#Not sure how I feel about some of the soundtrack remasters but.

[shima-draws]

I’m not super far into the game yet but DAYUMMMM THE MUSIC THO?? They’ve EXTRA remastered it. REMIXED it even. Also I noticed that they’ve made new tracks for mood changes too, and gave some characters some new themes :’D I really like those little additions in the soundtrack, definitely makes the game feel more modern for sure

Also I laughed my ass off at the Goomba face off bc they censored the FUCK out of it. And for good reason too I mean the original is, um, well,

I guess catcalling isn’t age appropriate LMAOOOO

[ivynivekgames]

Here's something Sorely Kneaded :3c (Sorely Kneaded Update Announcement)

Heads up, this is gonna be a MEATY post! (This is making up for all the time of I've been so quiet).

It has been… checks watch okay, over a year since the original [猫はかわいい (kitties are cute)] demo dropped, wowza! Well, I got a couple of things I wanna mention and talk about, and about the future of this project (ALL OF WHICH ARE IMPORTANT)! I've been pretty quiet on saying anything update-wise, but there's a good reason for that… But first, some context!

Now, when I started work on this, I wasn't sure about what direction to take this. I just kinda winged it and hoped for the best, but as I was writing up ideas and where to take the project in the background--the scope has been getting bigger... And the original ideas I had for the time being just weren't holding up. My ability as a writer has majorly improved throughout this (2024) year (I applied myself, tee-hee).

On top of becoming a better writer and getting a more concrete vision of where to take the game, a new musician has joined in helping with the game's soundtrack (an aspect I was woefully fearful of). Their music will be replacing the old (though there may be a track or two that will be kept from the previous composer, seeing as they're essentially... Perfect). The new sound is a lot more fitting in terms of atmosphere and energy.

Art wise, it is still handled by me, but some of the workload is being taken care of by some good, talented friends that are willing to help make this project come to fruition, they too, have been gaining a better understanding of the artstyle that fits the game best. On my end, I've been getting even better at utilising the hard work that has been handed to me and having it make the most impact.

All things considered, I've realised that with so much improvement on the side of production, the earlier parts of the game would have to reflect my new standard going forward (namely The Void and Emerland). The original story is ill-fitting and its concepts too derivative (and anything original is ill-explored) and tone is mixed.

Hence, I am happy to the Sorely Kneaded update. A total reimagining of the CatJam's vertical slice. With half a year of development already, Sorely Kneaded will aim to show my vision and standard quality for the project going forward.

This update is not an earth shattering or thoroughly exhausting endeavour in the sense of scope, rather, it's a showcase of something much closer to what the final game will be. In the update you'll find:

Remastered graphics of assets that were originally sub-par in quality.

New soundtrack and sound design, more fitting for the game's vibes and vision.

New content, more secrets, etc.

A much more balanced gameplay experience, with more interesting dungeons to navigate and more focus on narrative decisions (though the game will still only have one ending).

Greater focus on characters and their interactions, this is a character-driven game, after all. ;)

And finally, a much more fleshed out story and lore, completely abandoning the original "Hell" related plot. Frankly, even the original game barely attached itself to Christian canon, so I feel this was the right choice.

My goal with this project has always been to make a fun and genuine experience that comes from the heart. I have a vision and ideas I want to show to anyone that's interested, and I couldn't bear the idea that I'd somehow deliver it in a shoddy state.

I want to direct you all away from hell, and welcome all of you to the World of Mu, a place where magic flows like air and one only truly dies when their soul fades...

The update will drop when it's done, currently: The Void is in a near-complete state and Emerland will begin development shortly. I will make a follow-up announcement for when it's released, beyond that--hold tight!

Potential questions:

Q: How big will this update be? A: It will likely be bigger than the original demo, I project about 3~ish hours out of it on an average playthrough (the early parts are fairly story heavy).

Q: How will the new music fare compared to the original? A: The new music will be rad! Er... I mean, it's gonna be AWESOM- okay no. It will service the game's atmosphere and tone much better. You'll just have to like, listen, dude.

Q: How good will the new graphics be, compared to the original? A: It's nothing earth shattering, the art will merely be "spruced up" since I want the graphics to maintain a "soulful" look. I have a vision... Q: Any content being removed? A: Yes. As previously said, all the music will be getting replaced, along with the old sound effects. Story elements will be cut in favour of new ones. You may have liked some old concepts or ideas, but I promise that what's new will more than make up for that!

Q: Will the old [Kitties are Cute] save file work with Sorely Kneaded? A: 99% sure it will not (can never be too sure), disregarding that. I put so much effort into making this new stuff, you GOTTA play it, dude!

Q: What will happen to the old demo? A: It'll be left on the page, available for download. I think it's good to leave it archived as a way to show how far the project has come.

PS: The page will be update when the update is out.

Credits:

Director, Writer, Designer, Programmer: Ivy Nivek

Music and Sound Design: @witchscadence, Ivy Nivek

Art: Guck, Split, Spoop, Ivy Nivek

Want to make developing this easier? Throw me some change: https://ko-fi.com/ivynivek

[alpaca-clouds]

I sure miss .hack/

One anime series - or rather multimedia franchise - I have an immense amount of nostalgia for, even though it was never as big of the thing, as some others, is .hack/

Given it has been a while, since the franchise released something new, let me quickly explain:

.hack/ is a multimedia franchise, that features stories set in a VR MMORPG called The World. Originally the story featured the conceit that some players for some reason got "stuck" in the game, unable to log out, while their physical bodies fell into a coma. Just as there was a mystery featuring the AIs, that for some reason had evolved in the game's mainframe - and a mysterious artefact called the Key of Twilight.

I honestly do not know what it was about this, that spoke to me so much. But I was early on very fascinated by the idea of a VR MMO - even though we of course know today that it is something that is probably not easily achievable. (In a weird way, franchises like .hack/ kinda had the right idea by having the physical bodies turn into a near comatose state while playing, which would probably help the motion sickness...)

It was one of the first anime I pirated back in the. xD Even though I did not get to play the game until I was an adult, given that I was not allowed to have a game console as a child.

I know a lot of people, who found .hack/SIGN, the first anime series of the franchise, rather boring as it has a really, really slow pacing. Like, wow, the pacing is really slow. But... to me it really worked. There was an intrigue about the series and how it explored The World. (Not to mention that from today's perspective the main character is easily read as a trans guy.) And yes, of course the Yuki Kajiura soundtrack played heavily into it.

See, one of my big first online memories is playing the browser based game, that Bandai was hosting back then. A game mostly frequented by Japanese players, so I was trying my very best to keep up with where the chat was going. And when we were "playing" (it was not so much of a game, really) together, it was always a headache to find a timeslot, where me and the Japanese folks could meet up.

Most of all, I think, the series weirdly captured that early 2000s online culture quite well. This is especially true for the more comedy heavy and cutsy "Legend of the Twilight" series. (Man, I need to rebuy that manga at some point.) Which just very much captured the feeling of just meeting online with friends from all over the world, who you might never meet, and... yeah. Just hang xD

But also the plot so often kinda had this undertone of "The World belongs to the players, not the company". Because especially in "Legend of the Twilight", but in the other entries too, one of the central conflicts comes from the company hosting The World trying to control the mysteries - especially the AIs. While the player characters are fighting against it and ending up siding with the AI.

Something, that feels strangely accurate to the modern internet, where the big, near monopolistic companies try control the user experience more and more, rather than letting users decide about their own experience.

The franchise of .hack// seems to be long dead and forgotten by Bandai and development studio CyberConnect2. The last game that released was .hack//Link, the last other media was the .hack// movie in 2012, that apparently passed everyone by either way.

To put it differently: It has been 11 years, since some new media released for that franchise. And it does not seem that anything is in the works to keep up with it. Especially as Bandai has taken the official international website off the net in 2020.

Technically, of course, a Switch Remaster of the .hack//GU games released in Japan last year for the franchises 20th anniversary - but it does not seem as if there are any plans to release it worldwide.

Maybe the franchise had its perfect moment in time in those early 2000s, when the internet really felt like an entire World that was there for us to explore.

But man, I miss this franchise. I had so much fun with it. And I just... love The World.

Also I need to leave this banger opening for .hack//Link with you. Because darn, I love this thing.

PS: If any of you went like "That kinda sounds like Sword Art Online" at this... Yeah, I to this day have the slight suspicion that Reki Kawahara was "lightly" inspired by .hack//. Because really, the entire SAO stuff to me is ".hack// but with less interesting characters and world building".

[0m3g45n1p3r4lph4]

Whats the deal with Bionicle Heroes (Wii)?

Okay so everyone here knows Bionicle Heroes, probably by either the GameCube or Playstation 2 releases. Maybe even the Xbox release (of which all 3 are pretty much just ports with the input graphics changed) or the PC version (mouse and keyboard controls being the most drastic difference). It's many people's favorite (or at least most nostalgic) Bionicle game, competing with or right after Mata Nui Online Game.

The game itself is already quite repetitive - if you're the type to go for 100% completion, you're gonna be hearing the Hero Mode song A LOT. Even the DS version makes better use of unique mechanics by having Hahli use her Kanohi Elda to detect secrets, but that's a different tangent.

When I learned there was a Wii Version I was so excited to play what could very well be the Best version. To preface, I know a lot of people have a stigma against motion controls, but I've always found that the Metroid Prime Trilogy works so excellently with a Wii Remote and Nunchuck in ways that no other control scheme can match! Movement with an analog stick is more precise and comfortable than keys, and aiming with an analog stick is always wonky and imprecise. Mouse is okay, but Prime's pointer controls make those games really slick - just point where you wanna shoot, you can adjust the zones on the edges of the screen for turning your view, I really like it. I play on a close approximation of that style on Prime Remastered, but Joycons even have Gyro Drift so it doesn't always feel great.

So I go into this expecting similar - to be able to point at anywhere on screen and shoot at that. To point at an enemy and have the targeting lasers aim right at them.

Nope. Targeting is locked to the center of the screen.

Despite constantly having your pointer visible, THE ONLY INTERACTION IT HAS WITH THE GAME IS TO ROTATE THE CAMERA. You can't point at anything. Only moving the cursor towards the edges of the screen to turn your view, and whatever is closest to the center of the screen becomes your target.

You can't even adjust these zones.

Prime Trilogy showed me how WiimoteNunchuck can be one of the best control schemes, but I underestimated how it can also be one of the worst. What's the point of having a pointer if you're just gonna treat it as an analog stick????????

Not to mention it's clearly a rushed port of the GameCube release, including any prerendered cutscenes being much more compressed (though including new dialogue in the opener?) and even some missing textures revealing open skybox (luckily just minor stuff).

Like sure, I've got my gripes with every version of Heroes (the dumbing down of the most intense part of the story thus far, turning the Piraka into bumbling fools, you could at least make them intimidating in the part where BALTA TALKS ABOUT HOW INTIMIDATING THEY ARE CMON) but the control scheme makes the Wii version easily the worst. All the DS hand cramps are at least balanced out by the unique content, rahi variety (THEY HAVE FROST BEETLES), etc.

At least it's still got the good soundtrack.

[1001albumsrated]

#12: Machito - Kenya (1958)

Genre(s): Afro-Cuban, Latin Jazz, Cubop

Staying in the Afro-Cuban vein from the last entry in 1001 Albums, this time around we have Kenya, by Machito. As I mentioned in my Palo Congo review, this kind of music is a big blind spot for me. This is the second album on the list that I truly have never seen.

To my light understanding, Machito is a pretty big deal in this scene, and influenced many of the American jazz artists who took on some Latin trappings (there was an era where this sound was extremely trendy: see Miles Davis & Gil Evans' Sketches of Spain for a prime example of it done well).

Kenya, in contrast to Palo Congo, feels much more like jazz in a traditional sense, whereas Palo Congo seemed much closer its Afro-Cuban roots. Aside from the percussion, the rest of Machito's band is a fairly standard jazz orchestra, and plays with many of the American bebop trends and styles of the time in mind. That being said, these guys are anything but a schmaltzy big band. While the band is very tight and clearly well-composed and rehearsed, they pull no punches. When Machito puts the gas pedal down, it goes all the damn way down. The opening track, Wild Jungle, is a great example of the sort of blistering, frenetic energy the band can conjure.

This is an interesting listen, partially on account of how popular these sounds became in filmmaking in particular. These driving congo rhythms have soundtracked many a high speed chase scene over the years. The difference is, this is the *real thing*. There's a sincerity and authenticity here that the Hollywood imitators always seem to lack, a true driving energy behind the music. Add in some lightning fast bebop solos and you're in business. And even when they drop the tempo back for a song or two, there's still a powerful driving force behind the slinky lounge tunes on the disc.

Unfortunately, like Palo Congo, this album is long out of print (a situation that well predates the original 2005 release of 1001 Albums). Also, when doing some digging on the release history, I discovered that everything I'd read about this album to date really buried the lede that Cannonball fucking Adderley is on this thing. That explains the excellent sax solos. I'm surprised he didn't get some kind of callout on the cover. Anyways, I ended up listening in hi-res on Qobuz, and will be keeping an eye out for a copy of the album. Sonically, the recording is kinda rough. I'm not sure if the master that made it to streaming was a later generation tape copy, or if it was just rough to begin with (supposedly the version on Qobuz is a 2000 remaster, so it's fairly likely the original tapes were lost or damaged in the intervening 42 years). In particular, more dynamic moments often sound completely blown out. It's possible this is an artifact from later tape generations, or it's equally possible the engineer thought this would be some laid back Nelson Riddle sort of affair and just had his gains set too high. I'd be curious to hear an original if one ever crosses my path to see if those problems persist on it.

Regardless, sonic warts and all, this album is loads of fun. Again, like Palo Congo, I'm in no place to judge the historical or cultural significance of this one, but aesthetically it's a great listen and well-worth one of our hotly contested 1001 slots. Really pleased to have discovered this album.

Next time: the energy stays high with Little Richard's rock n roll landmark album, Here's Little Richard!

[theviridianbunny]

Top 5 video games!

AAH WASH HIIII!! thank you for the ask!!

ok these are in no particual order! not sure how coherently I can word but I will try my best!! this will be a long post- so you can find it under the cut!!! I have a lot to say about my fave viddy games (and i am not sorry~) but I am sorry for spelling errors- my brain can not keep up with my thoughts and i want to get everything down and everything goes to mush :////

METAL GEAR SOLID 2 (2001)

long before cp2077 was the main source of brainrot- metal gear solid was the main source. I picked up mgs as a series when I was at university in my second year and then would not stop talking about it to my friends (one of which played the games when they came out!!).

the art of yoji shinkawa (see his work below) becoming a source of inspo to my drawing / painting practice (it may not look like it at times -but- it's there- a lot of my old worl had very paintily lines- using a ink brush in procreate ect! maybe i will post some old art one day )

(...there was also a point where I was doing weird perfomance art where I just stuck a cardboard box on my head and called it a day- hrrng.,.. just a box?!) oh.. how i miss being a student <3

BUT ANYWAY!!! MGS2 is my fave in the series- this is due to the character design- the character design altered my brain chemisty in the best way-- the art design- colours/mood- the greens the blues- also the soundtrack- ugh it's so good. (i also had/still have the biggest crush on solid snake- husband time... also olga gurlukovich.. my dear wife ugh she she her)

OH MY GOD WAIT- WAIT- another thing about mgs 2 and it's character design- THEY GAVE OLGA BODY HAIR- yes, i know thats quite a random thing to say, but, I feel like for the time the game being released- it was progressive(?) like- in games even today- most women are like - super models ? idk how to word but- it was so empowering to see Olga like that- she is an icon and i feel empowered when i see her! <3

2. MASS EFFECT 3 (2012)

The mass effect trilogy is a series thats so close to my heart- I picked the games up during the tranistion period between covid lockdowns and coming out of lockdown.graduating from uni- finding a job- screaming to the void- yknow- adulting- no more being a art student-UGH !!

a friend of mine from uni gave me the og ps3 box set at christmas 2020 (because i only had a ps3 at the time)... for me to play over christmas between term one and term two of my final year of uni... gaming got me thru a lot of hard times then-... actually skipped me1 because it was clunky and made me want to cry- went straight to me2 (after reading all the lore of me1) and then went into me3 blind.. god i was not ready - cried my heart out so much

Mass effect 3 is my fave in the trilogy because of the characters! also like with mgs 2- the soudtrack! also also! being able to create shepard to look how I wanted her to look- YES VERY GOOD-VERY NICE! I loved playing the whole trilogy- but ME3 has a place in my heart for real. - the build up to it- the feeling of impending doom - trying to get all your squad to trust shep- the citadel dlc!!! aaAHHHHH LOVE <33

EDI is my best girl- my best girl indeed!!! I see a lot of myself in her. How she grows and evolves over time0 how she learns and understands her worth. She brings me a lot of endless joy.

I got to play the full trilogy when it came out as a remastered bundle. The trilogy got me through a rough few months- I had got me first "real job" and it was a hard few months- but coming home and playing mass effect brought me joy ! I do need to do a re run of the trilogy for the purposes of vp and gif making- I do miss my beloved Zachary Shepard! (some screenshots of her below! on the left- me1 vs me3!! she grows- evolves- cuts her hair and gets ready to kick reaper ass!!)

fun fact: I have two mass effect art books! one of the books being a book that was only released with a game guide which came out in 2007.. the other being a big chunky book with SOOOO MUCH STUFF IN IT EE... both of which i paid for with money from my first "real job" (which i only lasted three months in- but dhdhdd it's ok-)

3. DRAGON AGE INQUISITION (2014)

DAI was THE GAME that got me into gaming/ made me realise I was a gamer. I picked up the game around the same time I picked up the mass effect trilogy- maybe a bit later.. was playing on the ps3 (and it ran like it was running on a toaster or a pottato) it froze every 20 mins and none of the character models looked any good... but i loved it still- yes I couldn't play any of the dlc at the time but it did not matter- i was having the time of my life.

In 2021 I got a pc built so I could finish parts of my degree from home (bc covid and having to stay home for my health)... my pc was powerful enough to run DAI so... yknow- I got it on pc and MY GOD- I COULD RUN IT PROPERLY AND PLAY THE DLCS !!!!! the joy of running the desent for the first time, jaws of hakkon and then big boi trespasser UGH MY HEART EXPLODED !! oh my god- playing the decent for the first time and hearing david hayters voice- i YELLED SO LOUDLY- (it was like my beloved snake was back fejhdhjdhjd) playing that dlc for the first time also felt so right- so natural- my canon inquisitor, wren having connections to dwarven heritage through her father

DAI was my first adult fandom- im not actively a part of the fandom anymore- but I met some really lovely people through it (psst @virginiabackroads and @elfishtales i am looking at you <3 ) I recently got back into Dragon age by making an AU for my best girl, Viridian (... in this au she is called Viri lavellan.. or just viri!) (psst @fereldanwench im still foreveer greatful you pointed me in the right direction for modding the game!!)

4. FALLOUT 4 (2015)

now.. this is a game I have yet to finish- but- I am having SO much fun !! The post nucelar setting is interesting- i'm still trying to learn the game mechanics- but it's exciting and cosy (even if i do scream when a feral ghoul comes out of nowhere and bites me!)

100% loving nick valentine- ugh I wish he were romancable... he has so much charm, like an actor in the golden age of cinema <3 I don't have a lot more to say about fallout 4, but this game is bringing me a lot of joy!! looking forward to more adventures and more modding soon!

5. CYBERPUNK 2077 (2020)

y'all knew this was coming >:) cp2077 my beloved!!!!!! yes, the game may still be broken and glitchy and there are so many things the game could do better in areas- BUT STILL- the joy this game has given me- the friends i've made though posting about the game-- everyone is so lovely!!

the oc's ive created (...viridian and rasmus- i am looking at you both) Viridian brings me confidence- (...rammbled about that here).. THE BLORBOS I'VE GOTTEN (JACKIE WELLES MY BABEEEEEEEEEEEE) - !!

ugh buying cp2077 was one of the best things I did in 2022! also being brave and choosing to posting cp2077 vp on here last october/november was another best choice I did in 2022.

the words are going but- oh goodness this game and the world building- the soudtrack- the level of detail!!! cp2077 as a game changed my brain chemisty in ways- but in the good way. opening my eyes to the world of virtual photography- video game modding. it got me back into writing as well <3 Thank you all for all the love and support within the fandom space- I feel like im home <3

[jaythelay]

Crapcom stealing from artists, again, for Dead Rising's Remaster

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ecix71GvyU

Context: MySonicFoundry created the song "Justified" used in Dead Rising's Credits.

MySonicFoundry: Ok folks, so I am now starting to see other artists from the game saying in articles "we have not been contacted regarding the remaster and weren't contacted before the 2016 remaster either." I can confirm this as well. It would seem that CapCom wants to keep releasing our music and not contacting or compensating the artists. Question to all of you, does this seem fair to you? I realize that life ain't fair, but that seems like some world class bullshit to me. Please leave your thoughts in the comments and let me know how you feel about this. Should we gather all the artists and address it as a community with CapCom? Sound off my friends and let me know.

Follow up comment

MySonicFoundry: That is a great question. Every artist signed what they were presented. I know our deal was by all measures shit, but that said we signed it and independents don't get these kinds of opportunities anymore at all. The biggest problem with what we signed is that it was very ambiguous and is held under Japanese law. I am talking with my publisher regarding the language. Licensing and copyright are very complicated in normal situations and can be incredibly confusing. I have to say, I don't have a concrete answer for you as I am still attempting to get one myself. I can say for sure that we never received any compensation from the release of the soundtrack. I don't want to come off like a needy crybaby, but honestly I've been getting fucked my entire career as that is what they like to call "industry standard". Say "Thank you!" for the opportunity to provide you with material you weren't capable of creating, and smile while we fuck you out of any fair compensation. It's the way of the entertainment world. To quote the great Joe Perry of Aerosmith "If you want to trade your art for money, you're gonna dance with the Devil". Shit, it's Spotify's entire business model! I will be digging in to see where I stand, and in the end it will be what it is. Once again, great question and no disrespect at all. If ya don't ask, you'll never know.

Please do not support Capcom.

I don't know why you would if you already know about them, but my god, this is disgusting, on top of not using Frank's actual voice actor because he's Union, there's a Voice Actor Strike in the gaming industry again, after SAG completely threw them to the wolves during the writer's strike some time back.

Now's the time to demand better.

This is Crapcom. The company that sold DLC Day One that was ON THE DISC.

This is Crapcom, the company that waited til everyone's reviews for the RE4 Remake were out before sneaking Microtransactions in and selling once free content as DLC.

This is Crapcom, they waited til people's Let's Plays were several parts deep into their Resident Evil Wii game before copyright striking them into suspension.

This is Crapcom, they don't give a shit about their employees, they care none for art nor artist, and you best bet they give less of a shit about you as a consumer and person.

Do Not Support Capcom if you respect yourself or others.

[theworstzangooseever]

Daily VGM #100: A long journey

So, 100 days of this, and a little over 100 posts. What a wild ride. I know I've been slacking the past few days, almost missed some posts, straight up DID miss some. But I wanna celebrate that!

...By talking about Xenoblade again. I know, it's my whole personality, bear with me here.

I know I already talked about Xenoblade 1's Main Theme but I want to bring it back to reiterate, this soundtrack changed my life. Like, Xenoblade originally came out at a time where I really couldn't play it. I didn't have money to buy my own Wii games, and sure as heck didn't know anything about games past the MySims, Kirby and Mario series. I learned about it years later when Chuggaaconroy played it, and then it soon enough got re-released on WiiU, and subsequently 3Ds where I played it for the first time and fell so deeply in love. The world, the music, the strong message of working together that permeated not only the story but also the gameplay. I revisit the main theme whenever I want to cry, and the title screen as well is just beautiful. It's the background of this blog if you didn't know by now, for some reason.

From one emotional rollercoaster of a song to another, but a lot more intense, Engage the Enemy. This is one of THE songs of Xenoblade, and one you probably know at this point. A lot of folks say they prefer the original soundtrack of Xenoblade 1 over the remaster, but very consistently I hear that, yeah no this is the definitive version of Engage the Enemy. The opera singer going absolutely crazy, the violinists doing their usual Xenoblade thing, and the electric gutair coming in at the absolute best times to crank the mood to 11. It gets you hyped, it gets you angry, it gets you scared. You even get to transition into battle with this song a couple times, it feels so good.

Shulk and Fiora. A song that surprisingly doesn't play a lot when involving Shulk and Fiora, more Shulk and Melia. It's still a really somber and sweet song regardless, it feels so loving, but also incredibly.. Sad, like a crying out almost. Same with Thoughts Enshrined. Though the latter is much more somber than the former. I love the singers in the soundtrack, they really add to every song they're in.

Xenoblade also has a day/night system, where time will pass in.. Well, real time, with dynamic weather, the kind of enemies that appear, and especially dynamic music. For example, Colony 9 and its night variant. While Colony 9 during the day exudes the excitement to explore, the nighttime variant is much more mellow, like everyone, even the monsters are turning in and wanting to have a calm and peaceful night. Gaur Plain, and its night variation as well. Gaur Plain showing off just how vast it is, it feels so unnatural to have so much open space.. But at night it feels a lot like Colony 9's theme too, letting you know that you're still not too far from home. Valak Mountain, sounding majestic, but also foreboding. While at night, the light beacons reveal themselves, letting you see the true beauty of this sheer drop of a mountain, and The Fallen Land, sounding as if it's a lyricless song about someone who was left behind and forgotten, when it turns to night sounding as if they've accepted that they have been forgotten.

Basically.. Yeah. I love Xenoblade Chronicles and its soundtrack. It changed me as a person, and is part of why I love music so much now. I cannot thank the composers of this series enough for making something that has made me so happy. It's been life changing, and I'm glad I could take you all on this journey with me. Thank you for accompanying me for 100 daily posts.

[moviemunchies]

I only got into Uncharted recently. I had never been that much into the games–I don’t think I had even heard of the series until the third game came out, and I was astounded at how many awards it won in the yearly GameTrailers awards that year (shows you how old I am, that I remember GameTrailers of all things).

But then when the pandemic started the Playstation Store offered the original trilogy remastered for free! And I am ALL about free games and so I thought I’d give it a shot and they’re pretty darn good! I was vaguely interested when a movie was officially announced and once it finally came out, I thought I’d give it a go.

Uncharted is the story of Nathan Drake, a small-time thief with an interest in history. While he’s working as a bartender in New York City, a thief named Victor Sullivan asks him to help him find the treasure of Magellan, something he and Nate’s now-lost brother have wanted to find for ages. But there’s someone else after the treasure: Santiago Moncado, whose family has been after the treasure for a long time, and his hired mercenary Jo Braddock.

At some point, this movie was being billed as a prequel to the games. I’m telling you right now: it’s not. It’s an alternate continuity. There are a lot of things that don’t square up with the backstory of the games, and that’s fine–movies and games are different experiences. But if you’re expecting a faithful adaptation of the story from the games, then you’re in for a disappointment.

Alright, so right out the gate, I wasn’t a huge fan when they announced that the lead role would go to Tom Holland. It’s not that I think he’s a bad actor, but I was of the opinion that he was way too fresh-faced to be Nathan Drake. I revised my opinion a bit upon seeing the first trailer, but having seen the movie, I tend to think that my first impression was correct. He doesn’t do badly, but he doesn’t feel quite right as Nathan Drake. He comes across as much more innocent than the Nate of the games. And yeah, Drake is at his heart a good guy, but he’s also a thief who knows his way around firearms and dangerous situations.

I understand that they toned down the violence for the movie so a more innocent Drake was perhaps called for. And I understand that fan favorite Nathan Fillion is probably too old for the kind of story they wanted to tell. But I don’t think Tom Holland was the best choice for the role here, and I suspect he was only chosen because he made it big off the MCU. Like I said, he doesn’t do badly, just not as well as a more fitting choice might have been.

[Also, there are a surprising number of shots in which Nate is shirtless? I don’t think there are any shots of shirtless Nate in the games, so it looked like they only wanted to show off how in shape Tom Holland is. It was a bit weird.]

There’s a plot development in which Braddock does a thing and I don’t know why? It definitely felt like the kind of thing an Uncharted villain might do, but they usually get a lot more motivation to do so. Here she just does it, and I don’t get why. For the treasure, I guess, but it’s not like she was hurting for the money before. Eh. Just didn’t work for me.

I had fun with this movie though. I don’t know, I think if you saw the trailers, you’ll know exactly the kind of movie you’re getting. Most of the major beats are at least hinted at in the trailers (even the mid-credits scene, which is an odd choice). Yes, there’s treasure hunting. Yes, there’s over-the-top action sequences and chases. Yes, there is considerably less shooting than in the games (I’m not even sure how all that gunplay would be worked into a film). I think it works overall. Not as a brilliant, memorable movie that sticks out from similar treasure-hunting adventures, but it’s not a bad flick. Still, with the massive reputation that Uncharted has in gaming circles, I imagine they were hoping for something a little 

Although would it have been too much to ask for the movie soundtrack to use more of the motifs from the games’ soundtracks?

You would get a more unique story experience from watching the cutscenes of one of the games on YouTube, but this is an enjoyable enough movie.

[amysteriousmessenger]

cinema date with zenny!

my laptop crashed and this got deleted and I had to start again so I hope this is okay ;-;

Cinema Date with Zen/Hyun Ryu Headcanons

Date nights with you are some of Zen’s very favourite evenings. He enjoys staying in the apartment with you just as much as he loves going out, so he leaves it up to you for what your preference is on that day. When you say that there’s a new musical movie that you wanna see, Zen’s more than happy to take you on a date to the cinema. 

If it’s not a musical he’s familiar with, he’ll definitely look up a stage production on his phone beforehand on Youtube so he can get a feel for it. Of course, this was after you told him that he could watch other performances of stuff on Youtube. He had to be informed of this fact, he did not discover it organically. As most musical theatre fans are, he’s tentative about movie adaptations so he wants to know what to expect in advance. He has seen some horrific performances.

However, you saw that the cinema was running a remastered version of Dirty Dancing, so you didn’t have to worry about whether the both of you would enjoy it or not. You knew you’d both like it! 

Zen likes to buy your cinema tickets because he likes to be the one taking you out on the date and treating you right. It just feels more chivalrous to him and it’s how he likes it. If the two of you go on a day where the tickets are on sale, even better! He’ll use the extra money to upgrade your popcorn size. Zen isn’t one for snacking, but he always makes a point of buying you some popcorn, soda and a water. He’ll also get a water for himself too. He doesn’t usually buy any popcorn for himself but he’ll steal a handful or so of yours, especially if you feed it to him. Look how cute you are, how could he ever say no to you?

He always prefers to go to the later showings because they’re less busy and feel a little bit more romantic to him. Plus, if he can sneak an extra kiss in the dark cinema while it’s empty then that is most definitely a bonus. 

As you both settle down into your seats, Zen’s arm is immediately around your shoulders and pulling you close to him. If there’s a divider between the seats it might be a little difficult to do so, but if you’re able you can nestle your head into his chest and wedge the popcorn between the two of you.

When the movie starts, you’ll catch Zen mouthing the lyrics very quietly humming along to any of the songs that he knows out of habit. It’s never loud enough for other people in the cinema to hear and you enjoy it far too much to ever tell him to stop. It’s super sweet and comforting, especially since you can feel the vibrations from him doing it whenever you lean onto his chest. 

He always manages to keep his voice hushed when making comments or jokes about the film, and knows how flustered you get when he brings his lips close to your ear to make sure you capture every word over the movie, so he makes a point of doing it even more.

When Dirty Dancing ends, you can absolutely guarantee that Zen is going to have the soundtrack playing that night when you get out of the shower. He wants to dance with you to ‘Hungry Eyes’, The Beast seemed to like that song a lot.

[bihet-dragonize]

oh wait other updates. nothing interesting or funny like the source port thing. but I saw Doom (2016) & Doom Eternal on sale for Switch so I got them, since I don't own a PC that can run either one or a console besides the Switch. I'm Doom anon again btw

also I bought the first 4 Doom games (Doom 1993, Doom II, Doom 64, Doom 3) on Steam on sale because I figure I might try mods or source ports, or maybe make my own levels. probably I'll just play them on Switch though, except maybe Doom 3, I might play it on PC

I still haven't actually played through Doom II all the way, or Doom 64, or Doom 3. actually I hadn't read about or played any Doom for like, a really long time I think. they updated the "official add-ons" system for the Unity shell Doom & Doom II ports though so now every add-on is downloadable in either game

the Quake remaster has a similar thing, with curated mods downloadable for consoles (because reasons, console manufacturers are not big fans of mods on consoles and they need to make sure mods available aren't doing a copyright violation), and that has the Quake 64 campaign downloadable

see, when they made Quake for Nintendo 64, it wasn't a straight port. it's a bit different, though the levels are more or less the same, so it's nice they included it, even if it's not substantially different in most ways. it had its own soundtrack too

here's how this relates to Doom: the same thing happened with Doom on the Atari Jaguar. a downgraded port of Doom was made, tweaking or cutting levels from PC, as well as adding 2 brand new levels (which used the same names as cut levels for some reason). that port was then the basis for other console ports, including PlayStation's Doom, which was actually Doom and Doom II

PlayStation Doom includes all the Jaguar levels, adjusted a bit for PlayStation and adding Doom II enemies on the Ultra-Violence difficulty, plus levels from the 4th episode of The Ultimate Doom, plus most of Doom II (no Icon of Sin though, sadly). all the levels are tweaked again from PC, though less than on Jaguar because it was a more powerful console than Jaguar. the most interesting part imo though is that it had 6 new levels in addition to the 2 from Jaguar, for a total of 8 console exclusive levels

now, what disappoints me with the Unity shell remasters is, there's no official add-on for the Jaguar or PlayStation levels (which on PlayStation also had its own unique soundtrack just like Quake 64 -- same devs, actually, and the same composer; same people all did Doom 64 after they ported Final Doom to PlayStation, which was actually a mishmash of levels from the 2 Final Doom campaigns and the Master Levels for Doom II). anyway I feel like if they can release Quake 64 in Quake, why not for Doom also? put PlayStation Doom and PlayStation Final Doom on there as add-ons. why not?

like. I get that the version of the engine used on PlayStation isn't identical, it had fancier lighting effects and other differences and it was on a console. but you could port the levels over easily enough. PlayStation has an exclusive enemy too but it's just a reskin so that's not a problem

it just bugs me that if you want to play those levels you gotta play the low-res PlayStation version with its terrible framerate, which I can't do on my Switch

You said there's nothing funny in this message but then you named like 8 (is Final Doom a difficulty or an actual game?) different Doom games 😭😭😭😭😭 djdjsfjjfjdkskfjfjkfjfj also you have like all of them???? That's so cool!! And yeah I'd be mad as hell if I was stuck playing any low-res version of ANY game lol

[the-shared-brain-in-retrograde]

Guardians of the Galaxy

What a bunch of a-holes...

A Joint Review

Its well known that @becksxoxo and the Mouse are quite tight, so I'm sure you'll appreciate how we managed to get them to show the What If... T'Challa was Star Lord episode to coincide with our rewatch and judgement of Guardians of the Galaxy. You're welcome. (JK, we're not sure how in league with the What If...? series we want to be.)

Skipping over the death of a family member, this film employs that tried and tested method of great cinema the world over: if you can't start your film with a forward role make sure there is a dance routine (may we suggest Get Over It)

As we watched Peter break and enter into that temple our minds glazed over with thoughts of Indiana Jones. We would like to stress it was a sub-par Indy, mind. Peter's outfit is very good, we love a swishy leather coat, however his mask is a little creepy. The big eyes conjure up The Fly Man vibes, which we don't like, and we are worried that the flatness doesn't allow for the nose, but he seems to be getting alright so we'll leave him to it.

Peter Quill is a lot. We bet he'd be fun to be at a party with, but incredibly stressful to be with at any other time. He's always on, and I can guarantee he is not going to be turning up at the fountain in town at 11am, when that's the plan. He's a fun main character but neither of us really connected with him. He's funny at times, and we enjoy him being part of the group but we're a bit meh. @cassandrafey says that part of this for her is just knowing what he is going to be like and do in the future films, of which she is still furious. @becksxoxo has no idea what she is talking about as all she can recall from Infinity War is Cass SOBBING most of the film. Also, at the end, like we got that his Mum and Gamora said the same thing, "take my hand," but we really felt the ick when they superimposed his Mum over Gamora. We know there are some parenting issues in the MCU, but this was too much. He does have his moments, but then he ruins them. Bloody men.

These opening scenes also showcase just how great the soundtrack to this film is. We think it might even beat Captain Marvel and that had some bangers. Our favourites are:

Gamora has beautiful hair and is good with her knife throwing, and as we have mentioned, many times, these are two things we greatly appreciate. We think she's quite cool, but there are times we worry that she is a little bit stupid. The whole scene with her, Peter and the walkman is meant to be romantic, but don't lose your mind over the first idiot who plays you a song. You're better than that. It also falls on Gamora to be the moral compass of the group, which is a great responsibility for someone with such a murderous reputation. We respected her decision to do the right thing, rather than use the resources to get away from her dickhead of an adopted father.

Rocket and Groot, the MVPs of Guardians, our favourites. Which we're sure is a kick in the balls for all those actors who had to turn up and sit for hours in make up and work for their pay. But they are hands down the best characters in this film. We love them. The backstory, the character development, their relationship, WE LOVE IT. We love the rage that Rocket is filled with, and then the abject sadness of what was done to him. He makes us feel things, which is more than can be said about the other characters in this film.

We have heard that Vin Diesel takes this role very seriously, which is cute, but it is confusing that such a big name was used for a three word role. But even in those three words he says and emotes more than others, and in the end he sacrifices himself to save them all. (Now we won't go into who else sacrifices themselves during the other MCU films because that way lies disagreement and mammoth rants. We may have been dancing on the verge of argument last night in fact...).

We would love to know more of their origin story, how they came to be a team, and if Rocket will ever get to keep any of the artificial body parts he sees (we don't know if we should like this as much as we do, but its really funny and we are horrible people). Also these two have the best lines in the film, 10/10 love them.

A tangent happened here... it should be mentioned when discussing this last night @becksxoxo said although she loves Rocket, she has heard some things about Bradley Cooper that aren't great, then proceeded to say but have you see How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, which was funny because it turns out he isn't in it. @cassandrafey thinks that Bradley Cooper looks like a Hollywood Lee Mack and as a consequence is always sort of disappointed it isn't Lee Mack when she sees him, because as we’re sure you can appreciate, Lee Mack is very funny. The fact that Cass can’t actually see Bradley Cooper in this means that for once she doesn’t think about Lee Mack at all and can therefore say it’s probably his best role. Again, we know that this is likely a bit of a kick in the teeth for old Bradley.

Then there's Drax. Drax the Destroyer. There he is. We like him being part of the team, and he does say sorry when he fucks up in the giant celestial head. Maybe there is something to be said for being so literal. Because friends do say sorry to each other, and some groups of superheroes could maybe take a leaf out of their book...

I think them being friends, and a proper team, does add to our enjoyment of the film. Also we would like to break out of a prison with our friends, what a bonding experience. Getting to ride a office through a corridor like Baba Yaga in her pestle and mortar. What japes.

What personal item would you risk you and your friends life for to go retrieve?

@becksxoxo Peter, my childhood soft toy. I realise I'm a grown adult but that rabbit means more to me than you will ever know.

@cassandrafey I have struggled so much with this and when Becks asked me this question I did blurt out the name of my childhood soft toy (Dumbo) in such a way that it sounded like I was making a vicious attack on her. But in actual fact he currently resides in my parents house in Yorkshire so I’m not sure it’s true. But Becks says I have to pick something so I said fine, that keyring she made me for my birthday, which sent her almost hysterical because it’s a handmade TFATWS keyring and she’s threaded letters on to it so that it says ‘Sam and Bucky forever’ (among other things) and it’s in pastel colours and there’s little hearts and it’s totally adorable. I do carry it everywhere with me, and sometimes I look at it when I’m in despair at work and just feel better on two levels; a) the thought of Sam and Bucky is cheering and b). the fact that a grown woman sat there threading these letters together for another grown woman’s birthday gift. (Becks scooting in here to say the keyring is cursed. It's massive, illustrated, and includes other phrases outside the one Cass has shared. Also kissing fish? And yet not the worse thing I've ever made...)

Fucking Thanos. HATE HATE HATE. When @cassandrafey sees him in this film, all she can think of is the fact he looks like he's sat in a stair lift chair, which is amusing, and she enjoys it because she likes to belittle him as much as possible. Also @becksxoxo husband says he likes Thanos, and that he thinks snapping half the universe away is the right thing to do. She wishes Thanos would snap him away, idiot.

We're sticking Nebula in with the villains, but is she really? Or is she just a very damaged young woman? She is a baddie, she is. We do feel a bit sorry for her, as she is constantly over shadowed, but she is a maniac. She shouts get "out of my way!" at nobody at one point, so clearly very angry. Also she did something to annoy @becksxoxo in Dr Who one time, and as such she holds this against any character she will ever play, its like Imelda Staunton all over again.

Another day, another shit Marvel villain. Much like the incident with our Ecclescake, he’s had most of his features covered and had to put on a funny voice, and it’s hard to come back from those things. We don't understand why Ronan is out to kill planets, and have just put it down to religious zealousy. At least Thanos states his points clearly (@becksxoxo found that very hard to type and didn't care for it at all). The two things we did enjoy about Ronan was a. the noise he made when he died, and b. in the outtakes he does do the dance off with Star Lord and it was good.

We have a friend who really likes The Collector. Like REEEEEALLY likes him. (And we shall out her here; everyone say hi to our star guest and President of the Collector FanClub @acelucky 👋). Which we do not see, but also do not judge. As showcased in our previous reviews and personal tags we all have our little issues, our winter soldier-style code words that send us spinning into financial difficulties. The Collector did let us in to important information regarding the Infinity Stones, and how it was all going to start tying in together, unless you had left the room at that vital moment and missed useful information once again. God damn it Becks. How do you ever expect to understand these Infinity Stones with that sort of attitude?

What collections would you like to exhibit?

@becksxoxo would be:

My collection of precious things, all my crystals, coins, ornaments and candles (everything my husband deems as tat)

My collection of beautiful books. Have I read them all? No. But do they look good? Yes. Also the featured book would be the leather bound tome of all the people who have ever wronged me. A very long list. And the pages would be turned regularly so you could get the full effect. People could also make appointments to check the book to see if they, or their ancestors, were included.

My cross stitches. With a highlight on my halloween poem, my snowy winter landscape and portrait of Ron Swanson.

My fandom merch. My tie in novels, my lego figues, funko pops, tshirts and hoodies, my Grogu bop it (why yes Din, I will pull it - just thinking about that silly little game sends my finances spinning)

All the items I'm taking from Cass once she's dead.

@cassandrafey has noted Becks’ cunning ploy to get at the things she’s taking from me when I’m dead whilst I’m still kicking. I would exhibit:

These reviews. Our life’s work should be properly displayed.

Our proverbs. Me and Becks write them on the side. For example, ‘if you sleep now you won’t feel the benefit when you’re dead.’ That kind of thing.

Gifts I have received over the years. Which would include all of the things Becks has made for me (in an ideal world this includes the disembodied papier-mâché head of Noel Fielding she once lovingly crafted, although in real life this had to be got rid of following a terrible incident with my mother. I don’t want to talk about it.) And all the Christmas ornaments from the terrible Xmas ornament competition myself and The President of the Collector FanClub have been involved in over the years.

My favourite books

The final room would be called The Bad Boy Gallery, and it’s just photos and reels of all the villains and scoundrels I have ever loved. There would be quite a bit of leather involved in the decor. On the walls are painted the insane things I’ve said to excuse these men over the years. Such gems as ‘oh he’s just misunderstood’ and ‘he’s a desperately lonely man’ and ‘I kind of think he had a point there’ and ‘do you he grew that hair out for the part?’ amongst other unhinged ramblings. Criminal by Britney Spears is playing discreetly from the speakers. Exit into gift shop and buy a little postcard of your fave.

@becksxoxo: oh my gods, I didn't even think of the gift shop. Which is shocking in itself because I fucking love gift shops. I bet you could get yourself a pair of Binky Barnes shorts, candles scented like our favourite financial instabilities, and prepare bottles of my sangria and cocktails. Also attached would be a coffee shop that strictly sold autumn/winter beverages. I'll start looking for the gallery space now.

We do have a soft spot for Yondu and the Ravagers. We loved the constant threat of being eaten, and that he should be grateful he wasn't eaten. We love that they're essentially space pirates, and who doesn't love pirates? @becksxoxo loves anything than Sean Gunn does, the odd little oaf. We also learnt through Yondu, and his nifty arrow, that @cassandrafey can't whistle and its brought great amusement. She can rap the entirety of The Bad Touch though, so she's not without skill. Also, at the end, when Yondu is sad down and all the Ravagers are drinking and cavorting around him we got strong Jareth and the Goblins vibes, and that warms our hearts no end.

Other people of note we'd like to say we enjoyed were:

Glenn Close calling that man a prick.

John C Reilly regretting all his life choices when letting those idiots leave scott free.

Peter Serafinowicz. We know he is being a serious actor in this but we both just wheezed about, laughing, thinking of Black Books and Brian Butterfield.

What song would you have a dance off with somebody to?

@becksxoxo Saturday Night by Whigfield

@cassandrafey The Bad Touch by The Bloodhound Gang. And I’d rap whilst I did it too.

In conclusion, we reet enjoyed the movie. It was light hearted and fun, and we managed to not get too many feelings involved. Which at times is all you can ask for. We will be joining them again next week, so fingers crossed we enjoy it as much. We've both only seen volume 2 once, when it first came out, so it will practically be a new one for both of us on account of apparently terrible memories.

[neoyi]

I don’t think I’ll ever get to humorously commentate on KH2 piece-by-piece as I tried to do for the first two games (and god knows if I’ll wrap up Re:chain of Memories with the writing method I was doing, but I digress.) I like talking about this endearingly dumb series and replaying this game is a nice opportunity to revisit how I feel now versus how I felt back when I was a fresh-out-of-high-school Neo playing this game for the first time back in 2005.

So I’m going to surmise my current play session (this collects my thoughts up to the Hercules world) with easily containable bullet points.

*I kind of want to make a separate post about the infamous prologue and discuss how people felt Back in the Days (an understatement, let me tell ya), and ultimately what I feel it does for the game and whether I personally liked it, so I'm going to leave that in the back burner for the time.

I will say Twilight Town sounds like a nice, quiet place to live. I love the concept of a city that's always perpetually sunset. It's a beautiful place and like Traverse Town, sports an amazingly cozy soundtrack.

*I'm sure there's some bullshit reason why, but I don't get why Sora's one year absence meant some of the people he's met just....forgot him. Like why? What purpose does this serve? This especially affected Kairi, but it’s ultimately negligible because she regains her memories of him during the beginning portions of the game.

Was this Namine's doing? Was it to protect Sora from the bad guys or something? Why hasn't Riku forgotten him? Was Namine just selective on who she erased Sora's existence from? Did Kairi forget just because she’s connected to Namine? Or Sora? What purpose does this narrative serve? What was the point?

*Speaking of, I forgot, did they ever explain why Riku disguised himself as Ansem? I don’t remember if they ever explained it when I played through this game, but also I haven’t touched KHII in six thousand years, so I don’t remember a lot of the more convoluted parts of the plot.

*It is comical to see Setzer of Final Fantasy VI fame turn from a risky, gambling sky pirate who doesn’t give a rat’s ass about the empire, only cares for the freedom of the skies, and enduring survival’s guilt over a tragic loss of someone dear to him into a...

Whiffle Bat Champion.

*My sheer excitement and obsession when they first announced Vivi as one of the FF cameo was astronomical. I remember keeping a DeviantArt journal detailing any news and screencaps of the little guy pre-release. Still my favorite character from the whole franchise.

Even if he suffers the same fate as Donald and has a zipper on his mage hat for absolutely no reason other than this game existing during Nomura’s Belt-and-Zippers phase.

*Someone’s going to get sued one day because these damn kids keeps sitting atop the clock tower that has yet to be grafted with bars to prevent their inevitable deaths when one of them slips and falls.

*I swear I could play a six degrees of Kingdom Hearts with all the voice actors in this game. Or at least a "Whozit" and "Whatzit" they've done in other media (like Yuffie who is voiced by Mae "Katara" Whitman here. Pre-Avatar, even.)

Also I’m sorry, Will Friedle, you’re a fine voice actor, but you’re...Terry McGinnis. Batman told me he “totally owned all you lamers.”

*I love the Nobody enemy designs. The sheer creepiness and uncanny valley of them all lends credit to their existence as, well, non-existences. The Dusk enemy design alone is inspired with its unsettling belts wrapped around its fingers, or terrifyingly sharp teeth subtly hidden inside of its mouth. I can imagine the creature unzipping its mouth to reveal a set of flesh-eating teeth and the fear is real.

I love the way it flies and circles around its victim, almost like it’s trying to wrap itself around you, but I’m especially fond of that one attack where it essentially kicks you as while it sashays over to you upside down.

The Samurai Dusk also has my favorite reaction command. It’s just unspeakably badass.

*I never liked Squall in FF8 back then (don't know how I'd feel now if I ever replay FF8) and he was just okay in the first Kingdom Hearts, but I remember I really endeared myself to his reappearance in KHII. Squall in this game is what happens when he grew up, found good friends and family, and got some therapy for his issues. He’s stoic, but always a team player, and supportive of Sora and the people around him. KHII Squall is what FF8 Squall has the potential to be once he reaches adulthood and it’s nice to see that here.

*I really love the little changes the developers inputted for Sora, Kairi, and Riku's models to accommodate for their physical growth. Riku's is the most obvious (boy clearly ate his vegetables), but I like that you can tell Sora grew not just through story observations (Yen Sid points out how he outgrew his old garbs) but by comparing his height in relation to Goofy. Sora was shorter than him in the first game, but has since outgrown him in KH2.

Along with his better skill set during combat, this is a really nice way to visually shown how far Sora has come and how much time has passed.

This also goes in the opposite direction with Namine whom I think had to redo her mod when they remastered Chain of Memories for 3D. I notice she looks younger in that game than in KHII which would make sense at the time since it takes place a full year ago.

...Well, maybe. Can Nobodies age???

*Damn it, game, don’t give me a pouch containing 5,000 munny and treat it as an in-game key item that I can’t use even though munny is literally the currency I use to buy things.

*The retooling and emphasis on battle mechanics means the platforming element of the first really suffers and that’s a damn shame. I wasn’t particularly in love with exploring the Disney Worlds in the first KH, but I appreciate the effort put into so Sora could not easily get from Point A to Point B.

Even finding treasure chests is comical and if not for sake of posterity for anyone going for 100%, I wonder why Jiminy bothers to keep track of how many you find. There were literally like three out in plain view the minute I entered the Mulan world.

*Speaking of level designs, yeesh, the layout is not optimal for the skateboarding minigame.

*Trying to design a gummi ship in this game requires a masters degree in gummiology and metaphysical engineering, as well as the ability to tap into the 4th dimensional. The 45,000 page instructional manual they give you, the odd grid map used to piece together your ship (fair, the latter was also in the first game), and finicky button controller layout means it took me a while to fully grasp what I was suppose to do and I’m still not sure I got a full handle of it just yet.

*I don’t understand why Sora had to use a physical object as a conduit in each world to open up a metaphysical gate to the next world. He never had to use an in-between to close it. What’s the exception outside of unnecessary symbolic tie-in to the individual worlds he’s in?

*Props to the developers for recreating the ballroom. It’s actually kind of majestic to look at the beautiful ceiling and chandelier design from Sora’s perspective.

*There are a couple of random gameplay elements I forgot completely existed and seemingly there for arbitrary purposes. I just find it unusual that Mulan’s world forces you to collect literal manifestation of morale. It’s like the developers decided they wanted to reuse the Struggle minigames’ balls into a repurposed Morale Ball because well shit, someone programmed these things they’re damn well going to put it to good use.

I guess if Sora and pals don’t literally collect morale, all the soldiers will be, I don’t know, sad and die in battle or something.

*I’m aware Disney villains using the Heartless as their personal army is the norm, but it’s tonally weird when it’s Shan-Yu of all characters doing it. The infamous Charge-In-The-Snowy-Mountain scene doesn’t quite have the leg up in terms of threat when his army consist of adorable Heartless bumblebees.

*You know what pointless shit I am obsessed with? The stupid puzzle pieces scattered throughout the game. This is the first time I’m playing the Final Mix game and I’m just seething at the lack of abilities I currently do not have that prevents me from reaching certain pieces.

*Auron was instantaneously my favorite character when I first played FFX twenty years ago, and his return in KH2 sent me in fangirlish squeals. How could I not? Look at this handsome bastard. He’s calm, collected, badass with a cool sword, has rugged good looks (he doesn’t have it here, but he rocks some killer shades), and a good dad. That’s prime DILF quality right there. Of course I can’t get enough of him.

Square Enix knows we can’t get enough of him; dude be all “fuck off hades” and gives the god the middle fingers and fucks off elsewhere. Auron is King Shit.

*Oh man, do I still have my old Sora figurine? I think I got him in Katsucon way back in 2009.

*So who’s done a drinking game every time the game introduces Sora, Donald, and Goofy individually to every character they meet?

*Hey, so I noticed Square Enix is finally moving their asses and bringing the Ultimania books to the US. I doubt they’re going to bring the older KH Ultimanias overseas (my kingdom for an officially translated FFIX one), but ya know. I kinda think that yeah, I might want the KHIII Ultimania.

...Just saying.

*GET UP ON THE HYDRA’S BACK! GET UP ON THE HYDRA’S BACK! GET UP ON THE HYDRA’S BACK! GET UP ON THE HYDRA’S BACK!

GET UP ON THE HYDRA’S BACK!

[creativenicocorner]

Did you ever create a Playlist for your 3 acts fic? Like I know Barb is musical nerd in the first act and you had godsdamn abba running in the background while they were running away from angor in what wouls theoretically be the angor management arc but...curious if you follow an actual Playlist or is it just vibes?

Thank you so much for asking!! ♡(´⌣`ʃƪ)

It sort of depends in a sort of "What came first the chicken or the egg?" kind of way. As sometimes I'm inspired deeply by a song or a music piece for a certain situation or characters. Is the piece situationally appropriate? Character appropriate? Both? - I go into more detail about that here.

Take the Gimme Gimme Gimme (a Man After Midnight) not only is it appropriate (I believe) in terms of the lyrics, in which that man after midnight is most likely Strickler should he ever get his shit together (he will in the future), who is currently acting as their getaway driver while being chased by another Midnight man of a different sort (Angor). But also coincides with Barbara's love of musicals! Its very conceivable of her to have a CD soundtrack of the Mamma Mia musical (maybe even a remastered one at that). Sure it's played as a goof to alleviate the tension, but it also paves the way for other Mamma Mia moments that Barbara could have (The biggest one I'm excited for being The Winner Takes it All. Great potential for a future Walter and Barbara situation. or EVEN, Barbara contemplating her ex-husband James.)

Then there's the song the section is named after Roundabout. Which, is the goofy Jo Jo's Bizarre Adventure meme song, but also an incredibly good song when listened to in its entirety - and the lyrics feel incredibly fitting situationally, and leaning towards Strickler some. Not to mention the lyrics are incredibly telling in a Stricklake sort of way...

We the readers know that between the two of them it will be Strickler who remembers Barbara - and it foreshadows Barbara's own change as she starts to deviate from canon.

My plot dictates the music, and sometimes I'm dictated by the music, in a very "chicken or the egg" way haha. Sometimes I have songs set and ready put aside

For instance in ACT II when Nomura and Jim inevitably fight for Gunmar's amusement deep in the depths of the Darklands I know for a FACT I want to use Bizet's "Toreador" from the opera Carmen. As the fight is not only a show for Gunmar like watching a bull fight. But also, to the surprise of no one, Nomura will have a lot of association to Opera. So the piece will be not only situationally but also characteristically accurate. The real question might end up being, between Jim and Nomura, who is the bull? And could the bull be someone not even in the rink? (Gunmar).

What music pieces I have leading up to that is foggy and vague, I have other music pieces set aside, especially for Nomura, but it likewise depends on how the plot will evolve while I write it too! Maybe down the line I'll think of something I hadn't while planning and BAM there's a whole section based on the soundtrack to The Legend of Ocarina of Time or Twilight Princess or something lkgdlkfj (As to me, Jim as a lot of LoZ vibes musically, among others!)

Another one I have planned but am unsure what other music pieces will happen until I reach that point is the dreaded S3 Merlin scene where he tries to convince Jim to become a troll. In my own morbid humor (mainly to cope) I have set aside Neon Genesis Evangelion's "Cruel Angel's Thesis" cause 1 the song fucking slaps, 2 I couldn't stop associating Jim with Shinji when I watched that scene. Specifically the joke "Get in the fucking robot Shinji" Cue Jim and Shinji having a Bad Time Indeed™ ;w; (Don't worry, Merlin is planned to have an even WORSE time afterwards). (ง •̀ω•́)ง✧

And maybe that'll change!! I remember for ch15 I had originally planned on the song section to be Mitski's Crack Baby. As it felt VERY fitting for both Barbara and Walter. Not only for Barbara's memory loss, but also that changeling feeling of missing something that you're not entirely sure about.

And YET Samba Em Prelúdio felt hauntingly right to me, it was soft, delicate, the lyrics are tragic, and the way Vinicius de Moraes ,Maria Creuza, Toquinho sing it gives me goosebumps every time.

ANYWHO! I hope that helped answering your question!! Thank you so much for asking!! It really means a lot to me!! ヽ(o♡o)/

[scottymcgeesterwrites]

Final Fantasy VII Remake Review

Year: 2020

Platform: PS4

I finished this game shortly after posting all my main single-player series Final Fantasy reviews. I was still digesting it and thinking about it to put together my review.

Synopsis:

The Shinra Electric Power Company rules over the city of Midgar, and the eco-terrorists AVALANCHE stop at nothing to try and prevent the life essence of the planet from being used as energy. Barrett, leader of AVALANCHE, hires a mercenary named Cloud Strife for their bombing mission on a Shinra Mako Reactor. Cloud doesn’t care much for the greater cause and only wants his pay. But then, after a mission goes awry, he meets Aerith, a flower girl who is the descendant of the Ancients. He quickly finds himself wrapped up in the greater conflict against Shinra.

Gameplay:

Final Fanatasy VII Remake has one of the best gameplay styles of any Final Fantasy game. It’s that good. It seems like after all these years, this is what Square really wanted to do. Since this was released after Final Fantasy XV, it’s pretty much the successor to its gameplay. While Final Fantasy XV has you more or less spamming the attack button with occasional spell casting and item usage, Final Fantasy VII Remake has you much more involved with the Materia system, abilities, and guarding/evading. One notable example is that Final Fantasy XV always told you when you should guard in order to counter, but Final Fantasy VII Remake has you figure that out on your own.

The abilities are so goddamn flashy and cool during gameplay. Tifa’s moves are quite possibly the most awe-inspiring.

My only complaint is locking onto the enemy during battle. You have to press down on R3 to lock onto an enemy, and I sometimes found that jarring with the camera controls. Sometimes I accidentally disengaged from an enemy and missed an attack. Since your moves are dependent on an Active Time Battle system, you can waste a turn if you get hit while conjuring a spell or taking out an item. That sometimes made me go “REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!”. But in the long run, those were very small gripes. The battles are so much fun.

Since the game follows only the Midgar portion of the story, it’s linear. But you reach sections where you are free to roam around and do sidequests before continuing with the main objective. I’m sure the later releases of the remake will feel much less constrained. But this remake does a good job at expanding upon Midgar without feeling too redundant.

Graphics:

Jesus Christ. This game is gorgeous.

Both in-game graphics and pre-rendered cutscenes. The switch between a pre-rendered cutscene and in-game cutscene has become much more seamless than ever before.

If you remember my Final Fantasy XV review, I mentioned how NPCs and other in-game animations seemed stiff and stilted. Final Fantasy VII Remake takes steps to remedy that. Characters have more fluid movements and everyone’s lips move a lot more. However, lip movements can come off as awkward. My friend was watching me play, and during one in-game cutscene they said “Something looks weird with their lips.” At times, lip movements seem too dynamic when the character is standing relatively still, which comes off looking like Mr. Ed the horse trying to talk.

Despite those small awkward things, the rest of the game is extremely polished. Remember how blocky Final Fantasy VII was? We now finally see these characters and the world of Midgar brought to life in beautiful HD graphics.Like holy shit. Everyone looks so beautiful.

Before I played this game, I was a Tifa stan, but now, ho man, they made Aerith so much more appealing.

SO.

MUCH.

MORE.

APPEALING.

And Tifa shines better than ever. I’m very tempted to just gush about her but here is just a couple enticing gifs.

Imagine playing this game and still thinking gamers are oppressed.

Story:

Final Fantasy VII Remake follows from the start of the original game up until the party leaving Midgar. Square plans to release the rest of the remake later.

I have to say, they made the story a lot more engaging than the original. That may seem like blasphemy, but the dialogue and voice acting was just so damn good. Some of my favorite moments included the banter between Aerith and Cloud. Like I said, I wasn’t into Aerith that much until I played the remake. She’s just so damn cute and charming. One of my favorite parts was when she said, “Shit” and almost fell, after mentioning how she didn’t need help climbing a ladder. Her voice is so lovely and amusing to listen to. The growing romance between her and Cloud doesn’t come off as forced or cringey, because we now spend so much time with Aerith.

Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie have much more important roles in the story. This gives us a greater sense of Avalanche as a ragtag group.

Entire chapters focus on them, especially Jessie. I cringed a bit at Jessie to be honest, despite her popularity. She now comes off as a copy of Aerith in the sense that she comes on strong to Cloud. But really strong. Like “I want that D right now” strong. Cloud has officially become your usual anime boy who is good at everything that can make any woman magically fall in love with him. So that whole thing made me roll my eyes.

There are some new characters inserted, such as the SOLDIER Roche. I thought they were going to do more with him but, apparently not. The new characters can be a bit “meh”, such as Chadley. Johnny isn’t a new character but may as well be since his role is so expanded. He was probably the most annoying, constantly calling Cloud “bro”. That gave me some bad flashbacks of Prompto’s modern-speak in Final Fantasy XV.

The remake adds a certain new plot element that you’re not sure at first where it’s going until it’s revealed at the very end. The ending can be a bit out there, as the original storyline is changed significantly. SIGNIFICANTLY I was curious if this game would make sense to first-timers, but, probably not when you reach the end. The ending heavily relies on you knowing the original game.

My only complaint about the story was how they started the motorcycle chase cutscene. That was my favorite cutscene of the original game, with Cloud driving down the stairs and the group getting into the car. I liken it to the barrel scene in the original Hobbit novel. But like the Hobbit movie, they made the motorcycle scene pretty outrageous. Like so over-the-top that my initial reaction was to scoff at it. It also struck me as awkward, because there were many moments when the bad guys could have shot them but just. . .stood there watching Cloud kick their asses.

Some people may be upset by how the remake ended, while others find it cool. I thought it was cool. But at the same time, now I want an official “remastered” Final Fantasy VII too. Just a game strictly like the original but with vastly improved graphics.

Music:

The music was pure eargasm. There were many moments when I fanboyed screaming “THIS IS THE SONG! YESSS!” They remixed the songs so well, from the battle theme to the Shinra theme, and the Wall Market theme. Everything you loved about the original soundtrack but MORE gusto, more pomp and circumstance.

A couple complaints though.

1 – I think the focus on making the music more orchestrated takes away the mood of the original music. I missed some of the synth and electronic from the original game because it related well to the technological city of Midgar. The synth and electronic featured in the original game gave off a brooding, darker mood.

2 – I didn’t like what they did with the Crazy Motorcycle music.

Notable Theme:

It’s difficult to find pieces of the original soundtrack as of today, because Square is taking them down from YouTube. Still, some people have managed to keep up some of the coolest tracks from this game. Unfortunately, the videos have gameplay footage, which could be spoilers, technically.

I’ll just leave it as this:

The Jenova battle theme is a much longer piece in this game, but it pays off at the final quarter of the song.

Trust me.

Verdict:

The remake does the original justice. We waited so long for this game and it delivered, unlike Final Fantasy XV.

I don’t think a first-timer would really appreciate it though as much as a fan of the original game would. Sure, there’s nothing stopping you from just going into it without knowing the original game, but there are things that one wouldn’t understand unless you played the original game. In that sense, the word “remake” is a bit misleading. Maybe they’re “rebooting” the entire Compilation of Final Fantasy VII? It seems like they’re going for what they did with the newer Star Trek movies, if you catch my drift. But I can’t say for sure exactly where they’re going with it until the next game comes out, but it seems that way to me.

[sapphymayeyeplease]

With the S1 remaster coming out tomorrow, I’d like to shed some light on the original first season. I know that this isn’t the most popular opinion, but Sam & Max Season One (Save The World) was actually good. Sure, Beyond Time and Space and The Devil’s Playhouse introduced amazing characters and fan favorites to the series, but S1 had a hypnosis plot involving the US government, a local (totally not a) mafia, a talk show host taking her audience hostage, a joke portrayal of the internet that actually kinda still holds up today, and a malevolent bacterial hivemind trying to take over the world. What other game could have something so elaborate and ridiculous building up episode by episode? 

And can I mention the amazing soundtrack? Seriously, the intro music, Cogs In Motion, Consecutive Office, Just You And Me (And Ted E. Bear), all still get caught in my head. Also??? REALITY 2.0!!! They took all the jazzy music and make it electronic and techno to fit with the setting, tone, and whimsical futurism of that episode and the virtual reality. Go on and tell me that isn’t at least a little bit cool.

And let’s be honest, it was testing the waters for everyone, really. Save The World was the first in the duo’s Telltale series, and as such, players and the developers alike were getting warmed up to what Sam & Max was all about. You can see as you get further into the game how the tone gets more comfortable with being unorthodox and outlandish. The Soda Poppers were annoying, Hugh Bliss was a bit eccentric, and the graphics weren’t amazing, but in my honest opinion, that’s just what it was; a good run that has a lot of flaws.

While we’re playing the remaster tomorrow, I hope to feel at least a bit of nostalgia. The first season set the scene for the seasons to come, and it just deserves more credit.