#hardcore gaming 101

[hardcore-gaming-101]

Shake Kids

This article is part of our Japanese Obscurities feature. We put out a whole book about them, which is available as both a full color hardcover and a Kindle ebook from Amazon! If you’d like to see more of these features, please check out the book and if you enjoyed it, leave a five star review so we can do a follow up with even more interesting, offbeat, or historically important Japanese games!

In this 2.5 side-scrolling platformer from Digital Kids, a Japanese company that was later consumed by Ubisoft, you play as one of two children, each wielding an enormous cocktail shaker. You can toss it a short distance to attack enemies, which will stun them and eventually defeat them after several hits. But it’s much more effective to use a shake attack, which will suck all of them up into the shaker and turn the whole screen into a dance floor. Here, you use the trigger buttons to perform various shaking maneuvers, damaging the enemies until they’re knocked into the afterlife.

Shake more...

[toothacheiii]

Me

[starkwing-co]

Decided to kick the year off with a personal interpretation of an improvised 'gaming party' we had in our class on the last day before the holiday break

Ofc this isn't one to one but I like how my artstyle experimentation turned out (still took me a ton of time even with cutting corners everywhere I could've... err, implementing this sketchy, incomplete lineart)

[mendelpalace]

Linda³ Again (1997)

A remake of the earlier PC Engine CD game Linda³, which just recently got an English fan translation. Notably features character designs by Tatsuyuki Tanaka, a Japanese illustrator and animator who did Key Animation on Akira, Bubblegum Crisis, Riding Bean, and Blade Runner: Black Out 2022, among others.

Game description courtesy of Hardcore Gaming 101:

The game takes place on the Earth-like colony planet of Neo Kenya. In eight years, a meteor will hit, destroying everyone and everything. There’s no way to stop it, but thankfully (and mysteriously) an ark drops out of the sky, allowing the denizens to preserve some of their planet’s elements while they escape off to the stars. Your goal, as a ranger named Ken Challenger, is to roam the landscape and collect two of every animal you can find, then register them with the ark, before time runs out. ... A “Noah’s Ark JRPG” is enough of an interesting idea to stand on its own, but Linda³ goes even further by dividing itself into three scenarios, each in alternate timelines, which present different requirements for victory and changing what parts of Neo Kenya you can explore.

[antimony-medusa]

MCYT on Ao3 — April '23

The state of MCYT on Ao3, just for fun. Yes I do this every month, I like numbers. 

The Cube SMP (8 works)

Slamacow Minecraft Animations (Web Series) (10 works)

iDots SMP (14 works)

Legacy SMP (26 works)

30 Day SMP | Free Trial SMP (28 works)

Art of Survival SMP (30 works)

Cogchamp SMP (31 works)

Dominion SMP (31 works)

Epic SMP (31 works)

X Life SMP (37 works)

Shady Oaks SMP (39 works)

Area Unknown SMP (47 works)

IvoryCello's Prison Escapes (Web Series) (50 works)

Bear SMP (54 works)

100 Hours Hardcore SMP (57 works)

Slimecicle Cinematic Universe (Web Series) (81 works)

Magic Animal Club (85 works)

WitchCraft SMP (101 works)

House Builder Gang SMP | HBG SMP (122 works)

Rats SMP (191 works)

SMPEarth (204 works)

Outsiders SMP (235 works)

SMPLive (265 works)

Yandere High School (Web Series) (303 works)

Mianite (Web Series) (343 works)

Afterlife SMP (355 works)

Evolution SMP (402 works)

MindCrack RPF (484 works)

Fable SMP (588 works)

Karmaland SMP (680 works)

Lifesteal SMP (864 works)

Origins SMP (1,278 works)

Empires SMP (4,471 works)

3rd Life | Last Life SMP Series (5,819 works)

Hermitcraft SMP (14,757 works)

Dream SMP (74,046 works)

Minecraft (Video Game) (106,444 works)

Video Blogging RPF (244,330 works)

Some notes:

Everything italicized is new, and we have six new SMPs this month! Some of them, like Mianite, are a long time coming, whereas some like Witchcraft are new arrivals to the scene. QSMP does not yet have a canonized tag, but has over 120 fics, so that's got to be coming soon.

Fics are still primarily in english, with the one exception being Karmaland.

Epic SMP has decreased in fics for two months running, and both Cogchamp and Bear SMP also saw a decrease.

In the smaller fandom side, HBG, Outsiders and Rats all saw 14-fic increases (I happen to know the HBG increase is mostly attributable to the 48-hour exchange), but the real standout was Magic Animal Club, the Stampy fandom, which posted an impressive 18-fic increase.

In mid-size, Fable SMP continues to turn out a remarkable amount of fics for a fandom of its size, increasing by 47 fics after last month's 48. Lifesteal continues to take the crown of growing fandom though, with 117 new fics beating last month's 91.

For the first time in a while the major fandoms actually saw more fics this month than the month before. Dream SMP increased by 1744, beating the previous month's 1,703, though less than early 2023 at 1,978 and 2,614. Hermitcraft increased by 596, beating the previous month's 497, and the month before thats 558, but not beating January's 665. Third Life continued to blow everybody out of the water as regards increase by size though, seeing 671 fics this month, 351 in March, 251 in Feb, and 246 in January.

Detailed breakdown of increases under the cut

The Cube SMP (8 works, 8 works last month, 0-fic increase)

Slamacow Minecraft Animations (Web Series) (10 works)

iDots SMP (14 works, 14 works last month, 0-fic increase)

Legacy SMP (26 works, 25 works last month, 1-fic increase)

30 Day SMP | Free Trial SMP (28 works, 28 works last month, 0-fic increase)

Art of Survival SMP (30 works, newly canonized)

Cogchamp SMP (31 works, 32 works last month, 1-fic decrease)

Dominion SMP (31 works, 27 works last month, 4-fic increase)

Epic SMP (31 works, 32 works last month, 1-fic decrease)

X Life SMP (37 works, 33 works last month, 4-fic increase)

Shady Oaks SMP (39 works, 38 works last month, 1-fic increase)

Area Unknown SMP (47 works, 41 works last month, 6-fic increase)

IvoryCello's Prison Escapes (Web Series) (50 works, newly canonized)

Bear SMP (54 works, 55 works last month, 1-fic decrease)

100 Hours Hardcore SMP (57 works, 57 works last month, 0-fic increase)

Slimecicle Cinematic Universe (Web Series) (81 works, newly canonized)

Magic Animal Club (85 works, 67 works last month, 18-fic increase)

WitchCraft SMP (101 works, newly canonized)

House Builder Gang SMP | HBG SMP (122 works, 108 works last month, 14-fic increase)

Rats SMP (191 works, 177 works last month, 14-fic increase)

SMPEarth (204 works, 196 works last month, 8-fic increase)

Outsiders SMP (235 works, 221 works last month, 14-fic increase)

SMPLive (265 works, 257 works last month, 8-fic increase)

Yandere High School (Web Series) (303 works, newly canonized)

Mianite (Web Series) (343 works, newly canonized)

Afterlife SMP (355 works, 343 works last month, 12-fic increase)

Evolution SMP (402 works, 366 works last month, 36-fic increase)

MindCrack RPF (484 works, 481 works las month, 3-fic increase)

Fable SMP (588 works, 541 works last month, 47-fic increase)

Karmaland SMP (680 works, 648 works last month, 32-fic increase)

Lifesteal SMP (864 works, 747 works last month, 117-fic increase)

Origins SMP (1,278 works, 1,234 works last month, 44-fic increase)

Empires SMP (4,471 works, 4,090 works last month, 381-fic increase)

3rd Life | Last Life SMP Series (5,819 works, 5,148 works last month, 671-fic increase)

Hermitcraft SMP (14,757 works, 14,161 last month, 596-fic increase)

Dream SMP (74,046 works, 72,272 works last month, 1,744-fic increase)

Minecraft (Video Game) (106,444 works, 105,720 works last month, 724-fic increase)

Video Blogging RPF (244,330 works, 240,148 works last month, 4,182-fic increase)

[gethsemanegege]

dn ask game

5

8(L)

22

25

hell yeah, thanks anon!

dn ask game

5.how do you feel about Kira’s idealogy?

stupid. braindead. the childish, eugenicist rant of the deeply misinformed and blindly privileged. the fact that it came out of a middle class teenage boy with a decorated cop father is absolutely unsurprising and expected. "should we kill the bad guys" is the kind of unthinking and unexamined philosophy 101 question that gets posed to high schoolers because the teacher is bored and wants to hear kids argue with each other at the top of their lungs. dissatisfaction with the criminal justice system and the corruption of state legislature is a fair position; advocating for the wholesale killing of undesirables is insane. it's the absurd end conclusion of the "just world" fallacy taken to comedic extremes and it reeks of ignorance of historical context, a lack of human empathy, and arrogance.

it sucks as an ideology and is a great motivation for a fictional villain. every time i see people unironically agreeing with kiraism or whatever i feel my own braincells die. but then again my country did just elect a fascist, so

8.what do you think L would have done if they had gotten the death note?

used it. saw someone point out somewhere that L's first instinct on getting the death note in his hands is to test it, the same as light's. i think most people would, frankly.

maybe more interpretively: i think he would have kept using it, especially with a shinigami behind him talking his ear off. perhaps he'd use it sparingly. intelligently. but i think the point of the death note is it's an unthinkable temptation, particularly for the arrogant and amoral. or maybe he'd view it as cheating. but either way, he'd use it at least once. i don't think his curiosity would have let him do any less.

22. which moment was the most painful to watch?

i actually have a severely low tolerance for secondhand embarrassment, so i could not watch the warehouse scene. i had to like. look away and cover my ears. it was so bad. my heart goes out to everyone who loves that scene and was deeply affected by it but light is simply so cringe and embarrassing for that entire ordeal that i can't think about daikoku wharf without feeling like my chest is folding inwards out of sheer shame. THAT'S RIGHT. I'M KIRA hoooughhh okay gayboy please. stop. please i'm already dead no death note required

25. ramble on about whatever you’d like to

every time i see a popular misinterpretation of a death note character i kind of want to rip my skin off but this is pretty normal. like. i see a lot of soichiro bashing. i once read a fic where L hated soichiro for some...reason. like he thought soichiro was a bad dad. which is an insane mischaracterization of both soichiro and L, i think, that does a disservice to the relationship they actually have in canon? i mean i'm all for projecting onto characters but i think arguing that L thought soichiro is a bad dad is so far from canon that i have to roll my eyes a little.

that said everyone can enjoy what they enjoy and i'm just a grumpy guy with opinions and a lot of my opinions tonight are "not to much on my boy soichiro" which. not everyone agrees with me on. this is fine. i just feel like. if you're going to talk about soichiro and L. then there's plenty of character-based tension surrounding soichiro's hardcore moralism and L's disdainful amoralism. you can have that combative relationship without having to jam in your opinions on soichiro's parenting with L as your mouthpiece. i'm being mean. sorry. anyway carry on and thank you for letting me ramble

[ryunumber]

Does Sadler from XZR/Exile have a Ryu number? Apparently he meets a few historical figures.

Sadler has a Ryu Number of 2.

(explanation below)

I'm mostly gonna leave it to John Szczepaniak at Hardcore Gaming 101 to explain what's going on with XZR/Exile, which could perhaps be described as "a lot". For this blog's purposes, the relevant question here is whether or not the guy above is actually Mikhail Gorbachev. He's apparently only known as "General Secretary", which was Gorbachev's title at the time of the game's release in 1988.

It's a bit tough with PC-88 graphics, but it mostly seems to line up with Gorbachev's physical appearance, and while the shadows cover up his otherwise very distinctive birthmark, you can arguably kinda see bits of it on the left? Combined with the context of encountering him in the then-modern day Soviet Union, it's probably good enough.

At any rate, it's a better resemblance than the implied Ronald Reagan, in my opinion.

[bitmapbooks]

A Guide to Japanese Role-Playing Games

At 652 pages and 370,000 words, A Guide to Japanese Role-Playing Games is Bitmap Books’ biggest project to date. Created in collaboration with author and founder of Hardcore Gaming 101, Kurt Kalata, this monumental book is a must buy!

Buy now with tracked global shipping and a free PDF: https://www.bitmapbooks.com/collections/all-books/products/a-guide-to-japanese-role-playing-games

#bitmapbooks #book #retrogaming #retrogames #gaming #jrpg #art #rpg #bookstagram #booktok #fyp

[fluffbyday-smutbynight]

~ FluffSmut's Masterlist: Everything Else ~

SHIPPING SHIPS (original ficlets)

Love Hits You Unexpectedly, Sometimes

The Most Beautiful Ship in the World

MADE-UP FIC TITLES ~ fic ideas/synopses/plot bunnies 🐰 (generated in response to this ask game)

Fluffsmut's Totally Correct Sherlock Quotes ~ if you fancy a chuckle. Hehe.

~ BBC Sherlock: Headcanons  ~

Fluffy headcanons you can pry from my cold, dead hands

Smutty headcanons that live in my head rent free

Mycroft's Chocolate Stout Cake (for Greg, and Greg only)

“The Dads Are Alright” Headcanon (parentlock/fluff)

221B pets

221B rules (written by @kitten-kin)

Fluffbruary 2022 Trivia Tuesdays: Week 01 . 02 . 03 . 04

~ BBC Sherlock: Rewatch Meta ~

ASiB ~ Why I Love Irene Adler So Much // THoB  ~ Pt. 1 - Beware of the Dog / Pt. 2 - Lights in the Darkness / Pt. 3 - Killing the Hound // TAB ~ Way Too Deep // TLD ~ The Morgue Scene: a look at the script // TFP ~ The Coffin Scene

~ BBC Sherlock: Character Meta ~  Molly Hooper has been done dirty (and I say this as a hardcore Johnlocker) // (mini-meta) John Watson, a man with issues: one and two

~ Good Omens Meta ~

Petronius' Oysters (a modest contribution to a post by @ineffablyruined)

When in Rome... - Aziraphale's Hot Girl Summer?

The Hundred Guineas Club (a modest contribution to a post by @niceprophecies)

Analogies with the Divine Comedy - Canto V (a modest contribution to a post by @theonevoice)

***

Italian language/culture 101 with Fluffsmut:

Good Omens x Michael Sheen x Ancient Rome - a match made in heaven Italy

The versatility of "cazzo"

"Sticazzi" vs "me cojoni"

Random stuff:  

Half-Assed Fic Recs

Martin Freeman Appreciation Posts

Random Thoughts: StartUp (TV show) // Ghost Stories (2017 film) // A List of Things Sherlock and Malcolm Bright (Prodigal Son) have in common

****

Jump back to FluffSmut's Masterlist

[commiegoth]

Fun writeup on the goth subculture of the 1990s from FringeWare Review #6(66), published in 1995

Full text under cut

Subcultbabble 101: Magdalen on Things Gothic

So who ’zactly are these legendary Goth creatures? As with any subculture, it’s hard to pin ’em down. Let’s start with an image nearly all our dear readers will have seen at some point: kids with flowing black clothes, white faces, and lots of black eyeliner. You have perhaps wondered WTF is up with them, and with people who try to look like vampyres, and pouty twentysomethings in black T-shirts who seem too pointedly haughty to be generic Gen-Xers, and gorgeous fetish babes who sorta look like they’re dressed for the grave rather than for the dungeon.

Writers like yers truly just fuck it all up when they try to explicate subcultures, but somebody’s gotta do it. My own experiences have brought me in contact with the so-called goth scene intermittently over the last decade, though I should warn you that mine is a fundamentally West Coast point of view. YMMV. Like many others who end up returning to goth clubs and music every few years, I seem to have a fixation with Death which finds itself soothed and fulfilled by Things Gothic. Despite my propensity for slovenly attire and no-bullshit communication, I’m also addicted to the sense of ritual and aesthetic which differentiate the goths from most other American cultures.

I Wear Black On The Outside… ’cos black is how i feel on the inside

The two most prominent subcultures I’ve run into are punk and the hippie trip. In them, participants usually adhere to a loose cluster of aesthetic parameters, but everyone involved pretends that exteriors mean little to them. (Let’s bypass the hypocrisy involved, when they like the rest of society typically wear certain signifiers to identify themselves with the group.) Hardcore punks and hippies don’ t necessarily bathe very often, or wear makeup. Punk and its bastardized commercial offspring, the media-titled Grunge movement, aspire to externalize their rejection of conventional society by substituting fucked up, comfortable clothing for the clean, rigid, and perky duds yer stuck-in-the-fifties parents always wanted you to wear. The aesthetic relies upon potentially-violent sloppiness (or a carefully-reconstructed pretense thereof) and the attitude that you honestly don’t give a fuck what people think of you. Mortified though many latter-day punks might be to think of it, a similar motivation lay behind the original hippie anti-aesthetic, where organic materials and shapes sought to externalize the flowing qualities of nature where Cold War man had instituted three-piece suits and all they represented. Pardon the irony, but both mohawks and stringy long hair try to signify the rejection of a shallow society intent on keeping up with the Joneses and little else.

The goths fled in the opposite direction: past conventional fashion, whose crime isn’t its rigidity but its sheer dullness and tendency to follow embarrassing trends, and onward to a hyperstylised self-presentation reminiscent of the Courts of centuries past. Goths are renowned for their vanity and apparent shallowness; I believe the goth aesthetic is actually quite honest, embracing the notion that externalizations such as clothing and gesture form an intricate interpersonal art form, a dance of communication. It’s refreshing compared to the equally intricate games played by those who present a studiedly “casual” facade, hoping their Gap shirts will help them blend in with the wallpaper. Practitioners of theatre understand very well the subconscious semiotic games being played in the guise of supposedly “normal”, casual conversation: how the body moves, what it is draped in, the choice of words, tone of voice or the flick of an eyelash can determine the outcome. In the theatre, these external elements are mastered to create ritual and entertainment.

Walk into a goth club, and you see this same cunning, playful manipulation of details taken from the stage and thrown into what might be a costume ball. Black is everywhere: hair, clothing, eyes, lips. Perfectly blood-crimson lips and hair extensions materialize next, along with deep purple dresses and tresses. Proper white collared shirts glow in the dim light, while the occasional off-white Victorian wedding-gown or ivory ’30s dress will float by as well. The goths, who go out of their way to be a sensual set, get off on the tactile beauty of their gear as much as its visual effect: velvets, satins, leathers, brocades, sheers, laces (though lace has fallen by the wayside since the ’80s) — anything lush and sumptuous. For a group of people rumoured to be exceptionally dictatorial in their tastes, they can be most creative and eclectic. Cheesy classic deathrock bits like torn fishnet sleeves, and Robert Smith hairdos straight out of the early ’80s, nuzzle up against the hippest new fetish gear. Goths manage to dig up gorgeous period pieces, mostly evocative of the ’20s or of Victorian fashion, and many can even wear the things properly, playing the appropriate body language to the hilt.

You should be able to kick around a few Byron quotes here and there, and recount Shelley's death with heartfelt accuracy (didn't he like die on a boat or something?)

As you nervously approach the crowded bar for a dollar-drink special, you’ll notice some other things. Makeup ranging from pale to deathly white on many faces, both male and female, accompanied by exotically-applied eyeliner and severe lipstick. Lots of curious if pretentious objects: fluttering fans, scarves, silver cigarette cases, lunchbox handbags, crucifixes, hats, and miles of silver jewelry. A man bending at the waist to kiss a woman's hand. Angelic, dour boys in long skirts and pointy boots. Expansive, melodramatic dancers flailing and swirling, refusing to acknowledge each other even when they collide. Impeccably-dressed, attractive women sitting all alone yet not being harassed. Frankly, you may find them all ridiculously snotty poseurs, what with their wannabe-regal airs and seemingly unbreakable attitudes. Stay long enough, though, and the drugs and alcohol will kick in thoroughly, revealing kids with fake IDs and eyeliner drooling drunkenly down their cheeks, stoned speedfreaks giggling, drunk speedfreaks dancing and fighting, bedraggled gentlemen hiking up their skirts to take down the lights. Though it may appear otherwise, people have dressed up and come out to have a good time, and to do so in the most decadent of ways.

If you asked them, the majority of these people would not admit to being goths. Most of those who would are the sort of irritating obsessives you find in any cultural group, like the self-proclaimed hippie that buys every new Dead shirt as soon as it hits the market or the poet who wears a beret and turtleneck. These are the folks who desperately needed an identity to cling to, a pre-existing aesthetic to buy and adopt rather than create; they’re invariably the people who uphold and propagate the codes and cliches of a subculture. So what’s the stereotypical goth of this sort like? Where hippies have hyper-friendliness and Luv, these goths have a comical level of snobbery, cattiness, and a calculated air of impenetrable mystery. Where punks often pretend to be less cultured and articulate than they are, yer local cliche-goth will likely present hirself as well-read and emotionally intellectual, with a vocabulary of words and gestures gleaned from faerie tales, Victorian literature, and heroic ballads. The correct political stance is apolitical, and while the proper drags change over the years and according to geography, speed’s the classic drug of choice. The face will be pale and powdered, the eyebrows painted in black points which shadow the inner eyelids in an immaculate line; the clothing will most definitely come in black.

As The Millennium Turns: the emergence of a NeoGoth scene

What’s interesting about this culture isn’t the surprisingly small group of people who wear full costuming and whiteface 24/7, but the way that its recent resurrection integrate a variety of musical and aesthetic tastes. Odd as it may sound, my theory is that the increased popularity of Things Gothic owes much to the Rave trend at the turn of the decade. As, that pushed repetitive techno music into regular discos and radio formats, people started delving into darker technology-driven music such techno-industrialists Skinny Puppy. Much to chagrin of oldschool industrial types, a new “industrial” movement started gaining momentum, showcasing Ministry’s industrial deathmetal crossover and the Top 40 success of Nine Inch Nails. The explosion of general indie and "alternative" music as a popular phenomenon helped out, too: all these newly-mainstreamed bands had common influences from the days when frat boys would beat you up for having a leather jacket and funny hair, instead of jumpin' into the pit with ya at a Dickies show (Dude!).

People new to these genres of music and the subcultures they spawned started digging up those influences and giving 'em a spin, and pretty soon there was a fresh crop o' youngsters gazing at Blixa's made-up face on old Einsturzende Neubauten videotapes, discovering Bauhaus for the first time, finding Al Jourgenson's cheesy '80s dance tunes, and praying that the entire 4AD catalogue might be released domestically on compact disc. Some small group of goth types had endured through the '80s in most large cities and hipster towns, and found their ranks swelling as the population at large gained exposure to music and fashion previously confined to the underground and to independent music labels. For several years now, the goth capital cities (London, New York, San Francisco) have boomed with golf clubs, local bands, and 'zines. The resounding success of House of Usher, the East (SF) Bay club the proved you really could rejuvenate this tired old scene enough to make serious money off it, owed much to its owners' creation of two separate dancefloors in a single club: one industrial, one gothic.

But wait, there’s more! In addition to marrying the black-leather-wearing New Industrial scene to the extant retro-gothic scene, the neo-goth resurgence has cross-pollinated nicely with the fetish scene, the cyberpunks (yes, I hate that word as much as you do) the exponential growth of the Internet, the underground comic and ’zine network, and a rising interest in the arts of self-decoration (piercing, tattoos, etc.). As always, other marginal groups with proclivities for theatricality — SCA members, RPG fanatics, | drama geeks, Renaissance Faire guildmembers, wiccans, and the terminally suicidal — are still attracted to the goth set. It all makes for quite the tasty brew once it has fermented long enough.

Weeping, Wailing, and the Gnashing of Teeth

Music acts as the cornerstone of most popcults, and can’t possibly be treated thoroughly in this space. If you’re into the idea, get ahold of the fanzines listed under SOURCES. Suffice to say the music wafting out of gothish clubs ranges from historical deathrock (Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy Division) to second-wave gothic (Fields of the Nephilim, Christian Death, Sisters of Mercy) to new indie-goth hybrids. Some of the most distinctive music associated with Things Gothic can only be described as mood music, whether it’s ethereal, ominous, or sparse. Dead Can Dance and Cocteau Twins have popularized the ethereal sound, usually featuring lush arrangements, swooning female vocals, and often incorporating elements of Irish folk, medieval, classical, and middle eastern music. From the cruncher sounds of My Bloody Valentine and lovesliescrushing, and the symphonic chaos of Cranes or the recent Miranda Sex Garden releases, a whole new generation of post-ethereal bands continues to evolve.

Ominous mood music ranges from the Wagneresque horror of In Slaughter Natives to the soundscapes of Caul; again, subcultural crossbreeding has birthed a wide range of techno-industrial-cybergothic soundtracks. On the sparse end of the scale, the Death In June/Current 93/Sol Invictus formula combines morbid lyrics, hypnotic acoustic guitars, and experimental sounds: for a heightened experience, be sure to keep razorblades poised at your wrists while listening. And you’re bound to find old farts who still keep some guilty pleasures around — ’80s English popsters like early Cure, Smiths, and Tears for Fears, the deathpunk of 45 Grave and pre-glam TSOL, or the moody disco of New Order and Tones On Tail.

Face it, kids, you live in a society whose obsession with Death is matched only by its insistence that one continually maintain a mask of cheerfulness or neutrality. Colonial-style religion, which used to provide a ritual release for feelings of fear and deah has largely been exposed as a patriarchal scam. You will watch Cops, you will run to see Natural Born Killers, but you will still toddle into work and smile after your best friend commits suicide. The hippies tried to make you too uniformly joyful and mellow; your foray into punk let out some anger but did nothing for the lingering melancholia. The poets gave you deep verbiage but they didn’t know how to dress, and the sullen slackers sneered at anything remotely dramatic. And while the Protestant preacher gave you lots of Death, and Mass gave you ritual satisfaction to breathe in like incense, they expected you to believe in GM, fer Chrissakes!

I can’t stomach being around it too much, but sometimes it’s a relief to sip Chartreuse with an entire room full of people who’ve given up and welcomed death. A good goth club or party feels like a Christian funeral smashing into a raucous wake: some are there to mourn, others to celebrate the dead with wine, song, and incoherent rambling. No one is going to stare at the scars on your wrists in such an environment, nor try to stop you from driving 120mph on the bridge after you’ve snorted up a quarter and chased it with a litre of bad red wine. No one’s gonna care whether your sour, aching mood arises out of severe pain or out of the need to make an impression. Nor does it matter whether you've actually punctured human flesh with those ridiculous fangs you had custom-made.

The house, club, or cemetery you’re partying in is likely decked out in Things Gothic. Among all the dead flowers, skulls, and candles, who’s gonna look askance at the crucifix around your neck? The props of Death attract people for different reasons. Some have a heartfelt reaction to religious iconography, often rooted in childhood experiences with the church; others are attracted to the mystery of the post-corporeal life represented in objects which evoke thoughts of mortality. Some just want a solid talisman to grasp while they mourn life itself, while many are drawn to the classical aesthetic often employed in rendering icons. And there will always be those who don’t really care to think about art, Death, or afterlives, but who want to look cool. Regardless of the motive, people who want to play with the props of Death aren’t given much of an opportunity to do so in conventional society.

Except in religious subcultures, of course. Is the goth scene religious? While a fair percentage of its members are ex-Christians or current pagans, goth has nothing to do with religion. The closest thing to a Deity it offers would have to be Peter Murphy or Andrew Eldritch — mere mortals who happen to be the subject of much fawning, rather like Elvis. Laughing at the corniness of Deathprops and quasi-religious elements is probably more common than revering them. Goth appropriates from religion, using its imagery in decadent stylization. It has no interest in either approximating religion or fostering it.

Deadly, theatrical, and a bit over-the-top, Things Gothic definitely hold a selective appeal. I for one will be thoroughly amazed if the goth subculture ever gets adopted by the mainstream, but then again in 8th grade I wouldn't have imagined punk ever crossing over. Times change, and if folks stop dismissing the goths as absurdly pretentious we just may see Rozz on the cover of Rolling Stone in a couple of years. Stranger things have happened.

[chip-and-ironicus]

Guest Spot Roundup part 2!

As mentioned in a recent post, I've done a total of 8 promotional guest spots to help spread the word about The Disappearances of Lydia Fountayne. Here's some links to the second half:

Hardcore Gaming 101: Mario Kart: Double Dash!! I join the crew to sort Double Dash into its scientifically accurate place on the list of the top 47,858 games of all time. Who will stand for Baby Park? An underappreciated detail: two exclamation points in the title. That's commitment.

Board the Windows: Cabin in the Woods The world was a different place in 2011, particularly in media metacommentary (and the public stock of Joss Whedon). I joined the show to talk about how the aspects of Cabin in the Woods that were so exciting then have aged much worse than the solid horror fundamentals that ground them.

Party of One episode 413: What's so Cool about Doomed Self-loathing? This might be my favorite of all 8, Party of One is so much fun to do. Jeff Stormer had me on to play a Doom Patrol-inspired game that has it all. Broody, angsty people with powers, set against a threat that might not be a threat, that can only work in the medium of comics. You ever make up a character and your first thought is "man, I wish I could draw"?

Extra Credit: A Bad Judge of Character The snakes in the ballpit invited me on to read some of the fine D&D homebrew materials available on DnD Beyond. Unfortunately there is no potion of quality control.

And while these have been a joy to make, and I really should invite myself on more shows more often, the impetus is the Kickstarter campaign to make a full season of DoLF. At time of posting, there are only 4 days remaining to collect pledges. Over 90% of the funds needed to make this show a reality have been pledged, (less than $1000 to go!!!) and your support will take us the rest of the way. So listen to the premiere, spread the links to the show and the Kickstarter around, and be part of your new favorite audio drama series.

[hardcore-gaming-101]

World of Horror

It’s been six years since WORLD OF HORROR first showed up on itchio. It eventually got picked up by a publisher and entered early access in 2020, where it was worked on here and there by panstasz while he was doing IRL dentist work, well off the original planned schedule. The wait was well worth it, though, as the complete 1.0 version is now done and the game has left early access, showing a ton of polish compared to the 2020 version, and is almost unrecognizable to the 2017 early build from way back when.

Read more...

[pixelsproject]

[Metal Gear 2∶ Solid Snake] Codec Portraits

In 2004, Konami would update and re-release the first two entries in the franchise, Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2∶ Solid Snake for mobile phones. These updated versions would later be available on the PS2 as bonus games in Metal Gear Solid 3∶ Subsistence, as standalone titles in the Japanese WiiWare store, and current generation platforms via The Metal Gear Solid∶ Master Collection.

Whereas both re-releases received general quality of life improvements, only Metal Gear 2 received significant visual changes. The primary reason why Metal Gear 2 needed a reworking is the unauthorized usage of various celebrity likenesses.

In the original release, Snake's appearance is based on Mel Gibson, Big Boss clearly uses Sean Connery’s likeness, Dr. Madnar is essentially Albert Einstein and Colonel Campbell looks almost identical to Richard Crenna in First Blood.

Interestingly enough, the character portraits used for the codec conversations are clearly based on the ones from Metal Gear∶ Ghost Babel. At first glance, some of the sprites appear to be identical.

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SOURCES ↴ Metal Gear∶ Ghost Babel (GBC) codec sprites uploaded by Backflipsimmons Metal Gear 2∶ Solid Snake (MSX) codec sprites uploaded by Evan Tysinger (Hardcore Gaming 101) Metal Gear 2∶ Solid Snake (MSX) intro sprites uploaded by Zdagger67 Metal Gear 2∶ Solid Snake (PS2) codec sprites uploaded by MrBeacon00

[cyberpunkonline]

The Best Halloween-Themed Games on the SNES: Spooky, 16-bit Chills

Alright, ghouls and gamers, it’s time to dust off that Super Nintendo and dive headfirst into the ultimate spooky showdown. This one’s for the #CyberSamhain event, so grab your controller, crank up the volume, and prepare for a night of pixelated terror! The SNES wasn’t just for cutesy plumbers and pink puffballs, nah—this bad boy had some of the creepiest, most spine-chilling games of the 16-bit era. From haunted mansions to demon-infested castles, these gems will have you double-checking under the bed before you turn the lights off.

So without further ado, let’s break down the SNES’ best Halloween-themed games, where the horror is real, the graphics are top-tier (for the 90s, anyway), and the scares come packaged in beautiful 16-bit glory. Ready? Let’s do this.

1. Super Castlevania IV (1991) You wanna slay Dracula? Of course, you do. And Super Castlevania IV is hands down one of the best ways to do it. You’re Simon Belmont, cracking that whip, taking down skeletons, vampires, and all kinds of gothic nasties on your way to Dracula’s crib. The game’s eerie music and creepy backgrounds scream Halloween vibes, with a perfect mix of tension and action. I mean, if you’re not fighting evil in a haunted castle, are you even gaming?

Resource: Hardcore Gaming 101 did a sweet write-up on Super Castlevania IV that’s worth checking out if you need to brush up on your Dracula-slaying skills.

2. Zombies Ate My Neighbors (1993) Look, this one HAD to be here. Zombies Ate My Neighbors is a 90s masterpiece where you and a buddy can team up to blast through hordes of monsters. We’re talking zombies, werewolves, vampires, and yes, even killer dolls. You save your neighbors using everything from squirt guns to bazookas, with some absolutely wild levels. Plus, with those cheesy 50s horror movie vibes, it’s got all the fun and none of the nightmare fuel. Well, unless giant babies freak you out (I mean, who isn’t freaked out by that?!).

Resource: GameFAQs has some killer guides on Zombies Ate My Neighbors if you’re struggling to save all the Karens on your block.

3. Ghoul Patrol (1994) A lesser-known sequel to Zombies Ate My Neighbors, but it’s still got the charm and spooky aesthetic. In Ghoul Patrol, our teen heroes return, this time battling spirits, mummies, and more. The gameplay is pretty similar, but with better graphics and some fresh mechanics. Okay, it’s not as good as the first one, but it still deserves a spot in your Halloween gaming lineup. Plus, how many games let you fight off ghost samurais? Exactly.

Resource: The nerds over at Retro Gamer have a deep dive into the Ghoul Patrol sequel, so give that a read if you’re ready to patrol the ghouls.

4. Demon’s Crest (1994) Forget playing the hero. In Demon’s Crest, you’re the baddie—a gargoyle demon named Firebrand, rising from the ashes to take down anyone in your way. Think of it as a darker, moodier Metroidvania, with gothic environments, eerie music, and a surprisingly deep story. The graphics are pure SNES perfection, with haunting details that will make your Halloween feel like an epic saga of revenge. Plus, who doesn’t want to be a demon with wings and flames at their fingertips?

Resource: For more about Demon’s Crest, go hit up MobyGames, where they’ll take you through the history of one of the SNES’ most underrated gems.

5. Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts (1991) Now, this one’s for the masochists out there. Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts is hard. I’m talking controller-throwing, shout-at-the-TV hard. But that’s what makes it so perfect for Halloween. You’re Arthur, the knight with an awful tendency to lose his armor, running through demon-infested lands, trying to rescue the princess (classic). The game is loaded with zombies, werewolves, and bosses that’ll make your palms sweat. Sure, you’ll die—a lot—but man, it’s all worth it for that sweet victory when you finally beat the final boss.

Resource: For those of you who love pain (aka challenging games), Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts has its very own fan section on Sega-16, where you can read more about how it became a 16-bit legend.

6. Clock Tower (Japan Only - 1995) Okay, so technically this wasn’t released outside Japan during the SNES era, but it’s so freakin’ good that it’s gotta be on the list. Clock Tower is pure survival horror—no weapons, no powers, just you and your wits against a maniac with giant scissors. You play as Jennifer, trapped in a creepy mansion, trying to escape while solving puzzles and dodging the Scissorman (because scissors are apparently terrifying). This one’s slow, tense, and packed with jump scares, making it the ultimate Halloween game. If you haven’t played it yet, find yourself a translation ROM and thank me later.

Resource: The fine folks at HG101 (Hardcore Gaming 101) have a stellar article on Clock Tower, diving deep into what makes this survival horror classic an unforgettable experience.

7. Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1993) Sometimes you just need a game based on a movie—and Bram Stoker’s Dracula for the SNES does a solid job at adapting the gothic horror. You’re battling your way through London, slaying everything from wolves to Dracula himself. It’s got a moody, atmospheric vibe that makes it perfect for Halloween. Is it the best game on this list? Nah, but if you’re looking to scratch that "I wanna be a vampire hunter" itch, this one’s worth a spin.

Resource: Check out The Cutting Room Floor, where they go into all the weird development secrets behind Bram Stoker’s Dracula and more.

Final Thoughts Whether you’re into haunting soundtracks, demon-slaying action, or co-op mayhem, the SNES has a spooky game for you. Halloween is the perfect time to fire up that retro console (or emulator, we won’t judge) and get lost in some 16-bit nightmares. From gory action to ghostly scares, the SNES has it all covered for your #CyberSamhain event. Just make sure you’ve got enough lives… things are about to get scary.

[smbhax]

Bonk's Adventure: Arcade Version arcade flyer

A different Bonk take for the arcade, by Kaneko, with level select, and short, more manic stages (the Japanese title is Kyukyoku! PC Genjin--"Kyukyoku" meaning "Ultimate," according to Hardcore Gaming 101), which end with a Super Mario Bros. style bonus jump. And player 2's sprite is female, styled after Bonk's powered-up "PC Beauty" sprite from Bonk's Revenge.

(The Arcade Flyer Archive calls this the EU flyer, but Bonk was usually known as B.C. Kid in Europe, and the back of the flyer--see source link--says "Call your local distributor" next to Illinois, USA contact info.)

[ladymariayuri]

hal how difficult is wow to get into all ik is mason got bored of playing it again within a week but i yearn for wizard 101 without children

honestly a tough question and my instinctual answer is "dont play this shit game" but besides that. i think it depends on like, what sort of content you tend to gravitate to in other games. are you super hardcore and want to do bleeding edge content, do you just wanna chill out and absorb the story, do you wanna do pvp, do you wanna collect mounts and pets and toys etc