#Ziggurat Interactive

[satoshi-mochida]

A Boy and His Blob: Retro Collection releases today digitally for the PS4, PS5 and Switch. PC version TBA.

[okretrozone]

Slave Zero X Release Date Announced

A little different than usual...but I'm part of the team bringing this bad boy to the masses. And I'm so proud of everyone at Poppy Works and Ziggurat Interactive. This was the first game announced when I joined Ziggurat and it is wild that around my 2 year anniversary with Ziggurat it is getting released. February 21st 2024 is a big day and I'm very much excited to share everything going on in Slave Zero X and stories unfolding within the Mega City.

Check out this great trailer the team assembled. Slave Zero X will be released across platforms. Buckle up.

[savingcontent]

Venerable voice talents revealed in two new trailers for Slave Zero X

Venerable voice talents revealed in two new trailers for Slave Zero X

(more…)

[hardcoregamer]

Ziggurat Interactive Discusses the Importance of Game Preservation

One of the titles they are bringing back from the 'dead' is Killing Time:Resurrected. We at Hardcore Gamer had the pleasure of interviewing Alex Lotz, Managing Producer at Ziggurat Interactive, about the importance of game preservation and the value it has to old and young consumers.

See more!

[brutalgamer]

Slave Zero X brings its blood and gore to physical libraries today

Prefer to grab your games in physical form? Then you’ll be thrilled to learn that the bloody hack ‘n slash Slave Zero X is out now.

[sonsofks]

¡A Rodar se ha Dicho! El Clásico de Plataformas y Puzzles en 3D 'Ballance' Ya Está Disponible en PC

El Juego Que Desafía la Gravedad y la Lógica Llega a Steam y GOG con Descuento de Lanzamiento ¡Prepárate para una experiencia de juego única! El clásico juego de plataformas y rompecabezas en 3D, Ballance, regresa gracias a la editorial Ziggurat Interactive y ya está disponible para Windows PC a través de Steam y GOG. En un nostálgico regreso a los orígenes del gaming en PC, Ziggurat…

[infactforgetthepark]

[Free Video Game] Requiem: Avenging Angel [Biblical Mythology Sci-Fantasy Action]

To help promote their current end of summer Autumn Sale, a number of games are being given away, free for a limited time courtesy of retailer GOG.com and participating developers.

Requiem: Avenging Angel by Cyclone Studios & Ziggurat Interactive is a 3D first person shooter sci-fantasy action game loosely inspired by biblical mythology, where you play a Chosen angel sent to modern Earth to save creation from the Fallen and their demonic minions, using divine powers including Holy Light and Locust Swarm and Turn to Salt among others, as well as more standard enhanced weapons like grenade launchers and railguns.

The game is compatible with Windows computers and has English audio and text. Extra goodies in the download include a manual, reference card, and concept art images, and you can read more about the game on its regular catalogue page. NB: the game is rated Mature for strong language and depictions of violence.

To get the freebie, simply scroll down to and click the Claim button on the giveaway feature banner on GOG.com's front page (requires account signup with valid email but no payment info) right below Deal of the Day or try this link (must be logged in).

Offered DRM-free worldwide until early morning on Monday, September 11th at around 6 AM Pacific Time (1 PM UTC), available directly from the retailer's website.

[aconstantstateofbladerunner]

Opening my discord back up for my new followers!  It’s a place focused primarily on My Hero Academia gen fics!  Here, you can discuss your ideas for your stories and get helpful feedback and advice from a number of other authors!  (Plus, sneak peaks and behind the scenes looks at my stuff.)  We also host fun events both related to fics and beyond, so come on down!

[moreespressoformydepresso]

I imagine that outside of arrangement brainwashing Team Starbreaker is actually really close. Given what they were put through by Ziggurat I cannot imagine they weren’t at least slightly traumatized so they bond over that and they’re forced to at least not dislike each other given the fact that they spend a lot of time in close proximity. Imagine the three of them having movie nights and doing bonding activities, sightseeing when they go to another country for a match and having dinner/going out for food together. They’re all super different but somehow they make it work.

Damian is a little gremlin, absolute chaos incarnate, who has an endless supply of sass whenever he’s around people he likes and trusts. If not, he’s more cold and mean (like he is in the show, but toned down a lot when the arrangement isn’t affecting his behavior).

Jack is eccentric and also very sassy like Damian. Usually they sass each other, having arguments all over the place just for the sake of it because they both enjoy it. Everything is art to Jack, but without the arrangement he’s less sadistic about it. Damian’s partner in crime when it comes to pranks. He has a very caring side, but only to a few people.

Zeo is the token “normal one”. He’s the soft one who has his heart on his sleeve, always ready to help in any way he can and the one of the team who reacts the most outwardly emotionally to things. A human marshmallow and the one person who you should not hurt under any circumstances because Jack and Damian will make you regret the day you were born. When he’s not influenced by the arrangement it’s near impossible to make him angry, but when you do start praying to God for mercy because none will be found on earth no matter where you hide.

When they finally become a true team, they grab a hold of each other and refuse to let go. stay by each others’ side when the side effects of the arrangement are almost too much to handle, they hold each other through mental breakdowns, and when it’s all over they help each other pick up the pieces and try to figure out where to go from there.

They had a rough start, they went through even rougher times, and after the Hades City Fiasco they face the fallout together. They all get enrolled into therapy and relearn to love blading, they train together as they make their new beys their own, and they stay in contact as they grow, heal, and finally manage to leave Hades Inc and Dr. Ziggurat behind together.

[talonabraxas]

Ziggurat: A Dwelling Place for the Ancient Gods

The Anunnaki gods were worshipped by the Sumerians of ancient Mesopotamia long before the Greeks praised the Olympian gods or the Egyptians prayed to Osiris.

While Zeus and the rest of the Greek gods resided at the top of Mount Olympus, and Osiris was the god of the earth and the underworld, the Anunnaki were winged deities who lived up in the heavens and came down to Earth to decide on people’s destiny.

The Sumerians had many myths involving the Anunnaki gods passing judgment on humans. The gods were described as children of the Earth and sky. This indicates they were believed to interact with humans when they came down to Earth.

Based on ancient carvings depicting deities of ancient Mesopotamia, some had wings, wore horned caps, and had bird faces, while others held something resembling a modern-day ladies’ purse.

The Anunnaki descended from the god of the heavens An and the goddess of the Earth Ki. The word Anunnaki word can be translated into “princely seed” in Sumerian, but as a term, it remains poorly defined. There is hardly any evidence of an exact number of these gods and their various functions as the historical texts deviate from one another.

According to Sumerian beliefs, the Heaven and Earth were inseparable until Enlil came along. Enlil split the Heaven and Earth in two and carried the Earth away whilst his father, An, carried away the sky. -Anunnaki: Mythological Sumerian Gods

[beybladefanboy]

Updated MFB Characters Tier List!

Check below the cut for extended thoughts on every character. Just a fair warning it's REALLY LONG. Like 12 pages of a Google doc long.

I know this tier list doesn't have Shogun Steel like the old one (which I couldn't find this time sorry) did but honestly, it's been so long I don't have much of an opinion on Shogun Steel or its characters anymore. I'd have to rewatch it to know how I feel about them now.

Hate: Ryo

Four years and multiple rewatches later, this remains unchanged. Ryo's a bad father, a bad plot twist, the worst part of Metal Fusion and a big detriment of Metal Masters. I hate his story and how much the narrative straight up justifies child abuse and when he's not problematic, he's annoying.

Painfully Boring: Pluto, Rago

I discussed the latter two in a recent post but Pluto and Rago are the most boring villains in the series. Hardly anything stands out about them and they could've easily been consolidated into one character. I don't hate them but the characters in the dislike tier are at least memorable to me, hence why I dislike them more than the ones in that tier.

Dislike: Motti, Sora, Busujima, Chi-Yun, the Garcias

Motti makes me uncomfortable. it's not the character's fault, it's the writers' but still. I don't like watching her or her interactions with Johannes. Sora I honestly just find annoying. I like the idea behind him, of a kid for Kenta to mentor but his personality and voice are annoying to me. Busujima is just a one note douche, not interesting in any way. Chi-Yun again I just find really annoying. He's such a snide unsportsmanlike jackass to literally everyone in Masters and Fury and I don't feel like he gets any comeuppance for it. The Garcias meanwhile are just such painful missed potential. I dislike them all equally for this same reason. There was an interesting idea in Fury of them falling out and they just. Did nothing with it and made it a fakeout. They're very static in a frustrating way. But Argo's bey is kinda cool so at least there's has that.

Conflicted: Masamune, Chao Xin, Doji

All three of these can pretty much be boiled down to "I like them in one season and dislike them in another." Masamune is extremely irritating to me for most of Masters, with his development going in circles until the American arc, where I do actually find his conflict with Zeo to be engaging. And then in Fury I mostly like him. He has his annoying moments but I like his friendship with King and his arc of accepting that he's not a legendary blader. Good stuff.

Chao Xin is similar. I hated him at first but he becomes much more tolerable when they scale back his womanizer attitude and mostly have him play off of Mei Mei as sort of an exasperated older brother figure. Seriously, those moments gave me some of the biggest laughs on my recent Masters rewatch. I have way underrated that dynamic in the past but I love it now.

And then there's Doji... I think throughout all of Fusion he is a "love to hate" sort of character for me. He's a manipulative sociopath who moves the plot along and affects other characters well. And then Fury brought him back... knowing that Doji was even more recurring in the manga does make this make more sense but it it still feels pointless, though not obnoxious. It's his inclusion in Shogun Steel that I feel really diluted his character and made me sick of him.

No Feelings: Nowaguma, Anton, Jigsaw, the Kumade brothers, team Desert Blaze, team Chandora, Faust, movie villain (forgot his name), Rago's boring henchmen

This is self explanatory I think. None of these characters appear enough or are enough for me to care about them one way or another. The two teams from Masters especially feel like throwaway characters just there to fill space. Prolly could've been more but it doesn't anger me that they're not.

Kinda Like: Damian, Ziggurat, Mei-Mei, Aleksei, Dan & Reiki, Bao, Hokuto

Yeahhhh I kinda like Masters. Damian still feels like a less interesting version of Reiji to me but he's different enough that I wouldn't consider him a rip off and he's still engaging. I mean come on, he drags bladers into Hell. That's just cool. Ziggurat also kinda just feels like Doji again but again different enough and was never diluted at any point so ya know. He's a "love to hate" kind of character. Mei-Mei I mostly like for her silly dynamic with Chao Xin. Still wish she was treated better though jeez. Aleksei I honestly just remember as Madoka's silly crush but ya know. That's funny. And his story is mildly engaging. Not the most interesting part of Masters but oh well. Dan and Reiki are cool conceptually and good opponents for Kenta in that one episode but don't do much outside of that. Bao gets nothing compared to Aguma but again, still mildly engaging. And Hokuto is just funny. Not terrible interesting but funny enough for me to like.

Like: Aguma, Tobio, Nile, Sophie, Wales, Klaus, Hyoma, Helios, Gingka, Ryuto, Demure, Toby, Lera

Going roughly in ascending order from this point on. I enjoy Lera's spunky confident attitude and wish we'd gotten more of her. Her using her special move in Fury was the coolest thing anyone on the Russian team ever did, don't @ me. Toby is... more a plot point than a character in Masters but I still like said story and his attitude, especially in Fury. Ryuto and Demure I don't have much to say about: I just think they're cool. Ryuto for more laidback scoundrel attitude and Demure being skilled for something other than brute strength, both of which are nice changes of pace.

Gingka has problems a lot of anime protagonists have but I think they let him lose just enough to keep him balanced and make the story interesting. Plus he's just such a dorky little creature I can't bring myself to dislike him pretty much at all. I also like how he starts as someone Kenta idolizes only for Kenta to later realize that Gingka is just a kid like him. That's a nice arc.

Helios is pretty much the reason I ever rewatch the MFB movie. I like fire boys and redemption arcs what can I say? Hyoma DESERVED BETTER. He's weird and funny and I like his dynamics with Gingka, Kenta, and Kyoya. Klaus is just kinda neat and I enjoy his battles. Not much to say. Sophie and Wales I wish we spent more time individually but they're still neat. They're like a perfected version of what Dan and Reiki were going for. Nile I appreciate for telling Masamune to shut the fuck up. And playing off Kyoya well. He's a more level-headed guy for him to bond with and that's fun. Tobio is really cool conceptually but gets overshadowed by other DN members for me.

And finally Aguma. I like his story more than his personality if I'm being honest. Yeah, I find the two schools plot interesting, dammit! Also Aguma plays off characters like King and Tithi and even Dynamis well and I wish we saw more of it.

Really Like: Tithi, Zeo, Madoka, Daxiang, Benkei, Dynamis, Yu

Tithi is another silly little guy that I simply enjoy, especially in his battle against Aguma. Maybe could've done with more screentime (especially for the dynamic between him and Dynamis that should have been) but what we get is still good. Zeo is reason number 1 Masamune became a good character. I love their conflict in Masters and while Zeo is way out of line and definitely in the wrong, it's easy to still feel bad for him and get where he's coming from.

Madoka is the backbone of this entire show. She's fantastic and deserves more respect. Daxiang has one of the best glow ups in the entire show. I love his arc of getting back up to lead his group and the way it ties in with Julian's arc and goddammit he's just damn cool. I did not expect him to defeat Julian when I saw that battle as a kid but I'm so glad he did. It's a great battle, and honestly underrated from what I can tell.

Benkei is a silly guy and I love him. I love his early redemption arc and his friendship with Kenta and Kyoya and yet again, his battle with Kyoya in Battle Bladers is peak and WAYYYY underrated. That said, Benkei does peak in Fusion. That's where he got all his compelling development and afterwards... he's just kinda there. Still being fun but not interesting admittedly. It disappoints but doesn't surprise me that he fell from relevance a bit.

Dynamis is... maybe a ridiculous character to put so high but I just think he's cool. His bey might be one of my favourites in the show and he's the chad that said destiny is a choice. Based as hell. And finally Yu. Yet another just silly lil guy who is also one of the biggest menaces known to the series. Like Benkei, he's at his peak in Fusion but unlike Benkei, I found Yu's involvement in Masters and Fury more substantial, even if he's in way less of Fury than Benkei. He just plays off the characters, especially Tsubasa and Tithi, so well it doesn't matter much to me. He's a fun addition to any episode he's in dangit.

Love: Julian, Tetsuya, Johannes, Yuki, Ryutaro, Hikaru, Teru, Chris, Tsubasa

Top 15 let's go! Julian is a character whose story I relate to immensely, as a former gifted kid who still struggles to cope with failure, and as previously discussed, his battle with Daxiang is peak. The only thing keeping him so low is the fact that I kinda hate what his bey did to the lore of this series. It's a neat bey with cool symbolism but dammit the left rotation makes me angry.

Tetsuya and Johannes are both just hilarious to me, no notes. Johannes being surprisingly competent as a henchman (carrying way too much Fury's villainous edge on his back) and being associated with cats is the only thing boosting him up a little higher.

Yuki is relatable to me as someone with anxiety issues. It's mostly just shown in one episode but it's one great episode. I also love how, similar to Demure, Yuki is strong, a legendary blader in fact, but not for brute strength. It's his precision and strategy and ability to bring people together that gives him strength and dangit I just love that and can't stand when people call him the weakest legendary blader just because he doesn't have as much physical strength. That's not the only thing that matters in a bey battle or otherwise, dangit.

Ryutaro I'll admit I mostly love because of The Deck is Stacked, aka: the most underrated episode in the entire series. His story, of having no hope but having to fight anyways to live just a little longer, is primarily just in this one episode but it's damn engaging. Also his whole fortunetelling gimmick and causing illusions in battle by manipulating the air flow and density is damn cool.

Hikaru I'll admit is tricky. In a bubble, I like her arc a ton. I like how throughout Fusion, she was only beyblading for her dead mother's dream and struggled to really have fun with it when she wasn't winning. I like how after Battle Bladers, she decided to take a step away from beyblade for the sake of her mental health. That's really mature and different for a story like this and should be encouraged more in just. General society. And her reaction to the trauma Ryuga inflicted on her is so painfully realistic it gets to me every time. I will concede though that this arc, while really good, being given to the only female blader who battled in Fusion is... not great. On its own though, I still like Hikaru's story and character. She serves as a reminder to myself that sometimes, perseverance isn't the only option and it's okay to step away from something that's hurting me if I need to. Yeah... we're getting to the point where I might start to sound cheesy or preachy because a lot of these characters mean a lot to me personally. In fact, I think I just talked myself into ranking Hikaru higher. In the middle of writing this. DAMMIT.

Teru is definitely the character with the least screentime that I put this high, having only one episode where he has a major battle as opposed to Ryutaro's two (three if you count Ryuga). However, that episode is undeniably one of my favourites in the entire series. Like Hikaru, Teru's story is one that is so powerful and stuck out to me so much throughout my life that it serves as a reminder to myself: that even if I fail or am unable to continue something I love, I can get back up and even when I least expect it, find that spark again. It's cheesy but genuinely inspiring to me. Not to mention him being a male ballerina. Absolutely fabulous and yet another reminder to myself as a trans man that I don't have to fit into society's boxes of what defines a man to still be a man. Absolutely incredible character.

I think it’s safe to say that I am quite possibly the biggest fan of Chris on this Earth. I just don't see anyone else talk about this guy or again, how relatable his story is. Or at least, when I watch Fury, I see myself in Chris. I see this guy burnt out by his obligations that he struggles to have fun with anything or make connections. This guy that puts on a mask of "completely fine with doing anything asked of him" for the people around him and just wants to get by, passionless, direction-less, unwilling to let himself feel truly passionate lest he be let down again. It's an arc that I didn't get until I got older and now that I do, it hits me hard and I think they devote just enough time to it. I do wish we'd seen more of him after his battle with Gingka because his simultaneously snarky and socially awkward personality is one I honestly find really appealing and had a blast writing back in the day. That's really my only complaint with Chris: I wish we got more of him, which isn't really a bad thing.

And finally Tsubasa. I've ranked him higher in the past and while I do still love him, he absolutely peaks in one particular season and while still engaging in the other two, is a tad vanilla. The mystery of his allegiances in Fusion is a fun one and I love his battle with Ryuga (and what it sets up) and while he's far less prominent or deep in Fury, his unique cool-headed personality is still intact and engaging. Buuuuut yeah. It's Masters where Tsubasa really shines. The Dark Tsubasa arc is the best take on this sort of “dark possession” story I've ever seen and one of the greatest character arcs in the entire series, if not the best. It's tense, it's interesting, it tugs at all my emotions in just the right way and it is resolved perfectly. The darkness remains a part of Tsubasa, because everyone has darkness in them but everyone has light as well and I just find that to be way more thematically rich and engaging than him simply driving the dark self out of himself like say Marik in Yugioh Duel Monsters did. Tsubasa’s arc is the most engaging part of Masters and a story and character that stick with me for all the right reasons.

Favourites: Jack, King, Reiji, Kyoya, Kenta, Ryuga

Top six time woohoo! I didn't intend this, but the top three are in every season and the three below that are mostly prominent in one of each season, starting with the Masters one: Jack. Silly artsy peacock boy really should not be this high but goddammit he's so entertaining. His bey is beautiful, his battling style is unhinged in the most memorable, hilarious way possible, the fact that like Teru, he's another male character with “feminine” traits that I, a trans man, can find comfort in. He's just so funny and fabulous and also kind of pathetic and I am obsessed with that. Also I appreciate the small but meaningful return he has in Fury where he finally got off the drugs- I mean, stop taking arrangements. Great character.

And the best character exclusive to my favourite season Fury is none other than KING. Yeah, that's not a shock if you know me. I wouldn't ship Ryuga with just anyone but even prior to that, I've just always loved King's positive attitude. He's very confident in himself but shows his opponents as much respect as they give him and is just so happy and grateful to be battling and that ties in so well with his little backstory. King is, personality-wise, what I want to be. Confident in myself, grateful for what I have, easily able to make friends… And also on my most recent viewing I realised it is incredibly easy to read him as trans masc coded and that's fun. 10/10. Love a guy with blue hair and pronouns.

And finally the best character who only appeared in Fusion: Reiji Mizuchi. My opinions have… shifted on him over the years to say the least. Now that I’m over all the past grief I have with this character, goddamn do I fully appreciate how hard they went on this antagonist. He is, I guess, a one note psycho but it’s the extent of his sadism that makes him so memorable and intimidating. It’s something no other character in the show does as effectively as him in my opinion. Characters like Tetsuya, Selen, or Johannes who don’t play fair, more so use trickery to distract their opponent or trick them into battle conditions that put them at a disadvantage. Reiji though is a whole other beast. He’s flat out torturing his opponents, forcing them to watch helplessly as he cuts their beys to pieces, because he knows no one outside the battle can stop him. He’s scarily perceptive of Kenta in particular, being able to use the kid’s insecurities against him to torment him and get the upper hand in battle. Reiji is a character who is meant to be hated and it’s that hatred of his actions that makes his battles so engaging to watch. He’s someone whose actions are so horrible it makes you hate the Dark Nebula and want to see them defeated even more. I cannot imagine Battle Bladers without Reiji. And this isn’t even getting into how fascinating it is for me to analyse the deeper implications with his character: the fact that Reiji seems to believe that his viewpoint of “beyblade is for destruction” extends to himself as well. He never once states himself as an exception. So if his opponent isn’t the one being destroyed, he is, an implication that I feel is made very clear by his breakdowns when Kenta and later Gingka gain the upper hand on him. Reij is a brainwashed pawn of the Dark Nebula, it’s something that’s backed up well enough for me to consider it true in universe and not just a headcanon. And what Reiji’s presence as this brainwashed pawn who behaves as a destructive one-note sadist (in his mind to protect himself from being destroyed) says about the Dark Nebula and Doji give this show an extra layer of darkness and intrigue that I wish they’d gone even further with but what we get is fascinatingly twisted. Reiji will now always be a tragic character to me. And one I’m probably more invested in than the writers of the show. The only thing keeping Reiji out of the top three is a lack of screentime, which is more of a missed opportunity than a detriment but still a disappointment to me personally.

And now for the top three. Kyoya is a tricky one for me. I really REALLY love him in Fusion and Masters. I think screentime-wise, he did peak in Fusion but Masters still continues his character development really well. You can see how he's matured from the events of Fusion but still retains that core “Kyoya”-ness I love so much. He’s still incredibly arrogant and willing to do batshit insane things in the name of defeating Gingka but he’s much more gracious in accepting loss and has become a better leader for his new team, Team Wild Fang, which all play off him in fun ways. Kyoya is less funny in Masters, sure, which I think does make me prefer him in Fusion by a slight margin but he’s still great in Masters, keeping his core personality while still balancing that with subtle but engaging character development. And then Fury happened… listen, I'm not gonna go into this here since I have so many times in the past and since he's in my top three and Fury is my favorite season, it's obviously not a deal breaker for me but Kyoya feels so off for a little but still just enough of his screentime in Fury to bother me. Still, the moments where he is still a really good character in Fury are there. His overinflated ego during his battle with Ryuga on the volcano feels like a mistake Kyoya would make and seeing him grow from it in the following episodes was a nice character arc. I also still enjoy the other major battles he got, most notably Johannes, Aguma, and Dynamis, Kyoya’s battles are something that are consistently kept fun and more insane across all three seasons which I love (except the Tithi battle). And finally, Kyoya's speech to Gingka during the final battle is genuinely touching and a nice way to wrap up his character for the season. The speech for me does ultimately forgive his selfish actions earlier in the season and so, while I have my problems with Kyoya in Fury and he still doesn't feel entirely congruent with how he was written in Fusion and Masters, I would still consider Kyoya in Fury a good character for the most part. So while he's clearly at his weakest in Fury, I still love Kyoya overall and within Fusion and Masters, he has some of my favourite episodes across all three seasons. He's a great character. His arrogance is often funny as hell, his character arc over the course of the series is engaging, I love how he never gives up no matter how impossible the odds, I love that he can be easily read as trans masc, he's just wonderful.

Second place! Kenta! Yeah, probably not all that surprising that I still love my Beyblade son. He’s just such a consistent source of positivity in the show. He’s the first character we meet, he has the cutest friendships with just everyone he meets. Ryuga instantly comes to mind as someone who’s made a better person just thanks to Kenta’s presence in his life but there’s also Gingka, Benkei, and Yu, whose character arcs all involved Kenta in some way. Not to mention that Kenta is debatably the character that grows the most as a blader throughout the series. He starts off as a novice but by the end, being respected by the strongest blader of all time, Ryuga and evolving into a Legendary Blader and one of the heroes that saved the world. It’s just satisfying to see that journey, even if Masters hardly contributed to said journey at all. Still, he’s a great character, and the odds are against him more than just about anyone, which for me, just makes him more engaging to watch.

Do I even need to explain my number 1 pick? Not only has Ryuga been my favourite character for four years straight now but he’s nearly everyone’s favourite character. Everyone agrees that he’s a total badass, the best villain in the show, hilariously over the top in Fusion, still amazing as an anti-hero in Masters and… actually I’ve seen some mixed thoughts on his character in Fury but unlike Kyoya, I actually think Ryuga still felt consistent in Fury. Yeah, I think Ryuga was being a hypocrite in Masters. A fascinating badass hilarious hypocrite but still a hypocrite who was still just as susceptible to being blinded by a thirst for power as Team Starbreaker, who he hated so much in Masters predominantly due to the association with Doji. To be honest, I think Ryuga peaks in Fury. Unlike some other characters who peak in one season or have one season where they get less screen time or feel off somehow, Ryuga starts off amazing in Fusion and only gets better throughout every season. His speech about how he overcame the dark power in Masters, how he concluded that because it was a problem created by humans it could be overcome by a human, was the moment where it really clicked for me that Ryuga is something special. He’s not just physically strong: he has the “never give up” mindset that many of these bladers have cranked up to 11, as well as the ability to admit to his mistakes and work to overcome them. And that’s genuinely admirable, the most admirable to me out of all the characters in this show. I wish I had even a bit of Ryuga's confidence. And I think the fact that Fury shows he’s not infallible and is capable of making similar mistakes is a good way of showing that progress is not linear and gives him more depth. And. God. Everything with him and Kenta still gives me the feels. The way their friendship develops is subtle but it's honestly sweet and the payoff is legendary. I CANNOT get through those episodes of Ryuga dying then giving the last of his power to Kenta without crying my eyes out. I wasn't exaggerating about my most recent viewing of those episodes making me cry so hard I got dehydrated. If that ain't the mark of an amazing character I don't know what is. Ryuga's still alive in my heart, dammit. And also the fanfic series I wrote a few years ago now. Those aren't factored into this ranking obviously, I just bring them up to make a point of how much I love Ryuga.

[satoshi-mochida]

A Boy and His Blob: Retro Collection launches October 17 for PS5, PS4, and Switch, later for PC

Gematsu Source

A Boy and His Blob: Retro Collection will launch for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Switch on October 17, publishers Ziggurat Interactive and Limited Run Games announced. A PC version is also planned, with a formal announcement “coming soon.”

Here is an overview of the collection, via Ziggurat Interactive:

A Boy and his Blob: Retro Collection brings a pair of NES and Game Boy hits to modern consoles, including their US and Japanese versions. A Boy and his Blob: Trouble in Blobolonia puts the fate of Blobolonia in your hands as the evil Emperor threatens to plunge the planet into chaos. As the Boy, joined by your new alien-like friend, Blobert (affectionately known as Blob), you’ll use 14 magical jelly beans to transform your companion’s form as your puzzle-platforming skills are put to the test. In The Rescue of Princess Blobette, enjoy the thrilling sequel, this time as the dastardly Alchemist takes over Blobolonia’s Royal Castle and traps the fair princess inside. Once again, it’s up to the titular Boy and his Blob friend to vanquish evil, save the princess, and send a menacing meddler packing. Powered by Limited Run Games’ Carbon Engine, A Boy and his Blob: Retro Collection combines that throwback feel with modern quality-of-life improvements. Updates include Trophies for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4, filters to change up the aesthetic appearance, and finally, as a gift from the video game gods, save states. No more starting all the way back at the beginning after a game over.

Watch a new trailer below. View a new set of screenshots at the gallery.

Release Date Trailer

[okretrozone]

Oh Yeah! I Went to GDC

While I didn’t get The Skeleton King demo built for GDC, I still had the opportunity to go and represent the marketing efforts for Ziggurat Interactive. It was a wonderful time. I met so many incredible developers and finally got to meet online friends and developer partners in person.

It is just wild to look back. Back in middle school, I remember making games in RPG Maker 95 and 2000 and I’d use graph paper to map out video game levels and design my own. I sort of fell out of love with games for a while, but it returned with a fire in graduate school I returned to these ideas and built arcade cabinets with small experiences for one person to have in a gallery.

It was a dream come true honestly. When I was in graduate school, I would sit in a tiny basement cafeteria and eat Thai food and would just read Gamasutra (now Game Developer) articles and dream of the day I could say I worked in video games.

Now I work for a video game company, started my own studio, and got to GDC and meet designers who I admire?! It is wild. Thank you to everyone I met and took the time to talk to me. 

GDC was a month ago...and I’m still tired. haha

[savingcontent]

Ziggurat Interactive to relaunch the once thought sidescrolling shmup Rendering Ranger: R² later this year onto PC and PlayStation

Continue reading Ziggurat Interactive to relaunch the once thought sidescrolling shmup Rendering Ranger: R² later this year onto PC and PlayStation

[isagrimorie]

[initial reactions] Critical Role: Bells Hells episode 49

That was such a good episode, I know that the characters were stressed being on board the sky ship, eating up time as the Apogee Solstice creeps ever forward but it was such a great moment for the characters to unwind a bit and talk. I always love their planning stuff despite how many people gripe about it on the chat and reddit, I love their thought process and the way they try to mitigate the damage they do.

I already love Laudna but IMO she was in fine form this episode, finally cracking Ashton open and getting that long awaited talk out of the way. I can see why the dynamic of Keyleth and Percy work so well in C1 and I wish its something they can show more in the animated series. *crossing fingers for season 3 of TLOVM!

It does feel like its a dynamic Taliesin and Marisha want to recreate in a different flavor with Ashton and Laudna, and they're doing so successfully. I love how Ashton and Laudna talk, and call each other's bullshit out but this episode especially, Laudna is showing off the wisdom she learned in 30 hard earned years she's lived.

Orym's also successfully reaching out to people with Dorian and I love how we're getting hints of things in EXU Prime that in their end, things are also very dicey. Opal getting dark???

I am so into that and Fearne's immediate concern is apparent. But also, Marisha knowing the details of the EXU Prime plot is so juicy!

The gang accomplished so much recruiting Ira, finally telling some more people in authority or approximate authority about how dire the situations are. Telling Pike, even though she can't do things, maybe? Possibly? Apparently, things on Tal'dorei are also very dicey, so Whitestone might have its own problems with the Ziggurat.

I'm going to heap more praise towards Laudna because of the interrogative sort of femme fatale honey pot play she did with Ira, getting Ira to talk more about it, tagged teamed with Fearne at the end.

Speaking of, Fearne is very much still ambivalent towards her parents, sure she's nice to them but as she told Nana Morri, her parents feel more like strangers than people related to her.

Also, Thank Goodness, the team's finally equipped but I need Dani to remind the cast that they still have residuum and the bracers of defense!

I feel like there's gonna be some Mad Max shenanigans that's going to happen on the Apogee Solstice, and its going to be heart pounding and epic and so great.

FCG also learned some things about himself, about how he is not alone and Devaxian also stressed how from this point on he is gifted with a chance to own his own future. A future of his own making. (A theme that will be repeated a lot!).

And then there's that moment when Imogen meets with Liliana again and, and, and I am VINDICATED!!! LILIANA IS A TRUE BELIEVER. She might even be Ludinus's real right hand and not Otohan which would be DELICIOUS.

I love that Liliana tried to get Imogen on her side and Imogen genuinely considered it because the vision she painted was tempting, for someone like Imogen who was tormented by her powers that's a siren call.

But of course, Fearne and Orym was around in the dream and they played it as silent observers instead of actively interacting with the dream space like how the others did it. It does feel like Fearne and Orym are still at heart, a unit. In a similar but different way to Laudna and Imogen. I love the talk they had about Imogen, about the possibility of Imogen turning because of her mother. Orym and Fearne will do what's necessary to stop things from happening and it's really fascinating how that will go.

Laura's face was interesting the whole time too.

And then, and then just when the group thinks its hopeless they get a possible help and distraction of the big army with Keyleth coming in, sounding exhausted and heart sick but still willing to help to put Ashari volunteers to help. I hope the group remembers to warn Keyleth about the antimagic that's going to happen.

I feel like Keyleth and the Air Ashari can act as distraction while the Bells Hells, as a strike team can go and take down the Malleus Key. Everyone in the cast looked happy at this development, except for Marisha who looked worried and had her Thinking Face on.

Near the end, Imogen talks to Orym and asked how he can go on after everyone he lost and they have a heartfelt talk. Orym tells Imogen that he believes in her but Imogen is not convinced but doesn't try to read his mind to know if this is true. Instead, at long last, after many episodes.

Imogen goes back to the room she shares with Laudna and finally talks to her. Whatever impetus it was: her fear, uncertainty, or the realization that she shares some similarities with her father and that's the reluctance to talk.

Laudna asks if Imogen is okay, and automatically, Imogen answers she is. Laudna gently tells Imogen she didn't need to lie to Laudna about 'being fine'. And so Imogen opens the conversation with admitting that she's been afraid of really talking to Laudna after she was resurrected, that she had something to tell Laudna.

Laudna asks Imogen what it is she wanted to say but Imogen hesitates and then says something about her fear and god I love how Laudna approached her talk with Imogen. I love that Laudna went about it with understanding because, of course, who more than Laudna hasn't thought what would have happened if life had been different.

Laudna had thirty years to think similar thoughts, to wish a different life than the one she had. She candidly told Ashton she made Patê so she won't lose her mind wandering alone.

But through everything Laudna lived through she is very cognizant too the reason she met Imogen and the other Bells Hells was because of who she is and became. And I think Marisha has her answer to Aabria's question from the 4 Sided Dive a long time ago -- there is a part of her that is a little grateful for Delilah or whatever patron that made her a Hollow One, that she has this powers now and ability to be spooky. Things she enjoys.

It's a little messed up and complicated.

I also love that while Laudna didn't hear Imogen's promise about how Laudna will always have a choice, Laudna unknowingly echoed back Imogen's words. Imogen has a choice. She will always have a choice and having the ability to choose is a power all its own. Its not something gods can take away.

Honestly, I love how Laudna is talking to Imogen from a place of understanding and I think more than anything, this helped Imogen solidify her grasp of why they're fighting. It's not just because its wrong and kill other people. All morally right reasons why they need to stop Ludinus and his group.

It's because every individual deserves a right to choose. And that love also means loving every part of a person, especially the weird parts of them.

Imogen might have lost her nerve to tell Laudna she loved her, loved her, romantic stylez and Laudna might slowly be waking into the part of herself that can access it. But its plain as day they love each other and I'm okay to wait on how long and slow this will cook, but also saying things like:

"I feel so comfortable and bonded with you. We transcend words in our relationship.

"You'll always have me."

"I'll always be there to support you whatever choice you make.

"You're my tether."

"That tether goes beyond this realm and this life."

C'MON. Those words are my ship Kryptonite! If I hadn't already shipped them, this would have definitely tip the scales! And I feel very well fed tonight!

God I love them. I love the Bells Hells.

[brutalgamer]

All-out retro action title Slave Zero X is coming to Switch this month

In the mood for a little 16bit(ish) action in the classic style? Sit tight, because Ziggurat Interactive’s Slave Zero X is almost here.