#i enjoy the x franchise art style

[lanatusnebula]

xdive art redraw

my boy wasnt THICC enough

[musicfranchisetournament]

propaganda under the cut !!

ensemble stars :

what can I say. it's the no.1 highest earning joseimuke of recent times for a reason. i wouldn't say it was the founding father of male idol franchises but it's undoubtedly important for them and the popularization of them. the characters are enjoyable and the story writing is (sometimes) done pretty nicely. when the songs hit well they hit GOOD. with a cast of over 50 characters you're pretty bound to find someone you'll enjoy, you know. there's a nice variation on unit archetypes that is great for music variation :]

There's just soo much happening in this goddamn idol thing I hope it loses bleehh

Idol game except the plot is NOT what you would expect of an idol game. Notably : murder, the War, vampires, and a guy who lives in the vents.

"oh it's just a silly little idol game" and then the silly little idol game has some of the craziest lore you've seen

milgram :

it's very cool and interesting !! idk !

SUCH a unique concept. I love it so much. Delivering insight into characters crimes and psyches through music?! Genius. And the music all slaps too. The VAs are all super talented, the voices all sound different from one another, and even when a character's music style switches between T1 and T2 to reflect their mental state, there are still things making it obvious it's the same character. Also the VA for Haruka (best character in MILGRAM) is the guy who voiced Linhardt (best character in hit turn-based strategy RPG Fire Emblem: Three Houses for the Nintendo Switch) in the JP soooo. Awesome and based, Fire Emblem fans vote for this one. (Also I think there's other overlap of VAs with Fire Emblem but like Natsuki Hanae has been in everything so of course there is)

genuinely so sooo interesting to me from a standpoint. not only is a franchise that runs and happens in direct response to what the fans decide to do with it but also the songs and mvs are sooo good and it's such a nice thing to see coming off of deco, feeling like a passion project with all the different song style and experimentation going on in them. ive been there since the beginnings and its a great feeling to see just how much everyone involved in the project be it art, music etc has improved. the moral experiment point of it is something very curious to follow for me and see people discussing their votes or takes on things as to why they voted for x thing or another is nice! the deco song remixes that always come with the characters album release are (mostly) fire too. milgram my best friend milgram

The songs are absolute bangers!! And each character is so compelling and it's really interesting to see how the audience's votes impact the story and the characters!

[wondergirl2007]

These five artists have inspired me to do art myself and I really admire their art ~ So I’m going to tell you about them and why they inspired me and they will even be tagged. If any of the artists that are in the list see this, then I just want to thank you for inspiring me.

5. Kika-ila

This artist is known for doing Total Drama art, and I was obsessed when I first saw her art! Her style is so freaking cute and I actually think her Total Drama Kids stories are better than Total DramaRama itself. I actually used to love Total DramaRama, but now not as much. I don’t hate it thought. I love Total Drama, but most YouTubers I watch that do TD content are leaving the fandom, like TotalDramaRicky and Noahh, which really does suck, but I can see why and they want to move on to other stuff. I really like the timeline drawings she did, and she even did it for FNAF (Five Nights At Freddy’s) too! FNAF is one of my favourite horror video game franchises, my favourite is the second one, which is actually a prequel! I didn’t even know that until a few weeks ago! But overall, Kika does awesome art and she deserves more attention!

4. thegreatrouge

I love this girl’s art. She’s known for doing art with rubber hose characters, like Felix The Cat, Oswald The Lucky Rabbit, Mickey Mouse and even Cuphead and Bendy! She has made a whole series called “Bendy And Boris And The Quest For The Ink Machine” and it’s amazing so far! The project is currently on hiatus right now, I’m not sure if she’s discontinued the comic and I really hope she hasn’t. I hate stories that are left on cliffhangers, along with “Two Sides Of The Story” which is a HTF comic by one of my good friends Emmy, she discontinued the story because she believed it was cringe. The art? It was cringey at first, but the art got better at around chapter 4. The actual storyline? Yeah, it was quite cringey actually. Can’t really blame her, but I actually did enjoy the story, I’m even doing a redraw of it and might even do a non canon continuation of it! I won’t do it for BABQFTIM, since there is already some continuations of that story. Rouge has also done a Cuphead In Wonderland project too which is pretty good too! Unfortunately, she’s been losing motivation to do art recently, which really upsets me. She’s an awesome artist, and I’d love to help her feel motivated again. Most of her art is sketched, or digital but without colour, but I can understand that colouring in art can take time. This girl is pretty good at art and she definitely deserves more motivation to continue doing what she loves.

3. The-Wallop-Cat-12

This artist mainly does Cuphead art, but she also does Sailor Moon, Splatoon and Mario art! Which is awesome, since I love all of those video games and Sailor Moon is my favourite anime. I don’t watch anime a lot, but my personal favourites are Sailor Moon, One Piece, Naruto, PPG Z, Yo-Kai Watch, Demon Slayer and Dragonball Z. Cuphead is definitely one of my favourite video games, despite how hard it can be. I got it for Christmas last year at it has been fun playing it. I also love VOAdam’s comic dubs of Cuphead Comics and he even did dubs for Wallop’s Cup Bros In Wonderland comics! I was working on a comic about it, but I discontinued it since I lost interest. I still love the idea of it though. Cuphead X Alice In Wonderland. I love Alice In Wonderland. There’s even some heartwarming comics she’s done with the the Cup Bros comforting each other that are real tearjerkers. I also really liked the Size Shifting Cup Bros comic she did. I like how Drama Days (a YouTuber I like) coloured in the comic too. I don’t know why, but I love a cartoon episode where someone becomes a giant. Don’t ask me why I love it, I just do. Probably because of Alice In Wonderland. Wallop is my favourite Cuphead artist, and she is very good at what she does!

2. ChaoChao0071

Oh my god, this girl… SHE IS AMAZING!!! I’m actually kinda jealous! Her art and animations are so damn good! She mainly does HTF content, but she also likes Invader Zim and My Little Pony. I love her crossover series with HTF and MLP “Everything Is Broken” and I like her Invader Zim series, “Not Your Enemy”. Looking back at when she started compared to now, she has been improving over the years! I really like her fanmade MLP character, Creepybloom. She’s such an amazing and interesting character. Chao’s voice acting for her is just splendid. (No pun intended cos there is an HTF character named Splendid and he’s my favourite character). I love villains that eventually turn good and realise their mistakes, like Sunset Shimmer in MLP: Equestria Girls and Vomitdid in Drama Days’ Splendid series. I also really love him. Definitely an interesting fanmade character. I also love her HTF OC’s Whiskers, Smokey and Holes. They are awesome concepts to EIB. Fun Fact, I actually didn’t like them at first when I first saw them in Part 12, but I eventually grew interest to them in Part 14, since we didn’t really see them in Part 13. Overall, this girl is AMAZING and I hope I’ll be able to animate like her one day. Her animation is so smooth and she is so skilful!

1. EmmyJeanBean

Emmy, if you are reading this, then I just wanna say… Thank you. Thank you so much. You are my best friend. You were the one to inspire me to do the art I do today. You have improved so much throughout the years, and I love every single art piece you have done. I follow you on DeviantArt, Instagram and Amino. I’ll make sure to follow you when or if I get Twitter. You are the reason why I do the art I do today. Everything about you AU makes me so curious and I love the way you made the characters and you OC characters are amazing too. It makes me wish they where in HTF too, like Angus, (Lammy’s ancestor) Samantha, (Splendid’s sister), Tammy, (Cuddles and Toothy’s kid), all of Cuddles siblings, everyone’s moms just all of your OC’s definitely deserve to make it into the show if it ever comes back. I’d love to to anything to bring HTF back. We can bring HTF back together. With all the fanmade stuff people are making, like Amensia, Nemao’s fanmade episodes, Drama Days’ Splendid series, EIB, etc, we can definitely make it possible since that shows that people still care about the show. Happy Tree Friends is my favourite cartoon and programme and I’d love to give it a revival. Let’s all bring HTF back to life, together. Emmy, you have actually inspired me to do some projects and art pieces, like your ‘Cannibal’ comic. It has inspired me to do a comic that I’ll be working on for the whole summer, but I won’t spoil it yet! I’ll keep it a surprise until the cover is out. I love so many of your projects like TSOTSS, Cannibal, Tammy’s Arc, Understanding Nolan, I’m Not Leaving and my favourite is A Stolen Heart, your Lifty X Splendid fanfic and my favourite HTF ship. Emmy, you are the best artist I’ve ever seen and nothing will change that. You art is so inspiring to me. You are the best.

And that’s them all! These 5 artists have inspired me to do the art I do today!

Kika-ila

thegreatrouge

TheWallop-Cat12

Pupster0071

EmmyJeanBean

NONE OF THE ART BELOW IS MINE! ALL CREDITS GO TO THE ARTISTS ABOVE.

[your-local-grubdog]

Pikmin Fandom Monthly: February 2023

Welcome to the first edition of Pikmin Fandom Monthly! This is just a little monthly series I'd like to do where on the first day of each month, I share neat fan projects from the pikmin fandom made in the previous month! For this I will be focusing on creative projects (so no analysis or theories, at least for now). For this first edition, all entries will be ones that I have found and enjoyed but in the future I hope to have some that were recommended to me as well! (Most of these entries are from Tumblr as a result, oops.) No images or snippets will be posted to these: all entries will be links to where the artists have posted the original work!

Please feel free to leave suggestions in the comments about how to handle this series in the future and of what March 2023 works should be included in the next edition! Any creative pikmin fan work is welcome, so long as it was made during this March.

This will also be cross-posted to Pikmin Park!

With all that out of the way, here are our categories!

Multi-Page Fan Comics and Visual Ask Blogs

We only have one of these for this month, that being Pikmin x Weirdcore - a visual ask blog over on Tumblr! It's fairly surreal, but it's been a lot of fun thus far! Olimar, Louie, and the Koppaites have all crashed on PNF-404 (again) and have been separated (again). This time, however, it seems a beast that is other-worldly even to PNF-404 is after them now. Quick warning, the artist has stated that there will be violence, glitchy imagery, and body horror in this one!

Fan Art and One Page Comics

Aka the largest collection I've gathered this month!

Firstly is Professor Pikton by Buttery Cuties! A purple pikmin dressed up like Professor Layton to celebrate the upcoming games in both franchises, how cute!

Corromon drew this Olimin, which simply looks great! Poor Olimar certainly needs a hug, though.

Higgy also drew Olimar - two Olimars, in fact! The sketchy style and expressions are very pleasing to look at, and I adore his little boots.

Next up, Alph (rightfully) worries over Louie's eating habits in this short comic by Cirtus. The style closely resembles how the characters look in-game, which is a very nice cherry on top of how sweet and charming this two-panel comic is.

SparrowOvO drew this amazing art of a baby snagret sitting with a very spooked ice pikmin. I don't even know where to start with this one - the colors, lighting, texturing, and expressions are all just so good. This may easily be my favorite out of this month's fan art!

Zombunny drew three of our four new leaders with Oatchi! They're all so adorable, and this looks great (as for where our unnamed bald friend is, he is reportedly in jail for tax evasion, among other crimes. (For legal reasons, this is a joke.))

This next entry is apparently older art, but it wasn't posted until this February, so here's this really cool idea for a phosbat variant: the Beguiling Phosbat by vehemoth-phosbitch! This beautiful little beast can withstand sunlight and is based more so on the luna moth (and maybe the flying fox as well, but I may be wrong).

Louivi drew this gorgeous piece simply captioned as Smokey Progg. The colors, the textures, it's all so good an so very haunting. Perfect for the little horror that is the smokey progg in game!

And last but certainly not least is the only piece of fan art that didn't come from Tumblr: this beautiful art of all four of our new leaders hanging out, made by Porinu! They all look adorable, each with their own pose! I particularly like how our unnamed pink friend looks - she seems so curious and even innocent to a degree.

Fanfiction and Written Ask Blogs

Once again, I only have one piece for a category. This time, it is Safe in A Father's Embrace written by PiperRose90. This story may be very short, but it is also very sweet! Olimar must make sure that Louie and Alph will be okay for the night - they are practically his sons now, after all!

Other Works

Firstly is this amazing little sculpture of a pyroclasmic slooch by Tete's DIY! This video shows their process for making the little sculpture from start to finish - including how they made the "fire" really glow!

Creative Sushi did this wonderful little cosplay of the Hocotate Freight Ship! It looks fantastic, and all of the little details really show how much love and effort went into the creation of this cosplay.

Kevin Fagaragan animated this adorable concept for a pikmin 4 ending - don't worry, there's no spoilers! Just overwhelming cuteness as the pikmin hang out and dance with Oatchi.

And to wrap all of this up is yet another animation! In Wooden Turtle's Do Not Pet the Baby Snagrets, not even Olimar can resist how adorable these new additions to the pikmin planet are! But, ah, it seems that leads him into a bit of trouble...

Thanks for sticking around until the end! I hope I get to do more of this in the future, I really want to be able to show off what the fanbase can do! Please, give any and all of the artists featured here a follow - and feel free to suggest works to be featured next month! I'll see you on April 1st with the best of what March had to offer (with minimal fooling around... probably).

[kunagirihiro]

Persona 5 X News Article TL

(Translation of this article. I hope the translation is accurate.)

Take your heart! The first Persona 5 Mobile game “Persona 5: Phantom of the Night” (referred to as P5X) has been announced.

Officialized by SEGA with participation from ATLUS, Black Feather Studio under Perfect World Games has created the first mobile phone game of the Persona 5 IP: “Persona 5: Phantom of the Night” (referred to as P5X), which is now open for registration! As a new entry in the P5 series that has entered mobile for the first time, P5X is not only committed to using the stylized audio and visual performance of the IP, but also accounts for the audience of mobile phone users, aiming to create a P5 mobile game that will appeal to the aesthetics of young people.

[The game trial registration has officially opened. The magnificent performance has begun!]

“Persona 5: Phantom of the Night” has unveiled the official website, its platforms, and the city and Metaverse. Players can now go to the official website of the game to register for the trial. If the relevant information is filled in and submitted, it will be considered a successful registration.

New Characters! Subtitle: Take Your Heart!

[The First test run will be on March 29. Currently, tester recruitment is open.]

Players who complete the “Infiltration Test” recruitment survey will have the opportunity to test the game! In addition, some test oppurunities will be issued through Weibo, the official WeChat, BiliBili, Perfect World Games community, and other platforms. 

The original Phantom Thieves are here, too.

[A New Chapter of Persona 5: Embark on a New Adventure]

This game will focus on the theme of “Desire” and tell the story of youth who have awakened their Persona in an era of “low desire.” The mysterious long-nosed man, the strange underwater room, the owl who can speak…these seemingly unrelated things have been linked together because of one moment…

“Desire” awakens the Persona (Subtitle: “Thou art…..I!��� v. “Thou art I!”) [Soejima Shigenori designed the new protagonists’s design]

The protagonist and their unique Persona are designed by Soejima Shigenori. As a character designer of the ATLUS art team, he designed some beloved characters from Persona 5. The protagonist for P5X has also been carefully designed by Soejima Shigenori after consulting material and is a design worthy of the Persona series.

The new protagonist and new Persona designed by Soejima Shigeki

[Rich Urban gameplay, exciting Palace heists]

Enjoy living the double-life in P5X! Players take the role of a student who takes classes seriously and works hard during the day. In their spare time, they can also play baseball, invite friends to the move theater, and overall experience the bustling city life. After school, they will head into the Metaverse, exploring different palaces while summoning their Personas in high-intensity and heart-racing battles. 

Student life in the day, Metaverse heisting in the night

[About Persona: Phantom of the Night]

“Persona: Phantom of the Night” (referred to as P5X) is the first mobile game in the Persona 5 franchise, authorized by SEGA, supervised by ATLUS, and created by Perfect World Games. This story takes place in the world of Persona 5, staying true to the cool style of the original while creating a new, exciting experience with new characters and an original plot! The game follows the original’s “Japanese Student Experience and Metaverse exploration” while providing Persona 5’s “Turn-based Battle and Role Playing Game” gameplay experience.

Check out the official website here!

[lunar-soldier]

O Sol E A Lua (a moonknight x reader fanfic)

(The future chapters for this fanfic shall be posted via wattpad and AO3, but I wanted to give the tumblr people a taste of the first chapter on here!)

(Also, two things:

>I write very spaced out, mainly because it’s easier for me to process while reading. if you don’t enjoy reading fanfics in that style, this will NOT be for you

>this fanfic will include ALL alters, not just one, so keep that in mind!

Other than that, enjoy! :-) )

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You fiddled with the ring on your finger while looking out the window. The sound of chattering kids on the bus had caused you to space out, so you we're occupying yourself with your own thoughts once again. If past you had seen current you, they would be laughing at how silly your whole situation was at this moment. You, a previous military soldier, now watching over a bunch of kids on a field trip to the museum? You were definitely too overqualified for this job. However, your mother had insisted you volunteer for this to watch over your youngest sibling. You don't know if she had noticed you distancing yourself from everyone again, or if she saw this as a prime opportunity to have you and your little brother bond, but both were completely in the realm of possibility. After all, she knew how this month was hard for you.

It was the month he died.

A loud hiss snapped you out of your trance-like thoughts as you realized you had made it to your destination. Once the last kid had walked out, you quickly followed behind as you helped guide the kids up the stairs to the looming building ahead. It was huge, you had never seen a museum as expansive up close before. Hell, you hadn't seen the inside of a museum at ALL, save for watching the Night at the Museum franchise, but you highly doubted you would see any little cowboys or Roman soldiers in here. As far as you knew, this place specialized in some ancient civilization or another, but you forgot which one they-

Oh

Towering pillars with various drawings and a few ancient sarcophagus remnants hinted at the theme of the whole place. Ancient Egypt. You knew that you were going to some art museum, but it seems they currently had some Egyptian exhibit going on. Fate had some sick sense of humor, considering how his last mission was related to such ruins. And of all the months too, it had to be this one.

A sheet of ice coated over your heart as you continued through the tour with the rest of the children. It's just for an hour, you could survive this!! Adjusting your blue jean button up, you walk past a brightly lit gift shop, noticing a couple of people in your peripheral.

"...looks like another school is comin' in today! Aww, don't they look cute Donna?"

"Steve, if I wanted to spend my time at work watching some kids, I'd be a stay at home mom. Just keep tagging those plushies, please!"

You paid no mind to the conversation from the gift shop, maybe once you cleared your head you could stop by, but your main goal was to stop yourself from crying in front of everyone.

.

.

"...it is said that Hathor was not only the goddess of love, but also music!"

Ok yeah, this was getting very boring

After about 45 minutes of chatter about things that you had almost no interest about, you decided to actually take a peak at the gift shop. With no one in sight as you walked in, you wondered if everyone from earlier had went to lunch? Never the less, you gazed at all of the cheap Knick Knacks and plushies. God, these were all way too cheaply made for WAY too high a price.

Fossil digging kits, gem stone creation kits...slime kits? How is any of this actually history related?

However, one little thing did catch your eye.

It was a small pair of earrings, that had a circle with a line along the bottom, and both shapes being wrapped together with another small piece of metal.  You assumed it had to be some type of god's symbol, or even some symbol of death or whatever, but again, Egyptian mythos was NEVER one of your strong suits. You were more of a Norse and Roman mythology person yourself.

But no matter, it was cute, way too expensive, and would mark the day you actually braved through an entire exhibit that reminded you of nothing but your previous heartbreak. If that was something to even commemorate.

As you walked up to the counter, still not a soul in sight, you began fiddling with the other toys around the check out stand. One thing in particular was this wooden popping rifle, which reminded you of your old military days. you pretended to fight off swarms of enemies, popping the gun every now and again, when some footsteps from behind caused you to swing your whole body around.

Including the toy gun.

"He-OW!"

As the victim of your swing covered their now injured face, you dropped the toy to tend to their wound

"OHMYGOD I am SO sorry!-"

"Nonono! It's ok I shouldn't have scared you-"

"No I shouldn't have been playing with that stupid toy-"

"I-it's fine, really! It's just my nose, no biggie!!"

As the male figure revealed his face, you had to take a second to realize who was standing in front of you.

It was a man, who wore clothing that almost seemed too big for him, maybe hand-me-downs? He had black curly hair, much too ruffled for it to even seem slightly professional-

And the exact face of your old friend.

Too stunned to speak, you stared at the man as he awkwardly cleaned himself up as best as possible, before giving you a smile, a bandaid now covering his nose

"See? All better! Just a wee little mark, ill get by!"

This man sounded nothing like the man you knew, but had, seemingly, the same exact face? What kind of shit day is this?

"N-names Steven by the way! Friends call me Steve. Or, well, more like my boss does. Everyone else just calls me ol' Steven!"

This man was also WAY too dorky to be him too

"Hey, a-are you ok? I didn't mean to scare you, honest!"

Shaking you out of your thoughts, you give a polite smile anyway.

"Nono, your ok!! You just...look so familiar? But it's probably just my bad memory gettin' to me."

"Oh!" Steven remarked, a sigh of relief escaping him. Had he really been anxious about upsetting you, even though YOU hit HIM in the face?

"I actually get that a lot. Many people say I got the strikin' resemblance to a celebrity or two! Mainly my mum, but I still get it every now and again!"

Looking down, the man's face lit up at seeing the little trinket you had in your hands.

"OH!! You're gettin' some Shen Ring earrings?? That's actually a very fascinating symbol! In many cases it was used as a symbol of protection, so it's very fitting to wear it on some jewelry!"

This caused you to raise an eyebrow

"You actually know about this kind of stuff?"

"W-well ya! I love Ancient Egypt. I actually originally applied to be a guide through the museum's Egyptian section, However they told me the only space open was in the gift shop."

"Sooo they thought you weren't qualified?"

"I'mean, I doubt it was because of that," he clarified, clearing his throat a little. "but I wouldn't give it up for the world though! Being close to what I love makes me so happy, and I love the people who come through here!"

Seeing someone gush about something the way he was was almost adorable. Most people you've met absolutely HATE their jobs, so seeing someone so invested was almost...refreshing? Even if it wasn't something you were passionate about, It made you happy seeing someone so invested.

Running his thumb over the earrings, he then snapped himself out of his own trance

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hold you up so long! Here, I'll check you out over here!"

Walking over to the counter, a familiar beep summoned the total onto the screen.

"You know, I'd actually be interested in learning about Egyptian facts."

This response from you made Steven's face beam

"Really?"

"I mean yeah. I've never met someone so invested about this stuff in person. Plus I want to go to Egypt one day-" a lie. "So maybe, you could...teach me?"

Growing a grin from ear to ear, he excitedly shook his head in agreement.

"Yeahyeah!! I-I would love that actually! I've never met someone ACTUALLY interested in learning about it, it would be such an honor!"

"Sweet! When are you usually here?"

"Oh, all the time!"

"You work...every day?"

"Oh-well-not really! I have one day usually, but it goes by so fast I can barely remember those days, so it feels like I'm here every day, haha!"

That was a really weird response, but you decide to push that worry to the side. Fuck, maybe he was just scared that his boss was around and didn't want to get fired for "gossiping" about his job.

"Well ok then! I'll come by tomorrow then. Oh, what kinda coffee do you like?"

The response took Steven back as he furiously shook his head

"Ohnono, you don't have to! I really don't need a coffee-"

"Nonsense! You're here all the time! There has to be something you like!"

He pondered the question hard.

"Well...I really enjoy a good chai latte?"

"Perfect, a Chai latte will greet you first thing tomorrow then!"

As soon as you said that, the group of kids you had walked in with began walking to the busses

"Oh shit. I gotta bounce. But hey! I'm free tomorrow, so I'll see you then!"

Steven nodded as you put the earrings in your pocket, waving you goodbye before he got startled from being yelled by his boss from the back room.

.

.

What made you think this was a good idea?! You DON'T like Egypt, why would you agree to that! This was stupid, YOU are stupid!

Deep down, you knew the reason why you even decided to interact with the man. But you felt...guilty? Did he look like your old crush? Yes. Did he bring back all those old memories you thought you buried in the depths of your brain? Also yes.

But he was 100% different, you were certain. He was timid, shy, but also would not stop talking about something he was passionate about. He was never like that, for as long as you knew him.

Walking back to your apartment, you clicked on the old vintage lamp in the corner of your room, sighing before flopping onto your couch. On the coffee table, a small picture lay upside down, the back reading:

Spector and(L/N). Circa 2010

Always together, never apart

Maybe in distance, but never in heart.

"Ugh, forgot to put that cheesy shit away..."

Shoving the old picture into the side table drawer, you turned on the tv and poured yourself a strong drink.

"Things have to change, and me along with it. I can't keep being stuck like this."

You glanced at the earrings you had placed down.

"...maybe this will be for the better?"

[doodleduds]

YOU !!!! I WAS HOPING I’D SEE YOU IN MY NOTES !!!! YOU’RE MY SONIC MUTUAL !!!!

hi 🥺👉👈 hello i think i would like 2 enter the sonic fandom. how do i partake in sonic. i dont know where 2 start 😢 ive been vaguely watching some of the fandubs and i just played the murder mystery steam game and !!!! i didn’t grow up with it bc i was a pokemon and mario baby but yea [: ALSO if you see me perusing your art that is why [:< !!!! (and because you are very talented and a beloved bestie mutual)

HI!!!!! Always love seeing u beanie I hope you’re good!! This might be a long response so I’m preemptively putting a cut lol

HI AGAIN BEANIE!!! Disclaimer I’m certainly not an expert BUT i’ll try my best 💙💙💙🫡🫡🫡

The murder of sonic the hedgehog is REALLY good. Its definitely got a lot of love packed into it and it shines through the whole thing. Its a favorite because its a little silly but they still work to take the characters seriously (idk. U can tell the devs really loved doing it. I think its all around a fantastic introduction to the series!)

I’ve been hooked on Sonic from a SUPER early age. Like playing on hand me down consoles and stuff. My favorite game ever was sonic and knuckles or sonic 3 and then it was sonic the fighters. And then every game after that until Sonic The Hedgehog (2006) for the xbox 360 came out and despite the glitches and everything else im sure anyone could tell you about it younger me just found it SO striking. Everything about it. I used to sit and watch all the cutscenes on youtube on the family computer like it was my JOB. Idk where the turning point was I’ve played all the other titles except for a couple here and there more recently but I def think you could start where-ever you want!!!

Theres some games I think most people in the fandom would agree are unplayable or just Bad (for any number of reasons, everyone has their opinions! But think like notoriously bad like sonic boom..or specifically sonic colors nintendo ds version) BUT I’m a firm believer that if Sonic 06 specifically didnt have game breaking issues it would have been a masterpiece (look up project 06…! its a labor of love and it made that game feel like what I thought it did when I was itty bitty and more. Beyond my expectations. Genuinely impressive and really shows how much could have been fixed/polished for gameplay/overall) obviously I’m very biased but 06 is something I’ll never get over and I think more people should see Project 06 because the work put into it is immaculate and really showcases what I loved and still love about that game

The fandubs are good! If you’re looking for more watching stuff instead of playing stuff the original remastered Sonic OVA movie is up on YouTube for free and I think you’d really enjoy that too! There’s some design choices (like knuckles just flying for half the movie/not gliding like he would in later titles) that are more timeline based (like they hadnt gotten a firm grasp in franchise what was what yet etc etc) but it really sticks to that charm that drew me in to begin with so its a 10/10 in my book.

Games I think you could start anywhere you’d like (even if people say you’ve GOTTA play x or y or z or whatever you do what you think you’d like) but as a die hard fan you know I’ve got to mention Sonic Adventure 2 or Heroes or one of those. More ‘recent’ games I’ve really enjoyed that didn’t feel rushed/scrapped halfway through.. Sonic Generations is good, Sonic Unleashed is good (and theres a short film called night of the werehog thats official you could watch!) Frontiers obviously is the best I think we’ve gotten in a while narratively.

And im biased but I really. REALLY like sonic and the black knight. I think it being on the wii was a little bad controls wise but it has some charm! The storybook ones (Sonic & The Secret Rings and Sonic & The Black Knight) were super interesting to me when they came out just because it was a fresh art style lol.. Still very charming to me

The Shadow The Hedgehog game will always hold a special place in my heart and I know you like that guy so if you haven’t checked out that game (it has so many endings.) I think you’d personally love it!!

Other than that I think IDW comics are really great if you can get your hands on em! I don’t read them very often if at all anymore but I keep up to date on new characters in gen (more out of interest for the designs and direction theyre going) but if you EVER get the chance to read the arc with the metal virus you absolutely should. All the comics are great but I think you especially would think that arc in particular is incredible

I’ll link the ova and the werehog animation below but every games cutscene you can find on youtube if you’re ever interested! I can always find more stuff and link you if you want : - )

ONE FINAL NOTE IS THAT SONIC GAMES SOUNDTRACKS DO NOT EVER MISS A CHANCE TO GO HARD AS FUCK FOR NO REASON!!!! All of the games OST’s EVER have at least one song for everybody on planet earth and I will not retract that statement ever. If u havent listened to any I highly recommend it

THANK U FOR THE ASK!!!! Always love to talk about whatever so holler if you want!!!

LINKS FOR U:

SONIC OVA:

NIGHT OF THE WEREHOG:

[futuresconnected]

Welcome to my Blog!

Thanks for being here! I'm going to start off this blog with a bit of info about me, my history with games, and my plans for this blog. Come in and see!

Meet The Blogger

You can call me Wham, I've been playing games since i was child with a Gameboy Advance and a well-loved copy of Pokemon crystal, but its really only in the last five years that I've come into any sort of gaming community and had the desire to explore gaming as a hobby and video games as an art form.

Let's start with the kind of games I've enjoyed (and you can check out my Backloggd link in my profile for more)

JRPGs are the big one, and a perennial favorite of mine. Heavy hitters here include the Final Fantasy franchise (X,XII, and XIV especially), the Xenoblade games (especially 3), and the Persona series. I'm currently trying to explore more series that I've missed over the years, like Star Ocean, Trails in the Sky, Tales of, etc.

Rougelikes! Not quite as much these days, but ever since The Binding of Isaac came out, I rode the wave of the indie roguelike scene for a good seven or eight years and have a deep love for where this genre has gone over the years. Notable games for me here are Isaac, FTL, Risk of Rain, Hades, Inscryption, and Darkest Dungeon.

Diablo-style loot RPGs, I've had a long history with these games starting back when I would play Diablo II LAN games with my friend and his dad back in middle school, and games like this have always had a soft spot in my heart. I spent years playing Path of Exile, and I routinely come back to games like Titan Quest and Grim Dawn as well.

Fighting games! This one is pretty new for me, back in 2020 one of my good friends decided he was gonna try to get into Street Fighter, and that caused a small revolution in my friend group that has led to me playing a whole hell of a lot of Guilty Gear Strive, Street Fighter 6, and other assorted games. I'm by no means good at them, but I've been committed to learning and improving at them bit by bit (you'll see in the weekly FGC Corner :) )

Visual Novels/Narrative Games. This one is very much a less cogent genre space, but some of my absolute favorite games can all be loosely put together around these terms. Games like 13 Sentinels, 999, Virtue's Last Reward, Umineko, Misericorde, Perfect Tides, things of that nature.

There are many others out there, so I'll end this section by listing off a bunch of other games that are classics for me: Outer Wilds, Neon White, Just Cause 2, Devil May Cry 5, Blasphemous, Dark Souls/Bloodborne/Elden Ring, Pillars of Eternity 1 and 2, Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, Rimworld, Disco Elysium, Monster Hunter, and many many others!

The Big Idea

What I mostly want from this blog is to be a space where I can get together at the end of a week and think back about what I've been playing, what I think about it, and whatever else is connected to those feelings. Over the years I've enjoyed seeing other folks thinking and writing critically about the media that they enjoy, and while I hold no aspirations of turning this into anything quite as specific as that, I want to give myself space to spend more time thinking about this hobby which means so much to me. I have no idea how its going to go, if I'm going to like it, or how consistent I will be able to be, but for the time being this is my plan all laid out!

If you've read all this and it sounds interesting to you, or you think you might have tastes that align with mine, feel free to follow along! I'd love to have more people to talk shop with, or even just knowing that some other folks out there might think my words are interesting.

So let's get into it!

[baphomet-media]

2022 Games of the Year

Hello everyone! 2022 is officially in the can, so it's time for me to rank my top 10 favorite games that I played this year. Here are the groundrules:

Any game I played and finished (whatever that means for each game) this year for the first time. Games that I have played before but only finished this year for the first time are eligible.

If I don't finish a game during the year, as long as I finish it before the end of January and a majority of the playtime was in the last year, it counts.

Ports, remasters, and alternate editions of a game count as the same game, but full remakes do not.

Only one game per series. Same franchise but different series is okay.

Without further ado, let's take a look at my favorites this year!

10. Resident Evil Village (2021)

Genre: Survival Horror Developer: Capcom Publisher: Capcom System Played On: PS5

Everyone's favorite giant undead mommy makes 2021's followup to Resident Evil VII a chilling adventure. Unfortunately, I wish Lady Dimitrescu and her mansion comprised more of the game, instead of being relegated to merely the first third. However, we did get the genuinely horrifying basement area immediately after. All in all, a fun survival horror romp that brings Ethan Winters's story to a close. I'm excited to see what the Resi franchise does next, as it's clear they've got their mojo back.

9. Catherine Fullbody (2019)

Genre: Puzzle Developer: Atlus Publisher: SEGA System Played On: PS5

In this enhanced port of 2011's romantic survival puzzle game from Atlus (the creators of the Shin Megami Tensei franchise and the Persona series), you guide the hapless Vincent as he navigates the perilous waters of romance in the waking world and a devious climb up a wall of blocks each night in the dream world. While I hated Vincent at first, I liked that he can be redeemed by the end, based on your choices. The puzzle gameplay is also incredibly deep and punishing on harder difficulties. Unfortunately the game waits way too long to actually teach you proper strategies, but it's still fun nonetheless. The story has many more twists and turns than you would expect from the premise, too, and even includes some not-horrible queer representation, to my utter astonishment.

8. Final Fantasy VII Remake (2020)

Genre: Action RPG Developer: Square Enix Business Division 1 Publisher: Square Enix System Played On: PS5

I've been a casual fan of FFVII for years now, and this year I finally got around to playing the remake after a replay of the original. While there are a few rough edges (unnamed NPCs all have the exact same face, for example), it's a really fun take on the FFVII story that really digs deep on some of the plot points that went by a little quick in the original. Of course, this only covers the events in Midgar in the beginning of the original game, and a sequel is due to follow someday. Most notably, Remake makes changes to the story that has me eager to see where it will lead. The action combat is fun as well, and I enjoyed being able to control and customize all the main characters.

7. Eastward (2021)

Genre: Adventure Developer: Pixpil Publisher: Chucklefish System Played On: Xbox Series X

Eastward is an incredibly moving adventure game starring John, the silent-but-reliable protagonist, and Sam, his mysterious child sidekick, as they make their way inexorably eastward across a land ravaged by a mysterious Miasma, meeting all sorts of wacky people who are doing their best to survive. The game features a Zelda-like play style, but with an art style and melancholy tone that occasionally can be quite humorous reminiscent of Mother 3. The game is gorgeous, charming, and often heartbreaking. Unfortunately, I found the story was a tad on the obtuse side, and I wished the ending and some of the behind-the-scenes events had been explained a bit more clearly.

6. Pokémon Violet (2022)

Genre: Monster RPG Developer: Gamefreak Publisher: Nintendo System Played On: Switch

While I also finally played the previous generation's Sword version this year, I thought Violet (my choice of the two versions) edged it out. I want to say up-front, yes, it definitely has its faults. The game looks and runs like hot garbage, especially compared to other games on this list, and is sorely lacking post-game content, being the first Pokémon game in recent memory without a Battle Tower or equivalent. However, the open-world format, while a bit clumsy, fits the franchise well, and there are some honest-to-Arceus good story moments in these games, especially in the endgame. While the game could have benefited from an extra year of development and a more powerful console, I think it's still worth playing and beating.

5. Persona 4 Golden (2012)

Genre: JRPG Developer: Atlus Publisher: SEGA System Played On: PC/Steam Deck

While I had played the original Vita version of P4G, I'm ashamed to say that I never actually finished! This year, I spent a ton of time getting to 100% completion across three playthroughs. While the game's abysmal handling of multiple queer characters is just as if not more painful today, I found the game to be a ton of fun, as protagonist Yu must investigate a series of paranormal murders in the small fictional Japanese pastoral town of Inaba, recruiting the help of eccentric classmates to infiltrate a bizarre TV world and rescue potential victims. Along the way you learn to use the various small-town amenities to aid you in your quest and become friends (and maybe even lovers) with various townsfolk. Compared to the later Persona 5, and especially Persona 5 Royal, I found P4G to be less hand-holding, trusting me more as a player to plan my limited time and resources. If you're a fan of JRPGs, Persona, or Shin Megami Tensei, this is a must-play.

4. Lost Judgment (2021)

Genre: Action Developer: Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio Publisher: SEGA System Played On: PS5

2021's sequel to the Yakuza/Like A Dragon spinoff Judgment sees us once more follow loose cannon detective Yagami as he investigates a series of murders with strange connections to both a high school in Yokohama as well as a bizarre sexual harassment case in Shinjuku. As before, Yagami investigates by interviewing witnesses, following targets, and using a host of high-tech detective tools to find the truth. Of course, his fists and feet are also just as valuable, with the Yakuza franchise's staple brawling combat across multiple fighting styles in huge open cities. Also as expected of the Yakuza franchise, there is a king's ransom of side content both serious and lighthearted, particularly in the new school clubs which Yagami can participate in, from a skateboarding club where Yagami does his best Tony Hawk impression, to a robotics club where you take place in a strategic battle of the bots. My only gripe is that this sequel feels a bit less personal to the main characters, leaving Yagami feeling a bit like an outsider through the whole story, but still a great game that innovates on the Yakuza franchise.

3. Super Lesbian Animal RPG (2022)

Genre: RPG Developer: Ponett (@slarpg) Publisher: Ponett System Played On: PC/Steam Deck

You ever have a story that comes out of nowhere and jaw-punches you with just how made-for-you it feels? While SLARPG may seem like just a cutesy RPG-maker game at first blush, this indie darling full of strong, complex, queer female characters really had me feeling seen as a queer female gamer, myself. The story is a heartwarming modern fantasy that focuses a ton on flawed characters learning to grow emotionally under the pressure of having to save the world. In addition, the combat system has a ton of unexpected depth with unique character abilities plus interchangeable spellbooks that each have their own abilities. Also, finally a game that will let the lesbians kiss! Ye gods that was so satisfying. My only complaints with the game are some inevitable RPG Maker jank (as a recovering RPG Maker veteran, myself), and the fact that the short-but-sweet runtime has left me rabid for more!

2. Digimon Survive (2022)

Genre: Tactical RPG/Visual Novel Developer: Hyde Publisher: Bandai Namco System Played On: PC/Steam Deck

Digimon fans (of which I include myself) have been clamoring for a really good game for decades now, and I personally think Survive is it. The game features a cast of middle schoolers (notably older than Digimon's normal heroes) who find themselves stuck in a strange alternate world inhabited by spiritual monsters called Kemonogami (the titular Digimon), and must fight for their very survival and a chance to return home. The game's dark tone and moments of character growth were extremely moving and refreshing for Digimon, which usually caters to a much younger audience. Some may not care for the extensive Visual Novel content for the story or the tactics-lite combat system, but I found them both to be engaging, and I enjoyed both befriending all the characters and recruiting all monster species. The game has multiple endings to explore as well, the true ending only available on NG+. However I kind of felt like it made the alignment-based endings feel a bit moot. Still, this game is a triumph for the Digimon franchise and I really hope we'll see a Survive 2 someday.

Honorable Mentions

Before we get to the #1 spot, I'd like to take a moment to highlight some other games I played this year, from smaller indies to larger games that didn't quite make the cut, but still are worthy of your time:

Grapple Dog (PC) - Fun GBA-style action platformer with cute characters.

Echo Generation (Xbox) - Stranger Things-esque voxel RPG with tons of lo-fi 80s vibe.

Elec Head (PC) - Indie puzzle platformer where you toss around your battery-powered head to solve electricity puzzles.

Shin Megami Tensei IV (3DS) - Main-series SMT monster RPG with mind-bending story and world where you're forced to choose between law and chaos, but neither choice is truly right.

Persona 4 Arena Ultimax (PC) - Arcade fighter sequel to both Persona 3 and Persona 4 with a surprisingly deep and emotional story.

Shantae and the Seven Sirens (PC) - Indie darling Shantae is back on another adventure platformer on a sprawling island home to seven titular sirens who have gone missing.

Super Kiwi 64 (PC) - Tiny retro 3D collect-a-thon featuring a zippy little kiwi bird.

Rainy Season (PC) - Tiny story based game about being stuck inside your small Japanese house as a kid during a rainy day and using your imagination.

Lunistice (PC) - Retro 3D platformer with tons of PS1-era charm.

Crisis Core Reunion (PS5) - Remake of Final Fantasy VII's PSP prequel Crisis Core on modern consoles. Looking very smooth, but the new voice acting is a toss-up at best and still relies too heavily on the same grindy missions as the handheld original.

Civilization VI (PC) - I finally got into CivVI this year and may have developed an unhealthy addiction to this turn-based civilization building strategy icon.

The Complex: Found Footage (PC) - This creepy short walk through the infamous Backrooms is sure to send a chill down your spine.

And at last, here's the (probably unsurprising) game of the year!

1. Elden Ring (2022)

Genre: Action RPG Developer: FromSoftware Publisher: Bandai Namco System Played On: Xbox Series X

As someone who is already a die-hard Souls fan, this is really a no-brainer. Elden Ring takes the legendary Souls formula and blasts it open to a massive open world. Somehow, eleven years after Skyrim started the open world craze, in an era where such games are passé, Elden Ring manages to create a triumph of tough-but-fair combat, deeply detailed vertical level design, and a subtle-but-deep world and lore. I've sunk hundreds of hours into this masterpiece of a game across multiple different playthroughs, each somehow still fresh and fun. This game will be a huge icon for many years to come, especially if From decides to create some DLC down the line.

So what do you think? Do you agree with my picks? Think some other games should be on the list? What were your favorite games this year? Let me know~!

[legendarywolf2022]

I posted 80 times in 2022

That's 80 more posts than 2021!

30 posts created (38%)

50 posts reblogged (63%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@starlightmeadowbloom

@sunnysstuffs

@tbgmoviecoverage

@luonnonvalinnat

@starlightmeadowbloomthesecond

I tagged 80 of my posts in 2022

#dreamworks the bad guys - 80 posts

#the bad guys - 78 posts

#the bad guys dreamworks - 77 posts

#dreamworks - 75 posts

#mr wolf - 68 posts

#the bad guys au - 61 posts

#mr snake - 34 posts

#sly cooper - 34 posts

#mr wolf x sly cooper - 26 posts

#mr shark - 25 posts

Longest Tag: 40 characters

#day of the little candles with starlight

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Concept Art Cover of My Story (Number 1?)

Disneyfriend made this for me as a cover, but I can tell it will be more than just one for the story.

Connor Davidson, if you here (might be in DeviantArt if everyone let them know that), your Drake Lupus as well as your other oc characters will be part of my story as I’m a fan of your finest work.

@aggimaginary, if you may not know, that your character Mr Hornet will be inspired to my own character as well.

I thought I would keep it as a secret but Disneyfriend suggested that you deserve to know and I promise that I’ll credit you both.

Here’s the link of his work

6 notes - Posted November 12, 2022

#4

SlyWolf (OMG from Turning Red Fan-Song)

I just want to show everyone a mini video that I’ve made a while ago.

I hope all of you like it!

7 notes - Posted November 8, 2022

#3

The Bad Guys: The Black Diamond of the Legendary Wolf

Two weeks after one year in prison, Mr Wolf and his friends are trying to be best behaviour for the citizen who are no longer afraid of them anymore while they couldn’t help but enjoy few adventures they adore.

But then one night, Mr Wolf had a nightmare of his past that involved with a black wolf that caused him to seek answers.

Together with Diane Foxington (known as the Crimson Paw) and the five teenager girls as well as more new friends along the way, the gang must unravel the truth of Mr Wolf’s past and why he had great connection of the black diamond that everyone thought it once had dark magic thousands years ago. But little did they know that a cold hearted villain that hunted the family legacy for decades… is not actually gone for good…

(This blog is about my Bad Guys AU Story that me and my Disneyfriend are working on, please share this to everyone around you)

8 notes - Posted October 9, 2022

#2

Mr Wolf’s Birthday Tomorrow! 2022

Tomorrow is Mr Wolf’s birthday and I’d love to see all the arts that would made my day because I’m feeling very down in the dump so…

Please bring the love and support for this former leader of the Bad Guys himself, he deserves it!

9 notes - Posted October 18, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

The Letter to Pierre Perifel

(To @tbgmoviecoverage from my friend)

🧡💛🧡💛🧡

Dear Mr Perifel,

First, I want to say I'm your biggest fan of your latest movie The Bad Guys. Also, I am really happy to know that you also worked as an animator on other projects such as the Kung Fu Panda franchise, Rise of Guardians and even Monsters vs. Alien (honestly I think those last are underrated gems).

Anyway I want to apologize for bothering you like this, but since the tumblr "tbgmoviecoverage" canceled "submit and post" section I had no choice, but to ask you directly. Like I said before I really love your movie The Bad Guys. It has everything, charming anthropomorphic characters, heists, action, heartfull moments, really funny jokes and animation style like from manga comic. It's really amazing. But I couldn't help but notice some similarities with another concept I am familiar with. I am not talking about Zootopia, or Robin Hood, heck even not about Lupin the Third or Ocean 11 or any Tarantino's movies. No. The truth is that those similarities don't come from movies. They actually come from the more or less well-known video game franchise Sly Cooper.

Believe it or not there are so many similarities you could even imagine. There are heists, some car chases, foxy love interest on the side of the law (who is pretty much combination of Diane Foxington (be a fox, sassy, flirty with protagonist, sometimes quick to judge but understanding) and Police Chief Misty (temper and similar police status as inspector of Interpol), hero's narrating to us, side character who pretends to be good guy help protagonists until the reveal of him(or her) be the main antagonist who betrays them and put them in jail, villain who pretends to be a samaritan, villain who tries to prove be the greatest thief (there are many villains with different goals so that's why I mentioning it thrice). Some cutscenes have really great comic style, except Thieves in Times, that one is more cartoon style, but it's still cool.

The only difference I think they have (aside from location) are instead of 5 typical stereotypes of villain animals like snake, tarantula, shark, wolf it's actually 3 animals like turtle, hippo and of course a raccoon (who is actually a stereotype for a masked thief). And they only steal from others, because and I quote: "There's no honor, no challenge, no fun in stealing from ordinary people."

Fun fact: 6 years ago there was supposed to be a movie adaptation, but due to Ratchet and Clank movie failure, it never happened. Then there was a tv series idea, but it also ended up forgotten and as for the next game, nothing since Thieves in Times came and that was 9 years ago and it's only a speculation now considering the 20th anniversary is coming this year. But after the success of Sonic The Hedgehog 2 and of course The Bad Guys, being the two of the top movies at the box office in weeks, maybe there is still a chance.

So I am asking you only two questions:

1. Was Sly Cooper one of your inspirations for your movie The Bad Guys? (If you know about this game of course)

2. If there would be a chance of making a movie or tv series adaptation of Sly Cooper, would you take a chance working on it as a director? (Because honestly, there is no other who I would trust with this but you. Like I said, your movie is a great example of how to make a great animated heist movie.)

You don't have to answer that second question if you don't want to. But I still want to know the answer to the first one. Again I apologize for bothering like that, but I assure you this will be the only e-mail you get from me. I just only want to know this. And the rest of my knowledge of Bad Guys production I will learn from a blog on tumblr I just mentioned.

So for final words: Congratulations to your successful movie The Bad Guys and wishing you good luck for future projects like sequel or tv series. You, Aaron Blabey, Damon Ross, Rebecca Huntley, Etan Cohen, all actors, editors, musicians, choreographers, animators, everyone who worked on that movie, you all deserved it.

Sincerely, one of your fans.

P.S. So Long Suckers!🐺😎

🧡💛🧡💛🧡

Please share this to everyone who will get this letter to Mr Perifel himself to see it!

20 notes - Posted December 5, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[bearpillowmonster]

New X-Men - Grant Morrison

There's a 3 volume series or even a singular omnibus that people say is really good and leads to the defining X-Men series in Joss Whedon (yes, that one Joss Whedon, same guy) so I figured to get a little more context I'll go with Morrison's first. This is VOLUME 1.

What inspired me to do this in the first place was Mark from Cosmonaut Variety Hour. I've read X-Men before but I was never as much of a fan as say the cartoons, but there was such a wealth that I might've just been reading the wrong ones so this is me giving it a fair shake because these characters are something else. I know this franchise and I know its characters backgrounds and relationships all have something to offer but I just haven't found my match in terms of storytelling since the first two X-Men movies and somewhat Origins (I know)

I forgot how weird Grant Morrison's art can be but it gives me tons of memes and sort of makes sense. I mean, the public sees mutants as freaks, right? So the art style being ugly lets us see them in that light but at the same time, I'm a defender of looking cool over accuracy.

And speaking of, that story. There's some cool stuff in there and it gave me more insight to what I might want out of something like this but all in all, this isn't it chief. It just gets goofy. Like, I'm fine with the brain in the can and the mind flaying and all but then it introduces the idea that Xavier has a sister. That's cool, a twin at that and he only knows now because he's in a coma and the X-Men only know because Jean is communicating with him despite the coma which is also a really cool concept but then they explain that he only knows his sister from the womb and that she wasn't able to form a body so she had to use Xavier and just- that's where it starts getting to be too much.

I started this before X-Men 97 and have had it on hold since last year because I just wasn't all that into it but I watched a little bit of 97 and lo and behold, lookie here, that's actually inspired by this comic. As a part 1 of 3, it covers a whole story, it doesn't feel much like a bunch of comics strung together like I've read before, it's like one continuous thing which I enjoy.

Apparently there isn't a whole lot of that school aesthetic where they're just teaching the mutants how to use their powers like a pseudo-My Hero Academia in any of the comics which is surprising to say the least especially considering what I remember about some of the cartoons. I may never get what I want out of it but I'm willing to try at least for Cyclops an hopefully they introduce Magneto into this universe then I might continue for the heck of it, it can only get better, right?

[windydrawallday]

Just a heads up for every one new following me (or everyone who did during these three first months of the year):

Yes, I draw fanart for other franchises I enjoy out of my current hyper-fixation, but because I draw them usually in a more polished and "friendly" standard professional-looking style, it takes lots of time and so you'll see them every 3-6 months a year. And I like many, maaany different things so you'll never know what I'll do art for next.

If it wasn't obvious already: I'm a rarepairing and multishipper enjoyer. I don't always have canon reasons for doing it tho but that's less of my problem. If the characters vibe in my brain I just put them together. THE END.

... I usually have ONE fav between them and put it in the middle because frick: I want to pamper my fav and this is how I do it.

And I love, loveee drawing characters being lovey-dovey and I'll find any excuse to draw them as together as I can AKA hugs. Lots. of Hugs!

Every now and then the angsty bug attacks me and I project my past experiences and such in them too so HAHAHA don't worry: there's both sugar and black coffee to enjoy here!

OH YEAH, I have OCs but don't show much art of them except when a buddy asks for them or a special occasion/very personal theme I want to talk about and use them as an outlet for it. Many need references too...

I'm sorry but not so sorry if you expect me to do this or that because nopes, that's not how I work. I already have an adult life out there that's pretty dull and boring and this is my corner of the world to let my brain and hands work happily without remorse or deadlines x)

So, thank you to the ones who understand, and good luck and lots of patience if you decide to stick around ♥

[alecbicheno]

Blog post 7 - Is realism worth the effort?

There are two factors to consider when discussing realism within videogames, the graphics, and the gameplay. Both of these have a significant impact on the overall quality and reception of the game which I am going to break down.

Different art styles

There are different kinds of graphics you see in games. There is the stylised kind which can be broken down into a few different types such as Cel- shading which can be seen in games like Borderlands (2009) and its sequels, giving a unique look to the characters and environment, or the exaggerated kind which you can find in games like Sea of Thieves (2018) where lots of aspects of the game look exaggerated. Then there is realism, which is what lots of AAA game studios strive for. An example of this would be Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (2023) and the previous instalments of the franchise, which aim to have realistic graphics with each new instalment.

Is realism worth it?

There are generally two opinions when it comes to graphics, the first is that graphics should be as realistic as possible, and the other thinks that graphics are overrated. I’m of the latter opinion.

Good graphics are much easier to achieve nowadays, so having a good-looking game isn’t as much of an achievement as it used to be. So, there’s no need to waste time and effort on creating amazing graphics and instead the resources should be spent on crafting good gameplay, narratives, characters, etc.

Furthermore, it’s worth noting as technology evolves all the effort put into creating these incredible graphics could be obsolete by next year, as the constant hunger for detail will inevitably lead to better ways of making said graphics.

More to games than realism

It’s also important to consider the level of realism in the gameplay and how much it actually contributes to the overall experience. For example, Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018) was criticised for being too realistic, which I can attest to. There were many mundane tasks to complete such as cleaning guns to maintain them or feeding your horse to keep it in good health, as well as quality of life issues such as having to go to your horse to change weapons. This is essentially having realistic gameplay for the sake of it, instead of it contributing to the overall experience. It takes away from the fun of the gameplay by having to do these monotonous tasks, especially when we usually play games to relax, but instead get agitated by the very thing we are trying to relax by doing.

However, when we compare this to rockstars other game Grand Theft Auto V (2013), realism is out the window. While there is some sense of being grounded in reality, there are some ridiculous stories, weapons and vehicles all for players to enjoy, hence why the game is still played over 10 years later.

My practice

To re iterate, I think that the movie like quality of realism is an unnecessary thing to strive for. It does not need to be prioritized in game development, which allows efforts to be directed at other aspects of game development like the story or gameplay which would take the game further. Simply put good graphics don’t make a good game.

Bibliography

Anon., 2020. How RDR2 Prioritizes Realism At The Expense of Playability. [Online] Available at: https://screenrant.com/red-dead-redemption-2-realism-extreme-boring-controls/ [Accessed 5 December 2023].

Fox, A., 2019. Why Video Games Should Abandon Realistic Graphics. [Online] Available at: https://www.forevergeek.com/why-video-games-should-abandon-realistic-graphics/ [Accessed 5 December 2023].

GEARBOX SOFTWARE. (2009) Borderlands. [DISC]Xbox 360. Novato: 2K

RARE. (2018) Sea of Thieves. [DISC]Xbox One. Redmond: Microsoft Studios

ROCKSTAR GAMES. (2018) Read Dead Redemption 2. [DISC]Xbox One. New York City: Rockstar Games

ROCKSTAR NORTH. (2013) Grand Theft Auto V. [DISC]Xbox 360. New York City: Rockstar Games

SLEDGEHAMMER GAMES. (2023) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III. [DISC]Xbox Series X. Santa Monica: Activision

Warner, N., 2021. Sometimes games that are realistic…are worse. [Online] Available at: https://www.destructoid.com/sometimes-realistic-games-are-worse/ [Accessed 5 December 2023].

Zentler, R., 2022. Game On: Video games don’t need to look realistic. [Online] Available at: https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2022/mar/17/game-on-video-games-dont-need-to-look-realistic/ [Accessed 5 December 2023].

[glassvines]

Thoughts On 2022 Favorites

TV Shows 1. Severance: My absolute favorite new live series in years. Great premise with a unique (and ironic) visual look that perfectly matches the tone of the series. The opening credits are just. So!! *chef kiss* 2. Wednesday: This was a lot more fun than I was expecting. While I felt so-so on some aspects of the show (the cgi and the teenage drama especially), the style of the series and Jenna Ortega's portrayal of Wednesday was fantastic. 3. Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities: New Halloween favorite! The overall series is a combo of spooky and pretty. Particularly enjoyed The Viewing and The Outside. 4. 1899: Enjoyed the heck out of this show, which is weird considering I didn't like Dark. It's Lost but actually coherent. All I could ever want out of a character-driven sci-fi series.

Animation (TV & Films) 1. Amphibia: Perfect series, with a perfect (and surprisingly bittersweet) ending. A new Disney favorite. Hope it gets a bluray release like Gravity Falls did. 2. Lego Monkie Kid: The animation blew me away in this series but it's also great story and character-wise despite being so short in length. 3. Rise of the TMNT Movie & TV series: The Rise movie proved I'll never be fully over comic book/superhero genre films despite feeling very burnt out on them overall. It’s a fairly old franchise, but it hasn't grown cynical over time. I think this is key to keeping franchises going indefinitely. It still has so much heart to it, and the Rise movie was my favorite new film released this year. Made sure to watch the series in it’s entirety as well and now wish I had checked it out earlier. 4. Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio: This story has never really connected with me (even when I watched the Disney film as a child), so I was a little surprised at how much I liked this one. (Which I should not have been - this is Guillermo del Toro after all!) Gorgeous animation and very unique compared to all the other various versions of the story that seem to be released every freaking year (I'm looking at you Disney). 5. Wendell & Wild: While I wasn't super enthused with the (kind of bloated) story, I adored the animation and character designs. Always nice to see something new from Henry Selick.

Anime (TV & Films) 1. Demon Slayer: Was curious to see if the hype was real and am pleased to say it's worth watching. Incredible animation and a likable main cast. 2. Spy x Family: The premise is what hooks you, but the character moments (paired with great music) is the heart of this series. Just a super solid comedy/action anime series. 3. Shadows House: Still need to finish the second season, but I'm enjoying this one a lot! An intriguing, underrated mystery series. 4. Perfect Blue: I believe this is the final Satoshi Kon film I had not watched up until this point, and I'm more sad than ever that he died so young. It was a prophetic, horrifying film.

Video Games 1. Cozy Grove: Probably the game I played the most this year? I'm finding that I love this kind of gameplay a lot (Animal Crossing-esque), so I'll probably look for more games like it in the future. 2. Little Witch in the Woods: Fantastic pixel-art aesthetic in this one. 3. Machinarium: Ever since playing Samorost 3 Amanita Design has become one of my favorite indie game companies. This one's an oldie but goodie. 4. Genshin Impact: I don't plan on ever dropping any money on this game but I do like the graphics and gameplay. I can see why it's so popular now that I've played it a bit.

Live Films 1. Under the Silver Lake: Unexpected new favorite. I just have a deep love for surreal movies that shit on Hollywood culture. Hoping to see more from David Robert Mitchell. 2. Nope: I don't know man; I just think Jordon Peele gets me lmao. I have loved all his movies thus far, and this was no exception. Creepy, atmospheric and thoughtful commentary on humanity’s relationship with both nature and fame. 3. Mandy: I need to watch this movie a few more times to fully absorb the visuals/plot/message, but on a first-watch basis it dazzled me.

Honorable Mentions 1. Cursed Princess Club 2. Inside Job 3. Barbarian 4. The Legend of Hell House: this movie was on my Halloween watch list and I loved it so much. The conclusion was fucking bonkers.

Things I’m Looking Forward to in 2023 1. I might actually (willing) watch a few Marvel/DC movies next year. 2. Clone High Reboot: Not sure if I'd say I'm looking forward to it, but I'm very curious to see how the new series turns out. 3. Second season of Good Omens! 4. Nier Automata anime series!! 5. Movies: Barbie, the new Seth Rogan TMNT movie, John Wick 4, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, and Disappointment Blvd. if it's actually released next year.

Some Creative & General Goals for 2023 I would just like to get back into the grove of drawing regularly again. These days I only have time for photography, but I really want to get back into a headspace where I can prioritize drawing again. Maybe take up painting and nature sketching too.

[hiranospiercing]

shounen ai mangas that should be a part of your reading list if you enjoy reading healthy and plot driven romances- part 1.

I've been reading bl for years now, the reason why i indulged myself into reading this particular genre was simply because shoujo as a genre is too repetitive, most tropes are overused and it's honestly really hard to find good stories once you've finished the easily accessible popular franchises.

boys love is divided into two sub genres, yaoi and shounen ai, I personally do not enjoy reading smut, it's a different story if intimacy plays an important point for the character development of the characters in the story, but i'am not a huge fan of the porn being used as the plot device for the entire manga and hence i won't be including yaoi mangas in this list.

1. Sayonara, Heron.

Sayonara, Heron is one of those mangas that remain ambiguous and non-linear for the majority of the time but gradually intensify itselves once the ending is near without losing it's delicacy, i won't be talking about the plot since i want you to experience this 7 chapter long manga the way i did, without knowing anything about it, but it's simply about family and relationships, the art style is so pretty, the rooftop, the cigarettes, the kisses, everything. I do not see enough people talking about it and maybe you should help me change that.

2. We're still in the spring of life.

Academics, Aerospace and Adorability, everything about this manga is so heart warming, the hesitation in the beginning of a friendship which ends with a comfortable yet passionate relationship, the naps, the math equations and the confessions, this manga is simply about two boys growing together by simultaneously relying on each other. Also the rocket metaphors have my heart, read it to find them out.

3. Our dining table.

I've always been a huge fan of child care as a separate genre on it's own, but this manga is one of the only romance mangas where the child care part of it actually plays a huge role for the development of the characters, it honestly isn't forced like some omegaverse stories rather it's comforting and actually heart warming to read, the food being used as a love language, the friendships and the bonding amidst the family and the main character is beautiful, give it a go if you want to experience legit therapy lol.

4. Blue sky complex.

Blue sky complex is one of the few shounen ai mangas which seems authentic and raw because of the awkwardness of the characters, the relationship between the characters is easily connectable in the sense that you get the insight of how their head actually works and makes those decisions, it explores gay relationships in a very interesting way, and honestly is very close to my heart because well it's the GLASSES GUY X GOOF BALL trope yet again.

5. Yuki no shita no qualia.

Now, this manga vaguely reminds me of sayonara, heron but honestly is a lot more strong with what it wants to explore, it's one of those mangas that will accidentally make you cry because of the beauty of it's characters and the development of their relationship.

"i think you make me kinder," is better than any "i love you".

[you-cant-fuck-megaman]

one thing that i've always found kind of interesting about dr. light's design is his hair.

from original incarnations

to recent incarnations

to mega man x

the dude straight-up rocks a pomp. inafune said he based doctor light’s design off santa claus, which i can understand, but last i checked santa claus had a cool hat covering his hair, not a goddamn biker ‘do

and it's funny, because in-game he's generally pretty straight-laced and serious. he's the Dad. he's megaman's dad. the kind of father figure he is depends on whether it's the archie comics (navigator/moral support), fully charged (invested in his son's life), ruby spears (addled), the classic games (non-existent), or the X games (not existent), but generally he acts as the caring father figure overseeing megaman and trying to cheer him along.

but what does capcom think of him?

ライト博士のコンセプトはひとことで言うと「父性」ですね. / Dr. Light's concept could be summed up in a single word as "father". 優しくて大らかで、でも時には厳しさも見せる、ロックマンの生みの親であリ、ロボツト社会の父です。 / He's the creator of both Megaman and modern roboticism, and is quite a kind and generous man, but he has a rougher side to him... (My japanese is not professional, please take this translation with a grain of salt)

pardon?

that light has a rougher/harsher side is honestly surprising, considering you can count the amount of times he's been genuinely angry on-screen on a single hand. he's one of the most successful and revolutionary men of 20XX and still manages to be chill a f, always coming up with an answer for even the most out-there situations.

but that would explain the delinquent hairstyle.

so, what do we actually know about light? - he attended class with Wily and shot down Wily's double gear thing - depending on the translation, they either worked together as a team (english) or were only colleagues (japanese) or were cooperative rivals (megamix) - the dude's biggest school accomplishments are winning the LIT Manual Design contest four years in a row, and a World Engineer First Prize, both tasks focusing on technical prowess rather than strictly academic prowess - that said, he has a Nobel Prize in physics so fuck me i guess - nowadays he works as a professor at the Mecha-Chuchets Institute of Robology - despite that, he likes keeping his hands busy, since he's got a side hustle as a contracted roboticist for O.D.A. Electronics - it's something that he actively enjoys and wants to keep doing for the fun of it, since in exchange O.D.A. provides electronic parts to him, rather than silly things like "a paycheck" - he REALLY likes keeping his hands busy, since he also provides technology to Nakaume Heavy Machinery and Tsubakuro Precision Machining - the dude super-believes in peace and justice - he hates fighting and hated giving rock a weapon to turn him into megaman - despite this, he knows martial arts, since he teaches X the Hadouken and Shoryuken. this is questionable in canonicity but i'm going somewhere with this, trust me - according to his diary, he likes playing fighting games to unwind. - he likes to smoke (don't smoke, kids) - he likes rock and roll, as in the music genre. though i guess he likes rock and roll the characters as well. i guess. - generally he's kind of a music fan. - he's an optimist and generally tries to believe the best in others, that people can change and evil can be redeemed - he's transhumanist before capcom knew what that word meant, and worked towards a dream world where humans and sentient robots can live side by side in harmony

if there's a hard side to him, we've rarely seen it so my brain decides to start taking several jumps, right? what if the bitterness lies in his history? we don't actually know much about light's history.

the pompadour and love of rock bring to mind a very specific kind of image, that of the greaser from the 1950s. rebels without a cause, delinquent teenagers causing problems and getting into trouble. coincidentally enough, it's a style that the franchise has flirted before, with hideki ishikawa's art of roll and rock dressed up in old americana fashion, with rock sporting a greaser pomp.

but where would he have gotten that from?

let's delve completely into the realm of headcanon. what if light wasn't the most upstanding youth? the fact that he actively enjoys working with his hands and pursues mostly the physical aspects of engineering rather than the academic aspects seems to be the most telltale part of this angle. it's quite possible that he simply didn't do well at academic pursuits.

struggled at school. wore a leather jacket. smoked. hung around at arcades. listened to rock n' roll. played with hearts. probably broke some hearts, too. given his extremely pained stance on violence now, it's possible he very much saw the effects of violence first-hand in his youth. got into brawls, started fights. probably got into real bad fights. maybe ended them too. but Something Happened along the way. something that made him change course. and so, light started cleaning up his life. started learning and practicing martial arts to focus, to become one with himself. went to a technical school to start working with his hands, and managed to pick things back up and get his life back on track. he was in a dark place, but he managed to change, and so he knows first hand that people can change. that good lies in people. and that he knows even the most seedy of people have the potential to change and to become great. and a good decade or two later, that throwaway good-for-nothing delinquent starts excelling in this new field. something that lets him get his hands filthy and to make things--make PHYSICAL things. things that have an impact. and a good several decades after that, he's finally advanced enough in his skills that he wants to make someone he can be close to. someone he can love. someone he can call family. i notice rock and roll aren't super-curious about their metaphorical grandparents.

probably not important, have a rough sketch i did instead: