#bullet-hell

[onychaos]

Rabi Ribi is a great game

Ah, yes. A game I wanted to talk about ever since I first played it on livestream as a sub-goal and that video game is Rabi-Ribi. A bullet-hell metrovania platformer. I know a lot, but surprisingly this works out pretty well for this cute 2d game. I am never one to play Bullethell games because they are hard, and they need a good amount of skill and patience to play and enjoy. You may have…

[boredtechnologist]

"Shikhondo: Soul Eater" for the PlayStation 4 is a bullet hell shooter game rooted in East Asian folklore, particularly focusing on themes of demons and spirits that have escaped from hell to wreak havoc on Earth. The game's aesthetic and narrative context provides a unique stage for exploring profound philosophical themes concerning dualism, morality, the cycle of sin and redemption, and existential battles. This analysis will draw from the philosophies of Zhuangzi, Friedrich Nietzsche, Carl Jung, and Arthur Schopenhauer to delve into the game’s underlying philosophical and spiritual dimensions.

1. Zhuangzi and the Fluidity of Moral Boundaries: Zhuangzi, a foundational figure in Daoism, emphasized the relativity and transformation of all things, advocating for a perspective that transcends rigid moral and ontological dualities. "Shikhondo: Soul Eater," with its blurring of the lines between demons and the divine, humans and spirits, embodies this philosophical fluidity. The characters, whether they are soul collectors or demonic entities, challenge conventional moral categorizations, suggesting that good and evil are not absolute but interdependent and transformable states. Zhuangzi’s idea that “true men” transcend life and death, viewing existence from the perspective of the infinite, can be applied to understand the game's narrative of constant battle between realms.

2. Nietzsche and the Will to Power: Friedrich Nietzsche’s concept of the "will to power" provides a lens to explore the characters' motivations and actions in "Shikhondo." Nietzsche proposed that the fundamental driving force in humans is not survival or reproduction, but a fundamental will to manifest power. The intense, endless battles against waves of enemies can be seen as an expression of this will, where each character strives to assert their dominance and achieve mastery over chaos. This philosophical perspective highlights the existential dimension of their struggle, emphasizing the game’s portrayal of life as a perpetual conflict and quest for self-overcoming.

3. Carl Jung and the Shadow Self: Carl Jung’s theory of the Shadow, the unconscious aspect of the personality which the conscious ego does not identify in itself, is vividly relevant in "Shikhondo." The game’s demons can be seen as manifestations of the Shadow self, representing the repressed, darker aspects of human psyche that must be confronted and integrated. Jungian analysis would suggest that the battle against these demons is symbolic of the psychic battle to acknowledge and reconcile with one’s own darker sides, a necessary step towards psychological wholeness and individuation.

4. Schopenhauer and the Metaphysics of Will: Arthur Schopenhauer’s pessimistic philosophy, which posits that the world is driven by a blind, irrational "Will" that manifests in visible phenomena, can be applied to the chaotic and violent world of "Shikhondo." Schopenhauer viewed human actions as influenced by an underlying Will that leads to suffering and strife; similarly, the endless conflict in the game can be interpreted as the unfolding of this metaphysical Will. The cyclical nature of battles in the game, where peace is perpetually disrupted by new threats, mirrors Schopenhauer’s view of existence as a constant cycle of desire and suffering.

In conclusion, "Shikhondo: Soul Eater" serves not only as a visually engaging bullet hell shooter but also as a profound philosophical text that invites players to reflect on the nature of existence, the boundaries between good and evil, the psychological integration of the self, and the existential and metaphysical battles that define the human condition. Through the integration of Daoist relativity, Nietzschean power dynamics, Jungian psychology, and Schopenhauerian metaphysics, the game becomes a rich medium for exploring deep and often dark philosophical questions.

[greenglowinspooks]

To be honest. DCxDP where the reason Danny meets the bats is Ace the Bat-hound

Like, just think about it for a second. Danny is in Gotham for college, or maybe he just moved out to find a city where having mad scientist parents isn’t actually that unusual.

He can see ghosts.

The ghosts know this.

Now he’s getting harassed left and right by spirits trying to get closure. Fine, whatever, most of them are a one-and-done type deal, and the amount of ghosts trying to get his help steadily decreases.

Except for this one very stubborn dog.

It just keeps showing up and leading him to crime scenes! He doesn’t know how many “anonymous tips” he can call in to the cops before they trace his phone! And this dog, this incredibly good boy, will not stop trying to help the city. He’s never met anyone with such a strong sense of justice, let alone a dog. Can dogs even have a moral compass?

And so Danny just accepts the fact that Ace isn’t going anywhere and becomes his reluctant sidekick/dedicated medium. He leans into the whole thing, dressing up in a mix of traditional magic-user attire and accessories that pay homage to the ghost dog.

He becomes somewhat well known. The psychopomp detective following around the shadowy figure of a German Shepard? That’s unusual! That’s weird! I mean, it’s not the weirdest thing in Gotham, sure, but he’s a new vigilante and he’s got a ghost dog that people can only see when it’s around him. Someone’s gonna notice.

Damian, as Robin, is the first to reach out to him.

Ace doesn’t know Damian but he does know a Robin, and while this isn’t his Robin, he’s still friendlier than usual. Danny’s panicking because oh god the bats are here and also is this kid gonna steal my ghost dog, Damian is absolutely delighted by Ace, and Ace is just happy to see a Robin again.

Damian decides that the psychopomp isn’t a danger to anyone, and there’s no reason to put this encounter into his reports, really, and perhaps Danny can help with some of his cases in the future.

Danny is sweating bullets because Damian basically tells him that he’ll keep him secret as long as he gets to play with Ace. Ace is happy that he’s finally getting some bat affiliated crime-fighting assistance.

And so, Danny is now both Ace AND Damian’s reluctant assistant. At least whenever he’s in trouble, he can always call a middle schooler to help him.

(Is Robin even in school? He’s out patrolling damn near every night, and he stays out late as hell. Does he have a bedtime? He should.)

Eventually it gets to the point where Damian is going over to Danny’s house. When he first sees it, he has a damn bitch you live like this moment, to which Danny responds that not everyone has the money to afford a nice place. Damian counters that he could at least take the time to clean up, and Danny replies that he’s working, going to school, and being a vigilante assistant to a ghost dog, something’s got to give.

Danny nearly has a heart attack when he checks his bank account the next day and sees that someone transferred him 10,000 dollars.

And so they get into a routine. Danny and Damian fight crime with Ace at night, and occasionally Damian stops by during the day to play with Ace and have Danny help with his homework.

(Damian is smart enough to do it on his own, but some of the instructions are written incredibly confusingly, and he would never admit to needing help to his family. Danny is just glad that the kid is in school and cares about his education, blissfully unaware that he’s basically emotionally adopted him.)

Damian is used to being in Danny’s company.

Eventually, when going over a case with the family, Damian absentmindedly remarks that he’ll have to ask Danny about some of the clues that they might be missing. Nightwing asks who he means and Damian makes a face like he just swallowed a lemon.

Cue shitstorm.

Who is “Danny?” Why is Damian willing to ask for help from anyone, much less someone outside of the family? Does he know who Damian is? Has Damian been compromised? What the hell is going on?

Damian now has to explain that Danny is the psychopomp with the ghost dog who he might have met hunted down while on patrol and conveniently not mentioned, but he’s not a bad person, really, and he lets him play with Ace, and he’s been quite helpful on certain cases due to his ability to talk to ghosts.

Bruce insists that the family meet Danny. Damian, hoping that he won’t just skip town the second he hears the news, relents.

Danny is surprisingly eager to meet the bats, considering his earlier fears.

Damian, blissfully unaware of what’s coming, sets a time and place to meet.

Once everyone is there, he gives Bruce the earful of a lifetime.

Robin is in middle school! Danny knows that there’s no way to stop the boy from going on patrol, but you could at least shift his schedule so he gets enough sleep on school nights! Does the Bat even know where he is half the time?! (No) And why isn’t he comfortable asking his family for help with both cases and homework? Did they ever even notice how much time he was spending at Danny’s house? If Danny was a bad person, he could have seriously hurt the poor boy! Shame on you!

Nightwing is mortified that Damian didn’t trust him enough to tell him about any of this. Red Hood is laughing his ass off, because yeah Danny is making good points but he’s also chewing out the literal Batman. Tim is recording the whole thing. Steph is delighted by the absolute gall of this Danger Twink™️, and already planning to add him to several groupchats. Damian is more embarrassed than he’s ever been in his entire life.

You, he points to Nightwing, did your academic life feel supported when you were a Robin? Nightwing is too stunned to speak. Red Hood, eternal shit-stirrer, says that oh, we all prioritized patrol over our education, that’s just how it is. Red Robin actually dropped out of high school to avoid distractions, did you know that?

Danny honest-to-god shrieks at this.

He finishes his angry rant and leaves, everyone too stunned to stop him.

And as it turns out, Tim wasn’t the only person recording the whole thing.

The entire internet is blowing up with Psychopomp The Danger Twink™️’s rant. People are taking sides. Things are getting messy. Red Hood literally admitting on-camera to previously being a Robin is somehow not the main focus here.

Eventually someone connects some dots from the video, as well as stories circling the internet about the psychopomp. A ghost dog named Ace, who is the literal only reason that the psychopomp is fighting crime at all, which seems incredibly fond of Nightwing and Robin.

A crime-fighting dog who wants constant attention from both the current and original Robin.

Oh my god, Ace the Bat-hound died and became a crime-fighting ghost.

And, somehow, that’s still not the strangest thing going on in Gotham.

[dollya-robinprotector]

Luka - deciding on what to wear on round 7 to face Till

[zoishi]

Nuevo Roguelike Pixel-Art en Steam | MEGA CITY POLICE

[prokopetz]

Somebody should write one of those goofy self-help manuals that tries to derive a universal life philosophy by overanalysing The Art of War, except instead of The Art of War, it's overanalysing entry-level gameplay advice for bullet hell shooters. I bet you could make "don't aim for where your target is – aim for where it's going to be" and "we're drawn to the focus of our attention; centre your gaze not on the obstacles to your progress, but on the spaces between" sound real deep with the right spin.

[earlycuntsets]

if you have a bullets cd you have this! (honey this mirror music video)

[zer0point5ive]

gay people never flirt normally it’s always gotta be shit like this

[the-meme-monarch]

oh no people don't know that one billion lions vs one of every pokemon is literally just sharks are smooth as hell 2. it's put your finger in the barrel of the gun to stop the bullet 2

[sreegs]

[mothcpu]

NEVER BEEN SO FULL OF LIFE TAKING SOMEONE ELSE'S LIFE

[thefruitbros]

Bonus doodle below except its REALLY old like almost 2 months ago TW: Blood!!

BT doodle dump !! I just had these sitting in my files and I don't really like how they turned out, but I'm satisfied enough to post them :)

[homkamiro]

im so obsessed with your sniperscout yuri. never stop

Sniperscout yuri coming right up

[hercarisntyours]

pain

[upsidedownsmore]

kid in walmart when their mom isn't looking

[purplerider]

cirno chibi for cirno day ⁠♡