#i feel like she needs a suitably chaotic introduction | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

sophrosinn · 5 years ago

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indescribable

synopsis: Fashion photographer Bakugou Katsuki’s world got irrevocably changed when he inadvertently met Uraraka Ochako, whose fiery eyes are strangely familiar to him for some reason.

prompt: je ne sais quoi, a French phrase which literally translates to “I do not know what.” It is commonly used to describe a certain quality that cannot be adequately put into words.

word count: 1,628 words

note: Shout-out to @vanaera and @senfleurs for being the bestest friends a girl could ever ask for. Seriously, I hope you both realize just how much your words have motivated me to continue writing.

If you have noticed any inaccuracies, please let me know. Also, I am unsure as to whether or not to continue this. I guess we’ll see in time. Comments and constructive criticisms are highly appreciated! ❤️

—

Under the bright stage lights, as if it was only natural, Katsuki’s eyes found hers immediately among the sea of hopeful faces. She, with her soft pink ensemble, doe eyed look, and short but curvy physique, stood out in the crowd of skinny figures dressed in the fanciest clothes with practiced smiles and brimming with confidence. It was ironic, to say the least, that it seemed that his eyes automatically singled her out when there was nothing remarkable about her appearance: a simple white buttoned top with cut-out shoulders tucked into her pastel green flowing skirt. Her eyes, though, were different from her otherwise inconspicuous get-up. They sparkled with unflinching determination, almost breaking through the surface of her fragile mask of composure. It was a look of pure challenge, taunting and daring, and fuck, it looked really good on her cherub face. Not one to back down from challenges, Katsuki stared right back, unable to stop the feral grin from breaking out on his face.

This should be interesting, he thought.

“You, round face, at the back,” he called out, resolutely, as if there could never be any other choice than her (and perhaps, there never was). His voice reverberated against the four walls of the studio room, halting all the quiet conversations and nervous ramblings among the participants at once. “With the orange headband and grass skirt.”

Everyone turned to look at him, for this was the first time he had spoken after he was introduced ten minutes ago. not that he needed any kind of introduction. He was Katsuki Bakugou, a photographer whose name has long been circulating in the fashion industry for having featured in and worked with various famous magazines. His parents have long since established the family’s reputation by creating the most glamorous and avant-garde designs to grace the catwalk. While Katsuki chose a path for himself, opting instead to work behind a camera, he did not stray too far from his parents’ influence.

Nonetheless, in spite of his wish to separate his career from his parents’ connections, he quickly rose to fame for being a Bakugou. Katsuki, being his usual self, did not bother to prove himself to anyone else. After all, his photographs, which were more than enough to showcase his abilities, never failed to capture the candidness and reality beyond the fabricated portrayal of the world of fashion.

And now there he was, inside a spare atelier in his parents’ building, searching for a suitable candidate for his next project. Given his work history, it was not unusual that out of all the stunning women occupying the same room as him, he chose her.

She, who must have been unconsciously looking at him, but was actually intensely focused on something else. Because the second he pointed at her form, she froze. As did everyone else, and a beat of unnerving silence passed.

Her eyes went wide in bewilderment, surprised at the sudden attention. When she answered, it was meek and hesitant. “M-me?” She pointed at herself, and under the scrutinizing eyes of the other hopeful attendees, she reminded him of a gazelle about to be preyed upon by a pack of hungry lions.

It was fucking hilarious to Katsuki, the duality with which the girl held herself. Just a moment ago, he glimpsed a vexed goddess, looking every bit as someone rudely awakened from her eternal slumber. Now, it’s gone, and there’s barely a trace of her left in this fragile girl.

“Yes, you,” he replied, “what’s your name, round face?”

Ah, there it fucking was, he thought as he was regarded with that same blazing look in her eyes. But as quickly as it came, it was gone underneath her lids as she closed her eyes. She took a deep breath before replying in a steady voice, “Ochako Uraraka, sir!”

Although he was expecting it, he had to admit that he was surprised to hear the strength in her voice. From that distance, he can almost see her fists clenched at her sides.

“Uraraka,” he breathed, amused at how strangely natural it seemed to roll off his tongue. “Follow me then.”

Uraraka immediately nodded, squeezing in between the women standing in front of her, before following Bakugou who’s almost out the door. However, Kirishima, Bakugou’s optimistic friend and close companion, stopped him from leaving by asking: “but what of the other girls?”

“Escort them to the exit, and make sure they don’t loiter and find any of the old hag’s stuff lying around. It’s almost fashion week, you know how fucking chaotic it gets.”

“Got it, Bakubro.” Kirishima saluted him, about to turn the other way when he immediately stopped. “Even if I’m so not your assistant.”

Smirking, Bakugou crossed his arms and raised one of his eyebrows at Kirishima. In return, Kirishima stared at him unnervingly, and by the looks of it, it seemed like an unspoken conversation was ongoing between the two men.

In the end, Kirishima sighed good-naturedly, putting his hand on Bakugou’s shoulder. “This is why they say you run your assistants dry,” Kirishima quipped, shaking his head at Bakugou before he turned to the side, smiling brightly at Uraraka. “Nice to meet ya, Ms. Uraraka! I’m Kirishima! Play nice, Bakubro!”

With that, he winked at Bakugou and took off.

“That dumbass,” Bakugou muttered, walking out the door and motioning for Uraraka to follow him.

In the silent hallway, Uraraka cleared her throat awkwardly. “Uh, Bakugou-san? Sir?”

He grunted in response.

“I just want to say thank you for choosing me. I know I’m not that pretty as all those other girls, and given that I just came from the province, I probably wouldn’t know what to do but I promise I will do—”

“Tsk.” He clicked his tongue and ran a hand over his hair in frustration. Apparently, this girl has not seen any of his works; when did he ever choose a conventionally pretty model? He, honest to God, never cared for looks; his photographs attest to that fact. “Don’t be fucking daft, I didn’t choose you because you’re pretty.” He paused and turned around, intending to let his words sink in.

At the same time, he also took the chance to look over her form (average height, chopped angled bob cut for her brown hair, functional clothes), which, as he noted beforehand, were nothing out of the ordinary. He gazed at her face, and as he did, he was once again greeted by those fiery eyes—that same look which demanded his attention. There was a fire burning just beyond the surface of her brown irises, as bright and dazzling as the afternoon sun, when her face twisted in irritation. He was pleasantly surprised to see that. But in just a blink of an eye, the look was gone, replaced instead by embarrassment as she averted her gaze away.

Bakugou internally groaned. Dumbass wears her fucking heart on her sleeve. How. Wonderful.

“You’re right, I'm not pretty,” she eventually whispered, quite dejectedly if he must note.

“Listen, it’s because I am not looking for someone pretty—if I were, you wouldn’t be my first choice. And goddamn, are you blind or something? You are pretty.” At that, she jolted in surprise and stared at him, dumbfounded at the sudden compliment. Fuck, even he was shocked at himself. “Not beautiful, just, pretty, urgh, fuck off,” he immediately amended which earned him a giggle.

“Really?” she cheekily replied, and he ignored her in favor of maintaining his cool.

“Here’s the thing, the fact that you’re here means that you thought you’ve got what it fucking takes to succeed in this line of work.” She nodded, opening her mouth, perhaps intending to contradict him but he wasn’t quite finished chiding her. “And goddamn, you do. Don’t waste my time and my fucking trust, which I don’t freely give to just some random extra, if you’re just gonna spout some nonsensical bullshit about your appearance or whatever fucking absurd things you’ve got going inside that head. I’ll say this only once: this industry is not for the bitch ass whiny pissbabies, and if you think you are one of those, then fuck off and don’t return.”

Fucking hell! So much for cool.

He took a deep breath, releasing the tension in his shoulders, before he turned to look at the round-faced newbie whose face’s—wait, what the fuck, are his eyes deceiving him or does she really have the guts to outright laugh at his face?

“What’s so funny, huh?”

Uraraka spluttered, covering her mouth to stifle her giggles but it was for moot. He watched dumbly as she tried to stop her laughter, eyes crinkled with tears flowing down to her rosy cheeks. Frozen still, immobilized by the ringing sound of her carefree laughter in his ears, Bakugou had the sudden urge to reach for his camera and immortalize the breathtaking moment.

“You, Mr. Bakugou, sir! Thank you for your words, as harsh as they may seem, I mean—that was your attempt at bolstering my confidence, right?”

“Fucking—call me Bakugou. Don’t add any ‘sir,’ makes me feel goddamn old.”

“Well, your scowl certainly makes you look like a grump,” she offhandedly commented.

“What?!” he barked. This chick was really testing the limitations of his short fuse, huh?

She immediately jerked upright at the tone of his voice. “Nothing, si—I mean, Bakugou! E-he.”

He exhaled through his nose. “What-the-fuck ever, I’m out of here. Tell that red-headed idiot,” he pointed at Kirishima who’s running to catch up to them, “your contact details. Or don’t, see if I care.”

“Don’t worry, Bakugou,” she called out behind him, “I won’t give in! I'll have you know I'm tough!”

He didn’t doubt her one bit.

#boku no hero academia #bnha #mha #katsuki bakugou #ochako uraraka #bakugou x uraraka #kacchako #bakuraka #kacchako fluff #bakugou imagines #bakugou scenarios

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thebibliomancer · 5 years ago

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Essential Avengers: Avengers #211: ... By Force of MIND!

September, 1981

THE OLD ORDER CHANGETH!

Oh hey, Dazzler, Hercules, Black Widow, Moon Knight, Angel from X-Men, Yellowjacket, Black Panther, Tigra, and Hawkeye?

Are you joining Captain America, Wasp, Beast, Thor, and Iron Man as the new Avengers?

Is this going to be the next biggest roster since the Korvac Saga?

Possibly! Jim Shooter is back and he was the guy behind that story.

Jim Shooter is very back, something the creative credits make sure you don’t miss.

“Joyfully welcome back long-time star Avengers scribe, me, Jim Shooter -- ‘cause I’m writing these credits, and, also I’m the boss!”

Charming. Non-facetiously.

It has similar energy to the ol’ Stan Lee introductions. And is probably just as much a pretense. Eh.

So the story “... By Force of MIND!” starts in the Avengers conference room.

And penciler Gene Colan sure has interesting ideas what that should look like.

We’ve seen the Avengers’ conference room a couple times in various books. They tend to have a grand conference table with assigned chairs?

Look at this one from Avengers Annual #10.

Or the one just as recently as last issue #210.

Pretty big overall. Suitably grand.

But the conference room has apparently been redecorated because it looks different. The personalized chairs are still there.

But the table is puny. It looks like the Young Avengers table at Thanksgiving. Set up off to the side for all the kids. Its dinky. It doesn’t look like all the Avengers can fit around it.

Which possibly supports Captain America’s point when he decides that the Avengers roster needs to be trimmed down to only six.

All those people on the cover are going to be really disappointed to hear this.

Captain America: “The Avengers have a habit of playing for high stakes! I believe that a lean, close-knit group is better... stronger!”

Beast goofs that they’ll need explosives to dislodge him from the team.

Also, there’s a trapeze on the roof of the conference room. Why. I mean, I know why. Your acrobatic characters need to be casually acrobatic at random times or they’ll be bummed out. But also why.

Wonder Man isn’t as bothered. Even after all this time on the team, he doesn’t feel like he’s ever really belonged here doing this hero stuff.

Vision and Scarlet Witch are selling themselves as a package deal. You get both or you get neither.

Captain America gives the Avengers some time to rest and think but they’ll reconvene at 1600 for the new roster announcement.

So there’s 9 people in or adjacent to the Avengers. Thor, Captain America, Iron Man, Beast, Jocasta, Scarlet Witch, Vision, Wonder Man, and Wasp. Three are gonna have to go.

All of this possibly getting fired, gives a pretty dour attitude (except for Wasp who doesn’t seem very concerned and probably doesn’t have a reason to be. Would you want to tell Wasp that she’s fired? I wouldn’t). Beast decides to lighten things up.

By causing problems on purpose.

So Beast bounces through the crowd of Avengers, jostling them all, and stealing Wonder Man’s glasses. Who hates having his glowing eyes show.

Scarlet Witch: “What on-- !? Beast! You crazy -- !”

Beast: “Moi? Crazee? Begging your pardon, mademoiselle witch. I am merely, how you say... playful! So, like gimme some space to be a jerk in, you know? Okay?”

At least he knows he’s being a jerk??

And then he runs off with Wonder Man’s glasses, goofing all the way.

Wonder Man: “Come on, you lame-brained blue-furred buffoon!”

Beast: “Hmmf! I’ll have you know, sir, that I am a highly intelligent blue-furred buffoon. I hole a dozen PhDs! I speak fifty-three languages... but I tell you, I don’t get no respect! Wanna hear me say ‘eat my dust, jocko,’ in Latverian?”

In the face of all this buffoonery, Wasp still doesn’t really care.

She decides the done thing is to go get her hair done for the big meeting. And sure this is short notice but she’s Janet Van Dyne. She’s going to have a movie starlet’s appointment bumped for her.

Scarlet Witch reflects that maybe the reason Jan isn’t worried about the possibility of being cut is that the Avengers aren’t her whole life. She has other stuff going on. A husband. A fashion line. The fabulous existence of being Janet Van Dyne.

Jocasta comes and tries to ask Vision for advice. Even after her big focus story, she still feels like an outsider. And she doesn’t have a life outside the Avengers. So unlike her brain donor Wasp, she is very worried about getting kicked out.

Jocasta: “You’ve learned to fit in, even though you’re a robot, as I am. Please... help me to...”

Vision: “I beg your pardon, Jocasta. I am a synthezoid, not a robot! As such, I am a perfect meld of computer microcircuitry and living, synthetic flesh! In all ways I am a fully functional man! I have a wife -- who needs me now! I cannot help you with your dilemma.”

And then Vision peaces out of this conversation by flying through the ceiling. Even though he’s going to join Wanda who is in an adjacent room. Ya weird, Vision.

You’re also massively unhelpful whenever anyone asks you for advice.

This is fully the second time Jocasta has asked him for advice. At least he didn’t trash the room in an angst ‘I DON’T HAVE FEELINGS AHHHH I MISS WANDA’ tantrum this time.

Jocasta is left alone. Which basically sums up her time in this book. Poor, poor robot. She’s so lonely she goes off on an existential soliloquy right outside Vision and Wanda’s room. Which is a bit passive aggressive. But hey. Superheroes.

Jocasta: “Are you truly so much different, Vision? So much better than I? I know that my voice rings metallic... but yours is cold hollow and emotionless!”

“I have built-in sensors! I can see! I can hear! I can feel! I function well enough? Don’t I? Don’t I? What does it take to be alive?”

“Does it take warm flesh? Am I merely animated because I am made of metal? I did not choose to be what I am!”

“I am what Ultron made me! Ultron -- the evil robot nemesis of the Avengers! He made you too, Vision -- reconstructed you from a long-dead android body! Both of us rebelled against his evil! Both of us sided with the Avengers!”

“Why, then, am I less than you? Is it because you are loved... and I am alone? Ultron... loved me...”

;__;

Poor robot lady.

I do wonder why the Avengers have been so indifferent to her presence. She did come to them during a chaotic moment in the team history. Vision was based on Wonder Man who wasn’t on the team while Jocasta had to coexist with Wasp from day 1.

There’s also that while both she and Vision are angsty robots that turned against Ultron, Vision (despite his famous “even an android can cry” moment) tends to be more performative with his angsts. He sulks. He broods. He smashes furniture.

Jocasta sits quietly and sadly in the background. Makes tentative stabs at companionship but backs off without ever causing a fuss. Different socialization rules for the robot genders possibly?

The good news is that modern Jocasta has learned to assert herself a lot more. She’s been a delight in the Dan Slott Iron Man book.

Anyway. Hopefully that line about Ultron doesn’t foreshadow anything. Its going to be really dumb if Jocasta brings back Ultron because the Avengers treat her with all the attentiveness of the fridge (although she may still legally qualify as one depending on how much of the Henry Peter Gyrich’s nonsense has stuck around).

Time for a sudden, drastic tone shift!

Beast exits stage Avengers Mansion, pursued by Wonder Man.

He hides up a tree like a rocket belt isn’t something Simon has or the ability to jump hella high.

But Wonder Man takes neither of those options. Instead he karate chops the tree down in one stroke. Which is impressive but I imagine Tony Stark is going to be annoyed. That tree was part of the landscaping!

Not expecting this, Beast falls out of the tree complaining that cutting down trees is illegal in New York. Wonder Man catches him and takes his sunglasses back.

Beast: “You grabbed me! But nobody’s fast enough to do that!”

Wonder Man: “People think I’m just strong! Everybody forgets that I have instantaneous reflexes and blinding speed! To me, the world looks like its moving in slow motion!”

I feel like if Wonder Man was Actually Fast all along, he’s not been getting much use out of it, considering how often he takes dumb hits in fights.

And then Wonder Man hurls Beast into the sky.

Like. Really high into the sky.

Beast: “omigosh! omigosh! omigosh! He’s nuts! He’s crazy! He’s -- who cares about him?! I’m dead! He killed me over a crummy prank! For stealing his glasses I get to end up as a blue blotch on the street. My girlfriends won’t recognize me! I can’t look! Wait a minute! This is serious! This is for real! I’m falling at hundreds of miles per hour! Nothing can save me! I’m really going to die! Like this?! I’m going to die like this?! NO!”

Wonder Man: “Relax, Beast. You’re in good hands with Wonder Man!”

Beast: *Whuff*! You -- you caught me! But that’s like catching a bullet.”

Wonder Man: “Told you I moved quick!”

Beast: “thanks. You’re a decent guy for a common ruffian, Wondy!”

I mean, he also threw you straight up, Beast. Is it so impressive that he caught you?

But with the disproportionate response to a prank by making Beast think he’s going to horribly die, Wonder Man sort of apologizes and says he’s going to miss hanging out with Beast.

See, Wonder Man isn’t going to hang around hoping he gets to stay on the team. He’s actually decided to quit. As has been Wonder Man’s thing for a while, he just doesn’t enjoy the superhero life.

He’s always struggling with insecurity and dislike of throwing himself into deadly danger a dozen times a week.

In fact, he wasn’t too broken up when Henry Peter Gyrich kicked him off the team. Back when he got super into the idea of becoming an actor. He even said at time “If I can get used to playing roles on a stage - maybe I’ll feel more comfortable in my role as superhero!”

Except, as we saw in the Shadow Lord/Berserker two-parter, Wonder Man hasn’t gotten used to playing roles on a stage.

And we’ve seen that his Avengers responsibilities are getting in the way of his acting opportunities. So. Not a surprise he’s going to leave the team as long as the roster is being rearranged anyway.

Wonder Man asks if Beast likes that superhero life of facing death all the time.

Beast: “Frankly, I never really actually considered the possibility of dying... until a minute ago. But think of the fun, glamour and girls, Simon! This is the life!”

Wonder Man: “Is that stuff really enough for a guy as smart as you, Hank? The way I see it being a hero doesn’t make you a person any more than having power makes you a hero.”

Beast: “Yeah. But pigs make good pork chops so I’m staying!”

I’m not really sure what Simon is getting at here. I think its something about finding yourself?

As the time for the meeting draws minutes away, Completely Normal Doctor Donald Blake arrives at the mansion by cab. The cabdriver wondering what a guy like Blake is doing at Avengers Mansion. This Completely Normal Cab Driver is tempted to snoop but goes naw!

If he had snooped, he may have seen Completely Normal Doctor Donald Blake turn into the Mighty Thor and head into the mansion.

Here’s a funny thing, Thor claims that the reason why he talks to himself so much is out of protest that there’s just not enough heralds in Midgard to tell people how cool he is.

Thor: “Thus, the mortal facade is stripped away -- and thus, once again Thor treads the Earth! Thor, god of Thunder, Prince of Asgard! Thor, son of Odin! Bah! That the son of Odin must so proclaim himself -- ! Are there no heralds about? Nay... never when thou needest one! Unannounced, I enter this Earthly ‘mansion,’ poorer than the least dwelling in Asgard!”

Thor also wonders to himself that if he is chosen to take part in the new Avengers roster, will he choose to remain with them? One presumes he has a lot of Thor business going on. That’s why he left the team back when Moondragon was temping with them. She convinced him he was slumming by hanging with the Avengers.

OH. MEANWHILE. That Completely Normal Cab Driver?

He is seized by a strange compulsion. He parks his cab in an alley, takes off his clothes and -- MOON KNIGHT?

Inside, the Avengers are assembling for their meeting to find who is fired or not. Except they’ve decided to give the rinky conference room table a pass and are instead sitting around in a room with even fewer chairs and a table less conducive to holding a meeting.

Lateral move.

I’m wondering whether there was some miscommunication between writer and artist or what.

Cap tells the Avengers to find a place to sit (when there is only one visible chair) when Jarvis interrupts.

Moon Knight has shown up and demands to see the Avengers. And the automatic defenses that should have stopped him seem to have been switched off.

Moon Knight insists that the Avengers summoned him. That he was forced to come to the mansion. Which comes as news to the Avengers.

And then a whole bunch of other superheroes show up claiming that they were also forced to come here.

Hi Hercules, Hawkeye, Black Widow, Angel, Yellowjacket, Dazzler, Tigra, Black Panther, and Iceman!

So that explains the cover.

Wow, a cover that didn’t even lie!

There’s a hustle and bustle of the various superheroes complaining about being here because they had better things to be doing. Black Panther is late for a meeting to speak with the UN Security Council!

And Dazzler complains because its too cold to sit next to Iceman. And Iceman is just like ‘it be like that.’

Oh and Tigra seems to decide to get in some impromptu yoga. Don’t know what the deal with that is. But cats be like that sometimes.

Moon Knight sees all these heroes here and comes to the conclusion that this is some weird Avengers membership drive. But he is very not interested in this!

Yeah, I don’t know that a mysterious vigilante who mostly operates in the shadows would be a good match for a public superhero team.

Cough.

Iceman too is like sorry but I’m not into the hero stuff. I was on the Champions. I did my time!

So he and Moon Knight turn to leave. Iceman saying he’s going to need to find a cab and Moon Knight clearing knowing that he’s going to be picking up that fare.

But when they get near the door, the two freeze.

I realize that Iceman is involved so I mean that they suddenly stopped moving.

And they get super belligerent at each other and start fighting. With Iceman expositing about his skills. Which is normal for a comic. But seems a bit weird in the context of whats going on.

Iceman: “I feel compelled to explain how my X-Men training helped me to get the most out of my mutant ability to freeze the moisture in the air!”

And he freezes the ground under Moon Knight’s feet so he slips like a doofus.

But when he goes to finish the fight, Iceman’s head suddenly starts to hurt. Which he says is like someone else is in his head with him. He can’t think clearly enough.

While Iceman is distracted, Moon Knight throws some of his moonerangs at Iceman who blocks them. But neither can continue as the pain in their heads incapacitates them both.

Yellowjacket: “Wait a minute! I know who must be behind this! That arrogant self-styled g-- *uhh*”

And Yellowjacket freezes in place, as if in a trance.

The Avengers are concerned but Angel suddenly starts flying around the room, saying he can’t resist, he just has to flyyyyyy

Which apparently offends Tigra for some reason. Some mysterious reason. How mysterious.

Angel: “The Angel’s in the air! Watch me do my stuff!”

Tigra: “So, you think you’re pretty special, huh, Wings? Well, you’re just another bird to Tigra, the She-Cat -- and cats eat birds!”

Angel: “Sounds wild -- ! But you’ve got to catch me first!”

Tigra: “I will Bird-Man! I will -- with my nice, sharp claws! And, once I do, I’m plenty strong enough -- to tear your precious little wings right off!”

Eeeeeeeeesh. Well that’s retroactively a sore subject. Angel has his wings badly injured during the Mutant Massacre storyline and they end up amputated, sending him into a depression. And then stuff happens stuff happens, its his college roommate Cameron Hodges’ fault, Apocalypse gives Angel metal murder wings.

But in the here and now before that series of events, we must assume something similar to the sudden antagonism between Moon Knight and Iceman.

Something weird is going on and stating out loud that you’ve figured out what just gets you put in a trance.

Of course, I know what’s going on because I peeked ahead so I’ll just go ahead and tell you its M- *uhh*

Hahah, just kidding! Can you imagine, though? Anyway, its Moondragon.

She’s lurking behind the Avengers watching them watch this nonsense. They don’t notice her because she’s decided she doesn’t want them to. Until she does.

But before that, hey, time to call out Beast.

Beast: “Hey-- ! That’s not a costume! Tigra’s for real! She’s like a cat ... covered with fur -- like me! I should be thrilled, I guess... But instead, I find it vaguely unsettling!”

Look, furries can’t judge furries for being furry. Its the law.

Anyway, Moondragon lets the Avengers notice her and they turn around and go ‘oh ffs its Moondragon’ more or less.

Moondragon: “I sensed your need for order... for organization! So I returned!”

Iron Man: “What?! What right do you have to interfere?”

Moondragon: “Why, divine right, naturally!”

You may not like her but you have to admire her confidence.

She recaps her backstory a bit, including her belief that she’s Actually A Goddess of Mind. Because she was raised by the demigods of Titan and she’s super psychic.

I’m not sure how super psychic. I don’t think she and Jean Grey, for example, have ever locked horns. And Jean Grey is kind of the byword for super psychic.

She’s at least psychic enough that she gave Daredevil his vision back. I think that’s psychic?

I do wonder how Moondragon stacks up on the Grey scale. But not enough that I want that kind of dick waving contest between the Avengers and X-Men. There’s enough of that already.

So after explaining how great she is the Avengers basically react with ‘oh ffs, we did not miss this’ and ask what this has to do with this circus.

Moondragon: “Come now, Iron Man! Who better than I to bring order to the tangled affairs of this company? When last I left this august assemblage, my status was still Avenger-on-call -- meaning that I would aid you in times of dire need! I am needed now! -- And so I am here!”

Iron Man: “Swell.”

I think I’ve actually missed her advanced state of arrogance. Or maybe I’m just charitably inclined to her because she and Phyla-Vell got back together and alive in the current Guardians of the Galaxy run.

Anyway, Hawkeye has not missed her advanced state of arrogance and decides to peace out. He’s got an actual paying job to do and he’s late for work because Moondragon dragged him out here.

Moondragon tells him he can go. FOR HIS FATE LEADS HIM AWAY FROM THE AVENGERS FOR NOW!

Hawkeye: “Baldy, if you’re so hot why couldn’t you figure that out without dragging me across town?”

Good point, Hawkeye.

Honestly? I think she did it to troll you.

Black Widow and Black Panther also take off. Black Panther to his UN thing and Black Widow back to her job with SHIELD.

Moondragon doesn’t stop them. So I’m guessing their fates also lead them away from the Avengers for now. But. Why bring them? They didn’t do anything?

Moondragon, were you just padding out the numbers for a more exciting cover? Dammit, Moondragon!

Hawkeye is Hawkeye and thus extra extra so he shoots a suction cup arrow at a helicopter to hitch a ride instead of taking a taxi. And as he dangles from it, he muses melancholic about what Black Widow and he once had. And ironically, Black Widow is also thinking about him and sure that he doesn’t care for her anymore.

Womp womp.

Inside the mansion, Moondragon decides to continue, to the protests of Thor, Iron Man, and Captain America.

So she yells SILENCE! and paralyzes them, just like with Yellowjacket.

The assorted crowd of everyoen else fusses and wonders what to do but Moondragon takes charge and demands that Dazzler show her stuff.

Or rather:

Moondragon: “You use your gift frivolously... as part of a musical act! Please demonstrate!”

That’s... a way to request that, yes.

Dazzler doesn’t like her tone but decides to demonstrate anyway. Cranking her pocket radio and converting the sound waves into a dazzling light show.

Dazzler: “I.... uh. Also skate! Not much of a power, huh?”

Moondragon: “Hmm! Greater than you suspect... but i sense that your desire to be a minstrel is deep and sincere!”

Minstrel? Really? Psychics have no excuse for not knowing the right word.

I’m getting a real mixed vibe from Moondragon talking to Dazzler. Its like she’s being condescending and complimentary at the same time.

But since she senses that Dazzler just wants to do disco stuff, she tells her that she can go.

Dazzler isn’t sure whether to leave the Avengers to deal with this or as she thinks “Baldy’s rap sounds real cool but this scene is definitely tense!” but Scarlet Witch tells her it will be alright.

So Dazzler goes. “When the Scarlet Witch says go -- I go!”

Dazzler knows the score.

With Dazzler gone, Moondragon is like ‘welp lets get back on with it’ but Scarlet Witch has had it.

Scarlet Witch: ��Enough! We demand that you cease this outrage! We can make our own decisions.”

Moondragon: “Can you? Some of you would choose to stay out of force of habit... or loneliness... or fear of failure in the world beyond these walls! You are children! It is far better that I choose!”

And now Iron Man has had enough. And has also had an idea.

While his body may have been paralyzed by Moondragon, a lot of his armor functions are thought activated because, hey, I don’t see a lot of buttons on him, do you?

So all he has to do is think WHOOOSHy thoughts and WHOOOSH he goes, flying through the ceiling of Avengers Mansion. For once, it is Tony Stark who destroys Tony Stark’s home.

And once he’s outside Avengers Mansion, he is apparently far enough outside her range that he can now move. And since “brainwaves are electromagnetic in nature” he turns on his built-in transceiver to emit a microwave psionic jamming signal.

Which is something that he just can do!

The effect of which is that it’ll make Moondragon “feel like she’s got static on every channel!”

Sure!

Kind of reminds me of the First Foundation’s anti-psychic defenses they made against the Second Foundation. Ah, classic sci-fi. Sometimes it teaches us things like how to fight specifically Moondragon.

Moondragon is sure that she can overcome the jamming if she can just regain her concentration but...

With psychic frequencies jammed, the paralyzed Avengers start to spring into action.

So she just puts up a force field. Projected from her spaceship in Earth orbit and activated with a remote control in her glove.

Aside from the other things I’ve given Moondragon, I’ll also give her this: she came prepared.

Moondragon: “Why must you resist me so? Why can you not simply acknowledge that you need my godly guidance? We are wasting valuable time! I have yet another group of candidates to summon... but I cannot dally here much longer!”

I really want to know who her B Squad would have been.

But with the Avengers trying to break down her force field and Iron Man swooping back in to help, Moondragon decides ‘hey fuck this actually’ and teleports away.

Moondragon: “By the braided ring! How naive... how foolish you are! Perhaps I am wasting my time on your petty affairs! All right then -- enough! Have it your way! I am needed elsewhere in the galaxy! Farewell!”

And she doesn’t die on the way back to her home planet.

I do like that she recontextualizes the scenario as being actually this is a waste of her time and she’s just throwing pearls before swine. She’s going to go somewhere that appreciates the work she’s doing out of the goodness of her heart.

She is horrible. And like with Emma Frost, I just kinda appreciate that in a character.

With Moondragon not here to force people to stay, Thor tells all the non-Avengers to fuck off. Not very gracious, Thor. They were forced to come.

Iceman leaves and reminds everyone and me that his life goal is actually to be an accountant. Something I’m surprised by every time I hear it.

He even offers to help the Avengers with their budgets or tax forms. Heck of a guy.

Angel also leaves but muses that he kind of hates to.

Angel: “I... sort of hate to leave! I haven’t really done much with my life since the Champions broke up! -- Besides hang around with the X-Men a little! I never thought about becoming an Avenger --! Maybe I ought to!”

This is the thought process that will probably lead him to form X-Factor and that road leads to Cameron Hodge and Angel becoming Archangel. Dammit, Moondragon!

Although, the X-Man I really want on an Avengers team is Cyclops. He’s so defined by being an X-Man and by being a leader of X-Men, I want to see what he does on a team that already has plenty of leaders. I want to see if he goes through a weird character transformation like Beast and becomes relentlessly chill.

Alas.

Anyway, Tigra speaks up and says “I gather that you guys weren’t really looking for new members, but now that I’m here... uh, any chance?”

Cap is dubious because he doesn’t know a thing about Tigra (except that he gave her clothes to Patsy Walker) but Hercules is like hey we all saw how she tried to beat up Moondragon, that shows she has mettle.

Plus, there are Avengers that Hercules knows nothing about, which is totally the same thing.

Hercules: “You, for instance! You are called Wonder Man, though in sooth, I know not why!”

Wonder Man: “Really? Well, I... I’m as strong as Thor... almost...”

Hercules: “Eh? What?! HAVE AT THEE, THEN!”

And then he punches Wonder Man through a wall.

God, I love Hercules.

And then he tries to wrassle him, just pleased as all get out that Wonder Man is still conscious after Hercules gave him a big punch. “What fun!”

Wonder Man is less pleased.

Wonder Man: “Why are you doing this? Why are you attacking me for no reason?”

Hercules: “Men must brawl to know one another! How better to learn the measure of a man -- ? And what greater gift can a man give another than the thrill, the glory, the joy of battle? I am a friendly fellow who would often give this gift -- but, alas, most mortals are too frail to receive it. You are not, though! You and I may batter freely!”

Hercules just wants to punch people to be friendly but poor guy is just too swole for most men. He needs a real sturdy friend to beat the shit out of.

Wonder Man squirms out of the wrassle and clocks Hercules through a different wall. As the Avengers just watch like ‘yup this is the kind of day this has been.’

Hercules is in good spirit about being clocked through a wall and decides that now he and Wonder Man are friends and that Wonder Man is truly worthy to be an Avenger.

Wonder Man sheepishly mentions that actually he was quitting to pursue a career in acting and WHY HERCULES LIKES THAT JUST AS WELL!

Hercules: “Acting? Why of late, Hercules has kept company with those mortals known as the ‘jet set.’ I know many producers and directors! Come, I’ll introduce you to them! And the women, friend Wonder Man!”

Captain America, bemused: “you meet some strange folks in this business.”

There’s an non-existent Wonder Man and Hercules Take Hollywood Buddy Comedy Book and its a crime that its non-existent.

Geez, Marvel. GEEZ.

Anyway, that’s Wonder Man gone. Out of one buddy comedy into another.

Tigra reminds the Avengers that she’s still here and still wants to be in the Avengers.

Tigra: “Yeah... uh, back to my little problem... I’ve been at loose ends for a while... and I really want to belong somewhere! I know I could cut it as an Avenger! Please?”

This time, the objection is that the Avengers just don’t have room for a new person. They were trying to pare back! Not recruit!

But Beast interjects and reveals he is also leaving.

Beast: “Wondy and I had a talk this morning that started me thinking -- and I hate to admit it, but a couple of things Moondragon said hit home! You know, I used to be a scientist! I used to have a future besides my next gag and tomorrow night’s date! I want to see if there’s anything left of Hank McCoy besides a ‘blue-furred buffoon!’“

Hank’s early character beats on the Avengers were him struggling to find what his place on the team would be. He couldn’t be the strongest with Iron Man or Thor on the team. He couldn’t be the smartest with Iron Man again, Black Panther, or Yellowjacket. Wonder Man joining the team. Wonder Man joining the team gave Beast someone to be there for and with. But mostly Beast’s tenure has been kind of... party time for him. He’s been the fun member of the team. Going out to parties and juggling multiple dates and telling jokes.

Its been a fun time for Beast but he’s not really been living up to his potential And there were times he could have become the scientist on the team again. Or helped as one. Yellowjacket hasn’t been on the team as a core member for a bit. But he stuck in his role as the team clown.

Like with Thor, Moondragon has convinced Beast that he’s been sort of slumming it with the Avengers and now he’s gotta go rethink his character.

Where does this lead him? Why, he’s going to join the Defenders! And going to try to get that non-team team more organized like a team team. Is this a good thing? I don’t know, I haven’t read a lot of Defenders! Hopefully the Defenders podcast I listen to gets to that point soon!

But Beast isn’t the only one Moondragon has swayed.

Vision and Scarlet Witch likewise announce that they’re quitting the Avengers.

Vision: “Perhaps we will not succeed in finding a place among ordinary people -- but we must try!”

So perhaps influenced as well by the conversation Wanda had with Jan where Wasp wasn’t worried about losing her spot on the team. Which Wanda attributed to Jan having a life outside the Avengers. And apparently Wanda and Vision have been afraid to try for that. Until Moondragon dunked on her for it.

Geez. If there’s anything Moondragon is good at, its getting Avengers to quit the team. She got Thor and Hellcat last time. This time she got Beast, Vision, and Scarlet Witch.

So there’s room for Tigra now but also too much room. They were aiming for six and even with Tigra, they’d only have FIVE THERES ONLY FIVE CLEARLY.

Jocasta, in the background: -saddest robot in the world-

Yellowjacket shrugs and decides to rejoin as a full-time member to get the number up to six. His research hasn’t been going great lately anyway so he has time in his schedule.

Feeling overlooked, just like last issue, which was a filler which was supposed to address the Avengers overlooking her, Jocasta decides to slink away. Just leaps out the window and runs away from home.

Jocasta: “They didn’t even notice me... didn’t count me! Was it an oversight? Or had everyone already made up their minds that I would be one of those eliminated? What difference does it make? I am nothing to them! They do not want me here! Maybe I’ll find someplace where I am wanted! Maybe I’ll find someone... who loves me!”

And where does Jocasta go from here?

She wanders the country looking for love, presumably in all the wrong places, and is seized by a per-programmed compulsion to rebuild Ultron. This leads to a big team up between the Thing, Machine Man, and her and Jocasta sacrifices herself to help stop Ultron. The Avengers hold a memorial and Machine Man attends, realizing that he had loved Jocasta.

So plus side: she does find someone to love her. Minus side: she dies and also its Machine Man.

Double plus side: she’s eventually rebuilt. Dies a couple more times. But she’s currently alive.

It’s going to turn out that this was a failure of communication.

(On the team less than a day after basically begging to join and she’s already made herself at home and is hogging the entire couch. How very cat of you, Tigra.)

Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor had decided privately to ask her to stay on as a Special Substitute Avenger, keep living in the mansion, and help out when its needed.

In the hubbub of Moondragon’s recruitment drive I guess they forgot to bring it up. I feel like its something you should have approached her with before the meeting, just to make sure she was okay with it.

Hindsight and all.

The snubbing from Vision definitely didn’t help.

Iron Man: “I hope she comes back! -- And I sure hope Moondragon doesn’t!”

Hah.

I do wonder what the initial plan going into the meeting would have been, before Moondragon took it over. What roster had Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America decided on before Moondragon talked three Avengers into quitting and introduced Tigra to the team?

I guess we’ll never knoooow.

Captain America muses that although it seems like they drove Moondragon away, she may have gotten what she actually wanted. “What if she used her mental powers subtly to influence the decisions that were made?”

And its possible because of how her speech influenced the three people who quit.

The thought just about makes Iron Man furious.

He doesn’t have time to dwell on it because the news shows up to get coverage of the last panel new roster AVENGERS ASSEMBLE! moment.

I do love a good last panel new roster Avengers Assemble moment.

And that was Jim Shooter’s first issue back. And a pretty great first issue too.

Not that the previous issues have been bad necessarily but he definitely brought a sense of fun to this issue. Even though there’s some forced fighting for those ACTION SCENES most of it is just character interactions. Even some of the pointless fights.

And like writers like to do when they take over a book, Jim Shooter draws a line in the history with a shake-up to the team roster. Reintroduces Moondragon into the book because he has unfinished business with her.

I’ve actually been reading the original Star Brand book by Shooter and the writing is night and day. Its all text text text words words words but its much punchier here. Though there are some strange spelling and punctuation choices.

Still, I’m excited to have a consistent writer back on and I’m even excited about it being Jim Shooter. I hated his first run on the book on first read and then appreciated it more the second time through. And I’ve heard interesting stuff about this upcoming run.

Psst, follow @essential-avengers. You are being mentally influenced by Moondragon to do so. Wait, this is a counterproductive self-promote. Er, like and reblog because you choose to?

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eggoreviews · 6 years ago

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20 Dream Games for the Playstation Classic!

The PS1 Classic came out last year. Everyone got excited for a minute, but then we found out it was missing almost everything! Here’s my personal list of the 20 games I reckon should’ve been included. I’ll stick to one per franchise to keep it fair, but I might have to break that rule once. Hope you enjoy/agree!

Note: This is just my opinion. There might be some ones you don’t agree with, and I might have cut some ones from the original lineup you liked. Sorry in advance lol

Before I kick off the list, thought I’d briefly list off the games I cut from the Classic’s actual lineup:

Battle Arena Toshinden

Cool Boarders 2

Destruction Derby

Intelligent Qube

Jumping Flash

Mr. Driller

Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee

Resident Evil (you’ll see why)

Ridge Racer Type 4

Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo

Syphon Filter

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six

Twisted Metal

Wild Arms

Aight, let’s go.

1. Final Fantasy VII

The quintessential PS1 JRPG, of course FF7 had to stick around from the original lineup. Like it or loathe it, FF7 defined its console and is still highly regarded as one of the best JRPGs of all time. Playstation wouldn’t really be Playstation without this game. This was the game that pushed Final Fantasy into 3D, and firmly into the hearts and minds of players everywhere. There’s little else to say, other than that you kind of already know how iconic this one is.

2. Grand Theft Auto

The humble beginnings of a now mammoth franchise, the first entry in the now legendary GTA series was a top down weird thing that let you explore three separate cities in whatever cars you can find. While this doesn’t hold up especially well today admittedly, GTA was an important milestone, not just for its series but for its console generation and has certainly earned its iconic status to belong on the PS Classic. This one was a good choice.

3. Metal Gear Solid

Another obvious choice, MGS is where Metal Gear really became Metal Gear. Brilliantly cheesy voice acting, awesome stealth gameplay, suitably weird story and the birth of the now iconic codex screen, MGS is like the archetypal cold war film wrapped in a supremely fun package on the PS1. If this wasn’t here, there is no PS Classic and that’s just the tea.

4. Revelations: Persona

This was one I wasn’t expecting an appearance from on the PS Classic, but I’m glad it did. In my head, the beginnings of this extremely weird spin-off JRPG series is an essential piece of kit on a classic compilation. Everyone hoping to experience the best of what PS1 had to offer should probably try this one out and while it certainly isn’t for everyone, it’s certainly unforgettable and deserves its place among the rest of this lot. But hey, maybe I’m biased because I’m obsessed with Persona 5.

5. Rayman

The first in the franchise that spawned my favourite 2D platformer of all time, Rayman made his glorious start on the PS1. While some may argue that the second entry in this colourful, creative platformer series deserves the spot, I’m with Sony in giving the spot to the first instead. Despite the cringey, cliche villain name they went for, this game was innovative for its time and had its own unique art style that still holds up remarkably well today. This limbless boy has earned his place.

6. Tekken 3

The final game from the original 20 I’m carrying over into my list, my thoughts are that this compilation was in need of a traditional fighting game and Tekken 3 perfectly fits the bill. This acts as one of the most iconic fighters on the PS1, and is pretty much superior in every way to the previous two entries, bringing with it more characters, more moves to pull off and a better, smoother combat system in general. This is the perfect fighter for fans of retro and takes its place rather nicely on the classic console.

7. Oddworld: Abe’s Exoddus

Here’s the reason why I cut Abe’s Oddysee, to replace it with what is arguably its vastly superior sequel! Oddysee is still good, but for newcomers to this extremely odd platformer, the larger variety of power-ups and potential strategies is a much better pick for those unfamiliar with the franchise. To put it simply, Exoddus just holds up better today than its predecessor. Get ready for what is kind of nightmare fuel though, as the slightly unsettling imagery and character designs are bound to make you feel a little uneasy as you traverse dystopian, industrial environments as a weird amphibian thing.

8. Resident Evil 2

And, predictably, here’s why I cut the first RE, because there was no way I was leaving this franchise off my list. It was a tough one, but the second just won out. In my mind, RE2 just improved upon the first one in so many ways. While the first was a horrifying, strategic blast through an infested mansion that became one of the PS1′s defining games, RE2 took what the first one did well and built on it immeasurably. More developed characters, a fleshed out story, more unique environments to explore. Even though the map got exponentially bigger, that feeling of claustrophobia never went away and it was awesome the level of horror they could achieve with 90s graphics. As a legendary horror game, RE2′s the one I would go with.

9. Bishi Bashi Special

I know what you’re probably thinking, ‘this arsehole cut Ridge Racer but they’re making room for Uncle Bean?’ Well, hear me out. A lot of you may not have heard of Bishi Bashi Special. It’s a little known Japanese party game that is the maddest thing you will ever play. And in a classic compilation filled with iconic RPGs and the like, I felt that injecting a little chaotic madness into the mix was never gonna be a bad thing. There’s nothing on the PS1 that even comes close to the level of chaotic fun this gives you and shows the pure variety of the console’s back catalog. I’m very firm on this game’s place. Fight me about it.

10. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver

A hack-and-slash game with fully rendered 3D open environments, starring a kickarse silent vampire with glowy eyes. It’s a real wonder they didn’t put this on the starting lineup. For real though, Soul Reaver was ahead of its time in a lot of ways, really testing the PS1 to the limit with its graphics and control scheme. An awesome tech demo for the time that still holds up well today, but is also a solid game in general. Very worthy of this list.

11. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

As pretty much any PS fan will tell you, this game kind of has to be here. And everyone won’t shut up about it for good reason. While Castlevania made its start on Nintendo systems with the original trilogy, it really made its mark on the industry when Symphony of the Night dropped onto the PS1 in 1997. It took what made the other games so great and built on it all, providing a sprawling platforming epic filled with collectible power-ups, hidden places to explore and a story that, at the time, defined the franchise. Many would argue that the series still hasn’t topped this entry, and as such is an essential addition that is sorely missing from the real thing.

12. Tomb Raider II

Tomb Raider is, well, iconic. I’ve used that word a lot but it’s true. Lara Croft and the franchise she belongs to are iconic, especially to the Playstation. And like Castlevania, the lack of any Tomb Raider on the Classic is almost criminal. This title encompassed everything that makes the original Tomb Raider trilogy so great, interesting puzzles and areas that require a lot of strategic thought to traverse, a decent selection of weapons and vehicles and a sense of genuine fun and adventure that runs through the whole thing. Tomb Raider is cool, and it doesn’t need much introduction. And for me, this was the most glaring omission of them all.

13. Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back

While we’re on the subject of glaring omissions, here’s what was basically the PS1′s answer to Mario and Sonic, Crash Bandicoot. In particular, I’ve chosen Crash 2 because I feel it’s the best experience for new players. Crash 1, while it’s the original, is full of a load of fuckery that may put newcomers off altogether if they can’t master the jolty controls and the slightly unfair life system. Not a bad game, just not great for those new to the franchise. Crash 2 just sort of lends itself better to the classic, challenging but not too much 2D platforming the series is known for. Well-designed, aesthetically pleasing levels, consistently fun mechanics and even a story you can sort of follow. This was Crash at his best, and it needed to be here.

14. Spyro 3: Year of the Dragon

Yet another PS Classic omission that made people sad, Spyro acted as the lesser known, but still suitably iconic second mascot for the PS1. Unlike his orange counterpart, Spyro’s levels felt much less linear and were more of an explorative collectathon rather than a straight platformer. And of the original trilogy, it’s pretty safe to say that number 3 consolidated everything the first two nailed and made it as perfect as it could be. Year of the Dragon defined the series at the time, and it needed to be onboard as much as Crash.

15. Crash Team Racing

Look at me go, I’ve finally broken my franchise rule. But in this one instance, considering how wildly different the 2 Crash games are, I think we can let it slide. CTR was never really meant to happen, it was mostly just a side project for the guys at Naughty Dog to do while they still had the rights. And the result was an awesome, fast-paced and crazy experience to rival Mario Kart. Unlike Nintendo’s equivalent at the time, CTR had much heavier, clunkier feels to the karts you drove, which really made you feel like you were driving this hunk of metal. You had power-ups that kept everything interesting, shortcuts to learn and even a full-on Diddy Kong Racing style adventure mode. Guess we’ll just have to wait for the remaster to relive this one.

16. MediEvil

I’ll be honest, this was the one I was most disappointed to have missing from the Classic. I absolutely adore this game. I love the story, the concept of Sir Dan as a character, the combat and the lovely gothic areas you encounter from a mausoleum to ghost pirate ship. But most of all, the cheeky, totally stupid British humour running through the whole thing, particularly through the game’s archetypal villain Zarok, makes the whole game as funny as it is epic, with a suitably rousing soundtrack following you on your journey to prove you’re not the zero everyone thinks you are. Classic game, desperately needed a place on the lineup.

17. Gran Turismo 2

I’m going to preface this by saying that I don’t care much for realistic racing games, I don’t derive a lot of joy out of them and they aren’t really my cup of tea. But in my efforts to keep this lineup as diverse as possible, I thought I’d include the game that really pushed the PS1′s graphical capabilities to its limits and almost created a game that surpassed its console generation in its looks. There’s a whole wealth of content here; a whole bunch of cars to unlock and a beefy career mode to keep you busy for a fair while. And this game differs from other racing games on the system by rewarding strategic thought and encouraging players to think through every action they take on the race track, which for me makes this the most immersive racer on the system.

18. PaRappa the Rapper

Okay, I know. I really did just put this here. But come on, PaRappa ended up in PS All Stars, so he’s gotta mean something to someone, right? It doesn’t matter how you slice it, this paper dog properly revolutionised rhythm games at the time, creating a fun and responsive, if a little short, experience that was certainly unique for the time. This is another that would definitely fall under the weird category, but it’s a bit of Playstation that doesn’t get mentioned nearly enough and it’s worth a spot on pure fun factor alone.

19. Ape Escape

As one of the first games to rely entirely on the Dualshock analog sticks, Ape Escape is another that falls into the ‘must mean something to someone’ category, as Ape Escape also ended up with a character in PS All Stars. This one is a fairly simple foray, but it was met with a lot of love from fans, as you play as a tiny, chibi version of the dude from Yu Gi Oh (tell me I’m wrong) and round up a bunch of escaped apes in varying platforming levels with a cool selection of gadgets. It’s here because it’s here, let it be.

20. Silent Hill

Silent Hill is pretty much as iconic as horror games get, and yet I somehow managed to forget about it until I got the 20th and final game on my list. It was claustrophobic, gory, full of metaphors you really don’t want to dig into and, most of all, it was terrifying. The constant fog, while it was mostly implemented to account for lack of draw distance, worked in the game’s favour and became a staple in the series. For the PS1 era, this game and the series it belongs to properly nailed the scare factor and left everyone who went near it feeling at least a bit uneasy. Saying this belongs here is an understatement.

Cool, there’s my list. My probably quite badly justified list clouded by pure fan-ness. But anyway, hope you agreed with some of my picks and let me know what games you would’ve liked to see on the otherwise questionable PS Classic lineup below. Thank for reading !

#Crash Bandicoot #Spyro #silent hill #resident evil #persona #tomb raider #castlevania #tekken #final fantasy #medievil #ps #ps classic #playstation #playstation classic #metal gear solid #grand theft auto

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hiroki-moriuchi · 7 years ago

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2017′s best releases that you’ve missed

2017 was an interesting year in music. By that I mean that I went to a Breaking Benjamin concert, where someone asked me “Hey, do you play RS?” and since then I’ve been worried about how in the world a random guy could recognize me as a Runescape player, and how I can annihilate this part of me that shows this.

As for music releases, 2017 sucked. I know that’s not what I’m supposed to say at the beginning of a list of the best albums of 2017, but I can’t lie. There were few good albums in 2017. Thankfully, they were not entirely non-existent. I tried picking out the few good releases of this year, and here they are!

Artist: Moonfall EP: Empty Cage Genre: Alternative rock Rating: 7.5/10

NY-based alternative rock band Moonfall are back with another EP! With their first EP being a mostly progressive experimental piece, the band then experimented with other styles for 2 singles, and now they’re back with a new EP that seems to be more electronic than their previous works. A risky choice, because there have been many bands who incorporate electronic sounds into their music. What can make Moonfall any different?

The answer is: their different musical influences. The track Colorless being inspired by EDM, while title track Empty Cage seems to be more influenced an indie sound. And, not to forget, the clear J-rock influences in the bass playing: where other bands often ‘forget’ about the bass, Moonfall incorporates the bass guitar as a full part of the music, not just as something that has to be added “because that’s just how rock works”.

Listen on Youtube: Empty Cage Buy: Official site

Artist: While She Sleeps Album: You Are We Genre: Metalcore Rating: 8/10

Maybe you know this about me already, but I’m a sucker for balance in music (with some exceptions, like Crystal Lake’s Machina). As a result, this album is a real treat for me. While being generally heavy - what else to expect from metalcore? - the stunning clean vocals and catchy choruses or cool verses bring moments of relative rest, before you launch into a heavier part again. Also, it’s great music for moshing, as I discovered at their concert. If you have the chance to see them, grab it.

Listen on Youtube: Steal the Sun Buy: iTunes Nuclearblast.de Stream: Various options

Artist: The Last Sighs Of The Wind Album: We Are Trees Genre: Instrumental rock Rating: 7.5/10

Okay, so I have a confession to make. I’ve always been an emotional boy, but this year something special happened. For the first time in my life, I cried about instrumental music. And the people who made it happen are the people in The Last Sighs Of The Wind, with their song Your Wave Caresses Me. This band knows how to catch your attention with emotion-driven songs, and they don’t need vocals for that. This band is especially recommended to people who like post-rock - this band is clearly influenced by that genre - but I’d recommend it to anyone who can stand rock.

Listen on Bandcamp: Your Wave Caresses Me Buy: Bandcamp ($4)

Artist: Blank Slate EP: I Have Considered The Following Genre: Progressive rock Rating: 8/10

This EP is an experience. It’s some chilled out progressive rock, but what really puts this band apart from other bands is the vocalist. I must admit: at first, I felt like she was the ‘weak link’ in the band, and that she had some practicing to do. I felt that she didn’t have enough power in her voice. But as I listened more and more, I grew to like her soft singing. It’s quite unique; it’s not overbearing, it’s just a part of the instrumentation. Her voice gently carries you through the EP. As for the rest of the instruments: they work together very well to bring intricately woven, but not overly complicated songs. I’d say: take a listen.

Listen on Bandcamp: Tangency Buy: Bandcamp ($5)

Artist: Crystal Lake Single: Apollo Genre: Metalcore Rating: 8.5/10

I’d say that, in metalcore, there’s different levels of heaviness. From heavy to heavier: something can be “heavy”, “really heavy”, “holy shit”, “what the FUCK”, or it can be plain irresponsible. The song Machina falls in the last category, and is the reason this single made the list. While the other two songs are great as well, I feel Machina is a must in your music library.

Listen on Youtube: Machina Buy: iTunes ($2.58), CDJapan (¥2100)

Artist: Julien Baker Album: Turn Out The Lights Genre: Indie Rating: 9/10

We Are Trees is not the only album that made me cry this year. Julien Baker also managed to do it with the first song I heard by her, Appointments. Her open-heartedness shines through in her music. Which, with her apparently sad heart, makes for some really sad music. Her soft music is genuine, filled to the brim with emotions. Her at times powerful voice conveys the emotions in this album well. And, fun fact, this album was recommended to me by many different people that I met in a Facebook group for a metalcore band. I just mean to say: this album is to be enjoyed by anyone. You wouldn’t normally say a piano and soft guitar-driven album would be well-liked by metalheads, but Julien Baker is talented enough to turn the tides in her favor.

Listen on Youtube: Appointments Buy: Matador ($8)

Artist: I, The Mighty Album: Where The Mind Wants To Go / Where You Let It Go Genre: Alternative rock Rating: 8/10

I’ll be honest: this album is disappointing for one very specific reason: the album starts with Degenerates, which is a song that is, without a doubt, worth a rating of 10/10. Every song after that can only be a disappointment relative to Degenerates. That being said, the other songs are certainly good too. I feel like I have to write more stuff about this album but genuinely, I don’t even know why I’m typing up a short review for each album when I don’t enjoy typing it. Just get this: this album is about as heavy as most of the songs on Linkin Park’s Minutes to Midnight, so if you like that, you’ll like this.

Listen on Youtube: Degenerates Buy: iTunes

Artist: MY FIRST STORY EP: ALL SECRET TRACKS Genre: J-rock Rating: 9/10

What a surprise. On December 12, Japanese news sites suddenly announced a new MY FIRST STORY EP, for sale on December 13. A nice surprise no one saw coming, considering that the band had released another EP (ALL LEAD TRACKS) just a few months before. So, for such a ‘secret’ release that didn’t have much of an advertising campaign going for it, I expected it to be less good than their previous EP, ALL LEAD TRACKS, which was advertised a lot. How wrong I was! With ALL SECRET TRACKS, MY FIRST STORY delivered a musically diverse, yet cohesive EP. The opening track The Anthem, though in my opinion a bit too similar to a previous opening track, Weapons, offers a good introduction to the album. Then it goes on with violin-driven 終焉レクイエム. Then, MONSTER offers us a powerful, heavy track. It is driven mostly by rap, but it is Hiro’s screaming that makes this track stand out. Next, we calm down a little with 君のいない夜を越えて, and later even more with the acoustic track See You Again. The closing track Love Affair is a bit more upbeat again, and ties the album up well.

This EP is MY FIRST STORY playing around with things they haven’t played around with before, and it works very well. It is very good, but I don’t think this is MY FIRST STORY at their best yet. I look forward to what they will release in the future.

Listen on Youtube: MONSTER Buy: CDJapan (¥1800)

And the best album of the year is...

Artist: Sufferer Album: Sufferer Genre: Post-hardcore Rating: 9.3/10

Sufferer is an ambitious project. On their bandcamp page, they say that they are “detailing a day in the life of a Sufferer, with three vocalists portraying the Subject, his Anxiety, and his Depression.” If you ask me, they succeeded flawlessly in their portrayal of what it’s like - both lyrically and musically. Lyrically, they don’t fall into self-pity the way many other song writers do. Rather, they show awareness of the self-pity, and how they think they make their own bed, but still cannot get out. This album is in a sense isolated from the world. It’s got a kind of madness that I can relate to, while, looking at it from the outside, you wonder what in the world is going on inside a mind such as the one portrayed. The desperation of the Subject also speaks from the music arrangements. The music is chaotic, nervous. Even with all the lyrics left out, the music does a good job of depicting the mind of the Subject. In short: Just listen to it. Though a short warning in advance: the album may not be suitable for everyone. It may get you down, or the subject matter (suicide, alcohol abuse, among other things) may be triggering.

Listen on Bandcamp: Chapter III Buy: Bandcamp ($10)

Honorable mentions

He Is Legend - few (Hard rock, rock n roll): Great album, drenched in loneliness. If you listen to this in mid-summer you’ll probably still be cold. How can an album have these kind of vibes?! Taiga Woods - Taiga Woods (Stoner rock): Some really good stoner rock. It’s got a fair replay value, but not an unlimited replay value. By the time I made this post I didn’t love the album as much as I did before. Movements - Feel Something (Alternative rock): A GREAT album but also really sad. KILL LE KILL - Cabin in the Woods session (Acoustic pop-punk): When you listen to this, it feels like you’re in a cabin in the woods and one guy whips out his guitar and starts to sing. It doesn’t matter that he’s bad at it because you’re in the woods anyway and it’s not about the music, it’s about the experience. But he’s still not good at it. Also, here’s a free, legal download link. Entheos - Dark Future (Death metal): Extremely good prog death metal, but I figured it didn’t fit this blog. Turn For Our - Silence in face of Injustice is a crime (Hardcore punk): I’m a sucker for hardcore punk. gotta love it. S’efforcer - Survive}•{Discover (Experimental metal): This album puts me at ease for some reason, despite it being quite heavy at times. This album would have made the list had I discovered it not on December 30th.

#my first story #sufferer #i the mighty #while she sleeps #julien baker #moonfall #crystal lake #blank slate #we are trees #alternative metal #alternative rock #j-rock #metalcore #post-hardcore #i dont think the kill le kill album was a genuine attempt at making a good album

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