#I have played kingdom hearts though and that was fun and I love guitar hero but I was never a big gamer

[radioactivelizzy]

Ending the day happy because I was able to figure out how to play my sega on my firetv.

(Took forever and reminds me why I kinda hate smart TVs cause I had to use an antenna adapter and search for channel 3 but it wouldn’t find channel 3 cause I needed to change the settings to analog not digital but finally got it to work and then my sonic 2 wasn’t working for a bit and I thought the cartridge was broken but FINALLY it started playing and i remembered I suck at the stupid wing fortress zone cause I kept falling off and had to quit after I died like 20 times.)

Tomorrow I will play Pagemaster. :)

[clockworksteel]

Today I saw a post about writing the name of your blog with the first letters of song titles and that sounded fun. The rules are to do it in a new post and you’re also supposed to tag people or something but I’m not doing that.

As additional personal rules I didn't use the same source twice and only used things if I could remember at least some of what they sounded like. I did look up lists of songs I thought I'd be familiar with though (eg, looking up the Bastion soundtrack to remind myself what titles were in there). Also I decided not to use any songs starting with A or The because I didn't feel like making a call on whether they could be skipped and they didn't start with K anyway.

Round brackets (parenthesis) in the artist half of the song list indicate names of video games. For over half of them I had to look up the actual people. Also, even if it's not from the game I put it there if there's a specific game with the song in it that I strongly associate with the song.

Square brackets indicate whatever I want them to indicate.

C - "Can You Really Call This A Hotel, I Didn't Receive A Mint On My Pillow Or Anything" - Toby Fox (Undertale) L - "Leave Me Alone" - I Don't Know How But They Found Me O - "Organ Donor" - DJ Shadow C - "Curses" - The Crane Wives K - "Konga Conga Kappa" - Danny Baranowsky (Crypt of the Necrodancer) W - "Wow Wow" - Neil Cicierega O - "Ode to a Superhero" - "Weird Al" Yankovic ["Piano Man" - Billy Joel] R - "Robot Overdrive" - Takeharu Ishimoto (Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory) [I haven't seen Big Hero 6] K - "Kirby: Right Back At Ya! Theme Song" - Norman J. Grossfeld and Ralph Schuckett (Donkey Konga) S - "Senbonzakura" - Kurousa-P feat Hatsune Miku (Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai DX) T - "Terminal March" - Darren Korb (Bastion) E - "E" - Drunkenmunky E - "Everybody to the Limit (Live)" - The Brothers Chaps and Y-O-U [Strong Bad Sings and Other Type Hits] L - "Locked Girl" - COOL&CREATE [Remix of "Locked Girl ~ The Secret Girl's Room" and "Love-colored Master Spark", by ZUN (Touhou Series)]

Finding two K songs was a struggle. Like, why is the famous Flowering Knight remix called "Night of Knights / Knight of Nights" instead of the other order? I could've really used that one. My "know what it sounds like" rule blocked the use of Kairi from Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory, Knight to C Sharp from Crypt of the Necrodancer, Knight Man Stage from Megaman 6, and Killing in the Name Of from Guitar Hero 2 (yes, I know it's not "from Guitar Hero 2", but that’s why I’m familiar with it). I guess I used another Crypt of the Necrodancer song for the other K so forgetting Knight to C Sharp didn't make a difference.

Honorable mentions to "Twister" - Takeharu Ishimoto (The World Ends With You), "Setting Sail, Going Home" - Darren Korb (Bastion), and "Wellerman" - The Longest Johns. Also, earlier versions of this list included "Canon in D" - Pachabel and "Roundabout" - Yes, but I wanted to stick with somewhat shorter songs in case I felt like putting together a Youtube playlist so I could put it on and listen to the whole thing or something. I like it when individual songs don't steal the whole show. I'd consider skipping the Kirby theme song if I did put it together as well.

Somewhat amusingly, I notice that I don't know what anything sounds like in the list of the person I copied this from (notahorseindisguise). I've maybe heard New Invention once, but from that group I pretty much only listen to "Leave Me Alone" and "Do It All The Time" and I don't remember any other songs. I'd probably like others but I don't have much of a habit of actively seeking new music.

...in fact, looking over everyone else's answers in the post I linked, I think there are only 3 songs I recognize as something I've heard, total. "Dragula", "YMCA" (although not specifically as played by their pep band), and maybe "Everybody Talks" (literally the words "Everybody talks, everybody talks, everybody talks" come to mind sung a specific way, but I have no memory of what the rest is like). Also, why so many in one thread? Did I maybe misinterpret the rules when they said "Make a new post"?

[smallestapplin]

Do you think the subway bros play video games? If so what kind? Emmett seems like an avid gamer, I don't know what kinds though... I feel like Ingo would be more into RPGs with lore and world building.

AYO WAIT IM SO GLAD YOU ASKED! (Asks are open!)

I heavily stand by Emmet playing more fighting based games, I see him liking things like legend of Zelda, Mario, dark souls, doom, and online games like dead by daylight, where is an the worst and best person to play with, and I can see him liking more survival horror games, silent hill, resident evil, classics, but I feel like out last was the first one to genuinely scary him cause at least in the first two he could fight back, here he can’t and he is not happy about it.

(His secret other favorites are dating simulators, while everyone expects him to go for the more adult one (and he does) he also enjoys the more heartfelt sentimental ones.)

Ingo I see loving rhythm based games, in his youth he killed it on dance dance revolution, guitar hero, drum ‘n’ fun, he likes them cause they keep him focused and he is quick to follow patterns so he finds them easy and fun! He also enjoys more calming games, stardew valley, animal crossing, unpacking, Pokémon snap, stuff like that, his days are filled with work work work, it’s nice to unwind and enjoy the nice music and have fun, he also likes very dialogue heavy games with a lot of world building and lore, you can’t tell me he doesn’t have a conspiracy theory board in his room about Final Fantasy lore and Kingdom hearts, he just likes having fun and using his brain.

(When he and Emmet were kids their parents got them Parappa the rapper and Emmet nearly broke the tv cause while he is good at rhythm he SUCKS at timing it, only reason he didn’t was cause Ingo started crying cause it’s Ingo’s favorite.)

Ingo likes using his brain and thinking of strategies

Emmet wants these bitches dead-

[bilgisticallykosher]

Selfishness vs. Selfishness Redux

Pre-episode thoughts. I don't think they're going to address the dark side Everybody-already-knew-that thing right away. I'm still thinking Deceit's gonna be Virgil, but I'm also not so certain that's going to wind up going down. Because there's a lot of other stuff to get into. We know from the first Asides that stuff between Virgil and Patton is growing, and simmering. It's coming, and while that's in the future, there's probably going to be more build-up here. Is it that Patton knew about Virgil's past? Is it something else entirely? This is going to be a two hour episode, geez. 

Also, I can't believe he's actually going to the wedding. Idk. All those people saying he got the date wrong, though? First of all, Logan is in charge of the schedule, he'd never let that happen, how dare? And also, I always double check dates and invitations for stuff. I really doubt Virgil wouldn't have looked at the invitation and checked the information again. Watch me be totally wrong now. 

I don't know who I think the cloaked figure is. Could be Deceit ("like a freaking Scooby Doo villain"), could be Thomas himself. Probably not Organization XIII, but I'm not completely eliminating the option, let me have this. 

Things I'd like, but am 99% certain won't happen; Deceit's name (which I'm both hoping and expecting to not start with D), a new side, Remus and Deceit interacting on camera, or really Remus at all. Except for that green score of BOOBS, I maintain that's Remus's contribution. 

ALRIGHT, LET'S GO, I'M NOT READY!!!!

First impression of the thumbnail. You vs. Yourself???? Oh my gosh. Ohhhh, I'm freaking out. Patton looks so apprehensive, and I don't know if that's on general, or because of Roman or in response to Roman, because Roman looks so annoyed at Patton! He's so angry oh my gosh. I mentioned I wasn't ready, right? Okay. Okay. So their sprites are different styles, which is cool. Patton's looks risk-based stroll around town type of RPG, Roman's looks fighting style. 

The options for the character select???? Oh my gosh, that's. Hi, Remus. Anyway, uh, I don't know what this means, but there's three character options on top and- DARK SIDES ARE SEPARATE FROM LIGHT SIDES! Oh gosh, I was thinking maybe it was something to do with specifically Logan. Ooh, Deceit's in his lawyer outfit, nice touch.  THERE'S AN EXTRA BLANK PLAYER OPTION. I don't know if that means he'll be revealed this episode, or just that he exists. I mean, we just had Deceit's logo, Remus's reveal and name reveal… here goes.

IT STARTS WITH THE VIDEO GAME??? THIS IS THE INTRO????? THE WEDDING??????!!!!!!! Oh hey word crush. Oh hey, it's the couple! Starting to think this is a dream or fantasy, btw. Also, Lee and Mary Lee sound like...Esteban and Valerie? Maybe? Idk. Omg, Life is pain. 

This is awkward, beautiful. Pfft, hence the marriage. Photographer is great, no idea who he or the emcee are. Ooh. Crushed. 

INTRO??? EXCUSE ME??? Oh was SvS originally on 3/31? Yeah, good, play a review like all of us haven't been obsessing over what happened last time. "APRIL 13" I'm just going thi pause forever now. Oh this is going to be the angry walk in that was previewed in the bloopers, I can tell. Oh no. OH NO! And it is at night and he seriously freaking actually went to the wedding????

Oh my gosh he's so angry. Ohhh, Patton rethinking his phrasing, nice. You should never→I'm surprised that you etc. Oh Roman! Oh, maybe we should… not review. Oh boy. 

Oh there's Patton's avatar. In then guitar hero thing. Oh, Thomas is associated with the color white, confirmed??? I like how they did the notes there. So much detail. The talk sprites are great, but the expressions on the dancing sprites are worth paying attention to. Okay, Patton's still very, um, defensive, I guess is the word? Thomas is angry and bereft and confused and full of doubt, and Roman's heavily on the confused side (ha) about him aligning with Deceit. This is why he stole his hat. Great animation work, everyone, that was fantastic, artists! 

"Why didn't I just talk to them before the wedding?" THOMAS. Also, because Deceit specifically prevented Logan from being too close to the courtroom scene by benching him and not asking him what his idea of a compromise was. "I brought that up," well, you did, but Deceit kinda made it seem like you were suggesting lying to them, so you got shut down. Sorry, Ro. Listen, I love Deceit, but the boy's a manipulator. 

We learn to predict the future!!! Roman, no. Woah, Patton's just being completely dismissive. I mean he's been through some hard times the last few episodes, minus LNTAO, but damn. Oh. Roman's very much defending Patton. This forebodes very badly. This is going to explode terribly. Oh no. 

Okay, so, the thing with the feral cats. Is Roman okay? Did someone do this to him? More importantly, did he do this to me? Also, on a serious note, I'm super shocked Deceit hasn't come in yet, because he (and Thomas, and arguably Patton) is obviously regretting going to the wedding. I mean, Virgil's not coming in right away because of the reveal at the end of DWIT, but- hey where's Logan?! Logan and Deceit should both totally be here! *gasp* Except in the one on one episodes (Heart vs. Mind, My Negative Thinking, Logince; the argument) it's always primarily been the two sides that are featured with the others either not there or off-screen or making small cameos. But Deceit was and is an important part of this decision past, present, and going forward! 

Oooh, I like the Lee and Mary Lee backstory. Hm. Patton does bring good points, but. I still agree with- oh, Thomas just solidly saying no made me snort. Okay, so speaking of the coin bleeping, why the video games? I know there's more to come with it, how do they come into play? Oh okay metaphor. 

That was clearly not the good ending, Roman. Bringing up Is Thomas A Good Person again. OOH xylophone, is he a-comin'? Oh he's directly blaming Patton. Wow, Roman. 

A BAGEL?! Oh, game sssssssstore. Really? Frogger, Pat? 16 graphics. Oh there's the hotdogs. OH and there's the cloaked guy! Smashing our theories. That does not seem like Sondheim. 

The puns, oh my gosh, brilliant. Getting to the meat of them here. Gosh these graphics are fantastic. 6AM dull. 

Oh. Hm. Technically, he does not have to give him the 'dog. The building tension is fascinating. 

HI, LOGAN! Patton looking real uncomfortable at "regret." I mean, they all know they regret it now, right? Roman making fun of behoove, that's so funny, I have no idea why. Seriously, whoever's doing the art, I'm dying at Logan's expressions. Woah good thing viewers have the pause button. I'm all for not buying X-mas decorations. I'm doing my part, goyim. 

I'm counting "it's not like Kingdom Hearts" in lieu of that having been Organization XIII. Oh boy, Patton. Right thing vs. Feeling good vs. Feeling good about doing the right thing. This is falling apart. Patton's noise. 

BOOBS omg Deceit is Bowser. I love that painting in the background! Scutes! Time went from limited to being lost to poorly spent to wasted! I'm standing by the purple being Virgil. Fyi, in Judaism, doing a good thing for the wrong reasons doesn't matter, because you're still doing the good thing, even if it's just for the reward. There's a thing about it with Avraham and a King.

Roman's getting close to breaking. Reptilian rapscallian guy. And who's to say he can't be doing it for the reward and to help people? 

"... an individual's happiness and the amount of selfless acts…" that should be number, not amount, Logan! Can't judge good deeds only by how good you feel when you do them. 

Okay, here we go. How do we know what's Right? Killing and stealing is illegal everywhere, yes, Thomas, what are you doing, Thomas???

Oh my gosh, not the trolley problem. They're referring to Deceit as Denial and Roman as Passion! Oh gosh, that looks like Joan, Talyn, Dot, Valerie, and Terrence, and Leo by himself, maybe? Oh geez, I jolted. Logan index carding for trolley problem. 

Unus Annus is right, the trolley problem is stupid. Oh my gosh, Logan's giant wall of text physically pushing Patton back, I spit all over my screen. Skip All. 

Roman's… blaming himself? Oh!!! Are we getting Roman's insecure arc???!!! This is a complex issue, and Patton's having a hard time backing down, and everyone's feeling bad.

Scared?! I hear music! NO. Why is he scared, oh my gosh?????? That's not a tired metaphor. Oh! I've heard of hypoxia! It was hypothesized (and disproven) to be the reason for a specific Bermuda Triangle incident. 

Good point, Logan. Regarding theory and in the moment instincts. Remus mention with intrusive thoughts! Shocked that Logan is arguing for leisure time. Logan's self satisfied smirk at the self-sacrifice. GLITCHY! Oh he's a frog. Lilypadton. 

Oh my gosh I'm getting so stressed. Yes, thank you, Logan for the scream. I… don't. The conscientious comment. No, it's not. This seems… Deceit-y. IT IS! SHARP SIDE OH MY GOSH! Oh, he didn't rise up, he popped out in the freaking dialogue box, NO, FRICK IT WAS RIGHT THERE! And the Nietzsche and the specific examples that he used!!! I'm so angry! I DIDN'T THINK HE'D TAKE LOGAN'S PLACE AGAIN! I MISSED THE SIGNS! 

Hey guys, look, it's Deceit. Bull… frog. Lord of the lies. Oh! 8-bit Deceit theme. Okay, the first thing Deceit said about him not doing it on purpose was nice, but yeah, those words striking him is accurate. Yeesh, harsh. 

Is Patton eating his own words? Oh, uh, is anyone going to acknowledge he hit Thomas? Is that telling of the situation instead of just being a funny background event? 

The crick in Thomas's neck is so funny. SNAKES ON THE PLANE!!! ...Hm. Happy that he brought that up. Oh my gosh, Deceit's spluttering, he's like so bad at things sometimes, I love it. 

Logan! No, don’t do that, everybody appreciates you! Double curse? Pffffft, Logan. Deceit…definitely smiling at Logan's logic. Deceit is interesting here. Oh wow, yikes. He's really fascinating here. Legitimately complimentary? Oh, no, kind of not, maybe. Roman looks distressed.

"...Trees?" Roman's super pumped up. Good for him! Ha, his imitation. Deceit looking confused? Patton looking all sorts of things, I really think that Deceit is being genuine here- NAME?! I'D THIS HAPPENING? Why is he stripping? His, no, what does his glove have to do with his name? 

………. Janice? Did he say Jenus or Janice. It sounded like Janice. Deceit. No. Oh, burn, Roman. Damn, he almost got me. His name is not Janice. No. It's not. Don't even. Deceit was being so straight(ha)forward for the past couple of minutes. Awww, Roman. Insecurity addressing time? Wait, why is Deceit nodding at the hero thing? His lip is trembling, his voice is cracking and oh no! Roman just sank out.

Don't call him Janice, that's not his name. Oh he's being genuine again. Patton's talking about himself. WAIT WHAT. He had a five second cameo, omg. 

Yeah, those are the easier questions. No, Deceit, bad Deceit. Man, his facial expressions in this episode. Fractionally fiendish fibber. Oh, I like the reasons for Deceit being a part of him! That's… cute? Oddly cute, maybe. So, freaking how far in the future is the Asides? 

Stop calling him Janice, that's not his name. Oh, Deceit and Thomas bonding. That snort, oh my gosh. Oh, serious Deceit again! That reaction to "you're right" is oddly similar to that fake laugh at the end of Embarrassing Phases. 

………. Virgil's not here yet. His reveal isn't being addressed. Accepting Deceit. That's why he's so pissed at Patton in Asides. The next episode proper they're going to reveal that Deceit's accepted, more or less, and Patton was a big part of that, hugely changing his mind, that's why he's so pissed at him!!!

April 30th? Oh is this Lee and Mary Lee? I was wrong on the voices. Door-yelling! Hm. I mean. It's nice that they're acknowledging him, but I really don't think that sways the situation one way or another. Cute more background, and Thomas being awkward. They. This could have been instead of the wedding. Kingdom Hearts again! 

Oh hi, Patton and Deceit. He seems annoyed at the situation. Patton and Deceit bonding. Hi again, Leslie. Wild. 

This video really didn't go at all how I thought it would. Roman was barely miffed at Patton. Oh man, this was intense. I. Oh man. I need to process a lot. But I think we're on the right path, here. Janice is not his name!

Okay, I went on tumblr and two seconds in, I saw Janus, which I looked up and that makes way more sense. Another, more condensed post to follow. And several thousand reblogs.

[loreweaver-universe]

Oh, hey, an ask about streaming!

First: I have a long backlog of games I’d like to stream, actually!  Gifted games or games I acquired for myself but haven’t played.  I’m not very good at managing my own entertainment, heh.  I’ve put a hold on streaming PC games; mine is a four-year-old potato that was used when I got it, and it can barely handle streaming and playing at the same time--and DEFINITELY can’t handle recording alongside that.  When I stream PC games, I have to download the stream file from Twitch itself!  It’s never high-quality when I do that.  (Not to mention, my wired Xbox 360 controller is on its last legs, which means a lot of games I’m not comfortable streaming for that reason too.)

So, for now, I’m going to be streaming console games almost exclusively.  I have a ton of different consoles, but only a few can hook up to my terrible old Roxio, so I’m pretty much restricted to PS3, PS4, and Switch games at the moment.  I’m going to be doing the Black Eagles campaign of Fire Emblem: Three Houses eventually, now that I’ve completed Golden Deer, but I promised myself that I would stream a handful of games before then.  Here’s the current plan:

Cadence of Hyrule (Switch, completed)

Enter the Gungeon (PS4, completed; I tried it, it was cool, but I’m terrible at it and I wasn’t having a ton of fun being terrible or being terribly entertaining, so I’m shelving that after one stream, possibly to return later)

Steven Universe: Save the Light (PS4, ongoing)

Tales from the Borderlands (PS3; I’m mostly blind on it, though I know a little bit about Rhys’s story and that this is apparently where Scooter meets his fate)

Hollow Knight (Switch, borrowing from a friend; I’ve seen the final boss fight and a smattering of tidbits from around the game but have never played)

I may also play the Resident Evil 2 remake on PS4; I’m not blind on it at all, but I haven’t played it yet and I love Resident Evil.

After these, unless I find something else short I really want to do first, I’m going to stream Fire Emblem: Three Houses again (the aforementioned Black Eagles playthrough).  After that, I have options.  I have a ton of other games I’d love to stream just for these consoles.  I’m going to be streaming Persona 5 almost entirely blind at some point.  I have a copy of Nier that my friend Alana desperately wants me to play.  Just looking at the PS3 collection my buddy Eddie gave me, I also have the first two Dark Souls games, Witch and the Hundred Knight, Dragon Age: Inquisition (though I never finished Dragon Age Oranges), and The Evil Within.  There’s also a couple titles that I know absolutely zilch about and may not wind up being good stream games for me but that I’ve heard are very good, such as Hyperdimension Neptunia, Cross Edge, and Dragon’s Dogma.  (I also have Eddie’s copy of Kingdom Hearts 3 sitting on my PS4 pile, but I don’t know when I’ll bother with THAT.)  I also have Breath of the Wild for Switch, so that’d be fun.

What are my preferred game genres?  I like RPGs.  I like horror games.  I like games that focus on story.  I like Metroid games, though I’ve only played a couple Metroidvanias outside of that series.  I used to be really good at Guitar Hero.  As for games I’d definitely never stream, I have a hard time answering that question.  It’s too broad; probably never something like Call of Duty, unless I was playing Zombies for a few hours with friends, that would have been fun.

For streams, I think I want to focus on games that have A Playthrough--Enter the Gungeon was fun, but it was the same thing over and over with some small variations.  Roguelikes are probably out as a result.  Cadence of Hyrule, while it’s probably endlessly replayable, will probably only have an Octavo mode playthrough, if that; I completed the story, so while the game is fun, I feel like there’s very little for me to react to.  Give me something with a story; that’s the best stream for me, I think.  Of course, if a lot of people want me to replay something like Gungeon, speak up!  If there’s an overwhelming desire for me to play games just to watch me play instead of watching me react, I can try that, but I don’t feel like that’s my strong suit when it comes to making content.

As far as recommending games, you’re certainly welcome to, but the backlog of games I want to play is so espansive that unless something insanely attractive comes out (like the Resident Evil 3 remake that’s coming this year) it probably won’t be done anytime soon.  You’re welcome to join the community Discord server to talk about it, though!

Anyways, I hope this wall of text was informative!  If you guys have any more questions about me streaming, feel free to ask!

[yo-its-matt]

Its time for you to tell us how you began to love ape escape because i too loved that game -elephant anon 🐘

When I was super young I kinda just followed what my older brother did because he was like.. the coolest to me?? My dad was always too preoccupied with work/sleeping to spend quality time with me or influence me (for better or worse) and the rest of my family were women, so really my only male role model was my brother.He was always super into games and comics, I grew up playing his hand-me-down Gameboy Color and Gameboy Advance titles, watching him play stuff on our PS2 and occasionally joining!Most of what we had were Crash Nitro Kart, Burnout: Takedown, Burnout 3, Star Wars: Battlefront (1&2), Soul Calibur, Gauntlet, Marvelous Maestro, Mr. Misquito, Amplitude, Guitar Hero, Eyetoy Play, Sonic Mega Collection, Sonic Heroes, Kingdom Hearts..... Etc etcOne of my favorite games we all shared though was Ape Escape 2 (as well as Ape Escape 3)!!! We played a lot of games alone as well as together, but that was the first game I watched my brother play through the whole way through like every day after school.Not just that, but both 2 & 3 have a ton of charm! While I never played 1, I've seen footage of it and it seems reeeeeally dated, 2 feels like a much more polished version and has a real fun and engaging story!3 particularly has a lot of flair and a lot to appreciate about the worlds (essentially each one is themed after television archetypes), and also adds a costume/superpower feature to it along with the classic gadgets!!So ye, I have a close connection to it and they're really fun games!!!

[stephicness]

This or That Question Chain :: Tag Game

Tagged by @lisspeed! Here we go!

Da Rules: Answer all of the questions, add one question of your own at the end, and then tag as many people as there are questions!

1. Coke or Pepsi? Pepsi. It’s sweeter and it doesn’t leave as much of a gritty taste in your mouth afterwards.

2. Disney or Dreamworks?   Disney’s more popular, but I really enjoy the stories Dreamworks tells more, especially in classics like Sinbad, The Road to El Dorado, and The Prince of Egypt.

3. Coffee or Tea? Neither…? But I drink tea when I sick, so maybe that…? Making all of the Solas tea-faces when I drink it.

4. Books or Movies? I wish I could read books more, but I tend to watch movies more. Ironically, I don’t have the patience for either of them. Not as much as I’d like, at least.

5. Windows or Mac? Windows.

6. DC or Marvel? I can take appreciation from each. But I tend to follow more of the Marvel Universe more.

7. Xbox or Playstation? Both is good. But I found myself playing on the Xbox more.

8. Dragon Age or Mass Effect? Why are you making me choose? I adore both games, but I’m bigger Dragon Age buff than I am a Mass Effect one.

9. Night Owl or Early Riser? Both… I can’t sleep in beyond 10 AM anymore, nor can I sleep before midnight.

10. Cards or Chess? Cards. Chess is fun, but a bit too slow for me.

11. Chocolate or Vanilla? Both! At once! In a soft-serve swirl!

12. Vans or Converse? Vans.

13. Lavellan, Trevelyan, Cadash, or Adaar? Lavellan. Love me those elves, man~

14. Paragon or Renegade? Paragon. It hurts my heart playing through a renegade route…!

15. Star Wars or Star Trek? Star Wars. I’m a bit put-off about Star Trek because I don’t like fandoms/trends being shoved down my throat and all, though the newer movies are really good. I enjoyed the recent films!

16. One episode per week or binge watch? Binge. I like to be patient, but I just can’t. slkjerls

17. Gandalf or Obi-Wan? Obi-Wan Kenobi.

18. Heroes or Villains? Villains.

19. John Williams or Hans Zimmer? Ooh this is a toughie… Hm… I’mma go with John Williams. C: That Star Wars soundtrack is just too good.

20. Disneyland/World or Six Flags? Disney, probably. I feel like it’s a little bit more sentimental to me than Six Flags.

21. Forest or Sea? Neither…? Both are really scary to me, to be honest. It’s kind of unsettling to think about either of them.

22. Flying or Reading Minds? Reading Minds. Because then I can finally figure out what the heck I’m doing wrong to make people hate me~ :D

23. Twin Peaks or Northern Exposure? I heard Twin Peaks is really good! I thought about trying to watch it, but my attention span is… Well, very feeble.

24. Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings? Lord of the Rings. I’m unfortunately not as big of a Harry Potter fan as I’d like to be. v.v

25. You’re banished to a deserted island, which Benedict Cumberbatch character would you choose to take with you? Doctor Strange would be pretty nifty to have. He can help me, ya know, not be banished…?

26. Train or cruise ship? Train. I can’t imagine being on a ship – especially when I get god-awful motion sickness as it is. xCx

27. Brian Cox or Neil deGrasse Tyson? Tyson. I saw some of his tweets and stuff before and I feel as if I can relate spiritually to that man.

28. Art museum or science museum? Art Museum! Oh, how I wouldn’t give to be able to see some of the artists I’ve learned about’s works in person! If I saw a Georges Mattieu or Kehinde Wiley piece in person, I’d die of happiness!

29. Irish Pub or Night Club? Night Club probably. I should really make time to visit both types at some point.

30. Aang or Korra? I’m a little biased because I really enjoyed the Legend of Korra a lot – even if I love the original Avatar: The Last Airbender. But Korra’s character is one that I just fell in love with~

31. Swimming in a pool or lake? Neither again…? I’m a little put-off when it comes to swimming, to be honest. And large bodies of water in general. They’re really scary to me.

32. Classic music or classic literature? Classic literature. Lord of the Flies, Animal Farm, To Kill a Mockingbird, Treasure Island…! I love those tales. qCq They bring back so many amazing memories…! Except The Grapes of Wrath. That book can go screw itself. >:c

33. Oxford comma or no oxford comma? The what…? *googles* …There’s literally an argument about this? Pro-Oxford Comma! >:C

34. Digital or Paper book? Paper.

35. Rainy or Sunny days? Sunny Days. I get so bummed out when it rains. D: It’s terrible.

36. Fantasy or Science Fiction? Fantasy.

37. Flowers or Succulents ? Flowers.

38. Berestain or Berestein? Berestein. Because the other I keep misreading as ‘Beer-stain.’

39. Jazz or Blues? Blues.

40.  Love at First Sight Trope or Friends to Lovers Trope? I’ll raise you one: love at first sight to friends to lovers! A HEALTHY GROWING RELATIONSHIP DYNAMIC BECAUSE BOTH OF THEM NEED TO LEARN ABOUT EACH OTHER MORE AND BECOME BEST FRIENDS BEFORE THEY CAN BECOME LOVERS!

41. Taking care or being taken care of? I wanna take care of people, but it seems like I’ve become enough of a wreck that I always need to be taken care of. ouo;;

42. Final Fantasy or Kingdom Hearts? Can’t I pick both…? *sigh* I feel like Final Fantasy is more of my forte now, but Kingdom Hearts was the game that started it all!

43. Air Guitar or Air Drums? Me personally, I like doing the air drums more.

Um… I don’t really know how to tag…

Oh! *points* @itshaejinju. :D You do it.

[musicboxmemories]

Tagged by the lovely @landsmanwashere -- thank ya, thank ya! <3

Rules: Answer all questions, add one question of your own and then tag as many people as there are questions.

Coke or Pepsi: I like both, but since my family tends to buy Coke products, I’ve gotta go with that, I guess.

Disney or Dreamworks:  I’m forever loyal to my childhood faves (Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, etc. etc.), sooo Disney! :) Though Dreamworks has some goodies too, like Shrek.

Coffee or tea: Pffft, neither. I’ve tried coffee five different times (somehow, I thought I’d like it if I tried it again lol), and I just can’t do it. FINALLY. A VICE I DO NOT HAVE. And tea tastes like weak piss (not that I know what piss tastes like), so no thanks. I’m a southerner who hates tea -- WE DO EXIST.

Books or movies: Both! I love books/the whole magic of creating an entire world in your head, but movies can be visually stunning/knock me in the feels with their soundtracks.

Windows or Mac: Uhhh, Sony Vaio. ;) Sorry, but I don’t have an allegiance to any type of laptop/computer other than that.

DC or Marvel: I love Batman and Spider-man, so I’m happily batting for both teams. Though I was more of a Batman fangirl growing up, for sure. BTAS IS THE BEST. <3

Xbox or Playstation: I’ve never played XBox, so Playstation. :) Though I was the loser who used mine to play Guitar Hero and Rock Band. And Kingdom Hearts. <3

Dragon Age or Mass Effect: I’ve never played either of those, but my brother’s played Mass Effect, so? Idk. I guess that? Don’t really care, ahem.

Night owl or early riser: Night owl for sure. My brain is always like “LOL YOU WANT SLEEP?? BITCH, YOU THOUGHT. IT’S TIME TO WRITE!!!” I literally have inspiration at like 3 a.m., and it sucks rubber donkey wangs.

Cards or Chess: Cards.  I played both growing up, so I don’t really have a favorite? Both were fun...though I think I’m better at chess since I can’t remember how to play cards. lol I’ve written two or three strip poker fics, and I had to google the directions. x3

Chocolate or vanilla: Choooocolaaaaate. I’ve tried some amazing vanilla ice cream in my day (lol I sound like I’m 90), but chocolate’s great for just about anything.

Vans or Converse: Don’t care, tbh, because I’ve never owned a pair of either. Converse are better looking though, IMO. Vans look like milk cartons strapped on people’s feet. lol

Lavellan, Trevelyan, Cadash or Adaar: Am I supposed to know who these people are?? Have I missed the latest trend?? HAS IT FINALLY HAPPENED?? AM I TOO OLD FOR THE INTERNET?!

Paragon or Renegade: That first one sounds kind of like paramour, which I do not have, so...Idk. LOL

Star Wars or Star Trek: Neither, though I guess Star Wars is more accessible.

One episode per week or binge watching:  Binge, cuz I go crazy waiting for my faves. Even though my connection is crap at home, so it doesn’t work out so well. My binges are like 2 eps. lol

Gandalf or Obi-Wan? Obi-Wan, cuz I don’t care for fantasy/LotR. *hides*

Heroes or Villains? Depends, tbh. I love heroes like Batman/Spidey, but villains tend to be my ultimate faves, like the Joker. :) And I’m a huge shipper of villain x heroine. My last fandom royally undid that trend, cuz I don’t tend to ship “good” people together all that often. 

John Williams or Hans Zimmer? Mannn, both are so good! I LOVE The Dark Knight soundtrack, which is by Hans, so I guess him? Though John Williams composed Jaws and some other great stuff, and I have the soundtracks for both, so *flails* 

Disneyland/Disney World or Six Flags? Uhhh, I prefer Universal Studios, though Disney’s alright. Six Flags was dirty and gross when I went (once).

Forest or sea ? Both! Though I tend to go to the sea more often than woodland areas (discounting the woods by my house, of course).

Flying or reading minds? LOL At first I read this as “flying minds or reading minds,” and was super confused. Fabulous. I guess I’d like to read minds, because then I could tell if people were lying to me. But then that could also lead to emotional angst, so eh.

Twin Peaks or Northern Exposure? Idk what Northern Exposure is, and I do really like Laura Palmer and Dale Cooper, so Twin Peaks. :3

My question:  Which show that’s no longer on the air do you wish was still around/in syndication? My answer’s Moonlighting (drama) and The Golden Girls (comedy).

Tagging: @perilousgard @between-mads-and-hugh @bundyshoes @grimmsfairytalegirl @attheexactlyrighttimeandplace @vulnavia @rjrhetoric @cosmichemist @ourladyoflazarus @alicedescends and anyone else who wants to do the thing! :)

[writin-bout-games-blog]

Goty 2k18

Here are the best games I played in 2018; honorable mentions are for either games I played this year that released outside of 2018 or remasters that don’t count.

Honorable Mentions: 

Hollow Knight (PS4/Xbox One/Switch/PC) - I didn’t play this 2017 release until the Switch version this year, but it’s the best game I played in 2018, and maybe the best Metroidvania I’ve ever played as well. It has a bit of a slow start in terms of seeing new areas and gaining new abilities, but stick with it and it becomes one of the most rewarding games I’ve ever experienced.

Yakuza 0 (PS4/PC) - Narrative oriented games have never been my bag, but I’ve rarely felt this invested in a story in any medium. The characters are immediately memorable, at once both over the top caricatures of goofy hyper masculinity and oddly thoughtful yakuza members concerned with their community and just being human. I’ve never seen a story so masterfully jump back and forth between overwrought anime nonsense and down to earth character beats, all while retaining its unique sense of self. It’s a lovable soap opera starring handsome criminal boys with hearts of gold, and shouldn’t be missed by anyone.

Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana (PS4/Switch/PS Vita) - This series has been around for decades, and I never gave it a glance until I heard a bit of the soundtrack for this entry. It lacks polish and has a pretty simplistic combat system, at least on the default difficulty setting, but it’s one of the most interesting JRPGs I’ve ever played, as the entire game takes place on a deserted island after a ship is destroyed by a kraken-esque creature. Oh, and the aforementioned soundtrack is absolutely delightful, with cheesy electric guitars around every corner. It’s the perfect game to unwind with before bed on your Switch.

Katamari Damacy Reroll (Switch/PC) - It wouldn’t be fair for the best game of 2004 to also be the best game of 2018, so it’s been excluded here. But make no mistake, this is the best purchase you can make this year.

Actual games of the year:

12. Far: Lone Sails (PC) - I fucking love games where you operate a large vessel by controlling a small character inside of it. I’m not sure how to describe this type of sub-genre, but Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime and Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime are the only other examples I know of. And while those are fast, goofy, frenetic and colorful experiences, Lone Sails takes the concept and applies it to a linear, artsy indie game. And it turns out, making one of “those” indie games and coupling it with a fun and relatively unexplored gameplay conceit makes for an extremely memorable experience; the first time my train-shuttle-car-thingie reached full speed as I perfectly managed my fuel, steam and acceleration is something that’s stuck with me all year. The only thing keeping this game from rising higher up this list is that I think it’s painfully short at around 2 hours long, and I say that as someone that loves shorter experiences. A more fully fleshed out sequel or spiritual successor has the potential to be considered an all-time great.

11. Donut County (PS4/Xbox One/Switch/PC/iOS) - The soundtrack for this game alone is clever enough to deserve a spot on this list, honestly. And clever is the best word to describe Donut County as a (w)hole. Having not heard pretty much anything about the game going in besides general good word of mouth, I was genuinely stunned as I realized the entire game was nothing but moving a hole around and growing bigger as I sucked up objects in a stylized world. In all respects, this game feels like the western equivalent of Katamari Damacy, though there are probably some poignant think pieces to be written comparing Katamari’s building with Donut County’s destruction. Regardless, Donut County is delightful. The humor may not be for everyone (I personally loved how accurately the dialogue captures the tone of texts between 20-somethings), but there’s something for everyone to enjoy here.

10. God of War (PS4) - God of War is interesting. It feels like a mish mash of pretty much all the non-shooter related hot trends in video games right now, and yet doesn’t really excel at any of them. The story’s fine, though I think both Spider-Man and Red Dead Redemption 2 told far more nuanced and interesting ones this year in the western-developed AAA space. The combat feels great for the first couple of hours, and BOY DOES THROWING THAT AXE AND RECALLING IT FEEL AMAZING, but encounters aren’t really changed up at all past the halfway point of the game, and the combat in general feels like it’s shown you its entire hand within a couple of hours. And yet, everything about the game is so memorable. From punching indestructible gods through mountains in the first 15 minutes of the game to hanging out with a sardonic decapitated head, I feel like this is the most I’ve thought about an action game after completion besides Bloodborne. It doesn’t hurt that this might be the best looking game I’ve ever seen, either. It might just be the meatloaf and mashed potatoes of video games, but it’s some pretty damn good meatloaf.

9. Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom (PS4/Xbox One/Switch/PC later) - There are plenty of sidescrolling indie metroidvania throwbacks these days. Oddly, there’s also been a fair few games in the oft overlooked Wonder Boy vein lately, the series Monster Boy belongs to. There aren’t a lot of downright pleasant games made in this style lately though, and pleasant is the perfect word to describe the time spent exploring this game. The visuals are absolutely gorgeous, the soundtrack is second only to Celeste this year, and the game somehow manages to feel like playing a Master System game without all of the drawbacks a statement like that would normally entail. What holds this game back from true greatness for me is that some of the later dungeon and boss designs are remarkably unclear in their progression, mostly the haunted mansion area. That said, these are relatively small complaints in a surprisingly large adventure, and the different animal abilities are truly brilliant. Monster Boy occupies the same space for me as last year’s truly incredible SteamWorld Dig 2, and if that doesn’t sell you on the game then nothing will.

8. Yakuza Kiwami 2 (PS4) - Everything stated above in the Honorable Mentions section applies here; Yakuza is a series about lovable handsome crime boys playing the role of boy scouts in their community, if the boy scouts kicked motorcycles at bad guys. I will say that Kiwami 2 never approaches the pure brilliance that was Yakuza 0, but most of that can largely be attributed to the fact that this game is a remake of a 12-year-old video game from two console generations ago. And don’t let that statement deter you; the story is as engaging as ever, and Kiwami 2 also shares with 0 the most fun game within a game I’ve ever played - the cabaret club management sim, which tasks you with recruiting hostesses to take on an evil circuit of club owners in a tournament of taking money from lonely Japanese businessmen. It’s as absurd as it sounds, and far more engaging than it seems, which kind of summarizes the series as a whole. My only caveat with this entry is that I would consider it absolutely crucial to play through 0 and Kiwami 1 before this, as there are some emotional seeds planted in those two games that come to tear-jerking fruition here.

7. Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of An Elusive Age (PS4/PC/Switch later) - With the sales and reception of both this and Octopath Traveler, 2018 seems like the year in which throwback JRPGs came into vogue, and I couldn’t be happier about it. I grew up loving the genre, but post high school my love largely faded for any of them that weren’t Pokemon or Mario adjacent. While I still think there’s a lot of self reflection for the genre to accomplish that Dragon Quest is existentially incapable of doing (as its own design and fandom have prevented it from making any meaningful mechanical progression in decades), DQ11 succeeds in that it’s just a really fantastic video game. Its story is always captivating and repeatedly goes in directions I never expected. Its characters are simple and painted in broad strokes (I mean that in the best way possible) while remaining some of the best written and most engaging party members I’ve ever encountered. And its battle system is oldschool, somewhat archaic and even punishing without ever feeling unfair, and it has just enough new mechanics to constantly give the player a wider swath of options than the series has ever had before without relinquishing the series trademark simplicity. It’s the most I’ve enjoyed a tradition JRPG since Chrono Trigger, and I was never once bored in my 70+ hours of playtime. Really, the only complaint I can level against the game is that the series composer is a monstrous piece of homophobic trash that deserves to be launched into a brick wall via trebuchet.

6. Mega Man 11 (PS4/Xbox One/Switch/PC) - Who would have imagined that a new Mega Man game under contemporary Capcom could end up being great? The soundtrack is extremely disappointing and the Wily stages are a series lowpoint (especially when compared to the previous two Mega Man games), but everything else in this game is operating at heights the series has never previously achieved. The mark of a good Mega Man game is how versatile the robot master’s weapons are within the actual platforming segments, and 11’s level and enemy design are completely built around using these weapons and the new double gear system as well, which allows a player to increase their firepower or slow down time at will. Every ability is not only useful but fun to use as well, even the obligatory shield weapon. Much like what last year’s Sonic Mania did for Sonic, there has never been a better time to try out Mega Man.

5. Call of Duty Black Ops 4: Blackout (PS4/Xbox One/PC) - The way in which the battle royale genre has overtaken video games is remarkable, though not as remarkable as the fact that a Call of Duty game is being included on one of my game of the year lists. I could go deep into how Blackout feels like a best-of compilation for the genre, or how remarkable it is that it retains the goofy, unpredictable nature of PUBG while actually feeling like a polished video game. But what’s most notable about the game for me is just how much fun I’ve had playing it with my friends. Video games mean a lot to me, and having a game in which our party chat can go from discussing poor life choices made by people we know to yelping as shots soar over our head as quickly as it takes for an armored truck to appear outside the house we’re hiding inside of is something truly special, and it’s something I’ve only encountered with this genre of games. Blackout may not add much of its own flavor to battle royale, and what little is there (the perk system and zombies) feels either broken or weirdly inconsequential. But sometimes, a less broken game with a slightly faster pace is all you need to become the most playable game of the genre, as well as the most I’ve ever enjoyed a multiplayer console shooter.

4. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Switch) - Smash is my all-time favorite multiplayer series, so the biggest character, stage and music roster to date makes this entry a no-brainer. I mean, I could spend multiple paragraphs absolutely gushing about how excited I am for all of the love the Castlevania series (another all-time favorite video game franchise) has received here alone. And that’s kind of the point. From Isabelle’s accidental murder sprees to K. Rool’s big belly rude boy moveset to Kirby sporting a beard after eating Solid Snake, with Ultimate it feels like nearly anyone that has ever played a video game can find something within that brings a smile to their face. And this is to say nothing of the over 1200(!) “spirits” in the game, all referencing even smaller and more obscure video game things. Will the game have an interesting competitive scene? I think so; I’m no pro, but the game feels so much better to me than any game in the series post Melee. Only time will tell how fun of a tournament game Ultimate ends up being, but as a celebration of the medium as a whole, this is a love letter to nearly all corners of the industry, no matter how niche. And that’s where my love of Super Smash Bros. has always stemmed from - its unflinching love and celebration of the things in my life that I love and want to celebrate. Plus, there’s Castlevania stuff in this one.

3. Tetris Effect (PS4) - Positivity in my life has been in short supply the past couple of years. To be more straightforward, the world has been an absolute fucking nuclear wasteland of hopelessness for the past couple of years. Hell, there’s an argument to be made that it’s been on this level for a while, and it’s my privilege that has prevented me from seeing that, which is even worse. My eyes have been opened, they cannot be closed, and while part of me wishes they could be, most of me can only stare with a grim sense of foreboding and wonder where the hell we’re going and how we fix all of this. So, Tetris then.

Tetris is simple and Tetris can be overwhelming. Add psychedelic visuals, spac- Enya-world music and the option to experience it all in virtual reality, and you have something simple, something overwhelming, and something oddly powerful. To say I had an emotional response to Tetris Effect is an oversimplification. Losing myself inside of my VR headset to clearing lines while dolphins made of light surrounded and splashed around me was beautiful, ridiculous, cheesy and, somehow, empowering. I’m under no illusion that the world is going to get better  while I hide inside, literally blind to everything going on around me, and no one should be. But the best art never was able to save us; it reminds us of what there is to lose and why the things we love are worth fighting for while also giving us the strength to do so. This sounds like a lot for what basically amounts to Tetris with cool music and visualizers, and I get that. But while writing and editing this piece, not only do I not feel like any of this has been hyperbolic per my experiences, re-reading my own words really just makes me want to play some more damn Tetris Effect.

2. Celeste (PS4/Xbox One/Switch/PC) - If Tetris Effect is your overly positive friend that can seemingly never be brought down by anything, Celeste is the friend that’s been through more than you could ever imagine and came out through the other side a better person, and not only knows you can as well, but actively pushes you to be the best you can be. This is both narratively true, as the surprisingly great story deals with depression and self-loathing and overcoming anxiety, but also what the game beats into you through your own act of playing it. Well, “beats into you” might be putting it lightly; “gently yet forcefully stabbing into you” is a bit more accurate. Yes, the game is an unbelievably hard platformer (at least on the B and C side levels), and it does take a lot of inspiration in its design from fellow platformer classic Super Meat Boy. But while Meat Boy makes your repeated deaths part of the punchline, Celeste prefers those failures to be recontextualized as experiences to be learned from. “You’re going to beat this level, and you’re going to beat this game. Just keep trying.” is what Celeste wants you to take from its harsh design. And maybe that kind of motivation doesn’t work for everyone, but the people that stick with the game found what will go down as one of the all-time greats in the genre, and certainly one of the best games of the decade.

Oh, and the soundtrack is fucking incredible too.

1. Monster Hunter World (PS4/Xbox One/PC) and Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate (Switch) - I knew something special was happening when I saw multiple Playstation friends who usually only play Call of Duty and sports games devoting dozens (or even hundreds) of hours to Monster Hunter World this year. I was skeptical, having tried to get into the series previously on the 3DS, but something just clicked this time that hadn’t before, and soon I was farming Nergigantes for entire evenings. The game was full of nothing but memorable moments, but realizing for the first time how the insect glaive worked and flipping through the air whacking a giant electric flying squirrel as we were both being chased by a fire breathing t-rex was the most out of control I’ve ever felt playing a video game while simultaneously being the coolest thing I’ve ever done in a video game. And to revisit that same scenario over a hundred hours later, armed with the knowledge that only experience can give of how to actually control my insect glaive flips, was one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever had. All of the knowledge gained from World was then taken to MHGU on the Switch later this year, where my girlfriend and I put over 200 hours in and still have not seen all of the content within. If two grown adults sitting in a hotel room and screaming with delight when they see how cool the weapons they can forge from hunting a bubble dragon are isn’t an indication that their families should seek help, it means that Monster Hunter is pretty great.

So which game is better? My heart of hearts tells me World wins out by an inch for its extremely intelligent streamlined design and accessibility, but MHGU has dozens and dozens (and dozens and dozens) of different monsters to hunt and hundreds of weapons and armor sets to choose from, and having a full blown Monster Hunter on a portable with a decent screen and dual analog sticks is a great argument for the Switch entry. Really though, it doesn’t matter; these are both amazing games, and I wanted to give them both their due without using two slots. If weirdos on your friends list you haven’t talked to since high school who usually only buy FIFA can fall in love with Monhun, so can you.

[theworstbob]

the thing journal: 30 july 2017 - 12 august 2017

the pop culture things i took in over the last two weeks (because i was busy last week). in this post: faces and sounds, catch me, superstore, me. i am mariah... the elusive chanteuse, crazy heart, platinum, cocksure, the obsessives, okja, golden, if you wait, nervous system, moana, right thoughts right words right action, who told you to think??!!?!?!?!, the incredible jessica james, moonrise kingdom, and unbreakable kimmy schmidt

1) Faces and Sounds, by Pete Holmes: Faces and Sounds is such a good name for a Pete Holmes album. Like, if you were to read a transcript of a Pete Holmes set, it would obviously still be very funny, but it wouldn't seem like one of the best things in the world. But when the material is paired with Pete Holmes' boundless exuberance, it's one of the most distinct comic experiences of all time, like Pete Holmes is one of maybe three people I could imagine both wanting and being able to pull off a joke about Enrique Iglesias in 2017 because he can sell you on the idea that he's a man who is enjoying the fuck outta some Enrique Iglesias in 2017. Pete Holmes is a nice boy who likes to say fun words!

2) Catch Me, by Maggie Baugh: So I was sick last week, so I missed a Thing Journal, and now I'm here, and I'm looking at this pop/country album I listened to, at this point, exactly two weeks ago, and I'm trying to figure out something I remember about it, but all I can remember from this album is thinking, "This is an acceptable way to background 38 minutes." It's a fun time, but it's not particularly memorable, there's no strong character to any of the songs, nothing that suggests any strong desire to rise above the level of "#16 country radio airplay single."

3) Superstore (s2), cr. Justin Spitzer: And it's kind of the same thing with this sitcom! This is significantly more memorable than Catch Me -- the romance between Wheels and Lauren Ash is one of the single-greatest romances in history, every interaction those two shared made me happy forever, and it's worth noting that the show knows the perfect amount of usage it can squeeze from the teen mom's husband's character, but it is very much A Sitcom, something that's gonna be really fun for the seven hours it'll take to watch it (slash have it on in the background during Zelda times) but isn't going to make an effort to rise out of the B+ range. It's a good show, recommended if you're looking for something to enjoy, but not if you're looking for something to sink into, if that makes any sense.

4) Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse, by Mariah Carey: Her. She is Mariah... The elusive chanteuse.

5) Crazy Heart, dir. Scott Cooper: I'm not sure how long I would've made it into this movie were it not for Jeff Bridges and the promise of more T. Bone Burnett. It makes me angry that T. Bone Burnett's wastebasket is filled with songs a million times better than anything I could ever write, and Jeff Bridges adds layers of depth to a character that doesn't really deserve his performance. Like, here's my main gripe: this movie is about a self-destructive person, right? But this movie chooses to depict the dad he destroyed, you see him interacting with Buddy and Maggie Gyllenhaal and think he could've been a wonderful husband if it weren't for that damn ALCOHOL, when a much more unique movie would've been the movie just at the edges, about how he destroyed Bad Blake. Like, imagine Bad Blake watching Scoggin' Billiam or Walker Wheeler or whatever ponytail's name wasperform the best song he ever written and knowing that Scoggin' Billiam could never do it justice, that Bad Blake kept Bad Blake from enjoying a career-defining hit and has to settle for royalty checks, that's a way cooler movie about what art means and the things we do to chase dreams and how we get in our own ways, it's a way cooler movie than "man loses woman and decides it's time he gets right." Like, it's a movie about a musician that doesn't have any music after the forty-five minute mark. That's dumb.

6) Platinum, by Miranda Lambert: So with this album, Project 2014 was completed, I caught up on all the 2014 releases I think I want to listen to (though I'm sure we'll find more at some point), and I am free to move on to 2013. This is one of the better Miranda Lambert albums, and it hit all the Miranda Lambert buttons, songs about being a pissed-off ex, songs about people understimating attractive women, standard country songs about being proud of small-town upbringings, it's all there. I feel like there's five album reviews from last week and all of them are some variation on "it was good," and I'd like to say I tried my best but I'm not sure that I did? Like you can probably tell that this was the last capsule I wrote, there's gotta be some air of "if I can say three sentences about this album I will be at last free."

7) Cocksure, by Laura Stevenson: Of all the female singer/songwriters I've heard about from checking Dan Campbell's Twitter feed, I think I like this one the most, simply because she's plugged in as hell. This album just rocks. I wish I hadn't gotten sick over the weekend and had written this capsule after listening to it twice in one day, when all the songs were fresh in my mind and I could have called out some specific lyrics, but bad as I am at listening, I still remember that this album is a joy, and I'm very much looking forward to hearing more from this person.

8) The Obsessives: THIS WAS A GOOD ALBUM BY A PUNK-LEANING BAND AND I ENJOYED IT AND GODDAMNIT WHY DON'T I EVER REMEMBER ANYTHING, I SAID I WAS GONNA WRITE STUFF DOWN AND I DIDN'T AND NOW I'M HERE YET AGAIN, WAY TO GO ME like I've been at this post for three hours and I can come up with things but i just, ugh, i'm bad at listening

9) Okja, dir. Bong Joon-ho: One of the things about Netflix as a production entity is that it seems to be staying out of the creators' way as they try to make their thing. It's giving people creative and financial freedom, provided they can make something lucrative for Netflix. And if the upshot is more movies like this, where high production values are being paired with thematic complexity and brutal endings, I'm for it. Like, this is a bold, devastating ending. (Turning spoilers on!) The corporation is the winner. The girl gets her pig back, but she's also going back to the farm knowing the horrors that occur behind the scenes, having seen the grotesqueries the corporation deemed not good enough for the cameras. The environmentalists get arrested, and the corporation gets a gold pig that's probably worth more than they were going to make off the meat the pig was going to produce, as well as continue to kill pigs. The machine keeps churning, and all a regular person can hope for is the chance to be afforded a small, personal victory. Not a lot of filmmakers would have been willing to go there, and not a lot of studios would have been willing to let them explore that place.

10) Golden, by Romeo Santos: I don't speak Spanish, so I'm not gonna pretend I have anything truly substantive to say, but one thing I'd like to point out is, the instrumentation on this record is something I never hear. Like, because I don't listen to Spanish-language stuff, I don't hear guitars played the way they are on this record, so even if I have no idea what this album is about (I'm assuming it's about how good Romeo Santos is at horny), I can still get some value out of hearing a new way to play music. Like, I can't remember if I brought this up when I watched the Finnish film The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Maki, but in that film, there's a scene where a bunch of the boxers have a naked splash fight in the locker room. That scene either doesn't happen in American film, or happens as a joke, like, "Look at these silly boys having an effeminate fun time!" But with the Finnish movie, they're just like, "Yeah. Sometimes men have naked locker room splash parties. It's fun to have fun," and they move on, and it's cool to see how other cultures treat that sort of thing.

11a) If You Wait, by London Grammar: This isn't a full album, or at least I wouldn't consider an album featuring a live performance from The X Factor to be a complete artistic vision, so I'm not counting it as a full thing. I did enjoy hearing the undeveloped version of the ban I so enjoyed on Truth Is a Beautiful Thing, hearing some of the ideas they had for their sound, hearing things that they would eventually drop, I dunno, this might just be because I like introductions, but it's fun to revisit debut albums well after the fact. ...Except The Wonder Years' Get Stoked On It! The Wonder Years is my favorite band, but I don't know if I'll ever be ready to hear what Get Stoked On It! sounds like. Anyway, London Grammar, they're really dope. I'm not gonna go back and see if I compared them to the Parks & Rec scene where Tom is confused at how the shapes make him feel things, but that's how London Grammar makes me feel. I have to figure out these shapes!

11b) Nervous System, by Julia Michaels: So let's also bring this up, because Julia Michaels is an awesome songwriter and most of these seven songs are good and I can't wait for a full album, true YAS hero Julia Michaels, but also, "There's no innuendo/It's exactly what you think/Believe me when I tell you/He loves the color pink." I mean. You can? I would never tell you you can't. I'm just not. You can! I'm not.

12) Moana, dir. John Musker & Ron Clements: This would be one of the best Disney movies if they had cast an actual actor instead of The Rock. He gives a very enthusiastic performance, it's clear The Rock is trying his best, but it is equally clear that The Rock is not a voice actor, nor should he have been asked to be a voice actor. Like, there's probably a cooler movie here where Moana ends up having to fight both the volcano monster and Maui at the same time, where Maui reveals he was never more than a selfish jerk and Moana has to push herself to overcome Maui's selfishness to restore order and go as far as she can, but because The Rock isn't capable of nuanced vocal performance, it's kind of a standard buddy comedy with a few highlights ("Shiny" best song, I can't believe Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote a top-tier Flight of the Conchords joint) and Alan Tudyk giving an Oscar-worthy performance (I can't tell if it's funnier if they just used real chicken noises and gave Alan Tudyk a credit for the chicken or if Alan Tudyk was actually in a recording studio making chicken noises for thirty minutes) but not enough meat for this 28-year-old man to be satisfied with a children's movie. Um, know your audience, maybe?

13) Right Thouhgts, Right Words, Right Action, by Franz Ferdinand: Franz Ferdinand could make this exact album a thousand more times and I would love it a thousand more times. This music is my happy place, which means Franz Ferdinand has achieved their goal.

14) Who Told You to Think??!!?!?!?!, by Milo: I had to look up whether or not whether or not the Link to the Past boss Arrghus was named after some mythical figure or another because I heard some line like "Argus with a hundred eyes" and needed to confirm if I was giving this guy a shout-out for the first Link to the Past reference in a rap song I've ever heard. Truns out: it is! So that's one special thing about this album, how it's so densely laden with references that you sort of need to have a reference guide handy just to keep up, to catch everything this dude is saying, something which warrants multiple, attentive listens, which, pffft, who the fuck got time for that? So I probably haven't explored this record fully with one bus listen, but I'm excited to get in there again at some point.

15) The Incredible Jessica James, dir. James C. Strouse: There's a way to make a thing about what it's like to be an Artist in New York City that's its own thing and doesn't feel like the other billions of things about being an artist in New York City. I know this because I read literally show me a healthy person this year. This was... This was not an example of how to tell a story about being an artist in New York City, or being single and looking for love in New York City, or looking for love in 2017 with all these apps and social media the kids use these days. Jessica Robinson does her best to make it unique, and man, this film did not deserve the work she put in making this film watchable. But yeesh, this movie doesn't need to exist.

16) Moonrise Kingdom, dir. Wes Anderson: So first off, let's all agree we are giving Wes Anderson side-eye for the copious shots of 12-year-olds in their underwear. I know it's for art! But remember last Thing Journal, when we watched Jackie Brown, and there was a long, long close-up of the one girl's feet? I do not trust Wes Anderson! But I do enjoy his films, as I am a pretentious white boy with a sense of whimsy, and can I tell you guys about the funniest line I've seen in a movie all year? The boy and the girl are mourning the dead dog. "Was he a good dog?" "Who's to say? But he didn't deserve to die." That is the most Wes Anderson shit of all time and I loved it. It was a charming film about young love and broken people finding each other, especially resonant since it is two kids. We only hear the stories about how they act out their emotional damage, but when they're with each other, they're calm, at peace, because they found a kindred spirit, and I thought that was touching.

17) Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt s2, cr. Tina Fey & Robert Carlock: Maybe it's because I spent the first 25 years or so of my life accepting the 22-minute sitcom, but every single episode of this season, I would ay, "Hey, this was a fine episode! I bet we're ready to wrap up soon!" and then I'd see there were eight more minutes of sitcom left. And that's not specifically a critique of this show, I think everyone making TV shows in a commercial-free environment needs to look into their hearts and ask themselves if they really need to take advantage of lax time limits, but especially in a show as zany as this one, you run the risk of running out of gas for minutes at a time, or needing to explore unnecessary subplots, like Jane Krakowski crusading against the Washington Redskins, which, why? Why would th -- no! You don't need that to be a plot point! You didn’t need to bring up the Native American thing again! Why would you lean into that? No! This is me being exceedingly negative about a season of television I truly enjoyed, Ellie Kemper is a national treasure and when this show is on it is unlike any other, just that unfortunate tendency we all have to focus on misses instead of hits.