#tales of snaktooth

[tales-of-snaktooth]

5000 years ago there were some gayass muppets

[gallusgalluss]

an assortment of ancient grumps in varying qualities

[funkbun]

she :]

[bugswapau]

Interview Gramble!

Time to ask the musician a few questions.

“Have time for an interview?”

Interviews are no stranger to me, partner! Hit me withcha best shot.

“Who are you?”

You’ve certainly heard my number one single, “Would You Giggle With Me”, haven’t ya?

“I had it stuck in my head for a good month.”

Y’see, Gramble Gigglefunny needs no introduction.

“Why come to Snaktooth island?”

Well, I’m here to soak up some new life experiences. To get my creative juices flowing, so to speak.

“So your juice isn’t flowing?”

Ah, well... y’know, no hit can stay on top forever, and I reckon the public weren’t crazy for “Live Like You Were Funny” or “Bring On The Giggle”. I've been accused of bein’ a one-hit wonder.

“Thoughts on Bugsnax?”

Every taste is like a stampede runnin’ rampant in my mouth! Creative energy like I've never felt before! Bugsnax are worth whatever price I gotta pay, partner.

“What price is that, exactly?”

Bugsnax are forbidden fruits, partner. I believe there’s somethin’ that keeps us from it. Someday it’ll come for me, but not before I once again astound the world!

“Why did you leave town?”

Plain n’ simple; I was followin’ Wiggle. She certainly knows her way around Snax…

“Are you using Wiggle for her food supply?”

NO! Goodness, ‘course not. I love Wiggle! I would never! She’s much too sweet, like a lil’ Sweetiefly. No, I’d never take advantage of her, even if it was easy-peasy lemon-squeezy!

“Any info on Eggabell?”

Ah, Eggabell. She and Lizbert were big fans of mine! Y’know, I met them backstage at my first farewell tour. They, uh, didn’t have passes, mind ya. Egg climbed in through the air ducts. But if someone breaks the law outta love for my music, who’m I to turn ‘em away?

“Does that happen a lot?”

Not nearly as often as I'd wish.

“What happened to Eggabell?”

That night when Egg went missin’, I ran into the woods lookin’ for her. But instead I found somethin’ terrifying towerin’ over the trees. The Queen of Bugsnax! Her screams tore at my ears, and I made a run for it!

“What is this ‘Queen of Bugsnax’ thing?”

Couldn’t say. All I saw was a fierce silhouette! But if Eggabell crossed paths with that…that THING, then I fear for her.

“Thanks, Gramble, that’s a wrap.”

Ah, nothin’ like the warmth’a free publicity. I know my tall-tale about the Queen sounds like a big load o’ hullabaloo, but I swear on my Platinum Record it’s true. If ya don’t believe me, go and see it for yerself. Now if ya excuse me, I’ve got music to make!

[strabbyshortcake]

I said I would do a fanfic rec post for other people since I did one for my own fics, so I’m finally getting around to that.

Make sure to heed the individual warning tags on these. A few of them contain body horror or non-explicit sexual material, so take care when reading. Quite a few were also published pre-bigsnax so there may be inconsistencies with what we know now.

Snaktooth’s Last Secret by @snaktooth-journalist

As far as I’m concerned this is THE postgame bugsnax fic. It thoughtfully touches on every character, and the way it recontextualizes Filbo’s actions ingame single-handedly made him a far more fascinating character to me.

The Roots We Keep by SinsterSugarCookie

A visceral, disturbing story about Eggabell and Lizbert literally trying to rebuild their life on Snaktooth, that’s nonetheless rather bittersweet in parts.

An Arm and a Leg by Brokenpitchpipe

This is a beautifully-characterized look at Floofty and Chandlo coping with their grief in the wake of Snorpy’s death on  Snaktooth.

Grambarn by @cloverlady

The body horror is off the charts in this Silent Hill-inspired short, based off an AU by my friend @hyper-fixator. In a seemingly-abandoned Snaxburg, the journalist investigates the creaky old barn at the edge of town... I actually wrote a sequel to this one myself. And honestly all of cloverlady’s fics are fantastic and you should read them.

Homestyle Gigglefunny Soup by @twilightprince101

An incredibly sweet tale of Gramble bonding with a young grumpus in his neighborhood, and the power of a meal prepared with love.

Seeker of Truths by @snorpington-fizzlebean

Chandlo hasn’t returned to the cabin in days. Snorpy goes looking for him. A sad, horrifying short that will tear your heart from your chest, while also really making you want s’mores.

That Hour No One Knows by @zombified-queer

Centered on the ancient grumps of Snaktooth, this focuses on one observer who records the slow descent of their society as they fall to the bugsnax.

Dancing in Festival Moments by Inganno

Honestly I have mixed feelings about this one, but I’m putting it on here because it really does a great job with its characterization, and it was a huge inspiration for me when I wrote Monarch Sunrise. I don’t personally care for relationship drama and infidelity worries, which comprises about half of the fic, but the second half is an extremely well-done mystery that builds to a terrifying climax, so I feel like it’s important to include it because it’s quite an old fic and I think it deserves attention from newer fans.

[cyberaxolotl]

3 MORE OCS *VINE BOOM*

Mapleline Fizzlebean

Pronouns: She/her

Age: 47

Relationships: Floofty Fizzlebean (younger sibling,) Snorpy Fizzlebean (younger brother,) Everal Quickiepal (spouse)

Species: Bunny

Race: Afro-mexican

With the Fizzlebean parents passing away by the time Snorpy was born, it was up to a then 18 year old Mapleline to raise her siblings. Having to move suddenly from Mexico to Britain, she had to teach both herself and her siblings english, while finding away to keep them stable. Through a long process she found herself taking up dance performances, and that was how she kept them alive, and what she still does now.

Amaranth Giggleseed

Pronouns: She/her

Age: 55

Relationships: Cromdo Face (ex-husband,) Gramble Gigglefunny (biological son)

Species: Mouse

Race: African American

Amaranth was a spunky punk in her young days, following her into her adulthood. A hearty biker and strong woman, her heart was at a place where her life wasn’t when she was with her husband, but she still loved her son. The worst of it happened when her son was possessed by CPS, her marriage crumbling, and now she’s a dead set lone wolf.

Harpila Teachsafe

Pronouns: She/her

Age: 73

Relationships: Shelda Woolbag (wife,) Chandlo Funkbun (adoptive son)

Species: Cat

Race: Hispanic

Harpila is a religious advisor much like her wife, but she instead takes the method of charity. She cooks for events and charities, tells stories and tales of her guidance, and preaches what it means to love and to grow. However, her weaknesses come in her age; she was far too weak to join Shellsy on Snaktooth Island, and once she returned, it was noticed that her memory was failing her. With english words escaping her, and even some important faces, it’s clear to her that her time as a guide is soon to end.

[plushie-carnival]

"Come to Snaktooth Island. Together, you and I will share the incredible tales of Bugsnax"

[poliel]

Surprise Egg 13/13

Unfortunately, no matter how tired one was, waking up was an inevitable eventuality. If one didn’t die in their sleep anyway. So perhaps Buddy should be thankful to be waking up even it was to a strange beeping sound and… that distinct hospital smell.

With a groan they opened their eyes to see that… yep, they were in lying on a hospital bed in a hospital room. It certainly wasn’t their first time waking up in such a location but it was their first time waking up in one while attached to what seemed to be a full suite of life support and monitoring machines. Because that’s what the beeping sound was: a heart rate monitor. There was also an IV and other things they weren’t quite sure the purpose of. Ugh, they’d only just woken up here and they were already tired of it and wanted to go home.

They shifted their paws up to try to push themself up but… nope. Even just moving themself to attempt it hurt too much to be worth it and thus they didn’t even really try. If they had to they could force it but while their pain tolerance was high and level of stubbornness even higher, they didn’t have any desire to when there was nothing worthwhile that could be gained from it. And having discovered how far they could push their body before it quit on them they would rather not do so again, especially so soon.

Thankfully as was often the case in such scenarios, it wasn’t longer before a nurse found their way to their bedside. Buddy didn’t give them a chance to say anything before speaking themself. “What happened? How did I get here? And where are my friends?” The last thing they remembered was asking Eggabell if they could take a nap and her encouraging it. Clearly quite a bit had happened between now and then. “Oh and uh… how long was I out for?” That was always something one should when waking in such a location.

The nurse hesitated for a moment, looking down at their clipboard and then back up at Buddy. “You arrived here three days ago. According to your friends you were unconscious for at least two days prior, probably a bit longer. You got here on an airship your friends landed on our roof. They’re all now in their own rooms being observed and where applicable taken care for their own health issues.”

Feeling even more addled than they had back on the island, it took Buddy a few seconds to parse though the meaning of all that. If any of the Snaktoothers hadn’t made it off the island surely that would’ve been mentioned, right? Hard to say for sure but for now they were going to operate under that assumption and hopefully confirm it later.

First, their story. Given the whole snakification thing there was no way word of this event hadn’t gotten out already. How much had everyone already revealed about the bugsnax? Hopefully not much because it was their story to tell! … “May I borrow a phone please. I need to call my boss.”

That earned a heavy disapproving frown from the nurse. “You should be resting.”

“I know and I will but… it’s important.”

“No.”

“Well… can I talk to my friends then?” Surely they would help them contact Clumby and get this whole thing started. Filbo certainly would at least, right? Because he should know what this meant to them. “I also need my pack.” They couldn’t start properly writing their story without it.

“Later. First, since you’re finally awake, there’s some things we need to handle.”

Ugh, hospitals were the worst. But if they cooperated it’d be easier for everyone and should win them some points with the nurses that would hopefully help them later.

~

Buddy must’ve fallen asleep again at some point because they were waking up again despite not particularly wanting to. They had important stuff to do though so they blinked open their eyes.

“Buddy, you’re awake!” Seated by their bedside, Filbo took their paw gently between both of his. “How do you feel?”

“Eh, I’ve felt worse. But uh… better now that you’re here.” They winked at him, squeezing his paw a little as they tried to pretend like the monitor wasn’t betraying their heart rate going up slightly because Filbo was holding their paw and smiling at them. But it was really good to see him. Mostly anyway. He was still snakified and Buddy now knew what that meant and… it was their fault. They’d fed him parasites for months.

Before they could go any further down that rabbit hole of unpleasant thoughts though Filbo squeezed their paw slightly. “I’m so glad you’re finally awake. I was… worried.” His expression sorrowed for a bit before he was smiling at them again. “I brought your pack with your camera and stuff in it. I figured you might want it.” He really was the best, huh?

“Awesome. Thanks. And uh… you think you could get me a phone. I need to call my boss and tell her I’m working on the story.”

“Uh… I don’t think I’d be allowed to. And while you were unconscious, we had all decided that we were going to keep the bugsnax secret ‘cause they’re dangerous and stuff. But uh… we kind of failed at that already. To be fair I did land us on the roof of a big hospital in the middle of an important city. So a lot of people saw us all snakified and you still had Sprout in your pouch so… that was a thing we had to deal with. We didn’t tell anyone anything specific though. All the newspapers and stuff are just circulating rumors and stuff. So… the full story coming out is gonna be from you since you have more right to tell it than anyone else if it’s doomed to come out at all. You have to promise to take it easy and slow though or I won’t let you work on it at all.” He gave them the sternestlook Buddy had ever seen on his face before. It was certainly well deserved though so…

“Yeah, okay. I promise to be good.” And they kind of owed it to him to listen to him after all the times they hadn’t before leading this moment. Speaking of everything leading to this moment though… “Everyone made it off Snaktooth, right?” They still needed confirmation on that.

Filbo nodded. “Yeah. Everyone’s okay.”

“Good.” Knowing that made them feel better for sure. “Now uh… about writing my story?”

Filbo gave them another firm look. “Later, after you’ve rested a few more days, please.”

“Fair enough.”

~

Being bedridden was the worst. Especially since they weren’t allowed to start writing their story yet. The only thing that kept them sane was Filbo staying at their bedside pretty much as much as the nurses would let him.

They were allowed additional visitors too occasionally. Even Gramble was eventually allowed to leave his own room and come see them.

“I brought Sprout too,” was the first thing he said after they’d exchanged greetings with him and Wiggle.

“He’s still attached to it for somereason.” Wiggle didn’t even try to hide her disapproval over it as Gramble pulled Sprout’s buggy ball out of his pouch.

“One little bugsnax ain’t gonna hurt no one. And he rarely leaves the buggy ball so it’s fine. And he still follows the pointer so… he’s different, I think. Since I could never train any of the others no matter how hard I tried. Anyway, here he is.” He held him up for Buddy to see. “He’s only here because you were carrying him in your pouch for so long all of us forgot about him so I figured you might want to see him.”

Buddy lifted a paw in a gesture for Gramble to hand the buggy ball over. He did so without complaint or hesitation. They placed it on their middle, holding it in place with a paw on top, as they peered inside. Sprout was just hanging out inside, looking around and doing a whole bunch of not looking the least bit like how one would think a parasite should look. He was far too cute, especially when he went nuts for the laser pointer. … People kept potentially dangerous pets all the time, right? One just needed to know how to handle them safely and properly and it was fine. So… they looked back up at Gramble “Can I keep him? … Or uh, I know you’re still…”

“Sure. Just as long as you let me see him lots too, okay?”

“Of course.” Permission granted, Buddy carefully pushed the buggy ball into their pouch. Immediately they felt strangely a little better, less antsy.

Wiggle scoffed lightheartedly. “Seems like the paternal instinct that would’ve normally gone towards the egg went to Sprout instead. I guess if it makes you happy though, I can’t tell you that’s wrong.”

“He’s a whole lot easier to take care of than an egg though.”

“Not really,” Gramble said. “With an egg all you got to do is keep it warm.”

“Until it hatches and then you have a grumpling you have to take care of and keep alive somehow. So, no thanks. I can barely even keep myself alive.”

“Well,” Wiggle said, giving them a meaningful look, “I don’t think anyone can argue with that.”

~

They were finallyallowed to start working on their article once a week had gone by and they were doing better. The temptation to push to finish it as fast as possible was there but… they were too tired to really go for it. Not that Filbo would’ve even let them. They lacked the strength to defy him or even try to argue.

Despite everything though they were still good at their job and thus they got it done fairly quickly. After going over it one last time for mistakes or any important details they’d forgotten, they were able to send it Clumby’s way.

Being done with it was a massiveweight off their shoulders. “It’s done! I’m done! I never have to think about Snaktooth again.” They were finally done with that cursed island and never again would they need to think about it. … They would though for sure, it and the unknowing harm they’d caused their friends and Filbo would undoubtedly haunt them. But for now, they were happy to be done with the telling of the tale.

“Congrats!” Filbo said from their bedside.

“Thanks.” They wanted to thank him for everything, helping them and being so awesome but… they were too tired to come up with the words. So their simple ‘thanks’ would have to do for now.

[burntuakrisp]

Saw this comment by Samadhi Savage and had to share it (contains spoilers)

kinda bug and kinda snack, they're delicious little traps, Feed somebody and you'll see We are whatever we eat, find em lurking in the sand, creeping in the ketchup patch, come to Snaktooth Island and become, some bugsnax you see there's somewhere far off in the ocean, there lies an island where the monsters roam, a famed explorer tells me they're delicious and they're hitherto unknown, you might think it sounds so wonderful, Til you've seen a Mewon sprawl. Kinda bug and kinda snack, don't let them catch you in their trap, feed somebody and you'll see they turn into what we eat. find them lurking in the sand, crawling cross the ketchup patch, run from Snaktooth Island or you'll just be, more bugsnax. And if the tale isn't complete baloney, then it's the horror of the century, so grab a journal listen up, and make some weapons, an expedition 13 strong of grumpuses who all set off, seeking out a better life, on snaktooth island they would find a tasty quest, to fill the hole, that many feel inside their soul, wander deep, to reach the truth, and you might just learn something new you might think it sounds incredible, till you've heard a mothza's raging call. kinda bug and kinda snack, such delicious little traps, feed somebody and you'll see, they are whatever they eat, find em lurking in the sand, creeping up the ketchup patch, get off of this island or become some more bugsnax

found here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MxBza0nD24&lc=UgwSacQMh7ZFMO_ryph4AaABAg

[theirrationalzone]

My Top Ten Games of 2020

Let’s just address the giant elephant in the room from the offset: 2020 has been one giant mess of a year. Every event, every major moment this year just felt like the worst case scenario every time.

For a lot of us though, there was one saving grace: video games.

2020 has been a damn fine year for video games. From the return of certain classic franchises to some amazing new entries and experiences. Gaming really managed to thrive in a year where other entertainment mediums such as films and television struggled.

Let’s dive in and take a look at some of the games that made this year a lot more bearable:

10: Watch Dogs Legion

I’ve had a soft spot for Ubisoft’s hack ‘em up franchise for quite a while. I didn’t think the original was as disappointing as it was made out to be and I thought the second one was an underrated gem. When Legion was first announced, I liked a lot of what the game was setting out to do but I wasn’t ready to pull the trigger on getting it. I decided to give the game a chance in the end and I’m glad I did.

Legion might suffer from the same pitfalls that have plagued other Ubisoft enterprises, but the recruitment mechanic is one of the coolest systems I have seen in any game ever. The fact that you can recruit any NPC that you see on the streets of London and use their unique talents to complete your objectives is just an awesome thing in and of itself. Its depiction of London is also incredibly fun to explore and cause mayhem in. While I found the writing to be pretty subpar, the game quite buggy and the whole PS5 upgrade fiasco a farce, I still found Legion to be a fun open world experience overall.

9: Resident Evil 3

Resident Evil has been on a real hot streak as of late, hasn’t it? Ever since Capcom made a promise to its fans that the Resident Evil series would go back to what made it so popular in the first place, the series has gone from strength to strength. Last year saw the release of the RE2 Remake which was absolutely excellent in that it kept the spirit of the original while also taking a few liberties of its own. It was only a matter of time before RE3 got the same treatment and well... it did.

I’m just going to spit this out. It’s not as good as the RE2 Remake. It didn’t need to be though. I still think this is a good game that provides a satisfying and fun survival horror experience. It carries over a lot of the elements that made the RE2 Remake such an excellent game and in certain areas (especially the writing) it makes a few improvements. Plus the game looks absolutely stunning thanks to the RE Engine. It is quite short. It is missing quite a bit of content from the original game. It definitely isn’t as replayable as the RE2 Remake. I still had a blast with it though overall. If this really is a blip for the Resident Evil series, then it must be in a really good place right now.

8: Tell Me Why

Dontnod Entertainment have fast become one of my favourite developers in the industry right now. When I first played Life is Strange back in 2015, it felt like a revelation. It weaved a fantastic story with characters you genuinely cared for and took you to a place you never wanted to leave. I’ve enjoyed all of their other ventures since then such as the underrated (if quite janky) Vampyr and Life is Strange 2.

Tell Me Why is another venture that fits the Dontnod MO: A grounded emotional story with slight supernatural elements, a degree of player choice and a setting that makes your jaw drop. The major difference here is the game’s attempt to portray a transgender character. That’s nothing new in and of itself. It’s more the fact that it attempts to accurately portray a transgender male character which is a bit of a rarity in all forms of media. Transgender portrayals (from what I’ve seen) tend to focus on male to female rather than female to male.

I’m in no position to comment on whether the portrayal is accurate or not, but I got the impression that Dontnod really went out of their way to get this right. Their FAQ explains that they worked with GLAAD and the voice actor to get it as right as they could. That alone deserves huge praise, but I also loved the Ronan Twins’ story as they dealt with their harsh past and the uncertain future. The game was a delight from beginning to end and it just looks absolutely gorgeous to boot. Dontnod have done it again.

7: Bugsnax

One of the early delights of the last generation was a little ditty known as Octodad: Dadliest Catch. It was a fun little physics based affair which cast you as a octopus masquerading as a human. The game had a terrific sense of humour and it was just bloody fun to play. Young Horses (the developer of the game) kinda went dark after that. They only really resurfaced to release two bonus levels for that game and then they just disappeared again. Now we know why that was the case...

Bugsnax retains some of the qualities that made Octodad such as a memorable game. A great sense of humour and a unique gameplay hook. You play as a reporter sent to the mysterious Snaktooth Island to interview an explorer called Elizabert Megafig who has discovered these unusual creatures known as Bugsnax. After crash landing onto the island, you discover that Elizabert and her significant other have gone missing. It’s up to you to find out what happened while also documenting and capturing Bugsnax for yourself. Capturing the Bugsnax is a big part of what makes this game such a delight to play. As you unlock more tools to play around with, you can come up with different strategies and methods to capture these weird snack based creatures. It’s pretty awesome. Throw in a lovable set of characters to interact with and a beautiful environment to explore, and you’ve got one of the most lovable games released this year.

6: Mafia: Definitive Edition

The last few years haven’t been too kind to the Mafia franchise in my eyes. I really wanted to like Mafia III when it came out back in 2016. It was a sequel I waited years for and it did have some good qualities such as an excellent story that dealt with some pretty heavy topics, solid gameplay mechanics and an amazing licensed soundtrack. Unfortunately the game had one of the most tedious and boring gameplay loops I think I’ve ever seen in an open world game. It just got so dull after the first couple of hours.

This year saw the announcement of the Mafia Trilogy which was to be a celebration of the entire franchise with a remake of the first game, a remaster of the second and a re-release of the third. Half of this was botched with the remaster of II being poorly put together and the re-release of III receiving a broken patch. Things were looking grim for the remake...

As you can see by it being in this list, we were proven wrong. Mafia: DE is a fantastic remake that pays good lip service to the original while also expanding on certain elements. The story which follows the rise and fall of cab driver turned wiseguy Tommy Angelo is more fleshed out with new sequences and character moments that weren’t in the original. Gameplay still retains the solid shooting and cover mechanics of Mafia III and the driving feels absolutely excellent especially when you put it in simulation mode. Lost Heaven is just gorgeous to behold as well with its bustling neighbourhoods and beautiful countryside. I hope this is the beginning of a redemption arc for Hangar 13 and the Mafia franchise. There is a lot of promise to build upon from here.

5: Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise

Anyone who knows me personally or has followed me on social media for a while knows that I’m a big fan of Deadly Premonition. The 2010 cult survival horror hit pretty much encapsulates why I love video games with its lovable hero, an eccentric cast of characters and surprisingly solid mechanics considering the budget it was made for. It was definitely more than the sum of its parts.

When I found out that a sequel was being made exclusively for the Nintendo Switch, my jaw hit the floor pretty hard. I thought any hopes for a sequel were dashed when SWERY left Access Games (the original dev), and yet here we are. A Blessing in Disguise is a brilliant sequel to the zany original. It captures everything that I loved about the original game to a T while also improving in certain aspects. The story is more ambitious this time with it being both prequel and sequel. A lot of the gameplay elements have been improved. The combat benefits from better aiming controls and an upgrade system for both York and his weapon. Getting from A to B is less wonky (and more fun) thanks to the addition of a skateboard rather than a car.

While I do still think the original is better due to the more creative side quests, the more challenging difficulty and the fact that it functions better from a technical perspective, I’m still a big fan of DP2 and it deserves your attention. Here’s hoping that it makes its way to other platforms in the future.

4: Ghost of Tsushima

This last generation has been good for Sony and its Worldwide Studios. In the last five years, they’ve managed to produce hit after hit after hit. A definite far cry from the first year of the PS4 where they produced some dire exclusives. Infamous Second Son was one of these. Sucker Punch’s first effort on the console was very pretty and a good technical showpiece for the console, but as a game, it was boring and dull. I couldn’t even muster the strength to finish it. The standalone expansion First Light was a huge improvement in my eyes. It cut out a lot of the fluff from Second Son. I knew then that Sucker Punch would eventually give us something amazing. They certainly did in the end...

Ghost of Tsushima is honestly one of the best exclusives that Sony has ever produced. Giving us a brutal tale in the vein of a Kurosawa flick where samurai Jin Sakai is forced to betray his code in order to drive out the Mongol force that has enslaved his homeland; we have a story that is genuinely gripping from beginning to end with an incredibly powerful final duel to boot. The combat is incredibly fun with a brilliant combat system that is easy to pick up but challenging to master. Duels especially show the combat system at its finest. Upgrading your abilities genuinely makes you feel incredibly powerful as you begin to decimate enemies left, right and center. Stealth is solid giving you plenty of tools at your disposal and certainly changes up the gameplay a fair bit. Did I mention that Tsushima Island is one of the most aesthetically pleasing locales in any game to date? Well I’m saying it now. It is one of the most beautiful locales in any game to date.

I’m very excited to see where this new IP goes in the future because this first entry is just incredible. A must buy if you own or plan on owning a PlayStation 4 or 5 in the near future.

3: Astro’s Playroom

Memorable pack-in exclusives are a bit of a rarity nowadays. The last one that sticks in my mind is Wii Sports, and that was a long time ago.

Astro’s Playroom serves as the pack-in title for the PlayStation 5 as it is pre-installed on all units. It’s also my favourite exclusive for the console so far. The main reason for this is that Astro’s Playroom evolves past being just a tech demo for the console and its fancy new controller. It actually is a fun little platformer in its own right. It offers something different with every level. In one level you can transform into a giant ball and attempt to navigate some pretty tight platforms, and in the next, you take control of a rocket ship and navigate through corridors while also avoiding bombs. There is great variety here and to be fair, it shows off the potential of the new DualSense controller fantastically.

Plus the game is just one giant love letter to the PlayStation brand and the games that made it what it is today. You’ll see references to obscure PlayStation paraphernalia such as the Multitap and UMD discs, and also games like Final Fantasy VII and Silent Hill. The final boss of the game in particular is one giant callback to something you might remember if you got a PlayStation 1 back in the day. I won’t say any more, but it made me yelp in joy when I saw it. If you plan on getting a PlayStation 5 in the future, make this the first game you play. You won’t regret it.

2: Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2

Activision have been on a roll in the last few years with the revitalisation of some of their classic franchises. Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon for example have enjoyed newfound success thanks to the excellent N Sane Trilogy and Reignited Trilogy. When it was revealed earlier this year that Vicarious Visions and Beenox would be resurrecting the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater franchise with a remake of Pro Skater 1 and 2, my heart skipped a good few beats.

The Pro Skater franchise means a lot to me personally as I have very fond memories of putting hours into 1 and 2 when I was a kid. Going through the Career mode with each skater, learning the gaps and getting used to doing manuals when they were introduced in 2, it’s all ingrained into me. I’m happy to say that this is probably the best remake I have ever played. It perfectly captures what made those first two entries so special. Each level is beautifully recreated with a ton of new details that serve to enhance these levels. The soundtrack includes all of your old favourites like Goldfinger’s Superman and Rage Against the Machine’s Guerilla Radio along with some fantastic new tracks like Less Than Jake’s Bomb Drop.

The gameplay definitely taps more into Pro Skater 3 and 4 territory with Reverts and Flatland tricks included. These tricks don’t feel out of place and the game does give you the option to play it legacy style if you want. It feels magnificent overall though. The physics are pitch perfect. Creating lines and large combos is still as addicting and rewarding as ever. Online leaderboards certainly tempt you to reach for the stars if you’ve got the ability. Career mode isn’t particularly long, but the pretty robust Create-a-Park editor and solid multiplayer suite should keep you coming back for more. I’ve already put dozens of hours into this and I have no intention of stopping anytime soon.

If my number 1 entry on this list didn’t exist, this would be my Game of the Year. As it stands though, this is a very close second.

1: Doom Eternal

How do you follow up one of the best first person shooters in recent memory? Basically turn everything up to eleven and then some. Doom (2016) was such an eye opener when it launched. It gave everything we could have ever wanted from a new Doom game: a whole planet full of demons to kill and some big guns to help them back to where they belong. It was awesome and an easy choice for my GOTY back in 2016.

I anticipated Doom Eternal with bated breath. The excitement was building but the nerves were building with it. How could it live up to the previous one? What if it makes the same mistakes as Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus? Thankfully my worries were unfounded as soon as I loaded up the game and was thrown straight into the fold with a Combat Shotgun and some entry level demons to destroy with it.

Doom Eternal is the FPS genre at its absolute finest. The levels are much bigger with more secrets to find and loads of demons to kill. Said demons are much more plentiful in their ranks and they move faster too. Fortunately enough, you have a huge arsenal to deal death to these demonic denizens from the depths of Hell such as the starter Combat Shotgun, the Plasma Rifle, the Ballista and even a giant sword known as the Crucible. Enemies now have weak points to exploit as well which can turn the tide of battle and it rewards accuracy. Before you know it, you’ll be entangled in a ballet of bullets, beams, blood and guts (HUGE guts mind you.) This game makes you feel like a hero at the end of every fight. It’s so satisfying.

Toss in a soundtrack that will get your blood pumping and your goosebumps raising along with environments that will make your TV or monitor look like a window to a scorched earth, and you have my Game of the Year for 2020. Well deserved for sure. I really need to get on that DLC.

To those of you who actually took the time to read all that, you have my heartfelt thanks. I really appreciate you reading this and I hope my choices made sense.

To those of you who just glanced at each entry and skimmed through the text, I don’t blame you for doing that. I still appreciate you taking a look anyway.

All that’s left for me to say is that I hope each and every one of you has a safe holiday season and I hope that the New Year will be better for all of us.

I’ll see you all in 2021. Stay safe and well, folks.

[tales-of-snaktooth]

Welcome, Captain Seaside | Year 287 | Part 3

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New matriarch just dropped

[funkbun]

girls who love standing around

[strabbyshortcake]

Although no written record of the hosts survived the extinction of the grumpus populations on Snaktooth, knowledge of them survived through tales told by sailors who’d come to the island and made it off alive. Many different grumpus cultures were exposed to them when they accidentally or purposefully landed on the island, sometimes establishing enough of a relationship to trade with the grumps there. They told stories of grumpuses with creatures coming out of their bodies, who had special abilities and monstrous extra limbs or tails or wings. These mutated into distinct legends all their own, and fact was blurred with myth when the Snaktooth population died out.

Over the years, they’ve become part of grumpus popular culture, occupying a similar niche to vampires, werewolves and merfolk, though their nature has become obscured. They’re often characterized as cursed beastmasters, sharing bodies with supernatural parasites, granted unique powers they struggle to control. It’s quite far removed from the truth.

[tales-of-snaktooth]

Welcome, Captain Seaside | Year 287 | Part 1

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Workin on a comic! As the title says, this will revolve around Seaside's first meeting with the other three matriarchs.

The grump of the hour isn't here yet, but we do have these two bickering!

[tales-of-snaktooth]

Welcome, Captain Seaside | Year 287 | Part 4

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Monohorn, the island's most unserious grumpus

[tales-of-snaktooth]

Welcome, Captain Seaside | Year 287 | Part 2

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Some more old ladies bickering about succession n stuff