#jay plays wind waker

[coughloop]

do you have any music recs?

books you'd like to share

media you'd like for others to consume

games you'd like us to play

genomes we should know about?

Everyone should listen to every song i post Everyone should read every as much Kurt Vonnegut as they can Everyone should watch Blood Simple, Marat/Sade, Sorcerer, Akira, Porco Rosso, Ricky Jay and his 52 Assistants, Thin Red Line, and Hunter x Hunter Everyone should play Wind Waker and Tony Hawk's Underground 2 None

[thunderpetal]

We are never getting a video game story as good as Wind Waker’s are we? Because I’m sorry what will ever beat ‘12 year old boy, completely removed from any chosen one destiny, sees his sister get taken and decides he will do anything to save her?’ What tops this boy literally clawing his way into becoming a hero, forcing the gods to choose him, just so he could protect his home? What is better than the game’s environmental storytelling and cutscene storytelling fighting a constant battle, where one says ‘the old fallen kingdom is what you should save’ and the other says ‘no, but look at this beautiful ocean world that exists now, don’t you want to save that?’ What beats the environmental storytelling fucking winning that battle? What beats Jabun and Valoo and the Deku Tree looking at Link, judging him against the Hero Of Time, as they cling onto a world that no longer exists? What hits harder than the old king clinging onto that same world but realising he was wrong? That by pressuring two kids unattached to Old Hyrule to save it, he was just as bad as the game’s villain? What gets better than that villain being sympathetic and easy to see the side of? Who does it better than the king when he curses his beloved kingdom he once ruled over the drown, knowing it was for the best? Knowing that the last good thing he could do was wish for hope for the future, not the revival of the past? What is fucking better narratively than the game ending back on the Great Sea, with Link’s family safe, the one thing he always wanted, as he searches for a place to begin anew? What beats the themes of hope and regeneration and lviing in the shadow of an age long gone yet choosing to say goodbye to that tradition? What beats a sparsely populated, literally cursed sea with only a few specks of land being labelled home, the place to protect, the place you as the player care for and want to save? What beats the boy who cared so much he accepted the mantle of a hero, a legend of the ages, a title that was never his, just to protect his home and his family? As opposed to being handed it on a platter by destiny? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING thats what good fucking night

[spookybias]

ᝰ en- as your nintendo-loving boyfriends ˎˊ˗

pairing: enhypen x gender neutral! reader. genre: fluff, humor. warning: brief mention of blowing up a window. word count: 704

© spookybias | all rights reserved. do not repost or plagiarize.

⌕ › lee heeseung : luigi's mansion

hesseung believes the first game in the franchise is superior. he'll tell you he only plays the other installments because he played the first and it would be "disrespectful" to tadashi sugiyama, the designer of the first game. he likes to play with the lights turned off and in complete silence to get the full spooky experience. heeseung can play for hours, but ends up chickening out the minute he sees king boo, as he's the essence that haunts heeseung's nightmares.

"i am clenching my arsecheeks in fear right now."

⌕ › park jay : the legend of zelda

do not interrupt him. he takes this game seriously. jay keeps a booklet where he writes down instructions to perform different moves with his sword. he also takes notes to remember where things are. jay likes to replay the legend of zelda: wind waker because he thinks it's the best. his favorite thing about the legend of zelda is the bokoblins. he believes they're misunderstood. they aren't natural creatures native to hyrule, they're spawns of evil forced to serve the demons. if you get in front of the screen while he's in the middle of a boss fight, he's throwing his socks at you for sure.

"zelda is hotter than you."

⌕ › sim jake : donkey kong country

mans flip flops around when playing donkey kong country. no one knows why one day he's awesome and the next day he's horrible, but his excuse is that he plays the game better on game consoles rather than handheld systems because his thumbs have more support and space to move around. jake believes in donkey kong supremacy, and says that donkey kong should be the mascot of nintendo instead of mario. his heart BREAKS when he loses diddy kong to an enemy.

"i'm stressed because i just lost my best friend to a pile of crabs."

⌕ › park sunghoon : balloon fight

this grandpa loves his NES games, but his absolute favorite is balloon fight because of how straightforward it is. he'll tell you he plays it for the "charming graphics", but really, he plays it because it's easier than anything else. despite it being one of the easiest games, though, sunghoon still smashes the buttons like a crazy man and has a terrible sense of direction. he also gets real pissed when he falls in the water, like throws the controller kind of pissed. sunghoon considers NES and SNES to be the peak of humanity.

"this is nothing like balloon fight. you people don't know the classics."

⌕ › kim sunoo : kirby

he likes to visualize himself as kirby, the soft, lovable and huggable friend bold enough to step up and defend his homies. sunoo can go on for hours about how cute the graphics and characters are. he adores the numerous power-ups, and his favorite is the spark ability from plugg since it's efficient to use in battles. sunoo's favorite game in the franchise is kirby64: the crystal shards because he enjoys playing the mini games with you.

"i'm kirby and you're waddle dee. we make a good match and a great team!"

⌕ › yang jungwon : animal crossing

jungwon prefers games that require minimal effort. he doesn't like it when his palms get sweaty or the nervousness that sets in during a boss fight. so he settles for animal crossing. he views his neighbors as real friends and treats them with the upmost kindness and respect. sometimes it feels like he puts his residents before you, spending his money on amiibo cards and figurines instead of on your dates. tom nook is still waiting for him to pay off his house payments since he abandons the game frequently. he takes it personal when residents momentarily forget his name.

"____, i need a hug. roscoe doesn't recognize me with bed head."

⌕ › nishimura riki : explosive jake

do you even know what explosive jake is? probably not. riki prefers underrated games and believes that a hidden gem can always be found in the "games with demos" section of the nintendo eshop. his favorite thing about explosive jake is that it's not that hard to figure out what you're supposed to do in order to complete each level. you mainly just have to blow things up and solve puzzles to get around. riki might get a little too involved in the game.

"why unlock the window when you can just blow it up like in the game-"

[dreadwhoop]

Reviewing the All Elite Wrestling personnel 2022 Edition (Part 4) -

Part 0 - https://dreadwhoop.tumblr.com/post/697331836428353536/reviewing-the-all-elite-wrestling-personnel-2022

Part 1 - https://dreadwhoop.tumblr.com/post/697332640769081344/reviewing-the-all-elite-wrestling-personnel-2022

Part 2 - https://dreadwhoop.tumblr.com/post/697333058207154176/reviewing-the-all-elite-wrestling-personnel-2022

Part 3 - https://dreadwhoop.tumblr.com/post/697333290236035072/reviewing-the-all-elite-wrestling-personnel-2022

Women Tag Teams AEW can justify making a division over.

The Jawbreakers - I mentioned about putting Jamie Hayter in the BCC. Might as well include Britt too because they had their chance to break them up and now it'd be silly if they did. This team is established and look great together - the classic pair of the powerhouse with the technician. Both can utilise each other's strengths to their fullest and will always be a draw.

ThunderStorm - This is the tag-team everyone thinks should be the first Women's Tag Team Champions and, whilst not a bad idea, isn't the best either. Let's get one thing very clear - both of these women are decent enough as singles and work well together however one should not forget ultimately these two need to resolve their feud before being serious.

Tay-Jay - They're both a part of the JAS and were teamed up back in 2020 so the credentials are there. Not much else to say - they are good fit together - like a pair of shoes or gloves. They compliment each other and are good friends in real life.

Perhaps you could them "Cherry Bombshells" as a nod to Allie's old gimmick and Penelope's presentation. Anyways this is another tag-team who have previously paired up well before this list began. They did have an important Rampage debut against Tay-Jay as well. Good solid workers.

If you've watched Dark or Elevation then you'll know these two have been seen with each other for awhile now. Nyla is doing more recently with Marina Shafir whilst Emi could be paired with Lulu Pencil whenever she's available so I see long-term this may not be a lasting pair but they do have great experience together and it's a good contrast to see a proven powerhouse with a tenured technician.

The Supernaturals - I can't believe how entertaining their backstage segments were, short-lived as it is, and for this reason would like them to collaborate. Again I feel gutted for Kris Statlander and this would be a great way to repair her whilst also being cautious on her proneness to injury. Athena is, and will always be, reliable if not a little reckless.

Hearts of Darkness - Willow Nightingale being corrupted and Julia getting an out from her recent situation might help them both out in the long run. They're contrasts and echo a lot of the sentiments above. The only thing you need to be careful on is leaning too hard on the alignments. Ultimately Willow is a Face and Julia is a Heel but it's one of those experiments where they both change each other for the better. Give Willow a harder edge to her bubbly personality whilst give Julia a, ahem, 'heart' to her heartless behaviour.

It occured to me, as I was doing this, I had every former AEW Women's World Champion in a tag-team except for Riho. This is pretty easy to understand - both high flyers and together could be the new age "Jumping Bomb Angels". Maybe Maki Itoh and Riho could team up...Rito? The Wind Wakers? Oh dear...

Serene Violence - this is one of those age-old dynamics where if they're on the same page they're unstoppable but their personal competitiveness get the better of them. It also makes for a Face/Heel dynamic as one does underhanded things, the other chastises them, and then in contrast when they play fair they get double-teamed so the other helps but the good guy complains again. Who is right? It'd be a fun contrast as both are excellent wrestlers in their own right but their implosion prevents them having any weakness.

The team who should be the inaugural champions - Diamante already has a claim with her medal, and Keira Hogan is very eye-catching. Thin as the women's roster can be at times, these two have remained on board for a long time and deserve a chance to shine together. They're both underrated and, as some already know, they're married in real life so as a couple it'd also be extra special. Celebrating women is one thing but celebrating women for who they are matters more.

[demethinkstoomuch]

Deme Rates Villagers, Part 4: Birds

Disclaimer: Images are from the wiki, all good dogs, my ratings are mainly just there because “Deme gives her abstract thoughts on villagers” is hardly a catchy thing. 

Let’s get to the birbs! Are there borbs? No, not really, Animal Crossing birbs have a pretty straightfoward and uniform shape, they are most likely not borbs.

Ace

Another villager time forgot! Without seeing a clear shot of his eyes (they’re not perma-closed), a big element of his design is sadly lost on me. Otherwise, he’s pretty cute. Nothing fancy, but cute.

2 (Hidden Eyes) /5

Admiral

Eyebrows. Angry. Eyebrows! 

...What’s with his stomach not being the same color as the underside of his face, though? It makes them feel disconnected, which honestly loses some of the appeal for me. On the other hand, angry eyebrows for a grumpy bird. 

Eyebrows... /10

Anchovy

To be honest, I don’t know what to make of Anchovy. On the one hand: I like his simple, bird-like color scheme. I like his square eyebrows... But his expression, his pupils so very, very tiny... Kinda weirds me out. Which, spoiler, is going to be a thing with the birds. Not good eyes, the birds. But once I started looking at other screenshots, with his beak a bit more closed, I came to like his look of mild surprise, in a sort of flickering fondness.

A decent bird, perfectly cromulent. 

I don’t know but it swings between 4-6/10

Flash

Oh man, look at this bird! It’s a crying shame he hasn’t returned since the gamecube days, what with his little swirly little hair-feather, sleepy rectangle eyes, and jaunty little hat, and a cute blue coloring. We are robbed of his revival, and I, for one, will weep for this little bird.

Blue Bird Lamentation / 10

Jacob

What is it with these birds and looking tremendously surprised by existence? Jacob is apparently sort of Brazil-inspired, which is an odd choice of country to make into a charmingly tropical bird, but alright. He and Pave can enjoy carnivale festivale together.

6 /10

Jacques

Look at this fantastic little hipster! He has a beard even if it’s absurd for a bird to have a beard! Blond eyebrows! The green beanie! If he’s come out before the existence of Smug, I’d say he’s a cute little lumberjack, but smug officially marks him as a proud resident of... Maybe Portland, but I’m thinking Seattle. Walks around in the rain, goes hiking in the woods on the weekends, sure, but during the week he goes to an independent coffee shop that does artisanal, free-trade coffee. He used to go to Starbucks, but then they got mainstream. Do hipsters of a certain type play the harmonica? Well, they do now because he is one and he does. Look me in the eyes and tell me I’m wrong. You can’t, can you? He’s so wonderfully a thing. Also, he’s got nice eyes, good, big pupils, and does a nice job tying his beanie color into the rest of his design. A good, good boy.

He would only accept a rating if it was ironic. I have no way of telling if my ratings are ironic or if they’ve looped back to being semi-sincere or if they’re just dumb gags and that’s not irony, you guys, so let the fact that he’s a serious contender for my New Horizons goals list be enough.

Jay

He’s really more of a swallow than a jay, looking at his coloring. Specifically, he’s got the red head and blue body and white underside of a Lesser Striped Swallow. So, now you know. That’s a plus for me, though not a super powerful one, and his eyes have that sort of strange staring quality I noted about Anchovy, but the eyebrows are less good. A rather run-of-the-mill bird.

He’s wearing a 6, however, so 6/10.

Jitters

Oh god that is unsettling. The dark-ringed eyes that are just the wrong sort of wide and staring... I feel like he’s seen Things. I don’t want him to show me Things. (What is funny is that I feel like, given the opportunity, I would probably loop back around and love his thousand-yard, sleepless, burnt-out stare. But I haven’t, so it creeps me out.)

Aaaaaaaaaaah! / 10

Joe

This bird is too small and dark for me to really see, but that might be a nice purple. Look, some villagers from the foggy shores of the past just cannot merit comment.

-/10

Lucha

I wonder why Nintendo keeps looking at luchadors and going “You know what this needs to be? A bird.” This is clearly Hawlucha’s little brother, and the effect could be more dramatic or detailed, but it does rather get the job done! 

Lucha Libre / 10

Madame Rosa

Well, well, well, a villager with a form of address in their name! How interesting! I like her face, what little of it we can see, and I think her color is appealing. She looks suitably fancy. Honestly, another villager it is a shame to lose.

Admiral Gets To Come Back And That’s Fine But Why Not Rosa? / Villagers Who Didn’t Get Amiibo Cards

Medli

So, here we are. The first of the Amiibo specials! This one is obviously meant to be Medli from Wind Waker, and as an emulation, she’s cute, but please, understand... It’s creepy when fur or feathers or something on an animal character goes for that fair-toned flesh look. The naked mole rat look, except not on a naked mole rat. It’s creepy when custom ponies do it, it’s very creepy when Animal Crossing villagers do it. Please stop.

No Seriously I think about this every time I wanna make a pony of a specific fictional character and then I shudder in deep distaste / Please For the Love of All That Is Good And Holy, Stop. Let Them Have Fur! Or feathers!

Midge

Awwwwwwwwwww! Midge is so cute! Look at those cute little swirls on her cheeks! Her precious little tadpole eyes! She’s a pretty, rosy sort of pink, too. I approve, even if honestly there is no rhyme or reason to her, she is just cute. 

(@ o’  v o’ @) / 10

Otis

Who is this guy, and what do I think about him? He looks... Like a bird. That covers that, I think.

-/10

Peck

Peck has a nice Java Sparrow look to him, though not entirely. The eyebrows are such a bright red that I don’t quite dig it, but I have to admit, he is a cute. Not my favorite vaguely Java-Sparrow-y person, though. That will always be Azami!

Drives Safely / 10

Piper

Man, Piper just does not have cute eyes, this image is a lie. She’s got half-circle eyes that make her look kind of bored. And given that she has so little detail, she really needed cute eyes to make me pleased.

3/10, an actual rating that isn’t just me giving a numerical shrug.

Robin

Robin’s pretty rockin’. I like the subtle blush, assuming that’s not a trick of this one screenshot. The little bit of blue “hair” up on his head ties together his tail and.  Shame his stomach’s not red all the way down. Commit, Animal Crossing designers! Commit! 

Rockin’ Robin: Tweet / Tweet Tweet 

Shoukichi

Oh man, it’s a little daruma doll bird! That’s so good! Look at him, he got his wish I guess! Not much else to say, save that I am sad no one has seen him again. I wish he’d come back one day.

One Eye / Two, for that unfilled wish.

Sparro

This is a pretty cute sparrow. You know what he could use? Bigger eyes. I feel the eyes have been an issue with the birds, and I intend to solve this puzzle. ...I think, considering my reactions, it is that they have big round bobble-heads, and so need a big eye to not look weird. Anyway, I appreciate the big dark rings, but not the weird little blush. He looks like he had a little beard, also good.

W(hy is there a missing W?) / Z

Twiggy

Twiggy sure is. The blue on the cheeks and the tail is nicely tied, and I like the very dark stripes on the legs. I have no particular other feeling, but these are good eyes.

5/10, the rating that is me giving a numerical shrug.

Twirp

Oh, I see Nintendo once considered the matter of bird eyes. And making their pupils ginormous. I see. Hm. Well, I guess I do like it better That said, I have no idea what is going on with this creature. Is it meant to evoke a shaved head? Is this creature naked? He looks very naked. Look, just. I respect your saying farewell to me, Twirp. Goodbye.

??????? / 10

The birds have some fun motifs, and we’re seeing a lot of realistic-ish birds, which is fun, but I think we’ll definitely have more enthusiasm-inducing species. Not new time, though. Next time is cows and bulls, and my expectations are low.

[yeehawvamp]

if u could spend an afternoon with each got7 member individually what would u do with each of them??

ooh this is so tuff n i also dont wanna get too wordy so i’ll stick to simple concepts and then if u want me to go into more detail just send an ask about it bc i’d be happy to divulge sldkjf

this got rlly long so im putting a read more lsdkjf

mark: chill late night playing mario kart n maybe taking turns playing thru wind waker uwu

jaebum: who doesn’t love a nice chill afternoon listening to music and playing w ur cats? this would be a choice lazy day w mister jay bee that’s all im gonna say ksdjf

jackson: i really like the idea of making smoothies and enjoying a nice day at the park. walking/jogging in between but really just enjoying each others company would be rlly nice tbh

jinyoung: a nice rainy afternoon spent inside listening to an ebook together before talking about the different parts of the book that we liked or disliked. maybe just drink coffee and watch an episode of reality tv n say we read too. same idea tho (more like hate-watching n commentary if anything thobsldkjf)

youngjae: not to be lame but i’d love a lazy day where we just watch our favorite movies and order pizza while one of us holds coco 🥰 that would be A Day. 

bambam: i feel like it’d be nice to just walk aroudn the mall and play dress up for the day lol. not really buy clothes since im broke but it’d still be nice to try on clothes to model in with each other. it’d be a nice lil friends date! uwu

yugyeom: i think a cute lil day at the roller rink would be nice with yugyeom ! i’m not the best at skating but i think it’d be nice to have someone tall to hold onto n take down w me whenever i lose my balance lskdjf. also jammin to old bops w gyeom sounds like a blast.

[hopeful-lad]

For the ask meme, Jake and Roxy !

love u so much jay !! thank u for the ask ! 💚

jake: your personal opinion on james camerons avatar?When it first came out, I was SO disinterested in seeing it. I remember my mom was so excited and wanted to see it in theatres but my dad and I were such sticks in the mud that we never saw it like she wanted. When we got around to seeing it I liked it a lot!! The effects were super cool like they said and I liked the story. Now I’ve got a hankering to watch it again,, 

roxy: whats your all time favorite video game?Oh that’s an impossible question, there’s too many favorites!! Anything from my childhood are already leagues ahead anything else I’ve played. Some names to drop especially include: Harvest Moon: Another Wonderful Life, Super Mario Sunshine, Mario Party 7, Animal Crossing Gamecube, LoZ: Wind Waker, LoZ: Skyward Sword, Crash Bandicoot: Wrath of Cortex, and SO many others!! Anything Nintendo nowadays is a safe bet, and my favorite series esp is Zelda. Some non Nintendo games I love include the Uncharted series, and the Phoenix Wright series. 

[subtract-me-from-your-heart]

For get to know me better: do every 10th one please ^_^

Hi, nonny! Thank you ♥ This is kinda long, so I put it under a cut.

10. The word that I use all the time to describe something great?

Awesome. To the point of overuse, probably.

20. Favourite video games?

THIS QUESTION ALWAYS KILLS ME. Legend of Dragoon, Final Fantasy IV, X, XII, and XV, LoZ: Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask, Skyward Sword, and Wind Waker, all three of the Dragon Age games… Skyrim. Uhh. Shadow Hearts, Baten Kaitos… there are a lot more I’m not thinking of, I’m sure...

30. Eye colour?

Green!

40. What do I think about most?

I spend a lot of time daydreaming about stories. I think about my characters and stuff I wanna write or draw.

50. How do I destress?

Video games, typically. I like to play something calm and semi-repetitive like the SIMs or Harvest Moon if I’m extremely stressed. Drawing or listening to music also helps.

60. Pet peeve?

I can never think of these when asked. It’s always annoyed me when people say, “You wanna come with?” Like, please, just add the pronoun at the end. I beg you. I know I’m a bad linguist being all ,“YOU CAN’T SAY THAT!!!1!111one!!” but for some reason the sound of it just irritates me.

70. Can I sing?

Yep. I grew up in a very musical family and I was always in choir at church and school growing up. I’m also going to attempt to sing in the band I’m in with my brother but we’ll see how that goes lmaaaoooo.

80. Can I drive?

Yes. I hate it, but I have the ability. Lol.

90. Favourite sporty activity?

Swimming

100. Do I have more girl friends or boy friends?

Uhhh? I dunno. I’d say probably girl friends. I mean, it’s not as if I have a ton of friends LOL. But I think I definitely have more girl friends.

110. Do I like selfies?

Sure, why not? They’re fun. I suck at taking them, but it’s nice to have them. Sometimes I even don’t feel terrible about how I look LOL.

120. Am I much of a daredevil?

Nooooooo. Whatever the extreme opposite of a daredevil is, that’s me. I could probably stand to be a little less cautious.

130. Favourite piece of advice?

Another hard one. I’m sure there’s plenty. I’m sure there is a lot of advice I think, “Yeah, that sounds great,” and completely do not follow because that’s just the kind of productive human being I am.

If I have to pick something for the sake of answering the question, probably, “Do what you love.” Not even necessarily in the sense of looking for a job. Just do what you love because you love it, even if you’re doing it in your free time between your day job. I’ve found I’m a lot happier when I follow that advice.

140. Do I believe people are capable of change?

Absolutely. And I only believe this because I have changed a LOT over the course of my life. If I can change from the person I was about 15 years ago, anybody can change.

Now I don’t necessarily think EVERYTHING about a person can change. And I don’t think it’s always healthy to expect someone to change, either.

150. What is the best decision I have made in life so far?

Stomping down my social anxiety enough to approach Jay when we had our first class together in college. Ohhh no how cute am I

160. What colour mostly dominates my wardrobe?

Uhh well it used to be black, but now I don’t know. Surprisingly, it’s pretty varied these days. There is a lot of blue and purple, though.

170. One of my favourite quotes?

“No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world.” ~Dead Poets Society, AKA my go-to movie when I’m pressed to come up with a favorite quote

180. Do I like shopping?

Sometimes. Kinda depends on if I have money. If I have money, it’s super fun! But that doesn’t happen very often, haha.

190. If I could time travel, where and when would I want to go?

Everywhere and everywhen. I’d want my life to be a full on Doctor Who series. Although tbh I’d rather travel in space than in time. If I were going to pick a time, it’d be neat to go back and see a Shakespeare play in its original form. 

200. Dragons or wizards?

Dragons.

210. What is on my bucket list?

Mostly places I want to travel. I’d love to go to Japan. I want to go to tons of countries in Europe and the UK. I want to see Chichen Itza. I want to go on a cruise… I’d love to visit my friend in Taiwan. THERE ARE SO! MANY! PLACES!!! When will I get rich? HUH?

[entergamingxp]

Let your mind wander with 40 of our best reads • Eurogamer.net

We’ve been lucky enough to publish some wonderful work on Eurogamer over the years, written by some wonderful writers, and we thought pulling some of it together at a time like this would be a nice thing to do.

If you see something you like, scroll down to the bottom of the piece and click on the author’s name to see what else they’ve written. There are some real treats I haven’t been able to include here – it’s a long enough list as it is!

Thank you everyone who contributes to Eurogamer and helps make it what it is, and thank you for reading it. Have a nice Easter weekend.

How Age of Empires 2 got some Scottish kids into RTS – Here’s a question: How do you get a bunch of disillusioned kids in the arse end of Scotland into real-time strategy games? Sam Greer remembers the 90s in Scotland and an unlikely gaming champion.

Petscop, the internet’s favourite haunted video game – Last March, a YouTube channel titled Petscop began releasing Let’s Play-style videos of what appeared to be a bargain-bin Playstation One game designed to entice undiscerning children. But things quickly took a darker turn, as Sara Elsam finds out.

An ode to video game doors – It’s easy to underestimate doors, Andreas Inderwildi writes, and yet they are also imbued with a kind of magic. If you’ve ever wanted to see a lot of lovely video game doors, now’s your chance.

After half my life, Ace Attorney’s re-release brought me full circle – Some games can have profound influences on our lives. Jay Castello grew up with the Ace Attorney series and wanted to be a lawyer – but life doesn’t always go the way it was planned.

I went Christmas carolling in Rust with a real piano, and got shot a hell of a lot – When Emma Kent heard that craftable pianos were coming to Rust (with MIDI support) and she could plug a microphone in too, there was only one thing she wanted to do. But would her fellow Rust players share in her festive spirit?

The story behind the Oblivion mod Terry Pratchett worked on – Imagine one day getting an email thanking you for the companion you made for Oblivion, signed by someone claiming to be author Terry Pratchett. Then imagine discovering, many letters later, it really was him. Cian Maher tells an unlikely story of friendship and collaboration.

The Lords of Midnight: on the legacy of a truly epic wargame – Even now, there’s little else remotely like it. Jennifer Allen remembers a cruel but magical adventure for Commodore 64. And thanks to devoted fans, there is now a way to play it.

Red Dead Redemption 2 and XCOM 2 have one crucial thing in common – companionship – From perishable squad mates to tales around a camp fire, Vivek Gohil digs into what makes companions in Red Dead Redemption 2 and XCOM 2 so special.

I was in Football Manager and I don’t know how to feel about it – Imagine our surprise when writer Chris Tapsell turns around and announces he was once in a Football Manager game, a series he loves – but as a football player. If it weren’t for a shoulder injury he may well have been a professional footballer today. But something always bothered him about his FM representation: his stats weren’t right. His height, his birthday, his eccentricity. This is the story of him getting to the bottom of it.

Roleplaying across the internet – It doesn’t have to be people sitting around a table. In its purest form, roleplaying is when a person says, “Let me tell you a story,” and the other person says, “Me too.” Giada Zavarise takes into the world of forum roleplaying.

If Ubisoft wants to cling on to Clancy, it’s time to talk politics – Tom Clancy relished a political drama so why does Ubisoft try to avoid it in his name? Is such a thing even possible? Edwin Evans-Thirlwell takes a closer look at Clancy and the legacy he left behind.

I owe everything I am to Buck Rogers: Countdown to Doomsday – You’re in a game shop in the mid-1990s and you have £15 to spend, and that’s a lot – you’re a kid and you’re poor. Jennifer Allen had a choice on her hands. What to choose? Pele? Streets of Rage? Or how about this box with the hero and the aliens on…?

Kazunori’s War: the world of Gran Turismo’s creator – He keeps a selection of pre-packed bags by his desk so he can leave at a moment’s notice. He’s an occasional racing driver. And he spun out a car at 200km/h as a very naughty youth. He is Kazunori Yamauchi, creator of Gran Turismo, and Martin Robinson travels to Japan to meet him.

It’s not easy being green: a brief history of orcs in video games – Who invented orcs, how did they get their green colour, and when did they start being more than dumb enemies? Nic Reuben seeks answers.

Why did ancient Egypt spend 3000 years playing a game nobody else liked? – Here’s a game responsible for one of the first ever instances of trash talk, a game played by pharaohs, but even after 3000 years of play, Senet went the way of the disonaur. Christian Donlan tries to find out what happened.

The boy who stole Half-Life 2 – In May 2004, a German boy wakes to find his bed surrounded by armed police officers. Seven months earlier, the source code to the in-development-and-late Half-Life 2 leaks onto the internet. Simon Parkin tells the story of a global hacker hunt, from both sides.

The six-year story of GTA Online’s long-vacant casino – When GTA Online launched, the Vinewood Casino was there. It wasn’t open but it was “opening soon”, according to a sign on the door. One year later, still closed; two years later, still closed. Nearly six years later, still closed. Why did it take so long? Jordan Oloman digs into a troubled development.

The cult of Hideo Kojima – What is it about Hideo Kojima that has crowds turn out in their hundreds to meet him? Khee Hoon Chan waits among one such crowd in Singapore, and then all of a sudden, spotlight on, Kojima is there.

Hearts and minds – Tom Bramwell puts on his best suit for the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony, and it leaves him wondering why there aren’t more heroes in games.

The US town ruled by an AI storyteller – Great storytellers talk about creative partnerships with all kinds of things, from drugs to religion to half-awake states of mind. Can artificial intelligence now be added to the list? Emily Gera shines a light on a fascinating storytelling experiment.

The God who Peter Molyneux forgot – Do you remember Curiosity and the promise of a life-changing prize for whoever tapped the last block? Brayn Henderson does – he tapped it. But did it change his life? Wesley Yin-Poole travels to Scotland to find out.

The Wind Waker inspired me to build a boat – Ever decided to build a boat because you really liked a game about sailing around? No of course not. Nor, I bet, have you ever bought an ocarina instrument because of a game, or fashioned your hair to look like Nathan Drake. Or have you? Omar Hafeez-Bore ponders the influence of games.

Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp and the feud that keeps on running – This time he’s demanding a single coconut. Philippa Warr tells the a hilarious story of two lifelong friends falling out over a valentine.

Brando and Bowie: The amazing stories of a man you’ve never heard about – He alone witnessed Marlon Brando’s last ever performance, and David Bowie kissed him on the lips. He held high positions in the video game world and directed big games for big companies. And yet, he never quite found success as we know it. Or did he? Bertie tells a long story.

Why can’t video games get shoulders right? What an inspired question! And it turns out it’s all in the shoulder blades. Alan Wen investigates.

Viva Piñata places a brutal lens on late-stage capitalism – Don’t be fooled by its cutesy looks. Viva Piñata is, as Hazel Southwell tells us, maybe the only game where the kind of business psychopathy preached on Huel-based wellness retreats outside San Francisco will actually work.

The promise of a game world you can touch – James Holland puts his hands in front of him and as the on-screen bubbles start to pop, he feels them popping on his skin, on his bare skin – he’s not wearing gloves or equipment of any kind. Is this the tech of the future?

Inside Tomb of Horrors, the hardest D&D module ever made – Just getting inside can be an ordeal, as two of the entrances lead to certain death, and losing a character level 10 or higher – all that time invested – really hurts. Why would someone make something like that? Malindy Hetfield takes a closer look.

PS2: The Insiders’ Story – The PlayStation 2 is still the best-selling console in the world. It was a landmark machine and its success made Sony feel invincible. Ellie Gibson takes us back to a time of David Lynch adverts and wild parties.

VR has already taken people with dementia to the seaside, and now video games are exploring neurological disease itself – Watching a participant literally cry with happiness as they remove the headset is not a sight writer Luke Kemp will soon forget.

Decoding Shenzhen: The Chinese city that makes the world’s tech – Known as the mecca of manufacturing, Shenzhen is a fishing city turned megatropolis, where an idea can be made a reality and sold in a market stall in two weeks. Arshiya Khullar investigates.

The human cost of Red Dead Redemption 2 – In October 2018, Red Dead Redemption set a new benchmark for the kind of production values a video game could reach. Technically, it was a marvel. But at what cost?

The folklore roots of Sekiro’s anus-ball snatching enemies – Why does an enemy in Sekiro grab a pale fleshy thing from your behind, hold it up like a trophy, then devour it in its own behind? It’s all to do with some disturbing monsters in Japanese folklore, as Ewan Wilson finds out.

Why I play video games – Dr Omar Hafeez-Bore believes a good part of why he chose to pursue medicine was because of video games, and not for the reasons you may think.

Stories with dice: the thrill of old-school D&D – Even 40 years on, video games have a lot to learn from Dungeons & Dragons. Oli Welsh discovers the joy of pen-and-paper role-playing games.

A horse named Gizmondo: The inside story of the world’s greatest failed console – It’s like it never existed now, but for a while Gizmondo – a handheld gaming machine – was going to conquer the world. The 2005 launch party even featured Pharrell Williams and Sting. But less than a year later, the company behind Gizmondo collapsed into bankruptcy. Ellie Gibson hears the whole shady story from the people who were there.

Passing on the gift of games – Have you ever passed the gift of gaming on and watched someone come to terms with it like you once did? Oh the tantrums I used to throw playing Street Fighter! Emad Ahmed has a niece and nephew to pass the gift onto, with surprising effects.

After I stepped into Yakuza’s world, Yakuza’s world seeped into mine – Wish you were there, in Japan? Well, there are few games better than the Yakuza series for taking you there. They helped Malindy remember happy years studying there, and overcome a painful memory.

The quest for Shadow of the Colossus’ last big secret – What if everything in Fumito Ueda’s renowned game had not been found? Could there be a 17th colossi hidden somewhere, waiting to be discovered? Craig Owens takes us into a world of unsolved mysteries and secret hunters.

The secrets of Dark Souls lore explained and explored – It’s not easy to get at the story in Dark Souls because unlike in other games, it’s scattered and hidden away. Richard Stanton connects the dots for us.

from EnterGamingXP https://entergamingxp.com/2020/04/let-your-mind-wander-with-40-of-our-best-reads-%e2%80%a2-eurogamer-net/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=let-your-mind-wander-with-40-of-our-best-reads-%25e2%2580%25a2-eurogamer-net

[thunderpetal]

The objectively best part of Wind Waker is when tiny toon link’s arms pick up darknut claymores

It’s even better in Pajama Run Mode

[thunderpetal]

VERY disappointed that the pirate’s dialogue doesn’t change if you’re wearing the pyjamas :(

[thunderpetal]

I’ve never seen it posted or even mentioned once in the Zelda fandom, so here is the full letter Aryll posts to Link after he rescues her <3 It’s sweet, it’s a whole meal of Aryll characterisation, and it’s good pirates content. What more could you want?

I’m so upset Aryll and Tetra were never on the ship at the same time though. They deserve to be besties

[thunderpetal]

OH MY GOD… I was aiming for 999 blows but alas. Wind waker is just cruel to me. This is giving me flashbacks to dying on the final floor of the Savage Labyrinth

Anyway my left index finger is now completely numb from holding it down so long to target but… worth it??? I guess??? Lol??????

[thunderpetal]

Beedle teasing Link about his relationship with Tetra is so...

[thunderpetal]

Dang, Ganondorf really likes uses pathetic as an insult

[thunderpetal]

Jabun’s secret dialogue (from when you play on a second file)