#i play this game on hard mode i stg

[ayahimes]

a few weeks ago i was complaining that i only had collei as a dendro . now i have three more and not enough materials :')

[amtrak12]

@kla1991 replied to your post “I still have no idea why American Girl did a...”:

Do you have thoughts on who would be on Nikki's pokemon team? I was not quite a tomboy in 1999 but I was totally feral about pokemon and that doesn't really wear off.

​Okay so APPARENTLY my memory has been wrong for the last 20 years? Because I stg since high school, I was under the impression that I got my kiwi Gameboy Color and Pokemon Gold for my 12th birthday -- but Pokemon Gold/Silver didn't release in North America until October 2000 which means I couldn't have gotten it until my 13th birthday. :| (And the Zelda Oracle of Seasons I remember getting for Christmas 7th grade wasn't released until mid 2001 which would make it Christmas 8th grade for me !!!)

Time is weird, I guess. Anyway, that means Nikki and her twin Isabel could only be playing Pokemon Original Flavor in 1999. Unfortunate, because I have much less personal experience with Red/Blue but also fortunate because 151 pokemon is a lot less to choose from than the 300+ in gen 2.

Disclaimers: It is impossible to select Nikki's pokemon team without also selecting Isabel's, so you're getting both. Also, I chose these without reading their corresponding American Girl books and without regards to type-matching against the Elite 4. We're going purely off of vibes here.

To start, these girls would've started playing Pokemon between 7-9 (they're 9 on NYE 1999) and while their mom is in the tech field, I don't think they would've dug into version exclusives at that age before selecting their Pokemon games. It'd be more about favorite colors and the pokemon on the box. So, Nikki picks Blue because it's closer to purple and Isabel picks Red because it's closer to pink.

Nikki likes Blastoise on the box and if they've watched any of the anime, she might know Squirtle has some punk attitude which she'll like as a skateboarder and daughter of a grunge band member. Isabel chooses Bulbasaur because she's not super interested in fire. By sheer luck, neither pick the hard mode starter and both skate through the first gym just fine. (Unlike me, haha)

No one raises Magikarp, even after they learn about the Gyarados evolution. Both have Pikachu in their parties, especially if they watch the show. Nikki evolves her Eevee into Flareon to have a fire type. Isabel evolves hers into Vaporeon. You get to pick your fighter after beating the fighting gym leader, if I remember right? As the skateboarder, Nikki chooses HItmanlee, the kicker. Isabel plays tennis and chooses Hitmonchan the puncher.

Isabel is CRUSHED when she learns Vulpix is only in Blue, so Nikki traders her one for her team. She also has Jigglypuff for the pink and cute vibes, and definitely sings the Jigglypuff sleep song when Nikki annoys her. Nikki rounds out her team with a Magnemite -- chosen solely for the vague hoverboard vibes they give off. And Articuno. Neither of them are patient enough to bother with Gyarados, but Nikki WILL catch one of those legendary birds dangit! No matter how many times she has to quit without saving.

In conclusion:

Nikki's team: Squirtle, Pikachu, Magnemite, Hitmonlee, Flareon, Articuno

Isabel's team: Bulbasaur, Jigglypuff, Vulpix, Pikachu, Hitmonchan, Vaporeon

And while they might easily be playing on original Gameboys, I'm still assigning them Gameboy Colors. Nikki has it in Grape and Isabel has Berry.

[onestrangechild]

There’s something that ANGERS me about mobile game ads on such a primal level. Every game now a days that gets pushed by ads can be made by different studios but uses the same Play-doh esc sprites that use really shitty animations that probably were Mo-Capped (If at all) by some dude off the side of the street that these devs walked up to and said “Ey, bro, wanna make an easy $50?”. Like I get wanting to keep shit easy when you’re first stepping into the game, but I stg I’ve seen the same add for the same game about gathering a crowd and upgrading them by making them run through the proper gates or whatever more times than I’ve seen my own mother in the exact same day!

Or how about those Fukkin… tile mover games? The slot games that swear you get rich in just 10 plays and you “Never have to top off” whatever the hell that means? The Idle RPG games that get boring af because you have to basically not play the game to get anywhere?

But here’s what really kicks me in the dick, yeah? It’s the ads themselves! We all know about that fucking abomination of “Evony: The Kings Return”, that fuckin dumbass puzzle game where they show off someone failing a really easy puzzle which makes you frustrated just watching so you download it to prove to no one that these puzzle games aren’t that hard. Same with those crowd evolution games, like it’s so frustrating watching this dude walk to the very obviously better gate but then switch the absolute LAST second and they fucking know that! They trick you into downloading their bullshit game just to see if it’s really that hard, and usually no, it isn’t, but you downloaded it anyways so what do they care? :D

But I think… what truly takes the cake. What puts me in a Primal rage, so fucking Potent I could hang these lazy bastards by their own spinal cords from their office ceilings… is that now their ads force my phone screen into VERTICAL MODE, while I had it in HORIZONTAL MODE binging YouTube videos! And when I hit the full screen button to move it back, it freaks out and gets out of full screen mode, forcing me to rotate my phone vertically to get it centered, skip the ad, and then rotate it horizontally to put it back into full screen. That be like if I broke into one of y’all’s homes and told you to drink bleach when you told me to go away, and then I started moving furniture around. Like… the FUCK??

If you’re a mobile game publisher, and you actually think what I just ranted about is good business choices, please jump off the tallest building within walking distance of you. I will literally never play your game.

[knowlessman]

shake n bake alabamia (bnha) s2e4-5 let's find out what a fucking cavalry battle is

yeah yeah 80% of the world is superheroes ever since the shiny nation attacked wtf is a cavalry battle I don't wanna google it I want you to tell me -- reel 'em in with the melody (skipskipskip)

"I want you to tell them 'I am here!' mow it in the lawn if you have to!"

deku I think it might take a little more than luck to drag a hunk of metal with you a whole race and then figure out a way to use it to go really fast right at the end. people keep underselling themselves in this.

…these are some weird rules. also holy shit this looks unsafe with the headbands around the neck. are they actually supposed to carry each other? how the hell are they sposed to get the headbands? -- "you'll get a red card for trying to make people fall over" ?????????????????????? I started this episode with one question and I keep getting more. also it's hard enough to get kids with quirks not to try to kill each other, how in fuck do you decide whether an "attack" is meant to get someone to fall?

dude. I know healing powers exist but still, why are they letting you smoke indoors, and right in people's faces no less

"how do you not know your own class's powers???" 'XD vegeta gonna vegeet

flying horse? not sure what other plan there is with uraraka tbh -- well, it's not like this is that different from deku's plan with picking iida -- (I keep trying to remember the gadgeteer girl's name from danganronpa 3 so I can call hatsume that but tbph maybe that's for the best anyway)

"I just need one more person" WHAT ARE THE RULES OF THIS GAME, THE DIAGRAM SHOWED THREE PEOPLE -- dontbeminetadontbeminetadontbemineta -- birdman, yesssssss, this oughta be cool (also it's not mineta thank fuck)

oh fuck, part of me wants to see todoroki win. it helps that iida is on his team (even tho I'm a little disappointed about this "I'm your rival now too" thing)

really, tsu? mineta? : /

that's literally one of the butler bot npc's from the paris map I stg (like granted it's not a complicated design but still)

"before we get deku, let's kill all these guys (who are literally just playing the hand they were dealt with half a brain)" easy there vegeets, you get red flags that way -- I guess props to class A for figuring out, between them, how to set up a team that lets bakugo do whatever he wants; for sure, no team with him in it is going to last longer than it takes for him to fall off otherwise

"I shift Shoji into attack mode and attack your headbands directly!"

"team midoriya has nowhere left to go!" WHAT. ARE. THE. RULES. TO. THIS. GAME. is this fucking calvinball, or does every high school in japan play this and somehow it's never shown up in any other anime I've heard of, or what?

…we just did this. didn't we just do this last episode? -- oh, cool. hell, I feel like they're trying to set up neito as a dick but I don't see much reason not to like him yet

neito gotta stop pushing them buttons or we're gonna need a backup planet

o_o dang, wasn't expecting iida to even have chips to put in

sigh "the difference between having goals you can plan for and just bloodymindedly grasping for the moon while answering everything but perfection with violence" so disappointingly american

I wasn't really reading too close when they explained how the points work, but it is pretty damn weird that there's a ten million point headband and (judging by the margins on the scoreboard) no others that even go up to ten thousand. damn near rowlingesque; hell, even the snitch could be overtaken (granted, only by somebody willingly throwing the game)

"Tokoyami!" "Kaminari!" "DEKUUUU!" "Bakugo!" Donkey!

"TIME UP!" bakugo faceplants 'XDDDDDD shouldn'ta got sidetracked, vegeet

…wait when did gamzee get here. did neito throw his points to him? was this a relay race pony express shell game thingy??? we still don't know what shinso's mOtHeRfUcKiNg quirk is yet

CONSOLATION POINTS TO GRIFFINPUFF. good show, birdman, good show

hm. interesting convos in next episode, I expect. officially learning some things about todoroki and endeavor. gonna have to be next time, unfortunately; 's late.

[wonderwomanfantasy]

Tendou NSFW alphabet

No one Requested this but I wrote it anyway

A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex)

He lightens the mood the the best of his abilities. He can be pretty mean durring sex so he makes sure you laugh a little and know that he really does love you. also lots of cuddles.

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

He likes his hair!! He likes how it stands out both because its color and becuase of how he spikes it up. Mostly he likes his hair because you like his hair. you’re always playing with it and scratching his scalp, it melts him. 

On you he likes your hands. they are wayyyy smaller than his and just so cute!! he will be holding your hand 25/8 

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

loves loves loves to watch his cum drip off of you. His cum is a little wattery so it runs and drips every damn where. he loves to bust over your chest and watch you try and  to catch it all as to not make a mess but its too late his cum is all over the place and you should probably wash the sheets. 

D = Dirty secret (pretty self-explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

He loves to make you drool. kinda gross but here me out. its because it’s gross that Tendou is into it. He will put his fingers in your mouth just to feel you drool down the side of his hand or make you choke on his cock just to see your spit dribble down your chin. gets him rock hard everytime. 

You get your wisdom teeth pulled and you end up drooling a little in recovery and Tendou is trying so hard to be a good boyfriend and take care of you but he’s turned on as fuck. 

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?)

Not very. in fact he’s probably a virgin when the two of you meet. Most people are scared of him, or just think he’s weird so unless it’s like a one night stand he’s probably never done the deed before. 

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

something like this where he’s stratling one leg then has the other pressed to his chest. He likes seeing your face when you have sex so he can stick fingers in your mouth and he also likes that this position hleps him hit all the sensitive spots inside of you. 

that being said Tendou is into some weird shit so if you are flexable he’s going to put your ass in some straight up bonkers poses while you two fuck

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)

oh you KNOW he’s cracking jokes the whole time wich is kind of jarring because he is also belittling you all the time so he might give you whiplash

H = Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)

Got into manscaping as a joke and is very poud that he has the prettiest pubes on the team also yes the whole team has seen his pubes because Tendou. 

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)

Not very romantic tbh like I said he’s into degrading the fuck out of you and he’s got truble expressing how much he loves you at the best of times so don’t expect him to scatter roses for you or something </3

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

all the time babie. he’s horny all day everyday and also jerking off just helps him relieve stress so he’ll do it even if he isn’t in the mood. Not ashamed if you catch him either if anything he enjoys you watching. very into mutual masturbation as well. 

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

BDSM- Tendou is a sadist. that's it that’s the post. Tendou lives to see you crying or in pain that he caused. it’s just so much fun spaking you then belittling you and humilating you for getting off on it of course this is made all the better becuase you like it just as much as him.

He also loves making a reall mess of you, your hair will be tangled, any makeup you were wearing smudged and your whole body trembling as it’s covered in unnameable fluids. in Tendou’s eyes you’ve never looked better.

letex- Is this a kink? I think so. Tendou loves seeing you in tight-fitting black letex. he loves watching you jiggle in the tight fitting outfit and how your plump skin fills the costume perfectly, and if you were to dom him you better do it in a letex dominetrix suit 

food play- please imagine chocolatier Tendou pouring melted choclate all over your body so he can lick it up. Like I said he loves to make a mess of you. whipped cream, carmel, strawberries, icecream, Tendou would use you as a buffet table tbh 

L = Location (favorite places to do the do)

in theory he likes doing it outside, thinks its romantic to blow your back out under the open night sky, but  tbh it’s hard to have kinky sex outside so he usally holds off on sex to the bedroom.

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

when you use your “baby voice” like your voice pitches up and you hit him with the pout and the puppy dog eyes and he is putty in your hands. one time you found a stray kitty and started cooing over it as the poor thing. Needless to say, tendou had never been so jelous of a cat before. God forbid you baby Goshiki that way

N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

not into roleplay He thinks it’s just cringey to pretend to be someone you’re not and it just takes him out of the experience. He also isn’t really big on sharing. He may threaten to let the whole world see you at your sluttiest if he’s humiliating you, but he’s bluffing that is a sight for his eyes only.

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

tbh? not into oral that much. Not that he would ever turn down a blow job mind you, bt he would rather fuck you properly or just jerk himself off. 

that being said he still goes down on you fairly offten. He’s a big tease and loves to torture you with his tounge edging you over and over again. or tease you for humping his face like a desprate little slut. He also likes it when you sit on his face, it just feels intemet you know? it’s also a good way to show his control over you. Even though techincally you are setting the pace as you ride him, you still do what he asks cus your obedient 

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

it depends. if he’s still in teasing mode, he’ll be painfully slow, until you beg him to speed up, wich he will of course almost brakeing the bed in the process and if you tell him to slow down he’ll go back to slow and teasing. 

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

He doesn’t like to have a full quicky but he will absolutely pull you aside to get you worked up before leaving you high and dry. before pouncing on you when you have a little more privacy. 

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)

He’s down for pretty much anything he’s pretty chill when you bring something up you want to try and always makes sure to bring up anything he wants to do in advance to make sure you’re comfortable and onboard. 

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

in the beginning he has no stamina homeboy busts in like a minute flat lucky for you he is willing to train and he can go for rounds on end imma say this for every one of these boys stg but his stamina is through the roof never going to stop having sex just because he’s tired. and if he is feeling low energy it manifests with less kinks rather than less sex. 

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

HA. yeah <3. Ushi found his box of sex toys once and hasn’t recovered since. Ball gags, nipple clamps, and handcuffs are some of Tendou’s personal favorites. 

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

Do I even have to say it? is it even really sex with Tendou if he doesn’t make you beg?

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)

He’s not loud but he talks a lot. He looms over your body and mummers into your ear all the dirty things hes going to do to you, or wants to do. he’s also highkey going to mock you if you’re too loud 

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)

When he gets drunk he gets very sweet and clingy he also gets very touchy and drunk Tendou is one of the only times you’ll have sweet sex with him.

X = X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes)

his cock is very long with a redish purplish tip. He has a small case of pencil dick cus it’s not very gurthy rip Tendou

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

Very high he wants you every day basically whenever you’re horny it’s safe to assume Tendou is also in the mood. 

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

like I said he dones’t get sleepy after sex really, but he does like to cuddle and he likes to watch you sleep while you’re curled up in his arms. 100% kisses your head while you sleep. 

[official-alan-dabiri]

I Make My Own HotS Content: Sgt. Hammer

I know what you’re thinking. “Official-Alan-Dabiri, whoever you are, I expected better from you. Sgt. Hammer is an extremely straightforward hero. How could you possibly write a meaningful essay about her? You’re just going to be lazy and write very little.” But you’re wrong! Stg. Hammer is a very layered and complex hero, who presents a very different game to her enemies while reshaping the toolkit her allies have to work with!

I know what you’re thinking. “Official-Alan-Dabiri, whoever you are, I expected better from you. Are you a dirty QM Hammer picker? Do you thrive off of making your enemies suffer, and blame every loss on your allies not knowing how to play your hero?”

Anyway, under the cut is more details about why she’s more complicated than she seems, the game she presents to her enemy and how she reshapes her allies’ toolkits.

Hammer is obviously an artillery auto-attack hero. This is very easy to understand even at first glance, despite this being an unusual concept. Most artillery heroes are mages, and most auto-attack heroes are balanced around how vulnerable they become when they step up into range. Meanwhile, Hammer uses her Siege mode to become dangerously immobile in order to extend her range rather than stepping forward to do so. Her abilities are all based around keeping her safe, either with on-demand armor, a potent knockback, and mines that provide vision of the flanks, and dismount and slow anyone who wanders into them. When she activates her siege mode, she trades her mobility for a dramatic attack range increase, and her attacks become more powerful in several ways (modified by several talent options) such that any fight that happens in range of her attacks almost always goes disastrously for her foes.

Enemies trying to deal with Sgt. Hammer have basically only two options. They either have to leave, and try to continue the fight from outside of her range, or they have to go extra hard, trying to get on top of her to kill her or force her to drop siege mode to escape. This is why Sgt. Hammer is so strong on maps where leaving is not an option. On many maps, you can just leave if you can’t win a fight, and do things elsewhere on the map. Pushing lanes, capping mercs, or trading structures. Sometimes, though, the objective is too powerful to give up (BoE, Cursed), or one lane is dramatically more valuable than the others (ToD), and ignoring her in that lane is suicide. At that point, the enemy is forced to bite the bullet and do whatever dance is required around her.

The most important thing, though, is that the allied team needs to know how to play around hammer. Too often, a hammer is either left alone and vulnerable (without anyone able to protect her from enemy engagement) or she is left behind to chase a retreating foe (charging into the enemy team where she can’t offer any support). Either of these is a tremendous mistake. Hammer cannot work alone, and at the same time, she can’t help if her allies outrun her. Phenomenal cosmic power! Itty bitty effective range! (In comparison to the entire map.) Furthermore, in draft modes, Sgt. Hammer gets hard countered by her counterpart, artillery mages! The allied team needs to drive them off, soak up their damage, and not just STAND THERE AND WATCH THEM PELT ME TO DEATH HOLY SHIT JUST STAND IN MY CIRCLE AND DON’T LET ME DIE THIS ISN’T HARD.

Hammer has long been a contentious hero. The most hated heroes in the game are the ones that change the way you have to play, and Hammer is one of the few that presents that challenge to both her allies and her enemies, and unlike Medivh, Cho’Gall, Abathur, and The Lost Vikings, what she offers in return isn’t as powerful as what they do. But with a team playing with her, against a team that lacks the capacity to approach her properly, she can be a potent tool, always just one buff away from becoming the strongest hero in the game. (If we were still getting buffs in 2022)

[silver-wield]

I stg the hell house fight. It's supposed to be where Aerith shines because of the heavy magic use, but she can't dodge jack shit. She always gets hit by the chair salvo. How am I supposed to hard mode this fight lol.

Don't ask me, I tried six times before giving up. Even with all the advice tips and good materia combos and a decent store of MP left I still couldn't do the stupid thing because she keeps getting herself killed.

Major props to anyone who persevered but I don't play games to frustrate and anger myself.

[tomstanleyy]

happy 1st (belated) birthday sweetener!!!!!!🥺🤩can’t lie this fic is my main source of happiness so just wanna day a big fat thank you to miss @keepingupwiththeparkers for that! i feel like i’m like this fics..... godmother.....? or something like that i dunno, either way i’m definitely waaay to invested in this story but sometimes it be like that😌😌 anyway, i just wanted to say some of my fave bits and/or chapters bc i mean....... godmother duties✌🏼 (the fact i have fully claimed the title as godmother of a fan fiction is flashing neon-light sign that i am too invested but idgaf x)

the mood board is so hella sexy so that’s fun

speaking of sexy…... barista!tom in the first chapter HELLO KIND SIR

never have i ever, i mean just FUCK OFF? MAYBE? i dunno? go awaY? it’s just like there first like interaction that ISNT at the cafe and it’s so perfecto!!!!!!! him moving her out the way with his hand on her back MMMmMmmMmM and then the weird tention between them with the game OH AND when he thinks she there bc she wants to get with haz and he’s lowkey pissed off;) ugh DIVINE KATIE

lmao chance encounters, BOY!!!!!!!! his mini panic in the door way jsjsks and then like the whole viBeS i dunno!!!!!! cute!!!!! OMG and when he’s staring at her and harrison kicks him!! NOooooo!!!!! n then tom pouring his tea away just so he can see her for a minute….. the softest boy eva. it’s not up for debate

the one at the library is just like….. a classic😍 OK yano the selfie tom put on his story with messy hair and grumpy face? ya i wanna see that pls thank you. she brings him coffee and they watch MEMEZ!!!!!!!!!!! i die :( and then THEY HOLD PINKES FOR FUCKS SAKE!!!! N THEN THE LITTLEST CUTEST KISS EVER byeee byeeeeee

Wishful Thinking and Words of Wisdom… yo the convo between haz and tom in this chapter is so important to me lmaooo like there banta and shit just makes me so happy bc there not prick there just…… Dumb Boys u no? OOoohH and ofc his sex dream about her which NEEDS to be brought up again!!!!! and then him trying not to look at that little bit of skin where the blanket had ridden down and trying not to look at her pants when she moved her leg in the carrrrr!!! and the cheek kiss jsjsj!! just too good and too much crying to be done over it

The Snap is like as they said “what got it all going” lmaoooo OKAY can i just say the fact she didn’t fucking explode when he replyed with THAT photo and ‘gorgeous x’ is a miracle imo🤷‍♀️

aw omgggg Look At Me Now…… SO CUTE🥺 like it all flowed so well (so do the other chapters but this had like quite a lot of dialogue in it i think and it was just like …. smooth af) toms lol scene in the bathroom is so fucking funny to me bc i love he and his thought prosess lmao and then the Holding Hands Dilemma hahahahahah AND THE RUDE MAN WHO DIDNT SAY THANK YOU!!!! the thought of them in there little outfits walking up to the bus stop holding hands is…… too much. and then……….. the kiss…… just……. THE kiss. where he moves her hair and her lips r all sparkly and just it’s so perfect and i cry

okaY…….. Hoodie and Hormones…… they🥺 it’s just like them being all drunk and cute and when she walks up to him and he goes all 😍🤤 and his pals are all oiiiiiii lmao and there kiss at the bar 😰 nah😰 and at the end where he gives her his hoodie and like has his hand on her hip under it :(((( stop i cannot :((((

i mean………. the nineteenth hole….. katie katie KATIE!! you went HARD (so did he👀) firstly, the golf bit is so nice like them chatting away and him looking at her bum and her touching his bum oop and then like OMG him putting his hand on the headrest when he reverses lmaooooo heee!!!........ and then like…… my life changed forever🙃🙃bc i still havent recovered tbf…… there’s too much to say bc it’s all my fave part!!!! he was just so like reassuring and like safe but also like S E X Y lmaooo

awakenings….. she was a lowkey stressful one phahaha but also high key cute and sexyyyy like they wake up spooning (him squashing her) mand after weewees they have more snuggles and then…… he goes down on her and like she’s in her sexy little pj set and it’s all too much lol…… but then he suddenly HaS tO gO hOmE!!!! n then she sees Kim’s instagram and that he’s with her and DUN DUN DUN……. gonna have to wait a fucking month and a half to find out what happens🥰🥰 (i’m joking ily)

*longest month and a half of my life over* QUESTIONS AND ANWSERS!!!!!!!!! okay this was a cutie tho :((( he got his hair cut which was sad but also not bc FFH PRESS HAIR HELLO!!!! they have a little smooch and then he has boner and then she’s like NOPE HOW MANY PEOPLE WAS UR DICK IN BEFORE IT WAS IN ME HUH? but yh i do love he had a semi while they where having a deep chat lmaoo but ALSO his soft Boy was showing when he was talking about that weird date and she was playing with his hands 😭😭leave me alone. cya. OMG n then sexy times…… this was very GOOD sexy times bc it had been a while for them lol…… n then the pizza man came and then she feel asleep on him and then i stop so i can sob xxxxx

oooh deja vu!!!!!!! she was a long boy but a very good boy also, tom being a brave soul in the library lmao and then the smut was like Legendury lmao bc they went on the floor OOH and when she had already come like twice and he flipped her over like ME NOW PLS!!  it was just all in all a 100000/10 chapter rly

taste of freedom was when i feel like they got close close like THAT was when they knew they where gonna be like besties as well🥺like eating maccies in the car and then tom couldn’t come in bc he knew he would fall asleep and he had exams the next day. uwu. ooooop i loveee this smut lmao it’s just very good lol. the angles he be hitting at also where fun and spicey so ya OMG when he holds her legs down i just wanna screammmmnmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!!!!!! omg and then they have a lil nap and a cuddle :((( which was just too far and too painful for me

good vibes and good times….. she was a vibe wasn’t she (literally not even a bit funny)...... but yh like she’s pm sat on him on the sofa which is all snuggley n then smooches with his hand like in her hair and then his FACE when he finds It polite cat mode lmaoo and then he’s being a little shit when he won’t give it back to her!!!!! n then when they meet at the club they have a big hug and then they eat chips togther and she can’t stop looking at the little devil horns in his hair lnao mood tho

hOKAYY falling, falling is a cracker bc i risked my life to fights for toms blow job lmao ur welcome boy x but yes very nice kt although the phone call at the end was a bit 👀👀but they’re cool it’s all cool

erm clarity was just offensive lmao like THE SMUT was just RUDE and i’m still SAD about it quite frankly 😌 tom being all sweaty when they have the Chat and him wheeling across the floor lmao but then like the smut and him going down on her YO AND THEN ‘can i smack ur arse’ IM NOW ONE WITH THE CLOUDS!!!!! CYA!!!! aw okay but then the shower smooches and his CURLY HAIR and at the end chilling and talking about rugby when she’s playing with his hair😭noooooooooo

omg ok i just reread trial and error and Okay u KnOw i adore sleepy tom 🥺🥺 hes just so babie!!!!! her saying to him ‘early night for you then’ get the fuck out of here!!!!!!! and then the HELLO KISS I CRY!!!!! n then obvs like …. THE WHOLE SMUT YES PLS!! especially him being so comforting when she’s like not sure AND later when he’s like i’m sorry i’m tired and hungover and she’s like it’s okayyyyyy! *sobs* n then somone comes home and tom is going to explode lmao and then he like collapses her and she’s like help i can’t breathe :( and then he spoons her and has a little sleep,,,,,, it’s safe to say i’m very upset

katie….. you know my thoughts on the match but i swear i will never shut up about it lmao i’m so sorry…….. everything is so uwu like snuggle in the morning and then the sweetest sexy times EVA and then tom wanting to be invisible when her and haz are talking lmao that still cracks me up…….. and then like i take a break so i can go to the bathroom and cry 😭😭 bc babie got a booboo!!!!!!!&!& but fr ‘she’s my girlfriend’ just made me wanna yeet of a bridge stg AND THEN THE WAITING ROOM SCENE!! OFC!!!!! HELP?!?! n then the forehead kiss and then 🥺😍😍🥺🥺🥺😍🥺😍🥺😍🥺😭😭😭😭😍🥺

[clickbliss]

Gunlord X Review

by Amr (@siegarettes)

Gunlord X

Developer: NG Dev Team

Publisher: Eastasiasoft

PS4, Switch

NG Dev seem set on single handedly changing my mind about the Euroshooter. Born of the European PC scene, the genre is notorious for tossing away all the arcade conventions that STG fanatics appreciate, instead rooting itself in the demoscene mentality and using the shooter as a medium to flex their technical prowess and deliver overwhelming sights and sounds. 

Gunlord X inherits every one of these problems. Touchy, ambiguous, and honestly a bit sloppy at points, Gunlord X carries all the hallmarks of the European PC shooter, despite its origins as a posthumous Dreamcast and Neo Geo game. In spite of that, it remains enjoyable throughout, making a case for a more relaxed take on the genre.

Gunlord’s basic structure will be familiar to anyone who’s played a Turrican title, with short detours into more traditional scrolling shooter stages. Areas are large and open, with several nooks and hallways to explore on your way to the goal. Its goal isn’t to create a non-linear space, but instead give each contained area a wider sense of scale. Areas stretch both vertically and horizontally, often folding into each other or snaking beneath previous spaces, occasionally hinting at what’s on the other side. 

To go along with these larger spaces comes an arsenal that lets you travel fast and fill the area full of bullets. A wheel mode drops you into an morphball-esque form that lets you plaster the floor with bombs, and your guns frequently cover half the screen or ricochet through corridors, taking down anything you’re vaguely aiming at. The only weapon that needs anything close to precision is your high powered alternative beam weapon, but I rarely needed it for anything other than bosses, which crowd so much of the screen it’s hard not to hit them.

Damage comes to you as easily as you deal it. Separation between the foreground and background is often ambiguous, hitboxes are wide and damage feedback is weak. Combined with the oversaturated visuals I often never noticed I’d been taking hits until I’d lost my final hit point and detonated. 

The first scrolling shooter stage provides the perfect illustration for this. Large battleships flank the sides of the stage, which you’re free to fly right over. Naturally, I assumed this meant that I’d only take damage from their weapon fire, since there was no collision with the ships themselves. It was only when I noticed the quiet flashing preceding my ship’s explosion that it became clear that I was in fact, taking damage from flying over them. 

Gunlord is full of these weird collisions and eccentricities. Stages objects have weirdly precise collision boxes, making it easy to get caught on them as you try to jump onto or descend from them, introducing a stuttering pace to navigation instead of a smooth flow. 

Jumping itself is off--gravity is abrupt and heavy and wheel mode doesn’t preserve any momentum, dropping you straight to the floor when you transform and making your jump arc even smaller. It can even be difficult to determine what you can jump on. Steppable platforms often appear to be background objects, and the visual design of certain platforms had me expecting them to move when I boarded, but instead ended up being static, while other seemingly static platforms abruptly started. 

And despite every one of these problems Gunlord X manages to still be enjoyable. Levels never demand any serious precision, which keeps the fiddly controls from being a problem. Hitboxes may be vague and damage feedback weak, but it’s mitigated by enemy patterns that are so indirect and linear that you can avoid them if you stand slightly out of position and point your massive cone of fire vaguely in their direction. 

Gunlord X isn’t about surgical precision. It’s about big, expressive spaces, massive bosses, and giving you absurd levels of firepower to pelt them with. Gunlord is just difficult enough to make you pay attention, and forgiving enough that death rarely feels like it matters. Playing careful and clean is a fool’s errand. Fast and loose is the philosophy here. These spaces are made for you to run over. Once I gave up on that little voice seeking perfect play, Gunlord X finally made sense, and I found enjoyment in the simple act of shooting it all down. 

[evilisk-played]

Games in 2021, Part 2 (February to May)

I just haven’t felt like playing much this year TBH

= = =

Dynasty Warriors 3 (2001/2002) System: PS2 (Emulated) Genre: Hack N Slash / Musou Subgenre

Despite DW3 being the game of my childhood, and despite clocking about 30 hours of this game in February, I didn’t feel particularly compelled to write about this game. It’s just not that fun in 2021. At best, it’s a weird game that is somehow a huge improvement and not enough of an improvement on DW2.

Enter The Gungeon (2016) System: PS4 Genre: Bullet Hell / Dungeon Crawler

Picked this up for free on the PS4. It’s quite good! And hard. Definitely hard. I dunno what else to say... well actually. I do sometimes wish Enter the Gungeon wasn’t a dungeon crawler, bc some of these weapons are inspired. I’d love to play a spinoff that let you choose guns (instead of leaving it up to chance).

Touhou Kouryuudou ~ Unconnected Marketeers (2021) System: PC (Demo) Genre: Bullet Hell / Vertical STG

Finally checked this out. It’s also good. It’s also really hard. Dunno what else to say since this is just a demo... well I do like the card system. It easily made the Unconnected Marketeers demo the longest Touhou demo I’ve stuck with. 

I can’t wait for the full release in May.

Terra Feminarum (2018) System: PC (itch.io, Steam) Genre: Bullet Hell / Vertical STG

“What if Touhou but Finnish? And horny?”

...Okay, I’ll admit that description is a bit reductive. While it’s not wrong to call it “Touhou but with Finnish mythology”, or to point out that the character designs are really horny, the game has more going for it than that.

I think what I enjoyed most about this game is the Story mode. It still has the typical 6/7 stages that an Arcade-inspired shmup might have, but Story lets you run through each Stage one at a time, making it quite achievable to newbies.  The actual plot is interesting. I mean, I certainly enjoyed the Finnish mythology inspired characters... Even if the horniness made it hard to take the actual plot seriously (there’s this moment where you’re talking to an underworld maiden about the profoundness of human suffering and it’s place in the universe of Terra Feminarum... the person you’re talking to is wearing a transparent dress and  like HALF a leotard).

I will say, I really like the actual shooting system. There’s not really a bombing system, but there is a hyper mode that cancels bullets on activation, can cancel bullets again if you get hit, and lets you melt bosses with firepower with losing the score bonus. It does get to Len’En levels of imbalanced (for example, two characters get side abilities like “become invincible” and “destroy and freeze bullets”. The third characters gets nothing to work with. Also the scoring system seems busted) but it’s quite fun.

If you can stomach the designs, this is an easy game to recommend since it’s free on Steam

Bust A Groove (1998) System: PS1 (Emulation) Genre: Rhythm / Fighting Game

I wanted to confirm that this could actually run on my “new” laptop without the audio de-syncing. I ended up completing the whole game again (I say again, but I didn’t exactly “complete” it when I was a kid).

...To be honest, I don’t know how to talk about this game. This game was my childhood. More than that, this game practically shaped my tastes in gaming. In 2000 it was great, and in 2021 it still owns (IMO). Even though the gameplay is very, very simple (with winning really just coming down to “don’t mess up, or don’t mess up more than your opponent) the gameplay loop just works.

Even though the sequel probably wins out in sheer content, the original still can’t be beat when it comes to style or music.

Bust A Groove 2 (1999) System: PS1 (Emulation) Genre: Rhythm / Fighting Game

If I were to say I only discovered this game existed as an adult, would it surprise you if I said I didn’t like this as much? Because I don’t like Bust A Groove 2 as much. It sounds unfair and it is. I blame whoever the hell didn’t bring this game over here (Bust A Groove 2 never released in Europe).

To play Devil’s Advocate: this sequel does a lot right. There are nice quality of life mechanics (like an actual autosave system, or highlighting your button presses) and there’s an actual story (provided that your copy of the game wasn’t the American release). There are also extra play options (for example, you can play in the classic Bust A Groove 1 style, but you can also make things easier and harder). Unfortunately, these are the only unanimously good things there are about the sequel.

Everything else is a mixed bag for me. Let’s address the elephant in the room: Bust A Groove 2 cut characters. Not only did they cut characters, they cut *my* characters. I mean, I don’t miss Hamm; dude had a cool solo, but was lame in the English version and straight up gross in the Japanese version (and for that version of the game? Good riddance). But cutting out Gas-O and Frida? They fucked up with that. While I also don’t like the changes made to certain characters (like Kelly and Shorty), the cuts are egregious.

Then there’s the gameplay. It seems like an apparent improvement from a surface level, but they’ve tweaked mechanics in ways I dislike. Like I respect the sequel for giving characters unique movesets (in Bust A Groove 1, everyone had the same button presses, except for the Solo sections) but I dislike how they completely streamlined the movesets. There’s no choice anymore; instead of choosing between two routes, what you see on screen is what you get.

On paper, I get the change. In Bust A Groove 1, the meta could be boiled down to two aspects: don’t mess up, and always choose the highest scoring routes (the second route during main sections, and using secret / high score moves during solo’s). If you were serious about winning, the first option might as well not exist. So on one hand, I understand the streamlining. But on the other hand: this is also a dancing game man. Choosing the lower scoring route when you’re ahead, just to style on the other player, is part of the fun too.

Though I’m getting off-point; it’s not just about style. Bust A Groove 1 also had a mechanic that allowed you to skip over specific inputs. Let’s say that there’s this route that goes like this:

O -> down O -> left O -> up up O -> up down left right O etc.

You could actually skip over the first three steps if you wanted to. So long as you put in the correct inputs (and you’ve also followed the default route at the start of the song) and you can skip to “up down left right O”. This sounds all very pedantic but if you’ve played enough of Bust A Groove 1, you know how useful this system is (it’s one of the other big parts after the meta, along with using attacks to stall players from getting a full route or stealing a solo)

This is a lot of words to basically say: there’s less depth in the sequel. Bust A Groove 1 is very simple but there’s a surprising depth to its mechanics (specifically when it comes to the routing of stages). The sequel retains some of the depth (e.g. they made solo stealing a proper mechanic) but they streamlined the systems so much that gameplay is more about technical skill (i.e. just pressing the right buttons). It’s fairly obvious if you fight Bust A Groove 2′s secret boss; the difficulty is in doing 5, 6 button commands with the song’s BPM. It’s hard, sure, but it’s not the same as the original.

Aside from not liking the changes, I kinda hate how they handled the sequel period. There isn’t a definitive version I can just play like Bust A Groove 1; if you play it in English, you’re trading off the endings and the Japanese versions of the songs; if you play it in Japanese, you’re trading off certain quality of life changes (like colored inputs) and the English versions of the songs. It sucks that I have to switch between versions. Also let’s be real; the music in 2 just ain’t as good. Bi-O and Comet have good themes. The secret boss’ theme is a bop. Everything else is hit or miss (and even the hits don’t reach the highs of Bust A Groove 1).

Erm, but don’t get the wrong impression... I don’t hate this game. There are aspects I like about the game (certain characters and stages are impressive, some music is good, even if it’s not “I could listen to this track without ever getting tired of it” level of good). I didn’t hate my time with the game, and I could never say no to more Bust A Groove. 

I think this is just an example of my mind on “something I played as a kid vs. something I played as an adult”. I find it so hard to say anything meaningful about the original beyond “I love this so much” and so easy to actually analyze the sequel.

[toiletcatiswatchingyou]

【Study-referral】Flying Ikaruga: STG's gameplay Innovation

“Ikaruga (Japanese: 斑鳩) is a shoot 'em up developed by Treasure. and was originally released in Japanese arcades in December 2001. The story follows a rebel pilot named Shinra as he battles an enemy nation using a specially designed fighter called the Ikaruga which can flip between two polarities, black and white. This polarity mechanism is the game's key feature and the foundation for its stage and enemy design. All enemies and bullets in the game are either black or white. Bullets which are the same color as the player are absorbed while the others will kill the player. The game features both single-player and cooperative modes.”(wikipedia, 2020)

Early stg was mainly shooting. Until stg entered the era of barrage, cave's work made the stg game where you hold down the shooting button to avoid bullets full of the screen become the mainstream. In fact, shooting games stopped paying attention to shooting after that (unclebill, 2015). The appearance of Ikaruga changed this. Compared with the cave's stg, it pays more attention to the timing of shooting and switching colors. And the whole gameplay system is creative and very simple-only shooting, switching and liberation (a powerful attack released after absorbing bullets of the same color) and the operation of the arrow keys. The score system requires players to continuously shoot down three enemies of the same color in the stage to obtain high scores. It overturns the design of stg on bullets: the bullets that can only be avoided are also used as resources. The player must switch to the same color as the bullet to absorb energy and complete some play. The gameplay system is only a small part of Ikaruga's excellent design. Its most essential part is the design of the stage closely integrated with gameplay. Compared to the player's ability to dodge bullets, Ikaruga tests the player's strategy and execution ability to pass through different mechanisms. If you want to all clear this game, players need to take time to remember the layout and practice planning and execution capabilities.

In addition, Ikaruga's two-player mode is also considered the best in two-player stg. The bullets in the Ikaruga game are almost non-random, and the entire clearance process is almost fixed. But because of this. In addition to high playability, this game is also highly enjoyable

It's a pity that Treasure has rarely developed new games. Although the producer announced that it would make a spiritual sequel to Ikaruga, there was no action after a short trailer was released in 2016. I hope such a creative producer can inject new vitality into stg.

Clément Gallet. 2015. [TAS] Ikaruga 斑鳩 - 2P Hard - All. [online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5C_e-qTv9U> [Accessed 1 October 2020].

unclebill. 2015. 斑鸠与其他射击游戏比，优秀在什么地方？. [online] Available at: <https://www.zhihu.com/question/19725873/answer/57533797> [Accessed 1 October 2020].

En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Ikaruga. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikaruga> [Accessed 2 October 2020].

[cafephan]

dan vs phil - dumb ways to die: a summary

i squealed when i saw they did this game like it was my life at one point "DanandPhilGames beans" // "i thought you were going to say dummies" // "i wouldn't be mean to them!" // "DUMBARSES" "you're our tiny beans that need to be protected" phil your biffle is trying to impress you with a full-out performance here just humour him pls dan gives up just as phil looks at him wow savage "that song has been stuck in my head for like a billion years" relatable as ever howell "we've never done it" who needs context "it's quick and impossible to bant over" i'm sure you'll give it a good go anyway "this should be a trainwreck from start to finish" this is their new branding, it fits well don't you think "i didn't know it was dangerous to put a fork in the toaster, like, i didn't know, so my mum just walked in on me going 'i'm just going to get my toast out' she was like what are you doing" see this is why i use a knife to get my toast out of the toaster i shouldn't be allowed near appliances should i "who's your daddy is an educational game" // "it is!" listen lads we all know you ain't talking about the game you played a while back we all know your interpretation "we've got to protect these beans from death" everyone reading every hunger games/apocalyptic au ever "that's getting worse every time" dan cuts phil off how rude before the action starts i want to give honourable mention to phil's fashion sense that high neck shirt is doing a lot for him and a black shirt at that is just helping everything no wonder dan is going out of his way not to look anyway on with the non-bants "who's going to go first?" // "you." // "me? but then you can learn the secrets" // "i know" why is this entire exchange literally the most domestic thing i've ever seen they're gross dan makes eye contact with the camera whilst doing that ever so suggestive hand movement like stop looking at me i don't want to be exposed to that dan just scissored phil on camera can you believe 2017 phan "i swear you're psychic" // "yep" *raises eyebrows* someone make phil singing alien into an audio post please and thank you i want it as my alarm tone "have we cracked this ipad?" // "what the-" *both dramatic gasp* // *we've cracked our ipad..." apple are 110% gonna send them a new one by next week i guarantee "that's my ipad... did you just say our ipad?" // "i said this ipad" // *that weird voice he does sometimes* "that is my personal ipad" // "you definitely dropped it" // "probably" it was definitely phil aka mister biter of controllers and spiller of ribena onto other controllers also dan going out of his way to say they have separate possessions like... you'd give the clothes off of your back if phil ran out of toilet paper don't make out you don't share legit everything "just don't touch my body." *dan looks momentarily gloomy* "you can talk but i don't want you to wobble it" phil lester, ever the professional king of words king of adjectives wobble in an attempt to make his dejection funny dan starts to sing which just amplifies it "fed the snek" two games in and dan is already subtly accusing him of cheating the amount of times phil's let you win on this channel,,, shut up man okay phil is atrocious though "okay i'm focusing. no banting." dan sarcastically claps phil's failure honestly same like pal you were awful i love you but you sucked at least on that round "best of three!" phil begs as dan takes the ipad without acknowledging what he said "let's see what happens with dan" me in every fic ever "okay this could be the shortest dan vs phil video ever" "yours are so much easier than mine!" they really aren't philly bobs... they really aren't "straight into the ambulance, check out that accuracy" *licks his lips* okay who's keeping the list of dans kinks because we've found another one "i'm a fast tapper" "get off the wiener!" again who needs context "shaking his private parts around" the stitchy stitch song is strangely catchy "like... you've already won" // "i'm a surgeon... i'm just amazing" someone try and find a dan vs phil video on this channel where dan doesn't call himself amazing does one even exist "we'll discuss this after, see how incredible i am" i think we got an insight into 2**9 just now i'm not sorry i thought he said mexican instead of hexagon i must have his tweet on the brain "frick you, you mother fricker" "connect the fucking wires you dildo" he just went from family friendly to full on dan in the space of ten seconds such a wholesome influence in so many people's lives phil looks silently pissed *phil puts his hand in front of dan's eyes* "nope. screw you." // *phil giggles and does it again* "i didn't touch you!" "you're getting extra practice from watching me do this, i think i'm setting the highest score of all time right now" phil's face lit up when dan failed the man has no shame and i love it "that looked painful..." // "right in the nads" "fuck that train one" honestly i bet he would of given the chance "right, i'm just going to say..." *dan sighs and says his score in what i can only presume is a breathy post-org*sm voice jumpcut what was phil just going to say though #letphilspeak2k17 "so i have an idea, phil. and it's not just letting you have another go, because you had your go" // "i had my go" he still looks pissed // "we're gonna do all or nothing" // "I DIDN'T SUGGEST IT, DAN SUGGESTED IT" *dan looks over fondly* // "we're going to take it in turns every level" // "sudden death?" // "and the first person to die once, never mind the three strikes, loses." shiiiit guys it's all going down here on a thursday evening are you holding on to the edge of your seat "and no holding the ipad. i'm going first." phil just lets dan have his way all the time doesn't he what a prince "what do you mean no holding the ipad?" phil honey it's self explanatory // "as in you have to give it to the other person when the level's over" dan looks off camera and tries not to laugh but fails "are you scared??" bring the fighting talk philly bring it the preparation editing and bird sounds just makes me focus on dan's crusty ass lips like for the love of all that's holy you can get a chopstick for like under a pound "this is a very edutational game" // "edutational?" PHIL THE SAVAGE RETURNS YES WELCOME BACK MY LOVE dan carries on what he's saying without bringing attention to phil's drag "hold up the ipad though, i need to be able to get it. that's a thing." "i don't know what the story of the moose and the man was there..." phil why do you suck so much at this game i had faith in you dan the ever subtle gloater "oh my contact lens has fallen out i got so excited" dans hysterical laugh returns yes my other love as deafening as you are it's a treat for the ears "let me see!" protective bf mode activated "hold your top eyelid and look down... i think it's just come down... yes it's peeling off and it's like going backwards into your brain" okay i take back what i said before, THIS is the most domestic thing i've ever seen "you need to go to the bathroom and you need to take it off right now" protective bf dan gets stricter *phil leaves the room, thank you for that beautiful leg shot* dan's little rant about contact lenses we get it you like phil's glasses so do we but he never listens to us please convince him to wear them more "imagine waking up and not being able to see until you put glasses on... i can't relate to that, my able-sighted privilege... it's checked, and because i don't have to worry about my contact lenses drifting backwards into my brain, um, i feel quite lucky." what the fuck just happened "build a bean... aw it kind of looks like me already! that's fun! i mean, i'm kind of orange, let's go there... i'm really tall, that's a skinny one... what hair do we have?? ah we don't have any coins... i mean i have eyebrows so i don't know about you... the smile, there we go... some sick shades, i mean that's not me is it... what is the skull there?? oooh, ah that's how he dies. well there we go, that is the- the dan bean." i feel like we just went on a journey there, that was more intimate than when they created dil and customised tweety "hi. i had to take out my contact lenses, something went horrifically wrong..." HELLO GLASSES PHIL MY LONG TIME LOVE also watch dans gaze as he watches phil sit down i am convinced love is real and it resides in that flat "what just happened?" // "basically my contact lens turned itself inside out within my eye. i don't know how that happened, i think it was the stress of this game. and tilting beans. and not dying." // "dumb ways to die?? playing this app and then getting your contact lens flipped inside your eyelid and going into your brain and murdering you." *phil points to himself flamboyantly* "that is a dumb way to die!" *dan gestures to phil in a way not entirely dissimilar to will smith does on that red carpet picture you know the one* phil please pay him some attention he can't make it anymore obvious "he's wearing glasses!" yes dan, yes he is, everyone is happy, everyone has a reason to live "why will you not get laser eye surgery" i'm sure dan would pay for it himself like phil wouldn't have to spend a penny *the award sticker ceremony* "here is my flaming bean" i said the same thing when the picture of dan with the black nail polish came out "majestic!" dan howell user of fine adjectives i approve "phil, i'm just saying, mine goes from top to bottom, and it's staring to fill horizontally..." // *phil starts speaking at the same time making this incredibly hard to quote ffs* "you're just stretching it out! you're just stretching it out." i said this last time but PLEASE TAKE IT IN TURNS AND LET EACH OTHER SPEAK they actually forgot to put the dvp switch sticker on the board... okay potential rematch?? "give us a tickle on the like button" // *phil overlaps him again i stg he's doing it to stress me out* "give us a little like, subscribe if you're still alive..." "don't do any of the things that happened in this video including wearing contact lenses apparently." beanisonfire AFlattenedPhil (the closest he'll ever be to being flat stanley)

[zmelendez]

Games that Kinda Reich: Day of Infamy

With the recent announcement that Call of Duty will be returning to WWII, I thought it only fitting to take a look at another recently released WWII title, Day of Infamy. Day of Infamy started life as a mod for the hardcore shooter Insurgency, and was picked up by New World Interactive and expanded into a standalone title. Day of Infamy marries the structure of  Day of Defeat with the hardcore lethality and limited information of Insurgency and games like Red Orchestra. While not quite as hardcore as RO or Rising Storm, Day of Infamy is certainly not a casual shooter. While I hate to use an old reviewer cliche, DoI is truly a mixed bag. The great presentation, attention to detail, and intense combat are somewhat marred by poor map design, a lack of weapon and attachment variety, and an intentional lack of information that has led to some real keyboard throwing frustration.

In the wake of the appalling lack of authenticity of Battlefield 1, I’ve started to appreciate historical games that pay attention to detail. As a lover of all things history, particularly of times of war, New World certainly did their homework when it comes to historical detail. DoI doesn’t lean on “experimental” weapons to fill out the various class loadouts or try to artificially make WWII combat more exciting. It presents combat much as it would be in real life: a tense affair fighting an enemy you often can’t see where strategic planning is extremely important. Utilizing smoke cover, moving as a cohesive unit, and attacking specific chokepoints often leads to a breakthrough. Understanding the role of each class is also extremely important. Fast, light assault/stormtrooper classes should spearhead an assault, supported at medium range by riflemen and longer range by machine guns and snipers. When it all works, it really gives a sense of your team working like a well run military unit, adding further to the immersion.

Not only does DoI present combat in a historically authentic manner, but the units themselves are full of detail. In addition to a generic soldier, each of the three teams (the US, Commonwealth, and Wehrmacht) features a list of historical units players can select, which vary depending on which units were present at the battle depicted. These units all feature accurate uniforms, insignias, and sometimes even different voice acting. The units are unlocked over time by simply playing the game, and features not only famous units like the 101st Airborne and the Big Red One, but also units rarely seen in WWII video games like several Canadian regiments and even a colonial Indian unit on the Commonwealth side. The game also has several other nice touches like good voice callouts and responses, as well as some truly horrifying screams after a soldier is burned to death by a flamethrower. By far the most amazing moment I had was sneaking up on a flamethrower trooper, shooting his fuel tank, and watching him explode into a fiery mess.

Unfortunately, for all DoI does right, it has a few glaring flaws. The map design is really hit and miss. The most enjoyable maps tend to be ones with an urban setting, though these can be frustrating when a determined enemy holes up in the back room of a building and starts mowing people down who have a hard time locating him. As frustrating as that can be, it doesn’t even hold a candle to how bad some of the more open maps are. Despite the fact that all classes have access to smoke grenades and officer classes even have a smoke bombardment, maps with a lot of open sight lines become an exercise in frustration. No map exemplifies this better than Dog Red, a map based on the D-Day landings. While the extreme lack of cover is obviously very realistic, from a design standpoint this map leads to the US team being repeatedly gunned down by elevated machine gun positions and snipers. When playing as the German team on defense I rarely encounter much of a problem as even if the US team can take the beach, they’re often heavily drained of reinforcements with 2 more points to attempt to take, the first of which is also a nightmare of wide open sight lines.

While I praised the game earlier for resisting the urge to expand the class arsenal with experimental weaponry, the time period they chose to depict severely limits the weapon variety of each class. DoI uses the same class customization loadout system of Insurgency, and by directly comparing the two the problems become pretty evident. The standard rifleman of Insurgency has access to 3-4 rifles, each with different firing modes, characteristics, and about a dozen different customization options between ammo types, optics, and barrel attachments. The standard rifleman of DoI has access to one standard issue rifle with very little customization. Again, this is absolutely realistic and I’m not sure there would be a way to solve this problem without resorting to anachronism, but it definitely makes earning supply points in DoI feel pretty lackluster when you realize weapons don’t have much available customization and there are at max 3 different grenade types. The German support gunner gets a raw deal since his loadout arsenal includes the StG-44, but this gun is removed from maps which depict battles before it was issued, leaving him with less options.

But by far the most frustrating part about DoI is the steep learning curve due to a lack of information. Since this game is shooting for realism, it doesn’t include a lot of “gamey” systems. By default, the kill feed is turned off and the kill-death ratio is hidden while players are alive. While this isn’t a problem in close range combat, it can be frustrating when throwing a grenade or shooting at a very far off target and not being sure if they’ve been killed. The lack of directional hit indicators and killcams means that an entire team can often be repeatedly killed by one well hidden player. The lack of grenade indicators leads to a lot of blowing up at random, and the lack of any kind of indicator for artillery strikes and carpet bombings leads to the same, and often from a friendly officer. The amount of teamwork required to do well also can lead to some frustrating matches where your team doesn’t work together and makes little to no progress on the objective. The aiming and hit registration can also feel spotty at times. Rifles in particular require extremely precise aiming and I’ve had many situations where I feel like I’ve landed several hits on a target that just don’t register.

Is Day of Infamy worth your time? I’d say it depends on what your tolerance level is for hardcore style shooters, as well as how much you care about the time period depicted. This is a WWII combat simulation, so if you are looking for a casual shooter with a WWII theme, I’d wait for more info on CoD WWII. Insurgency players looking for a new game should probably look elsewhere, as the severe reduction in armaments and options will likely turn them off. DoI is a game for players who deeply care about WWII combat, fans of hardcore shooters looking for a change in scenery, or people nostalgic for games like Day of Defeat that hearken back to the bygone era of the early 2000s when every popular shooter was set in WWII. It’s not a game I’d recommend to everyone, but if you find yourself fitting one of those categories, you’ll likely enjoy Day of Infamy.

[fatal-potato]

NieR: Automata - Demo Impressions

So after what was two hours on a single run of normal mode (from about 12:15 to 2:15 P.M. EST, 20th of January), I finished it while trying to experiment as much as I could (without outside help/research.) In all my years of interacting with action games, I have to say, I’m easily the most impressed I’ve been in years with this genre. Above all else, I want to stress that I acknowledge this is just a demo. I’m not expecting a single assumption here to assuredly be the case with the full product. I’m merely posting impressions based on what the demo thus far implies. We all played MGR’s demo and the release itself, I know not to overhype final expectations on first impressions. Frankly I hope nobody else does either. Obviously I’m not going to go over the most sheer basics of gameplay anyone that even touched the demo would know, so below are my thoughts on everything else.

POSITIVES (GAMEPLAY) Fundmentals of Design As soon as I started the game, it was easy to notice that whoever designed the gameplay got their fundamentals down to a dot. The attack cues from enemies are clear, have distinct visual and audio tells, and give plenty of time to react.

Though I’m not inherently opposed to the use of Quick Time Events, more often than not they’re done in terribly uncongenial methods. Kamiya had a massive raging hard-on for them, so it seems others wanted to follow his lead without knowing what can make QTEs good, natural, or even fun. Such “small” but jarring design elements are absent from this demo (hallelujah) so there’s no reason to believe there will be anything close to an abuse of them this time. Even if there was a Space Harrier portion (covered more in Setpieces), the demo hints that we should largely be free of any “that segment”s.

AND FINALLY, CUSTOM CONTROLS! I’ve always been a fan of default but goodness gracious, this should seriously be a standard. It was nice of them to give us three different schemes as it was but being able to customize one is something a fair number of their past games could have done super nicely with. Better late than never I guess.

Movement Movement (in my opinion) is one of the most underrated and untapped concepts of not just action, but games as a whole. Automata integrates movement through simple but versatile and exceptional means; to the point of creating a definitive crux for gameplay on its own.

I won’t waste time complimenting what good features of the dodge were already accomplished years ago in Bayonetta. What matters here is the straight dash that comes after.

Some of the most important assets to this dash are its free manual activation, cancel window, and wide ranges of direction. Free manual activation provides means for the tool to be much more universally applied. The ridiculous cancel window is probably its most unique aspect, as this helps positioning your moves to extents that would otherwise be impossible. Mixed with the wide ranges of direction, it completes your capacity to dance around your target freely during both combat and combo construction. The dash also goes and lasts quite the distance without being too slow to boot, giving further benefit to how the player can interpret the dash to their own playstyle, whether it’s basic or advanced. The fact you can apply all these perks both on the ground and aerially the same really makes the dash feel worthwhile. It’s an easy, but vital mechanic, and for one you’re going to be using a lot, Platinum made sure to make this one tool feel as exhaustive as can be.

Throw in attacks that can also affect your vector in similar ways, the game’s overall fast pace, and in unison with your moveset, Automata lends itself to likely be one of the speedier action titles ever made, bringing about what may be some of the coolest catering to movement ever wrought in the genre.

I will admit this part may be tooting the horn early (because even with all this I can still imagine even the most creative uses boiling down to essentially the same past results), but I’ve hardly come across singular movement options being able to cover so much on such a basic level, so do excuse me.

The Weapon System Not a lot to say here. The concept of weapons making different movesets entirely based on what button you equip it to has never been done before (to my knowledge, if done well at all), it’s moveset customization and instant moveset switching in the same package, and you get four different weapon types. The glory of this scheme only does itself justice.

Unorthodox Potential from Recycled Systems If there’s one thing I especially love about Automata’s gameplay thus far, it’s how it has the trademark Platinum setup (Dedicated jump button, X/Y = Light/Heavy, Dodge), but unifies the mechanics in such an unusual manner contrast to the rest of its peers; all in ways which point to nothing but positives.

The way the dodge and jump work in tandem with your moveset is without a doubt unmatched in exclusivity. Whether you’re paying attention or not, it’s easy to notice that many of 2B’s attacks revolve around throwing her swords akin to boomerangs. This is expanded upon when you realize this can be done with not just static dials, but with the use of jump and dodge cancels. For example, the AY dial (which is to say, jump off the ground then immediately pressing Heavy) gives the conventional Platinum Rising upper. When done using Virtuous Treaty, 2B stays suspended in a sword-spinning animation unless canceled. But when canceled in its startup window, you’re free to move again as the sword goes on to carry the rest of the attack without 2B having to do anything. Combined with what was mentioned above about dodging, you can see where I’m going with this. For reference, I believe I may have found around a couple dozen attacks that can be canceled the same way, and those are using the demo’s provisions alone. I haven’t seen this named anywhere, and though I’m not calling any dibs, for the sake of convenience I’ll be referring to this technique as Kara Canceling for the rest of the analysis.

Admittedly I am lost on the logic of what makes a move Kara Cancelable (as what research I’ve done yielded no such results for Fists), but I suppose it’s just something that will require the full game to conclude. I may not have time for it today but I’m considering a returnto Hard Mode and trying it again soon before release. There’s still a lot I have to test that I could neither confirm nor deconfirm on my first run.

Though I haven’t been able to (de)confirm this, I also have reasons to believe (mainly due to different animations) that dependent on the timing of your Kara Cancel, you can change the property of said Rising attack. Doing it in one half of the startup window (I believe) causes Virtuous Treaty to carry the enemy a set vertical distance while cutting the animation (and thus damage) short, as the other half of the window may cause Virtuous Treaty to go even higher while expanding on damage and lastability. Even if this theory on different Kara Cancel properties may be wrong, it scarcely matters, because the application of jump and dodge cancels is so ridiculously large due to their inherent necessity, that there will be plenty more tools to work with the same way by default. Added in with the fact we didn’t get to use any polearms or different weapons of the same class only holds a world of implication by themselves as it is.

I very much doubt Kara Canceling is a glitch either, provided how easy it is to discover. Complete with sprinkles of “nuanced” details (land into jump cancels for Helm Breakers having different timings dependent on weapon, Kara Cancel window timings for different dials, etc.), call me a man with reforged faith that Platinum is finally heading the right direction with technical creativity.

Altogether I appreciate the way these mechanics cohesively cooperate with eachother, because they spell a possible univese of long-awaited innovative advances for the genre.

Setpieces The first Nier has always had some funny schizophrenia between a Berserk-esque tone to its fights, and then sometimes just having Kaine run around as if she was outta some anime. Given that Platinum’s providing gameplay assets, but Taro is calling other shots, it’s easy to see the latter has come to embrace the former’s insane side in compatibility with their own. Unfortunately, said insane side has shown in the past to interfere with the better parts of gameplay when that love becomes an unhealthy obsession. But as far as setpieces go, giant brainless bossfights, such as the one at the end of the demo, can at least be justified to some logical extent.

It’s not too far off from how bosses played in the original; it just enhances what made them spectacles in the first place, with lots more interaction to boot. Additionally, the Space Harrier section at the end if anything shows that Platinum is learning quite well from their past sins. I personally would prefer if it wasn’t a part at all, but that doesn’t mean having to go through it is intrinsically as offensive just because past instances were borderline intolerable. It ended quickly, gave more freedom than most infamous minigames from the company tend to, wasn’t jarringly out-of-sync with the controls used for main combat, and was a decent, fast-paced extravaganza, placed at the absolute end of the level boss.

For something that lasted only a couple of minutes, I think this marks an unprecedented level of humility and restraint for Platinum’s record, compared to if they weren’t to add it at all. It shows their capability to learn from and fix previous errors, whereas not having the STG would have been a fix too, but would have shown less ways in which they learned.

NEGATIVES (GAMEPLAY) Enemy Variety Because this is just a demo, and because I didn’t expect it to, I won’t slaughter it for not impressing me in this regard. But it doesn’t. Based on the normal difficulty, I’ve only been provided the four most common enemy types ever-present in action games (based on properties and weight, of course). The mook, their elite version, the flying enemy, and the big bad boss that doesn’t undergo hitstun. As it should go without saying, there’s a high likelihood of way more types being present in the full game. It’s just nothing about these enemies stand out to me as particularly fun to fight. Hopefully that will change.

Technique Conveyance If there’s a recurring issue that plagues the best entries to this genre, it’s conveyance. It’s not that they lack tutorials, or don’t teach the bare minumum you need to beat the game. But when it comes to advanced techniques, you’ll be hard pressed to find any action game that teaches those good at all.

Maybe the devs just don’t care. But I’m going to go off on a limb here and say that maybe this to deliberately add a layer of longevity by giving its playerbase a period of experimentation. There’s a charm in that kind of thing no doubt, and for certain games that idea really does work. As a matter of fact, I used to lean towards the opinion that this route was more ideal. Yet over the years, it started dawning on me why that opinion wasn’t quite right, seeing the downsides that come with it.

1) It’s bad for the genre as a whole The greatest games continue being played even years after their release. But games that have the deepest gameplay will continue having the same dedicated playerbase for just as long. Why is that? It’s because those playerbases have found something worthwhile and lasting that keeps them coming back for more. Many multiplayer games retain this same attribute, mostly due to their innately infinite skill ceilings. A division of action games have contracted a similar kind of following, thanks to the countless different ways to express personalized play through ostensibly never-ending boundaries. However, what separates these two is that quite the number of multiplayer games are built to be competitively lasting, as even devs there know and support it. Action game developers give off the notion they don’t know how, or just don’t care to support the fraction that wants to take their titles more intricately. And with less advertisement to all directions, the audience receives less encouragement to participate in a characteristic unique to only a few, if not strictly this one single player genre.

2) It could easily be bad for some of the audience Straightforward and self-explanatory. Some people just aren’t labbers, but may totally be interested in playing at a high level.

3) Any intentions and priorities devs may have for longevity are in reverse Suppose Devil May Cry 4 had ChaserTech’s tutorials built into the game, or something similar. Do you think the playbase would’ve cut any noticeable fraction of the lifeline they provided it up until today? The answer is no, and that’s because in truth, longevity doesn’t come from experimentation to find the more general techniques; it comes from finding the nuances they may bring in and of themselves. Take DMC4′s Enemy Step as a very basic example. You don’t master it just because you know of its existence and can pull it off in succession a few times. There’s different move cancel timings, enemy hitboxes, other techniques it can help make a reality (Star Raving, Side Raving, Guard Flying), and so on. From the ground up, there’s an absurd quantity of things for you to master, or even get to grips with, based on this central, defining technique to the series. In no way was a large part of DMC4′s lifespan consumed by merely testing to try and learn of its existence. But maybe this isn’t a fair comparison, as it can be bought in the game’s shop and carried over from DMC3, which refined it from DMC1. Bayonetta as a more widely known example, has Dodge Offset (and its many variants) as the only game to do it right its defining Advanced Technique. It is somewhat taught to you in the game, but kinda cryptically through searching texts that only gives a description on how to execute it. In any case, you still have to come to terms with its dozens if not hundreds of its nuances, in fashion not too dissimilar with many deep games. If you have to center a significant chunk of your combat system’s lifespan in finding the general techniques, you’re probably either not setting your priorities straight, or are trying to hide how little your game truly offers if finding a normal AT creates a relatively big era for it. Or again, maybe you just don’t care.

As for those that like labbing, nuances will at some point require some form of testing or accidents to begin with, so these decisions mostly appear to shoot oneself and a good amount of others in the foot. Then again, maybe I’m just overthinking a relatively small problem that doesn’t matter. Who knows. I mean would it have killed to at least have a movelist or two?

Balance Concerns Again, not much to say here. I’m somewhat uneasy that the line between “I wanna do technical things” and “I wanna grind and mash” may lose its equilibrium in favor of the latter with its RPG elements. This is frankly a small concern though, as balance can easily be adjusted to the hardest difficulties. Or you could just be provided a skill that mitigates damage, so...?

QUICK POSITIVES AND NEGATIVES (OTHERWISE) +Music +Beautiful aesthetic +Great level design +Voice Acting is steps up from the original +Dual Audio +Superb kinesthesia +2B’S GREAT ANDROID BOOTY, STEP UP BAYONETTA -Didn’t get to ride a moose

CONCLUSION Even if every last one of these assumptions end up being wrong, I doubt I can sincerely be disappointed at this stage. The only thing I wanted at the very least with this sequel was “A well-written continuation to Nier with that isn’t a slog to play.” The well-written bit is gonna have to require some patience to judge obviously (not new with Taro). Even after all this, I still don’t think it needs the extra layers of refinement and depth, and am keeping standards as low but realistic as they initially were. Yet the madmen at Platinum went the mile to give us a grander experience anyway. So yeah, I can’t think of any plausible way the game could come to somehow brutally let me down .

According to a friend, Taro has always been a very wild card with his narratives. Ranging from what are essentially confusing comedies to heartbreaking adventures, so I don’t know what to expect in that regard for this game. But I do hope that it goes the route of and lives up to the emotional style that the original Nier bedazzled me with.

All in all I easily estimate from this that Automata has the surefire potential to be one of Platinum’s best releases (and one of Taro’s on virtue of actually having good gameplay). Even the idea of just merging Taro and Platinum is nothing short of a match made in Heaven. Taro’s games are known for great writing, scenarios, and music, at the cost of mediocre gameplay and necessary reruns. Regardless of what you may think of their lineup, Platinum has always been able to boast their unmatched strength in creating some of the best replay value in the industry, despite everything they made that isn’t called “Infinite Space” being pretty short. The two entities naturally seem to cancel out eachother’s flaws and bring about the best of eachother’s strengths at the same time. Furthermore, through the whole development process, they’ve had absolutely zero qualms or conflicts with eachother (as opposed to Kamiya against Microsoft), suggesting this will be top quality in every regard.

So consider me the most excited I’ve ever been in my life for a game based on a demo.

[entergamingxp]

Unlocking the thrill of one of gaming’s most hardcore genres • Eurogamer.net

Do you have to be good at games to enjoy them? I’d argue I’m living proof that’s not the case: I’m abysmal at the things and I love them. Indeed, some of the games I love the most are from a genre with a reputation for being the most hardcore. Shmups, it would seem, are serious business.

Can you be a casual shmup player? Well I’m certainly one, drawn as much to the spectacle and strangeness of the genre. These things are so pure in their abstraction, and often so dazzling in their art and aesthetic, that I’ve always found them irresistible, even if I’m typically drawn to more stately classics such as Darius or Gradius which are more apt for aging players like myself.

Up until now I’ve never really dabbled so much in Cave’s work, probably because I’d been put off by their own reputation: offering diamond-edged challenge and featuring arcane scoring systems, they’ve always seemed the preserve of the real purist. M2’s Shot Trigger series seemed like a good point to jump in, though, especially now one of them’s finally found its way to Nintendo’s Switch (or at least it has in Japan, where it’s still easily enough to grab a copy off the eShop if you can’t be bothered with the hassle of importing).

Esp.Ra.De isn’t the most highly praised of Cave’s output, nor the most discussed – perhaps because it’s had to wait until now to get a home release. It is, by the standards of Cave’s later output, a fairly primitive game too, which only helps make it more accessible to newcomers – though M2 also does a fine job of that.

The Shot Triggers series, which so far have taken in Battle Garegga, Dangun Feveron and Ketsui Deathtiny, might seem tailored for the more serious-minded player. They’re like Criterion Collections that fold in perfect recreations of beloved and often hard-to-source arcade originals and then fold in a staggering amount of increasingly imaginative extras. There are remixes, new characters, tweaks to old mechanics that have been exposed over time and all sorts of technical magic that gets these things playing nicely with modern screens.

The Shot Triggers games are perfect for chasing high scores, but I don’t think it’s disseminated widely enough that they’re also perfect for newcomers curious about the genre. Indeed, it’s part of M2’s very MO.

“The purpose of Shot Triggers is to help players understand the joy of STG games,” engineer and enthusiastic hobbyist Masayuki Fukui says in an insightful interview. “As for what that joy consists of, I think it’s primarily their primitiveness, or abstraction, that allows them to be played and enjoyed very simply. In addition, I think there’s a unique aesthetic and presentation. We hope the Shot Triggers series can communicate that excitement to players too.”

This new version of Esp.Ra.De has certainly got me excited about Cave shmups more than any game before it. Partly it’s because of the introduction of an easy mode – which in some parts is sacrilege, I’m sure – and partly it’s because of the new challenge mode that breaks the entire game out into bite-sized chunks. Mostly, though, it’s M2’s fantastic gadgets that makes me love the thing. The more bountiful in systems a game is the better it is, surely, and there’s no greater joy than seeing those systems fully exposed.

Esp.Ra.De’s gadgets let you peer under the hood and marvel at all the whizzing machinery underneath, where you can see enemy types, the fully unfurled scroll of a level, chain counters, shot power and weak points. It’s where the push and pull of the scoring system is fully revealed to less knowledgeable players, and where Esp.Ra.De’s secrets are to be found. It’s dizzying stuff, underlining this particular shmup’s position somewhere between magic and science as it juggles its numerous parts. When you see all that come together, I don’t think you have to be a pro player to appreciate the beauty of it all.

from EnterGamingXP https://entergamingxp.com/2020/02/unlocking-the-thrill-of-one-of-gamings-most-hardcore-genres-%e2%80%a2-eurogamer-net/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=unlocking-the-thrill-of-one-of-gamings-most-hardcore-genres-%25e2%2580%25a2-eurogamer-net

[clickbliss]

Pawarumi Review

by Amr (@siegarettes)

Pawarumi Developer: Manufacture43 Publisher: Manufacture43 Switch, PC, Xbox One, PS4

Sporting a multiple weapon system and three color polarity system, Pawarumi might immediately bring to mind Treasure’s shooter diptych of Radiant Silvergun and Ikaruga. But while it clearly draws inspiration from the two, Pawarumi is both simpler and more complex. It frequently overwhelms, but is balanced by allowing some messiness. Pawarumi might be balanced around a triangle of weapons, but it’s often a game of dichotomies.  

At the heart of Pawarumi is its three color weapon system. Red lasers home in on enemies, the green wave beam hits a wide area directly ahead, and the blue laser inflicts direct, steady damage in a small area. At first, Pawarumi seem follows the usual STG weapon balance, trading off between covering wider angles and doing direct damage. This is unfortunately undercut by two factors. 

Despite the varying beam styles and widescreen play space, weapons are generally only effective within a limited area straight ahead. Even the homing shot has a surprisingly small sideways lock on range. The utility of the weapon styles is cut down further by the color system, which makes the decision of where to deploy them dependent more on what resources you currently need to replenish. 

Using oppositely polarized colors causes more damage, reversing them charges your super weapon, and matching colors replenishes your shield. The problem with having a three color system is that it isn’t as immediately obvious what color is the opposite, especially since the three colors used are red, green, and blue, which don’t always have clean color complements. (It also creates readability problems with colorblindness, especially the common red/green form). To combat this the HUD prominently displays how the currently used weapon will react to other colors, animates as you fill up your shield and super meters. It’s an effective, if inelegant solution.

A lot of my attention ended up on these status bars rather than the situations themselves, placing a large emphasis on the resource management aspects of Pawarumi, rather than the shooting. Tactical choices become flattened, and I found myself more often choosing shots in response to which of my current resources was low, rather than responding to the current enemy formation. The three colors might initially hint at a more complex weapon triangle, it often feels just as binary, or even more restrictive, than in other shooters. There’s rarely a reason not to go for the most powerful color. 

These problems don’t make Pawarumi a bad game--there’s still a strong sense of feedback, and interesting decisions around its larger structure--but it does diminish the core appeal for me. Small touches like difficulty modes resulting in different stage orders and endings are interesting, but the ways Pawarumi approaches spaces and world design weren’t compelling enough to keep me interested in the little narrative there is. And while exploiting weaknesses can be fun, especially when facing bosses, the color system ultimately made the game feel less dynamic, as if there was a right answer to each situation, but without the instant readability that simpler systems provide. 

On top of that, Pawarumi essentially requires a one credit clear, instantly booting you to menu if you die, with no options to continue. To make any real progress, especially on normal or hard difficulties, I needed to reach a stage then scout it with practice mode until I understood what the right answer was for each situation, then go back and play it for real with added pressure. For some the process of slowly unraveling the stages might be satisfying, but it almost felt mandatory here, instantly turning it into a grind. Maybe I’m spoiled by other modern shooters, but I prefer to do a rough run through the game to understand what’s coming up, before refining it into a single credit run. 

Pawarumi is full of interesting ideas and concepts, but in practice it’s too messy to feel coherent. The tri-color system makes it difficult to quickly size up situations, and the variations in shot type end up as little more than aesthetic variations. The multiple routes provide a draw for replaying the game, but the strict continue system turns the initial experience into a grind. As a game, Pawarumi is fine, enjoyable as a thing to pick at. But as a shooter, it’s too unrefined to really deliver on the core concepts it tries to play with.