#super peace busters

[thebearer]

honestly, thinking about the last episode and thinking about pete, and i am an honest to god pete defender.

like he is so good to sugar, and tries to hard to be good for her, good for the whole family. he knows how fucked up they all are, and he's just there- a little sunshiney boy trying to keep everything together. he has the best of intentions, he really does.

the scene with donna outside the restaurant. how he's just trying to do what's best and he feels empathy for her? he sees the best in people and honestly, i get why they're hard on him- he's not their usual type in the family, but pete deserves all the love and support genuinely.

just picturing your first true berzatto family get together. donna wants to see the new baby, so they have it at the restaurant. steven and michelle from out of town, jimmy, leo, donna, everyone- the whole gang. you're overwhelmed, especially when donna starts drinking.

pete just kinda comes and sits by you, while you're alone and unsure in the corner. you'd already been hounded with a million questions, carmen is trying to keep the peace in the kitchen, trying to check on you, trying to keep everyone from killing each other.

"how are you doing?" pete asks, sitting beside you, baby mikey in his arms.

"i-i'm good." you muttered, eyes darting around the room.

"it's a lot." pete sighed.

"it is a lot." you muttered, nodding slowly. "i mean, i knew it was gonna be a lot. carmy warned me on that but it's like..."

"so much worse than you thought it would be?" pete looked at you carefully.

"yeah." you nodded. "i, uh, i understand a lot more now."

"they're, uh, they're actually really nice. all of them, on their own." pete offered. "like steve and michelle, they're great, really. easy to talk to, always really nice, super fuckin' funny. and...and you know jimmy. leo is... leo's kinda a ball buster. got this dry sense of humor, but he'll be nice to you, a little invasive you know? but he's got good intentions."

you nodded slowly, eyes scanning around the room towards each person. "what about his mom?" you muttered, looking at the white haired woman nursing another glass of chardonnay. "she, uh, she hasn't spoke to me the whole time. i tried to introduce myself and she walked right past me." you tried not to sound hurt, carmen told you to shake it off, but it did hurt. that was his mother, no matter how he tried to play it off.

"donna is... donna is a lot." pete hummed. "she... you can't force donna. ok? she'll come to you when she's ready. right now, she doesn't know who you are. and as fucked up as it is, it's her way of looking out for carm, looking out for herself. just give that one time. she's watching you."

you scoffed lightly. "yeah? that supposed to make me feel better pete?"

"no. no not at all." pete laughed. "but, just some advice. you gonna leave carmen anytime soon?"

"no." you furrowed your brows, shooting a glare at him.

"then you show her that. she'll ease into you. i promise." pete said.

"thank you, pete." you nodded sincerely at him. "thanks for this."

"of course." pete grinned. "it's a lot and they're all too caught up in their own to try and help so... we outsiders gotta look out for each other."

you laughed lightly, looking down at the baby in his arms. he had the berzatto nose, carmen's and mikey's. "you're not an outsider anymore." you grinned. "not with this little guy."

pete smiled proudly. "i'm still an outsider. just got like a lifetime pass in." you laughed, reaching out to stroke the baby's soft tuft of hair. "you wanna hold him?"

"are you sure?" your eyes flashed to him. "i'm not great at it."

pete shrugged, fishing his hand sanitizer out and tossing it to you. "just don't drop him. i won't abandon you with him. promise."

you freshly sanitized hands shook lightly, grabbing the baby a little unsure, shifting the weight in your arm until it was comfortable. baby mikey gurgled, face scrunching for a moment, before he settles, lulled back into whatever rest he was in before.

"ah, he likes you." pete boasted. "must know you're gonna be a vip like me."

you snorted lightly, swaying back and forth with the tiny baby. "yeah. hopefully."

"you will be." pete nodded, his eyes cutting over to the figure by the windows. "judging by carmy's face, you definitely will be."

you looked up, seeing your boyfriend standing there, a water in his white knuckled grip staring at you. you smiled gently, nodding him over.

"they got you on baby sitting duty?" carmen grinned, trying to play off how flustered he was before, how his heart was skipping a beat seeing you like that.

"somethin' like that." you hummed. "pete just asked if i wanted to hold him. he's cute. kinda looks like you."

carmen scoffed as pete boasted. "he does, doesn't he! i told nat that and she told me i was crazy! see, nat!" he stood, going to get his wife from across the room, a promise he'd be right back.

carmen slid into his spot, leaning over your shoulder to look at the baby- his nephew. "he's cute." he nodded. "sorry you got stuck with pete." his tone snarled, rolling his eyes gently.

"hey, stop that." you frowned. "pete is very sweet, alright? he's a good guy, carm."

carmen could feel his shoulders tense. he was a good fuckin' guy, he knew that, that's why they gave him such a hard time. "you're right." carmen muttered. "he is a good guy."

"what were you two talking about?" carmen asked, letting the baby wrap his tiny fist around his finger.

"he was just telling me about your family."

"oh." carmen rolled his eyes sarcastically. "i'm sure that was great."

"it was." you said firmly, looking at him. "all the good stuff, baby. promise."

carmen blushed, resisting the urge to kiss you while his sister and pete came back over, pete exaggeratedly talking about how the baby did look like carmy and mikey and you agreed, which then brought jimmy over to give his opinion, stevie and michelle following, until everyone was around you bickering and throwing back and forth about who was right.

[genshingorlsrevengeance]

Guilty Gear time! While I wait for Baiken, could I ask for some available Guilty Gear characters helping their S/O train?

(Guilty Gear: Strive) Elphelt, Potemkin, Millia, and May training their S/O

Every single person in this list goddamn terrifying to be on the opposite side of, even for a training exercise. Also, this is the first GGS post, apologies if there's OOC!

(Elphelt) "Alright! Let's get rehearsals in today!"

(S/O) "Um...You know I meant for fighting right? Why are you handing me a guitar?"

(Elphelt) "...W-Wait, I thought you said you wanted to train! Oops! I guess you can use that to block!"

(S/O) "I don't think there's any guitar in this world that can block your attacks!"

Elphelt doesn't mind teaching her S/O self defense, because at the same time it allows her to have fun with them, and make sure they can't get hurt!

It's a win-win!

Though the result usually ends with S/O flat on their ass, but she's careful enough to not seriously harm them.

Other than their pride.

(Elphelt) "Don't worry, S/O! I know we can get you to knock me down soon, you're doing super well for just a single day of training!"

(S/O) "Hah, I suppose it'll be an accomplishment of it's own for managing to land a single hit."

(Elphelt) "That's the spirit!"

Potemkin hates fighting, but in the service of protecting others, he doesn't hesitate.

And in terms of a friendly match, he doesn't mind. At least when the opponent isn't the person he loves.

He's very aware of his own strength, and even more aware if he's not extremely careful, he could end up doing more than hurting S/O.

(Potemkin) "I apologize, but I must refuse this request S/O. I cannot spar with you."

(S/O) "I'm not asking you to launch me into the air, I just want to make sure you don't have to worry about me in case I get attacked!. Just a little self defense practice is all!"

(Potemkin) "Even the slightest hit from me can be enough to knock you through a building."

(S/O) "W-Well...alright, fair enough."

(Potemkin) "Though, the sentiment is appreciated, at least."

Part of him was slightly curious to see if S/O could perform his Heavenly Buster, but that was a thought for another day.

Millia is against the idea of teaching her S/O how to fight like her.

And the fact she was an assassin was the least of her worries, not even considering the other things she had been a part of, including her cursed hair.

But at the very least, Millia supports the idea of S/O being able to defend themselves, at least enough to get them to safety.

(Millia) "Very well. However, I will not go easy on you."

(S/O) "Good, I don't want you to! Go ahead and throw a punch at me!"

(Millia) "...You don't want that."

Millia obviously does not use her hair once, only using her pure martial abilities to constantly sweep S/O off their feet, and catching their fists.

Though the progress is understandably slow, S/O is getting better each spar.

And that is enough to keep Millia's mind at peace.

May is ecstatic to teach S/O how to fight, if it means that they can help out even more in the Jellyfish Pirates!

(May) "Alright, day's young, let's get started!"

May rolls her shoulders as she puts the massive anchor on her shoulder.

Making S/O's eyes widen.

(S/O) "U-Uh, you're not going to use that thing on me, are you?!"

(May) "Well, how else are we going to train?...Oh, wait! I have an idea!"

May put her Anchor away and suddenly whistled.

(May) "STARTING 3-2-1, MISTER DOLPHIN!"

The next thing they knew, S/O was hit in the face by May riding Mr Dolphin.

Many a training session passed with S/O repeatedly getting hit in the face by various aquatic animals.

Most of the crew, including Johnny, is amazed that S/O's bones haven't been shattered by repeated blunt mammal trauma.

[sixsixtwenty]

hi, hi💜 i was wondering if i could request SCP-076-2 x reader fluff/smut mix? :3 might be 2 vague, but go wild!!

i am bordeline obsessed with that man. (1 of my multiple husbandos so sue me.)

so. BET BUSTER. srry if it's short and shitty I've been going through some shit.

scp 076-2 x Reader

(fluff + smut)

You and Able have been dating for a little while now, around 1-2 years so average relationship! it has been VERY hard for him for the concept of relationships. let alone love.

(c'mon he's like 10,000 years old or something. gove this man a break relationship standards keep changing like plz-)

at first when he even remotely caught feelings he's not even accepting it. not even acknowledge it. he's just "well ok. i hate that. I'm gonna kill people."

but it's been bugging him over and over with his feelings about you, he's doubting the feelings and just thinks it's just another form of hate.

but every fucking time you're around or even walk past him let alone be in his eye sight he's crumbling.

sometimes even some guards around him who even caught a glimpse of his face could've sworn his cheeks becoming a bit pink.

(not able giving them a death stare right after)

he just didn't know how to adress it or even adress it at all and just let it fix itself.

but then someday you came up to him and did the dumbest (or luckiest) move and told him those 3 magical words.

he was. baffled. quite baffled.

"I love you."

"what?.."

"i love you Able."

"..."

He was. staring. staring into your soul? no. he's trying to stare into your mind.

but when he just kept staring you suddenly kissed his cheek..you kissed his cheek?

oh shit his cheeks are red CODE RED-

and literally 1-2 years later he's Your Boyfriend.

it's very quick to him but yet he isn't complaining.

and the day you brought up that you just wanted to be fucked by him/fuck him. (YOU SINNER! SATAN! COME GET EM-)

he was thinking about it because if you remember. he isn't opposed to sex. but now that you're here.

he's considering it.

eventually he finds himself in your room (he destroyed all the cameras too <3)

while you are just undressing yourself. your chest fully exposed to him and your sex showing.

in all it's glory.

his eyes are wandering all over especially to your sex wich is kinda surprising! but he's super into it.

and when your eyes stravel over to his body. his very muscular olive skinned body. your eyes also travel to his sex. noticing that he's pretty damn hard.

and gah dayum is he hard. he looks almost 10inch big. and you're like "well i hope that fits".

you throw yourself onto him (with his consent ofc bc consent is VERY sexy)

(im sorry in very tired rn so- no horny rn)

you stick his cock all the way into your mouth trying to deepthroat him while he's a grunting mess. and by the time he cums your mouth is filled to the brim.

trying to swallow it all before he just pins you down on the bed and fucking you into the mattress. (have you seen this man bro?)

he's incredibly rough once he gets the hang trying to fill your ass with his liquids (cum.) while you're holding onto dear life.

"you're fucking up my insides!"

"im not killing you."

"FEELS LIKE IT....but it's hot."

after you two finish up and you being a complete pastry because of a certain someone.

you just cuddle up to him. pushing your face into his chest doing this wiggle motion as if you're comfy asf. (let's be honest. his chest id both soft n squishy+ hard af)

wrapping your limbs around him. and him doing the same to you, his long hair hanging down and tickling some of your skin

it was. a very nice scenario for you.

you wrap your blanket around you both not caring if any of the forbidden juices land on the blanket.

he could've sworn you purred.

Able just feels at peace. just knowing that you're there for him. that you won't leave him

you're the only one who truly let yourself near him and didn't scream for your life.

"you're the only one.."

[hedgypipes]

I’m sadly sorry to say this but BlackDevilX, Creator of Final Fantasy Sonic X, has unfortunately passed away at a young age due to a heart attack. He was and still has a huge impact in a lot of our childhoods. In the early 2000s, they made a sonic fan-game that was unlike anything other at the time with great anime music, a red buster sword combined with super sonic wielding it, Aeon The Hedgehog, a crazy awesome oc villain, Super Sonic battles, Megaman, and insane spriteworked cutscenes. He made it all as a FAN PROJECT. A FAN PROJECT FOR ALL TO ENJOY. I hope they that alot of ppl were really happy bc of what they created and a big reason why people think Sonic was the coolest thing ever as a kid. Rest in peace legend and I hope his friends and family are doing well after this 😔. Always remember that tomorrow is uncertain, so cherish your time, go watch Sonic 4 with loved ones, go play Sonic X Shadow Generations and even Final Fantasy Sonic, tell the people you and around you that u love them, try to do the things that you love and make you happy, also do the things you always wanted to do but u never had the time to do, and like Sonic himself, always keep going. ❤️💙💚🤍

[zylian]

Watching 4.0 and I am stuck on the development of two characters, two well known bank busters

Like these dudes compare themselves to the other so much it’s become “an insult to one is insulting the other” from how heavy they respect the other

If one can do something the other should be able to catch up so it brings the best out of them

The way they act too is insane for how similar they are, ones heavy logical while the other is super emotional

Literally they front the opposite until it gets serious and you realize the other voids all emotion for logic while the other voids logic for what they are feeling in the moment

It’s crazy I’m so focused on them and their hardships cause what the actual hell are they going through

They go through wayyy too much like they talked about cherishing the peaceful times cause they will be wanted later on for their value and they are so right about it

More time goes by the more things unlock and the more valuable they are

All the more likely the hyper ppl will be visiting them again to cause chaos

v fun to watch but so much to consume u-u

[ranexpositioning]

A couple of minutes ago I was tracking this composer Masaru Yokoyama on Spotify, because I really liked his works on Fruits Basket and surprisingly Urusei Yatsura, when an anime he'd worked on caught my eye. Title is "Her Blue Sky". Then I see there's a creative team trio Super Peace Busters who worked on it, and they also worked on Anohana and Toradora. And it just clicked. Of course people who worked on Anohana would've worked on Toradora.

Toradora has always been an oddity with me. I didn't hate it while watching it, but I didn't like it either. It was just weird, I kept watching it. And the ending theme was like a drug for me; I loved that song. At the end of it, I cried so hard, and I always keep that final episode on all my devices because I love it so much. Toradora wasn't interesting exactly, but it had a something that kept me coming back.

While I still have no name for that something, just knowing that the people who worked on Anohana were responsible for Toradora just clicked with me. Isn't it weird how interests work? Obviously something they do resonates with me, and subconsciously no matter what it is, I keep on coming back for more.

Joined Tumblr just to get this off my chest.

[spela-melodier]

Klicka på namnet för att komma till låten. Ju fler stjärnor, desto svårare låt!

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Köp varm korv ⭐

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Övrigt

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20th Century Fox 🔒

[lowkeyclueless5137]

May I hear more about how Ghost Marriage will go in your Double Magical Girl Isekai AU cause the idea Idia just being in his mascot form being covered in kisses by Eliza is funny(but also maybe a good thing cause uhh you can’t marry your groom if he’s a cat, right?) also heck yeah Orpheus getting Malleus’s help in saving Idia. Plus I really love to see how exactly this square up exactly goes between a ghost bride and a magical girl with super powers(You think Ortho gonna actually also help too in the action as well :])

Ortho definitely is the one that helps the most by threatening convincing crow man to make the wedding busters.

There is also Sebek who said that under no circumstances will he risk his Wakasama's unmarried status for this. (also to save his friend but he would rather die than admit it at that point)

Orpheus is more like 'shouldn't we actually tell Malleus since Azul is down too?'. Everyone is collectively saying no bc it would be a scandal of international proportions.

But guess who doesn't give a flying f about the royal drama? Orpheus.

So we have Yuuki who decides to fight ghosts for the justice and luv and all that sappy shit. They, of course, made a very tacky speech about it just to say they made an attempt at a peaceful resolve. Ya know? Just to say they didn't immediately jump to violence. The fact that it was crappy and with 0 effort was part 2.

As such, when Orpheus finally gets to Diasomnia, he only has to utter 'marriage' and 'Idia' that Malleus jumps the gun and immediately is ready, bouquet and sparkly tiara too. Lilia is just crying like a proud dad™, Sebek has almost a seizure, everyone collectively palmfaces, ESPECIALLY when Malleus realised that Orpheus actually meant to say 'please help is save Idia from being married to a crazy ghost princess' and not whatever got Malleus in that dress. :'3

So Eliza sees it as a challenge for her 'prince'. Idia just meows pathetically and tries to just run out, all decked in lipstick and smoldered to the point he resembles his dad with that roadkill look. :'3

Of course, since Eliza insists that 'true love will turn the prince back to his handsome human form'. Orpheus gets another idea. A briliant and gremlin energy idea.

So he tells Yuuki to propose a deal: They will take turns with the cat and whoever turns Idia back into a hooman, wins the hand in marriage.

Of course, they had to haggle with Sebek to turn back after Malleus kisses Idia so that they could convince the princess. Sebek was skeptical, but it was better than Malleus marrying the ghost princess so he complies.

Except that Idia, absolutely oblivious to this set of arrangements, takes his first shot to run off and plunges accidentally in the cake when Sebek de-transformed and he's back to hooman.

It's official: cake is the better bride U-U9

Still it turns down to a fight and BOI is everyone just so done with Eliza. Like gurl... Pls take no as an answer. :'3

In the end... As a last ditch effort, everyone tries to convince Eliza that Idia is awful. It's such a roast session that even Ortho can't defend poor Idia. At least Chubby became the new groom. :'3

[cyberghost-scout]

Daycare Au

~Silly little thing for @ask-the-guardian-core

Fedelis, his little sparklings, plus his friends took a pit stop on Earth from their little vacation. 

Somehow, Buster and Bolt cause tomfoolery in a populated city while Fedelis takes a nap-- the medic finds out. 

He is not happy. 

But before he could stop the two he needed someone to watch the sparklings, he went to the only em field signature: the core's station, and quickly got the attention by standing in front. 

He's courteous enough not to bust a hole despite the urgency.

With two sparklings in his servo, he bluntly told A.I./core to watch them; those two idiots in the city are his problem to settle.

Thus, government-funded robots built to protect the peace of the city and world- were demoted to Phantasma and Ghostwire's babysitters.

Ghostwire would be the first to cry and try to reach for her papa, and Phantasma would follow after her sister started.

Some of the Cores we're not happy with babysitting duty. A few follow Fedelis in secrecy.

But one is super pleased with the situation: Scout.

The second and third bots would warm up to the sparking which would maybe be Holyberry and the Disk Drive. Heck, maybe even dragon fruit after things calm down enough.

~ As for @bladedalchemistreplica, After some wormhole hijinks, would lead the (fighter/blades/paladins/hobo with a pet cat?) to Cybertron. 

They take shelter in a building, not knowing it's a daycare that Fedelis owns and works. Finding themselves surrounded by cute and squishy sparklings, especially a little pair of feline-like twins. 

Now they must find out where they are, how to get back home- without the Galra empire knowing of this place, and lastly, having to deal with a tired single father and his sparkling daughters.

~ The twins do look adorable. 

They like baby kittens but robot humans. So, by that logic, they hate the vacuum. Ghostwire would hiss before cowering into her little plushy tent. And Phantasma would scream and crawl/run.

~ You bet your butts that young DILF Fedelis runs a daycare. 

His reasoning? 

"Since I'm watching my sparklings and then my friends after gladiator fights were outlawed- I might as well get paid for it."

~ Yes, sparkling Ghost is tiny and has no regret in taking her sister's juice box. But Phanty will get her revenge by stealing Ghostwire's little snack cakes. 

Yes- thieving siblings but for each other's snacks.

~ Perhaps a cameo of Flow and her mommies? Yes.

~ Now how Fedelis became a fresh Dilf after tending a medical emergency trying to get home but hearing crying in the dumpster. He came over to look to find two sparkling starving. Even if he was tired, he took them back to the med bay; the femmelings cry whenever Fedelis leaves. They bounded with him. They are his now.

~ @braveggg-hq It's the first contact with robot aliens that don't want to take over the planet, and it is just the humans finding the sparklings playing on their little playpens while Fedelis is just getting their snacks ready. The childish bots or kiddos didn't overthink about the twins being more than cutie squishy toys and thus accidentally brought them to the station, not knowing that a pissed sire was looking for his daughters and their kidnappers.

[holly-fixation]

So we could have a 6 year old Cloud with Cat eyes (Sephiroth) and his massive buster/fusion sword on his back.

Oh This is what you meant! Okay! As cute (and absolutely terrifying) as that would be, poor Cloud would have to be sucked through some kind of time travel/butterfly effect/total restart of someone's his situation for that to work. If you'd allow/indulge me to do the "writer" thing...

If Cloud was truly a clone of Sephiroth created purely from S-cells after the Nibelhiem incident:

The poor little boy would feel Reunion every day of his life. But honestly, he probably wouldn't know what it was. It's just that thing that tells him to go North. He just thinks it's an internal compass, just another one of his abilities. Hojo would need to justify an immediate restart to Project S, which wouldn't go well. After all, Shinra knows what happened to Sephiroth and that he wasn't an Ancient. They may have salvaged what they could from Project S, but there was no use for another super soldier in 13 years with the popularity of SOLDIER. So Cloud is mostly raised by the scientists in Shinra Manor with much more freedom than Sephiroth ever had. Well, as much as he had within the grounds and away from the gates.

Cloud wouldn't know Zack Fair as anything more than a decoration at first, like a marble statue, except in a mako tank and just too real. He liked watching him float. Most days, Zack looked peaceful in there. Most. The scientists would never conduct any experiments around the little boy, nor let him see Zack awake. Again, look what happened with Sephiroth. So when Zack breaks free and finds a tiny Sephiroth, another friend he killed that went mad due to Shinra's experimentation, with messy hair and innocent eyes, he didn't know if it was a dream come true or a twisted joke.

Zack saves and protects Cloud as he tries to make his way back to Midgar. Seeing Zack in action is the reason Cloud wants a sword like that, thus the fusion sword later. It's a lot easier to hold the smaller swords in his small hands, with or without enhanced strength.

Cloud's existence is the only reason the army didn't catch up with them. He heard and spotted many helicopters in the Midgar plains, but only a few seemed like they were searching for something rather than ready to destroy. Call it dumb luck or a bit of Sephiroth's memories living through him from his cells and Reunion, memories of war time, but Cloud and Zack find the Turks first.

Eventually, this leads to Cloud being raised by Zack and Aerith. Zack commissions the Fusion Sword as a gift for his 6th birthday (and was nearly beaten to death by Aerith in response because who gives a child a sword?!). But Cloud loved it. He loved the versatility and the power he felt when he used it. So his 6th birthday is an absolute blast, and by the end of the day, everyone is happy.

It isn't until he's 10 when the Reunion he was born with truly took hold, dreams and nightmares constantly pulling and dragging him North.

A week later, a meteor appeared in the sky.

[jolikmc]

「Rocket Queen feat. MCU」 by TEAM SHACHI on YouTube

As a Mega Man fan, I feel like I should raise awareness of this semi-official crossover game since it's, apparently, disappearing after August 31st. –

The year is 20XX…

The world is at peace and Dr. Light's robots are all old and retired.  While at a local Team Shachi concert, suddenly… a horrible imagine appears on the screen!  An artificial intelligence modeled after Dr. Wily announces one last bid for world domination!  To make things worse, the AI infects the retired Megaman with a virus that makes him evil, and he either powers or operates an evil, giant mech in his likeness!  The world is doomed!  At least, it seems that way.

As soon as the Wily AI leaves, an AI in the form of Dr. Light comes in.  Having a strong sense of justice, Team Shachi makes a plan.  They volenteer themselves to fight against the Dr. Wily AI, and so a reluctant Dr. Light AI puts them under the same process the real Dr. Light used on his lab assistant so many years ago.  With that, team Shachi goes from being a pop idol group… to a quartet of super hero cyborgs!  But, they're not alone!  The Brass People, their always-loyal brass band, is right behind them, ready to blast out with an inspiring cacophony of accompanying horns!

Can Team Shachi stop the Wily AI?  Will justice prevail, or will evil stop it in its tracks?  What dos any of this have to do with dolphins and chicken wings…?  Find out the answers t all this and more in… Rockman 20XX: Fight! TEAM SHACHI!! –

Rockman 20XX: Fight! TEAM SHACHI is a game where the player controls Team Shachi, a female idol group from Japan, as they go through two auto-scroller levels full of references to the Mega Man series, as well as their "Rocket Queen" single.  All this while the title song, "Rocket Queen", plays in the background, complete with Brass-min popping in for a bit.

It's a lot of fun, but it's a pretty rough game, honestly.  It's meant for mobile devices, but you can also play it in your web browser by going to https://rocketqueen.games/play/.  Just be warned: playing it on desktop is a little odd.

Game Controls (Keyboard) Move: A, S Shoot: J Jump: Space Select Nao (Shachi Buster): Q Select Yuzuki (Shiny Knuckle): W Select Haruna (Chicken Wing Shield): E Select Honoka (Shachi Drone): R

It's kind of a shame that this cute little game will be taken down after August 31st.  I only learned about it maybe a month ago, myself.  But, them's the breaks when it comes to digital-only content, I suppose.

Fight, Team Shachi!  For everlasting peace!!

[glassmarcus]

The Shadow That Guides Us

Sonic Adventure 2 came out 23 years ago. It's something I try not to think about, but I believe it's imperative to really understand just how old that game is. It was the first Sonic game I and a ton of other people played. After all, its Gamecube port was the 3rd party debut of the series and was released just after the launch, around the time when me and my older brother were able to get our hands on the console. When we walked into Block Buster and saw the early roster of games before us that we could rent, one game stood out. Beyond the staggering sea of licensed shovelware; Across an endless ocean of sports games that weren't Tony Hawk Proskater 3. It wasn't Luigi's Mansion that caught our eyes. It wasn't Super Monkey Ball. It was Sonic Adventure 2 Battle. The over sized game box relative to the tiny proprietary Gamecube disc sported stunning box art which called to us. That box art, stuffed with dynamic Yuji Uekawa character illustrations which would go on to define at least 6% of my art style, told us everything we needed to know about that game. It was as if we didn't need to listen to Jun Senoue and Co’s masterpiece OST for us to be seemingly lured in by its siren call. Our suburban unmedicated christian raised prepubescent minds were thoroughly captivated. We knew of Sonic the Hedgehog. We had seen gameplay of the Dreamcast version of Sonic Adventure at a friend's house. It looked like a fun time. But based on this box art alone, the sequel appeared to be on a different level. We rented it, later bought it along with Sonic Advance a few years later, and 22 years later I'm writing a 7000 word essay on the franchise.

Sonic Adventure 2 is by all conceivable accounts, Beast Media. It's fairly sloppy in both gameplay and story, but the gumption in which it approached those aspects with turned that slop into something special. It is a game that keeps running no matter how much it stumbles and proceeds with aplomb at every opportunity. Each stage has its own unique idea despite reusing assets. Every story beat is a critical hit despite the lack of detail between them. All three gameplay types are wildly different yet all feel like they belong in the same game. Sonic Adventure 2 is perfect because it knows it's not. It doesn't try to be perfect it just tries to be engaging at every turn. I think that’s why it's still my favorite. It's not the best Sonic game, a few 2D Sonics are gate keeping that slot currently. I would say that it does the most to try to keep the player invested in the game. From the second your play though starts until well after you’ve beaten it and are just collecting emblems and raising Chao, Sonic Adventure 2 never fails to be captivating.

I admit, my tone may be slightly defensive. It's somewhat of a learned reaction. The public opinion of the Sonic franchise has been a wild ride and as that ride continued, the sentiment that “3D Sonic games were never good in the first place” steadily grew. This statement as a whole is understandable, but the adventure games are exempt from this criticism. And after thinking about this for over a decade now, I’m quite certain it is not because of nostalgia.

I am a peaceful man. The thought of inflicting harm on others makes me sick to my stomach. Yet there are moments when I feel the unrelenting need to start swinging. I become overcome with blood lust and have to do my best to reject the Satsui no Hado. Those moments are usually when a sick individual is enacting a gross injustice upon the world. Such as: physically hurting people I care deeply about or spouting toxic Nazi rhetoric to impressionable youth or saying that ‘Sonic Adventure 2 was actually never good’. I've been hanging out in gaming spaces for a while now, and I've come to learn that true strength is not measured by your ability to lift an excessive amount of weight. Nor is it the ability to inflict and excessive amount of harm. True strength is simply the ability to hold yourself back when people start telling you your favorite game was actually bad and that your memories are wrong. The earliest memory I have of feeling true maturity and substantial growth as a teenager was when a friend of mine said that Sonic Adventure 2 was always bad and I didn't immediately snap his neck. And yet I still have a long journey of growth ahead of me as I still will not forgive the world for gas-lighting us into thinking that game isn't at the apex of fiction.

I don't care where you are from, if you do not crack a smile at the opening of Sonic Adventure 2 hero story, you are truly lost among the rest of us human beings. If you do not pop off at the end of story where the good guys and bad guys join forces to take down the real threat, we probably can't be friends. And yes. Shadow the Hedgehog is cool. And I don’t mean that ironically. Well, actually I kind of do, but also simultaneously I don’t. Shadow is the quantum cool character. He exist in this incomprehensible state of being try hard edgy but...he’s also actually cool. His trauma and behavior feel valid in a lot of ways. I can take him seriously and not at the same time. I could chalk this up to multiple interpretations of the characters over the years, but I think it's present in even the first game.

There's a line in the first Sonic vs Shadow boss fight where if you hit Shadow he immediately says "I'm the coolest". It's such a weird thing to say at all and even weirder to say after getting hit. It should be out of character, but it isn't. Shadow really does think he's the coolest. You can tell by the way he talks. You can tell by the way he acts. He's theatrical. Did he really need to use the Chaos Emerald to embarrass Sonic in the beginning of the game? No, but sometimes you gotta pop out and show niggas. He thinks he's the coolest and wants you to know it. So when he gets hit, he's basically just leaking his inner thoughts. It's kinda dorky and easy to laugh at.

But at the same time, he's correct. He's 100% correct. He does have a tragic backstory that justifies his hate. He does continually get shit done seemingly effortlessly. He does go toe to toe with Sonic, the most glazed character in the franchise. Shadow has chunibyo energy, but he can back it up. That's why he's great. That's why hes the perfect foil for Sonic. Sonic is cool because he's chill. Things don't really get to him as long as you aren't murdering loved ones. It doesn't really matter to him. Shadow had his loved ones murdered already. He's the opposite. He cares because he doesn't want that happen to him or anyone ever again. And I think that determination is admirable. Both surfer jocks and goths can be cool, which is the pretty much the main conclusion you can draw from their dynamic. This dichotomy is why the game works so well. Shadow is the soul of the game. The entire structure of the gameplay and story and even soundtrack is built on this duality. He's integral into what makes Sonic Adventure 2 such a legendary game despite him having the least amount of gameplay.

Sonic Adventure 2 was peak. And I mean that in a sad way. It really never got better than that for 3D Sonic games. Games came out with more polish; Games came out with more spectacle. None of them were equal to the complete package that Sonic Adventure 2 ended up being though. So when I say, Sonic Adventure 2 came out 23 years ago, I am not celebrating the longevity of the series, I am anguishing over how the Adventure games pretty much created a blueprint for the rest of the franchise and was never competently followed up on.

Sonic Heroes wasn't Sonic Adventure 3 for some reason. It was a sharp left turn from the direction the series was heading. Looking back, I can see how the design philosophy got to this point. Sonic Adventure was a game with 6 playable characters. But the levels themselves weren’t crafted to fit Sonic's gameplay. The other 5 felt like the after thoughts that they clearly were, only being able to add gimmicks and tiny sections to existing levels. It was fine, but it made the rest of the game feel like filler. Sonic Adventure 2 gave every character a level made just for them, even if assets themselves were reused frequently. Even if you weren't a fan of a particular play style, the effort put into the level design was equally distributed so everything in the game had impact.

Heroes took this a step further. Instead of having each level be crafted for 1 play style at a time, it created 1 level for 3 at a time. There were less levels, but the levels themselves were more expansive and longer as they tried to take advantage of each play style. There's really nothing wrong with this approach gameplay wise. It gives the characters far less individuality and anchors the story more, but this could have worked well in just being a game you play through for fun’s sake. The problem is that the controls are greased the fuck up and it makes engaging with the level design a complete tragedy. The acceleration for these characters is deranged. The adventure games already nailed control, they just decided to ruin it here for reasons I have not been able to ascertain in the past 20 years. If they left the control alone I would at the very least liked this game. A lot of stuff about the gameplay bugs me. Enemies having health bars, special stages returning, the 4 campaigns not being diverse enough yet all being required. I could ignore all of those gripes if the characters didn't handle like a wet bar of soap. I actually would love a remake of this game because a few tweaks to the physics and movements will make it a substantially better one. It could also improve the plastic ass textures as well, which are still off putting to me.

Sonic Heroes was always going to be a disappointment to me because I just don't gel with the vibes as much. Sonic Adventure, and this entire era of Sonic up to 2009 had this Shonen Aura to it. The stories went into dark places and the game took itself seriously. Sonic Heroes still has this aura, but it feels like it's diminished and is competing with the Saturday morning cartoon essence it also wants to exude. Sonic Heroes carries itself with a Xenoblade Chronicles 2 like composure, having some cool story content, but hiding it behind cheese and nonsense that the weaker audience may be put off by. And I was that weaker audience that was put off by it in both cases. This is the game where Shadow returns. There's a great twist at the end of Team Dark's story where it is revealed that Shadow might not be the same Shadow from the last game. It's a cool existential question to leave open. But that's all it does. Shadow doesn't do much other than have some banter with Sonic. The most interesting and popular character in the series gets barely any screen time because the game is structured to equally provide screen time for 11 other characters, few who actually deserve such. Each campaign follows the exact same skeleton, which means the simplest campaign is gonna have the same story beats as the most complex. This rigid structure completely neuters the story by making it predictable and limited. You play as Shadow far more in this game than Sonic Adventure 2, yet it feels like he does nothing in this game. Nothing much really happens in Sonic Heroes, which is my main issue with it.

The dueling tones bothered me a bit when I played it. But it's fine for me now. Over time, the corny elements really started growing on me. That theme song won me over and I didn't really stand a chance. This tone however went completely missing in the follow up to this game, Shadow the Hedgehog. Shadow got his own game after this and it was given the same effort and push as other mainline Sonic games. On paper, Shadow the Hedgehog is a game that uses the players own choice in morality to dictate the ways in which the character is explored. It has 327 different routes and 11 different endings, assuring each playthrough is wholly unique. It's a really special game, that really made its mark on the franchise.

This is arguably one of the worst Sonic games, which is quite the feat. It's great that the story focuses so much on Shadow, but because all 11 endings are so different there is no way to write Shadow getting to all of those points in a natural way. Most routes in Shadow the Hedgehog are complete nonsense and hollow because Shadow has no reason to act the way he does without being a gullible dumb-ass. It's the player writing the story, but the player doesn't have the tools to write a good one. And none of them really matter because they are negated by the existence of the true 11th ending you unlock after getting the other 10 endings. The approach they take with the story only makes sense with an avatar character really. Shadow has no character other than being edgy in this because how could he? His personality has to be so fluid that it has to account for 11 endings. Edge is all that Shadow has too him in this, and while I enjoy it and think it's funny, it's not solely why I like the character.

The story is a train wreck. But watching the cutscenes in this game is far more enjoyably than actually playing it. Shadow plays and feels similar to how he did in Heroes, but with the added focus of combat and gun-play which are not implemented in a reasonable way by any means. What made the speed sections in Sonic Adventure 2 good were that you could move fast while still maintaining control of your character. What made emerald hunting fun was being able to traverse an open area quickly to find what you need. What made mech sections fun was chaining together shots and maximizing your score. Shadow has levels where you play as Shadow, but you have the ability to shoot enemies and are given objectives to collect shit throughout the level. All of these things are implemented poorly because of the long linear level design with zero flow and the bad control and shooting mechanics. It's like a fucked up Frankenstein monster of Sonic Adventure concepts and the whole thing makes me violently ill. Shadow the Hedgehog was a train wreck and was a bad omen for things to come.

In the following year, Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) came out. A game whose reputation was "Worst Sonic game" for a while. Now, let's be clear, this was a step up from Shadow the Hedgehog. Shadow had less glitches and shorter load times, but as a game, Sonic 06 styles all over it. It's structured like an Adventure game at the very least so it has the potential for sober level design and plot. Some may call it Sonic Adventure 3, but I will never refer to it as such. Even if it basically is, it wasn't titled that and doesn’t have a Chao Garden. So it doesn't count. Still, it had 3 campaigns with varying play styles that intertwined with each other and led to a final level once all were completed. It even introduced a new main playable character the same way Sonic Adventure 2 did in Silver the Hedgehog, probably one of my favorite characters. It was closer to the Adventure games than Heroes and Shadow and benefited greatly from it

I will not revise history though, this game has always been a complete nightmare. I don't think I've ever trusted a game less than Sonic 06. It feels like it can fall apart at any moment. It brought back hub worlds and made them more dull than ever. Introduced side quest and mandatory minigames that really didn't need to be in the game at all. It didn't learn from Sonic Adventure and introduced even more playable characters, some which barely function at all. Even the plot, while more substantive than the last two, doesn't really click for the most part. Sonic's campaign felt like he was the Rosencranzt of his own game and doesn’t feel as fun as he usually does. Silver's campaign had promise was delivered poorly overall. It took until the comics decided to do PR on his character for me to understand how great he is. Shadow’s story had some rough parts to it, but one of the bright spots of 06 is how spot on his characterization is. He finally feels like how he felt in Sonic Adventure 2 now that he's allowed to be in a regular story. The best story moments in 06 are from Shadow and after playing it you would think they'd be more confidently utilizing the character in the future.

Shadow isn't playable in another 3D Sonic game for another 11 years after this. A version of him is technically playable in Sonic and the Black Knight, but it’s only Shadow in terms of the character model. Shadow the Hedgehog is nowhere to be found in it, only a look alike who stands in as Lancelot from Arthurian Legend. The only Sonic character who is actually playable in the Story Book sub series is Sonic himself. Sonic Team got very conservative after Sonic 06 went down and all elements associated with that game seemed to be stripped, including the inclusion of characters other than Sonic. So if you wanted to play as a different character, you’d have to resort to the self contained spin offs that have no barring on the future of the franchise’s stories and mechanics.

In 2008,Sonic Unleashed marked the start of the boost era. A shift in gameplay that values speed far more than conventional platforming. They stopped trying to make the promising Adventure gameplay function to its max potential and then threw it all away. Look, I like Sonic Unleashed. Well the good version of that game that exist on the Nintendo Wii at least. It was exhilarating in a way the Adventure games weren't. Sonic was approaching this level of spectacle naturally, so it's logical for Sonic to be speeding through levels faster than you can reasonably control him. And at the time, every one was all about this shift. This was the last time Sonic would attempt to be cutting edge and high fidelity for a while. It was the last Hail Mary before Sonic Team decided to start playing it safe. In that manner I've always respected it. But looking back, a third of the game was a version of Sonic the Hedgehog that I didn't really prefer and the rest of it was a version of God of War I didn't really prefer.

There's always been a variety of gameplay styles in 3D Sonic games, but this is first one where it didn't feel like regular Sonic gameplay was the main one. The Werehog is like 2/3rds of the playtime. And when you take into account how many levels force you into a 2D perspective, it starts to feel like it's barely a 3D Sonic game. The next game, Sonic Colors, actually reached the point where I don't even consider it a 3D Sonic game. The 3D sections are so extremely short that they get wholly eclipsed by the 2D parts. The quick step sections were basically top down 2D as well. And it was the solution apparently, as Sonic Colors was the best received Sonic game in years upon release. The key to making critically approved 3D Sonic was implementing less 3D Sonic, in every sense of the word.

I was a Day One Sonic Colors Hater. I thought I was going crazy over how people loved this game. I hated the way Sonic controlled once you were actually able to move him in 3D. I hated how little flow there was to the level design. I hated how dog water the script was. I hated how sauceless the levels were. I hated how nothing happened in the story and how few characters there were. I hated how intrusive wisp were as a power ups. This game was ass. Not just because it was mid as hell, but because it felt like it was embarrassed to be a 3D Sonic game. I have no respect for games that don't take pride in themselves. Sonic Colors was the first game in the franchise to really be like this.

Sonic Generations was the follow up to Colors and the only 3D game from this era devoid of pride that I genuinely like. The level design struck a nice balance between high speed movement and actual platforming. It bringing back past stages and bosses guaranteed vibrant and interesting motifs, music, and mechanics. It was a sort of ‘Best of Sonic’ type game, so it had to be good. But it's very much still made in the same vein as Sonic Colors. The lack of effort in its story always bothered me. It's a fun game to play, but there are no unique moments in the game that stick with me. Of course it's a title full of throwbacks, having an identity of its own is a bit hard, but having a story with memorable beats could have help with that. In terms of overall quality, it's arguably the best 3D Sonic game when you look at the PC port. But it's ultimately a greatest hits album, so it feels like cheating to say it's one of the greats. It's an issue I kinda have with Sonic Mania that I can overlook due to it having some unique levels. Generations has nothing like this, so I can't bring myself to truly love it like I love the Adventure games.

I’m not even gonna lead into Sonic Lost World with a smooth transition. It's the game that followed up Sonic Generations and it is the worst Sonic game. Doesn’t matter what system you play it on. It's diametrically opposed to everything I like about these games. From its awkward controls, to its baffling design philosophy, to its bottom rung story, it is a waste of time. There are games in this franchise that are more frustrating. There are games that are more boring. But none make me feel like I'm committing a sin just by playing them. Lost World sheds the boost formula and instead of veering towards something more like the Adventure games, it decides to be a Mario game instead. And a bad one at that. Mario games at least want you to have some way to gradually build and lose speed. In Lost World, Sonic can only exist in two digital states of velocity and thus feels awkward at all times. They gave my boy a run button. What the hell were they cooking? It’s an abomination brought to life by suturing dozens of bad ideas together, none of which resemble something I want in a Sonic game. In just one release, all the momentum that Sonic Generations built up was lost thanks to this entry.

It took 4 years for a follow up to release. Sonic Forces, the most middling Sonic game of all time. I don't have much to say about Forces because no one really does. It's the return of Generations gameplay, but has basically no level design to make it fun. It has a voiceless player avatar character, which ends up absorbing any potential character interactions we may have gotten for the ones we want to see. It has music that is good, but levels that aren't long enough to hear them actually start. It pretends like it has an epic story to tell when it really doesn't. It doesn't offend me like Lost World does. It's just anemic, with a few good moments here and there. Shadow returns in it for a free prequel DLC that last 30 minutes and is slightly higher in quality than the other levels. Which is better than nothing I suppose.

Forces is pretty half hearted, but half of that heart is in the right place. The cast does return. There are multiple playable characters and campaigns. I can remember some story moments at least. It did attempt to cater to modern Sonic fans for the first time in a decade. It just did it poorly. Forces was the first step in the right direction. The next step was 5 years later when Sonic Frontiers came out. The first 3D Sonic game since Sonic in the Black Knight to feel like it sincerely wanted to be a Sonic game. There are parts of it that are embarrassing in terms of budget and control. But the story took itself seriously again. The gameplay loop was fun and complemented Sonic gameplay very nicely. It took a bit of a middle ground between Adventure and Boost game play and it felt like the 3D formula was evolving instead of flinging shit at the wall hoping something sticks. Frontiers was the shining light and that shining light led to Shadow X Sonic Generations.

People refer to the stretch between Shadow the Hedgehog and Black Knight as The Dark Age of Sonic. They are half right. I don't think we ever left it. Sure there were good games, some slams dunks every now and then, but that never made the franchise feel like it was in a good spot because they were always followed up with shit. But now, we've gotten like 4 hits in a row. Frontiers was good but still felt woefully unfinished. Sonic Super Stars was decent enough to not do any damage to the franchise. The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog was great in that it was a Free Visual Novel that only strengthened the brand. Sonic Dream Team is pretty great for a game stuck in apple arcade jail. Maybe ‘Hits’ wasn’t the right word to describe this string of games. Jabs is probably more accurate, and the next game is a clean body blow. We have this pack in title staring Shadow himself and I'm not gonna mince words here, it's fucking spectacular. This dark age started with Shadow so it's only fair that he be the one to end it.

I should probably explain what Shadow Generations actually is. Sonic Generations is a game where Sonic goes through 9 different stages and 6 bosses from previous Sonic games. Each stage has 2 acts, 1 where you play as a version of Sonic from the classic genesis games and another where you play as modern Sonic with his boost game play. Shadow Generations is a new game that takes place at the same time as Sonic Generations. It's a pack in bonus game included for the Sonic Generations rerelease. The structure of this product is similar to Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury, where it’s a remaster with a short game attached to it to make the whole package a better value proposition. The difference with Shadow Generations is that there's far more effort put into it than you'd expect.

There are two parts to this effort. First is the marketing for this game. They went a bit sicko mode with the marketing campaign for Shadow. In the same vein as the "Year of Luigi" stunt Nintendo pulled a decade ago, Sega declared 2024 The Year of Shadow. This was a push to celebrate the character through multiple mediums. There's was tons of merchandise for Shadow developed, a clothing brand, a manga, hell even a movie. Yes, the Movie was gonna come out no matter what. It's not like the Movie came out to promote the game, hell it was likely the other way around. But they still fed into each other. The hype built for the third Sonic the Hedgehog movie definitely put eyes on Shadow Generations, and the DLC level based on Sonic 3 that dropped around its release did the same. It was a cross promotional slam dunk. I played the DLC, and got even more hyped for the movie than I already was. And then I watched the movie and felt euphoric vindication over how well they adapted parts of the Sonic Adventure 2 story. We now have box office numbers to serve as undeniable proof that even in the modern age, the children yearn for Sonic Adventure 2. It’s surreal.

For me, the highlight of this Year of Shadow push had to be the Dark Beginnings Web series. It's a 3 part 15 minute total animation on YouTube that acts as prelude for Shadow Generations. It's not necessary and the plot would be perfectly understandable without it, but I couldn't be more grateful for it. This comfortably stands among the best pieces of animated Sonic media. I say this as a certified Sonic CD opening glazer. I say this as a seasoned Sonic CG cutscene enjoyer. I say this as one of the Sonic OVA’s strongest soldiers. In terms of writing, art, and direction, it's firing on all cylinders. It didn't need to be so heart felt, but it was. It delivers on the character interaction and action that I want out of Sonic media and is fully sincere the whole time. It made me extremely optimistic with the game going forward. Dark Beginnings made it clear that Shadow Generations is a love letter. And if that wasn't enough, the printed lore diary included with the physical copy and the purchasable Shadow beta design skin made it crystal. There is no cynicism in this series anymore.

The build up was perfect, but what about the second part of this effort? The game itself. You'd expect a pack in title to be a fraction of the size of the base game. While Shadow Generations is only 6 stages and 4 bosses compared to Generation’s 9 and 6, it is not 2/3rds as big. It's basically the same size. The levels are longer and there's far more to do in between levels as well. This is essentially Sonic Generations 2. It's also basically everything I would want out of a sequel to that game as well. It truly celebrates every aspect of the franchise while also pushing the gameplay forward.

Within Shadow Generations lies the blueprint for a true 10/10 Sonic title. All the ingredients are there, it just needs to be done in a different context. For one, we finally got a playable version of a character that is faster than any adventure era character, yet also has smooth control. It strikes the perfect balance. You aren't constantly bumping into walls when in a confined area, I not longer piss myself when presented with any precise platforming challenge. Yet you still get that exhilaration of blasting through a stage. It's not as much exhilaration as in Unleashed or Generations, but I'll take that trade off any day. Having the boost be as fast as it was led to me not appreciating and studying the levels as much. It was the definition of amusement park ride level design. Even though I'm still being pushed forward through the level, I have ample room to pace myself and observe my surroundings because I have the freedom of not going extremely fast, and even at the highest speed, the world can easily be parsed. The movement speed is near ideal. The ground control is perfect. No longer do we have to make the hard decision between navigating a grease slip stream and trudging through mud. Shadow controls tight enough to perform precise movement while also being capable of fluidity. The turning mid air could use some work, but other than that I have no notes. And it’s not just the 3D gameplay that’s at it’s best this time.

2D levels in 3D Sonic games have always been a huge drag. They cost less to produce than the 3D ones, which is why so many Boost Era games have mostly 2D content. It’s always disappointing because the ability to see straight ahead of you is what makes the blistering speed of the boost games manageable and not completely reliant on rote memorization in order to speed through them. It works for Classic Sonic because he doesn’t control that fast unless you are spin dashing. It works for the DS games because there’s a second screen warning you what’s up ahead. It has never worked as well for console Modern Sonic. Sonic Frontiers even made a point to not have any 2D levels in it’s DLC because they knew how underwhelmed fans were by them. Shadow Generations creates the solution to this by doing something Sonic Team already figured out how to do in 2007. Nights Into Dreams was a sidescroller with a pretty close camera that made it hard to see what was in front of you. The sequel, Night Journey into Dreams, doesn’t improve on the original in many ways. It does however, tilt the camera so that the player can see slightly ahead. It’s a 2.5D game so there’s no reason to not take advantage of the 3D environment. Shadow Generations understands this. There are many points in the Side Scrolling Shadow stages where the camera shifts so that you can see what’s up ahead. The dynamic camera assures the player has the necessary amount of screen information and allows for more cinematic direction as well. The complete segregation between 3D and 2D Stages also helps the two styles not get in the way of each other. It’s the one case case where ‘Separate, but Equal’ actually applies.

Sonic Frontiers gameplay was actually very similar to Shadow Generations and even came pretty close to the ideal control for Sonic. The only huge issue was how awkward Sonic’s momentum behaved when in levels, which stuck out a lot due to how good he felt to control in the overworld. Sonic Frontiers was a great experiment that could have really used refinement. And that's exactly what Shadow Generations is. Frontiers was the proof of concept; Shadow Generations is just the proof. It finds a control scheme that works for both the overworld and the stages and fleshes both of them out. The open world aspect of Frontiers was the real focus of that game while the individual levels were far too short, had no personality and copied level design from other games. I'd say the focus is swapped in Shadow Generations. The levels are gourmet here, just as you'd expect from a Generations game. These stages don't just have great design, they have great direction. There's cinematic flare and a narrative through line in them that has been missing since Sonic Team decided to cater to Mario fans. Set pieces are back while seldom taking control away from the player. Every stage is stuffed with multiple paths and a wide variety of level mechanics. Every time I played through them, I figure out a new shortcut or alternate way to handle an obstacle. They don't even hand out S ranks like they have since the original Generations… sometimes. A handful of the levels require careful study to clear that achievement, and I had a blast learning their intricacies. I think the mark of a good level that’s designed to be played fast is how immediately you want to replay it after getting anything less than the highest rank. I added hours of play time to my initial playthrough by constantly replaying levels before moving on to the next one. I felt this way about Sonic Frontiers, but those levels are usually a minute long. These Shadow levels are 4 times longer on average, yet I have no reservations jumping back in and avoiding any hint of progress.

I can’t credit my bloated total playtime of this game entirely to replays though. I found that the overworld is a huge source of distraction as well. Most overworlds in Sonic games I haven't vibed with and would almost always prefer a stage select menu. Frontiers was an exception, because the overworld was the point of the game, so it never felt like a way to pad out the game and keep me from the gameplay I enjoy. Sonic Adventure's overworld is basically why I will always prefer a start to finish playthrough of Adventure 2. I just want to play the levels and experience the story. Exploring ultimately uninteresting areas separated by load times is not my idea of a good time. I won't deny there's a chill groove to it, but the novelty wears off quickly to me. The overworld(s) in Unleashed was even worse because of how cramped it was despite adding more actual level design to the hub world areas. The 2D overworlds found in Sonic Advance 3 and Generations ended up being my least favorite due to how impossible they were to navigate.

Every attempt at an overworld/hubworld before Frontiers came off as a restriction. Something to slow me down forcibly. Frontiers was open enough and had enough content in it to the point where I preferred the overworld above the stages. But even then, there was a lot of room for improvement. The overworld was great, but was full of puzzles and challenges that didn't really feel like they belonged in the game. Getting from challenge to challenge was where the enjoyment laid and the large open areas allowed for the paths between those challenges to be a blast. Shadow Generations does not have the luxury of size though. Yet I think its hubworld just as fun as the levels and never came off as an impediment. This is due to the density of collectibles and more natural playground challenges. The overworld in Shadow Generations is stuffed full of rewards, each which require some level of platforming or thorough investigation of the area. It lacks the grandeur of Frontiers and it doesn't flow as well because of it, but the quality of the overworld itself per square foot is better than anything else in the franchise. It absolutely dunks on the Sonic Generation’s hub world, despite having the same structure.

The high quality content throughout both stages and the overworld led this 3 hour game to become an 18 game to me. I couldn’t help but do every single thing in this. Even the boss fights in this are of a higher caliber than what we've seen before. They all function as well directed fight scenes that have tricks hidden in them which allow for faster completion. Figuring out how to skip entire phases of the fight and make Shadow look like the coldest dude on face earth was always gratifying. Mastering these fights was just as fun as mastering a level and that is something that has NEVER been true about this franchise. Shadow Generation delivers on all fronts. The only thing that is remotely disappointing is the music. The music is still good obviously, but most of the remixes were lateral moves and nothing got me to pop off like when when they added a unique bridge to City Escape in Sonic Generations. And when you consider how the Sega Sound Team has been carrying this franchise on its back for 20 years, it becomes perfectly acceptable that the soundtrack is the worst part of this game.

Shadow Generations is a phenomenal, yet short experience. It's only really held back by its size and premise of being a throwback game. And like the other Greatest Hits Sonic games, I feel uneasy to say it's the best 3D Sonic game and that the Adventure games have been surpassed. Maybe I'll feel different about this after it sinks deeper into my mind, as Sonic Adventure 2 has had a 23 year head start. I will say though, I'm pretty confident the next 3D Sonic game has the potential to be the best one. All the ingredients are here.

Even within the confines of a short game that has to be about past events, the writing in this game hits exactly how it should. There's a clear reverence and respect towards every character and piece of lore. It was a joy going through the hubworld and exhausting dialogue options. Every character felt distinct and acted in line with last interpretations of the characters. Elements of the past stories come back in legitimately clever ways, which fits especially well in a game about traveling through time. The motif of the past is used to further delve into Shadow's mind set. As a Character who has had to overcome great trauma, he's pretty much forced to re-frame the way he's been coping with his issues now that the past has been rooted up. It's crazy seeing how much Shadow has grown throughout the series while still feeling like he's the same guy he was when he was introduced. I’ve never been a fan of Kirk Thornton voicing Shadow until now. He always felt like a guy doing a bad Shadow impression. But now that he has a competent script and that he's been voicing the character for a decade, I'm finally on board. Still prefer the other two guys, but I can comfortably say he is Shadow the Hedgehog.

The writing is here, the gameplay is here. All we need is an original plot and more characters to have stakes in it. And I do think that last part is important. What made the Adventure games so engaging was that characters had large parts of gameplay and story attached to them. Since Sonic Unleashed, it's just been the Oops all Sonic. Sonic’s friends never do anything of note and it's just Sonic quipping up a storm for the duration of the game. That's not a bad experience really. It's good enough. But it makes the world feel cramped and the plot predictable when Sonic is the only one who gets to do things. I need other characters to get their time to shine and the most satisfying way to do this is making them playable characters.

Shadow Generations shows they can make a character that plays similar yet incredibly distinct from Sonic, in a way I feel the Sonic Frontiers DLC failed to do. Shadow has basically built a frame work for characters who aren't Sonic to follow now that it's been proven that mechanics other than go faster can exist in this gameplay style. Shadow doesn't have the light speed dash like Sonic does, he uses Chaos Spears to stun enemies and activate switches. Shadow doesn't have a way to fast forward through large chunks of the level like Sonic would in the Story Book Games, he uses Chaos Control to slow time and use flying projectiles as platforms. Shadow doesn't have a weird charged homing attack that does nothing visually different like Sonic does in Lost World, he has a melee combo that launches an enemy into any direction you want. All of these mechanics are unique to Shadow and can be used to deal with obstacles quicker than you would have to without them.

These powers are integrated into Shadow's moveset and make him feel like a character equal but different than Sonic. The more I think about it, the more obvious it seems that they could implement this philosophy for each character they want to add in the future. Just 3 or 4 mechanics and some changes in the properties of how fast they move at top speed and how high they jump is all they need to make a fully fleshed out character. I'm over here brain storming how they can implement Silver the Hedgehog in this style. I'm serious, I have notes. This is how I know we are out of the dark ages. I haven't brained stormed about Sonic Team implementing cool shit in their games in over a decade. I kinda checked out after a while because I knew they'd just do something out of left field. And now it's like I'm 8 again and the future is bright.

Shadow has gifted us the blue print to success and it seems like all the pieces are in play. We just need to keep this momentum and not make another Sonic Lost World. Even of it’s not by title, we will have a game that is spiritually a Sonic Adventure game. I don’t need the gameplay to go back to what it was, I just need the general structure to return, and I’m confident they can pull it off if they use Shadow as a jumping off point. It feels strange to not be cynical about this series anymore, but I’m not. How could I when the franchise is as earnest as its been in over a decade? It was already leading to this point, but I think by taking the most easy to make fun of character in the franchise and treating him with the utmost respect, a curse has been broken. The path ahead finally looks bright.

[hadeschan]

item # K22F06

RARE Pra Somdej Luang Phor Guay, Roon Pòok Pát-tá-sĕe-maa Pee Song-nèung, Pim Taan Sam Chan, Pim Lek, Nua Mai Phra-ya-ngiw-dam. A small-size wood carving Buddha amulet with figure of a meditating Buddha seating on top of a 3 tiers platform. It was carved from Mai Phra-ya-ngiw-dam (King of magic black wood or king of Ngiw Tree), made by Luang Phor Guay of Wat Khositaram (Wat Ban Khae), Chai Nat Province as gift to commemorate the BE 2521 (CE 1978) Temple Boundary Marking Ceremony of Wat Khositaram.

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BEST FOR: It is believed that Mai Phra-ya-ngiw-dam, the King of magic black wood or the King of Ngiw Tree contains the power of Deva (angel), and Deva protects and defends you from evils and enemies. Deva will save you from many other dangers, perils and evils. Deva helps maintain peace, happiness, harmony and prosperity. Also Deva has healing power, and immortality. This amulet has a tendency to draw positive energy. It brings longevity with abundance of good health, wealth, and prosperity. It helps you achieve your goal and fulfillment in your work and career, avoid misfortune, and improve your luck, power, and prestige. Mahasanay (Magic Charm) it helps turn you to prince charming in the eyes of girls, Metta Maha Niyom (it helps make people love you, and be nice to you), Wealth & Prosperity, Maha Laap (it brings lucky wealth). It warns danger coming ahead, Kaa Kaai Dee (it helps tempt your customers to buy whatever you are selling and it helps attract new customers and then keep them coming back. Klawklad Plodpai (it helps push you away from all danger), Kongkraphan (it makes you invulnerable to all weapon attack), and Maha-ut (it stops gun from shooting at you).  And Ponggan Poot-pee pee-saat Kunsai Mondam (it helps ward off evil spirit, demon, bad ghost, bad omen, bad spell, curse and black magic). And this amulet helps protect you from manipulators, backstabbers, and toxic people. And the force of the bad intentions / activities / behaviors from your enemies hitting you, the Khata Sà-tón Klap in this amulet puts an equal force back onto them, meaning those bad intentions / activities / behaviors bounce back up to your enemies.

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Mai Phra-ya-ngiw-dam (King of magic black wood)

Phra-ya-ngiw-dam Tree is a king of Ngiw Tree, it has black color inside and outside, it can be found one in a million trees and once in 100 years. People believe that Phra-ya-ngiw-dam Tree is guarded by Deva (angel), and it has esteem magic power. Its wood is good for making Meed-mor(Exorcist Knives) and ghost buster swords. The Phra-ya-ngiw-dam Tree is also good for Kongkraphan(invulnerable to all kinds of weapon attack), Klawklad (pushing you away from danger), Mettamahaniyom(gaining kindness and compassion from people all around you), Maha-ut(stopping gun from firing to you), warding off evil spirits and bad omens.

In addition to that super magic power, some people said that the Deva who guards this Phra-ya-ngiw-dam Tree also whispers you a lucky number, brings wealth and prosperity to you, too.

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“ขอศิษย์ทั้งหลายอย่าอดอย่าอยากอย่ายากอย่าจนอย่าต่ำกว่าคนอย่าจนกว่า��ขา”

“All of my Looksit (disciples / followers /adherents/ worshippers / devotees) will be away from destitution, failure, hardship & difficulty in living, poverty, inferiority, and deterioration in quality of life.”

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Luang Phor Guay was highly respected by Luang Phor Pare of Wat Pikulthong, Singburi Province. Many Batches of Luang Phor Pare’s amulets were blessed by Luang Phor Guay first, Luang Phor Pare would bring them to Luang Phor Guay and ask Luang Phor Guay to bless them for him before the Grand Blessing Ceremonies…

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*All of the amulet made by Luang Phor Guay, the last mantra that Luang Phor Guay blessed on amulets was “The Khata Sà-tón Klap (The Bouncing Back Mantra)”. The force of the bad intentions / activities / behaviors from your enemies hitting you, the Khata Sà-tón Klap puts an equal force back onto them, meaning those bad intentions / activities / behaviors bounce back up to your enemies.

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LUANG PHOR GUAY

Luang Phor Guay was an abbot of Wat Kositaram (Wat Ban Khae), Chainat Province living between (BE 2448 to BE 2522)

Luang Phor Guay was a disciple of many Legendary Guru Monks, for instance;

- The Holy Luang Phu Tao of Wat Kaang Kaao, a senior brotherhood of Luang Phu Suk of Wat Pak Klong Makham-tao

- The Holy Luang Phu Sri of Wat Pra Prang

- The Holy Luang Phor Derm of Wat Nong Pho

The supernatural power of Luang Phor Guay experienced by his Looksit (disciples / followers /adherents/ worshippers / devotees)

1)An ability to know the future.

2)An ability to shoot clay ball bullets from a sling bow with cursive path (line of fire) to any targets Luang Phor Guay wanted, no matter how far they were.

3)An ability to make a ring to be put on anybody’s fingers no matter where they were by blowing rings from Luang Phor Guay’s palms.

4)Photo shootings without Luang Phor Guay’s permission, those photos would be blurry or camera malfunctions.

5)An ability to make people who just visited Luang Phor Guay not to recognize Luang Phor Guay after leaving Luang Phor Guay.

6)An ability to stop gun from firing at him or anyone

7)An ability to make gun malfunction by squeezing out a piece of cloth in his hands.

8)An ability to make ants to return to their nest hole.

9)An ability to bless chicken food, and made chickens eat it if the chickens or the chicken eggs were stolen, and later eaten by the thieves, the thieves would got Dermatophytosis or Ringworm on their skins.

10)An ability to use a rock tying up with a robe, and beat up his looksit, and looksit felt no pain.

11)An ability to stop the gun from firing by saying “the gun jammed”.

12)An ability to treat people with headache by pinching their own thumbs.

13)An ability to heal people with broken bones.

14)An ability to replace the pain during child labor from wives to their husbands.

15)An ability to turn a man to both a crocodile, and then a tiger or vice versa.

16)An ability to turn midrib of a banana leaf to a green snake, and a loincloth belt to a cobra.

17)An ability to turn leaves of Maerua siamensis (Kurz) Pax tree to wasps.

18)An ability to turn a joss stick wrapped with red paper to a Siamese fighting fish.

19)An ability to hold burning charcoal in his hands

20)An ability to pick anything that his hand could hold from anyplace, no matter how far they were.

21)Luang Phor Guay’s message to his looksit would come true.

22)An ability to make his amulets floating in the water or flying in the air.

23)An ability to command wasps to sting any people he wanted. And command turtles to search for anybody he wanted.

24)An ability to toss his amulets into the air, and those amulets were flying to people whom he wanted to give amulets to, no matter where they lived.

25)An ability to know if his Looksit were assaulted or in danger, no matter where they were at.

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THE AMULETS OF LUANG PHOR GUAY

Luang Phor Guay made and blessed all of his amulets by himself. Mon Pra Gaan, the Lord Kala in Sanskrit, the Pra Gaan Mantra, the one who is beyond time (death) and universe and all life within, and the god of death. Those who have good intentions of using Luang Phor Guay’s amulets would be blessed, those who are not will be doomed. And all amulets made by Luang Phor Guay, at the final of blessing ritual, Luang Phor Guay would end with Khata Sa-ton-klap. Such Khata has a power that helps protect amulet wears from manipulators, backstabbers, and toxic people. Not only protection from those kind of people, but also people who are thinking a “bad” thought about the amulet wearers will also be doomed.

REMARK: According to Looksit (disciples / followers / adherents / worshippers / devotees) of Luang Phor Guay, Luang Phor Guay made amulets every day to release his mind power (Grasin Fire) that generated heat in his body, and Luang Phor Guay NEVER made amulets for sale. Luang Phor Guay just gave amulets to anybody he wanted.

THE BLESSING PROCESS OF AMULETS OF LUANG PHOR GUAY

Luang Phor Guay blessed his amulets at the 7 times of the day firstly in the early morning, in the late morning, in the afternoon, in the late afternoon, in the evening, in the late evening, and at midnight. These 7 times of blessing was said to be the blessing process of Black Magic, and to prolong/extent the lives of people who wear his amulets in case that people’s lifespan on earth are shorten by their bad karma. And only best guru monks or Best white robe masters could perform such rituals. Luang Phor Guay would pick the day on auspicious constellations (Rerk Mongkon), master of devil constellations (Rerk Boon Phraya Maan), and criminal constellations (Jora Rerk). Luang Phor Guay said that the Rerk Boon Phraya Maan, and Jora Rerk are constellations that help criminals, and evil people to successfully commit their crimes, and amulets of Luang Phor Guay would perform miracles to persuade those bad people to believe in good and bad karma, then they will return to support Buddhism, and finally, they will be decent citizens.

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*with Certificate of Authenticity issued by DD-PRA.

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DIMENSION: 3.60 cm high / 2.60 cm wide / 0.50 cm thick

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item # K22F05

Price: price upon request, pls PM and/or email us hadesamulet@protonmail.com

100% GENUINE WITH 365 DAYS FULL REFUND WARRANTY

Item location: Hong Kong, SAR

Ships to: Worldwide

Delivery: Estimated 7 days handling time after receipt of cleared payment. Please allow additional time if international delivery is subject to customs processing.

Shipping: FREE Thailandpost International registered mail. International items may be subject to customs processing and additional charges.

Payments: PayPal / Western Union / MoneyGram /maybank2u.com / DBS iBanking / Wechat Pay / Alipay / INSTAREM / PromptPay International / Remitly

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[ljaesch]

Netflix Adds the Her Blue Sky Anime Film With a New English Dub

Netflix is now streaming Her Blue Sky, the original anime film by the Super Peace Busters creative team, in Japanese with English subtitles and a new English dub. The English cast includes: Miya Kodama is Aoi Aioi Felecia Angelle is Aoi (young) Anthony Ma is Shinno Edward Hong is Shinnosuke Anne Yatco is Akane Aioi Geri Courtney-Austein is Chika Otaki Brent Mukai is Masamichi Nakamura Maya Aoki…

[smashlawlai]

Here’s a Super Smash Bros. Lawl moveset for MegaMan Volnutt from MegaMan Legends:

Reveal Trailer:

The trailer opens with a peaceful scene of an archaeological dig site, with MegaMan Volnutt carefully exploring ancient ruins. Suddenly, the ground shakes as rival treasure hunters appear, chasing him down. MegaMan quickly switches into combat mode, using his Buster Arm to fend them off. As the dust clears, he stands victorious, and the screen flashes: "MegaMan Volnutt Digs Into Battle!"

Moveset:

MegaMan Volnutt’s moveset incorporates his versatility as a Digger and his wide array of weapons and tools from MegaMan Legends.

Neutral B (Buster Gun):

Description: MegaMan Volnutt fires a stream of energy shots from his Buster Gun. The move can be tapped for individual shots or held for rapid-fire. Players can charge the move for a more powerful shot that deals higher damage and knockback.

Inspiration: Reflects his standard weapon in MegaMan Legends used for combat and exploration.

Side B (Drill Arm):

Description: MegaMan Volnutt equips the Drill Arm and charges forward, drilling through opponents and breaking through obstacles. The move can be charged for a longer dash, allowing MegaMan to traverse the stage quickly.

Inspiration: Based on the Drill Arm weapon used in MegaMan Legends for both combat and digging through walls in ruins.

Down B (Shining Laser):

Description: MegaMan activates the Shining Laser, sending out a powerful beam of energy directly in front of him. The beam stays active for a few seconds, dealing continuous damage to anyone caught in its path. However, the move has a brief cooldown afterward.

Inspiration: One of the most powerful weapons in the MegaMan Legends series, known for its devastating attack power.

Up B (Jet Skates):

Description: MegaMan activates his Jet Skates and dashes upward, performing a quick boost into the air. The move can be directed left or right, allowing for versatile aerial recovery. It leaves a trail of blue energy behind him, damaging anyone caught in his wake.

Inspiration: Reflects the Jet Skates, a mobility item in MegaMan Legends that helps him traverse large areas quickly.

Final Smash (Trigger Unleashed):

Description: MegaMan Volnutt transforms into his true identity, the ancient warrior known as MegaMan Trigger. In this form, he unleashes a barrage of energy blasts and missiles across the entire stage. His armor glows with golden energy, and his attacks become rapid and devastating, knocking out any opponents caught in the onslaught.

Inspiration: Tied to his backstory as MegaMan Trigger, a powerful guardian with immense destructive potential.

Taunts:

Up Taunt: MegaMan Volnutt holds up a refractor, the iconic power source from MegaMan Legends, and examines it with a proud smile.

Side Taunt: He puts on his helmet, adjusts it, and says, “Let’s see what we can find.”

Down Taunt: Data, the robotic monkey, appears and dances around MegaMan for a few moments before disappearing.

Victory Poses:

1. Victory Pose 1: MegaMan Volnutt stands triumphantly in front of an ancient ruin, holding a large refractor with one hand, smiling brightly as the camera zooms in.

2. Victory Pose 2: He poses with his Buster Arm extended, firing off a few celebratory shots as sparks fly around him.

3. Victory Pose 3: MegaMan Volnutt rides his Jet Skates, performing a quick spin and stopping with a confident smirk, dusting off his armor.

Defeat Pose:

Defeat Pose: MegaMan Volnutt sits on the ground, looking disappointed, with his helmet beside him. Data, his robotic monkey companion, pats him on the back to comfort him.

[elen-000]

Memories Under a Blue Sky

Her Blue Sky (Japanese: 空の青さを知る人よ, Hepburn: Sora no Aosa o Shiru Hito yo) is a beautifully crafted Japanese animated film that debuted on October 11, 2019. Produced by CloverWorks, the film kedai168 is directed by Tatsuyuki Nagai and written by Mari Okada, reuniting the creative team behind beloved series like Toradora!, Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day, and The Anthem of the Heart. Character designs are by Masayoshi Tanaka, who also serves as chief animation director.

Synopsis:

Set in the picturesque town of Chichibu, the story begins with 18-year-old Shinnosuke Kanamuro (Shinno), an aspiring guitarist in a relationship with Akane Aioi. Shinno also forms a close bond with Akane’s younger sister, Aoi, and the sisters support his band with enthusiasm. Their plans are upended when a tragic car accident claims the lives of their parents, leading Akane to stay behind in Chichibu to raise Aoi, while Shinno moves to Tokyo to pursue his music career.

Fast forward thirteen years, and Aoi, now a high school student with dreams of becoming a bassist, is preparing to leave for Tokyo herself. Akane works for the city hall, and Masamichi Nakamura (Michinko), a former drummer from Shinno’s band, is organizing a music festival featuring the renowned enka singer Dankichi Nitobe.

Aoi encounters a mysterious figure who resembles Shinno from thirteen years ago, leading her to believe she’s seen a ghost. Her suspicion is confirmed when she discovers that Shinno is indeed a living ghost (ikiryō) bound to the hall where he practices. Shinno, who is now a changed man, seeks Aoi's help to reconnect with Akane in hopes of returning to his physical form. However, the task proves challenging as Shinno's current demeanor is far removed from the kind, supportive person Aoi remembers.

Characters:

Aoi Aioi (voiced by Shion Wakayama): A high school student and aspiring musician influenced by Shinno. She grew up believing her sister stayed behind in Chichibu because of her.

Shinnosuke Kanamuro (Shinno) (voiced by Ryo Yoshizawa): A struggling 31-year-old guitarist, now a living ghost of his 18-year-old self.

Akane Aioi (voiced by Riho Yoshioka): Aoi’s older sister, who has been supporting her after the loss of their parents.

Dankichi Nitobe (voiced by Ken Matsudaira): A famous enka singer.

Masatsugu Nakamura (voiced by Yō Taichi): Michinko’s young son who harbors feelings for Aoi.

Masamichi Nakamura (voiced by Fukushi Ochiai): Former drummer of Shinno’s band, now working at city hall and still interested in Akane.

Chika Ōtaki (voiced by Atsumi Tanezaki): Aoi’s classmate with a dream of dating someone in a band.

Production:

Announced by the Super Peace Busters team, Her Blue Sky was brought to life by CloverWorks with a soundtrack composed by Masaru Yokoyama. The theme song and ending theme, "Her Blue Sky" and "Mellow Blue," are performed by the talented Aimyon. The film delves into themes of love, regret, and reconciliation, set against the backdrop of Chichibu, Okada’s hometown, adding a personal touch to the narrative.