#i barely even played groove coaster too

[infinitycarrot1]

Guys I think I'm cursed every (non bemani) arcade rhythm game I've tried getting into has announced it's shutting down like a month after I tried getting into it. first Wacca died then chrono circle kinda fizzled out and now groove coaster just exploded why does this keep happening 💀

[2dkapsddr]

- 《Archive: RHYTHM GAME 2023 RECAP AND 2024 GOALS FOR 2024》 -

Helloooooo internet!!! Welcome to a post that I really should've made a YEAR AGO (this sentence used to say a week ago, but it's been so long since i wrote this that it's now almost the end of 2024 and i still have yet to publish this... will make writing the 2024 recap MUCH easier though, so hang tight!!), but that I've had to delay to catch up on other writing. But now that I have the time and opportunity, now's my chance to finally do this!

So! Rhythm game progress! It's a natural process when playing, of course, but isn't it nice to look back every so often on what you've accomplished between a certain time period? A month, a couple months, a year, a couple years, you name it! Well, for me, that certain time period just so happens to be... a year! Starting now, each year I want to go back to the first day of the previous year and compare it to the last day to see how much I've progressed in 365 days in each rhythm game, and then I want to use that data to create future goals that I want to meet by the end of the year in each rhythm game too!

But alas, since I play so many rhythm games, I need to be cautious about my goals for each one and not make them too extreme (except for the ones I main). At the same time, however, caution is not something I know. So! Some goals may be extreme depending on my aspirations, some may be a little weaker if I don't play the game enough (or if I don't like it), but I'll do my best to meet every single one of them in time for the new year...!

With all of that out of the way, let's look at the 2023 recap first! Cue the music! (play world vanquisher while reading all this)

(NOTE: As it's been a year since I've started writing this, there have been several rating scale changes in certain games that have made some of my original statements inaccurate. Given I have much better access to information now at the end of 2024, and given it'd be weird to translate ratings from a year ago to ratings now, I've done my best to translate my specific difficulty achievements to the new scales for consistency. I might've missed some, however, but it should be fairly accurate to what their ratings are in the present day (notably in Rotaeno, DJMAX, and vivid/stasis). I apologize for the potential confusion in reading some of these achievements, but hope the adjustments can better future-proof this post as I link it in my pinned.)

(Side-note: Due to the volatility, recency, and honestly terrible changes in CHUNITHM VERSE's rating scale, the game's rating and scale will only be accurate to the scale of LUMINOUS PLUS, as I honestly can't make sense of what the hell they were thinking with the new scale and can't be bothered to translate it over. This is also due to the fact that CHUNITHM VERSE replaces recent scores' contributions to rating with scores on new version songs, which I obviously don't have access to, and thus I cannot measure my rating in any meaningful sense with the game's system.

*=- 2023: Year in Rhythm Review!!! -=*

CHUNITHM: 14.55 -> 15.50 Rating (Achievements: 13+ FC, 14 FC, 15 S)

DDR: ????.?? -> 1400.60 Skill Attack (very skewed since i didn't have basic course until halfway into this year, so the Skill Attack rating obtained this year includes Everything from 2022 as well) (Achievements: First 15 PFC, A Fuck Ton of 16 AAAs, First 17 AAAs, First tourney appearance (MOTL5!))

Groove Coaster: ????? (no rating system really, how do i even measure progression on this?) (Achievements: Garakuta Doll Play (Hard 14) FC)

GITADORA (Drummania): 112.71 -> 234.44 SKILL (Achievements: idk honestly i barely played this)

IIDX: 5th Dan (CastHour) -> 6th Dan (EPOLIS) (Achievements: First four 10 clears, First 8 FCs)

jubeat: 472.8 -> 2169.0 Jubility (Achievements: First 8 clear, First 7 SS)

PIU: Intermediate Lv.9 -> Advanced Lv.1 (basically) (Achievements: First S21 clear, First D21 clear)

SDVX: 10.181 -> 15.316 VF (Achievements: First 15 S, First 16 AAA, First 17 clears (and AAA too ig??))

Arcaea: 10.72 -> 11.32 PTT (Achievements: First 10 EX+, First 10+ Clear)

Phigros: 14.68 -> 15.41 RKS (Achievements: Several 15 Phis, Almost All Legacy Chapter Phi, KALPA Folder Phi, GOOD COLLECTION Folder FC)

MUSIC DIVER (NEW!): 0.00 -> 1106.14 Rate (Achievements: Started playing??? SS on an old-scale 10 and 9...)

TAKUMI Cubic: 0.000 -> 18.499 Rating (Achievements: S ranks on 15s and a former 15+, ALL JUST on a 14+ (and FC on another harder 14+), MAX-1 on a 13+)

ProSeka: Diamond -> MASTER (Ranked, EN), Kaiden 11 -> 18(?), Shin Kaiden 2 -> 9 (110 Master APs?) (Shin Kaiden) (Achievements: 200+ Master FCs, First 31 AP, Several 30 APs)

Rotaeno: 7.083 -> 13.563 Rating (Achievements: First Lv13 clear, First few APs (K.Moe & Infinity Heaven IV Lv.11), Bolt's Challenges All AP, S+ on multiple 13s)

DJMAX: ???? (No rating system as of yet) (Achievements: First 6BSC MAX COMBO (Tok! Tok! Tok! 6BSC 4*), First 4BSC 8* PERFECT PLAY/PP (Ask to Wind (Live Mix) 4BSC 8*)

EZ2ON (NEW!): 0.000 -> 4.565 Rating (4K Standard) (Achievements: First 4S Lv.17 All Cool, First 6S Lv.13 No Miss/Full Combo)

vivid/stasis (NEW!): Class 0 -> 8, 0 -> 15986 Rating (Achievements: Several FINALE chart MAXes, First 11+ MAX (Crosshatch [FINALE 11+]), First 13 AC (Credits [FINALE 13])

Whew, that's quite a lot of rhythm games!!! But somehow, I think I've managed to cross off most of my rhythm game progression and updates from the end of 2022 to the beginning of 2024. Some stats may be a little inaccurate, as I may not have properly archived them at the exact start/end of the year and thus have had to rely on images from either a bit deep into 2024, or a bit back in 2022, but this should offer a pretty clear retrospective into what scores I've gotten over this year-long period. I also started playing several other rhythm games starting this year, so those games don't have any ratings from 2022 to start for, and are thus labeled "0.000" at their start or something like that. There's also the potential for missing certain achievements I got in certain games over this time period, so I apologize for their absence if there are any and will update this post in case I find or recall anything important achieved in 2023.

With all that said, however, I think I did a really good job in archiving all of my measurable rhythm gaming achievements in each game!!! And if I didn't, then I'll do better in next year's post!!! Speaking of next year, though, it's no time to be dwelling on my past rhythm game legacy... and instead, it's time to set goals and go EVEN FURTHER this coming 2024!!! This one's bound to be a doozy, as several rhythm games will likely change their rating system and make the goals either easier or harder to get (though that shouldn't really be a problem now as I'm writing this a year into the future), but I'll do my best to set reasonable yet challenging goals for future me to achieve in this new year's time...!

*=- 2024: Steps and Goals Towards The Future!!! -=*

CHUNITHM: 16.00 Rating (Rainbow), 14 AJ, 14+ FC

DDR: 1700 Skill Attack, 16 and 17 PFCs, AAA an 18, Cobalt V (LIFE4DDR), Participate in another tourney

Groove Coaster: FC a few more 15s, i guess...? Not sure how to measure achievements in this game, in all honesty...

GITADORA (Drummania): 500.00 SKILL, Clear a Level 6.00+ chart, FC a 3.50+ chart

IIDX: 7th dan (newest version), FC a 9, HC a 10, Clear an 11, Learn how to Play with Random

jubeat: 4000.0 jubility...? Clear a 10, FC a 7, idk man i don't play this

PIU: Advanced Lv.5, Clear a 22 (any mode), SSS a 20 (new ranking system)

SDVX: 17.000 VF, PUC a 15, UC a 17, Excessive Clear an 18, Clear a 19

Arcaea: 12.50 PTT (Double Star), PM a 10, FC/Full Recall on a 10+, Catch Up with the Damn Story

Phigros: 16.00 RKS, FC a 16, aughhhhh idk

MUSIC DIVER: 10000 rating, Class 8(?), FC a Level 15 (new scale), something else idk... don't play this game enough w

TAKUMI Cubic: 19.000 rating, FC a 15+, AJ a 15, Unlock all unlockable songs and Insanity/Ravage charts

ProSeka: 400 Master APs (Shin Kaiden 38...?), Ranked Master in JP, participate in more tourneys if possible

Rotaeno: 15.000 Rating, AP a 12, FC a 13, Catch Up with the Damn Story (again)

DJMAX: No rating system, no rating goals... but for new-scale stuff? MAX COMBO/FC an SC 15* (4B), SC 10* (6B & 5B), and SC 1* (8B), as well as PERFECT PLAY/PP an SC 12* (4B), SC 7* (6B), and SC 5* (5B), and try to MAX COMBO every SC chart below 15* on 4B

EZ2ON: 15.000 Rating (4K Standard), 10.000 Rating (6K Standard), AC an 18 (4K), FC a 19 (4K), AC a 13 (6K), FC a 15 (6K)

vivid/stasis: 17000 Rating...? Maintain highest class clear, AC a 15+, FC a 16, MAX a 14

...aaaand that should be all of 'em!!! Given I'm writing this at the end of 2024, how many of these did I achieve this year? ...well, honestly I don't know. And after all, I still have 4 days to get to the ones that I didn't achieve yet. So once it's the new year, I'll come back to write another 2024 year in review and another set of goals for 2025 somewhat based on my scores and goals from this year. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go arcade gaming today to hopefully knock out some goals that I have yet to achieve... but I'll keep y'all posted with those scores, and you might even match up some goals of mine to some newly-achieved scores!!! But if I were writing this in 2023... I'd say I was really optimistic about my rhythm gaming this year, and I hope to keep my enthusiasm up and running all year so I can knock out all these bad boys!!!

[taste-in-music]

My Favorite Hit Songs of 2019

This year’s crop of popular music was... absolutely bonkers? I mean, this year we had Billie Eilish crash into the mainstream, Lizzo managed to get multiple hits out of songs she released nearly three years ago, the Jonas Brothers made a comeback, and the longest-running #1 hit in Billboard history became a rap/country crossover that got its start on Tik Tok made by a complete nobody and the dad from Hannah Montana. I’m going to admit, this list was pretty hard to put together, as I found it hard to find 10 songs that I genuinely loved that were hits this year. Despite that, the sheer absurdity of this year’s popular music gave me a spark of hope going into the new decade. For this list, I’ll be selecting my favorite songs off of Billboard’s year end Hot 100 songs list. I’m ready to recount this year in music, so...

10) Sucker by Jonas Brothers I never watched the Jonas Brothers show or listened to their music back when they were big on Disney, so I’ve got no nostalgic investment in them. However, this was a fun comeback to watch play out. This song was pretty dang good for a while, with the funky guitars and the instantly catchy lyrics. It reminded me of “Feel It Still” by Portugal. The Man. Then it got the point where three separate radio stations were playing it at the same time, and now I can barely stand it. I think that after the radio releases this song from its clutches it will warm up on me again though, because I do like it overall.

9) Better by Khalid The strongest attribute of this song is its ATMOSPHERE. The beat, melody, and vocal delivery all compliment one another perfectly, combining to create a smooth, almost sexy sound that washes over you with ever listen. I also like the Daft-Punk-y vocoded lines that pop in at the end, they’re so unexpected and yet they fit in perfectly. I've always loved Khalid’s vocal timbre, it’s so chill and yet warm at the same time. The only thing I can’t praise about this is the lyrics, because I have no clue what they are. Khalid, bless his sweet soul, cannot enunciate. It’s the same problem I have with Ariana Grande. I love your voice, I want to know what you’re saying! 

8) Trampoline by SHAED Give me the hipster points, because guess who knew about this song before it was cool! I’ve loved SHAED’s music for some time now, so it’s been thrilling to watch this song climb the charts and for them to get the recognition and success that they deserve. While this song isn’t my favorite by them, (that slot would probably be reserved for “Perfume” or “Melt,”) it does showcase the group’s strengths, which are emotive vocals and glossy electronic production. I love the effervescent backing vocals and bubbling keys that pepper this song, it gives the song a floaty feel while still keeping it tense. 

7) Old Town Road by Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus I can’t think of a piece of music in recent memory that has captured the public’s attention so swiftly and so completely, and you know what? Sometimes something gets big because it’s good. This song, despite all the memes and jokes and radio play and oversaturation, never ever got old to me. Every time it comes on, it puts a giant, goofy smile on my face, and I sing along to the whole thing. I want Lil Nas X to stick around, but even if he doesn’t, I want what this song represents, genre blending, trend-bucking, and a sense of fuck-it fun, to stay.

6) bury a friend by Billie Eilish Out of all the strange hits we had this year, this was the weirdest one to hear on the radio. It doesn’t have a classic structure! It’s about the monster under your bed! It’s got nothing but a shuffle beat, bass, and the sound of dental drill! It just doesn’t belong on the airwaves next to songs like “ME!” or “I Don’t Care.” Despite that, I’m beyond happy that Billie Eilish is bringing a bit of emo weirdness to the mainstream, because if the success of her music, specifically this song, says anything, it’s that pop is heading in a far scarier and more experimental direction. And I’m on board with that. 

5) break up with your girfriend, i’m bored by Ariana Grande The groove on this song is fantastic. The combination of eerie synths, bass, reverbed backing vocals, and rolling snares makes it feel tight and controlled, but also loose and flowing at the same time. There was a lot of pushback against this song due the sentiment of the lyrics, but it’s not like Ariana is unaware that she’s the bad guy in this position. There’s enough indifference and sarcasm in her delivery to show that she’s self aware. This was probably my favorite out of the hit singles from the thank u, next era, (”thank u, next” is great but got a bit old to me, and I don’t care for “7 Rings.”) 

4) Circles by Post Malone  This is embarrassing to admit, because I rarely, if ever, enjoyed any music Post Malone has put out in the past. But this song just hits different. The instrumental feels more acoustic-driven and has a nice pulse to it, projecting a warmth and comfort that none of his other songs have. This was a perfect hit for Autumn, being chill and relaxing enough for Summer, but the underlying bass groove makes you want to move into the productive patterns of the school year. If Post Malone made more music like this I’d reckon I’d enjoy his music quite a bit. 

3) Dancing With A Stranger by Sam Smith ft. Normani Sometimes radio filler turns out to be spectacular. The ambiance this track builds is relaxing but in an otherworldly kind of way, forming a soundscape of echoing drums and whispering synths. I’ve always stood by the opinion that Sam Smith sounds really good with an electronic beat under them, it helps their great voice move in a more free-flowing way. Normani also sounds amazing on this song, her vocals dipping into smokier territory, and when the two sing together they play off one another’s performances with ease. 

2) Sweet But Psycho by Ava Max Who predicted this in their last year’s hit song’s list? This bitch! I was so happy to see this hit the U.S. charts, you have no idea. It was such a breath of fresh air in that it was so splashy, sugar-sweet, and unabashedly pop. The lyrics are some of the silliest of the whole year, (”she’s poison but tasty” makes me chuckle every time,) but it doesn’t matter. The addictive melodies and the earnestness in Ava Max’s performance make them sound like Shakespearean poetry, or at least like she believes that they’re Shakespearean poetry. 

Should Have Been Hits

Cruel Summer by Taylor Swift This should’ve been a single. I get why Taylor chose the singles she did, but this was primed to be a Summer smash, with the glossy synths and vocoded backing vocals and soaring chorus. We were robbed. Robbed, I tell you!

Graveyard by Halsey While “Without Me” got all the glory, this is my favorite of all the Halsey singles we’ve gotten so far by a wide margin. It’s the only one that I’ve made the conscious choice to listen to on my own time for one. I love the way the production rushes as the chorus hits, and the synths that sparkle throughout the verses, and Halsey’s reserved performance.

3 Nights by Dominic Fike This was a hit in the U.K., and I even heard it on a few alternative stations, so why no cross over? If there was any song that should have been the chill Summer hip hop hit, it should have been this. This song is weirdly addictive, the chorus is so inexplicably catchy that once you hear it one time through you will know all the words to it. 

Blame It On Your Love by Charli XCX ft. Lizzo When the mainstream decide that it didn’t need Charli XCX? Because it’s wrong, it needs her very, very badly. The success of “1999″ in the U.K., the name recognition, and the Lizzo feature should’ve been more than enough to boost this onto the charts, but I guess we didn’t want an instantly catchy and fun EDM pop song on the radio. Oh well. 

Motivation by Normani Normani and Lauren are my favorite Fifth Harmony members, so I’ve been rooting for their solo careers like nobody’s business. This single in particular had so much potential: a bouncy beat, a stamp of approval from Ariana Grande, and a kick-ass music video filled with impressive choreography. I hope this gets a bigger push into next year, because Normani is a wildly talented performer that deserves success outside of her collaborations. 

Guilty Pleasures

bad guy by Billie Eilish This was a good song, just not my favorite off the album, or of the hits, (I prefer ”bury a friend,” obviously, and “when the party’s over,” which made last year’s list.) Still, watching this idiosyncratic little tune become one of the biggest pop smashes of the year was enthralling. Like “bury a friend,” it was so strange to hear this on the radio. 

Close To Me by Ellie Goulding ft. Diplo & Swae Lee When a melody gets its claws in me, there’s nothing I can do about it. This is not Ellie Goulding at her best, (I’ll admit that I miss the days of “Lights,”) but the way she delivers the hook on this song is absolutely infectious. I’m not the biggest Swae Lee fan, but he’s fine here too. I never minded when this song came on the radio. 

This year was a bit of a roller coaster for me. Needless to say, there were several instances where I felt quite a bit of stress and insecurity, and oftentimes, I would turn to music to make myself feel better. There was one song in particular that a friend of mine, @hasanminajs​, introduced me to, that instantly became a beacon of self-appreciation and enjoyment to me throughout the year. And when I tell you that I have never been happier to hear a song on the radio than I have with this one, I'm telling the truth. 

1) Truth Hurts by Lizzo I have never rooted for a song’s success like I have for this one, and watching a hip hop track this bouncy, confident, and enigmatic climb the charts was an absolute joy. There are so many great punchlines in this song, from “why men great till they gotta be great?” to “I don’t play tag bitch, I’ve been it,” to the ever-iconic “I just took a DNA test, turns out, I’m 100% that bitch.” This song raised the standards for lyricism in the mainstream. I want Lizzo to be huge, I want her to be influential, I want her to be one of the biggest pop stars of the next decade if not longer. Everything about this song, from its production to its message to its performance makes me smile. And you know what? Sometimes that’s all that pop music needs to do. 

Do you agree with this list? What were your favorite hit songs of 2019? Leave a comment and let me know!

[paranoidinspanish]

Happiness Begins by the Jonas Brothers: A REVIEW

Hi hello. Here it is. A review by a long time Jonas Brothers fan. A JoBroHo, if you will. AND DAMN PROUD OF IT. Let’s start this off with, I love clever and thoughtful lyrics. But I can overlook it if there’s a sick beat I can dance to. Let’s dive into this, butt first.

SUCKER: A wonderful way to kick off their 10-year hiatus and in my humble opinion, well worth the wait. A song I didn’t know I was missing until I heard it. The music video elevates the song like, 27 levels and adorable and fun to watch, especially on a dreary day. I’m sure this song would be impressive to witness live. 

Favorite line: I’ve been dancin’ on top of cars/And stumblin’ out of bars/ I follow you through the dark/ Can’t get enough

COOL: This song is SUMMER. It is that ice cold drink, condensation dripping down the sides, that is absolutely and mind blowingly (yes that’s a word) refreshing. The nods to their past lives and current lives in the lyrics are witty and effortless and deserve the endless amounts of times people will listen and laugh.

Favorite line: Sitting there winning like it’s Game of Thrones/ And now that we’ve made it/ How complicated was last year

ONLY HUMAN: This song was a very close second to being my favorite song on the album. It’s chill and soft like a good smoothie. The back beat underneath the high vocals of Jick Nonas (tell me you get the reference) are a match-made in heaven. I want he sound of the keyboard between the choruses and the verse to be my ringtone for all of eternity. My only complaint is the length of this song. I need it to be infinity long, please and thanks.

Favorite line: Just dance in the living room/ Love with an attitude/ Drunk to an 80s groove, ay

I BELIEVE: HELLO MY FAVORITE SONG ON THE ALBUM. For some reason, it reminds me of Fly With Me, but like the older brother of your best friend who wears just enough cologne and you think you might have a crush on (OH NOES). When I first heard this song, I think I played it on repeat 5 times until I realized that I had to listen to the rest of the album. Shout out to Priyanka for inspiring (*waggles eyebrows*) Nick to write this song. You are truly a thing of beauty. Please protecc our boy.

Favorite line: Every night, every day; how about every lifetime?

USED TO BE: I found this song to be underwhelming. The lyrics are lacking a bit, compared to everything else I’ve loved of theirs. I did spend most of the song wondering why my baby Kevin doesn’t grace us with his angelic voice. Mad props to a pre-chorus featuring Joe and Nick but next time, please squeeze Kevin in there.

Favorite line: Lately I don’t even know ya/ Too many devils on your shoulder, shoulder

EVERY SINGLE TIME: When Nick Jonas utters “Mr. Misdemeanor” at the top of the song, I’m not gonna lie, I squeaked. Don’t ask me why but it just thrills me to no end. What a little squish. And a reference to an actual bridge during the bridge cracks me up every single time (ayyyyye) I listen to this song. I feel like a lot of songs on this album sound like this; a reggae inspired beat and low vocals. But this is where I feel like they really shine with the combination. The timing of the beats with the sounds of the vocals winding in and out of each other give off a sensual, beachy vibe. As one Cora Corman once said, “Give me a beat: steamy and sticky.”

Favorite line: Because there’s too much water/ Under this bridge to go down like this

DON’T THROW IT AWAY: The opening verse to this song sounds almost like a pseudo-Imagine Dragons song but the comparison ends there upon reaching the chorus. It’s a beautiful blend of late 80s/ early 90s bubblegum pop without feeling full of saccharin. The boys pleading with me to “not throw it away” is enough to pull even the most stone cold person’s heartstrings. 

Favorite line: Pack up your love with all your things/ See if it helps, give it a week/ I bet no one else gets you like me

LOVE HER: The soft opening chords of the guitars calls back to the earlier days of the boys, although the lyrics bring it up to now. It’s a beautiful dedication to their relationships and how weirdly complicated things can be and how there’s still no other place you’d rather be. This song absolutely is so powerful in its simple quietness. I’m not crying. YOU’RE CRYING.

Favorite line: ‘Cause when you love her/ No matter the fight you know she’s always right/ And it’s alright

HAPPY WHEN I’M SAD: The chorus echoes in my mind and not always in a good way. Nick’s falsetto reminds me of when I’m feeling absolutely miserable and I’m trying very hard to hide it but failing. I still don’t know how to feel about this song but you bet your sweet bottom that I will be screeching it at the top of my lungs in a few months’ time.

Favorite line: I put on a smile, don’t need a face-lift/ Why can’t I when everybody fakes it?

TRUST: Another reggae inspired song. Memorable? Meh. Let’s go back to Every Single Time.

Favorite line: Take me back to when you were my only/ Well, we were thicker than thieves, like a pod, two peas

STRANGERS: This song rounds out my top three favorite songs on the album. It sounds like my old Jonas Brothers and I adore it. What can I even say? I get Joe’s high notes, Nick in a lower key and my boys singing “I just saw the lightning strike” and I now know what happiness sounds like. 

Favorite line: I just saw the lightning strike/ Knew it right then when I looked in your eyes

HESITATE: Look, boys. It’s these kind of lyrics that makes us fall in love with you and/ or expect people in the real world to love us in this way. This song is a lovely understanding of loving someone who is struggling. Mentally, physically, any kind of struggle really and loving them because of those things. Excuse me, there’s a tree branch in my eye.

Favorite line: If I could only read your mind/ Then I could map out all the ways to make it right

ROLLERCOASTER: I’m not gonna lie, I literally always miss the beginning of this song. IT’S SO QUIET. On the other hand, it does sound like a roller coaster. Somewhat chill and manageable until you hit the pre-chorus and the chorus, then the boys take you on a ride of melodies. I do prefer the chorus to the rest of the song but it is a fun song to scream in the car on a sunny day.

Favorite line: It was fun when we were young and now we’re older/ Those days when we were broke in California/ We were up-and-down and barely made it over

COMEBACK: I take this song as a promise from the Jonas Brothers. If they were to ever leave again, they’ll come back to the fans. Gah bless the Jonas Brothers. A wonderful end to a heartwarming album.

Favorite line: You know the place that I go runnin’ to/ I get scared when you’re scared but what else can I do?

OVERALL RATING: 4 kitten beans out of 5

Is this my favorite album ever? Not really. It’s not even my favorite Jonas Brothers album. (Here’s looking at you, Lines, Vines and Trying Times). To me, it’s a tad underwhelming, considering everything I’ve been hearing from the boys in the press. They were excited to get back together and give music to the fans and they’ve done that. I think this is an excellent jumping off point after being apart professionally for so long. Also my expectations are ridiculously high due to my annoyingly snobby opinion of the boys and their quality of music. They are hecking quality. My bar is set by “Can I listen to this album backwards and forwards and not skip any songs?” For this one, no. There are amazing songs on this album and I absolutely cannot wait to see them perform them in October and again in December. I will be throwing this album at anyone who comes within spitting distance of me and asking them to change my mind about songs that didn’t impress me so much. What do you think of this album? Favorite song? Favorite lyrics? Favorite moment?

Are you there?

[rqs902]

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ah hyt’s issues with being too passive and not wanting to speak up about problems bc he’s worried about hurting other people’s feelings reminds me of what happened to jin fan on snzm this week :\ except hyt had to figure it out on his own bc no one else noticed and he didnt say anything about it to anyone. jin fan was urged to speak up but hyt had to mull it over in his head and stress over it until he could come to the decision that he needed to do something to help his team.

i respect that he came to that decision on his own and acted on it. as someone who’s relatively passive and conflict-avoidant myself, i think that takes a lot of resolve and courage. 

aw im happy xiao li got to sing too bc i really like his voice. what a talented boy! i think hyt is lucky the two of them give off the kind/gentle vibes so that he can pull them together. i dont know much about him, but i wonder if gem is right that hes had bad experiences with communicating with teammates (and aligning their hearts, as he said) before that’s led him to be more scared to be honest now. the 2 kids are like optimistic but you can tell hyt is so worried with their score ouch. 

wu xing’s voice is nice. im a wind player but with my limited knowledge of string instruments I feel like pengpeng’s playing is okay but not amazing. fsc’s bass is questionably out of tune?? or is it just me? something feels weird about his bass playing, it sounds kinda scratchy and sticks out to me too much, in like a weird way :\ but maybe its just because im used to hearing bass in classical music and not like this

LOL qiang ge being the buffer between jym and zk, are you sure youre gonna be okay child? the more i see qiang ge, the more smol he seems to me, like a cute child, who just happens to play the most blaring instrument LOL he seems very insecure about belonging on this show. he didnt want people to choose him unless they were absolutely sure in the first round, and then in the second round, he was so scared of ruining the next group that chose him and so grateful that they were willing to choose him and that they gave him so much encouragement to join their group. the fact that he needed that much encouragement and still felt undeserving is telling. the matching photo tshirts he custom ordered are cute! what a nice friend, to spend money on this to make everyone a little happier. i think its mature of him to encourage jym by saying he should think of the worst possible happening and try to accept it, to lessen his pressure. its still weird for me to realize people call zzn “nan ge” because he just seems so young in my mind lol but then you realize there are even younger kids on this show.

zhao ke’s rap was pretty good, i respect it. with that score i bet qiang ge’s gonna feel like it’s all his fault. i wonder if he blames himself or the instrument more for the fact that he was criticized for being too unvaried, but i feel like either of those is bad bc i feel like he should be proud of his instrument. 

aw maomao’s message and ljt’s response hahahhaha 

LOL ljt playing “who” and cutting it off abruptly. gao xin tai LOL 

ljt’s group’s perf def felt more complete. his voice is so nice, i still love it. i will say, i remember zhao tianyu sang this song on mrzz. i wonder if ljt remembers that too. 

hmm i really liked kxy’s singing voice, i thought it was really good, nicer than mz’s LOL but honestly i feel like i also understand from the teacher’s point of view, that he wasted their time and just didnt take their advice when they were trying to help him. hmm he seems likes hes very stubborn in doing what he believes, which isnt bad, he’s standing up for what he wants, but also then he immediately started crying when questioned about it. which makes me think hes not very confident in his choice and/or feels victimized/attacked for just doing what he wants. either way, kxy has shown he cries very easily lol. but i have mixed feelings about whether he’s handling criticism well. im not sure how old he is but he seems young 

LOL muji and swh just being like DELETE to wjy and being like straight up “it sounds bad” HAH im glad at least having two of them on the same page can put wjy in his place more LOL 

during the perf was muji holding the pick in his mouth? lol muji is such a 寶藏 with the bass guitar along with all his unique talents. this was a pretty epic perf, i thought theyd get a better score than that.

hm interesting that the uptown funk people told them tencent they needed to pay them more and tencent DIDNT, but they were still nice enough to approve their use of the song anyway bc of their “sincere” messages. wtf tencent. im pretty sure they have money to pay them more lol.

i kinda think yrz still seems a bit stiff to me onstage, like look at xiao zhi, hes literally so comfortable and free and hes so enjoying playing his bass guitar hes like having so much fun and is super into the music. at first i wasnt sure how well him and zy would mesh but wow hes really owned up to the avocado name LOL i feel like him and zy are really really caring older bros to yrz and hopefully yrz is super grateful bc he got super lucky. 

LOL TYLER FREAKING OUT OVER YRZ’S SMILE 

“NA GE XIAO RONG!!!!” 

HAHAHHAHAHAH 

i think it does say a lot that this perf got everyone like on their feet and grooving along, i see why they ranked 1st! 

kinda sad wsh was like yea no ones gonna notice us and then tencent proceeds to give them 5 seconds of practice room footage and the mentors are all shocked by the lowness of their score

hm :\ i kinda wanted to hear more about how they resolved the conflict between rainbow feeling too restricted by da xi’s more methodical approach to music. i think thats an interesting discussion, because i think both sides have their merits, so what kind of blend of a compromise will they come up with? and it does say a lot about their personalities. rainbow also feels similarly hesitant to reveal his feelings because of his friendship with da xi, which reminds me of hyt yet again but then this group got 5 seconds of footage in comparison so we dont really know how any of this got resolved. also how do they deal with mty sleeping and disappearing all the time?? i do think its kind of cute how mty seems to bend down and really direct his speaking towards the audience when talking to them. i really like their performance, this music style and fun-ness!

LOL the way ruiyang and yingge look at tyler is literally with such adoration wtf hahahahahaa and tyler buying them the bunny hats wtf this is so cute. feels very parental LOL theyre so supportive of him and helping him shine and tyler’s just like a child bringing them happiness LOL i think its notable that yingge says he feels like theyre all using their strengths in this perf bc thats #goals 

why do i feel like tyler and ruiyang ave absorbed yingge’s fashion LOL

THIS AESTHETIC 

i think u can tell like they (yingge?) put a lot of effort into communicating with the production team about their stage design. its not just about the music for them. lol this perf is shot like a music videoooo

ok im hesitant to comment on tyler’s trumpet playing bc it’s not very clean sounding to me, but you can tell hes putting a lot of effort into the small details still. and if hes been practicing a ton, i know it can be painful to try to play into that kind of mouthpiece cleanly with tired lips. he has yet to amaze me but it seems like he’s working hard so i respect that. hes also very lucky to be in a group with two supportive geges. like ps said, i think it is notable that ruiyang is doing so well in a genre of music he wasnt previously into. and yingge’s personality must be some kind of strong to really influence the other 2 so much 

aw tyler crying out of happiness and ruiyang just bursting out laughing and pats tyler’s head with a “早講嗎!" bc he was worried about tyler being sad hahahahaha he just sounded so taiwanese there it made me happy. aw tyler must be really well loved by all the geges who crowd him with hugs when they see him crying like xiao zhi ahahah

oof samhar being brought to tears when gem notes how hard he worked on the composition. (oo xiao zhi helped him! - that’s it, im curious how old he is, so i went to his weibo and he’s just a little older than me! born in 95. but then i saw he and zy have made some conflict-confronting posts today and im like .-. what happened? not sure whats up, but it seems like theyre generally okay, fans seem mad tho) 

actually tbh totally makes sense to me why xiao zhi, rainbow, and yingge’s groups are the top 3 in that order, like their stages were really good and memorable. 

ouch qiang ge feeling all the guilt and like he doesn’t have the skills to do better :( why is the show ok with jym acting this way? why is there a lack of communication that leads him to not understand what’s going on with the votes? they chase after him, he’s moping, they just film him and are barely encouraging enough to get him to come back at the very last minute. im sure he’s very frustrated but its also unprofessional and disrespectful of him to leave like that. how does that make his group mates feel that hes just gone? this is all very questionable to me. 

wait i havent been keeping up with their current rankings but wtf the kids who are like super worried are like ranked super high??? like im assuming they’ll be fine?? like jym and hyt’s group members are all relatively high... (I realize now why hyt got so much screentime LOL hes #1....) im surprised tyler is so low and i wonder if he’ll get more popular after this ep lol 

anyyywayyy so it looks like they’re having a party and elims next week so im sure thatll be an emotional roller coaster... and snzm is having elims next week too so thats just great... double the disaster 

[spinji]

50 Games in Quarantine (Part 1: Katamari and Rhythm)

So one of the things that I have decided to do during quarantine was to play one video game per day for 50 days. I had ended up purchasing quite a few games around the same time just before the lock down and I also came to have my childhood PlayStation 2 in my possession again which gave me quite a few games I wanted to revisit. I figured I would turn this into something productive and give my thoughts on all the games later. I’ve put the games through a randomizer every day for the last month and sorted them into groups of five and I’ll be writing these reviews with every group I finish.

Disclaimer

I am not a huge gamer or a game critic. I do enjoy video games but most of the consoles I own are past generations and most of the games I own are not part of gaming’s most well-known franchises. Also, I am rating these games largely on my own enjoyment so if a junky licensed game gets a high rating than a ten outta ten gaming icon, that is why.

Katamari Damacy (2004/2018)

While I did technically play the switch rerelease of the game, Katamari: Reroll, I did also own an original copy of the game and am quite familiar with it. Katamari was one of my gateway games as a child and it was nice to return to it. While I do think the original is serviceable as a relaxing and fun game, it feels a bit bare bones compared to the others in the series. I played this game AFTER Katamari Forever in my quarantine so at that point the amount of levels felt very minuscule and I beat the entire thing in one night. Still, it’s fun and the fresh coat of paint on the graphics for Reroll is very satisfying to see. My favorite levels were by far the constellation levels (Cancer especially) since they all revolve around collecting specific items instead of getting to a certain size. It’s very fairly priced and I do recommend it if you never experienced the series before. 7/10

We Love Katamari (2006)

Where is the rerelease Nintendo? Are going to announce a rerelease for this one too Nintendo? It’s the best game in the series, Nintendo. Nintendo???? Okay in all seriousness, this may be my favorite childhood game on the PlayStation and it has held up wonderfully. Because of how young I was, playing games was usually a collaborative effort with the adult who owned it. Because of that I have never 100% completed this game by myself. It’s a tough feat but I really want to because the bonus cousins’ level and rose quest is by far my favorite. The levels are a lot more unique in setting and concepts in this game, the cousins are all playable, and the over-world is a joy to just mess around in. And while on the surface there seems to be a similar amount of levels, there are multiple versions for most of the levels. You can get to the credits pretty fast but that is the tip of the iceberg for what is in this game. Get your hands on a copy and keep the pressure on Nintendo to revamp this game as well because it really does deserve it. 10/10

Katamari Forever (2009)

As much as this game is still fantastic, I don’t think it reaches past the second one’s quality, despite the upped graphics. A lot of the aspects I liked were more style choices and smaller details. The monochrome style of the King levels was nice. A few of the new cousins were cute but none of them really pass up my favorites. The new levels were interesting but not a lot of them stood out. I did have fun but there’s not a lot to talk about. If you like Katamari this will scratch any extra itches if you never caught wind of this game before now, but it just doesn’t raise the bar like the last one. The only thing I could really say if that it’s way easier to unlock endless modes this time! I never even knew there were endless modes for levels until I played this game and I have been playing these games for 14 years! I’ll likely be going back for secrets but it’s just not my first choice for Katamari content. 8/10

Groove Coaster: Wai Wai Party!! (2019)

Since I hadn’t been a position to own a rhythm game with Vocaloid music in it until very recently my attention was drawn to this game while I was anxiously squirming around for the news of Project Diva’s next western release. I’m happy to say that this game is unique enough that I’m not going to stop playing it now that Mega Mix is out. A lot of it’s songs aren’t present in the Project Diva series and it also includes things outside of Vocaloid like original tracks that absolutely slap, Touhou music, including Bad Apple and Night of Nights, and even a few anime themes. The ad-lib mechanic and mission system has been very fun to go through to unlock the rest of the songs. The two player mode wasn’t good at all, especially compared to the arcade cabinets but it’s not that essential to the game, so whatever. Creating your own challenges was a nice way to kind of play your favorite levels back to back. There’s even an Undertale DLC which I would totally get if the e-shop page wasn’t just shaped like one big middle finger. This game is a solid $60 with additional DLC packs for $16 each. For comparison, Project Diva Mega Mix is $40 without the DLC, every song pack is $7, and if you know that you want the DLC you can pay $60 for the entire game right off the bat on the e-shop. Unless you are a huge rhythm game person, or you adore Vocaloid AND Touhou despite it now being 2020, the price is a bit too much for what you get. Also, epilepsy warning for this one because there are a LOT of flashing lights and colors. 7/10

Hatsune Miku: Project Diva Mega Mix (2020)

SPEAKING OF MEGA MIX! Or Mega 39s because Japan likes to be cute with titles that do not translate well internationally. This was my first Project Diva game outside of playing the arcade cabinet at conventions. It was great to finally experience it all for myself and I picked up the gameplay really easily despite it being more complicated than Groove Coaster. The Mix mode was interesting but my left joycon was a bit too clunky to play effectively. For whatever reason it always broke about halfway through The Snow White Princess is and I could never finish. I had heard people making a big stink about the graphics before the game released but I did enjoy them just fine. They’re on the same level as Project Diva X for me. Not hyper detailed and gorgeous like Future Tone but the simplicity keeps them slick and satisfying to watch. Considering that this game has to allow for handheld play and a lagging rhythm game would be the WORST, I am totally cool with that decision. I haven’t taken in the full track list but from what I’ve seen they kept all the gems from Future Tone, added a few fan favorites, and most of the cut songs were the more obscure ones with the older and jankier videos which I am totally fine with. The difficulty feels very fair. It’s easy to pass a level just fine but mastering a level and especially challenge segments takes practice but it’s not so picky for perfection that it isn’t accessible for people who aren’t rhythm veterans. I passed every level I played on normal regardless of its labeled difficulty but I have yet to earn a gold metal score. If you’re miraculously still into Vocaloid after this many years, I do recommend checking this one out. 9/10