#I do see some areas I can improve upon so I'll try to get better at that

[rabioa]

Creative trade for @ceruleancattail ! It's their pookiebear Cater wearing their hat, how sweet <3333 Ceru made me a wonderful work of me with my honeybun Jade

Below are some doodles I did inspired by the piece.

[hyenafu]

How does one move around Heaven without wings? Medians, Cherubs, invading Demons... Similarly, are there Angels that can't fly, due to disability or never earning the pendant?

Medians aren't meant to move around Heaven on their own. They're all kept in one place--the bowl-like bottom of Gaia's tower-- for the most part. I say "for the most part" because it's fun to imagine how and why some Medians would get out. Like a secret club of Fairies, or Jakkai who are really good at climbing to places they're not supposed to be. Heaven is a bit restrictive, but the Angels are dedicated to keeping Medians comfortable. I don't want people to think of Heaven as a jail. It's better to think of it as a kind of resort where you're expected to stay within designated areas. Most people who wind up in Heaven would be goody two-shoes with no problem following the rules, but there are troublemakers in any group. It's not like Medians would be harshly punished for getting out, either. Cherubs are also not meant to navigate Heaven on their own. Having wings is a privilege that must be earned. If they need to go somewhere on a different floating island, then they are brought there by adult Angels. As for disabled Medians and Angels alike-- I've been thinking it would be cute if Heaven had magic clouds that could be used as mobility devices. Something like Lakitu's cloud or Goku's Flying Nimbus. Maybe on their own, they can only hover, so Medians couldn't use it to ascend to other islands. But they can be towed by an able-bodied, winged Angel, enabling the rider to be escorted more easily to different places. I know this is unfair to disabled Angels who deserve their autonomy, but, well... like our own Earth, Slightly Damned's Heaven has a lot of room for improvement. Kieri's flashback primarily deals with her life as a warrior Angel, so I don't know if/when this detail about Median mobility devices will make it into the main comic. But I'll think about it some more and try to include it on the main website's lore when I work on it this year. As for invading Demons: the logistics of their invasion has yet to be discussed, and I do intend to touch upon that in the story soon. But the short answer is: wind Demons fly and can carry other, smaller Demons. Some Demons would be good and climbing and foolhardy enough to make big leaps. Imagine earth Demons throwing smaller Demons like Piantas chuck Mario, lol. They could also bring things like ladders and rope in order to aid their own mobility.

As badass as it would be for Demons to invade on airships, I don't think I can justify that leap in technology. However, Demons invading on hot air balloons is a really funny mental image. Sometimes I decide on making things canon just because they're funny (see: most of the animals in Medius), so... stay tuned to see if Demons invade Heaven with an air balloon shaped like a middle finger emoji!

[theonethatyaks93]

Sketch Showcase Time!!!

Sooooooooo, these are days two and three of my "Learning How-To Draw Pinky and Brain Phase." And, y'all, I think I found my groove! This is attempt 2 of drawing Pinky:

Already, I'm very pleased with this. I mean, this was my attempt to re-create Pinky's design by @goosieboosie. I'm not a digital artist, so I couldn't capture all the majesty of this design perfectly, but I did a decent job. This style allows me to draw Pinky's face a lot easier, and I can get more creative with facial features. I was really happy when I finished this, I kinda freaked out because, he looks great!! I even drew my gender/sexuality headcanons for Pinky beside him, as well as his signature because, why not? I tried to re-draw this picture a few hours later and I made a new discovery:

Sorry for the blurry pic! But yeah, I think I invented my own unique style!! This is the first version of this; there a few changes from my first re-draw. The main changes are Pinky's eyes being rounder, and his ears a little bit larger. I think the base shape of his head is also a little different. I think he looks so derpy!! I was instantly in LOVE with this updated design, so I decided to draw it again and:

The design is a little different again! And also, my first expression!!!! (Ignore the weird as hell erased Pinky head you see; it was a massive failure and I couldn't erase it all :( ) I really think the Pinky on the left turned out better than I thought!! I love his cute little face and his extra floofy head. The second pic is another kind of model pic, but I added a little tongue because it looked cute. I also added the mind bubble and the little blurb just for added effect. I think he looks cute, what do you guys think?

On day three/attempt 3, I actually doodled a Pinky without looking at a reference in one of my books because I was in school. Here's how it turned out:

I LOVE IT!!!! I was so shocked when I finished with this because I think Pinky looks amazing!! It's not perfect, but when compared to day one, it's like night and day. This is my favorite Pinky I've done so far, and it only took my like 25 minutes; what an improvement when compared to over an hour just for one drawing lol! I've made some small changes here, and I will continue to make changes for the time being. I'm still finalizing my style.

Later on, I did something I'm very proud of:

My first full-body Pinky!! I drew the body first and then added a head in later. I also marked certain areas that I might improve upon later, and little personal touches that I added for fun. Yeah, I think his head is a little too tall, but I'll fix that. I implemented some unique elements such as his muzzle area being based on the OG show, the tufts of fur on his head being longer, the chest fur, his feet being stuffed-animal like, his short legs (which will probably be longer in the future), and his tail being from the reboot. I am currently working on hands; they're just not ready yet. I'm very excited to see my own personal style being formed. I like all the touches I added and I'm excited to maybe work on some screenshot re-draws and other things like that.

Here are some hand sketches. Hand are EXTREMELY HARD for me so I'm trying to get an idea of what I want to do. I was either thinking of the one on the left (larger fingers, rounder shapes) or the one on the right (more angular, slimmer fingers). Idk, which hand style do yo guys think would work better?

I'm very proud of the progression I made on these designs. I'm currently planning on drawing Brain very soon and I will be doing screenshot re-draws, experimenting with changes to eye shape, and more expressions. I'm also writing still (new fic currently a wip), and I'm very excited to be contributing more to the fandom!! Let me know where I can improve and some tips on how to draw their hands. Also, special thanks to @cosmicangel139 for the drawing tips for Brain!! You are amazing and I will definitely keep those tips in mind!!!!

[itshiaoszn]

2025 self-improvement: physical

I started the year with very strong urges to make myself more physically attractive - simply because I believe that if I actually put in the effort, I will look AND feel better about myself (I know, I'm a genius).

After having coffee with a friend, I learned that she is knowledgable about color theory and dressing up to suit your skin tone etc., and it just fueled my curiosity to learn more about what type of outfits and make-up suits me best. I recently stumbled upon Just Peachy videos on youtube and they do really deep analysis on applying make-up based on skin undertones and face shapes, and I learned that I've been doing face contouring wrong this whole time.

So I signed up for a color theory analysis and image consultation session as my birthday present for this year. Just a couple days ago, I was thinking if I should get a whole cake for myself, but I think this will be a much better treat. Also, it will definitely help with my wardrobe upgrade as well as shopping for make-up.

Also, I've finally booked a session to get my eyebrows waxed! This shit took me forever, and a lot of courage because I am afraid of pain (even though I've done waxing in more sensitive areas...). But I am excited to see the results, I'm not expecting miracles but I do want to see how it changes my appearance.

Remaining items on my list are to get my teeth whitened, laser hair removal and learn how to curl my hair. I have really thick black hair but i noticed that it is really flat on top but the ends curve to the right (not sure why... I suspect it's due to dry ends). I'd like to try a beach-y wave/natural-soft-curls look, but I'm worried that it will make me look older... Never try never know I guess.

Good news is that I've started exercising again, this time focusing on cardio and weights. I alternate between arms + shoulders, and legs + glutes, but I'll need to add some core exercises too, because the bloat is real. I've suffered with a pretty bad case of gastric last Christmas because I had instant coffee with (now I've learned) is a diet of all foods that will make you gassy e.g., onions, garlic and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and Brussels sprouts. Yeah those 2 days of Christmas break was not fun.

Skincare wise, I believe I've got that locked in. Retinal at night + Vitamin C in the mornings is a routine that I will swear by. I might even drop the Estee Lauder Night Repair Serum once I'm done with my current bottle, because why spent hundreds of dollars on a product if it cannot do a job that a $50 chemical exfoliator can?

Body exfoliation wise, I'm still deciding if physical or chemical exfoliants perform better on my skin. I've been using a pair of washing gloves to scrub myself down, and other days I'm testing out a AHA+BHA scrub to compare the differences. Honestly, the chemical scrub can be quite a hassle because the instructions tells me to let it sit on my skin for at least 1-2 minutes before washing it off, but for physical exfoliation I can just scrub myself with or without water. At this point, I'm leaning towards physical exfoliation because my back gets excess sebum and it easily triggers back acne. I'm actually thinking of getting a shower brush so it'll be easier to reach my back.

Learning how to take better care of myself is so fun. I've never got to do this back at home because everything was so expensive and I was getting paid like shit for the amount of work that I do. But now with my new life and job here, I'm excited to built a better version of myself, for myself!!

[bigdaddyomega]

The Nunz: Chapter 1

Once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far, far, far, far away, there was a church. This church was far different from an ordinary church. If one were to pass by, they probably would have never expected it to be a church. The appearance of the building seemed very old and rundown. Most were surprised that there were people still living in it. Though it was still very active. The yard and the greenery was indeed a very beautiful sight to see. The pond was perfectly clean where fish and many other small creatures were able to swim freely. The grass was perfectly cut and the flowers began to bloom. Which meant that spring was beginning to come.

Despite the beautiful sight of everything, Alyssa Nelson hated this place. It made her sick to her stomach just to look at it. She despised the way that the building looked. She felt that she would be living under terrible conditions during her stay at this place. If she could go back in time, she would have tried to convince her mom to not even think about sending her to this place that she believed was so horrid. She observed who she assumed were humans wearing silver masks and all black outfits playing a game of football with one another. She believed that they looked intimidating and already decided that she wanted nothing to do with them.

"Mom, do I really have to do this?" Alyssa asked her mom as she turned to look at the older version of herself.

"Yes, it's for your own good." Mrs. Nelson replied to her eighteen year old daughter. Alyssa shook her head.

"But I'm eighteen years old. I shouldn't have to go to rehab." She disagreed.

"It's not rehab. It's an alternative program for you to better yourself. And I am sending you here because you are eighteen. I don't want you to go down the wrong path and end up dead when you're twenty. That's my worst fear." Mrs. Nelson explained. Alyssa could hear the worry in her mother's voice and that made her feel extrmely uneasy.

"They always say that one time won't hurt, but that could not be further from the truth. I want you to better yourself. Just give this place a chance, Alyssa." Her mom said. This was the last time she could convince her child that this was what was best for her. The only response that her daughter gave was to roll her eyes and get out of the vehicle. At this point she knew that she no longer had a choice. All hope was lost for her. She popped the trunk open and began to get all of her belongings out with the help of her mother. Luckily, Alyssa was able to carry it all with both of her hands.

Meanwhile, a girl the same age as Alyssa was still sitting in the car in front of them. She observes the entire area. She admires the beauty of it all. But hates the fact that she has to be here with a passion. Like Alyssa, she felt that she had done nothing wrong. Or at least nothing horrible to where she needs to be here. Her father stared at the spitting image of himself in disgust. He most definitely believed that she deserved to be here. He wanted her to change. He just didn't want the responsibility of helping her to change.

"I hope that you get something out of however long you need to be here. So that you will never do what you did again." He told his daughter in a stern tone. She didn't mind him talking to her in this tone at all. In fact, she wanted to get out of the car so that she could get the hell away from him.

"Alright, later dad." Were this girl's departing words from him. She stepped out of the car and slammed the door to the passenger seat just to spite her father. She opens the back seat of the car and starts to take out each trash bag containing her belongings one at a time. The attention of those who are outside is now on her. Not a single one of those ghouls could take their eyes off her. Some were admiring her beauty. Others were judging by the way that she carried herself. Fire, the smallest ghoul of them all, could not help but to laugh. He did his absolute best to hide it by pretending to cough, and clearly that did not work. His best friend Aether shook his head.

"Dew, Don't laugh, it's not funny." Aether criticized. However, Fire just could not find the strength to stop.

"I can't help it!" Fire almost screamed and began to become hysterical. Those around him could see the tears of laughter streaming down his eyes.

"I really don't get it. She couldn't just ask somebody if she could borrow a suitcase?" Rain commented.

"I bet you she's too poor!" Swiss said. All of the ghouls looked at each other and began to laugh in unison. Fire was right, it indeed was very comical.

The other girl made it to the front of the convent without her father. She wanted to do this alone. It was also too late to want her father with her, he had already driven off. There was no turning back from here. She was officially stuck. Both Alyssa and her mother stare at the girl. Regardless of them judging her, she gave them a smile. Before anybody could say anything, the door opened to reveal a petite aging woman who had long gray hair that was tied back. Though she was aging, she was still very pretty and presented herself very professionally.

"Hello. I'm Sister Imperator, and I'm the director of this institution." The older woman introduced herself. She held out her hand to Mrs. Nelson first. They both shook hands and Sister gave her a smile. This smile was almost too nice. It had the potential to be deceptive.

"Hi, I'm Adele and this is my daughter Alyssa." Mrs. Nelson introduced the two of them. Sister Imperator then shook Alyssa's hand giving her that same smile and turned to the other girl.

"I'm Star. Nice to meet you." The other girl was finally able to reveal the name that she had given to herself just before being here. Sister Imperator furrowed her brows.

"I'm sorry, there has to be a mistake of some sort. I didn't get the name of Star in anyone's paperwork." She stated out of confusion. Star had to think of an answer. She couldn't stand her real name and believed that now was her chance to get away from it.

"Ok, that's just my nickname. If you read my paperwork thoroughly, you would know that my real name is fucking awful. So please, just call me Star." The young girl practically begged. The only instant response that Sister could give was to nod after she shook her hand.

"I understand completely. My real name isn't all that great either. But anyways, it is nice to meet you all. We are so happy to have you join us. Come inside and I'll show you around the convent before we make any final decisions." She said and reentered into her own home. All three of the other women followed her inside. All of their expectations of what this place was going to be were now gone. The interior of this place was absolutely stunning. The entire place was brightly lit due to the row of crystal chandeliers. The pillars surrounding the second floor looked as if they were just built in. The checker printed tiled floor was probably just cleaned minutes before they entered.

Sister Imperator showed them every inch of the inside of the building. From the cafeteria that was empty at the moment, but it was a very clean place. She also showed them an example of the rooms which they are going to be staying in. The king sized beds made both girls tired just by the sight of them. They did not have to lay in them to know that they were extremely comfortable. Even their bathrooms were very luxurious. However, nothing could beat the chapel. This entire area of the large building was the most beautiful of them all. The stain glass windows reflected many colors into the room and behind the altar was a large cross. Alyssa and Star had never seen a crucifix so big in their lives.

"As you all can tell, we are a very Christian organization. We do our best to help late adolesence and young adults to better imporve themselves in order to go out into the real world in just under two years." Sister Imperator explained as she opened the back door which lead to the outside of this place. Everyone followed her. Alyssa and her mom seeming normal, and Star, her eyes were so wide due to thinking about how she may not get out of here until she's twenty. All three women enjoyed the sight of the outside. Mrs. Nelson was observing from a critical view. But the girls were more interested in the football game going on between the ghouls.

"One of the ways of improvement that we have observed throughout this entire program is having at least two hours of physical activity every single day." Sister added her commentary once again. All of them watched as a nameless ghoul named Mountain had the ball in his hands. He was trying to throw it, but another ghoul named Swiss was blocking him from doing so.

"Swiss, move!" Mountain yelled in a very annoyed tone. However, Swiss did not respect his request and actually did the exact opposite. Swiss made the wise decision to kick Mountain in the ballsack. This was the worst feeling in the world for ghouls and humans alike. Mountain held onto his crotch area as if he was holding on for dear life. The only female ghoul out there at the moment took notice of what had happened. Cumulus was probably one of the most caring individuals of anyone in this place. Not only that, but anyone who came into contact with her found her to be adorable.

"Blow the whistle! Blow the whistle!" Were the only words that Mountain could say at the moment. Cumulus did just that.

"Half time!" She called out. Everyone groaned out of annoyance because one of the two teams was on the verge of winning.

"Typical." Swiss shook his head. He kicked Mountain in that same area again. But this time the pain was a lot worse than the previous kick.

"Let me ask you something, if this is such a Christian envirionment, then how come all of them over there are wearing devil masks?" Mrs. Nelson inquired.

"Oh well, it's one of the forms of punishments that we have here. That would mean that they comitted a mortal sin." Sister replied. Mrs. Nelson nodded even though she may not have agreed with that. It seemed that this was the end of the entire tour, and it was now time to make the decision whether or not Alyssa would be staying there. Alyssa was hoping and praying to the god that she doesn't believe in, that her mother has changed her mind.

"So, the last thing that I need to go over with you is pricing. I have the bill right here for you to make the final decision." Sister went into her jacket to take out an average piece of paper. Mrs. Nelson took it and her eyes nearly came out of their sockets as a result of reading the price.

"So, this is the price per year, correct?" She asked.

"No. Actually per week." Sister replied. Mrs. Nelson turned to her daughter and then placed her signature on the bottom of the paper. At this moment, Alyssa was officially doomed. She hated this feeling more than anything. She felt that she was about to have a heart attack.

"I'll pay for it the best way that I can, even if that means me getting a loan. But please help my daughter to improve. That's really what I want for her." Alyssa's mother said. Sister Imperator placed her hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry about that, she's in good hands with us." Sister reassured her. Alyssa and her mother shared one last hug with each other. This was the last embrace that they would have with one another for a long time. Potentially two years if her mother could not afford another flight to come see her. Her mother told her that she loved her as they left each other's embrace. Alyssa didn't tell her mother that she loved her back. In fact, she wanted nothing to do with her at that moment. She wondered how her mother could say that she loved her but send her to a place like this.

Once her mother had driven away, Sister Imperator's smile completely disappeared. She was now completely serious. It was almost like she had mutated right before their eyes. It scared both girls because they had no idea what to expect next.

"Alright bitches, listen up. Almost everything that I had said was complete and utter bullshit. I really could care less about your well being. I only do this program because I love my money. So if you two can keep your goddamn mouths shut for two years, then maybe your life won't be so miserable here!" She explained in a very feisty tone.

"So, this isn't a church?" Star wanted clarification. Out of all the question to ask, she asked that one.

"It is, just not a Christian church." Sister Imperator answered. Star nodded and then she tried to figure out what kind of church it really was.

"Now, you two should be escorted to your rooms. Cardinal!" Sister Imperator directed. Now the girls had their hopes up. Only because they saw how comfortable the beds were and only wanted to get at least an hour of sleep at the moment. A young looking man appeared suddenly. He was wearing all black and his light brown hair was neatly in place while the hat was able to stay on top of his head. Both of the girls thought he was sort of odd looking.

"Cardinal, this is Alyssa and Star, they are new potential sacrifices. Could you please escort these ladies to their new rooms?" Sister Imperator requested.

"Of course." Cardinal Copia answered and motioned for the two young women to follow him. Copia lead them back inside along with all of their stuff. When he noticed all of the luggage that they had, he was reminded of what needs to be done.

"Oh, I almost forgot. I need you to leave your belongings right here." He said. Both girls gave him a confused stare.

"What? Why?" Alyssa questioned.

"You're not allowed to have anything personal here. Anything that you need we'll provide for you." He explained.

"So then what's going to happen to my shit?" Star asked.

"You'll get it back when you're released." He said. Both of the girls dropped their stuff on the floor and displayed as much attitude as they could.

"You're making this shit sound like a prison." Star commented.

"Shut up and follow me." Cardinal Copia ordered and continued walking. Both of the girls followed him and now felt empty without carrying all of their belongings. He leads them down to a dark stairway. For them it was very scary. Star was wondering what the hell they needed to go into the basement for. Because that was what this place was, a basement. The further down they went, the more spearated from the sunlight they became. It took them about five total minutes to make it to the floor. It was cold and made of pure concrete. Alyssa jumped as soon as she saw the pentogram spray painted red on the floor. She didn't really know why she was so scared of it. It was only a geometric shape. But to her, there was just something so eerie about it. Star looked down as well and the symbol did not even phase her on the outside. But on the inside she was just as scared.

"So creepy." Alyssa whispered. Star nodded agreeing with her. Cardinal Copia stopped at a door on the side wall and took out an entire ring of many keys. Somehow he was able to pick out the right one to unlock the door. When the door opened, he motioned for the two of them to go inside. When they stepped in, neither of the girls were impressed. There were just two rows of twelve beds on each side. The only light source that they have is a single lightbulb in the middle of the ceiling. They both looked extremely disappointed.

"You're not going to tell me that this is our room." Alyssa protested.

"Pick a bed." Cardinal Copia said and closed the door from there. Both Alyssa and Star heard the sound of a click before the footsteps leaving the basement. That one click scared both girls to death. Alyssa immediately sprinted over and tried to turn the knob of the door. She couldn't. Neither of them could even try to break the door down. Both turned to each other with anxiety taking over the both of them.

"Shit. I hate to break it to you, but we're locked in." Alyssa revealed.

Author’s Note: wasn’t that shitty as fuck? Yeah I agree. But this is the first chapter of my first Ghost fanfic. As I said in my previous post, this is on my Wattpad but I’m going to post it on here. Enjoy regardless and I love y’all.💀❤️

[cess-is-here]

The Depths of Rain

“Late na tayo,”

Upon hearing a voice, I turned around to see who it was. My classmate, Rain, was the one standing behind me. Both of us were rushing to get to our first class on time. When I found that I wasn't the only one who had arrived at class late, I felt a sense of relief. We are both running our arse off the stairs ‘cause we sure don’t want Miss Dons to get mad. 

Actually, Rain and I have been acquainted for quite some time now. We both attended the same university. If memory serves, I've known her since we were in grade school together. However, we never were more than casual friends and certainly never classmates. It wasn't until the start of this school year that I found out we'd be in the same class.

I would say that Rain is incredibly generous and nice if I had to characterize her. And I do mean GENEROUS when I say that. I've observed that anytime somebody requests a favor of her, she does it without delay. Being classmates makes it more likely that I'll notice, as I'm always paying attention to the little details of my environment. Never once did I witness her being unkind to a fellow student. She has a constant, pleasant demeanor and a broad grin plastered on her face.

Eventually we became partners in a particular performance task. In this task, we needed to get to know each other. And this was not just the shallow parts of ourselves but instead, we needed to get in depth with each other. At first, I wasn’t really sure if we’d make a good team. I wanted someone who I am already familiar with. But then I realized, It's actually refreshing to have an in-depth conversation with someone I don't already know very well.

“Just accepting myself and trying to be better.” These were the words she said that struck me. When I inquired as to what areas of her life she was working to better, she responded as follows. We sat in the far corner of the room and swapped anecdotes about each other. In talking with her, I had the impression that she let down her guard a bit, allowing me to learn more about who she really is. 

One of her difficulties, she admitted to me, was keeping her temper in check. The possibility that Rain inherited this trait from her dad was mentioned. "It's terrible," she says, to share a home with someone who can't control their fury. In which the smallest annoyance would cause her father to lose his cool and lash out at those closest to him. This is something I also struggle with, so it really hit home. 

She said this was a major cause of her anxiety. In an effort to avoid her father's wrath, she began to resort to hiding from him. She is finally of age to realize that this is not the kind of upbringing she desires. Although she did admit that there was a period where she was almost like her father. In an effort to make amends for her past mistakes, she is currently working to improve her character.

In light of knowing that Rain had been through such terrible things, I began to wonder how many other people in the world are just like her. Putting up a false front of happiness in the face of overwhelming suffering. But how well do we know those closest to us? Maybe we're only getting a glimpse of their outside appearance and not who they truly are. Rain’s story taught me to become more empathetic because we are not aware of what a person is going through, so the least thing we can do is to be kind.

[bearpillowmonster]

Super Metroid Review

How about them Mets, huh? No, I don't mean BASEBALL!

I mentioned how I visited Prime as a kid and didn't like the controls so I only just recently revisited with PrimeHack. Well, after dropping Prime as a kid, I visited this game, thinking 2D Metroid was my route but I lost the save file so this was actually the second Metroid game that I've tried then failed to finish. It's about as well regarded as any top ten list, not just for Metroid but for gaming as a whole, so let's see if it lives up to my memory as well as its reputation.

I could see people falling in love with this as a kid, moreso than the original, I mean this was the first one of "those" Metroid games and definitely pioneered a lot of what made ZM great for me, including the atmosphere. If I mentioned it with the Prime games, then this one makes it feel like Alien at times, little bodies with bugs crawling around, deep mechanical structures, and for the time, this was THE game but how does it age with today's standards?

It feels more precise. Not "more stiff" but just not as buttery as Zero Mission, which would make sense, ZM came out a decade afterwards and a lot of things in that game were based off of this game, which I assume was made to appease the fans of this game as well as introduce it to the handheld market. So, rather than just porting Super, they bred it with the NES one, which for the time sounds great but in today's day and age when you play one after the other, it just feels a bit repetitive to play both. There were a lot of points where I'd ask "Didn't I do this before?" during the first half, the second half differentiates itself a little more.

When comparing the two, I can't help but feel ZM gets the better hand. And because of that, a lot of my gripes from ZM carried over to this game. I actually went back and played the first level of ZM just to be sure and I was right, I think it's just faster momentum wise. (I don't know whether Fusion feels like that or not, haven't played it yet but I'll revisit this topic when I do).

There are a few little downgrades that you can't do like seeing what certain rooms are on the map, there's just maps, ammo and save stations, no indication of colored doors or any of that jazz unfortunately. And I feel like it's a bit harder to follow than the other games because there were a lot more things in your way that just didn't need to be there while backtracking. For example, doors with buttons that can only be opened on one side. They close again after you leave the area rather than just unlocking a shortcut. Part of it is my fault because I've opened these doors before in such a way that I knew what I was doing but just forgot after trekking a completely different area to learn (hence why there should be a map in the first place). But I wouldn't call this the game to start the series with, leaving it in a weird position.

Now I talked about how some things felt out of sorts with ZM but I let them slide because of how early and experimental the game it was based on was and how a lot of the mechanics I complained about weren't mandatory features, just to get certain bonuses but I feel a little less lenient with this one, I definitely felt the most unnecessarily frustrated with this title compared to the others, and I played Prime 2!

The ball bombs aren't OP, you actually have to time them which is fine but still seems like a mechanic they can improve upon. The sand pits of Maridia are a chore to just jump up and out of places. The amount of times I got stuck is beyond belief, the water was one thing because you get the gravity suit eventually but the sand is just horrid to try and traverse and you never get anything to help you with it which made getting optional items like the spring ball a real hassle. I actually took a few day break from the game after Maridia because I didn't want that alone to mar my experience.

Some people will say that they like that because it takes time and training to master since it just drops you in with a brief idea of what Samus is doing and sets you in this world with no instruction but I look at it as "if you gatekeep controls behind masters then how are you supposed to play the game normally?" It's not a bad controlling game overall, it's just certain features that I feel like are purposefully there to get in your way and waste time. Wall jumping, screw attack, have all been improved upon in later titles and going back to a title where it wasn't as fine tuned feels but that's just how I feel, maybe I just couldn't get it to work but it seems like a lot of people have complained about it.

BUT I can say that it allows you to turn whatever abilities you want off. So I complained about the screw attack and freeze ray in ZM and how sometimes I wouldn't want to do that. There are also a lot of really cool secret details that this game opens up since it tells you very little. I liked it, it's still a Metroid game but just didn't live up to what I was expecting.