “play a game together” session

Any trophies earned by friends are not retained

Share Play allows only up to 60 minutes per session

A host may only invite one friend per session

Shared games must be available on PlayStation Store in both the host’s and friend’s countries

Games must be multiplayer

Games using PlayStation Camera not supported

How much does PlayStation Plus cost?

You can get a fourteen-day free trial of PlayStation Plus on the PlayStation Store. Some games, and the PlayStation console itself, may also come with a printed PlayStation Plus trial code you can redeem on the Store.

The actual price of the PS Plus membership varies in different PS Store countries. For the US PlayStation Store, for example, a PS Plus membership costs $9.99 per month, $24.99 per 3 months ($8.33 per month), or $59.99 per 12 months ($4.99 per month).

If you know you’ll want PS Plus for a year, the yearly subscription is the best deal. However, you can’t cancel it and get your money back if you change your mind after a few months. That’s the downside.

If you do opt for the free trial, be careful because it will automatically begin charging you for a monthly membership afterward. You may want to cancel the subscription or switch to a yearly membership rather than pay $9.99 per month.

PS Plus Tips: Here’s the deal: you can buy PlayStation Plus cards at a discount from online shopping sites that go on sale, so you don’t really need to pay the full price. Buy from a shop that offers instant email delivery of the membership code, so you don’t need to wait for the shipping of the physical cards.

What’s more, you can stack the PlayStation Plus subscriptions. For example, if your PS Plus membership has only 3 months left, you can buy and activate a 12-month PS Plus card to stack your membership to 15 months. So next time when you see a PS Plus card at a discount, consider buying it and stack up the subscriptions to get the most bang for your buck.

PlayStation Plus FAQ

Do PlayStation Plus free games expire?

Do you get to keep the free PlayStation plus games?

Are PlayStation plus games free forever?

Do you keep games from PlayStation Plus?

Can you get old PlayStation Plus games?

Do you lose your PlayStation Plus games?

Do I get my PlayStation Plus games back?

Do you have to pay for PSN?

Do you get free games with PlayStation Plus?

Does PlayStation Plus give you discounts?

Can you play PlayStation Plus games offline?

Does PlayStation Plus stack?

How do you check if your PlayStation Plus has expired?

Can you cancel a PlayStation Plus membership?

Do you have to buy PlayStation Plus for every account?

Can you have two PS4 on the same account?

Can family members use PlayStation Plus?

Can I have two primary PS4?

Can I use PlayStation Plus in another country?

When did PlayStation Plus launch?

Do PlayStation Plus free games expire?

Once your PlayStation Plus membership expires, all free games and downloadable contents (DLC) obtained will not be accessible until you renew your subscription. Attempting to launch an expired game will pop up a message that says “This content can be used if you renew the license in PlayStation Store”.

So yes, the free games do expire along with your PS Plus membership. However, free avatars and contents you purchased at a discounted PlayStation Plus price are yours to keep.

If your PlayStation Plus membership has expired and you renew it at a later date, the free games and DLC will become available again. They are even re-downloadable, as long as you added the games to your library before.

Also, Sony may close your PS Plus account if you don’t use it for 24 months. In this case, all your games will be gone.

Do you get to keep the free PlayStation plus games?

Once your PlayStation Plus membership ends, all free games and downloadable contents (DLC) you downloaded before as part of the membership, such as Plus Monthly Games, will no longer be available. However, free avatars and contents you purchased at a discounted PlayStation Plus price are yours to keep.

If your PlayStation Plus membership expires and you renew it again, the free games and DLC that you have added to your library through PlayStation Plus will become accessible again.

Are PlayStation plus games free forever?

All free games and downloadable contents (DLC) you downloaded at no cost as part of the PS Plus membership are free forever for you to play, as long as you maintain your PS Plus subscription active.

But here’s the kicker: once your PlayStation Plus membership ends, these contents will become inaccessible. That said, if you renew your PS Plus membership at a later date, you can regain access to the free games and DLC again. They are even re-downloadable, as long as you added the games to your library before.

Do you keep games from PlayStation Plus?

For free games and downloadable contents (DLC) you downloaded at no cost as part of the PS Plus membership, you can keep them as long as you maintain an active PS Plus membership. However, once your PlayStation Plus membership expires, they will not be accessible. You can only regain access by subscribing to the PS Plus membership again.

For the free avatars and game contents you purchased at a discounted PlayStation Plus price, you can keep them even after the PlayStation Plus membership expires.

Can you get old PlayStation Plus games?

This is crazy: if you haven’t redeemed the free Plus Monthly games when they were free, there is no way to retroactively redeem them again. You’ll have to either purchase them or wait until they’re offered for free once more, which is rare.

To avoid losing a free game, simply “purchase” it while it is still free, and it will be added to your library. You don’t even need to actually download the game. Once the games are added to your library, you can download and play them anytime as long as you have an active PS Plus membership.

Do you lose your PlayStation Plus games?

Once your PlayStation Plus membership expired, all free games and downloadable contents (DLC) you’ve redeemed before will not be accessible. So yes, you will lose your PS Plus games. That said, free avatars and contents you purchased at a discounted PlayStation Plus price are yours to keep.

The good news is you can regain access to your free games and DLC in your library by re-subscribing your PS Plus membership. However, Sony may close your PS Plus account if you don’t use it for 24 months. In this case, all your games and DLC will be gone.

Do I get my PlayStation Plus games back?

If you cannot play the free games and DLC because your PS Plus membership has expired, you can regain access to them by renewing your PS Plus membership.

That said, Sony may close your PlayStation Plus account if you don’t use it for 24 months. In this case, all your games and DLC will be gone for good.

Do you have to pay for PSN?

You can create your PlayStation Network (PSN) account for free. With a free PSN account, you can use your PlayStation device to enjoy the entertainment apps, such as YouTube, PlayStation Video, etc. However, some of the apps, such as Netflix, require you to have a separate subscription fee.

Also, you can make purchases from the online PlayStation Store, and see what games your PlayStation Network friends are playing and communicate with them. If you have a PlayStation 3 or PlayStation Vita, your free PSN account also allows you to play online multiplayer gamers too.

However, if you want to play online multiplayer games on PS4, you need a PlayStation Plus membership to do so. PS Plus membership is a paid subscription service that enhances your existing free PlayStation Network account. It gives you free games, discounts and other benefits that help you get the most out of your PS4. Again, it is also required for playing online multiplayer games on PS4.

Do you get free games with PlayStation Plus?

Yes. Every month, Sony offers two free PlayStation 4 games to PS Plus subscribers, also known as “Instant Game Collection” games. During the month these games are available for free, you can choose to “buy” them at no cost on the PlayStation 4. You can then keep these games in your library, download them and play for free as long as your PlayStation Plus membership is active.

However, if you don’t “buy” the game while it’s free for the month, you don’t get it for free afterward.

Does PlayStation Plus give you discounts?

Yes. A PlayStation Plus membership gives you access to exclusive deals and deeper discounts on PlayStation Store sales. Exclusive deals are special sales on the PlayStation Store that are only available for PlayStation Plus subscribers. Besides, there are discount sales that offer a higher price for non-subscribers, but a cheaper price for subscribers.

Can you play PlayStation Plus games offline?

Yes, you can play your PS Plus games without the Internet. Here is how:

Make sure your PS Plus membership is active

Download the games you want to play offline

Activate your PS4 as your primary system using your PS Plus account

You can then play your PS Plus games offline.

Does PlayStation Plus stack?

Yes, you can stack the PlayStation Plus subscription time. For instance, if your current PlayStation Plus membership has 5 months left, and you activate a 12-month PS Plus membership on top of that, your PS Plus membership will be extended to a total of 17 months.

So next time when you see a PS Plus card at a discount, consider buying it and stack up the subscriptions to save for years to come. What’s great about PlayStation Plus is that the membership you buy can be used on a variety of PlayStation consoles too, so if you buy five years, you’ll be able to use your membership on your PS5 / PSV whenever that comes out too.

How do you check if your PlayStation Plus has expired?

Here are the steps:

On the PS4 home screen, press ‘Up’ on the DS4 controller to access the function area.

Select [PlayStation Plus] > [Manage Membership] > [Subscription]. Here you can find information about your current subscription such as the start date, expiry date, and price plan.

If you want to stop your subscription from automatically renewing, select [Turn Off Auto-Renewal] here. After turning off Auto-Renewal, you will still have full access to all your PlayStation Plus benefits until the end of the current subscription period. You can turn auto-renewal back on at any time before the expiry date.

Can you cancel a PlayStation Plus membership?

Yes, here are the steps:

On the PS4 home screen, press ‘Up’ on the DS4 controller to access the function area.

Go to [PlayStation Plus] > [Manage Membership] > [Subscription] and select [Turn Off Auto-Renewal].

Confirm by selecting [Yes].

After turning off Auto-Renewal, you have essentially canceled your subscription. You will still have full access to all your PlayStation Plus benefits until the end of the current subscription period. If you change your mind later on, you can turn auto-renewal back on at any time before the expiry date.

Do you have to buy PlayStation Plus for every account?

You don’t need to buy PS Plus for every account on a single PS4 console. All accounts will enjoy the following PS Plus benefits if at least one of them has an active PS Plus subscription, and that PS4 console is set as the PS Plus account’s “Primary PS4”.

All account users can enjoy the benefits of your PlayStation Plus subscription, including playing online multiplayer games.

All account users can use applications you purchase from PlayStation Store.

All account users can use the themes that you purchase from PlayStation Store.

It gets better: your PS4 system can automatically download content you pre-ordered, or content you’ve purchased on (PlayStation App), and you can connect to your PS4 system via the Internet using Remote Play on another device. Note however that you can activate only one PS4 system as “Primary” per account.

Can you have two PS4 on the same account?

You can’t go online using the same account on both two PS4 consoles at the same time. However, if you want to play an online game with your family and friends using the two consoles respectively, here is a solution:

Make sure you have an active PS Plus subscription, then set one of the consoles as your “Primary PS4”. After that, just sign out.

Ask your friend or family member to sign in this “Primary” console using his/her own account. This account doesn’t need an active PS Plus membership to play online games and access your game contents because you have set this console as “Primary”.

Head to another PS4 console and sign in using your own account with PS Plus membership.

Now both of you can play online games together and enjoy your game contents at the same time.

Can family members use PlayStation Plus?

Yes, you can share your PS Plus benefits to your family members on a single PS4 console. Your family members will enjoy the following PS Plus benefits if you have an active PS Plus subscription, and that PS4 console is set as the PS Plus account’s “Primary PS4”.

By signing in this console, your family members can:

Enjoy the benefits of your PlayStation Plus subscription, including playing online multiplayer games.

Use applications you purchase from the PlayStation Store.

Use the themes that you purchase from the PlayStation Store.

Note however that you can activate only one PS4 console as “Primary” per account.

If you have two PS4 consoles, you can even play online games with your family members using the two consoles respectively.

Here is how:

Make sure you have an active PS Plus subscription, then set one of the consoles as your “Primary PS4”. After that, just sign out.

Ask your family member to sign in this “Primary” console using his/her own account. This account doesn’t need an active PS Plus membership to play online games and access your game contents because you have set this console as “Primary”.

Head to another PS4 console and sign in using your own account with PS Plus membership.

Now both of you can play online games together and enjoy your game contents at the same time.

Can I have two primary PS4?

No, you can only have one primary PS4. If you try to set a second PS4 as your primary system, Sony will ask if you want to change the second PS4 to become your primary PS4 instead.

The console that is set as your primary can be used by multiple users and they can access your contents. You can also play all your contents without having a constant internet connection.

The console that is set up as your secondary system is a bit different. You can only access your contents when you are logged in and your PS4 has to be constantly connected to the internet.

Can I use PlayStation Plus in another country?

Yes, if you move from one country to another, you can still enjoy the PS Plus membership you subscribed in the original country. If you’re wondering you can’t find the way to renew your PS Plus membership in another country once it expires, you can stack your membership to 2 to 3 years in advance before you move by activating a few 12-month PS Plus cards. You can also add some credits to your PlayStation account to avoid the payment method issues in the new country.

Note however that you can’t change the country of your PS Plus membership. If you like the PlayStation Store in the new country, you need to create a new account and subscribe to a separate PS Plus membership in the new country.

When did PlayStation Plus launch?

PlayStation Plus launched for the PS3 in the summer of 2010. Considering that the PS3 online multiplayer was still free, the primary reason to subscribe was the offers of free games, discounts, and other bonuses the service provided.

In fact, PlayStation Plus’s Instant Game Collection was such a smart idea that Microsoft was eventually forced to introduce its own version of the idea to Xbox Live, Games with Gold.

Is PlayStation Plus worth getting?

If you love to play online multiplayer games on PS4, PlayStation Plus is absolutely worth it. In fact, it is the only way to play online multiplayer games on PS4. As in Microsoft’s Xbox Live Gold and Nintendo Switch Online, paying for this feature is now pretty much standard.

As for the monthly free PlayStation 4 games, it sounds quite appealing in the beginning. But here is the kicker: you’re limited to only two games Sony chooses for you. In reality, you may not like the selection at times and chances are you won’t be able to play every one of them.

That said, the money you can save with the exclusive discounts, together with the convenience of the game saves on the cloud, make the PlayStation Plus membership well worth the money, even for someone like me who don’t play multiplayer games very often.

So what’s the bottom line? I’d say PlayStation Plus is worth getting. What do you say? Leave your comments below!

Originally published at https://psn.cards

#psn psplus ps4 playstation

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delightfullykawaiiperfecti-blog1 · 7 years

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Unraveling The Enigma Of Nintendo's Online Boy, Twenty Years Later on

With that in mind, assumingarguendo that this is the NX: This is an excellent move. Share a post or start a discussion about any of Nintendo's terrific history! For additional suggestions, you should head to buy property, where you could check out a lot more terrific articles on the topic. The Wii Remote can also be paired with a variety of shell-like accessories, like steering wheels, phony sports executes and also the Wii Zapper. The main sign to distinguish the Wii from the PS3, which could well provide it the side it should outmatch the superior system in the industry, is its price. Audio books are a poor comparison, It might be an alternative method to experience the story, yet the core stays. That suggests acquiring Pet Crossing on the Switch over might deserve it just for all the extra rewards. As it ends up, the Nintendo Switch seeks to transform not only Nintendo's console experience, however its portable idea on its head. Still, it did not go over well with investors, and Nintendo's stock dropped significantly. Nintendo's console was enhanced by the first-ever home conversion of the video game in 1992, regarding a year after the initial swept via arcades and also began the combating video game fad.

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dubstepkazoo · 7 years

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So I’m playing Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 2, and it’s pretty good, but...

The translation is doing everything in its power to make me stop having fun.

Good god, the translation is bad. So bad, in fact, that I simply cannot view it as professional work.

Now, to his credit, the translator does approach his job from a perspective I can respect. Rather than give a rote “what does the Japanese say” translation, like so many amateur and professional translators do, he instead asks himself this for each line: “What would be the appropriate English for character X to say in situation Y to get Z point across?” The problem is that not only does he do a terrible job of answering this question, he often gets so carried away that he forgets to ask it in the first place.

See, he commits the same mistake he did in the first game: changing the tone of a line/scene or otherwise misrepresenting what the game’s creators intended. He adds humor where it doesn’t belong, changes jokes into meta-jokes (Underling “hitting the spawn cap” for the Killachines, a guard qualifying his youth in “non-anime years”), and pushes a character’s gimmick farther than even the original Japanese did (Red mentions her “wifeys” more often than she should). He even sometimes changes character dialogue to be a lot more sarcastic, incisive, and biting than it should be. In Chapter 2, after they meet the fake Chika and IF expresses her suspicions of her, Compa is supposed to gently rebuke her for judging a new acquaintance based on preconceived notions. Instead, the translator has her scold IF for holding “Chika” up to “[her] own lofty standards.” That’s WAY too cutting of a statement for Compa to make. If it were Kei, I could believe it, but Compa, everyone’s favorite desu girl, would not say something like that. And she certainly didn’t in the Japanese.

Then there’s Nepgear. Poor, sweet Nepgear. What did the translator do to you, you innocent little creature? She got mangled so far beyond belief that I have to completely ignore her translations - only listening to the Japanese voice clips - if I want to retain any ability to like her. As if changing the other characters’ nicknames for her wasn’t enough - IF calls her “Gear” instead of “Nepgear,” Rom calls her “Miss Nepgear” instead of “Nepgear,” Neptune calls her “Nep Jr.” instead of “Nepgear,” and Compa calls her “Ge-Ge” instead of, say, “Geary” - actually, you know what? No!

In what universe does it make sense for Compa to call her freaking “Ge-Ge?” I can only assume that the translator wanted to mimic “Nep-Nep,” but here’s the thing: there’s a reason why the Japanese didn’t do that. Wanna know why? Because it sounds stupid! Even for Compa! Seriously! “Ge-Ge.” Good god. Just- just call her “Geary.” Why are you so afraid of trusting the developers’ judgment?!

So anyway, as if changing the other characters’ nicknames for her wasn’t enough, the translator decided to give her “modern” and “trendy” dialogue. Everyone else has this to some degree too, but you’ll often see Nepgear use words such as “BFF,” words that fell out of common usage over a decade ago. I know this is a port of a Vita game, but come on. These words were dead even long before the original game came out. And even if they weren’t, adding trendy dialogue is not a good thing. The key to making a good character is to make them timeless - identifiable with anyone, no matter how much time has passed since the game came out. Fad language only points out more heavily - both to contemporary and future players - how dated the game is.

Then there’s that other thing. Yeah, you know the one. You know what Nepgear needed, despite the original developers sensibly not doing it? A catchphrase. Oh my goodness! What the goodness? Goodness! This is pushed extremely hard, to the point where every time I see this word put into Nepgear’s mouth (which is multiple times in nearly every Nepgear scene), it’s all I can do not to slam my headphones down in disgust, storm out of my room, and scream. I wish I was exaggerating. I am ACTUALLY overcome by this urge whenever the translator makes this horrible, infuriating decision. What in the name of all that is chicken made the translator decide that this was anything other than the worst idea ever conceived by man?

See, I understand the temptation to emphasize how pure, innocent, and overall angelic Nepgear is. It is her one defining feature. But there’s something far more important than that: making her relatable. Yeah, this goes back to that “timelessness” thing I was just talking about. Nepgear is the player’s window into the world. The player has to be able to connect to her and self-insert in order to be engaged. That way, Nepgear’s hardships become the player’s hardships, and her triumphs become the player’s triumphs. Just look at Link - people get so invested in his games and worlds, and yet not having a defined personality just so happens to be his most iconic character trait. And the protagonist of literally any Pokemon game: they never say a single word, but the player becomes them. You’re not controlling the character - you are the character.

That’s not to say protagonists need to be silent or devoid of personality in order to be self-insertable and relatable. Look at Sora, from Kingdom Hearts: he connected to the player by remaining optimistic and going on a journey to save his friends, a sentiment easy to sympathize with. As such, the player could have a blast exploring fantastical worlds and fighting imaginative enemies on a grand old quest to fight the powers of darkness. Look at Cecil, from Final Fantasy IV: he was struggling with the discrepancy between his own moral values and his prime authority figure’s actions, prompting him to question his allegiances and life choices. That is an incredibly human struggle! As such, not only could the player identify with him, but the player could simultaneously be impressed by the character’s redemption arc. We could simultaneously be the protagonist and watch him - admire the story from both the inside and the outside.

But in this translation, you can do neither. Giving Nepgear a catchphrase, something real people don’t actually have, only serves to distance her from the player. In the Japanese, Nepgear talks like - get this - a normal human being. She doesn’t overuse “goodness.” She doesn’t talk of “BFFs.” She doesn’t refer to boobs as “boobies” (seriously, what is she, a toddler?). She is a normal girl (well, as normal as a goddess can be) feeling the pressure of standing in her sister’s shadow, yet she still ventures out to save the world, despite her insecurities. She’s a brave, optimistic protagonist with a pure heart. Pretty easy to relate to, don’t you think? Well, too bad. You’re not allowed. Get out of her body, you pervert. You have to stand back and watch from afar as she shoots memes and goodnesses down your throat, whether you like it or not. You’ve got some nerve, thinking you’re allowed to be a participant in this adventure, rather than a spectator.

Oh, and it’s not like other characters get a free pass, either. I get that Ram is a child, but it’s silly to have her call everyone “dummy.” I don’t know what children the translator hangs around, but I at least know that none of the children I know (and I’ve worked at a church’s summer camp, so I know quite a few) don’t call anyone and everyone “dummy.” Also, it’s extremely out of character for her to constantly call Rom stupid. Yes, she’s a bossy, self-centered brat, but she does care for Rom in her own way. It’s why she attacked Underling and the protagonist brigade. Her attitude should be “Rom just doesn’t know better,” not “Rom’s an idiot.” There’s a big difference there, and the translator failed to grasp it.

And returning to the fake Chika, Underling was actually not doing a terrible job of acting as her. The only giveaways were her voice, her lack of knowledge, and her decisions. Still, that was enough to make it obvious to the player that we were actually dealing with everyone’s favorite boss battle. But the translation decided to ham it up and make her slip into her normal speech patterns, despite the Japanese version consistently maintaining Chika’s elegant, refined demeanor. This is less of a “how dare you moment” and more of an “oh, come on” moment, though.

And I’m only just at the beginning of Chapter 5 so far, but I see a dismayingly large amount of the word “heavens” in Vert’s dialogue. This is a little more forgivable because she’s a minor character in this game, but- again, come on.

But you know what the saddest part is? I haven’t even scratched the surface of all the translation’s problems. I haven’t even mentioned how “the Hard” characters are now “CFW” characters, joining “CPU,” “HDD,” and “Arfoire” in the list of “what were they smoking” decisions. I haven’t even mentioned the concert at the end of Chapter 2, which was an abomination of otaku culture references, not only displaying a very shallow understanding of otaku culture (despite the Japanese’s clear understanding), but also inserting words like “otaku,” “moe,” and “tsundere” where they didn’t exist before. I haven’t even mentioned how there are several moments where the translator decides he clearly knows better than the developers and just rewrites lines wholesale, with no regard for the tone or concepts that the original line was going for. I’ve even kept screenshots of the truly abominable bastardizations of all that is holy, naming them with the Japanese line to truly showcase the idiocy of this translator - though one of them I simply named “thereisnogod.png” out of pure, utter despair.

All in all, this translation reeks of an incompetent - probably N3 or lower - translator who thinks he’s the smartest person in the room and can do no wrong. He’s a classic example of the Dunning-Kruger Effect (that’s the one, right?). And if I looked through the credits, I could probably find his name. If he’s credited as anyone other than Alan Smithy, then that would mean he’s proud of his job. He looked at the completed game and said, “Yes. I did good.” I mean, despite this list of grievances, there are a FEW well-done moments, but those are the exception, not the rule.

I’ll close this post out with a confession that I don’t know much about the localization industry. Perhaps some of these bad decisions weren’t the translator’s fault. Maybe someone higher up said, “Give Nepgear a catchphrase” or “add more self-referential humor.” Either way, though, someone is to blame, and whoever this decision-maker is, he has displayed a profound lack of understanding not only of what it means to translate, but also of storytelling in general. Because in the original Japanese, this game’s storytelling is a vast improvement on the first game’s - but that’s a post for another time.

#hyperdimension neptunia re;birth 2 #translation

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