#Have some yoshi vehicles!

[littleguysfromretrogames]

-Nintendo Power October 1995-

[burninface]

Hi Face, my video game loving friend!

Do you have any thoughts about the Gallaghers and Milkoviches playing Mario Kart? What do you think their go to characters would be?

Hi Sarah!! Thanks for the ask and omg I finally answered your ask! Sorry for the super delay…>< here I am!!

And yes I always have lots of thoughts about their gaming characters! But I only played mario kart on wii back when I was still in primary school and had played mario kart 8 on my bestie’s switch once or twice, and I don’t know the most of game terms in English, so I watched some videos and checked up wiki for reference. Hope I didn’t get anything wrong😵!

Ok so first, I tend to think that the first mario kart game for milkoviches will be Mario Kart: Super Circuit, cause teen Jaime or Colin would steal a GBA for fun (which was soon pawned by Terry, the younger siblings only got to watch them play). But for the Gallaghers it is more likely to be Mario Kart Wii, when Lip and Ian became teenagers and they got one from some dead people’s house. And of course they’ll play mario kart 8 for family entertainment after season11 hehe

And for their go to characters and in game personalities, here’s my thoughts:

Fiona: I don’t think she was very interested in video games nor she had time to play? But she’d join her siblings occasionally. She usually just picked a random character and played it as a driving game, using items once she got them and just vaguely knew what can they do.

Lip: He is definitely the kind of player who plays to win. And he’s also the only one who will change vehicles depends on the maps and pay attention to the stats of characters and vehicles. He knows a lot of game tricks and shortcuts, and will change his strategy to better counter his siblings (and later mickey, but at the time he would be too busy to deal with parenting and had no time to study the game like he used to do). His favorite character would be Donkey Kong, because he’s kinda meta in both mkw and mk8 (ok, I’m actually not very sure about this). And later for mk8 he liked Waluigi too, for the same reason. And sure, he prefers bikes than karts (his favorite bike is Flame Runner).

Debbie: She didn’t play video games much but different from Fiona, Debs has a gift in gaming. She figured out the best combo of characters and vehicles naturally, and found the playing tricks without playing much. She even won Lip sometimes, but her permanent enemy number one is Carl. Her game skills were better than him, but not her luck on items, especially when she was countering Carl. They keep recording the score between them from mkw to mk8 (it’s really close). Debbie’s favorite characters are Peach and Toadette, after Franny was born, she started to like Baby Daisy too, ‘cause she looks exactly like her baby girl.

Franny: Her favorite character is Dry Bones (She thinks they are cute), Yoshi (just like her uncle) and Inkling Girl (she plays Splatoon too!). And after watching The Super Mario Bros. Movie, she thought Peach is really cool too. Her uncle Mickey suggested she choose Tanooki Mario (raccoon suit Mario) to chase her uncle Ian once, they giggled together the whole game.

Carl: When Carl was younger, he thought Mario Kart was a game about speeding and crashing, so his to go character was Bowser. He liked to crash his siblings’ karts but soon found that he couldn’t touch them if he always fell behind. So, in order to crash more karts, he began to study how to drive faster. Then he found many shortcuts to facilitate him to chase up, and also found the fun of using items to attack others. And his favorite character became Wario and King Boo. Dry Bowser was cool to him, too. Carl’s a lucky player who always got nice items, but his game skill was not that good (he is more like a fps/fighting game player to me). And yes he seems Debbie as his biggest enemy in Mario Kart as well. Carl was also the best Gallagher in the ballon battle mode.

Liam: Liam is the one who always deliberately falls behind at first to get better items and prevent clashes, but suddenly boosts up at the last round and becomes one of the top 3. Just when you see the finish line and think you are winning, Liam will come from behind and silently drive past you. Liam is also the only one who will search for gaming tips as reference (Lip was too proud to do that). He always chooses Toad as character but his favorite one is Shy Guy, sometimes he uses his mii character too. He plays splatoon too!

Ian: idk why but my first impression is Ian will always move his whole body when playing video games, so for mkw, he always keeps tilt controls on while playing games and tilt his upper trunk sharply every time his kart drift. His favorite character is Yoshi, cause the cute dinosaur seems friendly and is easy to play. And later for mk8, he likes to use Villager (‘cause he seems like an Animal Crossing player) and mii with Mickey’s appearance (by pie @gallapiech) too. He knows the common tricks of the game and some of the shortcuts (learned from Lip) by experiences. Somehow Ian was always attacked by others unexpectedly (mainly by Carl and Mickey, sometimes Debbie when they trying to crash the other player, and by everyone when they use items trying to take down another player). His favorite item is Bullet Bill and every time he falls behind, he’ll keep praying for one in low voice (and he’s kinda jealous that Carl always got one). He is also the only one who will slow down a little to safely dodge all the obstacles on the track (that’s how he found that his crush and later his boyfriend and ex and husband looks exactly like a goomba).

It's another story when he plays against with Mickey though. They’ll physically harass each other, and since Mickey will always find him among all the players and use items on him deliberately, Ian has to become more aggressive to fight back. They always got place 11th and 12th in multiplayers game due to it (they still like to compete for the 11th tho, and winning the other one def feels better than be the winner of the game). Not only once Ian said they better play separately but the family love when gallavich play as a duo because that means easy win to them.

Mickey: Mickey’s favorite character would be Wario and Dry Bowser, because duh, he loves being a big bad guy (and Bowser looks a little dumb in his opinion). And later when he found out that Ian isn’t good with raccoon, he liked to use Tanooki Mario too. From all the Gallaghers and Milkoviches, Mickey is the best at using items. He was good at aiming other players, prejudging their movement, as well as calculating when to use boosting items to make the best use of them. He was also good at remembering shortcuts and mastered stealing others’ items (he mastered stealing in Ballon Battle too). But compared to winning the whole game, Mickey was always focusing at winning one people. Just, not letting someone to win is more fun to him.

While playing against Ian, his favorite things to do is waiting for him in front of items and driving sideways to eat all items up when Ian arrives, and bumping into him from time to time (in game and out game). He’ll use all the items on Ian (and he always accidently steps on the banana he set before because he is too focus on his lover). But every time when Lip is in game too, the highest priority will become “not letting Lip win” (and if Ian wins Lip, "that counts my win too ‘cause we are fuckin’ husbands").

Mandy: When Mandy was younger, she’s a Toadette/Daisy player, but later her favorite character had changed to Mario and Luigi (‘cause they are man with big nose?). Mandy’s gaming skills are quite alike to Ian, which makes them a perfect gaming duo. Her favorite item is super star (since all his brothers like to use items on others). She like to use physical harassment while gaming just like all the Milkoviches. Later for mk8, she got her love for Daisy back because she’s comfy to use. She also likes Link (“yeah he’s def the most handsome one”) and Isabelle (she plays Animal Crossing too, but not much as Ian, they often visit each other’s island).

Iggy: Surprisingly, unlike on other things, Iggy really have brain for video games, even Mickey had learned tricks from him. Iggy is the kind of player who can’t explain why he’s this good at the game, but he’s just good. He’s also lucky in game (and he believes the unluckier he was irl the luckier he will be in games), always gets the good items and dodges the attack from others. His to go character must be Waluigi, and he was one of the members who voted Waluigi to appear in the Super Smash Bros. He also loved Rosalina, she’s his first video game crush. But he’s too afraid to let Terry found out he’s using female characters in game so he never played as her back then (and he’s still confused about how’s that ”faggy” if you like a female character so you play as her just to gaib her more screem time). After mk8 came out, his favorite character became to Iggy (“Yo losers, none of you can play as yourself in game except me”).

And a little bonus about Sandy: I think she’s kinda like Debbie, has a gift for Mario Kart but not really interested in this kind of game, and unfortunately, she had never played against with Debbie in games (they didn't have time to). She likes to play fps games better and duos with Mickey sometimes (they play fps irl too lol).

Another bonus: young Milkoviches playing Mario Kart Wii!! (yeah I know mkw was released in 2008. But I just want chibi Milkoviches to play together🥺

Bonus after bonus that kinda digress: while I was writing the answer, Mario Kart Toys were back at McDonald's. I ordered happy meals for the toys and then started to think… Mickey is likely to be one who order happy if the toy in it is really cool to him. But he doesn’t want others to know he orders happy meal (even when he was kid) and he really doesn’t like the milk in it (other things are okay), so he always found another one to order happy meal for him and to steal their coke…

At last… sorry for let you waiting for so long Sarah…! Thanks for the ask again and hope you like the answer<3 I really love to imagine them playing video games🥰

[tsurumiau]

GOLDEN KAMUY x MARIO KART 8 DELUXE

a silly little post about what racer they'd choose if they played mario kart 8 deluxe (+ some headcanons)

SUGIMOTO

he'd 100% choose baby luigi . he thinks luigi is MUCH cooler than mario and he chose him as a baby because he thinks he'll go faster if tiny. he also always chooses the jet bike as the vehicle (what can i say it just looks like it goes very fast)

SHIRAISHI

HE WOULD ABSOLUTELY CHOOSE ROY . i mean look at his sunglasses he's clearly the coolest. shiraishi always gets the WORST items and when he finally gets a mushroom he ends up crashing against a wall or falling off the map

ASIRPA

king boo . she LOVES choosing king boo and screaming BOOOOOO SUGIMOTO IM GONNA EAT YOU when she's behind him (she really does it with everyone but sugimoto is the one who gets scared the most because he genuinely thinks king boo can eat other racers). she just loves feeling like a menace and hitting other racers all the time

OGATA

WHAT CAN I SAY they have the same black void eyes and i think ogata relates to him in a very deep way. ogata SUCKS at drifting but he throws bananas, bombs and green shells like a pro (doesn't matter if the other racer is behind or ahead of him)

TANIGAKI

tanooki mario because inkarmat told him tanooki mario reminds her of him. he always ends up being the last one because he absolutely SUCKS at mario kart

INKARMAT

100000% CAT PEACH . she's matching with tanigaki. she always drives extremely well and therefore ends up being one of the last ones with tanigaki (but theyre in the bottom 3 together)

KOITO

BABY PEACH . he thinks peach is an absolute GIRLBOSS and like sugimoto he thinks she'll go faster as a baby. he can NEVER win against ogata because ogata somehow always has shells or bananas or bombs and throws most of them at koito no matter if he's behind or ahead of ogata

TSUKISHIMA

toad . he didn't really know who to choose but koito INSISTED toad reminded him of toad and he thought choosing toad would be better than choosing the random option. he does NOT know what he's doing and tries to avoid the item boxes because he thinks they're obstacles for some reason. he sometimes ends up going THE OPPOSITE way but still manages to be in 11th place (just because tanigaki is worse)

TSURUMI

this man has his own mii (i made a mii just for him btw) . hes the kinda guy that has studied every object in the game and know how they all work and how to use them to win ... not a menace because hes a violent racer but because he just knows how to play

USHIYAMA

HE'S DEFINITELY DAISY . my man ushiyama chooses the prettiest girl and THAT'S DAISY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i think he's a pretty average mario kart player but sometimes he stops the vehicle because he accidentally pushes the backwards button (his fingers are too big, he thinks someone threw him a mysterious item that somehow stops the vehicle and he doesn't even notice he's the one doing it)

HIJIKATA

he thinks THE GAME gave him the character and he can't change it (he seriously believes he's stuck with mario but no one tells him because they all think he chose mario himself). despite that he's surprisingly good, not because he's a good racer but because he always gets triple red shells and annoys everyone with them

NIKAIDOU

his brother played wario (he will bite ANYONE who tries to pick wario) . he screams WAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH in every jump or gliding part. he goes feral when he gets a superstar and starts hitting all the people he can

KIRORANKE

YOSHI !!!!!!!!!!! ironically he SUCKS at throwing bombs and ends up hitting himself with them (he HATES when they're playing battle mode and it's Bob-omb Blast time). he's VERY bad at first but gets better after playing a few times if you ignore him hitting himself with his own items

WILK

DRY BONES . hes a silly guy and picks the silliest guy !!!! a pretty average player methinks ... definitely laughs at every single person that gets hit with a shell but gets mad when hes the one that gets hit

[seandwalsh]

What do you think that the advertisements in Mario kart indicate for the Mario universe?

I've already talked a little bit about this in my previous post on the lore of the Mario Kart games, but I'd be happy to discuss this specific topic a little more in-depth by going over some highlights of the brands, businesses and sponsors seen throughout the Mario Kart games!

It's likely that given Super Mario Kart was the first tournament, Mario and his friends hadn't amassed enough of a viewership to have sponsors backing the Grand Prix. Mario Kart got its first sponsors in Mario Kart 64 in the form of trackside banners on certain courses.

Most of these sponsors are quite non-specific in what they represent and are associated with a specific character or item, such as Mario Star (Marioro in the Japanese version), Luigi's (Luigip in the Japanese version) or Koopa Air. Mario Star may have originally been a tobacco company, but it appears this has been retconned. Luigi's may have been an oil company, but as of Mario Kart 7 and Mario Kart Tour the sponsor merely represents N64 Luigi Raceway. Koopa Air is likely an airline owned or endorsed by Bowser.

Nintendo is also a sponsor, which is interesting given they also sponsored Mario and Formula 1 in Famicom Grand Prix: F1 Race, as well as the Mario Bros. in Famicom Grand Prix II: 3D Hot Rally before this.

It seems they were advertising the Famicom through sponsoring Mario. Perhaps it was even a "Famicom Racing Team" of sorts.

Mario can also wear his Mechanic Outfit from Famicom Grand Prix II: 3D Hot Rally in Super Mario Odyssey, where we can see the patches on it feature several brands from the Mario Kart series. This outfit also ends up being depicted in the logo of Mario Motors from Mario Kart 8 onwards. This first appeared in Mario Kart Arcade GP, and it's certainly one of my favourites.

Mario Motors appears to be a chain of garages that likely builds or repairs vehicles, as we can see two locations in Mario Kart 8's renditions of Wii U Mario Circuit and GCN Yoshi Circuit. In the GCN Yoshi Circuit location several Standard 8 karts and a Yoshi Bike can be seen in the shop. They appear to use Mushroom Piston engines and Fuzzy Battery batteries, also having a pair of fuel pumps outside. Fuzzy Batteries also produce primary (disposable) batteries, as we see in Yoshi's Crafted World.

Of course, Mario can't have all the fun. Wario had to go and make his own company, Wario Motors, which presumably acts as a rival. Wario Motors seemingly built the trucks with Dash Panel ramps on the back that can be seen in courses like Mario Kart 8's rendition of N64 Toad's Turnpike.

Speaking of Wario, in Mushroom City from Mario Kart: Double Dash!! we can see a store called Wario Pharmacy. Perhaps this is a chain Wario opened after stealing the Megavitamins from Mario in Dr. Mario 64.

Mario Work Gear is another brand from Mario Kart 8 that presumably sells dungarees, gloves, etc. like the ones Mario and Luigi wear. Perhaps this company is even the supplier of the clothing we see Mario and Luigi buy from the various shops throughout the Mario & Luigi series.

There are so many things to say about all of the sponsors in the Mario Kart games, and I've barely scratched the surface here! I'm sure I'll feature them in many more posts in the future. Thank you for your question!

[sabrondabrainrot]

I finished the 87 series as a whole (except the European vacay season like I can't find it anywhere) and want to cry!!! My boys!!! I can't believe it's done!!!

What an awesome show. I might have to rewatch it just to write down more notes and thoughts. ;)

Anyways here's some headcanons about my sweet 87 boys and some show observations:

Hopefully with this people might give the show a chance. It's so delightful and charming. You won't be disappointed.

🐢🧡🐢💜🐢♥️🐢💙

The turtles are all basically 3-4 years old. They make tons of comments about living half their lives in a fish bowl and when Yoshi comes across them they're still babies. When they're shown mutating, they go from baby turtles to the older bipedal forms we know them by.

They're all identical sans their voices. (In the 87 show not only does April have trouble telling them apart at the beginning but so do the animators in every episode)

They all seem to possess super strength and some levels of invulnerability. Donatello in particular had a multiple story brick building dropped on him, which he just walked off. They've all shown varying skills such as bending metal with their bare hands. Raphael as a practical joke in one episode picks up a couch and hurls it at Donatello just to be smartass. Leonardo cuts metal like tinfoil.

They still think of themselves as turtles first and foremost, so they don't refer to each other as brothers. (despite the fact they're totally brothers) and simply address each other as friends. (They're brothers tho we all know the truth 💕)

Something not explained in the opening of the 3rd season, the turtles as babies, before they mutate, are shown with different shell patterns. While it's not obvious which turtle is which it is neat the artists went out of their way to animate each turtle with a unique pattern.

When you watch the show the amount of people and mutants that dislike the turtles is shocking. For a fun kids show made in the late 80's to mid 90's, it's basically a huge allegory to the civil rights movements and you can even take relevance to human rights movements of today.

Despite being so lovable they have only a small circle of friends. Most of those friends at some point have betrayed them too.

The boys have seen two different futures of themselves. (not counting their shared apocalypse nightmares) The first future is where they get old together in a mansion and they're heralded as heroes and everyone likes them. The second future doesn't show them but in the second future it's stated being a mutant is a crime punishable by death and all mutants are criminals regardless of deeds. This is before the red skies studio era of writing. That's before it's supposed to get edgy.

They all are highly intelligent. They can each pilot every vehicle ever present in the show despite none of them having a formal education, license, or understanding of the rules of the road. Michelangelo in particular seems to have a knack for US fighter jets.

In season 7 episode 11, titled "Dirk Savage: Mutant Hunter!" We meet two new mutants named Rahzar and Tokka. They're a gay couple. You don't believe me? Go watch the episode. I'm not pulling your leg. I swear. I promise. It's a good episode go watch it.

Master Splinter calls them his sons. He also calls Carter, his newest student, son occasionally too. It's his term of endearment.

The turtles in this version are known to get sick pretty regularly. (probably because of their still developing immune systems). They always get sick as a group and they totally soak up the pampering.

They in the first season share a 4 stack bunk bed and then after the bunk is destroyed in the season 1 finale they each get their own alcoves which they treat as their own rooms.

I didn't remember which Punk Frog said it, but one of them called Leonard and Michelangelo his Bubba which is a term of endearment for brother. The punk frogs call each other bubba too. So unlike the turtles they were either all frog brothers who mutated together or after mutating they just decided they're brothers and they also adopted the turtles as their brothers too.

Mondo Gecko seems older in this series because of his appearance but he's the same age as the turtles and actually mutated from the same ooze as them on the same day at the same time so he in 87 is like a mix of their brother and cousin? He's related regardless. (We all know the truth in our hearts)

Shredder and Krang act like a married couple who've been married too long and are on the cusp of a divorce but they've been together too long so they just keep tolerating eachother.

They all love the unhinged gross unholy pizza combos. Michaelangelo's stated combos are actually tame compared to some of the things they've eaten. One episode the boys committed to the bit so hard they ate lit candles just to mess with Michelangelo. They get pregnant sardine fudge pizza cravings at midnight. They put cereal on regular pizza for breakfast. They hate vegetables though. They literally gag when Splinter eats sushi. They refuse to eat bugs despite their turtle origins (interesting enough the Punk Frogs don't even like pizza at all first unlike them) but like they will eat out of the garbage. But not fresh handmade sushi.

They're so casual about being in public. Like they have disguises but sometimes they just go out in public as themselves. They also have so many elaborate disguises. In the first episode their first instinct to blend in was to throw on bright neon shoes, various bomber jackets, and start publicly beatboxing and breakdancing.

The turtles get called slurs by Shredder, Bebop, and Rocksteady. The slur in question is "Shellback" . When Donatello makes an evil clone the first thing the clone does is call him that slur. It's so funny like that's yourself. Donatello basically called himself ugly. Why is that so funny.

Shredders go to threat in the show and many other villains go to insult is to straight up threaten to eat them. Like, do none of the villains care about getting salmonella? Why do all the villains want to eat them?

Something I've noticed, they refuse to use nicknames. They only use each other's full names. It makes me wonder why? I theorize it's probably to do with the fact Master Splinter gave them their names and that's the first thing they received? It's not like they're not playful enough to use nicknames.

Despite his fatherly role in their lives, the turtle boys don't call Splinter their father and this is more than likely to do with the fact they see themselves as turtles and know they have turtle parents. (Again we know the truth)

April in this show is an adrenaline junky. She's also a child endangerer. She's helped save the day a lot but she would much rather the world burn so she can film it as her next big scoop.

The boys treat April like their mom in this show. April herself doesn't really get that. In one episode she got poison flowers and thought it was from the boys and went to "let them down gently" because she thought they romantically liked her.

April on multiple occasions reads bed time stories to them. She in one episode read the same bedtime story 4 times just because they liked it that much. She was going to read it a 5th time just for Leonardo.

When Zack, the 5th turtle, was in danger instead of helping him April shouted "What a scoop!" and filmed a child in a death trap.

Splinter believes in wholesome gaslighting in this show. He once cured three of them of permanent balloon-itis with moth balls but made up a story about how it was an ancient mythical legendary cure. Then after they were better he said it was moth balls.

April actually got fired from her job because she wouldn't badmouth the turtles on live television (also for other reasons). She focused on freelance while helping the boys on the side.

April is really bamf. She's actually saved the turtles just as much as they save her.

I just want everyone to know I love these little guys. The turtles are pure little snookie pookie baby bookies. No one knows the amount of space these silly little fictional turtles take up in my heart.

I hope maybe with more word out people might give the 1987 tmnt show a chance. It's really cute and funny. A super enjoyable time. It doesn't deserve the ragging it gets from other shows and fanbases. They're just goobers.

Thanks for reading my ramble list. :)

Also! if there's any fanfic recs please let me know I'm making a list and checking it twice ;)

[pjunicornart]

The Robinsons and Mario Kart Wii

Floating around Tumblr now is the headcanon that the Robinsons are a Nintendo household. I agree! So I'm gonna share something I've had written down in a notebook for a while now: What each Robinson mains in MKWii!

Why MKWii and not MK8? Because MK8 is painfully average and boring. Where's the jank? The standalone mini turbos? The busted stats? THE PROPER INSIDE DRIFT?! Everything in MK8 is balanced and boring. Therefore, no competition. MKWii is chaos, and therefore perfect for a Robinson game night!

Because I'm extra, as well as including their favorite characters to play, I will also include: Preferred vehicle, fav track, and fav OST. Plus a little paragraph of how they play. Listen, MKWii was one of my hyperfixations when I was little. I know this game by the back of my hand. LET'S GET INTO THIS!

Bud - Koopa Troopa: Standard Bike S Fav Track: Koopa Cape Fav OST: Koopa Cape (Pipe) - He's not the best at the game by a long shot, but he'll play it for the grandbaby. At least he gets the chance to play on his favorite track from when Neil would want to play with him back in the day.

Lucille - Toadette: Mini Beast Fav Track: DS Yoshi Falls Fav OST: N64 Sherbet Land - Same point for Bud can be said about Lucille. The Sherbet Land OST reminds her of her first Christmas with Neil.

Fritz/Petunia - Daisy: Wild Wing Fav Track: N64 Mario Raceway Fav OST: No Trophy For You! - Beginner level skills. Fritz plays for fun, but Petunia plays for competition! Daisy reminds him of her.

Laszlo - Baby Luigi: Jet Bubble Fav Track: Coconut Mall Fav OST: Coconut Mall - Intermediate level of skills. He can perform some easy shortcuts, like the Mushroom Gorge and DK Summit gap jumps. He also holds the opinion that Coconut Mall is the GOAT. He's not wrong.

Tallulah - Rosalina: Honeycoupe Fav Track: Moonview Highway Fav OST: Daisy Circuit - Casual player with an intermediate level of skills. She can perform certain shortcuts, she just doesn't because she's not overly competitive... unless she's playing against Laszlo.

Joe - Birdo: Classic Dragster Fav Track: DS Delfino Square Fav OST: DS Peach Gardens - Purely casual player. However, he might secretly get a leg up on you in the race. Why? He's lucky with the item RNG.

Billie - Dry Bones: Tiny Titan Fav Track: Wario's Gold Mine Fav OST: DK Summit - Competitive casual type. She is in it to win most of the time, but she's the type to not really want to improve her skills.

Gaston - Waluigi: Wario Bike Fac Track: GCN Waluigi Stadium Fav OST: GCN Waluigi Stadium - Speed is key for him, and he loves all the tracks where he can go ham and perform a bunch of tricks. Speed is his key, but he doesn't have the knowledge of which character and kart combos will allow him to gain that speed.

Art - Toad: Blue Falcon Fav Track: Rainbow Road Fav OST: Online Boss Theme - Back in MKWii's hay day, he played all of the online content. Like the boss battles and competitive races. It's because of this that he has knowledge of all the tips of the trade.

Carl - Baby Mario: Bullet Bike Fav Track: Mushroom Gorge Fav OST: Block Plaza - Really only plays it when Wilbur wants him to. He's programmed to be a decent challenger. So... not like the CPUs in the game, lol. Even in Mirror Mode, the CPUs are a joke.

Spike/Dmitri - Diddy Kong: Dolphin Dasher Fav Track: Moo Moo Meadows Fav OST: N64 DK's Jungle Parkway - They don't play often, which is why they tend to stick to the easier cups and engine classes.

Wilbur - Bowser Jr.: Sneakster Fav Track: Bowser's Castle Fav OST: Maple Treeway - He's made it his life mission to upstage his father in skill. Good luck to him, because Neil knows the ultra shortcuts and all of the hidden stats.

Franny - Yoshi: Wild Wing Fav Track: GCN Peach Beach Fav OST: Maple Treeway - Keeps it casual when asked. But otherwise? You're going down. Her weakness is the jankiness of the game.

Cornelius - Mario: Mach Bike Fav Track: Rainbow Road Fav OST: Rainbow Road - The master of jank. He can perform ultra shortcuts like the Grumble Volcano rock hop/respawn glitch and the Mushroom Gorge cliff ride. He's beaten every fast staff ghost. He's got the item RNG on lock. He has no respect for the key checkpoints. He knows which bikes to use and what characters are best. He shows no mercy. Side note - The RR OST gives him an eargasm every time with its nods to Super Mario Galaxy (his favorite Mario game).

[pinkcreamypeach]

When Peonia was younger, Queen peach and her celebrated Princess Day, a special day where Princess Day activities could include:

* Dress-up and costume contests

* Tea parties with cake and sandwiches

* Crafts and games like "pin the crown on the princess"

* Storytelling and reading princess themed books

* Watching classic Disney movies about princesses

* Playing with princess-themed dolls and toys

* Having a picnic with a princess-themed menu

* Going on a princess-themed scavenger hunt

* Making and decorating princess crowns

Peach loves her daughter, and it was clear that she had always wanted to become a mother. Even after the birth of her brother Molise, they continued to engage in mother-daughter activities together,often involving Peonia's brother as well. As Peonia grew older, however, their activities shifted to focus more on sports. Peach taught her daughter how to race when she was just 11, which could be considered a little reckless, but it was something that Peonia enjoyed. Enjoying the freedom of being treated like an adult. The ladies would ride bikes together until she hit her preteens, where she learned how to ride a motorcycle as well. While being safe and cautious, she would set up tracks and roads free of any vehicles. Mario and Molise would always watch from the cameras, happy and content.While Mario loved his daughter's adventurous spirit, Molise wanted to try his hand at riding a motorcycle as well. After all, her mother was an experienced rider, and he wanted to be just like her!Despite being only six years old, Molise showed a bossy side that resembled some of his mother's personality. He liked tagging along with Mario and trying to act like a king, even though He was much too young to take on that role.

Molise looked up to his big sister Peonia, admiring her adventurous and Too-Cool for school attitude. The two siblings enjoyed chatting about their interests and would sometimes talk about drama, with Peonia using age-appropriate language so that her brother could understand. Molise created a whole "prince club" and his plan to find a Yoshi to ride and battle random dragons. While Peonia knew that her brother's club was just a harmless game, she couldn't resist teasing him about it. However, Peonia always made sure that her younger brother was safe from any bullying or teasing from others. She loved him deeply and enjoyed being a protective big sister. Molise found her being protective annoying, wanting to be strong like his papa.(Mario)

Annnnddd..that's all I have for today.

@bberetd @maceincognito @peaches2217

[tornrose24]

Doodles of my trip to Universal Studios Hollywood.

-My family and I had to wake up early to get to the park when it opened at 8 AM in order to ride the Mario Kart ride ASAP before the line got too long (For those planning on going, or are waiting for the version in Florida, I would keep this in mind if I were you). It had a couple of issues when we reached Bowser’s castle on the second floor, but it was worth the wait. The ride is a lot of fun, and the best part is Rainbow Road where you truly feel like you are speeding along it.

-Next, I rode the Revenge of the Mummy ride. Unfortunately, I did not know it was an indoor roller coaster and while there were no big drops or loops, I was a ‘bit’ traumatized during and after it. This did not help me in deciding whether or not to ride the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey (I did not, because I was under the wrong impression as to how the ride operates).

-Rode the Transformers ride next. I enjoyed it and was happy to see Bumblebee. However, there’s not much support for your head and neck, which will start hurting if you aren’t careful with how you sit in the vehicle.

-I was lucky enough to ride Mario Kart a second time during the evening and I was better able to take in Bowser’s room, as well as his throne. I’m about 5 feet, two inches, and could easily fit a third of that throne. This made me realize how large Bowser would be compared to a human. Too bad the big guy himself isn’t a meet and greet at the moment, nor can you sit on the throne, but I wouldn’t attempt it if I were you. Speaking of… please don’t cut to the front of the line like some people did. That really sucked.

-I was debating on it, but among the souvenirs I bought, I got a Princess Peach headband for my inner child and wore it for most of my time there. A few others got one too, and I can’t tell you how many people I saw wearing Yoshi or Bowser hats.

-I recommend doing the studio tour at least once. When I came to the Nope set, the lights went crazy like in the film, and for a second I was panicking and trying to remember how to evade the alien. There were some other gems that I won’t mention, but they did have the building with the clock from Back to the Future.

-I sadly was unable to meet most of the characters, because you have to wait 30 minutes in advance before they come out, and then the line is closed off. But I was able to meet Penelope and Jaques of the Toothsome Chocolate Emporium (a steampunk restaurant with great milkshakes that is in both Hollywood and Orlando). It was fun to finally meet with them and they were delighted to know I had the Red Velvet Milkshake. Also, it turns out Penelope isn’t too fond of the Grinch, LOL. (Cute side story-one kid who met the two before me had a Spiderman shirt, and Jaques did the web shooting hand gesture with him.)

[chronologically-challenged]

passing you a microphone. infodump about something you like !!

:0!!!!!! Hi!!!!!! ❤️❤️❤️

My first thought was Super Mario Sunshine so let's go with that.

SMS aka the game that is such a mess but I adore it dearly. 2CPhoenix has an incredible 11 video part series going into extreme detail on every single level of SMS (both worlds and individual levels) and every single little detail they could possibly get their hand on in regarding the game itself.

Super Mario Sunshine is a bit of an inaccessible game. It demands you to get good at the platforming and its camera doesn't help you do that. It's a big vague in how you actually complete it, and its controls aren't immediately intuitive as any other in the series. Also many of the blue coin placements are stupid tbh. You can tell this game had a rushed development Like All The GameCube Era (Melee and Wind Waker also are Like That bc of this).

But once you get past the rough edges, you get one of the most incredible feeling games out there. The movement is fast and fluid, the level design practically begs you to play on every surface of the world's, and yes, the platforming can be difficult especially in the secret levels, but there's a satisfaction in completing these challenges. The blue coins can be stupid but it's so incredibly satisfying planning out routes to collect them as you go through the game. The discovery elements of SMS aren't a big draw for me, but as a collectathon, the blue coins are incredibly flawed but make each level more dynamic. Suddenly empty spaces that had little use are places where you need to platform carefully to get a blue coin. You're suddenly much more aware of the space itself as vehicles to platform on as well. (But why are some of the blue coins only available for certain levels like whhhhyyyyyyyyyy. You have to look up guides for this game you just gotta).

Also spin jump my beloved. They nerfed you so badly in later games but SMS spin jump is one of the most interesting tools they ever made in Mario. It's difficult to master and understand because inherently you have to have good control on the control stick to be able to accurately go the direction you want to go, and if you play for the first time, you're just gonna end up spinning in a random direction. But as a tool, it is your highest jump, with a slow descent so in the middle of the jump you can use it to combo into a hover, letting you gain a huge amount of height and distance simultaneously. It also has a lot of momentum so you can combo a spin jump into a dive to cover distances you otherwise can't over gaps. Every tool that Mario has is useful for SOMETHING. Dives, groundpounds, hover, spins, even sidles. I cannot emphasize enough just how well designed and fluid Mario's movement is in this game. Some folks say otherwise (mostly because it's a little uncanny going from SM64 tbh. Those two games feel just similiar enough for the skills from one to transfer to the other, but offbeat if that makes sense. Jumps a little different, no long jump in SMS, no wall slide in SM64, etc).

This is nothing on just how fun and expressive the world of SMS is. People usually go into it as a positive no matter if it's a criticism or praise video, so I won't go into here. But I adore the Piantas, the Noki, and just the whole landscape is gorgeous and fun to explore. It's such an interesting way to do level design. So much water centric worlds while none of them feel like a water level per say.

Also. The glitches. I need to talk about the glitches. I play with so many glitches and tbh it makes the game more fun. There are some truly stupid parts of the game, and there happen to be a lot of glitches that skip the worst ones. For example, you can skip the casino section entirely if you go above the curtain. You can just spin hover over and grab a piece of invisible geometry to jump over the invisible barrier to the secret level pipe. There's also a secret level where you're intended to take yoshi on what should be a ten minute journey across various boat rides and you can just... clip through a wall and jump across the ocean floor to get to the island instead. It's so good I love it.

This game has so much jank as a product of a rushed development. Some of the lack of polish is bad and some of it leads to interesting design choices that you wouldn't get in a cleaner development. There are glitches in this game that lead to sliding off platforms and not grabbing things you want to, and others that let you accidently cling to the ceiling of the world, store momentum from rockets to jump across the entire map, and skip through tedious elements from the rougher parts of the development.

SMS is one of those games that you have to know the quirks of it to love and even then, even in my irl friend group who are fighting/platformer nerds, it's devisive to say the least. But I've 100%'d this game 8 times in my life. It's my comfort game. I love it dearly.

I could go on but Ill leave it there!!! Thank you for giving me the opportunity to talk about my fave game ❤️❤️❤️

[thetreestumptherapist]

Halo Characters and what they would play in MarioKart 8 Deluxe: Post 1 - Original Trilogy Characters

I feel like Johnson would pick Mario because it's the classic character and he seems like the person to pick a classic because it reminds him of the good old days. He could also pick Waluigi, Bowser, or one of the Kongs (Funky has my vote as Johnson's Kong)

Lord Hood would probably pick Luigi or a Kong because he's buddying up with Johnson. Hood is also saying that the older Mariokarts were the best Mariokarts (but he's playing this one because it's here and everyone else is playing it and he's not about to sit out on the shenanigans). Hood might also pick King Boo. Idk

Miranda Keyes. I don't know. She might pick Peach, or Daisy maybe. I'm really, not sure. I haven't given her much consideration on this topic.

Chief could go a number of directions. He could pick Mario, because he also likes the classics and thinks they deserve respect, he could pick Peach because she's the princess and reminds him of his princess (cortana), he could also pick classic Link because Link is also a loyal soldier with strong morals. (And they both wear green) However, Chief is honestly very likely to go a strictly tactical advantage route and pick his character and vehicle according to what would be the best strategic move. Unless that is too likely to give him an automatic win over his friends and he doesn't want to make it unfair, in which case all of the characters mentioned above still apply.

Cortana, I genuinely think she would pick classic link because he reminds her of chief. Either that or Peach or light blue yoshi maybe. She could also go a strategic route because of the computer brain but I don't think she would because she is honestly more capable of stepping back from that way of thinking than Chief is and can realize that this is purely for fun and she actually has a lot of emotions for an AI so would be able to pick the character she is most fond of.

Thel is either picking a Yoshi or BOTW link. Again, because Link is a respectable and honorable soldier. (And they both wear blue/silver)

I am nearly 100% positive Rtas is picking white Yoshi. They just feel like they would go together. He could also pick Link. Same reasons Thel would.

Tartarus is either picking a Kong (excluding Diddy) because they are big and strong and he feels powerful in doing so, or he's picking metal Mario because that one looks cool and would be really heavy, again, he would feel powerful in doing so. He is also likely to pick a Bowser. Also, Tartarus has severe anger issues and will probably smash a controller and go into a rage where Chief and Rtas, who have had enough of this guy and are ready for some violence towards him, try to knock him out and Johnson and Thel just tranquilize him and get it over with because they have had experience with this situation and are also tired of it but don't feel like fighting him. Two of these four (idk if it's Chief/Thel, Chief/Rtas, or Rtas/Thel) then drag Tartarus to his room and maybe even lock him in there.

Thank you for coming to my ted talk.

[csolarstorm]

Impressions: The Super Mario Bros Movie

That movie was %300 pure, liquid Super Mario straight into my veins. It was truly the movie version of playing a Super Mario game. No, it was like playing five Super Mario games at once. You couldn't go thirty seconds without a new game reference! And yet...it works! The references make this feel like a universe with other games in every direction waiting to be explored!

That is, if you've played a Super Mario game or two. That was definitely an issue for some reviewers people.

If you aren't familiar with the Mario games, then...hopefully you like cute, funny characters? Sure this movie isn't for everyone, but I feel like that should have been obvious based on the title.

Illumination was (surprisingly) a good choice for this movie. You know, as a writer, I appreciate deep, thematically rich stories. But when I think of what I want in a "Super Mario Bros" movie, I basically want to see all my toys accurately portrayed on the big screen.

Basically, I wanted to see the Super Mario manga, or a version of the Super Mario Bros Super Show that is more faithful to the actual games. And I'm lucky that the crew shared my vision!

I love how no detail in this movie is arbitrary. And if I sit here and list them all, it would take hours. They even went out of their way to include every baby version of the main characters in flashbacks - except for Baby Bowser of course, but that one makes more sense for a sequel centered around a certain post-credits "Easter Egg"...

Oh, and no baby Donkey Kong. Every baby human main character, I guess. If Peach turns out to be human. They kind of gave her some of Rosalina's backstory by having her be raised by Toads, which is smart. Presumably whatever species Rosalina turns out to be, Peach will probably be too.

This does nothing to explain Peachette though.

If there's one plot detail I think is up for grabs to criticize, it's Mario's decision to guide the Bomber Bill into the home pipe to Brooklyn. Maybe his line of thought was that it would just explode in the ethereal world between pipes, but why would he risk breaking his only way home or bringing the chaos into his own world?

Then there's the dog. I get it, they wanted a scene where Mario and Luigi are plumbing and everything goes wrong. But why does it feel like an entire pre-movie cartoon short? The dog doesn't need to lunge at them more than once. I kept thinking, "just get to the Mushroom Kingdom already!"

By far the weirdest thing about the movie was the decision to make Mario Kart into a Donkey Kong thing. And I'm kind of surprised Miyamoto was okay with this. They portrayed Donkey Kong Country perfectly...aside from making it some sort of go carting paradise where every ape owns their own vehicle.

Of course, minecarts have long been a staple of Donkey Kong, but go carts are more about...well, Donkey Kong Racing. It fits so well, but it feels so weird. And that's why it's perfect for Donkey Kong.

Except for the fact that Funky Kong should have been the one to meet Peach and Mario at the door, not some no-name Kong who also wears sunglasses. How dare they. I'm not even a Funky Kong fan and even I know they that messed that one up.

This movie was a blast. The theater clapped at the end and it's been weeks since the movie came out. People couldn't stop talking about it after the movie. Someone shouted to stay put for the after-credits Yoshi scene. The energy in the theater was really positive. It was a nice, funny, video gamey, family cartoon. That's exactly what I expected, and I'm so happy it proved me right.

There are a lot more thoughts I have about the movie, so much that I was paralyzed by the task of writing all of them and posting them to the point I waited weeks to even finish up this review and post it. So here's the minimum of what I wanted to say. And also,

Congrats, Super Mario, for reaching number one in a whole new industry. It's about time.

[koopzilla]

CHARACTER INFO SHEET — ;

Tagged by: @skxrbrand

Tagging: @pvachypessa, @garlculean, @gerudospiriit, @championofdarkland, @bxtonpxss, @timid-plumber

NAME: Bowser Koopa

NAME MEANING: a large container or vehicle supplying fuel for aircraft or other vehicles, or water (a big shell)

ALIAS(ES): King Koopa, Great Demon King, His Ruthlessness.

ETHNICITY: Koopa

THREE HEADCANONS YOU’VE NEVER TOLD ANYONE: 

Whilst Strikers comes close for being an excuse to hit people, his favorite sport of the bunch is golf. It's a perfect excuse to have some solo time with Junior or Peach.

Bowser is a bit more of an introvert than his volume lets on. This is especially true when delving into his real feelings. He values his alone time.

Despite being proud of Junior, Bowser is going to cling to his throne until he physically cannot.

THREE THINGS YOUR CHARACTER LIKES DOING IN THEIR FREE TIME:

Indulge in creature comforts. Bowser is simple: eat, reap, sleep, repeat. Glutting and putting his feet up are his favorite rest activities.

Monster Handling. He has a special interest in the fiercest fauna and flora. Training/Playing with chomps and piranha plants was his childhood pastime.

Arts. On his own, he'll write in his diary, create music, and even attempt poetry. If asked about it, he'll immediately deny it.

EIGHT SIX PEOPLE YOUR CHARACTER LIKES/LOVES: 

Bowser loves himself truly and absolutely.

Everyone else gets... a sort of altered selfish version of love, but he does care for Princess Peach and Bowser Jr. more than anyone else. Kamek is a father to him.

TWO THINGS YOUR CHARACTER REGRETS:

Not riding a Yoshi before he got too big.

Eating a Giga-Carrot.

TWO PHOBIAS YOUR CHARACTER HAS:

Don't think Bowser has any true phobia, but there are things that can pull a reaction out of him.

Clowns

Mortality

[demonfox38]

Completed - Star Fox 64

(Okay, so this should probably read, "Completed So Many Times I Lost Count - Star Fox 64." I'm trying to keep this title from being too obnoxious.)

"Star Fox 64" is not the best game I have ever played. It is, however, the most important one.

I know. That's a loaded gun of a sentiment. I've fallen in love with many games in my life, after all. "Tales of Symphonia," "Castlevania: Symphony of the Night," "Castlevania"'s Sorrow arc, the "Left 4 Dead" games, several "Smash Bros." titles, "Team Fortress 2"… I could make quite the list. What, in thirty-some years of playing video games, makes me say that "Star Fox 64" is the most important game that I have ever played? It's meme anthros acting out a melodramatic space opera, after all. Not exactly high art.

To put it simply? Becoming competent with it founded the bedrock for my ego.

Look. You're not gonna get my reverence for this game until you get me. Which, maybe you already do if you've been following me for a while. I know it's crass to make an autobiography out of a game evaluation, but for once, I'm feeling open about talking about myself as a person. So, if you're willing to indulge me, hang on for a few paragraphs. If not, CTRL+F or keep scrolling until you see ""Star Fox 64" is."

So, if you've read previous evaluations, you might know that "Super Mario Bros." convinced me that I would not be good at video games after a brief accident involving a timeout and my father being absent. Okay. A four-year-old will come to certain conclusions. It happens. Now, throw that kid into an education system that judges it to be intelligent. Like, not a hyper genius, but someone worth cultivating in talented and gifted classes. Someone whose entire identity becomes convinced that their grades were their sole source of value. Someone who cannot tolerate their own mistakes.

They don't take risks. They don't try something again if they turn out to be bad at it. They ignore it and go do something else.

Dominos were stacked. The 90s closed out. "Pokémon" became a thing. For the first time in almost a decade, my family got not one, but two new consoles. Naturally, a Game Boy Color and a Nintendo 64. "Pokémon" was played. Then, "Super Smash Bros." That brilliant goddamn masterpiece in marketing and child manipulation. The reason copies of "Earthbound" sell for $300 USD.

You know what you do with fighting games. You scroll through the characters, learning about this one and that one, trying to find the one that resonates with you the best. Yeah, I know about Mario. Donkey Kong's familiar, too. Who's this green guy? Link? Weird name. Who's the robot? Oh, it's a lady? Cool! Seems like her games are on the NES and SNES. But, the rental stores don't have NES games anymore, and I don't have an SNES, so I guess I'm out of luck. Yoshi? Eh. Kirby? Weird.

Fox?

Oh. Yeah, this guy! Air combos like nobody's business. He's got a team named Star Fox, huh? Kind of narcissistic, isn't it? But, it's his dead dad's team? And he's trying to earn his teammates' trust? He seems interesting. Why haven't I heard of him before? I'm out of luck with "Star Fox" being on the SNES, but "Star Fox 64"…maybe my local rental shop has that.

They did. And guess what?

I absolutely sucked at it!

But, only for a little while…

"Star Fox 64" is a rail shooter / vehicle driving simulator released for the Nintendo 64, as the name implies. It is part "Star Fox" remake, part reanimation of the scrapped (and super later released) "Star Fox 2." Its primary focus is on high-speed firefights, coupled with free-range dogfighting in its so-called All Range Mode. Depending on the player's capabilities in target neutralization, navigation, and team maintenance, they may take a myriad of paths through the Lylat System, all of which culminate in a final battle with the wicked Dr. Andross. Heavy, heavy emphasis on the a in "a final battle." Even that is split based on your skill.

While obviously not the first game in the series, "Star Fox 64" is a mold setter when it comes to overall series behavior and game lore. It introduces numerous reoccurring cast members, including Fox's father James McCloud (previously just Fox Sr. if you were reading the "Nintendo Power" comics, which, don't), team friends Bill Grey and Katt Monroe, and the rival troop Star Wolf. Voice acting and line refinement brings out a sheen of personality that remains fresh, even decades past the game's recording. Additionally, gameplay enhancements are granted for protecting each member of team Star Fox, increasing the incentive to keeping your team healthy and whole. It even grants two new vehicles to the player's available armada—a tank (the Landmaster, later a meme in its own right), and a submarine (the Blue Marine, which…okay, it's less memetic, but goddamnit. It's still better than "Zero"'s Gyrowing.)  

Hmm. Nintendo got away with calling an aerial combat game "Star Fox Zero," and yet, they ended up censoring Andross' name from its Japanese variant of Andorf. I suppose me not needing to provide a link to explain the latter makes that choice a little more obvious.

You know how some people are freaks for physics of "Sonic the Hedgehog" games and get annoyed when Sonic doesn't operate in a precise manner? I get that exact impulse, but for "Star Fox 64"'s Arwing controls. That Arwing is my favorite machine of any game I have ever played. The offensive and defensive capabilities of it are absolutely mad. Stackable lasers, a sticky homing charge, bombs, barrel rolling—you can hit all functions at once to become a searing, rotating wheel of death. Threading while tipped 90 degrees onto the vehicle's side is a dream, too. The only detail I find lacking is with the boost meter, and even then, it is only because I got used to the length of "Star Fox Zero"'s meter. The Arwing is a good ship. A great ship. The ship I would slap a bumper sticker on my car for. It would truly be "my other car" in a "my other car is" sentiment.

Am I as deliriously passionate about the other vehicles in the game? Not as much. But, I do think the Blue Marine is fun, if slow. I'm a little clunkier with this game's Landmaster, but certainly, not incapable with it. After all, any tank with the ability to hover is going to win a few points in mobility.

Please, remember—I did not start out grand at any of these vehicles. Just because you have access to all of these capabilities doesn't mean you will get how to use them right out of the gate. This game will use any crack in your defenses to smash you to pieces. Fields of enemies will turn your screen into a cascade of red laser fire. Massive obstacles will take up 95% of your play space, and you will have to find a way to maneuver around them before they tear the wings right off of you. Even peeling bosses open may put you at greater risk. I mean, you've gotta do it, but it's important to know just how fast that boss will try to fry your ass once you do. It's definitely a case of being forewarned and forearmed.

Despite being violently antagonistic about your progress, the game also gives you avenues for aid. But, that entirely depends on how much help you're giving your teammates. Keeping Slippy in combat grants you analysis of a boss machine's shields, which lets you know how much life they have left. Peppy throws hints not only for level navigation, but for targeting enemy weak points. Falco…well, his selling point is initially that he helps you get into the harder route (and the true ending) of the game. But, honestly? Are you seriously going to let sarcastic, tsundere Falco Lombardi bite a bullet and miss out on his banter with other cast members? Is your heart that cold?

I don't think this game gets enough credit for its English dubbing. "But, D.F.," you might be thinking, "Isn't it schlocky as hell?" Absolutely. It is 100% a bastard sibling to works like the original "Resident Evil" games and the first "Castlevania: Symphony of the Night" dubbing. Every actor here is leaning into the cartoony nature of the work and selling it for all they've got. It is appropriate. It is a treat. It is 12 years before Rick May (Peppy's voice actor) would honor us again with the "Meet the Soldier" monologue. Bless that man's memory a thousand times over for everything he did for the Internet and this game, along with the rest of the present cast. I'm so glad Nintendo of America's gone back to picking up as much of them as they can for modern releases. Absolute gemstones in a Burger King kid's crown.

Look. I've played through the Japanese dub of "Star Fox 64" a few times. It sounds very straight-laced. Trust me when I say you want that sloppy cheese of the English voice acting all over this pizza. It adds to the texture.

For me, the game's weakest point is its music. Not that it is necessarily bad, mind you. It just doesn't have the same drive that the original "Star Fox" or subsequent "Star Fox" games have. It's very checked, which fights with a level's pace, on occasion. When the soundtrack is at its best, it tends to be on eerier themes. Particular pieces of value here include:

Title Screen (particularly after the opening flourish)

Map

Aquas

Zoness

Warp (very X-Files)

Boss B

Hopefully, this gives you a basic understanding of this game's composition. Let me tie it back into why it was critically influential to me and why I'm still willing to mark out for it so many years later.

My first run in the game? I completely wiped out on Fortuna. Absolute Game Over. For those reviewing the map and game rules, that's three lives lost by Level 3 of the lowest difficulty route. 3/7ths progress, and dead. Would this be good for a newbie? I had no idea. There was no one reviewing my footage, keeping my score, telling me that I sucked or that I had to get good. It just was what it was in my own mind's eye.

Herein is where the wonderful composition of this game recompiled me.

Despite the game's difficulty, its chattiness brought me back. It had two primary actors—Peppy and Slippy—that were quick to point out my progress on handling tough enemies and difficult terrain. Even while kicking my ass, this game was trying to teach me. For the first time, I was comfortable with screwing up. I could measure my progress and gauge what I was doing right and wrong. Every failure was a closer reach to success. Dying at Sector X. Wiping out at Titania. Then, finally, hitting the credits, and ah shit!Having to learn the harder levels to get to the real ending!

And then, I did it.

I did it a lot.

I did it so hard that now, when I boot the game up after years of letting it sit cold, it's not a matter of success or failure. It's a gamble on how hard I am going to succeed.

Am I the best at this game? Obviously not. You don't see my name on leaderboards on some score attack site, do you? But, I am consistently, reliably good at this game. "Star Fox 64" was the first thing in my life where I went from trash to treasure because I fought for that skill. I had blood in my nose and scabs in my throat, and I still wanted mastery of this game. (Okay, the bodily wounds may have had more to do with a joint tonsillectomy and adenoid removal, but you get the picture, right?)

Why? Why was this game so worth my time and effort?

Well, it could always be backwash from being raised in a second-wave feminist environment, having to prove my worth through violence (or, at the least, masculine activities.) But, if not that? God, man. Why do some people rescue beautiful princesses? Why do others plant fictional farms and build dollhouses? Can't we have the real thing? Sometimes, the answer is no. And, no. I can't go to faraway galaxies and get in dogfights. I can't pilot a plane. I'd get sick! I struggle to make friends, and God knows I can't make my parents happy. But just for an hour at a time, I can have a world where I can meet its needs and it mine, even as it's burning to the ground.

This is the game where I fell in love with video games.

And man, that scares the hell out of me!

You get it, right? Things that you love can hold incredible power over you. Things that you love open you up to derision from others. Even on this obsessive fandom hell site, I still hesitate to talk about the things that I love, particularly when it comes to video games or stories. Because it's not real, is it? Not like your friends or your family. And yet, people gain something real from the love of a fantasy. Perspective. Empathy. Confidence. They can lose real things, too. Money. Sense. What vestiges of reality keep them alive.

I wish I had something sagacious to say here, regarding finding a perfect balance between fantasy and reality. Michael Ende would have had better words regarding that, but he's dead. I guess all I can tell you is that a bunch of cartoon animals barking at me ended up being pretty good for me, even in real life. It gave me room to fail, then helped me succeed. It helped me learn to study, plan, practice, and execute. And you know what? It turns out you can apply those tasks to many areas in your life. Like, I dunno. A taxing academic system or a demanding job or playing musical instruments or writing weird-ass fanfiction online.

Okay. Maybe I didn't come away from this game completely normal. Just better than I was.

If you too would like to have a brain reformatting and/or an existential crisis with a bunch of space furries, "Star Fox 64" is a pretty good way to do that. I imagine you will find it hard to start. If you find the Lylat System as charming as my child self did, it'll likely be worth the effort to keep trying. At the very least, pull up a long play and dish up the cheese. I mean, you get to have the benefits of YouTube, in this dystopian future. I didn't. I had to get my hands dirty, instead. But man, it was a thrill doing so.

If nothing else, I hope you can find love in something that kicks your ass. Weird and disturbing as that blessing is. 

[vout-vouniern]

So, to those of you who play/are interested in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, who do you think the last 2 characters they’ll add in wave 6 will be? I have 3 theories personally, so I’ll state them below:

#1- Nintendo is adding characters that match the rows they’re to be put in.

This one’s probably the most out there, but it does have merit. Birdo is placed next to the princesses and is close to Yoshi. Petey is right next to his Double Dash partner, King Boo. Wiggler is a heavy (technically “cruiser” I think) that uses medium sized vehicles, much like the metal characters in the same row. Kamek is in the same row as Bowser and Bowser Jr.

So, what are the next characters then? For row 5, it has to be a character (already in a Mario Kart game) related to the Koopalings, which includes Hammer Bro, Chargin’ Chuck, Nabbit, Peachette, and Monty Mole (though Monty’s a stretch). It could be any of them, really; though I feel either Hammer Bro or Nabbit would be most likely. Row 6 needs to be a character not from Super Mario, and there’s actually quite a few. R.O.B, Funky Kong, Donkey Kong Jr., and PAC-MAN (and some other NAMCO characters, but they wouldn’t get in over him). Let’s be real though, it’d 100% be Funky Kong in this case.

#2- Nintendo is adding the “superstars” of previous titles, unless the character was already included in the roster.

This one has one outlier character, but I’ll get to that. Excluding Tour and BCP, 8DX is missing 1 SNES character, 0 64 characters, 0 GBA characters, 3 Double Dash characters, 1 DS character, 3 Wii characters, and 2 7 characters. Therefore, focusing on the popular characters from these titles makes sense. Petey from DD, Wiggler from 7 (since Metal Mario is already here), and Kamek from Tour (dude almost got cut 3 times smh) all make sense to represent their corresponding games. That just leaves Birdo as an outlier, but also not really? See, Birdo was present in 2 other games: Double Dash and Wii, same as Diddy Kong. Assuming Funky to be the Wii rep, it doesn’t make sense to add another Kong, so Diddy and Jr. don’t make the cut, and instead Birdo gets in as a more likable character than Honey Queen (RIP HQ Fans). This of course leaves the final spot open for the DS rep R.O.B. In my opinion, this is the best outcome and the one I’m hoping for.

#3- I, as usual, am overthinking things and Nintendo is just adding characters they think will be the most liked.

Yeah not much to say here. If this is the case, I guess Pauline and Funky to be the last characters, though it could be Pauline and Diddy I guess. Hoping I’m wrong here, as I don’t actually care for Pauline as a racer that much (Nintendo just kinda went “Hey you know how Pauline sang that song once? It’s her entire personality now!” and I’m not a fan).

PLEASE JUST ADD R.O.B. NINTENDO I AM ON MY HANDS AND KNEES

[miloscat]

[Review] Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures (3DS)

What if Pac-Man was Mega Man but also slow and boring?

I’ve been loyal to Inti Creates ever since I fell in love with Rockman Zero (I played a Japanese import first). They kinda lost me with Gunvolt and I find Gal Gun deplorable but they usually seem like they’re really trying to make compelling action games. I’ve wanted to try this handheld companion game to the 3D platformer console tie in to the modern animated series since I learned they were behind it, and after seeing this reboot’s debut in Dimensions it seemed like a good time for it. As for the game, well, I guess every studio has their phoned-in contract work.

This setting has a surprisingly dark backstory but the actual stories are light and stuffed with “action show for kids” tropes. Pac is a teenager always talking about burgers, grimacing, and hanging out with his hideous friends. He also might secretly be a superhero? Either way, he is “the only one” who can save Pactown in Pacworld or whatever, by eating ghosts which regularly invade via the schemes of their boss Evil McEvilface, er excuse me, “Betrayus”.

A lot of familiar Pac elements are repurposed in occasionally tortured ways: the classic ghost foursome have new designs and are your double agent friends, the fruits exist as transforming vehicles that assist with certain platforming sections, and pellets are central. The small ones, called cookies for some reason, give you lives (again, why have these in a game that you’re intentionally making easier for kids?) and spawn in fruits for points. Power pellets, here berries of the “tree of life”, have elemental alignments that act as your Mega Man powers.

You can pick from a set of six stages, and the action plays out as a sidescroller. Certain stages unlock new abilities, four in all: fire, ice, magnet, and… chameleon. Collectibles can increase your stock of berries, or unlock art or entries in the model viewer. The powers of course can help you in combat and to interact with your environment to find goodies; replaying stages with new powers is encouraged but I opted out, thanks very much. Chameleon is the most fun when given a chance to shine, as its tongue lets you grapple around and best plays into the combo system.

The most interesting thing the game does is this mid-air mechanic. You can multiply your score by eating successive ghosts without landing. Well, score didn’t matter much to me but just pulling off strings is satisfying and sometimes lets you reach new areas. Pac has a single-use Yoshi-like flutter jump and a chomp attack that gives you a horizontal boost and can home in on ghosts. This all could add up to a dynamic and fun movement system but in truth it’s quite stilted and never reaches its full potential.

The combination of mid-air mobility and the powers giving you alternate attacks again could make for really exciting boss fights, and occasionally when you find a specific interaction between a power and a boss weakness there’s moments of brilliance. But most of the time these fights just plod along, waiting for them to become vulnerable. The late-game boss rush only hammers this home.

Inti Create have shown that they can make world-class Mega Man games, whether it’s the slick Zero games or Mighty Gunvolt Burst with its classic vibes and novel customisation. You can see a little tiny bit of that expertise being applied here but it’s not enough. Amusing as it is to meld that gameplay structure and its recognisable characteristics in with this ridiculous setting and its weird try-hard updating of a gaming icon, it just doesn’t amount to much. And that’s a shame, because this could have been something special.

[iamthespineofmybook]

I'm honestly really looking forward to the Final Fantasy/Magic: the Gathering crossover set next year, to the point that I keep try to speculate on what they'll do for certain things.

Like, how will they handle the spells? Fire/Fira/Firaga is an established progression, but will it just be "pump in more mana for bigger effect" or will it be based on some kind of counters or creatures? Could it be made in a way that lets the same expansion effect work on Enchantments, for spells like Shell/Shellra/Shellga?

I think they'll do the whole Saga thing they did for Doctor Who, only this time it will be one per game and the final chapter will transform the Saga into that game's final boss, much like how the Neon Dynasty Sagas became Enchantment Creatures.

Will they just do the main protagonists, or will some of the other party members from each game appear? Will it be one collective Cid card, or will only certain Cids get one? Which vehicles will appear? Which weapons?

And then there's Final Fantasy's job-classes. Because it could be done to have Class Enchantments make a return from the D&D set. But there's a problem there: FF and D&D share some classes, like Monk and Bard. And while Monk is mostly the same between the two franchises, the Bards work very differently.

D&D Bards are about storytelling, grand performances, and persuasion, so the Bard Class card dealing in Legendary cards works! But FF Bards are about using music to cause effects, helpful and debilitating, and only interact with legends insofar as they're protagonists (except for FFXIV's wandering minstrel, but he's also Yoshi-P's author avatar).

I wish I didn't have to wait so long for information on it.