#really like this because it gives the female character model a bit more bulk without insane curves

[raven-of-domain-kwaad]

I am in love with the new armor I got for Unna 💚 They look so awesome!

[darkzeruda1214]

I’m not going deny, I was heavily inspired by just a Pancake’s video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoIpdFLz-Ls&t=4s

The Fandom does a much better job at writing and developing these gals than game has ever done or shown. I do love these three but stuff like this still bugs the shit out of me.

I love these gals. But I’m not going to deny that Just a Pancake really makes a valid point. And to be fair after some thinking I see the argument he was trying to make.

Now I know we all have own opinions and that’s fine. I stay firm with mine as you do yourselves. And that’s what makes a fandom, we all have a right to dislike and disagree if we want to. In fact I do encourage because it allows debates and second thinking if needed.

Anyways… back on topic, I’m going to be blunt. But Kingdom Hearts just dosen’t make good female characters. (This is not including Disney girls of FF, just KH original characters)

And it’s kinda sad considering how few main original KH female characters there are. You think they’d be able to bulk up personalities, but that seems to go to all the male characters.

As amazing and fun this game is, it needs some tweaking on making their female characters, feel alive.

Now I’m not talking about the fandom perspectives of these gals, because I’m going to be real. The fans do an INSANELY better job at portraying these girls. (TAKE NOTES NOMURA DAMN IT!)  

Now there are a few exceptions a couple being Larxene and Olette. To me (and feel to disagree with me) they were the only ones that felt like had something to offer.

Larxene has more character than all the other gals. Being sarcastic, sadistic and snide (at times insufferable bitch) and to me that breaths a lot of personality and I love her for it. Even her voice actor has put a great amount of effort in bringing Larxene to life. Out of all the KH girls she is the one who brings in most of the attention. And even in the few scenes she gets the spotlight without even trying.

The second being Olette. Now I know some of you are already typing as to how she has anything to offer. She’s not even a main character! Yes, and that the thing, I think because she has no major role in it allows the writers to give her a character that comes off as simple and sweet. She’s the only one to demonstrated that she’s as normal and ordinary as a person can be in this series. Something we don’t exactly see happening in the KH franchise since every named character has a role to fulfill, and for her to be a small breath of fresh air is a nice change of pace. It shows: yes there are normal people, with normal lives. They have no scripted important task ahead of them, and it’s nothing to be ashamed of it.

And not only that, we did get to know bits and parts of her personality. And her interests thanks to small details sprinkled in KH2 and 3. Such as showing she has her priorities straight and 'actually' doing her homework/jobs before the due date. She loves going to the beach and loves spending time with her friends. Also she like to go shopping. A simple character, with a simple purpose. And to me she feels alive and just in general, a simple but easy character to relate to. She’s a perfect example of a beauty in simplicity.  

Now… as for the main girls.

Aqua is literally my favorite KH girl. However, the thing about her, is that she shared too many similar features with Sora. Now I don’t mean personality wise because Aqua is much more mature and level headed than Sora could ever be 

However, as much as I really hate to admit it. Aqua doesn’t have anything to offer other than a serious role model and as a plot device...

I think what made Aqua popular is the fact that she’s a strong independent female character who doesn’t need no man to save her. (Also, she has a really well thought out design). And for that I praise and respect her for it. Yet… throughout the game, she relatively keeps the same straight face. Her expression has shown to be sad, angry or just stoic. Nothing too bad, but as far as that, we don’t see Aqua have any interests beyond wanting to save her friends. And to me that’s all she did in the series, I’m not going to lie the first time I played Birth by Sleep, I saw absolutely no reason for her to be in the game. I mean Xehanort (he can go suck a dick) focused all of his attention on Terra to take over his body. And on Ventus to play a role in forging the X-blade.

But as for Aqua, to me it seemed like she was just walked in there to simply fill a space and create another trio. Now I’m not saying under circumstance that she is useless. After all, her role in the game is a huge catalyst for the events of KH1. It gives her a purpose and is one of the most important characters. But to me that felt more like a large plot device and changer other than being a person. Aqua suffered a lot in the series, no doubt. But being a catalyst isn’t enough to be a good character. She’s not bad by any means, as I still hold her a place in my heart. But I feel like she was put on plot pedestal in the series instead of being given a full fledged personality that makes her relatable. There are only two instances that allowed Aqua to not be a emotionless character:

One being with Zack asking her on a date and the second is when she tried to help Cinderella and Jaq in Castle of Dreams world. To see an awkward/embarrassed expression instead of the dull zombie-like one was a nice sense of relief to give her something.      

Another character that suffers from this treatment is Xion. She is one of my favorite characters from 358/2 days, but beyond the fact that she got the short end of the stick of being forgotten by her own friends (and everyone else for that matter). Her story is a tragic one, one that always gives me the feels and her theme is both beautiful and sad. But I wouldn’t say she had a character that made me connect with her as much as it could have.

She definitely has more expression and personality compared to Aqua that’s for sure. But not by much, however hers is within good reason. After all she was a puppet created by Vexen and Organization XIII don’t get me wrong. I understand that, and I would say it’s unfair for me to be saying this to her. And you’re right, it is unfair, but Xion eventually learned how to have emotions. How to cry and what happiness and laughter is and feels like.

The one thing I did get from her is that she loves sea salt ice cream and is one of the cutest and sweetest character in the game. But as far as her interests goes, there’s not much to go by. Now I know you can argue that both Roxas and Axel don’t exactly express their interest beyond their time in the clock tower. And it’s true, but Xion doesn’t add much more either… again I feel like she was only added in the game last minute. And that’s why in the story she’s forgotten so they have an explanation as to what happened to her and why she’s not recalled in KH2. Xion also gets the “plot device” treatment rather than as a character. And to me it feels like a disrespect to her character! (Her manga incarnation is MILES better).

However, I also don’t say much on her either only because she is still learning how to be her own individual. But my point still stands, though it’s prone to change, mostly because she now has the opportunity to be a character after KH3 since everyone remembers her and has her own body. And she might finally get an personality expansion in the next set of installments in the future.

Now as for Kairi…

Well this topic has been talked and reviewed over to death. In fact I even spoke about her character in this post here: https://princesszelda-heroine.tumblr.com/post/187815960646/kairi-deserved-better

But to sum it up, Kairi hasn’t been given a chance to shine as an individual compared to her friends and the others. And after what happened in KH3 I’m just more frustrated with the writers and developers that they won’t allow her to grow with sustenance! Whatever she had in KH1 and 2 was totally stripped in KH3.

My point being. Being a plot device in game or a catalyst for another one. Or having amazing/original design, does. Not. Make. A. Good. Fleshed. Out. Character.

I’m sorry to say this. But it’s true.

This is why I hate the treatment these gals go through in game. I stick solely to fan works because they give these girls the justice they deserve and makes me love them more as a whole.

I know there is a lot of things I didn’t cover, and maybe I missed a couple of points. But this is how I see this, and how I think the franchise is really missing a lot of good opportunities developing them.  

They really don't have much to offer as far as personality growth. Thank You KH Manga series.

[outspokensa]

(  bella  hadid.    cis  female.    she/her.  )  /  word  on  the  street  is  that  devin  bahar  was  just  signed  to  starlites.  you  know,  the  twenty-three-year-old  model  ?  according  to  everyone  around  town  they’ve  been  said  to  be  a  bit  withdrawn  &  a  workaholic,  but  i  guess  they  make  up  for  it  by  being  so  loyal  &  charismatic.  three  things  that  would  be  used  to  describe  them  would  be  messy  silk  sheets,  red  wine,  and  staying  in  on  a  saturday  night.  i  hope  they  keep  up  to  the  expectations  of  starlites  and  don’t  get  dropped  before  they  even  take  off  !  — bella  hadid  career  claim  !

I’d  like  to  first  apologize  for  the  mess  you’re  about  to  read  and  for  if  this  turns  into  a  rambling  mess.  I’m  going  to  attempt  to  keep  this  intro  short  since  I  have  a  few  other  links  /  spots  you  can  jump  to  if  you  want  to  read  /  learn  more  about  my  bby  bean.  Anywho,  I’m  Katie,  twenty-one,  in  the  cold  af  est  timezone,  and  I  use  she/her  pronouns.

intro  trigger  warnings:  mentions  of  parental  abandonment  and  rejection,  mentions  of  depression  and  anxiety.

✧  backstory

Devin  I.  Bahar  was  born  to  Isabella  Corine  Bahar,  an  ex-model  who  retired  when  she  got  married,  becoming  far  more  attracted  to  the  ‘rich  housewife,  bow  down  to  me’  aesthetic  than  continuing  to  work,  and  Damian  Ethan  Bahar,  a  lawyer  coming  from  a  long  line  of  family  lawyers  that  were  known  for  working  important,  high-profile  cases.

The  relationship  she  holds  with  her  mother  is  strained  due  to  the  woman’s  materialistic  nature  and  her  goal  of  marrying  off  her  daughter  for  as  much  money  as  possible.  Her  eyes  are  always  on  a  far  bigger  and  shinier  prize,  no  matter  how  good  her  life  already  is.

Her  relationship  with  her  father,  miraculously,  is  healthier  than  the  one  she  has  with  her  mother,  simply  because  she  has  absolutely  no  relationship  with  the  male.  He  took  off  when  she  was  younger,  cutting  off  all  contact  with  his  daughter  without  a  second  thought  and  he  hadn’t  bothered  to  make  any  effort  to  try  and  have  a  relationship  with  her.

In  fact,  when  she  had  attempted  to  start  some  form  of  a  relationship  with  him  after  she  turned  eighteen,  he  completely  rejected  her  and  wanted  nothing  to  do  with  her  and  it  ripped  her  apart  far  more  than  she  was  willing  to  admit  to  herself  or  anyone  else.

Even  now,  she  isn’t  sure  if  the  complete  cut  in  contact  is  due  to  her  mother  or  if  it  was  simply  because  she  didn’t  live  up  to  his  expectations,  didn’t  deserve  his  love.  Either  way,  she  has  attempted  to  move  on  from  it  after  the  rejection,  even  if  she  still  has  that  small  hole  in  her  heart  over  it.

Due  to  how  strained  her  relationship  is  with  her  mother,  she  moved  out  of  the  household  the  day  she  turned  eighteen,  having  managed  to  save  up  enough  money  to  support  herself,  wanting  to  get  away  from  her  as  soon  as  possible.  However,  the  woman  is  still  her  mother  and  she  does  still  attempt  to  have  some  form  of  a  relationship  with  her,  even  if  it  sends  her  into  a  horrible  mindset  whenever  she  has  a  conversation  with  the  woman.

✧  career

She  first  began  modeling  at  the  age  of  16  for  a  commercial  project.  She  also  starred  in  the  "Swan  Sittings"  by  Lesa  Amoore,  alongside  actor  Ben  Barnes,  before  appearing  in  "Smoking  Hot"  by  Holly  Copeland.  She  also  modeled  for  Hanna  Hayes'  F/W  2013  collection,  alongside  various  other  commercial  projects,  including  campaign  work  for  Chrome  Hearts  during  2013  and  2014.

She  was  then  signed  to  IMG  Models  in  2014  and  her  career  started  shooting  off  from  there.

She  never  actually  planned  to  become  a  model,  she  actually  wanted  to  be  a  photographer  when  she  was  younger  and  planned  to  go  to  school  for  it.  When  it  came  to  the  point  where  her  focus  turned  towards  college,  she  ended  up  heading  towards  visual  arts,  fashion  design,  and  graphic  design.  Out  of  that,  she  discovered  her  passion  for  clothing  and  that’s  what  began  her  journey  of  designing  clothes,  a  project  she  started  along  with  her  modelling  career.

Since  the  start  of  her  career,  she  has  won  over  a  dozen  different  awards  that  range  over  her  multiple  different  career-interests.  Managing  to  make  a  name  for  herself  as  a  model  and  fashion  designer.

As  much  as  she  enjoys  photography,  she  puts  most  of  her  focus  onto  modelling  and  continuing  to  add  to  her  own  clothing  line  full-time.  This  leaves  photography  for  her  spare  time  as  more  of  a  hobby,  however,  she  does  step  in  to  help  other  high-profile  photographers  from  time-to-time.

✧  personality

She  identifies  as  pansexual  and  has  always  been  very  open  to  sharing  and  talking  about  her  sexuality.

Has  always  put  her  foot  forward  to  support  charities,  organizations,  and  projects  that  support  the  entire  LGBTQ  community.  Along  with  making  sure  to  put  her  focus  into  other  charities  and  organizations,  she’s  always  been  the  type  of  person  to  ‘give  back’  and  to  put  her  support  into  the  things  she  believes  in.

Devin  suffers  from  intense  depression  and  anxiety.  For  the  most  part,  you  would  never  know,  she  does  well  but,  every  once  in  a  while  she  goes  into  a  deep  rut.  She  won’t  talk  to  anyone,  doesn’t  want  anyone  around,  generally  entirely  depressing  and  doesn’t  want  to  bring  other  people  down  when  it  comes  to  it.  It  takes  a  lot  of  trust  and  a  special  type  of  friendship  for  her  to  allow  you  to  be  around  during  that  time  considering,  most  of  the  time,  she’ll  go  completely  off  the  grid  the  entire  time.  However,  at  the  same  time,  she  openly  talks  about  her  battle  with  depression  and  anxiety.  She  doesn’t  ever  want  anyone  to  feel  alone  and  she  tries  to  involve  herself  with  as  many  campaigns  and  projects  that  involve  supporting  those  with  mental  illness  as  possible.

Along  with  this,  she  also  has  this  back  and  forth  with  affection.  She  either  hates  being  touched  or  gravitates  towards  it,  it  really  depends  on  her  mental  state  at  the  time  and  the  general  relationship  she  has  with  the  other  person  involved.  It  can  be  difficult,  one  day  she’ll  be  ready  to  give  you  a  bear  hug  and  the  next  day,  she’ll  shake  if  you  try  to  shake  her  hand.

On  a  more  positive  note,  she  tries  to  be  as  positive  as  she  can,  to  a  reasonable  extent.  She  never  wants  to  take  life  far  too  seriously  but,  obviously,  doesn’t  want  to  take  it  for  granted  either.  She’s  the  type  of  person  you  go  to  if  you  want  clear-headed  advice  but  you  don’t  want  to  be  talked  down  to  at  the  same  time.  Or  if  you  want  ridiculous  jokes  while  also  getting  some  kind  of  pep-talk.

Really  the  mom-friend  but  probably  won’t  ever  admit  to  being  the  mom  friend.

✧  extra  information  and  links

blog’s  full  navigation;

you  can  find  links  to  just  about  everything  here.

full  about  page;

if  you  want  statistics,  a  more  in-depth  background,  extra  facts,  and  some  other  small  things,  head  on  over  to  her  about  page.

spotify  playlist;

it’s  a  mess  but,  i’m  always  a  big  fan  of  using  music  to  get  to  know  characters.

pinterest  board;

this  is  also  a  highkey  mess  but  you'll  be  able  to  find  organized  sections  for:  reflection,  exterior,  study,  aesthetic,  and  her  attire.

connections  page;

here’s  a  page  with  a  list  of  connection  ideas,  some  are  specific  but  most  i  tend  to  use  as  templates  for  plotting.  i’ll  also  update  this  with  any  connections.

wanted  connections  tag  &  inspo  blog;

i’m  also  terrible  at  coming  up  with  ideas  so,  i  have  a  sideblog  to  reblog  things  for  wanted  connections  (  the  link  leads  to  the  wanted  connections  tag  ),  but  it  also  has  a  tag  for  extra  muse  posts  if  you’re  interested.  i  might  actually  stop  being  lazy  and  use  some  of  these  as  inspo  links  on  my  connections  page  but  who  knows.

career  tag;

i  already  have  a  few  posts  in  here  (  and  a  few  in  my  queue  ),  if  you’re  interested.  but  devin  is  an  intense  workaholic  that  pushes  herself  far  more  than  what’s  healthy  so  i’m  pretty  sure  it’s  nearly  impossible  for  me  to  put  everything  she  has  ever  /  will  ever  work  on  in  there  but  oop  scoop.

okay,  i’m  going  to  stop  typing  now,  since  i’m  realizing  this  is  getting  longer  than  i  planned.  but  if  you’d  like  to  plot,  absolutely  feel  free  to  slide  into  my  dms  and  we  can  figure  something  out.  i’ve  got  some  coursework  i  waited  until  the  last  minute  to  start  (  again  )  so,  i’ll  be  jumping  on  and  off  while  i  try  to  get  a  good  bulk  of  it  done  !  you’re  also  totally  free  to  hit  me  up  on  d*scord  @  katie#7666  for  plotting  and  such  !

[synatria-studios]

Let's Talk About Platformers

Hey, it’s Aria Tempest here! Lead Artist and co-creator of SynAtria! Since we’re making a platformer game, I wanted to go through and talk about some games in the platformer genre that you may have overlooked or maybe you’re hoping to get into platformers but you aren’t sure where to start.

Most people when they think of platformers probably think of Mario games so I won’t be putting any in the list, though Mario Galaxy was one of my first favorites, Mario Sunshine is a classic, Super Paper Mario is a great casual time, and Mario Odyssey is perfection in the genre. I think everyone’s definition of platformer is a little different. I’ve seen people call Portal 2 a platformer and I’m not sure I’d agree since it’s mostly puzzles where you occasionally get to do a really cool jump or two.

I consider a game a platformer if the main bulk of the gameplay is platforming. It can have some puzzle or action elements but not more than the jumpy bits! Anyways let's get started with the list!

Shovel Knight

This game is incredible, probably the best 2D platformer to date. If you haven’t played it you should and if you have played it then have you played the other campaigns? There are 4 campaigns total, Shovel of Hope (The main storyline), Plague of Shadows, Specter of Torment, and King of Cards. You can also do two player mode with a friend (or just anyone you can get to play with you I guess). Also have you tried changing things about the characters? There are loads of secret codes you can put in for various effects (like moon jump mode and giant mode) or you can just change character pronouns and genders. I often turn Shovel Knight into a girl for some cute WLW (women-loving women) gameplay and then I often make everyone else a girl too just to see their changed character models. You can make the pronouns gender neutral as well, which is something that I think is really important to put in games with gender options.

So for context, my experience with the game is having beaten Shovel of Hope several times, Plague of Shadows one time, Specter of Torment one time, but I’ve only played a small amount of King of Cards. So obviously I haven’t played the new card mini game or the new fighting game Shovel Knight Showdown.

The gameplay is based around which character/campaign you pick and in my opinion the easiest characters to pick up and play in order are Shovel Knight, Plague Knight, Specter Knight, and King Knight. Playing Shovel Knight is an easy and fun breeze though not without its challenge. Learning how to play feels new and natural at the same time. I’m not sure I’d say that for the rest of them. It took some time for me to get proficient with the other playable characters, especially King Knight, who frustrated me to learn. The game is a 2D platformer done perfectly. Jump, attack, get new items and abilities, and several different play styles. Also something that isn’t often seen done well in 2D platformers, they managed to do branching paths without it feeling metroidvania-like (like you need a map) and they were able to throw in several types of collectibles, some of which are well hidden!

I should mention the death system. Anytime you die 25% of your total money is dropped where you died even if you’re in mid air. You then respawn at the start of the level or a checkpoint. If you can get back to your money then no big deal, not even a loss. However if you can’t get back (die on the way over) then you’ll continue to lose money and each previous money bag will disappear. It’s a pretty good and simple system, not too punishing. Though it’s embarrassing to finally get back to your money only to die right in front of it, just leaving piles of money bags in the same location over and over. Some people commonly compare this to the death system in Dark Souls in which when you die your collected souls are left in that location and you have to retrieve them before dying again. While I get the comparison, that’s really where the similarities start and end.

As far as the level design, it’s genius. Each level has a great flow to it and has incredibly different feelings. Most levels have their own mechanics and enemies that need to be learned how to overcome. Everything feels very meticulously planned out to the point that you’ll probably be just running around having a great time without even thinking about it. If you’re a level design lover like me, I recommend watching this video on one of the levels on Shovel Knight if you want to get a feel for how they designed the whole level to flow together perfectly. ❀

As far as collectibles, each campaign has a unique item that you collect throughout it. In Shovel Knight the item is a music sheet that you can turn in for rewards and extra dialogue. I think it’s important in games for collectibles to feel like more than just a number. They should give extra story, items, or maybe images you access in the main menu instead of just giving out a single achievement and nothing else. I like achievements and achievement hunting but I think it’s best when a game does more than that to reward it’s player, which Shovel Knight does well.

The soundtrack is perfect and they know it. They even have songs as collectible rewards that you give to a bard like character that gives extra info about the game and songs with each music sheet turned in. Jake Kaufman did the music excellently and I can only assume the bard like character is based on him. The songs feel memorable, catchy, exciting, and retro. They're retro in the way that someone today who loves retro game music may have taken that love and made something brand new and exciting for the current time, not in the way that it sounds exactly like it just comes straight from an old game which I think plays in its favor.

The look of the game is beautiful, the backgrounds and movements look lovely and it’s a pixel art game that’s clearly been made with lots of attention to detail. Sticking to a retro feeling, they did the game with just the color palette that an NES could do and only added a few additional colors where needed. The thought process going into giving this game the right feeling and look is incredible.

One of my only regrets in life is not having known about this game’s kickstarter. For the ones who pledged enough, they get their face in a specific part of the game. Every time I get there though I always say hi to two specific portraits, one being Matt from BestFriendsPlay and my favorite one being Arin from GameGrumps. If you haven’t seen them yet I recommend trying to find them. The first time I played I scoured the area for Arin’s portrait like a treasure hunt.

For the story, it’s not that big but I loved it; I felt so invested. There’s a segment at the end of certain levels where you have to catch the girl you love and it immediately gets my heart pumping. I was all in on rescuing her from second one. People often complain about games in which a female needs rescuing, often games in which her only personality trait is being easy to kidnap. This game steers away from that, with the girl being gone, you can feel the loss and desperation to get her back from the cutscenes and you can see her as a person outside of just being someone who is kidnapped. She has friends, a life, and even a personality! (Oh my)It does a great job at establishing the two character’s strong love and bond. As for the other campaigns, Plague Knight never had me tearing up (unlike Shovel Knight), though I did adore it. However I felt that Specter Knight’s campaign was really lacking. Though maybe that’s because I’m a romantic loser and there wasn’t any romance in that one. Did anyone else feel less invested in the Specter Knight storyline? Also for those who have played it, what did you think of King Knight’s storyline?

Overall it’s an incredibly fun game that everyone should give a try if they like the genre, though just note that the story isn’t huge but it makes up for it in every other way it could.

A Hat in Time

Super cute and friendly feeling, I remember seeing gifs of the main character blowing kisses at enemies and knew I had to try it out. This game excels at giving you happy feelings, with fun dialogue as well.

Story wise it has a lot of fun elements and lots of different characters. Each world has its own character types, and while they’re all fun and interesting, they don’t feel very connected to each other. That aside, the main character is a silent protagonist type, but plays it very well using noises and expressions that in the end give her as much personality as anyone else. You aren’t going to feel super emotionally invested in the plot and characters, but you’ll have an excellent time.

With collectibles there are so many different types. There are yarn balls, which give new abilities (hats) when enough are found. Relics, sort of a multi piece collectible, you need to find a few of a certain type to make one, like for making the burger, you’ll need the top and bottom of it. Once you put them together it unlocks a bonus level, which is reminiscent of the secret levels in Mario Sunshine, with a focus just on platforming with no story, as you just kind of jump around random cubes in space. I could not love segments like this more. ♡ Finally there are rift tokens, which you can use to get random cosmetic options, such as different looks for your hats, different color palettes for your character, or music remixes. I loved these because I’m a sucker for character customization, and will frequently change my appearance several times in a sitting. I’m the type of person that plays Animal Crossing for 1 hour and changes my look three times during it to match my current mood. I definitely want to add character customization to lots of games we’ll make, I think it adds a fun element to it.

The gameplay is bouncy and energetic, and the levels are great at having separate paths with secrets in them that, even when long to explore, feel really easy to go right back to where you were at the start of the path. Several times I was impressed at the perfect wrap arounds since some games you look for a secret and get lost or just have to back track with nothing other than maybe a respawned enemy or two. You have different powers tied to whichever hat you have on and I find things like this to be very fun in 3D platformers, though I will say that some of the hats don’t feel as useful as others and you won’t put it on often. (Looking at you, sprint hat. Why do you have so many cute customization options if you’re just going to suck?)

So for this one I’d recommend it because it takes a lot of classic older 3D platformer feelings but does them with a fresh feeling. It’s less trying to figure out the genre than it is showing why the genre is amazing.

Cave Story

This game impresses me time and time again and I think I’m addicted to buying it on every platform I can. This game was made by one man in his free time over five years and it was free to play for quite some time; surprising given it’s quality. I’m glad that they started selling it though because they deserve the money for this excellent game.

The gameplay isn’t too complex. Mostly platforming challenges and instead of close range attacks like most platformers, you actually have several different types of guns. You can get several weapon types throughout the game, then you collect these little yellow triangles (I always called them Doritos) to level up each weapon. Each weapon’s level cap is low, but each level up gives a better version of it. Taking damage will level down your gun however, but getting it back in shape isn’t too hard. The only thing to keep in mind is if you want to level up a gun you aren’t currently using, then every time you see the Doritos you have to switch guns to whichever one you want to level, pick up the Doritos, then switch back. Not hard to get into the habit of, but a bit of a pain.

As for the story it blends with the gameplay very well. The world, characters, and story all feel very interconnected. I think it’s important for games to not feel like THE CUT SCENE SECTION and THE COMBAT SECTION. The world feels real and the characters are easy to start caring for. It’s one of those games that can make you laugh or tear up, and as you play you’ll feel yourself become the character and want to know more about the people around you and the world itself. Most games throw you in and tell you who your character likes and implies that you’re invested in the world around you from even before the start. While I don’t mind that approach at all, it’s interesting to see it done like Cave Story where you’re a stranger in the world with no memories or attachments and you feel yourself make them as your character does. It lets you really look at the world through your character’s eyes.

Some cool features of Cave Story + specifically includes different difficulty settings, multiple versions of the soundtrack to choose from (all with their own beautiful and unique feeling. I like playing with the Cave Story + one or remastered, but if you want to hear it all badass sounding then Ridiculon covers that), a really fun Local Co-op where you can play out the whole game with a friend, and you can change the graphics between the original graphics and the remastered ones whenever you want in the settings. I personally love when games implement this. The first time I saw it was Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary and when I realized that I could go between new and old graphics even while in game just by pressing a button. Man, I wasn’t even playing that game anymore, I was just walking around looking at grass textures and switching it back and forth like a madman.

Also this game can get challenging towards the end, and if you want the best ending, you’ll probably have to look up what to do ahead of time, because none of what’s needed to be done will be something you do naturally in my opinion.

Overall it’s fantastic and if you can take a bit of challenge it should really draw you in.

DLC Quest

This game is small, short, but very fun, especially if you’re familiar with common gaming tropes.

The writing, characters, and story, are all based around common tropes in gaming, poking fun at them but exploring them in new ways, much like the movie Cabin In the Woods in the horror genre. The writing is very clever and funny. At one point there’s an area with a sign that says “Allan please add world” which is a reference to the game Hitman: Blood Money where the description of an item reads “Allan please add details” and has been referenced in many other games. The game writing knows itself well, to the point where several characters point out being part of a game, or make it clear which pointless NPC role they’re clearly meant to fill.

In the gameplay it’s basic jumping and platforming without much attacking, though there is one important detail. You don’t have access to most gameplay elements until you pay with coins in the game, poking fun at something I hate, DLC microtransactions type of stuff. At the start you can’t even move left or pause the game without paying coins first. It turns the game into an interesting experiment, that while it was done well, I wish was longer.

Level design isn’t amazing however. Falling could make you have to redo way too much platforming and I’d get lost on multiple occasions. Though I am known for getting lost in games easier than most, most of the other games on this list don’t come anywhere near this issue.

I recommend giving this game a try. It’s an interesting look at gaming and a fun time, but it obviously isn’t going to blow you away or anything.

Ori and the Blind Forest

A beautiful game where everything looks and sounds amazing. The first few minutes might make you cry, but after that you probably won’t care as much, very similar to my experience with the movie Up.

The story isn’t important though, because it shines in it’s gameplay and art. I will say one way the story suffers is if you’re in a scene you actually really care about the plot and as you move your character you feel like you’re in it and you’re trying to make it through and figure out what happens next, then you die over and over. Every time it sends you back, that obviously gives the story scene less and less impact and by the time you see the ending of the scene you don’t even care, you just want to save so you won’t have to go through that section again.

The gameplay is amazing but challenging. Mostly based around jumping (it even has double and triple jumps yay~), wall jumping (kind of similar but sadly isn’t present in most games), and attacks. Your character feels fairly weak and though they get stronger this is not a game you can just run through without thought. The save system in the game is based on how many points you have and it takes some points to save so you have to pick your save locations wisely. This is one of those games where you could end up doing a platforming challenge that takes a few seconds to do but you keep dying on it so then you have to redo that few seconds 50 times over. Then I’ll immediately crawl over to a save spot, happy that I did one small feat in this big scary world. Throughout the game you gain different very fun and helpful abilities and there’s also a skill tree which is rare for platformers. Put in points you get while playing into one of the three branches to continue expanding on each one. When you start the game and look at the tree, all ready to be filled out, you’re probably going to find something to get excited to save up for. Try not to focus on only one branch though unless you know what you’re doing.

I recommend this for gamers who would like more of a challenge. If you liked Super Meat Boy you’ll like this, though I found Ori to be less punishing. Finding collectibles and exploring the world is so much fun and if you can handle throwing your tiny, cute, and frail body into spikes constantly then you’ll have a great time. This and Cave Story are good when you really want to just have some platforming challenges without overly thinking about story and other elements.

Grow Home

A shorter game (especially if you don’t plan on getting all the collectibles) but with a really nice feeling to it. The story is very basic (well honestly almost non-existent) but it doesn’t really need one. You go around as a cute little robot, jumping and climbing to collect things.

As far as the climbing goes, it almost reminds me of playing Girp as a young teen. Most of the gameplay consists of holding two buttons back and forth to climb around the world. The fact that climbing is done mainly with two buttons back and forth (similar to Donkey Kong King of Swing) can mean it can hurt your fingers after a while, so keep that in mind.

There are tons of collectibles throughout the world but the world is relatively small and the types of collectibles are limited. Besides scanning individual new objects and creatures, the only form of collectibles are glowing blue crystals found throughout the world. It sounds same-y but you still feel excited every time you spot a new one and once you see it, the next thought is how do I get to it??? The answer to that while usually simple, can take some time but you generally feel satisfied and have fun exploring as you go. For most of the game you locate the crystals through sound so if while playing the game you put on a youtube video, I’d keep the volume low. Also keep in mind, your little robot character moves around like they’re drunk. Wobbling all over the place even while jumping. It can make it more of a challenge but it’s cute to watch and fun to move around.

Do you know that feeling when you’re rock climbing, you’re high up, you see the rock climbing wall above you stick straight out, then you look down and feel absolutely terrified? This game gave me that feeling several times, which I did not know was possible, but my body almost felt scared that I was actually going to fall. I’ve never had a game give me that feeling, and you might think well that’s terrifying, why would I even want that, Aria? Because reader, it was exciting and really put me in the game. It made me feel like I really grabbed that crystal! Also, I hate actual rock climbing so I recommend a version where you can’t actually fall in real life.

Something to note is there really isn’t any music. Most of all the noises are ambient sounds and occasional cute robo noises. Personally I watched a youtube video while I played.

Since it’s small and relaxing though, I’d say it’s worth giving a go, though I wouldn’t get it if you need something fast paced or with story. Patience is the key in this one.

Psychonauts

Finally Psychonauts. While this list has no order, Psychonauts isn’t just my favorite platformer or collect-a-thon, it’s my favorite game of all time. It embodies a lot of what I’d like to put into games, from writing, to gameplay elements, to level design.

The story is wild to explain but as you play it doesn’t feel weird at all somehow. You’re a psychic who wants to go to psychic summer camp so you run away from your home at the circus to go there and you get to know the other campers, hope your parent’s don’t try to take you home, solve conspiracies, and try to become a psychic soldier aka a Psychonaut!

The gameplay and story connect pretty well and the story is very engaging. The game is known for its amazing writing and it often took me by surprise. Also you know how NPCs or filler characters often are boring and aren’t much to think about? That is not the case with this game, each character no matter how small intrigues me and gets me thinking about their life. Several characters will sometimes say random dark things when they think you aren’t in earshot and I’m still to this day thinking about Dogen or Crystal and Clem. Also if you want some excellent dialogue, the first level, Basic Braining, has a section where you’re in a plane. My advice? Don’t exit the plane. Sit there and listen to what Vernon has to say. He goes on for longer than you’d expect, it’s amazing and I still think about what he says to this day. Though he does start looping at one point so then I just leave him there while he’s still talking. This is a game where more likely than not you’ll get engaged and pulled in by the characters, the plot, and the world.

Can I talk about the art? Please, I’m begging. I adore it. It’s so weird and unique to itself. It doesn’t seem to be trying to be anything but it’s own thing and in the PS2 era this came out in when I was a kid, it blew my mind. I recently even drew myself in the style of this game, just as a challenge since my own art varies so much from it. I think most art styles vary from it. Here’s my attempt at it. How’d I do?

Next I have to mention the powers, I love games with different abilities in them and this game has quite a few. They’re very fun to use in battle, but I recommend also testing them all out on NPCS as well. Try setting a camper on fire with pyrokinesis, or use clairvoyance to see how your teacher actually views you. Clairvoyance is my favorite but after that, Levitation is the best. It creates such a fun way to explore and move around the world.

In games like these I love collectibles and I think it’s super important to make the game in a way where it’s fun to traverse the world and with this one I love it so much that one of the ways I treat myself after a hard day is doing a 100% completion playthrough of this game. Sadly there’s only 1 form of customization in the game but it is fun. You can change the color of your levitation ball. I used to do pink to be cute but there’s a later level that feels dark and gives me the creeps so I always use white in that level like it’s a glowing nightlight to protect me.

This game has the best level design I’ve ever seen. Each level has different themes and feelings in it and plays differently. Each level is supposed to represent the mind of a different character and they capture it amazingly. Every little object and detail in each world feels like the character that you’re in the brain of. Then after a level the camp is a perfect hubworld, comforting to be in but also has occasional changes or cutscenes that you can trigger by finding them at specific times making the hub world itself feel alive and evolving. For a great secret location I recommend looking for the hidden room in Milla’s brain. I call it the nightmare room and I love it. Also which level is y’all’s favorite? Mine is the Milkman one, not just due to the humor and theming but I find it the most fun to jump around and explore and with the way the world twists and turns around it provides a completely unique experience. They’re all great though! (except for Sashas)

This game has my favorite collectible system. Tons of different types and different rewards for different types and it lets you revisit old levels to get ones you missed. The game even shows which levels and even which section you’re missing things in. They have collectibles in the hub world too! Also The collectibles feel like they’re all fun concepts in the world, unlike a meaningless item. The collectibles are memory vaults (which give you backstory to whoever’s brain you’re in), emotional baggage (Such a cute concept. You have to find a bag and a tag for it that match each other, then the bag will stop crying and you’ll get a cutscene of the bag and tag happily reuniting!), Cobwebs (You’ll see them throughout brains and they can be turned in for Psi Cards), Psi cards (You’ll see them in the hub world), Psi Cores (Use one core with 9 cards to make a Psi Challenge Marker which levels you up. Leveling up can upgrade your powers!), Scavenger Hunt Items (Turn them all in for level ups), and Figments (figments of the imagination, colored cute drawings that you’ll see all over brains. They’re a bit transparent though so finding them all can be a challenge).

This game is fun to 100% but I’ll give a piece of advice and a warning. My advice is in the first level, when there’s a punching game, try playing it more times. Keep going, dude. My warning is that it’s fun to find everything (except for the fairy figment in Napoleon’s mind) but there’s one segment in Milla’s mind called The Race that is absolutely awful for collecting in. It might make you nauseous or give you a headache. The section was designed to run through it fast but when I replay it to look for figments, I have to go slow and methodical which I find makes the colors more nauseating at that speed. It’s hard to go backwards in it as well and it’s hard to even see the figments due to the color choices in this section. Fair warning. Also don’t worry about beating the game before collecting everything. At one point there’s a save called POINT OF NO RETURN that lets you know that it’s time to backtrack if you missed anything.

Overall I recommend this one most of all for it’s clever use of writing, level design, and collectibles. If you want a good impression of some feelings that’d I’d want to implement in SynAtria’s games, it’s this one for sure.

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If you want to know more about our games, check out Wintercearig, or support us on Patreon to see the latest info on the platformer we’re working on!

If you want more art content from me, I can be found on many social media platforms so here’s my  LinkTree if you want any of those links ❀

Thank you for reading! Let me know in the comments your opinions on these and what some of your favorites are!

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Bookshelf Briefs 3/11/19

The Ancient Magus’ Bride, Vol. 10 | By Kore Yamazaki | Seven Seas – Welcome to the first volume of Chise Potter, though hopefully we won’t get a Professor Quirrell. Chise gets settled in at college, choosing a dorm by choosing cats, which in my opinion is how every college should do it. Elias follows along, of course, as a teacher, and there’s a gaggle of new characters, most of whom I didn’t really get much from at all. Chise is, thankfully, much less awkward at being social than she used to be—in fact, it’s her roommate who’s the tough nut to crack. That said, most of this volume was pure setup, and I suspect it will read better after I’ve read the next two. I’m definitely grateful that this series is continuing, though, and it’s worth the eventual reread. – Sean Gaffney

Cutie Honey: The Classic Collection | By Go Nagai | Seven Seas – My first real introduction to Cutie Honey was through Shimpei Itoh’s modern manga adaptation Cutie Honey a Go Go!. It was a fun series, so I was looking forward to delving into Go Nagai’s original manga from 1973. Fortunately, along with an essay by novelist Hirayama Yumeaki and an afterword by Go Nagai, Seven Seas has collected the entirety of Cutie Honey in a single hardcover omnibus. Cutie Honey is an entertaining if somewhat absurd series. Much of the manga’s humor tends towards the lewd and admittedly some of the jokes aren’t as socially acceptable as they may have once been. Between the titular heroine’s transformation scenes and the frequency of characters’ clothing being ripped to shreds, there’s a fair amount of nudity in the action-oriented manga. Since the cast is primarily made up of women, it’s mostly female nudity, but the men aren’t immune from sudden clothing loss either. – Ash Brown

Durarara!! re: Dollars Arc, Vol. 4 | By Ryohgo Narita, Suzuhito Yasuda, and Aogiri | Yen Press – Once again, I’m left feeling that the anime and novels handled this material better—the wait between releases doesn’t help, plus the author’s plotting, which involves everything happening at once, makes the manga more diffuse and confusing than it has any right to be. The best bits probably involved Ruri and Shizuo’s brother, who bond over their difficulty with basic human emotions, like so many other Narita couples. Last time I said Izaya was about to jump start things, but he’s absent from this book, meaning that it meanders a bit too much. It really needs someone making everyone’s lives miserable again. Which I’m sure will happen soon. Maybe. – Sean Gaffney

Everyone’s Getting Married, Vol. 9 | By Izumi Miyazono | Viz Media – The final volume of this series ties up everything that’s been getting in the way of Asuka and Ryu getting married. Ryu decides he does love Asuka and resolves to return and fight to save their relationship. Asuka realizes that she doesn’t have to get married NOW and uses that to spend three years doing so well at her job that she can now take a year off to get married and have a baby and NOT have to worry about being fired for being a married woman. Heck, even Asuka’s friend who was perfectly happy to not get married is getting married. So in the end the title proves to be true, and you’re really happy to see the two of them finally work everything out. A very good josei series, bring on more of them. – Sean Gaffney

Hakumei & Mikochi: Tiny Little Life in the Woods, Vol. 4 | By Takuto Kashiki | Yen Press – I joked on Twitter that after the girls from Girls’ Last Tour died, they were reincarnated as Hakumei and Mikochi, and while Hakumei may be a bit too sensible for that to map exactly, there is very much the sense of exploration across both volumes, even though the two should be more familiar with their setting. We meet Mikochi’s sister in this volume, who is a writer and a tease, not in that order. There’s a festival chapter (sort of), a hot spring chapter (sort of), and a chapter which will make you cry at the death of a coffee grinder. In short, most of why readers read this series is on full display here. I enjoy this more and more with each volume, and always smile as I read. – Sean Gaffney

Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, Vol. 7 | By Aka Akasaka | Viz Media – There’s some good comedy here at the head and tail of the book. My favorite chapter was probably the one involving Miyuki, who is no longer sleep-deprived, losing the bags under his eyes—which terrifies everyone and makes Kaguya realize that her love of them may be a fetish. But the bulk of this book is to introduce a new major character, Miko, the girl on the cover who is super earnest and also super awkward. She’s running against Miyuki in the election, and her ideas are great but her stage fright isn’t. Fortunately, Miyuki takes a page from Hachiken’s book and makes himself the bad guy to fix things—fortunately he wins anyway. I want to see how Miko adds to the dynamic. – Sean Gaffney

Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits, Vol. 2 | By Waco Ioka and Midori Yuma | Viz Media – I enjoyed this second volume more than the first, not uncommon with Shojo Beat stories. Aoi’s still having trouble getting anyone to give her a job, but after she gives some home-cooked food to a passing drunk who turns out to be really important, she’s making important connections. More to the point, Aoi compares her story explicitly with Beauty and the Beast, and she’s not wrong. There’s also a jealous woman who attempts to sabotage things and is caught and about to be humiliated. That said, that’s the cliffhanger, and I’m fairly certain Aoi’s going to save her with the power of niceness. I am OK with following this yokai series now that Kamisama Kiss has ended. – Sean Gaffney

Maiden Railways | By Asumiko Nakamura | Denpa – Somehow, I’d gotten the impression that this was a girls’ love anthology, but in reality, only one couple depicted herein fits that bill. Instead, we get stories about a pickpocket helping an inattentive husband make up with his wife, a girl who’s moving away seizing the moment to confess to a boy, a ghost with lingering regrets, and a guy whose wife thinks he’s cheating on her because he works late and brings home cake. Trains figure prominently in each story—in a couple we get some detailed timetables as one party tries taking a different train to catch up with someone, but in some stories the action is just rooted around a train station, or perhaps about a beloved late relative’s model train set. They’re all low-key and they’re all enjoyable, even if they ultimately don’t leave a strong impression. I look forward to Doukyuusei by this author, coming soon! – Michelle Smith

Skip Beat!, Vol. 42 | By Yoshiki Nakamura | VIZ Media – Kyoko’s audition for the role of Momiji continues. She’s emerged victorious over the scheming Kimiko in terms of swordfighting, but that alone isn’t enough to convince the director to cast her. Overhearing another actor deduce that Kyoko likes Ren, Kimiko manages to convince Kyoko that Ren is in love with her, with nearly disastrous results. There are some frustrating things in this volume, like Kyoko almost telling Moko about her feelings for Ren but chickening out and her taking in some intel about Kimiko liking some other guy without actually questioning her conclusion that Ren’s secret love is Kimiko. I know, I know. Shoujo gotta shoujo. But I am just so ready for some real movement on this point, as much as I love seeing Kyoko kick ass career-wise. Soon, please? – Michelle Smith

By: Ash Brown

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Jessica Jones Cast on Their Characters, Season 2 Arc and All-Female Director Line-Up

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Jessica Jones Cast on Their Characters, Season 2 Arc and All-Female Director Line-Up

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After more than two years off air, Marvel’s only female-led series Jessica Jones – and also its best – is back Thursday, March 8 with a second season on Netflix. That will give fans the chance to see more of the alcoholic super-powered private investigator (Krysten Ritter), and those closest to her: adoptive sister and best friend Trish Walker (Rachael Taylor), and neighbour and now co-worker at Alias Investigations, Malcolm Ducasse (Eka Darville), as they deal with a new, bigger threat.

The interactions between those three, with Jessica at the centre, were a big part of the show’s debut season, and both Ritter and Darville concurred when they sat down with members of the press in New York during filming.”I’ve really built Jessica around the friendship with [Trish],” Ritter said. “I feel that’s the meat and potatoes. That’s the heart of the show, the relationship between Trish and Jessica. That sisterhood, that friendship, that support, that’s where the show really lives and thrives, I think.”

“The dynamic between them is so brother and sister. It’s like they’re totally siblings from another mother kind of deal,” Darville said of Malcom’s relationship with Jessica.”He’s just always on her nerve, she just finds him so infuriating but loves him. And through this season, because so much of what his story is about is him creating himself as a man outside of his dynamic with Jessica, there’s a real pride that surfaces over who he’s becoming, and what he’s doing.”

Darville even made a parallel to his relationship with Ritter: “I’ve so much respect for her, and she’s like the consummate professional, and I’ve learnt so much by watching the way she works on and off camera. There’s a definite similar thing of Malcolm wanting to learn PI from Jessica, and modelling himself in the way she works.”

Eka Darville as Malcolm in a still from Jessica Jones season 2 Photo Credit: David Giesbrecht/Netflix

Jessica Jones, Annihilation, A Series of Unfortunate Events, and More on Netflix This March

AKA A New Level The new season of Jessica Jones moves things along further, even giving reasons for Malcolm and Trish to interact without Jessica in the picture. While both Ritter and Taylor remained tight-lipped on whether we would see a bit of the latter’s alter-ego Hellcat, Taylor did cryptically remark that she got to dig into different aspects of her character.”I certainly could say that I think people are going to be surprised, in terms of how we reveal all the colours to Trish,” she added.

Ritter has previously spoken about how season one was in Jessica’s head, and season two is more in her heart, and she elaborated that the return of Jessica Jones is about digging into what makes her so hard. “Why is she so dark? When did she turn black? And that’s been creatively just a thrill for me,” the actress added.

As for Malcom’s second season arc, Darville sees “it almost as a coming-of-age story. He’s finding himself, he’s rebuilding his life, he’s working out all of his demons that are still very present, and he’s really kinda stepping into his own skin.” One of the big changes for the Australian actor was having to bulk up, now that he’s not playing a drug addict under Kilgrave’s (David Tennant) control anymore.

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“I had to spend a lot of time in the gym, eating a whole bunch of food when I wasn’t hungry, and picking up heavy shit and putting it back down,” he said, with a laugh. “That’s been really fun, and kinda something I’ve always wanted to do, and this gave me the perfect excuse.”

Krysten Ritter as Jessica, Rachael Taylor as Trish, and James McCaffrey as Max in a still from Jessica Jones season 2 Photo Credit: David Giesbrecht/Netflix

Jessica Jones Is a Lot Less Special in Season 2

AKA Girl Power A big part of Jessica Jones’ success in the first season was down to its excellent writing for the most part, which brought out social issues that aren’t dealt with proper nuance as often on TV – sexual assault, rape culture, and PTSD – and marred it with female empowerment, of women escaping the clutches of men, and asserting control and agency over their lives, personified by its title protagonist.

Taylor said she was “proud to be part of a show” that tackled big, important topics, and heaped praise on creator and head writer Melissa Rosenberg: “She has a way of tackling big social issues that are never moralising or obvious. The story is always first, she writes great character. It’s just a testament to her as a writer that those everyday issues and realities that are out there crop up as a result of the stories she’s telling.”

Jessica Jones season 2 has gone further even behind the camera, hiring female directors only for all 13 episodes. “It’s been a very unique set experience because the energy is predominantly female,” Ritter said. (It’s also why the new season is out on March 8, International Women’s Day.) She added that she’s always arm-in-arm with Taylor on set, shares a deep bond with Rosenberg, and then brought up an anecdote involving her 21-year-old sister.

“I work really long hours, I knit a bunch of stuff, and I’ve a book [that’s now out]. I just do a lot. And my sister goes: ‘Sissy, you go HAAM.’ And I go: ‘What does that mean?’ And she goes: ‘Hard as a motherf—er’. And I laughed so hard I almost peed my pants,” the actress added. “I brought my sister to a table read, …and we ended up telling Melissa the story about how ‘sissy goes HAAM’, and now anything that happens, Melissa Rosenberg will text me: ‘Sissy, did you go HAAM?'”

You can watch Jessica Jones ‘go HAAM’ in the second season of her show, out now on Netflix.

Disclosure: Netflix sponsored the correspondent’s travel and accommodation for the duration of the event.

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