#and 1 fifth of it was my harry potter emo phase

[phsycodesi]

I’ve woken up at 3 am and remembered that I shipped barbie in all her movies with her counter part/best friend in that movie.

Also, anyone remember Raquelle from life in the dream house? I shipped barbie with her more than I shipped the blonde with Ken.

I no longer have doubts that I’m queer. Any time I forget that I’m gonna come back and look at this post.

But seriously tho, Barbie had so much sexual tension with like half the girls she shared main character status with, that I forgot all and any relationships she might have had with other boys XD

Also yes I watched Barbie movies and liked them. Personal favorite: the crystal fairies and butterfly fairies one. That one was so queer coded in my 8 year old eyes I swear-

I need to go to sleep wtf-

[the-knights-who-say-book]

Tortall Recall Episode 3: In the Hand of the Goddess, Part 1

they spend a while discussing alanna’s beverage drinking habits??

“this book is now 1/3 of my experience with Tamora Pierce books” “and for that we are sorry”

oh thank god this used to be someone else’s favorite book in the past i’m not alone

“i made a list of things to go through later. it’s extensive.”

oh god people talking about reading series out of order always stresses me out. stop being retroactively worried about people’s reading experiences brain!!

“can we put a pin in the idea of becoming a Boxcar Children podcast”

[talking about fonts] “the one that’s like Arial, but worse”

“her first fear is metaphors for manhood”

“and her fifth fear is some guy with a mustache”

[about Roger] “i was picturing him as Roger De Niro-esque, except with better fashion”

“and THEN, the lady knights were discredited, for their... fraud scheme.”

i hate when you want to add ur own input to the podcast but u can’t!!

i love that they’re casually talking about when they’ll read Beka Cooper, they’re absolutely planning to read ALL the books and i’m here for it

“but she also dueled a boar and, separately, a wolf”

“she got straight up kidnapped and I was like, this is fine”

“’cause you know, he’s a villain, villains gotta do chess metaphors”

“this middle grade fantasy where Alanna solves problems by fighting them with a sword”

“i appreciate that roger is the kind of villain who makes chess metaphors but alanna is so not the kind of hero who would buy into that at all?” “yeah, alanna walks up to the chess board and hits it with a sword”

“just like in chess, you take your opponents pieces and you throw them on the ground”

“the old ones? bye, those are gone forever.”

[in a semi-horrified voice] “and it’s like, is that your justice system?”

“king roald wants to be a peace-maker and everyone’s like ‘that’s ridiculous, how dare you try to make reparations for our colonial actions’”

“we do have the appearance of a god, so we should probably talk about that”

“so my first theory about Faithful is that... he’s just a regular cat” [laughter from everyone]

“and my second theory is because he has violet eyes, it’s not just Alanna and Thom — they’re triplets.” another panelist, gleefully: “that’s terrible”

[continuing] “and the third one got turned into a cat and their dad forgot about the third one because he’s a bad dad”

“alanna’s like, ‘violet eyes don’t make someone supernatural, she and thom were proof of that’. they are NOT proof of that!! alanna, look at your life!” “alanna pls” “honey”

“a cool fun choice this plot makes about structure is that her dad dies off-screen between books”

“it was jon’s birthday, which we’ll talk about—” [referencing the other panelists] “— everyone’s just making faces” (@ everyone: same)

they detour to talk about procrastination in Harry Potter lmao

“also, he’s the only character in the book with a last name.” “that’s not true, George Cooper also has a last name!” “ok but how was it not a giveaway that he’s a spy when he’s the only one with a last name” “maybe he just says it really fast so that it sounds like one name”

“should we start with the romance and get it over?” “can we all just yell for a minute? like at the same time?” [everyone groaning]

“i look back and i’m like, oh dear, ten-year-old Grace, i hope you didn’t internalize any of this”

[in a completely bewildered voice] “never... do you need..... a man’s touch........i mean also, lesbians,”

the moments of utter silence as literally no one can find the words for their fury

“hey george? i’m calling the police. they’re on their way.”

i’m so glad they’re dragging both george and jon and specifically mentioning how jon deals with being attracted to her by being mean AND THE LINE “GO BEFORE I CHANGE MY MIND”

anyway my stanning of George is being completely smashed to bits but like... it’s time. this had to happen

“we’ve expanded that to she should just stab all the men in her life”

“and he was reading her his bad poetry — and also, why didn’t you include the bad poetry in this book” yeah @ tamora pierce what gives

“i want more expression in this book of jonathan’s emo phase”

this podcast is a healing experience

[sometipsygnostalgic]

peoples responses to “adventure time vs. steven universe”

so when i wake up tomorrow morning im going to do a megathread about this, but im going to start responding to people now:

@hellafa hmmmm im not really sure that i agree here, because SU was written with cohesive characterisation in mind whereas AT will contradict itself entirely based around who happens to be storyboarding that week... the magical thing about SU is i can never tell who is boarding an episode cos its all in rebecca sugars vision, and she wants to stick to it, only giving leverage when it comes to humorous eps. AT will have an ep w peebs fucking up the fire kingdom and the very next week shell be having fun on a cat w starry eyes, not out of natural character but because the writer of the second ep is a bit weird. imo the most ooc moment she EVER had was tryin 2 convince lemonhope to fight lemongrab because of “”pacts and treaties””; these have certainly never been a thing shes respected and it seems absurd that shed put a candy person, especially lemonhope, at risk over that. if it was tru to her season 5 character shed have Sorted It Out herself w force.i do love the lemonhope eps tho. but what a destructive way to set them up! 

o right i forgot to mention the bigger character sin: finn will one week be a depressed young adult with the philosophical knowledge of a demigod and the next week hell be a bratty child w a lack of empathy for others, and this is cos of tom herpich and jesse moynihan’s disagreements w each others’ characterisations, which ill get into in a bit

hellafa @monsterdoodles and @fernbrandt: this is a double edged sword for steven universe. the whole theme behind it is the show grows up with steven, and we only know as much about the world around him as he does. this gives SU an air of childish mystery that AT quite harshly lost around its fifth season, and imo the AT eps w other characters arent really its strongest cos finn and jakes friendship is the heart of the show (though there are some amazing gems out there especially the ice king/marcy and season 7 bubbline eps)... but at the same time i really dont like SU eps that have a lack of crystal gems, and when steven isnt around the crystal gems it just kinda sucks. connies a lot of fun to see! anyone else its kinda boring. thats just a personal preference though and not a solid complaint. and like hellafa said, it’s not like w Adventure Time when theres a natural reason for characters wanting to mind their own business (heck in Red Starved they outright say “sometimes its better NOT to ask”); Steven doesnt ask questions that the audience would reasonably be begging to ask in his position, which sort of fucks up the audience/Steven immersion that the shows aiming for, and doesnt seem right to steven himself....

once again i disagree. finn has points in season 5-6 especially where he acts like hes an emo 25 year old one ep, then acts like a sociopathic 10 year old the next. all this while he was 15-16 years old. and yeah, its the lowpoint of the show, but its the longest two seasons adventure time has ever had. it takes up half the freaking show

@martianmaximum SU has just reached its point, production-wise, where season 5.2 started. in the EXACT latest episode of SU, the adventure time equivalent had Finn break up with Flame Princess. 

....but if we compare them in this way, its clear AT’s protagonist has gone through a more natural growth than SU. because in season 4, Finn was a much more mature character than season 1, right? hed gradually grown across seasons 2 and 3 to get to where he was at, say, Burning Low. whereas STEVEN has grown in ways that... dont feel like a kid becoming a teenager, so much as a kid going through a series of traumatic events and not knowing how to handle it, certainly not getting help for it. to put it simply their lovechild would be OotP Harry Potter. steven’s more emotional than in the past but he feels more like he nosedived into a similar state of mind as depressed season 6 finn but without the philosophy or bees thank god. and considering steven is the same age finn was at the end of season 4, and steven has a smaller emotional range or growth rate than finn, the latter is a better representation of a 14 year old. lets just hope steven doesnt go through an asshole phase but even that allowed finn’s personality to settle down later when they started, yknow, writing him better. the years have been kind to adventure time..... 

 ...and every source ive researched, including @slickdoggo and even myself, believes that AT is a far more exciting show because of how out-there it could be at any time. the world feels natural because of how many characters you see doing random stuff, everybody feels like a person not overwhelmed by drama but simply trying to live their life. this is the distinct part of the show’s humor; it focuses on showing people being people. they can have happy days, they can have sad days, they can have an entire range of emotions because AT focuses on the human rather than the dramatic, but also gives room for tension, silliness, sadness. compared to adventure time’s greatest episodes, SU’s emotional range is that of a puddle.

the weakness i’d say AT has here is, it dulls itself down too much. sometimes characters dont express as much as they should. once again jmoyns had this freaking issue with his emotionless characters just blabbing about how they feel in an advanced philosophical way with no humor or body language (BORING), and tom always makes everyone sound like theyre made of cardboard, relying more on the confusing themes of his eps than the characters themselves.... this is so different to SU’s ways of demonstrating emotion through song, expression, tone of voice... when SU wants to display an emotion it does so well. sadly SU has less emotions TO explore, but thats because AT has infinite potential in this area. people in AT feel all sorts of emotions about the most random crap, just like people. its natural and hilarious and oh so complex.

@inbarfink and thats the fundamental difference between the two shows. SU’s linearity makes it such a CONSISTENT show that its ratings have barely raised or dipped at all in the past 4 years. meanwhile adventure time has had great episodes, its had bloody awful episodes, its had time periods where  all sincerity and humor was thrown out the window for bullshit... adventure time reaches for the stars and sometimes it falls. 

steven universe reminds me, in a way, of a riskier Ben 10. you have the starchild protagonist, the support characters, they all go on their adventure and its very much an old story with a new coat. quite entertaining to watch but you dont expect much new out of ben 10.

su is riskier because of its relationship with gender, sexuality, and identity.  if you remove these factors its almost identical to ben 10′s type of journey.

and this, my dude, is my greater accomplishment.

[entergamingxp]

DualShockers’ Favorite Games of 2019 — Mario’s Top 10

December 28, 2019 2:00 PM EST

While it was hard for me to just choose ten games for this list, 2019 still gave us a ton of exceptional games like Death Stranding and more.

As 2019 comes to a close, DualShockers and our staff are reflecting on this year’s batch of games and what were their personal highlights within the last year. Unlike the official Game of the Year 2019 awards for DualShockers, there are little-to-no-rules on our individual Top 10 posts. For instance, any game — not just 2019 releases — can be considered.

Hello DualShockers! This is your resident new video boi writing for the first time for DualShockers for my top ten games of the year. Please take kindly because I don’t normally do this, my mind is best suited for video. With that said, here’s what I had to say year of great games.

Just as a note for my list: the first nine games are in no particular, with the last game as my overall Game of the Year.

Resident Evil 2

This game used to scare the piss out of me as a young boy. To imagine the remake still having the same effect on me nearly 21 years later is an understatement. The hallways I’m used to exploring felt new and fresh along with some great new surprises, making Resident Evil 2 among the best in the series right up there with Resident Evil 4.

This game looks incredible and is an example of this generation’s superb visual quality. The modern control enhancements are a dream and the reworked puzzles are exceptional. Its replayability with the inclusion of the additional side stories and missions makes this game worth every cent.

Check out DualShockers‘ review for Resident Evil 2.

Devil May Cry 5

Dante and his merry band of misfits never before clicked with me with the few games of the series I have attempted to play throughout the years. But then high school happened, My Chemical Romance broke up, and my emo phase has never felt the same. However, that all changed in 2019 until this game.

This video game is a rocking emo metal love song with guns, spells, and robot arms. It’s The Fast and the Furious of video games. It has a fun inventive cast all-around with a story that makes no sense, but the action is non-stop fun. This game takes the RE engine and proves you can do so much more with it, and I’m excited for more that this series has to offer. I’m still looking for a good deal to play the rest of this series of games: it’s that damn good.

Check out DualShockers‘ review for Devil May Cry 5.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Like DMC5, this strategy series has before never clicked with me. Awakening at the time did nothing for me, and I never picked these characters in Smash. But when you give me a Harry Potter-like school mixed with a Persona-style companion system (not sure if this is in the other games in the series, sorry) and you have my sword, or bow, or javelin.

This game hooked me deep. From falling in love with my chosen house and characters, to realizing that the gameplay is like Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, it was the perfect entry in the series to pull me in.

Check out DualShockers‘ review for Fire Emblem: Three Houses.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

Respawn going two-for-two for some of the best games I have played in 2019 is quite an achievement, given how different the games are. While Fallen Order certainly takes a lot of inspiration from other games, even mixing multiple genres, it’s the Star Wars layer on top that really holds it all together. The game’s Dark Souls-inspired combat was the only aspect that I wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy, because normally it’s not my wheelhouse. But the Soulslike combat of Fallen Order really made me appreciate it, especially when you combine that with the story of rediscovering yourself as a Jedi.

This game’s greatest strength hands down was the story, because it follows through with Cal’s journey through his past, his crew, and what his future is to be in the Star Wars canon. This was one of the highlights of the year, and it’s a game I can’t wait to see a sequel for.

Check out DualShockers‘ review for Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.

Control

Remedy has a formula of game design that just speaks directly to my sensibilities. The moment that I saw the first trailer for Control, I knew it was going to be one of my favorites from them. Whether it’s crime noir with Max Payne, science fiction drama with Quantum Break (which is an underrated gem this generation), and Control being a supernatural secret government organization game in the vein of The X-Files and Twin Peaks, oh boy is it speaking to me.

The game just looks beautiful, even in the most mundane areas to the most elaborate twisted puzzle box-like sections of the world. The gameplay is the power fantasy version of their previous games, and that formula still works with this game. This game makes me regret it more for skipping Alan Wake, so I’m happy to correct that mistake soon.

Check out DualShockers‘ review for Control.

Katana Zero

There’s always a few indie games that really catch my eye each year, and for my list I really want to show my appreciation for this side-scrolling action platformer. As someone who is not the biggest fan of the gameplay of Hotline Miami, something about the perspective change to side-scrolling “don’t die” gameplay really captured me.

A lot of the heavy lifting that got me through the game were the story elements that were in between each of the levels, something I didn’t care for in the Hotline games. If you’re a fan of The Messenger and other amazing side-scrollers, this is not one to miss, and one I hope to get a sequel because there’s still some story left on the table that they could explore.

Check out DualShockers‘ review for Katana Zero.

Apex Legends

Titanfall 2 from Respawn Entertainment really knocked my socks off when it came out, but with its launch coinciding with that of Battlefield 1, I was afraid that would have been the last of that world we would get to see. Thankfully, with a retooling of the genre, Apex Legends brings that action-adventure-style that I loved to the battle royale genre. With the mix of Titanfall gameplay with Overwatch-like heroes, this game kept bringing me back game-after-game long before a battle pass was ever introduced.

Check out DualShockers‘ review for Apex Legends.

Gears 5

The fifth entry (technically sixth) in the ongoing Gears saga did something that the fourth one did not succeed in; it made me care about the franchise again. Taking DJ way from the spotlight and focusing on Kait and Del was the smartest move to make Gears unique again.

Check out DualShockers‘ review for Gears 5.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare

The original Modern Warfare picked up the torch that Halo 2 had in the previous generation and ran with it. With this new iteration, it goes back to its roots as a shooter and still retains the spark it had all those years ago, just now for 2019. Add multi-platform crossplay, and this shooter is a must-own.

Check out DualShockers‘ review for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.

My Favorite Game of the Year: Death Stranding

Death Stranding is my Breath of the Wild for 2019. The story is loosely there, but the gameplay and the world you exist in kept me coming back hour-after-hour, and when I finished the game all I ever did was think about it. At work, in an Uber, while watching TV; all I wanted to do was walk that empty landscape alone and just deliver packages. I have never finished a Kojima game, but Death Stranding was the silly ambitious art project that I couldn’t help but admire and ultimately love. The story is silly. The themes are extremely on the noise. The performances are incredible.

Recently, I called this game the crazy version of The Wizard of Oz. The characters you meet along the way all bring their individual quirks that, to me, make the game special. The world around you is beautiful and sad. The score is beautiful and sometimes, when the Low Roar songs start to play perfectly to fit the mood of the moment, it’s wonderful.

The combat is not great, but to me it never was the focus. The connectivity of the world with strands from other players is as inventive as Journey was years before. I could go on and on about this game, but then there will be no room for the others on this list. This game may not be for everyone, but I dare you to try it for yourself.

Check out DualShockers‘ review for Death Stranding.

Check out the rest of the DualShockers staff Top 10 lists and our official Game of the Year Awards:

December 23: DualShockers Game of the Year Awards 2019 December 25: Lou Contaldi, Editor-in-Chief // Logan Moore, Managing Editor December 26: Tomas Franzese, News Editor // Ryan Meitzler, Features Editor  December 27: Mike Long, Community Manager // Scott White, Staff Writer December 28: Chris Compendio, Contributor // Mario Rivera, Video Manager // Kris Cornelisse, Staff Writer December 29: Scott Meaney, Community Director // Allisa James, Senior Staff Writer // Ben Bayliss, Senior Staff Writer December 30: Cameron Hawkins, Staff Writer // David Gill, Senior Staff Writer // Portia Lightfoot, Contributor December 31: Iyane Agossah, Senior Staff Writer // Michael Ruiz, Senior Staff Writer // Rachael Fiddis, Contributor January 1: Ricky Frech, Senior Staff Writer // Tanner Pierce, Staff Writer

December 28, 2019 2:00 PM EST

from EnterGamingXP https://entergamingxp.com/2019/12/dualshockers-favorite-games-of-2019-marios-top-10/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=dualshockers-favorite-games-of-2019-marios-top-10