#finally this franchise is getting the recognition it deserves. that always deserved

[fanboyvini]

i made something

[fairytale-poll]

ROUND 4A, MATCH 1 OUT OF 2!

*Includes the original 1950 animated film, the 2002 sequel Cinderella II: Dreams Come True, and the 2007 sequel Cinderella III: A Twist in Time.

Propaganda Under the Cut:

Disney's Cinderella:

she is very iconic, she is super kind and has a beautiful dress

Submitting specifically because Cinderella III: A Twist in Time has lived rent-free in my head ever since I was a small child.

This Cinderella is most young (western) peoples introduction to this very story. Cinderella is so hopeful and by getting one small magical adventure, her whole life changes for the better. She is skilled and inspires such loyalty with her kindness that it’s hard to dislike her for any reason she gives. I’ve always been jealous of her ball hairdo too.

Walt Disney put all he had into this movie. And his favorite animation was the dress transformation scene. There’s a reason she is often front and center on the Princess group promotions.

she is the original. to me. probably the first exposure to cinderella for a solid chunk of people alive & on tumblr today. she is just a perfect encapsulation of everything that cinderella is, even if she's become warped in the public consciousness. also i'm pretty sure she's the reason why the glass slippers are so predominant in more recent retellings bc she is simply so iconic. 100/10 no notes 💜

She's maybe not the OG OG but she was one of the first animated Disney princesses and strangely enough it doesn't stop her from having an amazing personality. She's literally a slave but keeps being a nice person, forgiving and always doing her best. And the sequels absolutely didn't ruin her character. She's a sweet girl who tries to fit in but who's loyal to the person she is and who tries to change things always in a cute and sweet way to show people it's not that hard. She literally forgave Anastasia and tried to help her after all she did to her (the scene where the step-sisters destroy her dress still is terrifying to me)... she's awesome and deserves more recognition honestly...

(Mod's note: the following submitted specifically for Cinderella III: A Twist in Time, but I condensed the animated movies into one entry.) No she is not the same as the original Cinderella of 1950. This girl’s biggest chance was unfairly snatched away from her. When the Prince was brainwashed she was enough to get him to double take. She was so Right that their connection over powered magic. And she had to be rescued from a ship. And was almost crushed within a pumpkin! And finally had to expose another imposter, who turned out to be just another victim of Lady Trameine. This Cinderella fought harder for her love because she knew what True Love was like and she still was able to forgive those who asked for it.

(Mod's note: the following submitted specifically for Cinderella III: A Twist in Time, but I condensed the animated movies into one entry.) Listen yes it's the same Cinderella from 1950 but she has an arc in this one! It's Disney's greatest film!!

Listen I love them both but the animated Cinderella definitly shine in every single movie she has. And she has 3.

Vote for Cinderella because she deserves it and is still underrated in the Disney Princesses Franchise when she survived so much (ab*se... Lady Tremaine still terrifies me and she doesn't even have magical powers except when she steals the magic wand in Cinderella 3) Also one vote for Cinderella is one jump outside the window Henri is ready to do. Yes it's real.

Disney animated the original fairytale but definitely made it more magical and less creepy (like the birds making the step sisters blind? It gave me nightmares for ages). If I think: which one will I want to rediscover multiple times? Disney's Cinderella. Plus Cinderella 3 is a masterpiece.

Mofurun as "Mofurella"

listen. they do an episode where they're all sucked into Cinderella and they make the trans teddy bear Cinderella. Incredible story writing, 10/10, no notes.

Mofurdella is even plot relevant, that episode is how they get the Rainbow Carriage for their group attack anyway MOFURDELLA FIRST CINDERELLA PRECURE EPISODE TO GET ONE MOFURILLION VOTES

[wozman23]

2024 Games of the Year and Most Anticipated

This year I finished 49 games, 46 of which were first time playthroughs. Here are my favorite 10, along with a few that slipped through the cracks previous years:

1) ASTRO BOT 10/10

ASTRO BOT was my most anticipated AAA game since the day it was announced. I loved the character when he was introduced via PlayStation VR demos. The full VR game, ASTRO BOT Rescue Mission, was my GOTY back when it released. And ASTRO’s Playroom was one of my favorites from 2020.

One of my favorite plaformers of all time was the underappreciated Puppeteer that released late in the PS3 cycle. It was one of the last great games to come from Japan Studio. While I knew based on its abysmal commercial success that it would probably never get a sequel, I’d always hoped Sony would give that team another shot. Instead, they shuttered the bulk of Japan Studio, leaving only Team Asobi after they’d shown promise with the ASTRO BOT products. Team Asobi did absorb some of the former talent from Japan Studio. And I’d like to believe some of the creatives who worked on Puppeteer found work on ASTRO BOT. It shares a lot of the same design elements, and has the same amount of heart. Both were terrifically whimsical games that stood out due to incredible level design, boss designs, level themes and unique mechanics. In ASTRO BOT’s case, the power ups really stand out. They all felt really unique, carefully crafted, and dictated level designs that played to their strengths. It’s wild that the mouse power up was created and used in just one level. That’s a lot of hard work for one level, and I really appreciate when a developer devotes resources into perfecting something that may not even get that much screen time. They really gave the game a great amount of variety. ASTRO BOT also doubled down on referencing franchises from the past, and continued to incorporate PlayStation’s hardware and history right into its story. Hunting down every single bot was a joy, especially when they were the one’s I loved the most like Ratchet, Sly, or Kutaro. Although with the cases of Sly or Kutaro, or the absence of a Chimera from Resistance, there is a bittersweet feeling knowing those IPs are pretty much dead. Other third party representation were an unexpected surprise. When I found Amaterasu my jaw dropped. The highlights had to be the levels themed around Sony’s other IPs, like the God of War, Uncharted and Horizon levels. Prior to release I had just reupped on PlayStation Plus, and I finally went with the top tier, opening up a bunch of PlayStation classics that I’d never played. One of the franchises I played was LocoRoco, so playing that themed level with the games fresh in my mind made it so much better. Afterwards, I decided to play Ape Escape. I still log back in every time they update the game with a new level. And I will as long as they do. I really haven’t played a Nintendo game that I’ve enjoyed in a very long time. But when Puppeteer came out, I praised it as the most Nintendo-y game not on a Nintendo. ASTRO BOT is no different. I also applaud it for being a budget title with a 10-15 hour playtime. While the blockbuster games like The Last of Us Part II and massive open world RPGs are great, I really miss when AAA games were smaller and could come out every two years instead of three to four times the wait time.

The Game Awards was pretty great all around in terms of recognition and announcements. I'm really glad ASTRO BOT got the love it deserved with the GOTY win and multiple other awards. We need more games like this!

2) Pepper Grinder 10/10

Pepper Grinder was my most anticipated indie. I’d been following it for what felt like forever after seeing it on Twitter. For a time, during the pandemic, I thought it might never see the light of day, as the developer took some personal time off. It was a joy. As expected, the traversal mechanic was brilliant as drilling was just so satisfying. The level designs were great, and the attention to detail with the pixel art and animation really brought the world to life. The evolution of mechanics and the way that hazards upped the stakes made for a really well crafted experience. My only complaint was that the game was short. It was definitely quality over quantity. But I’d rather that be the case than the opposite. And considering it came from a small indie developer over the course of what will perhaps (hopefully) be the strangest years of our lives, I’m just happy it exists.

3) Minishoot’ Adventures 9/10

At one point this year, I had a lull in my gaming. I don’t often turn to my Steam wishlist, but I’d heard good things about this release, and I did enjoy the demo when I tried it a few years back. So I picked this one up. This game was comfortably familiar, with a layout like the original Legend of Zelda – still my favorite entry in the series – and a great mix of metroidvania exploration, twin stick SHMUP mechanics, and some bullet hell. It also had a great sense of progression thanks to the consistent upgrades. I wouldn’t necessarily say it did anything unique or mindblowing, but it took all those elements, wrapped them up in a nice package, and resulting in something that was very enjoyable to play, even when it teetered away from the relaxing exploration and toward the tense, bullet hell bosses.

4) Sheepy: A Short Adventure 9/10

This was another indie I found thanks to Twitter. And it was completely free. But when it released, by PC just got stuck on a blank screen. No solution was ever found. But the hard drive on my ten year old PC gave up the ghost in late October. And once I got my new PC up and running, Sheepy was the first game I turned to. It was a charming little hour long experience. The pixel art, the sound, the atmosphere – all great. I’m curious to see if something more comes from it. If so, I’ll probably throw some money its way.

5) Seuna’s Saga: Hellblade II 9/10

I’ve loved Ninja Theory for quite some time. I’ve played most of their games, but think that love really started after Enslaved. Back when the original Hellblade released, I even made the official topic on NeoGAF. It was great. So great that I really didn’t want a sequel. The story about mental health felt like it didn’t need to continue. Senua’s character arc was complete. But once the sequel was announce, I knew I’d play it regardless. All the same strengths are here: excellent binaural audio, really clever puzzle mechanics that mirror mental health disorders, industry leading motion capture, and another terrific performance from Melina Juergens – whose Cinderella story of being a lowly Ninja Theory employee with no acting experience who was asked to stand in as Senua after an actress dropped out to becoming a multi-award winning, respected actress is really inspirational. I’m still not sure we needed a sequel, but it was great, and blazed a different trail than the original. The giants were downright creepy. The boss battles merged audio and visuals in some cool ways. And the water sections did an excellent job of creating anxiety, which mirrored the game and character’s moods well. I stream all games from the current Xbox generation via the cloud on my Xbox One. I assume the visuals are probably taking a hit. But even through streaming, the games look gorgeous. Watching the time lapse shots where the camera would pan was always majestically beautiful. For me the most standout moment happened after the game ended, as the credits rolled, and I was introduced to the lovely, haunting beautiful, cathartic song “Animal Soul” from AURORA. Ever since last year’s GOTY, Alan Wake II, released, with its beautifully haunting melodies, I’ve craved more of this weird, electro-pop-ish stuff. And this was right in that same vein.

6) Animal Well 9/10

PlayStation Plus sometimes hands out a great free game. This was the one this year. The pixel art really created a great atmosphere. The world and the enemies felt tense and oppressive. The metroidvania-like world was a lot of fun to explore. And each unconventional unlockable abilities and mechanics made traversal and puzzles really unique interesting. This reminded me a lot of Fez or Tunic in the way it presents a fairly straight-forward game in the beginning, but you somewhat quickly figure out there’s so much more mystery in the world. I resorted to the internet to help me platinum it to sort out some of the more obscure paths and puzzles along the way, and there were still things I didn’t complete 100%. But I went into this one with almost zero expectations and left very impressed.

7) Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown 9/10

I loved Ubisoft Montpellier – but mainly when they were led by Michel Ancel and released the great Rayman games and Beyond Good & Evil. And I loved the original Prince of Persia trilogy, along with the often criticized 2010 entry, The Forgotten Sands. This isn’t the first Prince of Persia reboot. The 2008 entry did nothing for me, mainly because it got rid of the iconic time rewinding mechanic to avoid death. While this game was much better than that one, I still miss the time rewinding mechanic as a means to get through puzzle challenges. This game was pretty paint by the numbers in terms of designing a metroidvania. As the large world opened up, and new abilities were gained, there were a lot of great challenges on the way toward unlocking the platinum here as well. But overall it didn’t really do anything super unique or move the genre forward in any way. Still, if there’s a mainstream metroidvania to experience this year, this is easily the one. Kinda wish it was a 3rd Rayman UbiArt game though, or what should be the real Beyond God & Evil sequel instead of that abomination that’s stuck in development hell and will probably never see the light of day – just as I expected the second it was announced.

8) Indiana Jones and the Great Circle 8.5/10

MachineGames really love Nazis. We’ve fought them time and time again in Wolfenstein. And now we fight them as Indy. I’ve actually never seen any of the Indiana Jones movies. But they’re so ingrained in pop culture that I know a bit about them. Because of that I probably wouldn’t have given this game a look. But it was free for Game Pass members, so why not?! It does remind me a lot of Uncharted, which is a bit like the mythical ouroboros, since without Indy, Uncharted would have never been made. Naughty Dog clearly looked to Indy when they designed Uncharted. And MachineGames and every other developer, has looked to Naughty Dog’s games when they’ve designed games since Uncharted and The Last of Us’ successes. With cloud streaming I do very occasionally get some odd refreshing/screen tearing things that show up. But for the most part, games feel great to play through the cloud. There were some uncanny valley moments here with characters and animations that made it feel inferior to something like the latest and greatest Naughty Dog game. And the boat controls were sometimes frustrating. But the real hero here was the world. I particularly liked the Egypt level, as it’s one of the only places on this earth that really fascinates me. There were some big set pieces, and action packed moments. But I really loved when I could let the game breath and just explore the world to hunt down the upgrade books, and medicine bottles, and artifacts. I think they nailed a good balance between main quests and side quests. I think my playthrough took around 40 hours – however the last 2-3 were spent stubbornly trying to sort out the last, complex relic puzzle, which unbeknownst to me couldn’t be completed before the endgame since I was missing one relic. Much like Indy grabbing his hat, I just got this one in before the door slams shut on 2024, beating it last night, on the eve of my trip back home. Maybe I’ll go back to collect all the notes for 100% completion next year. Or maybe I’ll give the movies a look...

9) Neva 8/10

In anticipation of Neva, I went back and played the studios last game, Gris. I remember enjoy it even though at the time I was working two jobs and often tired when gaming. It still held up. It was beautiful. Neva really never matched that for me. It was a pleasant sidescroller with a hand painted art style and a lovely story. But it neva... neva really did much in terms of gameplay. And I kind of prefer the clean, distinct visual style of Gris compared to the more fuzzy paint daubs.

10) Flock 8/10

Flock was the indie Game Pass surprise for me. Developer Richard Hogg has been on my radar since sometime before 2014 thank to anticipating the weird, artsy Hohokum. He’s got a distinct style, and it’s a lot of Hohokum is present in Flock. The world was bright and full of vivid colors. The creatures and world were all outlandishly alien. It was really a refreshing, relaxing experience that I enjoyed even when it got a big grindy to hunt down the few final achievements. Correctly guessing which group each creature belonged to was a bit of a gamble, but there wasn’t any penalty for wrong guesses. I was more interested in just tracking them all down, then adding them to my flock as we cruised across the world as a colorful streak.

Honorable Mentions (that originally released in previous years):

Looper 10/10 – a cool, free, little minimalist indie on itch.io that explores a screen wrap mechanic

Dave the Diver 9/10 – it got a bit long in the tooth by the end, but the pixel art presentation was superb and funn, and it really nailed the juxtaposition between the beauty of the sea, and the terrors that lurk within it

Cult of the Lamb 9/10 – an enjoyable roguelike with a lot to upgrade, many animals to collect, and a fun mix of the silly occult stuff and general silliness

The Many Pieces of Mr. Coo 9/10 - I've never seen anything hand animated to this level of quality. The game was short, and the old-school point and click nature led to some frustration in one instance. But the animation was just so damn good!

Alan Wake II DLC 8/10 – I wanted and hoped for so much more, but I’ll never have enough from Remedy!

Quantum Break 10/10 - When it came out, I thought it was pretty average. But in the post-Alan Wake II universe, where more threads have been connected to the Remedy Connected Universe, I found myself fascinated by it this time. Is Tim Jack? Will he reunite with his redhead love? Is Hatch Door? Where is the Alan/Zane counterpart? Give me answers, Sam! No give me more stuff that only makes me ask more questions, Sam. I kinda like that more.

Unplayed with potential:

Black Myth: Wukong

Lego Horizon Adventures

Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure

Slider (a cool looking, free, little indie I found a few days ago on someone else’s GOTY list)

And probably some other indie surprises...

Most Anticipated:

1) Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet – It’s Naughty Dog. Nothing more needs to be said. But more will be. From the second the trailer started, I was like, “Is this Naughty Dog… it looks like the quality of Naught Dog...ooooh a Sony branded jukebox. This is Naughty Dog right?! Boom, Naughty Dog. I’m not particularly a fan of the outer space, sci-fi settings that we see in so many games. But the 80’s vibes here are pretty cool. And the small glimpse of gameplay looks promising. And the cherry on top: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross are scoring it! I haven’t followed Trent as much these days, since there hasn’t been much NIN content. But this, and new NIN content both have me re-interested.

2) South of Midnight – I still kinda want to keep this at number 1. Let’s call it 1B. I’ve been seeing more clips of it on Twitter, and it looks amazing. I can’t wait to explore this Cajun world.

3) THRASHER – THUMPER was my jam. I haven’t looked into how this has been received on VR, but I can’t wait for a console release.

4) Screenbound – All four of these games could be #1. This looks really unique. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever played, somewhat akin to Toodee & Topdee, or Velocity 2X in the way it mixes 2D and 3D. The Plucky Squire disappointed in that realm this year. Here’s to hoping Screenbound can join the ranks of the GOTY quality 2D and 3D games.

5) Sword of the Sea – The atmosphere of Journey, with the fluid traversal of Tony Hawk. I really want to see more of this one!

6) Ghost of Yotei – It’s more Ghost from Sucker Punch. I expect an insanely gorgeous world that I want to explore every nook and cranny of.

7) Marvel’s Wolverine – When will we see more on this one? I love the X-Men far more than Spider-Man, so I’m curious to see what Insomniac does with this one.

8) REANIMA – Let’s all be honest. This is the real Little Nightmares III.

9) Split Fiction – Josef Fares is insane. It Takes Two did some really cool stuff when it came to asynchronous gameplay. I expect no less here.

10) Project Robot from Fumito Ueda – I know barely anything, but I’m still super hyped. Shadow of the Colossus is a generational great. The Last Guardian was enjoyable enough. Let’s hope for another generational great. The atmosphere is clearly there.

11) Control 2 – MORE REMEDY NOW!!! AND GIVE ME SOME ALAN WAKE LORE!!!

12) Hades II – I tend to favor new IPs over sequels, and Supergiant has a rich history of creating beautiful IPs, but Hades was so good, I’m willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.

13) Öooo – this could easily be my small, indie gem of the year. ElecHead was really enjoyable, so I trust NamaTakahashi. And I love platformers where the character has to find ways to traverse without the ability to jump.

14) FBC: Firebreak – SEE MY COMMENT ON CONTROL 2!!!

15) Judas – Who knows what’s happening with a new Bioshock. But this could easily tide us over.

16) Little Nightmares III – I’m still going to give this one a look based on the IP alone, but handing it to a different developer doesn’t bode well.

17) The Midnight Walk – I’ve loved Zoink! Games since their start. And this one is coming from the same people who worked on many of their games, as if it wasn’t immediately apparent based on the twisted, macabre style.

18) The Eternal Life of Goldman – This looks like a great sidescroller with some quality art and beautiful animation. It looks like a Disney cartoon or Cuphead or Hollow Knight. And I’m always looking for the latest and greatest game with that cartoon-y art style.

19) UVSU – I’ve already mentioned Toodee & Topdee. This is the next game from that developer. It’s a simple concept where you have to complete the level, then stop your replay from completing the level, then find another way to complete the level while avoiding the you who just stopped the last you. The demo was great, and I’m curious to see how much they can iterate on the concept.

20) IKARO: Will Not Die – I’ve also already mentioned Velocity. Since Velocity 2X, I’ve just wanted more. I wasn’t completely impressed with this trailer, and the studio head left FuturLab, but the fact that it’s Velocity’s spiritual successor is enough alone.

[scendscales]

2024: SEIZE OUR DESTINY & REDEEM THE FUTURE.

This year was a productive one for me in gaming. I played more games than the usual because I got into the entire Xeno franchise--Xenogears, Xenosaga, and Xenoblade. I also played other games outside of the Xeno franchise. It was an absolutely phenomenal experience.

I began with Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition. I was actually encouraged by my friends to play it, which I eventually did earlier this year. Initially, I wasn't planning on playing its predecessors, but the experience was actually enjoyable enough for me to consider it. The new side story that came along with the definitive edition was also fantastic. Future Connected gave a very fitting and impactful side story about an important character in the Xenoblade series.

After wrapping everything up, I moved to Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille Zur Macht. It was a rather unique experience for me. The story of Xenosaga fully extends among its three mainline titles, but there are important plot points in the spin-offs as well.

My first plan was to play the Xeno games in this order: Xenoblade DE, Xenosaga 1, Xenoblade 2, Xenosaga 2, Xenoblade 3, Xenosaga 3, Xenoblade X, and finally, Xenogears. (Weird play order, I know.) Thus, my next game was Xenoblade Chronicles 2.

My experience was a bit rough. There has been a lot of instances where my exploration was hindered because of a certain mechanic in the game, but I still did enjoy my time with it. Its prequel, Torna: The Golden Country, also emotionally destroyed me. In fact, Torna easily landed a spot in one of my top five games. That's how amazing it was.

I took a break from Xeno games and played Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep after. It was short, but a great game regardless. Kingdom Hearts games always nail it at the ending, and Birth By Sleep was no exception from that. I also tried something new to me which was Mad Father. Also a short game, but it provided the kind of experience you'd expect from a game of its nature.

The next Xeno games on my list are highly rated ones, so I was really excited to play them. I was not disappointed at all. Xenogears and Xenosaga Episode III: Also Sprach Zarathustra are incredible games that deserve the recognition. Xenosaga 3 had clean and amazing graphics for a PS2 game, and Xenogears' storytelling was topnotch.

I also tried out a new game that was released just this year, which was Reynatis. It honestly has a beautiful art style, and the character designs look really good too. However, I feel like it could've benefited a lot from more development time. This game has potential, but sadly, it falls short.

Finally, I get to wrap things up with Xenoblade Chronicles 3. Just like how Xenosaga 3 was the best of its series, this, too, was the best one in Xenoblade. Its side story, Future Redeemed, also perfectly wraps up the entire Xenoblade series, and it even made references from its predecessors Xenosaga and Xenogears. It honestly felt like a message to all dedicated Xeno fans that the universes in each game, although from different timelines, are still connected. It was also satisfying seeing and understanding all the references they put.

Once everything was done, I felt like I had achieved something great. At the same time, I do feel a little burned out from everything, so I'll be taking a short break until January next year. All the games that I've finished have left something within me, and I'll be bringing them with me to the future.

[anthonybialy]

The Upside of Nostalgia with Lindy Ruff

I knew that name sounded familiar.  Lindy Ruff is a throwback in multiple senses.  The era conforms with the mentality.  The Buffalo Sabres have regressed as the years have advanced.  There’s never been a better time to indulge in the comfort of recognition.  My favorite part of any Star Wars movies since the original trilogy was the AT-ATs.

If there’s going to be a nostalgia hire, make it this one.  Living in the past is fine if it means bringing back memories of the last time the Sabres made the playoffs.  Ruff didn’t just engineer better records than this team’s grown accustomed to over the time since he stopped working for them: he may still possess the skills to make it happen.

I’m thrilled Devils fans made their best hope the scapegoat.  Then again, I’m a Sabres fan.  Newark’s franchise should’ve found a different goat to scape in their sacrifice to their mascot.  The lack of defensive options would’ve doomed Toe Blake.  New Jersey can’t take it back.

Blaming the coach for the Devils having NHL goalies in name only is a special way to confirm that life is unfair.  Fans may as well get on Josh Allen’s case for not drafting a speedy receiver.

A good leader takes responsibility for what happens on his watch.  A bad one does, too, although by imposition.  New Jersey fans question whether he did enough structurally.  And they dislike the Ramones because Johnny didn’t solo.  Let’s emphasize what we’re good at in the sequel coach’s honor.  Ruff’s focus is on getting the most out of his roster by tailoring strategy to who’s available.  His system is to change his.  Impugning emphasizes the point.

Ruff is apparently supposed to feel guilt based on the crime of having good players.  Detractors still vainly try to tape an asterisk to his name because he’s been successful when he’s had better goalies.  Coaches have some nerve using Dominik Hasek and Ryan Miller if they’re available.  Casey Stengel should’ve felt bad for managing all those other people with numbers retired by the Yankees.

I’m looking for a coach who’ll yell at everyone.  It will be on fans’ behalf.  The cathartic wish to scold anyone paid to wear a Sabres jersey could carry the added benefit of consistently dedicated play from players who don’t want to face wrath.  If there’s a roster that deserves to get berated, it’s this one.

The new old guy employs the strategy of being sick of everything going on.  Ruff could be cast as police captain.  He’s had enough of this.  

Timing is everything, like how the Sabres forget to be good until the playoffs are out of reach.  They finally got it down during the offseason by waiting for the Devils to fire Ruff before they made a canning of their own.  Don Granato was once an NHL head coach.  It will always technically be true thanks to a club that’s using him as their rock bottom.

Terry Pegula hiring the only option he recognizes shows how limited knowledge can pay off.  It’s rather rare, as seen by the rest of his godforsaken tenure ruining a team some of us used to enjoy.  But hiring one of the few NHL coaches he knows by name might work out.  Ruff is sure better than every other addition Pegula’s made, even if that’s a paltry accomplishment along the lines of best season missing the playoffs.

The owner vaguely remembers once firing this guy.  It was either before or after he fled to Florida.  It turns out he still owns the hockey team.  The canning nothing personal, which is the lone thing he knows about business.  Someone’s performance can diminish over time with the same company.  Meanwhile, the aspects that made him successful remain intrinsic to his personality even factoring in his initial tenure ending as the roster declined.

This remains the right time to bring back Ruff even if only to show hard feelings shouldn’t infringe on the future.  Sabres fans should acquaint themselves with the Billy Martin principle regardless of whether they view the Yankees as Buffalo’s semi-hometown team or the Bronx’s Death Star.

To confirm, he’ll be behind the bench.  The biggest question was if this was the job he would take.  It was natural to wonder if he would’ve been hired for some sort of executive role.  He could get a promotion after a couple years if he were able to get this unfortunate franchise back on the right track. 

Executive Ruff would have less work to do if he moved from behind the bench around 2028.  A president of hockey operations-type job would mean another salary for an owner who already doesn’t want to pay a new coach.  But someone who knows what he’s doing might bring in enough revenue to justify payment.  It’s never too late for Pegula to learn business.

Sabres fans are experiencing a peculiar sensation.  I vaguely remember it as hope.  There’s genuine excitement around a semipermanent outcast for the first time in awhile.  Experiencing offseason thrills comes not just from knowing the name.

The assuagement of streaming reboots shields from the trepidation brought by the unknown.  But indulging in sentimentality can be beneficial.  In this case, bringing back the last good coach could lead to more than reminiscing.

[sepublic]

Kraid!

KKKKKRRRRAAAAAIIIIIIDDDDD

I was trying to avoid as much of Metroid Dread as possible to be surprised... But then I learned KRAID is back, in glorious HD as part of a mainline game and...

Oh, he’s beautiful!

Seriously, I’ve always wanted to see more of Kraid! Dude was one of the OG Space Pirates alongside Mother Brain and Ridley, who are present throughout the series; And as someone who is apparently Ridley’s Brother-in-Arms, I’m just really curious on what he could be like?

I doubt we’ll get much if anything in terms of personality, but that’s how Metroid games work anyway! Hopefully we get more lore on Kraid, how is he still alive? Does he have regenerative abilities, is he just really incredibly durable? An X-parasite imitation? Fake Kraid has grown up and this is Sclayd? Did the Chozo clone him, maybe even somehow resurrect him from a dead body, or even the afterlife considering their borderline mystical abilities???

Either way, that’s clever of the designers to have Kraid be restrained, as a meta explanation as to why he doesn’t just charge forward- Thus allowing the developers to start off with a traditional take on the Kraid fight... But since he manages to break an arm free in the trailer, the fight might progress and get more deadly, as Kraid becomes more free.

His neck brace will probably be the last to go, to show a sort of natural transition from the traditional style of Kraid fights, to a more modernized take and I am all FOR it! Everyone’s wondering if Ridley will return, but Kraid alone would MORE than make up for his absence, especially since Ridley is already so prevalent while Kraid has only gotten bread crumbs and the Brinstar Depths stage in recent years!

This is like a dream come true... And obviously Kraid is set up to fight Samus, but it’d be kind of neat to see an arc where him and Samus recognize a mutual enemy in the Chozo, and work with each other over it? Probably not, but I feel this would be more plausible than Samus and Ridley working together; A fun thought exercise I’d always entertained, but there really isn’t that personal vitriol between Samus and Kraid.

...I mean, there COULD be if Kraid takes Ridley’s death personally, but who knows, he might hold off on revenge just long enough for a practical escape! Regardless, I utterly adore just how gnarly and twisted this guy looks, it reminds me of Ridley’s Smash Ultimate renders that really modernize his look, breathe a new and alien life to it while still being the same! And the added, slimy body horror, borderline insectoid, like Smash Ridley!

But yes, I appreciate Metroid Dread taking the opportunity to be new, instead of trying to cater to the mainstream audience as an official return to pull them back, especially since we already had Samus Returns do that, especially with Proteus Ridley being thrown in! And with how Proteus was by far the best Ridley fight in the series, I can’t WAIT to see how Mercury Steam gives a new action to a Kraid boss battle!

And it looks like there might be a passageway behind Kraid that he’s guarding... Kind of like his previous appearances, I love Kraid being a giant guard dog- His girth and weight alone makes him an impenetrable wall! Plus he gives immovable object vibes, VS Ridley as an Unstoppable Force.

Ridley moves fast and aggressively leads the charge, while Kraid is less mobile, can’t even fit through most passageways; But holds down the fort and line of defense, tanking damage and shrugging it off compared to someone who heals from it!

Seriously, this is great seeing this under appreciated Space Pirate represented! I’ve always been salty about Meta Kraid being left out of Metroid Prime... And Kraid’s got a distinct identity of his own as one of the biggest bosses in the entire series by a long shot!

His big, colossal, green and chunky frame, that brutishness to Kraid, the size and brawn- It’s a nice contrast and foil to Ridley’ who is memetically huge in general, but from a relative standpoint averagely-sized as a boss, and MUCH scrawnier than the Awakened Behemoth; But he makes up for it wit speed and agility, flight, etc.!

Plus the concept of taking on a full-on Kaiju of the series, Metroid’s Godzilla... I always felt like there was a wasted potential to Kraid and how he stood out as a counterpart to Ridley’ more of the lumbering mountain to scale compared to the acrobatic Cunning God of Death! His Kaiju size, the way the ground could easily tremble from each footstep like Jurassic Park...

If Ridley is a Xenomorph, make Kraid into Godzilla and Rexy and every giant monster whose sheer scale inspires a horror based in awe, one that is huge and grandiose and demands attention and seizes all of it, gloriously basking in full view, in contrast to the more stealthy and subtle Ridley!

They’re both reptilian Space Pirates who debuted with the franchise, serve Mother Brain alongside one another as the two guardians to Tourian. And just like Ridley taking one of the recurring boss themes from Super Metroid and adopting it as HIS theme, Kraid seems to have done the same by Zero Mission!

Plus, Brinstar Depths, AKA Kraid’s Lair, is SUCH a metal soundtrack! It doesn’t necessarily apply to Kraid himself, but I feel like there’s an enigmatic personality hinted with the eerie, melodic tune of this theme... So as someone who’s tried to write him, mostly in my head;

What kind of person is Kraid? What archetypes and roles would he fit? As a more casual type of arch-nemesis, compared to the personal intensity of Ridley? A dumb brute, or smart in his own way? What personality and vibes would make Kraid’s Lair fit as a theme for him?

At the very least, I wonder if we’ll get Space Pirate lore, maybe even origins as to Kraid and Ridley’s species? They’re both huge dragons who took over Zebes... Could there be a connection between Ridley’s species and the Chozo? Will we get a bit of sympathy for Kraid, seeing him captured like an animal by the Chozo, perhaps to test experiments upon and clone?

Will Dread encapsulate the realization of just how much of a bigger scope villain the True Chozo are, experimenting on Kraid the way the Galactic Federation did with Ridley’s clone, another parallel between them? Will we explore the dark past of the Chozo, and a potential tragic look into Kraid’s species- So Samus has a better understanding of how her people have been terrible in many ways, even if that doesn’t at all justify Kraid the person’s actions?

Just... Imagine a storyline where Samus realizes that Kraid was made by the Chozo, or his species was, or they were genetically augmented or massacred, or something like that. Just a twisted moment of realization that explains but doesn’t justify. Which could lead to Samus and Kraid teaming up for a prison breakout at a pivotal moment, Kraid’s girth would make him a helpful ally.

Perhaps Samus could weaponize Kraid in the background to take the brunt of the True Chozo’s attacks, while she takes on the leader? Could he help with environmental terrain, blind to the background as a colossal feature of the environment, a kaiju briefly on your side?

Could we get a Kraid fight where he attacks from the background, instead of to the right? Will he ultimately die helping Samus- More for his own gain and revenge, but still? Maybe even leading to a reluctant salute from Samus as she recognizes them both as people captured, as experimented upon by the Chozo? Apologies for all of the fanon conjecture, my mind is racing...!

I think there’s SO much potential with Kraid and seeing him full, unadulterated HD glory... It’s glorious. It’s magnificent! This is a dream come true, and I hope Kraid finally starts to get the recognition he deserves! Even if he’s just A boss fight, I’m already sated and content here- And I can only imagine the new wave of fan content that will spawn for Kraid, as he’s recognized a defining moment of Dread!

Plus, I’d love to see people characterize and give lore to Kraid... All in all I am LIVING and in triumph here!!! I know I keep using this meme but

Literally this alone, just these shots... Are ALL I really want and need, in the end! Bless you Mercury Steam for this food, for breathing new life into this franchise while renovating what really needs it! I don’t even care if Kraid’s return is never really explained, I’m incredibly happy here!

This new design... It just FITS and works as a new, evergreen design for Kraid honestly! Compared to Ridley who is a lot more varied and arguably inconsistent, even with his Smash render... THIS is the new and definitive Kraid for me, now! I am having the time of my LIFE here!

Ridley the Cunning God has cheated death... is Kraid the Behemoth has reawakened!

(With the idea of Prime Kraid being reused for Metroid Prime 4... I’m wondering if we’ll begin to see an all new Kraid renaissance? 👀 More frequent content as Nintendo starts giving him and more appearances and attention, including in other media and advertising, alongside Ridley???)

[fantasyinvader]

Beat Binding Blade tonight

So, right off the bat I'm going to admit. I abused the arena and save states. This is a really, really hard game. And while I enjoyed it, I'm going to give three things I didn't like about it.

1)Enemy reinforcements arrive at the end of the player phase, and can attack during the enemy phase. That is unfair, especially when I assume that parking a unit on the spawn point will prevent them (It doesn't) or my healer just happens to be in the area. I like difficult games, but when I fail at something in those I want to feel like it's my fault for doing so. When I die in Bloodborne or lose a unit in Fates Conquest, I'm willing to accept it because I felt it was fair (plus I'll just restart the chapter in Conquest anyway). I could have not died if I had played a little better. This game was not fair when it did that.

2)The supports. A lot of the stuff about the characters is locked away in their supports, since this is one of the old Fire Emblems where it throws units your way because it's assuming you didn't reset the game when one died. They don't get cutscenes to be important, and with only five supports per character (barring if one dies, then any unit that had supports with gets those supports back). And even then, getting an A rank doesn't pair up any units except for Roy. So you don't get to play love doctor here, it's only really there for the stat boosts. But in the case of my boy, he needs those supports in order for his character to fully come through.

3)I can take 8 units into the final battle, and they're the only ones who get full ending cards. Everyone else just gets a single line. Kinda weak if I use someone like Fir for most of the game, but bench her at the end to give Rutget Durandal.

Even with my cheating, I still enjoyed this game. Mostly for the story. When Fire Emblem first appeared in Smash Brothers Melee, as a kid it instantly caught my attention. Roy and Marth just looked so cool with their swords and armor (true fact: My favorite design for Link is the Skyward Sword design, simply because it has chainmail under the tunic. I get it, the tunic is iconic but SS's Link just looks practical), and I preferred Roy because I though his fully-charged shield breaker hurting him was cool. I even keep a Cipher card of his in my wallet for good luck. I wanted to know what Fire Emblem was, what kind of game it was. My friend showed me a screenshot of the upcoming GBA game in Nintendo power, which I got for the following Christmas (sadly, I didn't get Sacred Stones as I got a PS2 the following year). I loved that game, but the idea that I was playing as Roy's father always was a bit of a sour point for me. It's because of that game when I got a 2DS a decade later, because I wanted to game but kept getting pulled away from my console, I eventually went back to Fire Emblem.

And, I'm going to admit, Binding Blade hurt me because I played Blazing Blade first. It really did. I mean, Hector dies early on, Lyn is presumably dead hell a lot of my old comrades probably died in this war, Eliwood's wife dies shortly after they are married while Eliwood is more useless than ever, the kid I saved in Bern becomes a genocidal maniac, and the fact that the characters of Blazing Blade kinda caused this to happen by releasing the seals on the Legendary Weapons in their own quest... It kinda bugs me that the Legendary Weapons I used in Blazing Blade are in their trap filled storage places. Like, who returned them there? And if I have characters from that game returning in Binding, I find it strange they don't comment on needing them again. But this is a case of the game trying to be a prequel to a story that wasn't written with it in mind.

But at the end of the day, one thing just kept popping up in my mind. Binding Blade is the antithesis of the Crimson Flower route from Three Houses. I know they said Genealogy of the Holy War was an inspiration, but I can't help it. I've seen so many people try to praise that said route as some sort of denouncement of the rest of the franchise. That it's about putting power in the hands of the people (it's not) instead of having some Lord be the good king. Granted, the Mandate of Heaven seems like it's a running theme of the series, so without understanding what that is I can understand why people don't grasp what that part of the message. But Binding Blade, it just hit so many things on the nose that I needed to say something.

So without further adieu, I'm just going to bring up a few points.

With Regards to Humanity

It's interesting how both Zephiel and Edelgard come at this from different angles. Sure, they both lead wars of conquest across the entire continent, and I'm guessing Zeph didn't tell his troops what he was planning on doing once he won so there's likely a level of deception going on there as well. He really doesn't care for his fellow man, and the game goes out of it's way to show us why. Hatred, greed, or even selling out your people in the name of self-preservation. The game doesn't shy away from showing us any of this, saying that it's wrong and thus why Roy has to kick some guy's arse. Zephiel knows this, but in Edelgard's case? She's out there fighting for absolute power, destroying anyone who won't bend the knee to her while those who do out of self-preservation like House Gloucester are rewarded for it.

In essence, Edelgard is everything Zephiel saw wrong with the human race, she is why he felt we needed to go extinct. The very things he condemns humanity for are the things she reward. Zephiel would have actually handed over power to those he felt deserved it if he had won, whereas Edelgard is demonstrably shown to hold onto power until near the end of her life. One wants humanity dead, the other wants all the dragons. They even oppose each other in their classes. Edelgard is based on the red emperor archetype, she wears red, her class is the heavily-armored Emperor and her weapon of choice is an axe. Zephiel is a king, armoed but wearing purple and he uses a sword in battle.

Even if they both have screwed up history with their family's due to their father's inability to keep it in his pants, they're both presented as villains despite being ideologically opposed which goes to show with Fire Emblem the method IS the message.

Ancient Wars, Super Powered Weapons and Lies.

War of Heroes vs. The Scouring. The former is an event where the full details are shrouded in mystery, up to the player to piece together the clues and figure out the truth for themselves...or in Crimson Flower's case, ignore the truth and act out in your ignorance.With Binding Blade though, when the truth starts coming out, it hits hard. I mean, right from the beginning of the game we're told man was the one who broke the peace by attacking the dragons, but then we learn that those legendary weapons messed up the environment, resulting in dragons needing to use human forms only to be slaughtered by man. Dragons were blamed for the environment, the people who used those weapons were revered as heroes. We don't know why mankind launched their attack, but we do know that they weren't able to slay the Demon Dragon, one who had her soul destroyed in order to control her, because the Heroes felt sorry for her. It's making dragons out to be the victims here, much like the dragons in Three Houses. But Crimson Flower only serves to demonize them, acting like they can't understand humanity when the dragons in that game are a lot closer to humans emotionally than the ancient dragons in Elibe.

The Elites in comparison weren't heroes, and that lie has been confirmed as Rhea trying to make peace.

The good ending for Binding Blade is being able to save the dragon whose soul was destroyed, whereas Crimson Flower ends with slaying a dragon after you've spent the entire game triggering her (and is the ending that leads to oppressive rule under Edelgard, in addition to the only ending without sunlight. What? You thought you'd get the good ending when her final boss theme was playing on the last stage?). Also, you need all the Legendary weapons in order to unlock the final stages, which all play into the big mystery. Crimson Flower requires the player to not understand that the world-building was done to support fighting against Edelgard instead.

Merits of a leader

Let's not beat around the bush here, Roy will not carry you through Binding Blade. His bases are low, and while he has good growths he is unable to promote until the very end of the game. Even then, you need to save the Binding Blade's usage to ensure you get the good ending. Roy is also very unsure of himself, thrust into a position of leadership despite his young age. But look at what happens when he succeeds, he manages to overcome the odds and take down the mightiest army on the continent. At the end of the game, he's shown himself as more than capable of leading. Not to mention, he also believes that humans and dragons can live together, even seeing this in Acadia (and if Ninian was his mother, he's unknowingly proof of this as he is 1/4 dragon himself. May explain his poor bases). If he marries Liliana, he even becomes a King for likely much of the same reason Byleth does in SS/VW (most leaders are dead following the war, plus combining his territory with Ostia which had already taken over Lyn's land after she abdicated/married Hector). Roy learns the truth as already established.

Compare this to Crimson Flower Byleth. Byleth leads the Black Eagle Strike Force, but credit for it goes to Edelgard. Byleth never gets any recognition for this, no position of authority despite proving themselves, instead that goes to Caspar Jenkins of all people, and ends the war continuing to fight TWSITD from the shadows to support Edelgard's regime. And if you read between the lines, Edelgard is NOT a good leader, resorting to bribes, threats, cronyism, secret police, propaganda, and even TWSITD's support and later stolen tech in order to maintain her rule. Byleth lost whatever emotional development they got from White Clouds during this route, once again becoming the Ashen Demon, and is even willing to let themselves die if they can't keep their “humanity” in check showing a distaste for their own draconic heritage (showing humans and dragons can't live together in this timeline). They didn't grow into being a leader, they devolved into being Edelgard's unthinking muscle. Byleth never learns the truth in this route, falling for Edelgard's manipulations resulting in them losing Enlightened One/Nirvana status.

Not to mention, Heroes Relics have really low weapon levels. In theory, they can be used by anyone but only safely by those with Crests and most fully with a matching Crest. Legendary Weapons, on the other hand, can be used by anyone with an S rank in their type. Your characters have to EARN the right to use those things and you'll need them to deal with all the Manaketes during the final level, whereas Relics aren't exactly that level of broken.

Honestly, seeing the ending of Binding Blade and Idunn recovering put at least one tear in my eye. Crimson Flower's just made me feel like the game was calling me an idiot (which considering the Nirvana/Enlightenment thing, it kinda was). I would love if Binding Blade got the Echoes treatment, or even if they just did a GBA collection for the Switch. But after all these years, one thing is as certain now as it was when I was a kid.

In this house, ROY'S OUR BOY!

[c-aureus]

Checks watch: Ooh, look at that. It’s time for another rant. So. Wall of text incoming. So, has it occurred to anyone else that, of the 6 Zelda fighters that are in Smash Bros. Ultimate, 3 of them are Link, 2 of them are Zelda, and one is Definitely Not Captain Falcon? Here’s another fun thing to think about: Technically, we haven’t had an entirely new Zelda character introduced to the game since Melee was released in 2001.

TWENTY YEARS AGO. Yes, I’m aware that Toon Link came with Brawl in 2008 (which is still 13 years and 2 entire games), but even so. Toon Link was a direct replacement for Young Link in that he is a smaller, faster Link. Besides, they’re still the same character, with the same moveset. What I’m getting at here is that... I honestly think that the Zelda series has been kinda neglected for fighters in recent years/DECADES. Especially considering the saturation of certain franchises that shall not be named. And, it’s not as if the series is lacking characters. I honestly think that Midna deserved to be playable in Brawl, and Ghirahim deserved to be in 4. Sadly, at this point, I think that their moment has kinda passed, and they would never get in now. Especially since both are assist trophies. I’ve heard that apparently Toon Zelda was intended for Brawl, but even so... this is just worsening the problem of having not enough diversity. Like, the Zelda series has some amazing characters, that have definitely deserved spots. But, they’ve been passed over for some... underwhelming picks, let’s say. (Yes, I’m salty.) In case it’s not obvious, what I’m getting at is that I want more Zelda reps. Specifically, ones from a somewhat recently released Zelda game that, uh... was pretty good, y’know? Obviously, I’m talking about Triforce Heroes. Jokes aside, I’ve wanted a BotW rep in Ultimate since it was announced. I do not consider Link to be a specific BotW rep, since I think that he more represents the Zelda series as a whole, since his moveset, appearance, etc. are the same between incarnations. Aside from his clothes, and the remote bomb, he could be literally any other Link. And, if/when the next big Zelda game and Smash Bros. game come out, he WILL be any other Link. I honestly think that BotW was momentous enough of a game to warrant its own dedicated rep (or 4, in a Pokemon Trainer style format). This feeling is given infuriating hope by the fact that the Champions are not assist trophies, nor background cameos in the Great Plateau Tower stage. In fact, the only manner in which they feature is as 2* support spirits. I mean... I can’t be the only one who thinks that they’re better than that, can I? So, yeah. Champions for Smash. It makes sense in so many ways, which is why it’s going to be so crushing when they inevitably are not announced. I mean, I’d even accept a Mii costume, but I’d wager we’re not getting that either. Lol. Fuck me, I guess. To elaborate, between the 20 (or 13) year drought of Zelda reps, the significance of BotW, plus the design and nature of the Champions, as well as the fact that they have not been deconfirmed, or have barely any presence at all in Ultimate, I genuinely believe that this is a fitting, and awesome, character to have in the game. Alas, I don’t think it’s ever gonna happen. Although, if, by some unfathomable luck, it did, then I would never complain about Byleth, Corrin, Roy, Chrom or Min-Min ever again. Either way. Praise Sakurai. He has done such an incredible job with Ultimate, and that will always deserve recognition and praise. It sounds entitled as fuck to think that you can demand your favourite/preferred character(s) to be in a game that you love, however after seeing other people being genuinely ecstatic to get their favourite/preferred character in the game, there is no harm in wanting to experience that same kind of joy for yourself.

(Provided that you don’t start sending death threats about it. That’s trashy as fuck.) None of the (new) characters announced for Ultimate (or even Sm4sh) have really been ‘for me’ in the sense that I was hyped beyond words at their announcement, so I’m kinda just really holding out for a miracle, here. Alas, not everyone can be pleased, so there will always be those who will be disappointed. And, alas, it’s the hope that really kills ya. Can’t wait for the final DLC character to be a Gen 8 Pokemon. Sigh.

[camb99-cbmi6]

My top 10 Eurovision Song Contest entry songs:

So I actually started this list back last year but I'm so indecisive I couldn't settle on an order lol, but I've managed to rank my top 10 favourites now although the only one that is definite is 1 really, 2 - 10 are pretty interchangeable. I want to mention though that I only found out about Eurovision in 2014 so that was my first year, so I don't know a lot of songs before that other than a few I've seen in compilations on YouTube. I also like to see and hear the songs for the first time in the finals so I'm going by those live performances and not the studio recorded versions things like Spotify have, although those are all I can include in this post. Anyway on to the countdown starting with number 10.

10: Together - Ryan O'Shaughnessy - Ireland - 2018

I mean it's a gay love song, how can I not love it? Sure is a little sad but it's a beautiful song in my opinion and Ryan sings it lovely, and the accompanying dancers were great and not an over the top visual element like so many performances tend to be.

9: Sound of Silence - Dami Im - Australia - 2016

Another beautiful song and Dami hits those high notes perfectly, which so many people on Eurovision try and unfortunately fail to. Also another nice and simple stage performance.

8: Rhythm Inside - Loïc Nottet - Belgium - 2015

The first song in this list which I prefer the live performance to lol. Loïc singing while led down for part of it is no easy feat, plus he does an amazing ballet like spin which I love and wish I could do lmao.

7: Run Away - Sunstroke Project, Olia Tira - Moldova - 2010

You may know this one as the song with "Epic Sax Guy" lmao. I don't think it did that well in Eurovision, and to be honest I think I prefer the Spotify version, but it did get the recognition and appreciation it deserves...in memes lol. Can we also give a shoutout to the violinist though because that fast paced piece he plays at the start while being on a rotating platform is pretty amazing. Sunstroke Project also represented Moldova in 2017 with "Hey Mama" which I also like a lot and would be number 12 lol.

6: Heartbeat - Can-Linn, Kasey Smith - Ireland - 2014

Okay I have no idea how this didn't make the final, although 2014 was my first time watching Eurovision I wasn't keen on a lot of the songs, so I'll always be mad that Heartbeat wasn't one of them.

5: Spirit in the Sky - KEiiNO - Norway - 2019

I feel like people either love or hate this one lol, but personally it was one of my favourites in 2019 and came 6th.

4: Only Teardrops - Emmelie De Forest - Denmark - 2013

I don't really know what to say about this one other than I like it and think it's nice lol. It's one of those that can cheer me up if I'm having a bad day.

3: Heroes - Måns Zelmerlöw - Sweden - 2015

Okay to be honest I wasn't a fan of this one when I first watched/hears it, I felt like it won because of the fancy visual effects, but over the years it's grown on me and I do actually like the song, especially Conchita's cover.

2: Arcade - Duncan Laurence - The Netherlands - 2019

I think this was the first year since 2014 that I agreed with the winning song at the time lol, although there were a lot of entries in 2019 that I liked, but Arcade is a beautiful song sung by Duncan's beautiful voice accompanied by a beautiful less is more approach on stage and that's all the ingredients to what makes a winning song in my opinion.

1: Rise Like a Phoenix - Conchita Wurst - Austria - 2014

Okay before you come at me, yes I may be a little biased as it was my first Eurovision lol, but I loved the song and again simplicity on stage. I also felt like the song had vibes like a James Bond song which as a fan of that franchise helped me to love it, and it even inspired me to create my own video game mod where it would be used for the theme song lmao. Conchita was also the first drag queen I ever saw, and like many people I was very confused at the time (and not very supportive to be honest as much as I hate to say it, I was 14 and life was hard, not that that's an excuse to be hateful I know), but her message when she won I found very impactful and I love that she refers to the LGBTQ+ community as "The Unstoppables". I always love it when she returns in Eurovision, and I'm very glad her winning song is my all time favourite.

Thanks for reading this if you've made it this far lol, no doubt I'll be changing my mind again after this years contest (yay we're actually getting one) but I might also do some lists like "Underrated Eurovision songs in my opinion" or top 10s from each year before we get there, so if anyone would like those please let me know, and do share your thoughts too! :3

[paragonrobits]

a friend asked me to give a shot at doing an entry in this tier list they linked me to, of the video games inducted into the World Video Game Hall of Fame since 2015, and I opted to give it a shot!

My rankings are generally biased towards games I personally enjoy playing, though I will give some commentary on their historic relevance:

S-Rank

Super Mario Bros: The game that repopularized video games in the US, that arguably began the entire platforming video game genre and all its imitators and spin-offs, that spawned a new generation of video games after the Atari Crash in the US, and still a DAMN FUN game in its own right! I simply had to put this at the top ranking. After the disillusionment caused by Atari’s failures, this game brought home consoles back in a big way to the US. 

World of Warcraft: Now, I’m not much for MMORPGs. Nevertheless, I’ve followed the lore and general information in the Warcraft setting for years now, and a couple years back, my brother asked me to play it with him. I had a ton of fun, honestly! Playing a goblin mage, I believe. WoW is notable for being THE MMORPG, and still going strong. Admittedly, nowadays many games do what it does better, and the time when it was dominant as THE single game to play is past, but it was still an enjoyable experience and I really have to like how sincere the game is about its aesthetics and campy vibe. Given that the entire setting is reputedly a reskin of a Warhammer Fantasy Battle video game that went south, it’s cheery and colorful, morally gray tone is... an interesting complication in its history. (Also, HORDE. I STAN THE HORDE VERY HARD.)

The Sims: A bit of history; I did not play this game as enthusiastically as a kid as my sister and mom did. We ALL spammed the hell out of the Rosebud cheat, though; not until recent times did I actually wind up playing the game properly, when the most recent iteration of the series was free for a while. My mom didn’t care to play the game, she just liked building houses. In any case, while my attention drifted from the game now and then, I always am fascinated by the actual gameplay of caring for your simulated humans, and the way you don’t actually control them directly. This sort of hands off experience is actually a bit similar to the ‘dungeon simulator’ genre, and while the game is notorious for enabling cruelty (something I never saw the appeal of!), it’s a surprisingly wholesome experience, and it can’t be understated how unique this gameplay was at the time.

Legend of Zelda: It’s actually rather interesting how different OG Zelda is from modern games. Not just the top down perspective (which DOES pop up, now and then); the game is non-linear and allows you to go to any dungeon at any point, completing the game at your leisure, and the story is extremely barebones compared to what we may be used to. It’s quite a far cry from the linear gameplay of gradually collecting tools and working through plots that the games are known for. Breath of the Wild is, in fact, a return to form rather than an upheaval of the formula. I’ll also admit that I have a lot of affection for the gameplay of this one, as well as Link To The Past.

Donkey Kong: When you’re talking old school, as far as what you might call the modern generation of games goes (which is to say, the games that resurged after the Atari Crash), it’s hard to go wrong with Donkey Kong. It’s certainly notable for being a weird stage in Mario’s character and something that is generally ignored; it’s just strange thinking that at one point he was supposed to be abusive towards a pet ape that went in an innocent, well-meaning rampage! Personally this one kind of breaks a mold for my S-class rankings because while I like this one fine, I don’t like it THAT much; i mostly played it in the DK 64 game, and found it very difficult and that’s stuck with me. Still, I place it here for its momentous position in placing Nintendo on the map, with the influence and revolutionary technologies and gaming mechanics they would introduce, to this very day.

Pokemon Red/Blue: Hoo boy. HOO BOY it is honestly something of an oversight that I didn't immediately shove this beauty straight to the front of the S-line because good god I love this game. It's been years and years, long since I was but a whee Johnny playing a strange new game for the first time just because there was a cool turtle creature on the cover (because I was super into turtles back then), and I still love this game. Even with the improvements made to the formula since then (getting rid of HMs, the fixes and new types introduced since) there's still something lovable about this game, even as something as basic as the official artwork that just tugs my heartstrings. This game is highly notable for being an RPG that popularized the monster collecting/befriending gameplay (so far as I know), and as an autistic person, i really appreciate knowing the whole thing grew out of an autistic man's bug collection hobby from when he was a child. Pokemon is an absolute juggernaut of a media influence, and THIS is where it all began. It's first stage evolution, you might say. And not like a Magikarp or anything. This one's more like one of the starters... appropriately enough. Final Fantasy 7: This is probably a bit of a controversial take, but FF7 was not actually one of my favorite Final Fantasy entries back in the day. I never played much more of it than the beginning missions, as my cousin owned the machine in question, and I moved out before i could play it much. Final Fantasy 3 (in the US; it's more generally referred to as 6 now) was my favorite for a long, long time, and that game pioneered many of the traits that would be associated with 7: the epic story, the complex ensemble cast, though 7 really expanded on that basic idea, and previous games were hardly shabby in that regard. 9 is my favorite of the pre-10 era, with its extreme shake ups to the mechanics of the game. No; what makes 7 stand out is that it was a shift towards making Final Fantasy a constantly shifting, unique franchise where every entry was its own thing; it introduced 3D graphics with a fun and cartoony style mixed with a story that wouldn't be out of place in a cyberpunk story, and heralds Squaresoft (as it was called at the time) splitting off from Nintendo, with its censorship policies, and doing its own thing with Sony, with a great deal more freedom to write as they pleased. The party design also stands out, which each character having their own unique function in the party while the Materia concept allows a degree of modular skills to be installed, customizing them in ways that, in my opinion, the best entries in the franchise (on a gameplay level) would revisit. Colossal Cave Adventure: I'll be honest; I never played this game, and I don't believe it's particularly familiar to me at all. However, I chose it for this vaunted spot in S-rank because games of this nature, of text-based prompt and responses, are some of the most interesting things imaginable! Games like AI Dungeon are similar in some respects, and its impressive to think just how dang old this game is, and yet it managed to pull off basically being it's own DM. It has an interesting history; created by a man who worked on the precursor to the Internet, the game was made to connect with his daughter and was inspired by recent entries into Dungeons And Dragons, and later expanded upon by other programmers. It's notable that while Zork is the sort of game that would probably involve more immediate recognition (I actually mistook it for Zork at first, from the screenshot), this game was the first of its kind, and that always deserve some recognition. Minecraft: I absolutely LOVE Minecraft, and it's rightfully one of the most popular games, if not THE most popular game, of the last couple of decades, and it's interesting to think just how unconventional it is; the game is, effectively, a LEGO simulator, and as someone who honestly always wanted tons of LEGO sets as a kid but could never afford them consistently, there's something genuinely very appealing about Minecraft's basic set up. It's open approach and lack of a goal, just gameplay mechanics that encourage you to build and do as you please, makes for a very relaxing and unusual mentality not often seen in games until this point; it doesn't even have a storyline, it simply gives you a world to play around in. Of note, Minecraft's entry seems to have relevance towards video games becoming a cultural touchstone; Minecraft's visual aesthetic leans towards both blocky LEGOs and retro graphics, and certainly proves that games don't need to strive for hyper realistic graphics to be appealing. ----- A RANK Doom: I genuinely like Doom, a lot! I still have memories of replaying this game frequently, long before Doom 2016 and Eternal were glimmers; it's just genuinely very fun to play. That said, I feel that there's other games that are a bit more historically notable and while i like this game, not quite as much as other entries. But it cant be understated that this was THE first person shooter, and more to the point, was fundamental towards game design as we know it. Of note, it pioneered the idea of a game engine, which has had tremendous impact down the road in terms of making a flexible baseline system that latergames were programmed around. Additionally, the first three episodes being free, with the additional ones being purchased as part of the full game, this was, I think, the first demonstration of a demo. Back then, we called this shareware; a game which was free but had full features locked off, but otherwise you could play it however much you wanted. There's a REASON Doom winds up on more systems than Skyrim! Ultimately, while it's not one of my favorite games, it's impact on the business of gaming and the functions of game design cannot be overstated. Pac-Man: This game, is THE game that made video games a phenomenon and its worth thinking about that and how video games as a modern institituion can be drawn, however broadly, from Pac-Man's commercial success. I should note that while I've played this game extensively, it's not something I'm particularly good at; there's a LOT going on here and its a bit much for me to handle. That's probably a strength; there's a reason people had to fake their accomplishments and falsified high scores. It's worth noting that Pac-Man is a unique thing in that it has been rereleased many times over, and every generation has found it enjoyable and fun, unlike other games that set trends only to be lost out in the end. (Goldeneye, for instance!) The Oregon Trail: Like many other people I assume, I first played this game as something available on school computers. Purportedly made as an educational game to teach students about history, this game may be notable for, among other things, being an entry point towards the idea of resource management in video games (as well as being hellishly difficult, by the standards then, but that DOES illustrate a point, does it not?). It's also the oldest, most continuously available game ever made, even now being ported to smartphones, or so I hear! It seems to be a very early example of edutainment games, and a genuinely great one at that. It probably helps that a selling point is that it doesn't really mince around with its subject matter; anyone who's played this game knows that total party kill is the default assumption, as it was in life. Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat: I place these two together as I feel that they form a duo of sorts, and defined fighting games of my childhood and modern gaming experience; name a fighting game, from Injustice to something as deliberately different as Smash Bros, and it has SOME relation to these games, even if its in terms of doing something completely different. These games set a mold for fighting games! Among other things, both games feature iconic characters as a selling point, and to this day fighting games make their mark based on how signature their characters are. Mortal Kombat is of course an incredibly violent game (though very tame, by modern standards), and its fatalities and depicitons of violence sparked thought and arguments on what video games ought to be allowed to depict, for better or for worse. It's not implausible to suggest that the overly strict restrictions on what video games could depict go back to Mortal Kombat's fatalities, specifically (since there's far worse games predating it, though too graphically primitive to be obvious). Street Fighter, conversely, strikes me as having more characterization and depth, especially as far as fighting systems go; I find it hard to be interested in many fighting games now, if they don't offer as much depth as the likes of Street Fighter 2. Street Fighter stands out for innovating multiplayer play, initially in the arcade, and its not implausible to say that the likes of Smash Bros is a descendant of sorts of the specific mentality Street Fighter brought to the table. Consider also that it is STILL a mainstay in the remaining arcades and cabinets in service today! Tomb Raider: This is a game i legit liked back in the day, and there's some part of me that's sad that the platforming, puzzle solving and focus on exploration has not really made it back into the modern Tomb Raider series, last I checked. There's probably something interesting in that Lara Croft represents a bit of an intermediate period between platforming mascots and modern Edgy Protagonists; you know the ones. Balding white dudes with vague dad vibes, but this is not a slight on Lara; she definitely has a ton of personality, even just at a cover glance. This game had a strong focus on exploration, and that's honestly something I really like. Super Mario Kart: I'm going to be controversial here; complaints about the Blue Shell are kinda overrated. It's not that different from, say, a red shell hitting you from behind when you're close to the finish line. But, jokes and old 90s memes aside, this game has some interesting status in that it started the idea of making spin-off games in dramatically different contexts; Crash Team Racing and Sonic Drift, for example, are listened as similar games. On a franchise level, this began the trend of Mario becoming a truly flexible character who could do pretty much whatever was required of him, not just the original platforming games, and its possible his imitators never quite learned the same lesson. Though one wonders what Miyamoto might have thought if he'd known how many thinkpieces he would spawn with 'why does mario go-karting with Bowser when they're enemies?'. For my part, I favor the idea that the other games are in-universe fictions they're actors on and this is their actual dynamic, or that Mario is a relaxed dude who doesn't mind playing kart games with his foe. (I mean, he's not Ridley. Bowser's easy enough to get along with.) Animal Crossing: Again, I have to emphasize that I've never actually played this game, at least on a consistent basis (and by that, I mean I MIGHT have played it on the Gamecube, once, in the early 2000s), and have to speak from what I've seen of what it sparked. And I really do like the way it really codified the sub-genre of relaxed, open-ended games where the player is free to do as they like, without much stress or fear, which is something I think more games could stand to do. On my personal list of features that my ideal video game would have, Animal Crossing would definitely offer a few ideas. I am reminded of farming simulators, such as Harvest Moon or Stardew Valley; while they are different beasts entirely, there's a familiar sense of non-combat relaxation that's pleasant to see. Spacewar!: This machine is GODDAMN old, and like an old fogey predating modern humans, it deserves our respect. It's so old, it predates Pong. Supposedly created as part of predictative Cold War models, with an emphasis on emulating sci fi dogfights, producing a game that soon proved popular, for over a decade remainign the most popular game on computer systems, and a clumsy foray into arcade gaming (that didn't pan out, unfortunately) led to the creation of Pong by its creator, which is another story all its own! And Pong is directly responsible for the idea of the video game itself; this game launched the entire video game industry as we understand it! No small feat, indeed. ----

B RANKED Sonic The Hedgehog: I must state that I DO like this game, though not as much as later entires like Sonic 3 and Knuckles, or the Sonic Adventure series; the fast paced action seems a bit hobbled by the traps and need to be careful of surroundings, which would seem to run counter towards the whole idea of GOTTA GO FAST, y'know? But the game presents an interesting viewpoint on the nature of mascot gaming; created specifically, so it is said, as a rival to Mario, Sonic was designed as a mascot with attitude, and inspired a host of imitators; he's probably the only one to escape the 90s more or less intact, and this may have something to say about his flexibility, star power, and also the fact that he's a pretty mild character, all things considered. This game certainly has its place in gaming history, giving an important place in the console wars of yesteryear. Believe me, I was a kid in the 90s, Sonic was a HUGE deal. Space Invaders: This game is noted to have catapulted games into prominence by making them household, something outside of arcades, and it shows! An interesting detail of note is that supposedly, the Space Invaders were meant to all move at high speed, but this was either too hard to play against, or too costly on the processor; it was found that by making them speed up as they were defeated, it created an interesting set of challenge. You have to appreciate game history like that. In general, its success prompted Japanese companies to join the market, which would eventually produce what I imagine was a thriving, competitive market that would eventually get us Nintendo and it's own gamechangers down the road. Grant Theft Auto 3: I'm going to be honest with you. I don't much care for this sort of game. The Saints Row series, with its fundamental wackiness, is the kind of game I really DO like if I'm going for something like this, and GTA sort of leaning towards the 'cruel for fun and profit' gameplay is really unappealing for me. However, I'd be remiss if I didn't address this game, and what seems to come up is two things: the game's sheer freedom in its open world (which certainly pushed the bar for games of that nature, and has made it a byword for gamers screwing around in a game just to see what ridiculous things they could or couldn't do) and the infamous reputation from the mature aspects of the game. Personally, I'm not much for this game's take on maturity (if I wanted to discuss a game of that nature, I'd suggest, say, Spec Ops: The Line) but I really do appreciate what this game and its series did for the open world genre, and the sheer possibilities presented for letting you do what you wanted. King's Quest: I've never played this game, but I am a HUGE fan of the point and click genre (also known generally as the adventure game genre) that it spawned; without this game, there's no Monkey Island, no Sam and Max, no The Dig or Full Throttle, or Gabriel Knight. This game was similar to previous text-based games, with a text parser to input commands, but with the distinction of a graphical interface to move their character around, which would be the seed of later games such as the SCUMM engine of Monkey Island and other Lucasarts games (which, to me, ARE Adventure Gaming). The puzzles, comedic sensibilities, and interface innovations originated with this game, and codified those later adventure games i love so much. Starcraft: This is another one those list of 'games I should have already played by now'. I'm not much of an RTS person, barring forays with games such as Impossible Creatures, Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War, and more strange entries such as Brutal Legend, and I contend that the combat aspects of 4X games like Civilization DO count on some level; the specifics of troop movement and unit strengths/weaknesses are a bit beyond me, when you get to more complex stuff. Starcraft, reading between the lines, really introduced the idea of multiplayer culture especially for RTS, pioneered the Battle(dot)net system (which I mostly recall from Diablo, if I'm being honest!) as well as the idea of relative strengths and powers for individual factions so that they became characters in their own right. It's still a very popular online game, and that says SOMETHING. Also, I tend to use zerg rushes, so I would probably play Zerg. Probably. (There is much speculation on whether or not, like Warcraft being a failed Warhammer Fantasy game, if the same holds true for Starcraft and Warhammer 40k. I lean on the side of 'probably not'; the differences are too notable. The Zerg and Tyranids have some similarties, but that's probably because they're based on the same broad hive mind evil insect aggressor trope, and they have enough differences from there to be very distinct from one another. It's not like how OG Warcraft's orcs were very obviously warhammer orcs with less football hooliganism.) Bejeweled: This is a firm case of a game that I don't play, but I really have to respect its influence on gaming as a whole. Apparently it started as a match three-type game with a simplistic formula that proved wildly popular (perhaps making a point that simpler can be more effective, in game mechanics), with a truly explosive record of downloads; over 500 million, it seems. Thus its fair to say that this game set the precedent for casual games, which have become THE market. Regardless of your feelings on that genre, this one was a real game changer. (Pun intended, absolutely.) ----

C RANK Pong: "By most measures of popular impact, Pong launched the video game industry." This line alone saws it all, I think. It wasn't the first video game, but it was one of the more early ones, and its the one that really made video games and consoles successful, gaining widespread attention from the mainstream audience, as well as getting Atari recognition (for better or for worse, but perhaps that was just a development of being on top, so to speak; maye the console wars at least kept the big three honest). It also started the arcade revolution of games, and this humble game is essentially responsible for the entire state of video games as a concept, as we know it today. Halo: No disrespect to Halo, but it's just a game series I've never quite been able to get into. Those games are very hit and miss for me; games like Call of Duty, Battlefield, Gears of War and everything like that are just... hard for me to get into. It takes something specific like Borderlands or the Besthesda Fallout series, or something else, for me to get hooked, and Halo just doesn't do it for me! Nevertheless, I would be QUITE remiss if I simply dismissed it, and there's reasons for it to be inducted into the hall of fame barely three years into the hall of fame making inductees. Firstly, it was Microsoft's big entry into the console wars, and it must be said this was a MASSIVE upset and a completely unprecedented shift in the assumptions of the console wars back then; NO ONE expected microsoft to actually do this, let alone redefine gaming out of Sony and Nintendo's favor like that. At the time, PCs dominated FPS games, and Halo showed that consoles could do it just fine. It must also be said that it has a very intricate and complex system of lore, backstory and material that was quite distinctive for a new setting back in the day, and while I've seen people object to it's gameplay, I suspect that its with the benefit of hindsight; Halo offered an extremely unusual degree of freedom in achieving the goals set out for you. (Cortana also didn't deserve getting her name slapped onto that search assistant that eats up all your RAM.) Where In The World Is Carmen San Diego: Surprisignly enough, based on the article, this game was NOT an adaptation, but the source material of this character. This is where the fancy, mystery lady in the red coat started! Evidently this game was originally an edutainment game with a cops and robbers theme, and inspired by Colossal Cave Adventure from higher up on the list, and one must appreciate the effort that went into it. This one is ranked low, mostly because it didn't seem TOO notable to me. Honestly I'm surprised this is where Carmen Sandiego started. (And that she doesn't get enough credit as an iconic theatrical villain who won't go a step too far, but that's another rant.) -

D LIST

Here we are. The D LIST. The bottom of the sorting pile; the lowest of them all, the... well, the ones that I honestly don't necessarily dislike, but couldn't place higher for reasons of notability, personal interest, or perceived impact on the history of gaming. John Madden Football: Sports games, as a whole, really do NOT do it for me. I don't like real like sports at ALL (with, as a kid, a brief interest in boxing and that was just because they had gloves like Knuckles from Sonic the Hedgehog) so its hard for me to say that I find the history of this one all that compelling. Even so, there's some interesting elements in how this game was a sequel to a previous failed attempt, with a bold new attempt at a more arcade-style action game with a more dramatic take on the players, who would in turn be rated in different skill sets. The Madden series is STILL going so... it worked out pretty well, I'd say. (FUCKIN EA WAS BEHIND THIS ONE??? wow, EA is older than I thought.) Microsoft Flight Simulator: It's honestly a bit painful sorting this one so low, since I had many happy times as a wee Johnny playing this game back in the old days. I mean the OLD, old days. This was like, the days when Usenet was the preferred way for people to talk online. (Not me, though. I didn't talk to people, then. I was even less social than I am now, which is saying something!) All the same, I suppose that it was important to not crowd too many entries in a specific folder, and statistically, something had to keep getting knocked down, and in the end, I couldn't honestly say I still enjoyed this one enough to place it higher. Still, credit must be given where it is due; this game stands out for being an early foray into simulator gaming, showing a realistic depiction of actual flight. It has apparently been updated and rereleased many times since, which is impressive! Tetris: I like puzzles. So it might be surprising to hear this seminal game ranked so low; firstly, I like different KINDS of puzzles (like weird ones where you have to fling your sense of logic to the moon and back, or make use of gaming mechanics) and honestly this game is kind of stressful for me. You gotta keep an eye on a lot of different things flying around all at once, and constantly move things around, and that kind of attention and quick thinking does NOT come easily to me. All the same, I really have to admire how it was born from it's creator's pleasure in solving mathematical puzzles about sorting shapes into boxes, in a manner strangely remniscient of Satoshi's bug collecting that became Pokemon. Certainly the game's simplicity has proven a universally appealing thing, and may say something about the value of keeping it simple. Microsoft Solitaire: This game apparently became pay-to-get some time ago in recent computer generations, and let me tell, you, it was genuinely depressing to find that out. I remember younger decades, from the 90s and on, when this game was a regular and free feature in Windows computers fir MANY years. You got a computer, this game was on here. I was a kid, and i remember watching my mom play this game and makign the cards go WHOOP WHOPP all over the place and marveling, because I couldn't ever do the same thing. (A related note: I am terrible at this game. Go figure!) Of note, this game was massively widespread, and just EVERYWHERE, and I think everyone who ever played a computer back in those days instantly remembers it in some way. It was just... ubiquitous. Centipede: Oh, ol' Centipede. I don't mean to be mean to you. But between the likes of Pokemon and Super Mario Bros, even the arcade Donkey Kong, someone had to keep dropping down the leaderboard that is this tierlist, and unfortunately, there were other games that felt higher up than you. All the same, you're a very good game, and honestly, I like you more than some other games ranked higher for reasons of relevance to gaming history. Certainly more than anything else in D-listing. The colorful and appealing palette is noteworthy. That trackball controller! Amazing! (More games should use trackballs. They're fun and easy to use.) At the very least, Order of the Stick did a joke with you once, and that's better than anything I can do for you. All the same, you're a cool game.

[poppopopopopi]

Settos GOTY 2020

2020 was a hell world and life is dogshit now. Also I only browse tumblr these days but I like keeping track of this stuff so!...yay.

I’m gonna be honest even I’m not sure what order I should put these games in.

I think I’m done with ordering by top 10 and just gonna put all 10 here equally.

I’ll also show some games I liked for specific reasons but didn’t put in the top 10.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon

Probably my second favourite Yakuza game ever, Like a Dragon introduces Ichiban as a new protagonist and boy is he a keeper. This keeps that classic Yakuza charm and good writing along with a new gameplay style of JRPG turn based combat. It’s fun, engaging and genuinely full of a love for the genre. I can’t wait to see the future of Ichibans adventures.

Nioh 2

I genuinely love this game. The soulslike genre has been all over the place the last few years but this one deserves the award for the most complex and well done entry in the genre. Everything about Nioh 2 kept me playing through the game multiple times. It truly is a game where you can build your character in so many different ways that you won’t ever play the same way twice.

Animal Crossing New Horizons

I’ll always love AC. New Horizons has a load of new wonderful features but is lacking a lot of what made previous entries so wonderful. I’m kinda tired of being drip fed content that was just in New Leaf from the get go. Other than that I enjoy the time I spend wandering around my island and customizing it to my liking. A very comfortable experience, that was well needed.

Disaster Report 4

Honestly one of the most endearing games I played this year. You can tell the developers had a lot of passion and despite the unbelievable jank, it shines in many places. This game had so many memorable moments and characters that overall I just fell in love with it. It really drives home the feeling of being in a natural disaster and seeing the cataclysmic destruction it leaves on not only the country but also peoples lives.

Sakura Wars

I’m probably bias because I’ve never played the RPG entries in this series. However I loved the character driven story and general way the game played out. I can’t really say much else, I just adored being in this world and seeing these characters grow together. The gameplay is alright, it’s basic mech based action combat, but I don’t think that’s the big draw here. Azami best girl.

Pokemon SWSH DLC

Can you spot the Galarian Moltres in the above picture?.

I actually loved SWSH, it’s got a load of problems but the overworld and raid dungeons made me play for far longer than I ever thought I would. Honestly the DLC just made the region even better designed and felt like a breathing Pokemon world. I’ll still buy new Pokemon games constantly because I adore their designs and the characters and just everything about the series.

Hades

I liked Greek mythology before it was cool.

Hades really drives home the narrative between these famous chracters of Greek mythos. It’s got such good writing with almost always new things to say every time you do anything in game.

The gameplay is a lot of fun and honestly it’s more of a bridge to progressing your dynamic with everyone. I couldn’t be happier it’s getting the recognition it deserves.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity

A genuinely fun game that builds on the musou style combat in massive ways. Every character feels incredibly unique and the gameplay loop keeps remaining fun. Honestly I can’t say much else. It’s a fun Musou game built on a familiar franchise. If you like them, you probably already own it.

Clubhouse Games 51

I mean it’s 51 board games with online play, designed by Nintendo.

It’s fun as hell and has Koi Koi, Of course I bought this.

If you like board games, you probably bought this too. It’s good, get it.

MOON

MOON was never translated upon its original release on PS1. It was a game a younger me looked at and it really set in my mind what I love about videogames.

Designed by the same team as things like Chulip, it takes a familiar formula and turns it on its head. MOON out of all games i’ve mentioned here, really set in stone the idea of what an RPG could be about and how characters could be developed through the game design. 

Playing it fully translated, it’s really clear to me how much of an inspiration this game probably was for a lot of more indie based developers and their games.

MOON makes me feel something I don’t feel often in games and that’s that something like this is so special it only comes around every now and then.

This game means a lot to me and really is a seal of actual wonder that I wish I could see more often. A message of Love and care and just genuine passion seeps through the entire thing.

If I was gonna give GOTY to a game it’d probably be this but I feel it’s worth more than that. MOON really establishes what I feel is a high point for all videogames.

Anyway here’s some other games I really enjoyed. I won’t talk about them much but i’ll put them here

Immortals: Fenyx Rising just came out and is...just a lot of fun. Buy it.

Kamen Rider: Memory of Heroez is a decent low budget action game with a lot of fanservice for toku fans.

No Straight Roads isn’t.....the best as a videogame. But it’s gorgeous to look at and genuinely funny and creative.

Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is lovely and well worth playing if you wanna farm rice and fight demons as a small angry goddess.

The Pathless is a very nice game that reminds me of Shadow of the Colossus a lot. It’s a lot of fun to explore and solve puzzles, while keeping a good flow with movement and ....may be connected to Abzu which is cool. It’s also very pretty.

A final game that hasn’t even come out yet but I know I will love is

Puyo Puyo Tetris 2.....I mean It’s Puyo Tetris so ...yeah it’s good.

I hope you all have a good 2021 and a good holiday season. 2020 was awful but you hang in there, okay?.

[alexis-dot-com]

Template nicked from someone else who didn’t give credit to OP

Quick reasons for each pick: Persona 3 is the perfect mix of JRPG, visual novel, hope and despair. It's my favourite game in a fantastic series. The story, characters, music and gameplay are all top-notch. You gotta play this game. Yakuza 0 is probably my favourite game in the series from a story stand-point. There's drama, intrigue highs and lows. One of the best stories in gaming. Muramasa The Demon Blade's art is just gorgeous. All hand painted with some vibrant colours that bring the Edo period of Japan to life. Atlus has a killer music team. Everything they touch is gold. Their soundtracks for the SMT series, Persona, Catherine, are all incredible. From jazz, to rock, rap to pop, it's all amazing. Castlevania is a difficult series at the best of times, but the third game on the NES is rough. The platforming, enemy placement, and stiff controls make for a frustrating mix. Definitely worth a play, though. The Jackbox games are all fantastic ways to spend an evening with friends. Whiplash, Drawful, Tee KO are personal highlights. Resident Evil 6 wasn't too well received by many, but I loved every second of it. Main issues people had with it were the focus on action over horror, and the over-use of Quick-TIme-Events, but it's a big, dumb action game that's a ton of fun to play. I don't have the energy to rant about Fortnite. It's just so mediocre. The World Ends With You is easily one of the best DS games. The story, music, gameplay are all fantastic. Absolutely underrated, and I can't wait for the sequel. Mortal Kombat is just okay. The amount of praised lumped on it is just not justified. Warner Bros. spent so much money on the latest entry and it does not show. The animations are stiff, which leads to limp feeling attacks. I highly recommend a series by SugarPunchDesignWorks on Youtube that go in depth on all the issues surrounding the bad animation in that series. The Last of Us is my pick for Best Voice acting for this one scene alone - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Csw8G6yruE And while Resident Evil 1 has some absolute stinkers looking back, It's amazing to see (or hear) just how far acting in gaming has come. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjbNvS1LYD8 Zagreus from Hades is such a great protagonist. The way he speaks to people is so chummy, calling everyone "mate". His voice lines also act as tutorials for the game, and with thousands of unique lines of dialogue, you really get to know his personality over the hours. Juri Han is a bastard but she's my bastard. She's one of the villains from Super Street Fighter IV, and she just chews the scenery. Her gameplay reflects her toying personality, with counters and a keepaway play style. Link is a silent protagonist so you might be wondering how he's my favourite one? His animations are top-notch. He's a complete dumb-ass, from happily eating rocks, to punching treasure chests open, he's an absolute idiot, but he's also the saviour of Hyrule. Sephiroth is similar to Juri in that he likes to toy with the heroes. He crops up everywhere through Final Fantasy VII just to mess with Cloud. He's menacing when he needs to be though, and terrifying as the story goes on. Ellie (from the Last of Us Part 2 specifically) suuucks. She went from my favourite character in the first game to the one character I couldn't stand in the sequel. She's so hell-bent on revenge that she's blind to everything else. She just makes the most idiotic decisions throughout the entire run-time. I remember playing Super Mario World at a cousin's house when I was around 4? It was a ton of fun and it really opened my eyes to a whole new medium of entertainment. Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, the developer of the Yakuza franchise deserve more recognition, and I'm happy to see them get it in recent years. The Yakuza series is (mostly) focused on one character, Kiryu, who was a member of the Yakuza (Japanese Mafia), but just wants a quiet life. Needless to say things don't go his way as he's roped back in with every new game. Rockstar games make highly produced games, sure, but I feel their attention to detail takes away from other aspects (like if the game's even fun to play). Red Dead Redemption's horses have balls that shrink in cold areas! But the game's an absolute chore to get through, with slow animations for everything from picking up ammunition to looting enemy bodies. I'd love to see them focus their attention to actual fun gameplay than horse nuts. The Walking Dead is depressing. The visual novels, the TV series, and the game. The latter is probably the most depressing however, as you control characters who are forced to make decisions nobody should ever have to. I've not even finished all of the series because I need to take a year-or-two break between them. There are a million horror games that could have taken the place of "creepy" but Bioshock has such a unique environment that it has to be here. The world of Rapture, being at the bottom of the ocean is terrifying because you can't exactly escape. It's oddly beautiful at times, however, with whales swimming by among the skyline, and schools of fish visible through apartment windows. Katamari Damacy is always there to liven things up though! In Katamari, you play as the Prince of All Cosmos who needs to roll up objects to make an even bigger ball to create stars for the universe. It's an odd, funny, and addictive game that never ceases to cheer me up. I don't spoil the ending to Metal Gear Solid 3, but I will say it was pretty cool to see one of the final frames of the game be used as its box-art. Kojima's Metal Gear series is too long to summarise here so I won't even try. The salute Big Boss gives at the end of the game, though was the perfect send off to a hugely enjoyable game. This is how you make a game packed with details and fun gameplay, Rockstar. If you read all of this, jesus, get a life.

[fairytale-poll]

ROUND 3A, MATCH 1 OUT OF 4

*Includes the original 1950 animated film, the 2002 sequel Cinderella II: Dreams Come True, and the 2007 sequel Cinderella III: A Twist in Time.

**Includes Grimm Brothers and Charles Perrault tales.

Propaganda Under the Cut:

Disney Animated:

she is very iconic, she is super kind and has a beautiful dress

Submitting specifically because Cinderella III: A Twist in Time has lived rent-free in my head ever since I was a small child.

This Cinderella is most young (western) peoples introduction to this very story. Cinderella is so hopeful and by getting one small magical adventure, her whole life changes for the better. She is skilled and inspires such loyalty with her kindness that it’s hard to dislike her for any reason she gives. I’ve always been jealous of her ball hairdo too.

Walt Disney put all he had into this movie. And his favorite animation was the dress transformation scene. There’s a reason she is often front and center on the Princess group promotions.

she is the original. to me. probably the first exposure to cinderella for a solid chunk of people alive & on tumblr today. she is just a perfect encapsulation of everything that cinderella is, even if she's become warped in the public consciousness. also i'm pretty sure she's the reason why the glass slippers are so predominant in more recent retellings bc she is simply so iconic. 100/10 no notes 💜

She's maybe not the OG OG but she was one of the first animated Disney princesses and strangely enough it doesn't stop her from having an amazing personality. She's literally a slave but keeps being a nice person, forgiving and always doing her best. And the sequels absolutely didn't ruin her character. She's a sweet girl who tries to fit in but who's loyal to the person she is and who tries to change things always in a cute and sweet way to show people it's not that hard. She literally forgave Anastasia and tried to help her after all she did to her (the scene where the step-sisters destroy her dress still is terrifying to me)... she's awesome and deserves more recognition honestly...

(Mod's note: the following submitted specifically for Cinderella III: A Twist in Time, but I condensed the animated movies into one entry.) No she is not the same as the original Cinderella of 1950. This girl’s biggest chance was unfairly snatched away from her. When the Prince was brainwashed she was enough to get him to double take. She was so Right that their connection over powered magic. And she had to be rescued from a ship. And was almost crushed within a pumpkin! And finally had to expose another imposter, who turned out to be just another victim of Lady Trameine. This Cinderella fought harder for her love because she knew what True Love was like and she still was able to forgive those who asked for it.

(Mod's note: the following submitted specifically for Cinderella III: A Twist in Time, but I condensed the animated movies into one entry.) Listen yes it's the same Cinderella from 1950 but she has an arc in this one! It's Disney's greatest film!!

Listen I love them both but the animated Cinderella definitly shine in every single movie she has. And she has 3.

Vote for Cinderella because she deserves it and is still underrated in the Disney Princesses Franchise when she survived so much (ab*se... Lady Tremaine still terrifies me and she doesn't even have magical powers except when she steals the magic wand in Cinderella 3) Also one vote for Cinderella is one jump outside the window Henri is ready to do. Yes it's real.

Cinderella / Aschenputtel / Cendrillon:

I love all Cinderellas but the Grimm version refocuses the story away from magical aid and transforms it into a story of the ability of grief to conversely power hope. ashenputtel weeps over the grave of her dead mother so much a beautiful tree grows out,  with the voice of her mother guiding her and giving her the gown and shoes that ultimately get her to the ball. It turns Cinderella from a kind of passive receiver to a woman whose own love, in a way, saves her—her grief cycles into new joys, her love for the dead changes her for a new life. Idk it’s just a tremendously hopeful, haunting story, grounded in sorrow and love as our ways of guiding into the future.

Her slippers aren't made of glass, thankfully. Also, her step-sisters are blinded by birds who like Cinderella, apparently, on the day of the wedding. (I had to check this, as I knew the sisters had parts of their feet cut off to fit the shoe, but I was sure the mother had something bad happen, but there was no mention of a comeuppance for her. I found it on grimmstories.com, so I'm not sure how accurate to the original it is.)

[msfilmdiary]

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn–Part 2

Starring: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Nikki Reed, Ashley Greene, Kellan Lutz, Jackson Rathbone, Peter Facinelli, Anna Kendrick, Elizabeth Reaser, Billie Burke, Michael Sheen, Dakota Fanning, Jamie Campbell Bower, Christian Serratos, Chaske Spencer, Mackenzie Foy, Rami Malek, Christopher Heyerdahl, Alex Meraz, Bronson Pelletier, Julia Jones, Booboo Stewart, Noel Fisher, Sarah Clarke, and Jodelle Ferland

Screenplay by Melissa Rosenberg

Directed by Bill Condon

Cinematography by Guillermo Navarro

I do not own any of the pictures posted. 

SPOILERS AHEAD 

Bella has just awoken from her human-to-vampire transformation and is introduced to her daughter Renesmee. The Cullens and Jacob stay nearby, and Jacob seemingly acts possessive towards Renesmee, and Bella learns that he imprinted on her. Meanwhile, Bella’s father Charlie has been trying to contact the Cullens for updates on Bella and her health. Carlisle soon comes to believe that they need to leave Forks to protect their identities, and Jacob, desperate not to lose Renesmee, visits Charlie to inform him about Bella. He tells him that Bella is alive and well, but had to change in order to get better. He also tells Charlie that he doesn't live in the world he thinks he lives in, revealing his wolf form to Charlie. Charlie then visits the Cullen house and meets Renesmee, and Bella and the Cullen family are able to stay in Forks. 

Carlisle is monitoring Renesmee’s rapid growth over the course of a few months. When they go to the woods for an outing, Irina sees Renesmee from a distance and assumes that she is an immortal child without asking any questions. Immortal children are vampires changed in childhood who often destroyed villages and towns because they could not be restrained or controlled. Immortal children were executed and outlawed, as well as the parents who created them. A bitter Irina goes to the Volturi to report what she has seen, and Alice has a vision of the Volturi and Irina coming to kill the Cullens and instructs them to find as many witnesses to vouch that Renesmee is not an immortal child. Alice and Jasper leave to try and find their own witnesses, while the others begin to summon various people to vouch for the Cullens that they do not have an immortal child. 

Some of these witnesses include the Denali family. Eleazar, a member of the Denali family, discovers that Bella has a special ability that protects her from Edward’s mind-reading. Even when she was human, she had a powerful mental shield protecting her from many vampire gifts, which translated into her being able to protect others from vampire powers now that she is immortal. 

Some of Cullen's potential witnesses are attacked, and Carlisle and Edward realize that they may have to fight Volturi. Their remaining witnesses agree to stand with them against Volturi. The Volturi soon arrive prepared for battle led by Aro, who is eager to obtain the vampiric gifts the Cullens have as part of his guard. Before any violence begins, Alice and Jasper approach Aro, and Alice shares her vision with him of battle, which would result in heavy casualties on both sides, including Aro’s and Carlilse’s death. Aro believes her vision, giving them both a chance to reveal their witness, Nahuel, who is half-human and half-vampire, just like Renesmee. Nahuel proves that he is not a threat, ensuring that Renesmee isn't either. The Volturi leave, explaining that there will be no battle. 

Now back at the Cullen house, Alice has a vision of the future, seeing Bella and Edward and Jacob together and a fully matured Renesmee also together. Edward reads Alice’s mind and is relieved to find that Jacob will always protect Renesmee. Now alone in the meadow, Bella pushes her mental shield away and finally allows Edward to read her mind, showing him every moment they spent together. The film franchise ends with Bella tells Edward that “nobody has ever loved anybody as much as I love you” and with that, the film franchise finally comes to a close, with Bella and Edward together forever in their own vampire universe. 

Breaking Dawn–Part 2 captured and finalized the Twilight saga, throwing a few twists and turns into the storyline. Now, I will admit, some of the dialogue seems a bit out of place when compared to the franchises previous films, but the overall feel remains the same. Breaking Dawn–Part 2, if anything, ties up the series without leaving any loopholes in an action-packed, bone-chilling way. 

We see the new Bella right at the beginning of them, which I believe is one of the best character developments I’ve ever seen. She’s changed, but not in a way that doesn't seem unrealistic (that is, if you consider vampires, werewolves, and hybrids of some sort realistic.) She, like the Cullens, can run from place to place instantaneously, sees nature in great detail, and has a daggering taste for blood. 

Vampire Bella is not someone I would describe in the same way I would describe human Bella. Human Bella is seclusive, insecure, and sensitive. Vampire Bella is more confident, and more herself. Human Bella is more of a daydreamer, and vampire Bella is more realistic, and excited to live her life as an immortal. 

Spending the last week and a half watching, reading, and analyzing Twilight and Twilight saga reviews, there is one thing that I’ve noticed. Bella, and Kirsten Stewart, who plays Bella, received generally negative reviews from critics. Stewart played Bella exactly how she was written, both human and vampire. Bella, as a character, is not very relatable or self-actualized, which is exactly how Stewart played her to be. 

Now, back to the film and the saga as a whole. Watching Breaking Dawn–Part 2 is thrilling, especially in the later part of the movie. I know what’s going to happen when the Cullens and their witnesses fight Volturi. Nonetheless, I was still at the edge of my seat and holding my breath for these characters. Watching many of these beloved characters die, but not die, even though I knew what was going to happen, was heart wrenching and thrilling. 

Overall, I believe this film to be the perfect and bittersweet ending to the Twilight saga. Built up from Eclipse, I think it gave many what they wanted in an ending. Twilight, I believe, will always have an important place in pop and teen culture, and will always be something that many, including myself, reminisce on. Now, I believe that it’s getting the recognition that it deserves because society has moved past the point of hating something because teenage girls love it. I think that it’s okay to like Twilight, it’s okay to like things that are not deemed as classical or “good” literature, and it’s okay to like something simply because it's enjoyable. 

Breaking Dawn–Part 2 perfectly closed the series, but I don’t think the series will ever fully be forgotten or deemed unimportant by societal standards. I think, in an essence, teenage girls, or everyone else for that matter, will always remember the gut-wrenching, thrilling, bone-chilling, and romantic, vampiric series that is Twilight. 

[jippy-kandi]

Digimon Adventure: 2020 – Episode 3: And To The Digital World (Review)

Thoughts on the third episode of the Digimon Adventure reboot series.

This was an oddly paced episode for me . . . but I still liked it!

Omegamon owning Algomon was cool. The fighting animation is really good and exciting, and I’m kind of stumped as to how Toei Animation can do this for a TV series aimed at kids, but can’t do it for Last Evolution: Kizuna . . .

Taichi and Yamato being completely unfazed by riding Omegamon as he battles was a bit weird. But they did seem to be in some kind of “trance” so I guess it’s fine. It would’ve been nice to have them show surprise/shock though, because you need to signal these things to the viewing audience of children . . . I’m definitely going to need Taichi and Yamato to talk about Omegamon and what happened later though.

I laughed at a random person’s comment on the internet as the missile is about to hit: “OMG my life”

Taichi and Koushirou’s friendship is just really great. I’ve always thought their friendship was underrated in the original series, because Koushirou really does seem like Taichi’s best friend (and this is stated in official material!), but Yamato just overshadows him. But so far this series, the focus has really been on the Taishirou friendship. I really hope the other kids’ friendships get this much focus, too. Can Yamato and Mimi have an actual conversation in this reboot, please?

Hikari says so little and is a bit weird, lol. But I like her voice so far . . . I just really dislike her clothes. Overalls are just . . . no.

Takeru sounds like Patamon, lol. But I like his voice, I guess?

Does Yamato live with his grandmother Kinu in Shimane!? We only got two shots of where he’s at, but it looks rural and canonically, it would make sense for it to be Shimane. But did Hiroaki just dump him there!? He has to be with him, right? Because if Hiroaki didn’t have time to raise Yamato himself, the best option would be to just give custody to Natsuko so that Yamato and Takeru could be together . . . WHAT IF NATSUKO IS WITH YAMATO INSTEAD OF TAKERU? OMG I actually want that lol. But I think Kinu is Hiroaki’s mother -- and Yamato’s surname is still Ishida, and I doubt they’d switch Hiroaki and Natsuko’s surnames. Fleeting hope!

Jou! What a nice cameo to introduce him. His voice is a bit over-the-top . . . but I guess it suits him. :p

SORA!!! I really like how organically the Chosen are being introduced. It’s nice to see this approach in a children’s anime.

I . . . don’t like Sora’s new voice. It looks like they’re going for the super sporty angle for her -- which is fine -- but I miss the warmth in her voice. Yuuko Mizutani (RIP) is forever my idol. I’m hoping Sora’s new voice actress just needs to find her groove in the role and will start sounding a lot more like Sora . . . I didn’t think Taichi’s new voice actress was injecting enough personality into him in the first episode, but she really stepped up in episodes two and three and I think she’s doing an excellent job as Taichi. I hope the same for new Sora!

It’s nice that Sora is finally getting the recognition she deserves in-universe. Even Koushirou knows who she is because other girls talk about how cool she is, lol. Doesn’t that make her a female Yamato? XD; I think Toei are really trying to make Sora a “popular" character in the franchise and I hope it works. She is so underrated for such an amazing character.

Sora really likes butterflies? There’s one on her shirt and one on her visor cap. TO SELL MERCHANDISE DOWN THE LINE. Toei, you’re so subtle. XD;

So . . . was summer camp just one day? Lol. Or did a few weeks pass that they crammed into a few minutes? Yeesh, this show. SLOW DOWN. Just a bit, OK?

I like how Sora just sees Taichi running past her -- who is too preoccupied to even see her to say hi -- that it piques her curiosity and she just follows him lol. It’s just so natural and realistic.

When Taichi “transfers” to the Digital World, we see six different coloured lights. They must be Yamato (blue), Jou (grey/white), Mimi (green), Taichi (orange), Koushirou (purple) and Sora (red). So Takeru and Hikari are missing. But yay the older six will meet soon!!! I need them to become a group ASAP. XD

I don’t mind Takeru and Hikari being “special” – because, in the end, Taichi and Yamato will always be stronger, lol. :p

The Digital World, what little of it we saw, looks really pretty! And it’s nice to see new digimon I’ve never seen before.

I’m all in with this reboot. I really didn’t know I would be following a children’s anime in 2020 . . . but I think it’s great so far. Though it’s a little too fast, it makes me wonder what they have in store for us. I think it’s likely the series will run for a year (so 50-ish episodes) and, damn, I can’t wait to see where it goes. I want more focus on the characters and their friendships!

Next week: SORA! <3

UPDATE: Unfortunately, we won’t be seeing more episodes for a while. Digimon Adventure: 2020 is on an indefinite hiatus effective immediately. No new episodes (including episode 4) will be released for the foreseeable future due to the coronavirus pandemic. Sad news, but not surprising. Stay safe, Toei staff! And everyone else, too. (Source: Toei Animation)

[theseerasures]

Conspicuous Media Consumption, 2020

it’s that time of year again! *saddest toot from the party horn*

for those of you just joining us: it’s a “consume a different content every week for 48 weeks of the year” challenge. for a longer explanation, check out last year’s write-up here, and as always, feel free to pop in and ask questions about any and all of this content.

(same disclaimer as last year too: content for this project ONLY here, and not certain...*looks at my billion Sad Cop Lady posts*...hyperfixations.)

(man remember when i was big into X-Men comics earlier this year? better times than these, if only because no one's discoursing about Emma Frost’s woobie/war criminal ratio anymore--her w/w, if you will)

(...i swear at one point i didn’t exclusively like platinum blondes but alas)

Bitter Root (comic, 1 issue finished 1/1/2020): still very cool on a basic concept level, but runs into the Image Comics problem of just not having enough content to keep my interest beyond that. part of that is on me, for picking it up again BEFORE the second arc rolled out, but the first five issues didn’t really follow (or resolve) any cohesive story either, so...meh.

Immortal Hulk (comic, 3 trades finished 1/17/2020): still not gonna be something i care deeply about (maybe one of Bruce’s Hulksonas dyed his hair???), but i do want to give kudos to Al Ewing for sheer consistency in terms of sustaining this level of quality storytelling month by month for more than two years now. working with the dense archive of the Hulk mythos and managing to make it interesting and thoughtful is impressive even if i personally would not expend the same effort.

Disco Elysium (game, finished 1/18/2020): honestly i should have twigged onto what this year was gonna be like when the third thing i drew from the barrel was pure uncut Eastern European flavored depression. i faintly recall people ragging on it for being pretentiously cynical, but i actually thought its core slid more towards idealism than people give it credit for. also gratified that i haven’t heard anything about Robert Kurvitz using slave labor to finish it, which is a thing we have to say about our video games now!!! fun.

Watchmen (TV, 7 episodes finished 1/27/2020): i am a fool who wants to believe in Damon Lindelof and I WAS RIGHT!!! honestly still cannot believe that he pulled off this highwire act with such deft aplomb. might be my favorite TV this year, which is a pretty high bar given how much TV i ended up watching.

On a Sunbeam (comic, finished 2/1/2020): Tillie Walden rightly deserves all the praise for inventive queer storytelling, but i will say that on reread--since i first read this as a webcomic--there ARE some issues with pacing here that clearly come from the foibles of its original intended medium. still just excellent, even if after some plot significant haircuts i was having trouble telling a few folks apart.

Lazarus (comic, 1 trade finished 2/8/2020): it’s so good and i want moooooorrrreee--though obviously Rucka and Lark have the right to take all the time they need. the newer longer issues work really well with the epic prestige drama vibes of the story! i’m into it.

The Good Place (TV, 4 seasons finished 2/18/2020): i’m gonna be super honest: i actually wasn’t a big fan of the finale, nor the last season as a whole. it felt like all of Eleanor’s flaws vanished for a majority of the season, and the Chidi-centric episode where they tried to give a legible justification for why he’s Like This was...i didn’t care for it. still, it’s so good and unique on the WHOLE that we’ll literally never get anything like this ever again, and that counts for a lot.

The Old Republic (game, finished 2/21/2020): it’s an MMO so it will never actually Be Finished so long as the servers aren’t shut down, but i caught up on the content i’d missed in the intervening months. Onslaught thus far has mostly been...kinda bland tbh; going back to Imps vs. Rebs after all the shakeups in the previous expansions feels like a waste.

High Road (album, finished 2/22/2020): someone should tell Kesha not to say that word!! otherwise i was very happy with this album, and happy FOR her even though we don’t know each other. being able to find joy again in the same genre of music you made while you were being horrifically exploited is very cool.

Young Justice (TV, 13 episodes finished 2/28/2020): given how much the middle stuff dragged--STOP KILLING YOUR HIJABI CHARACTER IN HORRIFIC WAYS--i was...actually kinda mad by how the end managed to stick the landing anyway. the day being saved by Vic’s self-acceptance and Violet’s sublime compassion was A+, and even the Brion/Tara switchup was a pleasant surprise, though it relied on me caring about Brion MUCH MORE than i actually did.

Manic (album, finished 2/29/2020): do people still care for/about Halsey? i feel like even That One Song that was on every tumblr gifset ever has kinda faded into obscurity at this point. this album was...okay. i feel like people give Halsey a pass for extremely obvious lyrical turns that they wouldn’t for other folks because of her subject material--which is fine. not really my cup of tea, but i also listened to lots of Relient K this year, so that’s probably a good thing.

Jade Empire (game, 3/10/2020): the only 3D-era Bioware game that didn’t franchise out, and for good fucking reason!!! the Orientalism and appropriation really haven’t aged well, and even beyond that the story was...standard Bioware faire. even my usual “my wife’s a bitch i love her” Bioware type didn’t do it for me, and i just ended up romancing no one. it did make me think a lot about what level of cultural borrowing is accepted nowadays, and why: people still look fondly at Avatar and talk about how ~accurate and respectful it was, for example, despite it being staffed almost entirely by white folks, and the Orientalism ALL OVER the monk class in DND is still fine for some reason.

Alif the Unseen (book, finished 3/31/2020): interesting to have read this AFTER reading The Bird King last year, because it highlights how the intervening years have shifted G. Willow Wilson’s thematic interest and improved her craft. i’m actually quite fond of how her characterization work is rougher here--Alif is extremely flawed to the point of being insufferable, but it makes his development by the end more satisfying. Dina is also just good and i love her

Baldur’s Gate (2 games, finished 5/31/2020): well, having finally finished the series i’m happy to say that it...still doesn’t really do it for me, sorry. any awesome story moments were overshadowed by the EXCRUCIATING inventory management system and the combat (i still don’t know what a THAC0 is and at this point i’m afraid to find out). these games crucially lack the Home Base that later Bioware games were so good about, and that (coupled with the huge cast of characters you can drop off and never see again) really hurts the intimacy for me. by the time we finally did get one it was the Hell Dimension in Throne of Bhaal, and i was just...trying to get through it. (yes, i did just say that about one of the most beloved expansions ever to one of the most beloved games ever.) THIS particular iteration of “my wife’s a bitch i love her” was very good, but the game wouldn’t let me romance her :(

The Underground Railroad (book, finished 6/19/2020): honestly what is there even left to say at this point! it was exactly as good as every critic on the planet said it was, even with my usual aversion to hype. draining and horrifying in turns but still insistent upon a future for Black folks.

Steven Universe (6 seasons and a mooooooviiieeee, finished 7/11/2020): yes, i DID finish the show and almost immediately begin a rewatch. this series is now one of my top five most formative things, and the amount of love and respect i have for it is incalculable. that said: i once again did not love how the central conflict of Future was resolved (just the resolution--i loved the finale just fine). for all of Steven’s breakdown was built up, resolving it with “EVERYONE HUG HIM UNTIL HE CRIES” felt...cheap, especially since up until this point the show had been so good about treating trauma and mental illness with the respect and nuance it deserves. it made me wish some of the earlier, less substantial episodes had been cut so we could spend more time at the end.

What It Is (comic, finished 8/19/2020): y’all i love Lynda Barry SO MUCH. for the longest time i was worried that One Hundred Demons was more a lightning in a bottle situation but every book of hers i pick up makes me feel obscure emotions i didn’t even realize existed. the compassionate way she’s able to describe her child self and how weird and fucked up she was (and still is) is honestly aspirational.

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (TV, 5 seasons finished 9/26/2020): so here’s a reversal of what i’ve been complaining about with other shows: i was mostly lukewarm-to-warm about She-Ra, but the later seasons and the finale made me much more into it as a whole. more shows should improve in stakes and overall quality as they age tbh!! i still don’t actively love Catradora (my sole quibble with season 5 actually has to do with the way Adora kept backsliding as a character to make certain Plot/Relationship things happen), but i’m very happy for them nonetheless. i can certainly appreciate a show that will go for High Feeling over tight plot. dark horse standout moments: trees growing everywhere proving that Perfuma Was Right, and Hordak and Adora seeing each other--that weirdly intimate moment of recognition.

Fetch the Bolt Cutters (album, finished 10/7/2020): again i find myself not having much to say that no one else has said. it’s good! once again love it when an artist reclaims something they’d attached with negative affect (anxiety, depression, disordered eating) for better and brighter things.

Solutions and Other Problems (comic, finished 10/25/2020): i was very into Allie Brosh’s ambition with this book, which feels weird to say but i stand by it. it’s cool to see an artist try to make a new medium work for them instead of just sticking to what already works. not all the experimentation was 100% effective, but it was still delightful and occasionally devastating to read, so.

Legend of Zelda (3 games: Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask, Link Between Worlds, finished 11/1/2020): this was the third time i’d played Ocarina of Time, which made it the nice, comforting groove i settled into before Majora’s Mask blatted me in the face. i’m not usually a completionist Zelda person because...the gameplay in Zelda is bad, do not at me it just is, but i really felt like i HAD to be one for Majora’s Mask since the whole point is to get attached to the banalities of the town. i’m sure nobody’s surprised that i loved it, even if it gave me an existential crisis about how life goes on in the game for NPCs when you’re not there to save them from it, and there’s not enough time to save them all all the time (also not a surprise to anyone: Romani and Cremia gave Personal Feelings). Link Between Worlds...bad. not like in a “this is a bad story by every measurable gauge” way, but i was already struggling with the 2D playstyle shift enough that for the whole story to end with some “yes it’s v sad that Lorule is Like This but trying to steal Hyrule’s privilege is Even Worse Actually” noblesse oblige bullshit left a VERY poor taste in my mouth, this year of all years. i did audibly gasp when Ravio took off his mask, though. i’m currently playing Breath of the Wild in cautious increments; it’s the first time i’ve enjoyed early Zelda gameplay, but if they wanted fully voiced cutscenes i wish they got voice actors who...knew what words sound like.

folklore (album, finished 11/6/2020): my belief that Taylor Swift is Just Fine continues, i’m afraid. i LIKED this album, don’t get me wrong, and respect her constant drive to innovate, but i didn’t love it substantially more or less than any other Taylor Swift album. mostly i’m just tickled by how she thinks leaning into the indie aesthetic means borrowing Vita Sackville-West’s entire wardrobe, though i will admit to feeling Something when she swore in a song. i think it was like. savage vindication?? you go ahead and swear, Taylor Swift. you deserve it.

Shore (album, finished 11/19/2020): do people still care about the Fleet Foxes? i think there was some Drama with Josh Tillman a while back but i don’t remember where the discourse landed with who was being more problematic. it was nostalgic for me to listen to their new album--made me remember being an undergrad who exclusively listened to men who mumbled and played acoustic guitar all over again.

Star Wars (3 movies: original trilogy, finished 11/27/2020): there is So Much bad Star Wars these days that every time i rewatch the original trilogy i’m afraid that they will suddenly be bad, but guess what! they’re not. i love these children and their hot mess stories, i love that Lando doesn’t know how to say his best friend’s name. what stood out to me this time was the way Obi-Wan described the Force in A New Hope, which strongly implied that ANYONE can be Force Sensitive; that obviously faded with each subsequent movie, but part of me does wish they’d kept it.

X of Swords (comics, 22 issues finished 12/5/2020): i am enjoying Hickman’s X-lines!!! not so much here for the Grand Conspiracy or whatever, but the character work and highkey weirdness is fabulous--they FEEL like X-Men, despite all the shakeups in-universe. this crossover is a nice microcosm of all that: grandiloquently all over the place, but still full of cool standout moments and genuine hilarity. ILLYANA DOESN’T KNOW HOW TO SPELL MAGIC.

Fire Emblem (4 games: Sacred Stones, Path of Radiance, Radiant Dawn, Awakening, finished 12/14/2020): this was the thing that i was closest to giving up early on, but i ended up hyperfixating on it instead. that’s a credit to what the gameplay does to my lizard brain more than anything else, because the story and character writing is...insipid. it was very bizarre to witness this franchise blunder around with its animal-people racism allegory around the same time i was getting back into RWBY, and ITS animal-people racism allegory blunders. Awakening was the first time i felt anything for the franchise beyond “teehee red units disappear make exp bar go up and brain go ding,” so i’m excited for more mature storytelling in subsequent games (they MUST get better. they MUST). the child husbandry thing is...very bad tho, and Apotheosis being “challenging” entirely through the game changing all the rules is also bad.

once again no vidya games that came out this year--i’ll probably pick up Spiritfarer or Hades after the New Year, though (or maybe TLOU II! but probably not. sry Laura and Ashley). more TV and franchises this year, which made me feel In Touch with the Children but was also kinda exhausting. nothing was so egregiously terrible i dropped it without finishing! in a year like this that feels almost like an accomplishment