#there are more locations and more classic puzzles as opposed to mostly just looking for places where stuff is hidden

[flash-from-the-past]

Alkirian: The Stone of Fire

[monkey-network]

Good Stuff: Pixar’s Soul

SPOILERS AHEAD

Reviewing animation is a passion of mine; you probably know that if you’ve followed me long enough. I enjoy doing it for everything new that comes as much as the good stuff of yore. I can’t tell you why I got into it long as I have or if I should consider a full time gig of it, all I know it’s that it’s as much my passion as many other things in my life. That really is a piece to a personal puzzle I’ve developed as I watched Soul, this film from a studio that I admittedly wasn’t sure if it could get its groove back after it felt like they were stumbling a bit. The SparkShorts are good, but Incredibles 2, Toy Story 4, and Onward especially didn’t resonate with me. Didn’t tell me Pixar stood out as much as they in the “Golden Era”. This one did, and let me say it kinda cut deep.

Off the bat, as I understand that the trailers were quite a turn-off, I came to know before watching this that they weren’t trying to reveal everything. Honestly, the trailers were purposefully misleading as the most of what we got from the “Inside Out Knock-Off Blue Blob” world was a little over the first twenty minutes and the very, very end for the climax, less than you’d believe. It is the point I wasn’t too invested in with how simple it all felt; it’s basically if Microsoft or Google developed your birthright. It luckily doesn’t blow smoke up the ass with the way it runs things, takes more shots at ethical philosophy than any religion I could think of, but there’s good reason why we’re not in this world for very long. The Soul world did it’s purpose, but a little too well because it really wasn’t interesting outside the bond between Joe and 22 and a few laughs. Like I said though, we aren’t in it too long before we jump back to Earth with something I should’ve expected with this film but was still blown aback. I’m talking BODY SWAPPED ADVENTURE, Baby! [[SPOILERS AHEAD]]

Far Enjoyable than Your Name, don’t at me

A good chunk of the film has 22 in Joe’s body, Joe in a therapeutic cat’s body, and I’m surprised at how much engaging it was. It helps that 22 is never by any means a nuisance and they actually pull off the mechanics behind the trope well where it doesn’t feel like 22 in Joe’s body is annoyingly all over the place once she gets used to it. Weird that all of New York didn’t seem to give a shit about a middle-aged man stumbling in nothing but a medic robe, but never crossed that line for me to say, “Okay, this shit is stupid.” But what really makes this, basically the majority of Soul work, is Joe (or 22) interacting with the city.

If there’s one great takaway for this, it’s indeed the musicality for the New York life. The barbershop, the subway, the jazz club, the tailor suite run by Joe’s mother, the living streets really make this city feel like a character in its own right. I say this film makes every person we meet count for something. The devil’s truly in the details; every location has a story to tell as well as remind viewers, myself especially, of people and places so close to life. The story paces along nicely too as we get to the “main event” before getting to the moment that made me cry the second time. I cried a total of four times, mostly in the latter half of the film because that was where things were certainly coming together. That was where, I doubt intentionally, the film hit me in the heart more than I could’ve imagined with the simple thought:

I was Joe and 22, and I still am from time to time

Sappy consideration, I know, but to get a little philosophical & personal for a bit. This film is generally about the direction of your life. Joe had a direction set in stone for himself to play the hottest jazz gig despite professedly doing/trying nothing else big with his life, living actively average you’d say. 22, the number which can mean “coming and going” since it’s a palindrome, has no direction despite being capable of understanding everything. As of now, I may only be in my early twenties, but I’ve felt like I’ve been both these characters at the same time, like a eternally spinning coin. I can feel directionless, having no clue to who I really want to be, but I know there is passion in me somewhere that I myself haven’t figured out yet but push forward with every major choice I make. I have both felt like I’ve done nothing and can’t do anything in life despite making it this far. But if there’s anything this film showed me, it’s that it’s alright.

If there’s anything that I can say describes Pete Doctor’s direction with this and Inside Out, it’s that he makes the most basic and simple human truths feel necessary, welcoming, and especially otherworldly. With Inside Out saying “it’s good to be more emotive”, Soul tells me “it’s good to enjoy the simple things in life.” Not to say you should live average and accept it, nor is every big moment you have will/should impact you the same way or the way you wanted, but appreciate those moments where things just go your way for a change. Where you can just look at the world, take a deep breath, and just feel comfortable with yourself to live another day. This isn’t a particularly surprising message, but it works because it fulfills everything it built up. Who else but Joe on that day, finally getting what he wanted after so long, can feel empty from it as opposed to the moments where he got to enjoy those enjoyably average moments he didn’t think he’d get along the way? And who else but him could show 22 that living doesn’t mean having a purpose or having that purpose in your mind 24/7. 

You can just... live as everything does.

This film isn’t as honest as Inside Out, especially with the whole concept of the Great Before, but it still offers that pragmatic advice in a way that definitely sticks. It can feel like this film came out at a bad time with the given circumstances of our reality, but it’s as much a simple pat on the back to tell you it’s okay. I figure the execution won’t be for everyone, the film isn’t perfect plotwise, but to me it’s definitely a golden, just as mature light for modern Pixar. A considerable classic that I hope is given well with time as much as a chance with all audiences. 

4 Out of 5. A Soulful Sensation of a Film

[robininthelabyrinth]

sequel to A Sick Thought (aka the Mo Xuanyu & Wei Wuxi-cat fic)

-

“Did I do something to make Hanguang-jun not like me?” Mo Xuanyu asked.

Jiang Cheng wasn’t expecting the question, so he reacted as usual – incredulous glare with a side order of ‘who are you to dare talk to me directly?!’ – which to nobody’s surprise was massive overkill for a shrinking violet like Mo Xuanyu, who quailed at once.

“I’m sure he likes you fine,” Jiang Cheng said hastily, trying to make up for it. He hadn’t had much practice at trying to be not scary in years. “What makes you say that?”

He wasn’t really good at making conversation, either, but he was the only one here right now. They’d all been taking shifts to support Mo Xuanyu with spiritual energy per the doctor’s recommendation for treating the mercury poison that was still affecting his mind, and Jiang Cheng usually volunteered to take the late night-early morning shift because Lans simply weren’t properly functional at those hours until their official wake-up time hit.

Also, it was the one time he could generally guarantee Wei Wuxian would be either busy or napping and he wouldn’t have to deal with – any of that.

He knew he’d eventually have to deal with Wei Wuxian, but…not yet.

Right now, he turned to look at Mo Xuanyu, who was lying very still, covered in acupuncture needles to the point that he resembled a pincushion; he had very large eyes that suggested trembling even when he wasn’t, and that irked Jiang Cheng, somehow, when he’d already made an effort not to be scary.

“He doesn’t seem happy when I’m around,” Mo Xuanyu explained.

“That’s not about you,” Jiang Cheng said gruffly. “Hanguang-jun just doesn’t like anyone. You wouldn’t believe it based on his righteous reputation, but he can be a real ass to people.”

Jiang Cheng supposed that the ice-block must like someone, given how often jokes were made about him looking as though his wife had died, but he’d never seen it in person. When they were young, Lan Wangji had already been stern and cold, with occasional bouts of being snappish – especially towards Wei Wuxian. There’d been a few months during the Sunshot Campaign when he’d been a little softer, during the time they were looking for Wei Wuxian together, but he’d gone straight back to asshole right after, sticking his nose into everyone’s business and harassing Wei Wuxian for his demonic cultivation. And once Wei Wuxian had died, he’d gone into seclusion for years on end, only to come back as his current glacial self –

“No, that’s mostly just to you, I think,” Mo Xuanyu said. “He’s very polite to all the juniors, everyone in the Lan sect…even Jin Ling.”

Jiang Cheng really hated that his first thought was at least I’m unique because being the only man Hanguang-jun is consistently rude to was a stupid prize to be happy to win and he knew it. He didn’t even like Hanguang-jun enough to care what the man thought!

“But I really do think it’s something about me in particular. Recently I’ve noticed that he seems to scowl when I’m around –”

“There’s a time when he’s not scowling?”

“…I mean, actually scowl, as opposed to being expressionless?”

Jiang Cheng tilted his head to the side, reviewing instances in which he’d observed the two of them, then nodded. “That might be the case, actually.”

Mo Xuanyu sighed, sounding almost relieved by the confirmation. “I don’t know why! I didn’t think I behaved all that badly when we first met, and I never met him at Koi Tower before –”

Jiang Cheng didn’t like to think of Mo Xuanyu and Koi Tower.

He’d only ever seen Mo Xuanyu distantly, a wallflower even when decked out in Lanling gold, and Jiang Cheng hadn’t been in Lanling for very many visits during the short time Mo Xuanyu had been there – a few years, maybe, half a decade at most, and most of that time Jiang Cheng had been focused on his sect or his nephew to the exclusion of everything else.

Still, his first up-close view had been truly disturbing.

All the more so because Jin Ling clearly hadn’t realize that it was so disturbing, because Jin Ling – his Jin Ling – thought it was somehow normal for what had once been a perfectly ordinary, if shy, man to suddenly become a lunatic, raving with fits and terrified of everyone dressed in yellow…

(He’d have to have words with Jin Guangyao about it, whenever he found the time. Had they done something wrong in raising Jin Ling? And who was it that had so tormented Mo Xuanyu while he was there? Surely Jin Guangyao would know something…)

It was all extremely uncomfortable, and doubly complicated by the fact that Jiang Cheng himself had been driven to the edge of a nervous breakdown when he heard Wei Wuxian’s voice again after all these years. He’d dreamed of his shixiong coming back, back the way he used to be before the war had ruined everything; he’d had nightmares of him coming back, too – not again I don’t want to have to kill him again please no – but somehow the idea that he’d come back as a cat had just been…too much.

They said only the worst sort of people reincarnated as animals.

Later, of course, he learned about the body sacrificing array (he’d nearly been sick at the thought of Wei Wuxian’s familiar gaze looking out at him from Mo Xuanyu’s big trembling eyes, the actual man’s soul gone who-knows-where), and the fact that someone had taught that and only that to Mo Xuanyu, intending on squeezing him dry and then discarding him to use the shell…

It was sickening.

He should have paid more attention.

“- and anyway I can’t figure out what it might be.”

“Well, think over what the instances that you saw him scowling were, and figure out what there was in common,” Jiang Cheng said. Circulating spiritual energy into another person was tiring, but not necessarily mentally stimulating – it wouldn’t be too much to devote some time into the puzzle of the mysteriously scowling Hanguang-jun. “Were you at a particular location?”

“No. Once I was at the dining hall, once walking through the field, a few times in here…”

“Were you doing anything in specific?”

“I don’t think so? I don’t really – do anything.”

That was certainly true. Maybe they should be encouraging Mo Xuanyu to pick up a hobby.

Jiang Cheng thought about it a bit more. “Would you say Hanguang-jun scowls at me?” he asked.

Mo Xuanyu was caught by surprise and failed to hide his smile – it was a surprisingly cute smile, broader and more full-fledged that Jiang Cheng would have expected from such a shy person. It transformed his whole face: his eyes crinkling at the sides, his cheeks dimpling, his nose scrunching up.

Really, surprisingly cute.

Was that what Mo Xuanyu would have been like, if it wasn’t for the poison and the abuse?

“Yes, Sandu Shengshou,” Mo Xuanyu said, his eyes twinkling a little in his amusement. “Hanguang-jun always scowls at you.”

Jiang Cheng felt a stupid little spike of pleasure, which, damnit, he does not care. Stupid prizes were not worth winning – he just had to keep reminding himself of that.

“Well, that’s something, then,” he said, deciding not to think about it. Much like he was not thinking about Wei Wuxian: very purposefully. “That means it’s not you he doesn’t like, because then he’d scowl every time, instead of just sometimes. Is there anyone with you during those times?”

Mo Xuanyu pursed his lips when he thought. “I don’t think so?” he said doubtfully. “It’s usually just me and Wei Wuxian…it couldn’t possibly be Wei Wuxian, though. They like each other.”

“You think so?” Jiang Cheng asked, surprised. “Why?”

“Well, I mean, they’re always together, aren’t they? Unless Wei Wuxian’s with me, Hanguang-jun is always keeping him company – in the library pavilion, in the dining hall, in the cold spring…”

Jiang Cheng was starting to get flashbacks to his teenage days. “Surely you mean that Wei Wuxian is the one keeping Hanguang-jun company?” he said, because that sounded much more likely. “Or, well, pestering him?”

Mo Xuanyu shook his head. “Hanguang-jun brought him a little bit of meat from the town outside,” he said. “He must have gone there especially to get it, since there’s no meat in the dining hall here. And he even let him have a jar of some wine.”

That – did not sound right. Whether from the perspective of what Jiang Cheng knew about Lan Wangji, or about Lan sect rules, or even, well, general guidelines for what was appropriate to feed to a cat.

“You’re sure?”

“Mm. Here, come to the window, I’ll show you.”

Somehow Jiang Cheng found himself on the bed next to Mo Xuanyu, shuffling around carefully so that he could look out the window without being too obvious about it.

Just across the way, Lan Wangji was standing guard at one of the central areas of the Cloud Recesses – judging the time, he would have just finished up the last leg of his patrols, having presumably utilized his considerable willpower to stay awake until this hour. As they watched, a faint wind picked up, ruffling Lan Wangji’s hair and causing the ends of his forehead ribbon to gently flutter.

The picture would have been one of the classic cultivator, lonely but righteous, standing sentinel on behalf of others, except for the fact that Wei Wuxian was crouched right behind him, red ribbon and black tail and all, trying his level best to leap up high enough to catch the ribbon.

Jiang Cheng briefly closed his eyes. “That idiot.”

Mo Xuanyu elbowed him lightly. “Open your eyes, you’ll miss it!”

Jiang Cheng felt absurdly proud over the fact that Mo Xuanyu had apparently gotten over his fright well enough to do as much as that, and opened his eyes.

His eyebrows went up as he watched Lan Wangji – still stone-faced as always, but (and it was perhaps a trick of the light) a little softer than usual – lean down to rub behind Wei Wuxian’s ears, and to pull out a bit of dried fish from his sleeve where he’d clearly been keeping a stash.

He even crouched down to better speak to him, taking in account that Wei Wuxian was, while moderately porcine for a cat, now much smaller than him.

There was a great deal of staring happening.

It took nearly the length of two incense sticks for Jiang Cheng to actually process what he was seeing.

“Hanguang-jun likes…cats?”

“No,” Mo Xuanyu said, his lips twitching. “He likes Wei Wuxian. Isn’t it obvious?”

It was, in fact, a little obvious.

“When you say like –”

Mo Xuanyu reached out his own paw and patted Jiang Cheng’s arm in sympathy. “Trust one cutsleeve to know another,” he said, and then he left his hand on Jiang Cheng’s arm.

“But when did they even start?” Jiang Cheng asked, honestly bemused. “They were always at each other’s throats before! And – and he’s a cat now. Don’t tell me that Hanguang-jun has some sort of – some strange – I’ve heard things about catboys –”

Mo Xuanyu burst out into giggles. “Where did you hear about that?”

“An old acquaintance with bad taste and a penchant for sharing it,” Jiang Cheng said, since obviously Mo Xuanyu wouldn’t know who Nie Huaisang was. “It’s not that, though, is it? They must have – before.”

That would explain Lan Wangji’s decade-long mourning for a dead wife, he supposed. Also his seemingly inexplicable resentment of both the Jin sect and Jiang Cheng personally.

“I think so.”

Jiang Cheng was going to murder Wei Wuxian for not telling him that he’d apparently run off to have a whirlwind romance with Lan Wangji during the time he’d been the Yiling Patriarch – that was the only time when it was possible, since Jiang Cheng had been there all the other times, and he was pretty sure they didn’t get together before that.

If only because Wei Wuxian wouldn’t have been able to resist boasting about it.

In fact, it was a little strange that he hadn’t done so now, cat or no cat – it wasn’t as if everyone didn’t know he was planning to cultivate towards a human form as quickly as possible, so why wouldn’t he –

A horrible thought crossed Jiang Cheng’s mind. “Does Wei Wuxian know? Does he – does he like him back?”

Mo Xuanyu pursed his lips. “You know, I’m not sure?”

“I thought you said cutsleeves could tell.”

“Well, the whole cat thing has been throwing me off a bit.”

Jiang Cheng covered his eyes with a hand. “I don’t think I can deal with this. The cat thing was bad enough…at least it explains your issue.”

Mo Xuanyu, who’d finally removed his hand, blinked. “What?”

“Wei Wuxian is a perpetual headache that exists for the sole purpose of tormenting me,” Jiang Cheng explained because really it was the only logical conclusion at this point. He wished that he loved the man (cat) a little bit less; it would make every bit of it much less agonizingly personal. “But apparently Hanguang-jun like that sort of thing, so whenever Wei Wuxian is spending time with you...”

“…you think he’s been drinking vinegar? About me? Hanguang-jun?”

“Why not? You’re open about the fact that you cut your sleeve, Wei Wuxian is already protective of you, and it’s not as if you’re not cute – it make sense that he’d be worried, especially if he’s been pining all these years.”

Mo Xuanyu had turned pink. “Cute,” he said dazedly, reaching up and pressing his hands to his cheeks as if that would help cool them down. “Uh –”

“Don’t do that,” Jiang Cheng said irritably, reaching up and catching his hands. “You’re covered in needles that you really shouldn’t be moving around – here, lie back down already.”

Mo Xuanyu obediently shuffled back into place, and Jiang Cheng returned to his previous place as well.

“I’ll need to talk to Wei Wuxian about it,” he said mournfully. Even after everything that had happened between them, it was his duty as Wei Wuxian’s only living relative to make sure the idiot wasn’t getting involved in something he shouldn’t. “I don’t want to talk to Wei Wuxian. He doesn’t even like me anymore.”

That was the problem, too.

“Uh, Sandu Shengshou –”

“Just call me Jiang Cheng. Everyone else does.” He was pretty sure he hadn’t even heard his courtesy name without a heavy dose of sarcasm or cringe-inducing toadying at any point in the last five years, and his title was far too formal if the goal was to be less intimidating. “What, do you have an idea on how to make it easier?”

“It’s just a thought.”

It couldn’t be worse than any of Jiang Cheng’s. “I’m listening. What is it?”

“Have you considered…catnip?”

[neokad]

The Legend of Zelda - The Wind Waker! (HD Turbo Championship Edition)

Hi everybody!

As I plan to revisit many Zelda games I haven't played in years (or at all!) in the upcoming months, I finished what used to be one of the most controversial titles in the series for the second time, and the first in four years! And to my shock considering what I've heard about this adventure over time, I fell in love with it all over again 💗

I'd actually like to start this humble review with this analogy: What surprised me the most while replaying this game, is how its overall structure and world are. I feel like the best way to describe this game is like this: A perfectly balanced mix - as all things should be - between a classic Zelda quest, and the much more revolutionary Breath of the Wild. Now, I gotta say, it may be strange to some people to compare an older title to a newer one to describe it, but I promise it'll at least somewhat make sense at the end of this review... I hope O_O

But hey, we might as well review the plot early as usual! Well, there honestly isn't a lot to this story as usual for most Zelda games, but it is pretty solid regardless. Basically, as the ambient intro of the game teaches you, the ancient land of Hyrule got flooded by the gods, as Ganondorf tried to conquer the land with no Hero opposing him. And ever since that event, the world has been flooded with the Great Sea, only leaving many small islands and some people behind to rebuild the world. And so, many years after this happened, we find this game’s Link on his 12th birthday, wearing the “Hero of Time’’s clothes for the occasion as a longheld tradition. BUT, as this supposed happy day happens, his sister Aryll gets kidnapped by a giant flying bird to the Forsaken Fortress - as many other young girls. Naturally, Link tries to go save her with the help of Tetra - another young girl that escaped captivity thanks to her crew of pirates. With the help of her companions and their ship, Link sets out for the fortress, but as he is clearly underpowered, he gets demolished there by none other than Ganondorf, and washes up ashore, unconscious on Windfall Island, greeted by... a talking red boat! And this same boat tells him he must collect the Three Pearls of the Gods in order to gain access to the Master Sword, to finally save the kidnapped girls! This is not the whole plot of course, as I’m hiding some actual plot twists from you, the reader, buuuut I will say that while it’s not the most developed tale out there, it’s well done! But I feel like what drives this the most is certainly the art style and the characters themselves. See, I firmly believe this game has the best Link in the ENTIRE SERIES, no questions asked! He’s expressive, funny, endearing and he just looks so dang adorable! Part of his charm is definitively thanks to the situations he’s put in, but I think it’s mostly because of the game’s artstyle. IT’S BEAUTIFUL

Yes, granted, it’s not nearly as detailed as many games you’ve probably played, but the cartoony style they chose for Wind Waker really makes the locales pop out, and made the slapstick in the game that much more endearing! Plus, some of those shots just look, well, breathtaking really.

Speaking of character expressions and slapstick, I also believe Wind Waker possesses a very memorable set of NPCs as well! Be it the employee in the battleship game with his twofaced personality, or anyone involved in the many sidequests all over the islands, I’ve built lots of memories just traveling all around the sea, reading and delivering letters, just to get to know those people more! And it turned out that a good chunk of them gave me a good time!

Well, let’s talk about those travels, shall we? Wind Waker got (in?)famous over the years for having sailing. Lots of it. And especially in the original Gamecube version, it made travelling slow and boring to some as a result. Basically, you needed to constantly change the direction of the wind in order to travel as quickly as you could. Suffice to say, switching the wind’s directions this often got irksome pretty quickly : P Thankfully, the HD port on the Wii U does give you an optional Fast Sail in a side quest! As early as the second island in the game! Which means that those who found the sailing unbearable in the original will have a better experience ^^ But regardless, there’s a lot of sailing in this game, which is what replaces running/rolling around on the overworld. And instead of having different regions, they’re all replaced by 49 islands of different sizes and importance! And this is where my BOTW comparison will shine~ I think this game is pretty close in spirit to Breath of the Wild in some ways. Sure, unlike in that game, you’re locked to a certain sequence of items/dungeon/progression, just like a classic Zelda experience! BUT!  Wind Waker also allows you to explore 40+ non-important islands, and sailing between them in anticipation of what you might find there is suuuuch a good feeling! Plus, there’s many treasure chests to loot (both major and minor) while you’re travelling on the big blue. Due to how much you can find in your way off the main quest - while being far away from the suggested path the game wants you to do at the moment - gives this game a very open feeling despite still having a linear quest to it! And I think this element of discovery and exploration in a linear format - coupled with the great visuals and ambience the sailing offered - made this game so, so, so much fun to play <3

But what about the gameplay and dungeons themselves? Well thankfully, they’re both quite good as well! What I like most is how much of an improvement swordplay got compared to Ocarina of Time. Not only are the enemies generally more diversified in strategies and design, Link also received many new moves to his arsenal, and those made combat so much more intense and exciting! Though it did make the game very easy overall thanks to having so many options... alongside you not taking very much damage for most of the game :P Still, the dungeons made up for this! They’re quite fun and pretty well paced, and each offer some quite nice ambience as well!  Although I will say that the late part of the game has two dungeons with pretty similar concept, which while fun in their own right, did feel a little uninspired despite them having clever puzzles :/ On a semi unrelated note, the intro sequence at the Forsaken Fortress has you playing a stealth sequence, and you coming back to it later while able to defend yourself was a high point for me!

I do want to leave a quick note about the music, and honestly? It’s pretty great as well! Like I pointed out earlier, the dungeons create some very fitting atmosphere, but as soon as you’re outside them, many of the main islands have some very pretty, energetic music that is PERFECT for a Zelda game (especially Dragon Roost Island), and the Great Sea theme is very adventurous and grandiose, which motivates you even more to set out and explore! Though it’s somewhat strange that many smaller locations have no music at all, which makes sense to be fair, since those islands are usually pretty small from the outside ^^

Overall? I expected to only like this game, but I ended up adoring it! The Wind Waker is a marvelous journey that leaves a lot open to the player about how they approach the game, while still giving you enough of a compass to never be lost! And a competent story with charming characters and great music certainly help to make that adventure all the more memorable! Though I suggest you all should play the HD version if you can, since it has the fast sail and better looks. BUT, it also heavily tones down the infamous lategame Triforce fetch quest. (While it did not make much sense story-wise since you could just do spoiler without it before, I didn’t find it all that bad in the HD version since you can do some of it before having completed all other dungeons in the game ^^ But yes, HD or not, this is a grand adventure! Play it! 9/10

[blackjack-15]

Whale Be Clamming for Clues — Thoughts on: Danger on Deception Island (DDI)

Previous Metas: SCK/SCK2, STFD, MHM, TRT, FIN, SSH, DOG, CAR

Hello and welcome to a Nancy Drew meta series! 30 metas, 30 Nancy Drew Games that I’m comfortable with doing meta about. Hot takes, cold takes, and just Takes will abound, but one thing’s for sure: they’ll all be longer than I mean them to be.

Each meta will have different distinct sections: an Introduction, an exploration of the Title, an explanation of the Mystery, a run-through of the Suspects. Then, I’ll tackle some of my favorite and least favorite things about the game, and finish it off with ideas on how to improve it.

If any game requires an extra section or two, they’ll be listed in the paragraph above, along with links to previous metas.

These metas are not spoiler free, though I’ll list any games/media that they might spoil here: DDI.

The Intro:

First off, let me apologize for the title of this meta. Much like Bess, I couldn’t resist the pun.

Second off, let me just say that DDI is a game that deserves its status as an Iconic Nancy Drew game. If you don’t have access to MHM, TRT, or SSH, DDI is probably the next best place to start the series (while CAR is a great game and should definitely be played, it’s less good as an introduction to the series).

DDI’s got Bess and George, the Hardy Boys, quirky phone characters, incredible atmosphere, fun puzzles, a few suspects, and herrings (red or otherwise) galore. DDI looked at every Nancy Drew game at that point and decided to play the formula straight while doing it nigh-perfectly, and it’s a joy to play.

Its soundtrack should also be of special note; it’s immediately identifiable as being from the Pacific Northwest (the land where HER hails from) and it helps build the incredible atmosphere while still feeling a bit friendly and welcoming as only sea shanty-inspired music can. Special props should go to the music that plays when Nancy encounters Hilda for being particularly touching.

The only real place that DDI falls off a bit is with a couple of its characters — most specifically Katie and Andy. Sure, those are the two you’re supposed to suspect the most, and so they’re a little less fleshed out so HER didn’t give anything away, but there’s not really much to like about either one of them. Holt and Jenna are less divisive and can be a breath of fresh air when the player has dealt too long with the Twin Whale Watching Terrors, but there’s not too much to like there either other than being better than the other two.

It’s one thing to have a cast that is made up of suspicious or even brusque suspects, but it’s quite another to have a cast made up of mostly unpleasant people who hate the others. Normally there’s at least one character that Nancy can touch base with, but outside of her phone contacts, there’s no safe haven in Snake Horse Harbor.

There is one person who does make the game friendly, mysterious, and a little bit wistful, but we’ll talk about her more in the Suspect section.

Ultimately, Danger on Deception Island is really a game to more be experienced than it is to be spoken about (Hilda notwithstanding, who is excellent to talk about) as its simplicity and logic is undermined by the lack of need to explain it. For a game with superlative atmosphere, beautiful music, appropriate and good puzzles, and possibly the best one-off phone contact of all time, DDI is an appropriate, if not flawless, ninth entry into the Nancy Drew games series and a game that demands to be played on those misty, foggy, slightly mysterious days.

The Title:

Let’s be real here, “Danger on Deception Island” is a fantastic title. It’s moody, sounds exciting, definitely establishes a sense of mystery, gives us our location, and is vague enough to be enticing to the imagination while not so vague as to frustrate the player.

It’s also pretty literal; there is danger, and the island is called Deception Island (though, knowing that’s a bit of a hokey name, they do refer to Nancy’s location mostly as “Snake Horse Harbor”, after the Nessie knock-off that’s said to haunt the waters near the harbor). It’s kind of a classic pulp-type title for a mystery, and it fits the sense of heavy atmosphere and nasty suspects that DDI features.

           It’s effective enough that there’s not much more to say here, so let’s move on to the reason behind the Danger on Deception island.

The Mystery:

           While Nancy’s called out to go on a whale watching tour with Katie, a friend of George’s (though how she and George are friends, we have no idea), she encounters a case of sabotage almost immediately, and gets to work ferreting out justice — though she does get a tour with Andy, Katie’s rival.

           Nancy is then set to explore Snake Horse Harbor on bike (helmet on, please, as they somehow magically deter crashes) and meet the locals, dig for clams, discover the difference between male and female crabs (the difference being about 150$ and a jail sentence), explore an old lighthouse, talk with a librarian about hard wood, and enjoy a great soundtrack perfectly encapsulating the Pacific Northwest.

The Suspects:

Katie Firestone is George’s friend and the first person Nancy meets upon her arrival to Deception Island. She’s also the victim of some sabotage and threatening notes, as Nancy discovers when she arrives, per her unpopular stance to take the orphaned orca and bring it to an aquarium where it can be cured of the illness that Katie theorizes that it has and can be studied further.

Per her job as a marine biologist, Katie is the only one with a permit that allows her to get up close and personal with the orphaned orca for whale watching tours, which makes her (very understandably) unpopular among the residents of Snake Horse Harbor. She’s also not the friendliest of people, which leads her to be even more unpopular.

As a suspect, Katie is sort of a mixed bag. The game plays her up just enough to keep her a suspect without playing her up so much that it’s obvious that she’s not. She never acts as Nancy’s “detective buddy”, but isn’t opposed to helping her – or keeping her busy. All in all, Katie has both the makings of the obvious victim and possibly as a clever suspect using their unpopularity to throw people off the scent.

DDI also throws in the fun little twist of pretending to reveal Katie as the villain before Nancy spins the chair around to reveal that she’s been tied up and duct taped by the real villain. It’s a pretty good “gotcha” moment and definitely fooled me the first time I played it (though I was quite young at the time, it should be noted).

Jenna Deblin is the owner of the Hot Kettle Café where economics don’t matter and Nancy can eat as many bowls of clam chowder as she wants for free. Friendly, chatty, and a bit of a gossip, Jenna fills Nancy in on the happenings in town — and on how much she dislikes Katie. A staunch conservationist, Jenna believes that the orca should be returned to its pod as soon as possible, and heavily disagrees with Katie’s aquarium plan.

She’s the kindest out of all of Nancy’s suspects and is cleared the earliest when her Café gets robbed and she and Nancy discover the tunnels under the Café used for shanghaiing sailors in the past. Jenna also would bring Hilda groceries when everyone else avoided or distrusted her, putting her firmly in the “good” category of suspects.

As a suspect, Jenna’s made to be the one that Nancy (and the player) can feel the most on the level with. Even with the underground tunnels, there’s really nothing frightening about either Jenna or the Hot Kettle Café, and the puzzles and information that they supply are fun and a little whimsical. The only thing suspicious about Jenna at all is her hatred of Katie, but having dealt with Katie for a good portion of the game, the player really shouldn’t consider that unusual or grounds for sabotage.

As a side note, Jenna is the first Native American character in the HER interactive series, a fact not hidden in the game, but also outright confirmed by HER themselves. While she’ll be joined in this later by SHA’s Mary and TOT’s Debbie, it’s a good thing to, in a setting so defined by its Native population, include a character of Native origin.

Holt Scotto is the rough ‘n’ gruff mayoral candidate for the next election in Snake Horse Harbor and owner of a pointlessly suspicious bag. As a veteran fisherman, he hates that the orca is disrupting the economy (as fishing is ubiquitously the number one vocation on islands like Deception Island) and making it more difficult for fishers to work.

While he seems to be friendly with Jenna (and at least on good terms with Hilda), Holt doesn’t much care for tourists like Nancy and makes her work for each and every bit of information that he has. Holt is the second most friendly person on the island (once again, discounting phone characters) in that he really doesn’t care what Nancy does so long as she doesn’t disturb Deception Island’s ecosystem and fills out the little survey he gives her.

Holt is a caricature in nearly every way that HER could make a caricature, but he’s still enjoyable and gives a few fun puzzles. He’s mostly there to round out the cast, but his voice acting is decent and his visual character design is absolutely spot on.

Andy Jason (whose voice is none other than now-regular HER voice actor and my personal hero Jonah Von Spreecken) is the friendly neighborhood rival whale-watching guide, but without Katie’s cozy little permit that lets her exploit the whale for money under the guise of Academia. While kind of friendly, he’s pretty ruthless in his business dealings, and owns the world’s worst plaid shirt.

As DDI’s resident villain, Andy makes the best suspect. He fails at being friendly or charming, but is barely a blip on Nancy’s radar through the first half of the game…apart from one horrible misstep on the part of HER, where his business card is found on Katie’s boat.

Because he and Katie are rivals (and because Katie’s generally hated), there’s no reason for his card to be on his boat, and it’s obvious that he’s the one who sabotaged Katie’s boat. Since Nancy Drew generally doesn’t have two main villains, the person who sabotaged her boat must be the villain, and thus Andy must be the villain.

There’s a nice little moment where Nancy sees Katie sitting in a chair, her back to Nancy, down in the Big Bad’s lair, that implies that Katie’s the one behind it. Of course, when the chair spins around, Katie’s duct taped and captive in the chair. That moment of doubt is effective, but it’s a good thing that HER resolves it within seconds, because it wouldn’t hold up any longer than that.

Andy is a little bit threatening in his last attempt to prevent Nancy from exposing him to the world — though the way Nancy takes him down is hilariously roundabout; one would think an air tank to the head via Nancy would be more effective than an air tank to the head via orca would be — but as a slightly weak character, his ending is a bit more of the same.

Hilda Swenson, like Miles in CAR, isn’t really a suspect, but does have to be included here for her sheer impact on (and subsequent elevation of) the game. An ex-movie director turned ex-mayor, Hilda’s a bit of an eccentric who lost her husband a few years ago and moved off the island, but still influences both the island and the events of the game.

Deciding that things are Not Going Well and that suspicious Things Are Happening, Hilda sets up a seek-and-find for someone smart, resourceful, tenacious, and curious — aka, Nancy — to find and contact her so that they can save the island together.

Hilda is definitely a little odd (though not really by Nancy Drew character standards), but what makes her really magical is that she really doesn’t care what others think of her and lives the way she thinks is best, cackling along as she sprinkles her good deeds along the shore.

She’s an oddity among Nancy Drew characters in that her presence is so strong without ever seeing any bit of her. She’s not out for or against Nancy, she’s just out to make sure her Harbor is saved, and her world goes on before and after Nancy. She really makes Snake Horse Harbor feel like it’s not just there for Nancy to solve a mystery in it, and that feeling is part of what makes DDI remarkable.

The Favorite:

Even with the Hardy Boys present and attentive, the best character of this game is Hilda, no contest. I’ve said all I can about her, so we’ll move on…mostly.

Embarrassingly after that paragraph, my favorite moment of the game is a Hilda moment — or rather, a moment right after a Hilda moment. Hilda sends Nancy out on a kayak for her clues, speaking to her for the last time. She hangs up after wishing Nancy good luck, and for just a few beats, the moment hangs in the air. It’s misty out in the ocean and Nancy’s alone, holding the weight of saving the harbor and exposing wrongs and ensuring the right thing happens for the orphaned orca

My favorite puzzle is prolly collecting all of the things Hilda left behind and assembling them. It’s a fun little series of fetch quests, culminating in a great moment out on the water, and they’re just really enjoyable as they help build the world.

The Un-Favorite:

I’ve discussed Katie and Andy earlier, but they definitely deserve a place in this section, as their presence does drag down the game just a bit from where it could have been.

My least favorite moment in the game is probably the part where Holt catches Nancy outside the lighthouse, purely because it makes me jump every time. DDI really doesn’t have any sour note moments, so this qualifies because I give a little shrill scream whenever it happens.

My least favorite puzzle is definitely the male vs female crab dilemma. These metas have talked before about my visual processing not being the greatest, so that’s probably the reason, but even when I have a picture of both of them side-by-side, I always end up guessing wrong and getting Thrown in the Brig. It is a mark of how well-integrated the puzzles are that none of them feel really clunky or like a pain.

The Fix:

So how would I fix Danger on Deception Island?

I’d really only do it by refurbing Katie and Andy a bit so that they’re not so……well, blatantly horrible and flat people. There’s always room in detective stories for nasty characters, but not ones so flat as those two. Give them relationships with everyone in Snake Horse Harbor — Andy especially, since he’s been there longer than Katie — and you’d be well on your way towards fixing the problem.

Maybe Holt knew Andy’s dad, who was an old friend of his who disagreed on everything with him but they were drinking buddies, so he watches out for Andy. Meanwhile, Jenna doesn’t much care for Andy, but they both hate Katie, so they band together out of pure spite and teeth-clenched teamwork. But, in a twist, Andy does have a bit of sympathy for Katie as a newcomer because years ago his dad had an apprentice of sorts who came to the island but was bullied into leaving.

Maybe Katie, meanwhile, disagrees heavily with Jenna but is so addicted to her chowder that she goes when Jenna has someone else (her Aunt Iris, perhaps?) covering the shop, only to develop a crush on the temp, so she subtly sabotages Jenna so that she has to leave the Café more and more often, which makes Jenna angrier. Let’s say Holt doesn’t mind Katie being a newcomer, but hates the temp Jenna gets to cover the Café, and knows Katie’s behind it but can’t prove it. Maybe even make it so Katie does feel guilty about using her permit to make money off the orca…but not guilty enough to stop doing it.

Just those simple tweaks going on in the background, referenced a few times, give the characters even more of a sense of existing out of just the game and helps balance them out against characters like Hilda who are more developed with severely less screen time.

Relationships are the quickest way to build characters, and while DDI has an incredible amount of atmosphere, fleshing out its two most suspicious characters would go a long way to perfecting this already awesome game.

[ultrahopefulstudenttaco-blog]

Buying the Best Car Insurance policy

luxury car In the past, car insurance policies was not a necessity, as some men and women went for it and some did not. Even so, nowadays an auto coverage coverage is 1 of the critical factors in your existence, if you very own a auto. People want suitable protection, no matter how lavish or modest their automobile is. The way individuals purchase insurance has also modified. In the earlier, buying a car insurance just intended to satisfy your community agent and question him for it. But now, it is somewhat diverse, as you have obtained tons of other possibilities at your disposal from exactly where you can get your automobile insured, with some completely new coverage options. Purchasing vehicle insurance policies: Which method to decide on? When you want insurance for your auto, you may possibly be puzzled as from exactly where you must get it. Need to you deal with an insurance coverage agent or ought to you go on-line? You can select among different alternatives for acquiring your vehicle insurance policies. This contains: Buying from captive agents Buying from impartial brokers Buying online Folks, who prefer individual solutions and like to form face-to-face associations, ought to surely purchase their coverage from an agent. But, since there are diverse agents, they want to decide which one particular is the very best for them. Between these, some are referred to as 'independent agents,' who market insurance for quite a few organizations and some are 'captive brokers,' who offer insurance policy for just a single agency. Allow us see the distinct characteristics of these agents, so that you can determine very easily and speedily the correct agent for by yourself. 1. Getting from captive agents You must acquire your coverage from a captive agent, if you are focused to a distinct insurance policy organization. Since captive brokers offer with only one firm, they will know all the diverse insurance possibilities supplied by that organization. And, thus they can support you to develop the appropriate deal dependent on your demands. Nonetheless, captive agents may take far more time to reply to your questions and to know your needs as in comparison to impartial agents who operate for fee. two. Getting from impartial agents You ought to get a coverage from an unbiased agent, if you want to verify out the various insurances presented by various firms, as impartial agents offer with several businesses and not just one distinct insurance organization. This way you can get a better fee. And, given that impartial brokers are not straight employed by any a single firm, they would not press one particular distinct merchandise and will tell you the appropriate issues about all the insurances. As a result, unbiased agents can support you to locate inexpensive coverage for your car. However, given that they operate for fee, they are under much more force to get a offer as quickly as possible. 3. Buying on-line The 3rd alternative is to skip insurance policies agents entirely and to function immediately with the company on the web. Nonetheless, for this you have to do most of the operate by yourself. You have to perform a complete study on diverse protection providers, what they supply, the prices of their insurance coverage, and what all their guidelines addresses. Then, you can discuss to the organization, that very best matches your demands to procure the coverage by itself. Amongst these, some insurance policy organizations that make use of agents do not necessitate you to function with them and a number of of them do not employ brokers at all. Acquiring automobile insurance on the web is one particular of the best choices for you if you do not have much time and want to get low-cost automobile insurance policy, as it saves you from spending fee to an insurance policy agent. If you are not confident about your car insurance policies requirements, then getting car insurance policy online, with out an insurance policy agent can result in you to purchase the improper, as well little, or as well a lot insurance policies. Choose your sort of coverage Aside from choosing which business to go with, you must also take into account which plan you want. There are a few principal kinds of policies, which includes standard, usage-based mostly, and per-mile automobile insurance policy. So, have a seem at these a few automobile insurance coverage coverage packages prior to you settle for one particular automobile insurance policy. 1. Traditional automobile insurance policies In this kind of auto insurance coverage, the insurers figure out the estimates for the plan with the aid of different private variables, such as your age, driving heritage, gender, credit score rating, and many others. Generally, the much more chance you have as a driver as per these variables, the a lot more large your insurance policy rates will be. In this, you can choose for a minimal protection volume as for each the point out regulation or else you can select from a extended list of various sorts of car insurance coverage. 2. Use-based auto insurance As opposed to the traditional car insurance coverage, the place insurers presume your driving abilities relying on a list of different danger factors and your accident heritage, usage-dependent auto insurance policy companies supply you vehicle insurance policy by looking at you in action in actual. In this sort of automobile insurance, like Allstate's Drivewise or Progressive's Snapshot, you get a telematic system, which you have to plug-in your vehicle. This system records how you generate and your driving behavior, specifically your undesirable driving behavior like accelerating or challenging braking. So, if the unit documents that you are a low-risk driver, then you can help save your funds with usage-primarily based vehicle insurance policies. Nonetheless, if it documents that you usually push late at evening or you push rapidly, then it would not aid you preserve funds with your auto insurance. Furthermore, many utilization-primarily based vehicle insurance coverage applications are not accessible in every state. For that reason, if you are devoted to one particular insurance policies business, then you may possibly have to change your company, in scenario you shift to a various state. three. Per-mile car insurance policies For every-mile vehicle insurance policies vendors also use a telematic system, but they emphasis on just a single point, that is how little or how significantly you use your auto. Nonetheless, this automobile insurance policies type is nevertheless new and is not available in every single point out. Among other people, Metromile is the very best service provider of per-mile vehicle insurance coverage and is available in seven states till now, which are California, Illinois, Oregon, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Washington, and Virginia. Moreover, per-mile providers use the identical components as classic insurers in determining your auto insurance policy charges, but you can help save some cash via its telematic system. If you do not use your auto a lot and use it only for emergencies, then your premium may be minimize significantly. Nevertheless, if you generally travel your car, then there are much less probabilities of you conserving income from it. Shop all around No subject how you obtain your insurance policies, whether or not you go for a focused agent or you right indicator up with a automobile insurance policies provider, you should store about in order to get the best rates. Do some homework and do not just settle for the very first deal that arrives your way. This is simply because costs for the identical policy can differ from 1 business to the other by hundreds of dollars. As a result, evaluating various vehicle insurance delivers is the best attainable way to land up a excellent deal

[yogaadvise]

How Taking a Walk Can Transform Your Mindset

Like most therapists, Leigh Weinraub was learnt the classic talk-therapy style: As the expert, she must position herself in a chair throughout from the client, that would certainly be asked to rest on a sofa. 'In grad college the professor would say, 'Individuals need to discover how you can being in their s- if they wish to overcome it,' she says.

But beforehand in her job, Weinraub kicked the couch to the visual. One day, while working with a nervous girl in Chicago, the novice specialist impulsively decided to take their session to the location most traditional counselors would certainly warn her not to: outside, in public.

' I took a big danger and stated, 'I understand it's 20 degrees, yet put your headscarf on and let's get it in activity',' Weinraub says, recalling the action that quickly made her a rep as an abandoner among her Northwestern College associates. 'When we left the elevator and also took the very first few steps, those jangly sensations entirely diminished. She went from being in my workplace with her foot relocating 100 miles an hour as well as her playing with her fingers to the image of tranquility. You could pick up that she was strolling her way out of the specifications that she was embeded in her life. And because we were side-by-side, we were resolving issues together. There's much less of a power struggle, less clumsiness.'

A years later on, Weinraub has actually constructed a successful method rooted in just what she calls 'Walk as well as Talk Treatment,' a method that was educated by her history as a leading junior tennis gamer that later on coached a Northwestern group to consecutive seminar champions and also a number-three nationwide position. 'All my problems were fixed while I was moving,' discusses the self-described 'action-based therapist,' that additionally sees clients at the Miraval hotel in Arizona, and that recently introduced her own line of motivating sports apparel, Mind in Motion.

Having dealt with 'thousands' of people by doing this, Weinraub says she's seen first-hand just how 'obtaining your mind in activity by walking will get conversation brewing, enhance interaction, move you a lot more toward truth, obtain you out of evasion, get you unstuck-literally literally, physiologically-and simply, enhance the top quality of your life.'

It could likewise aid save your life. Medical studies advise us that sitting increases our threat of obesity, diabetic issues, cardiovascular disease and also a range of cancers cells, in addition to passing. This is a big issue for a nation that gones on our backsides for a standard of nine hrs a day, zoning out in front of the TV, scrolling Instagram, and also functioning at an office. That doesn't also consider the countless hrs invested in our cars.

No wonder Weinraub waxes lyrical concerning the revitalizing powers of fresh air: 'The frequency of being outdoors, it opens our eyes up, opens our lungs up, it literally can open our hearts up.' She's taken restorative walks with numerous a wedded couple.

' I do mostly all of my couples sessions [by doing this],' she says. 'At the end of our hr, I send them off for one more 30 minutes [on their own] I could ensure they are better at the end of the walk than they would certainly be if they were resting in a workplace, arguing. Several have said, 'Now my partner and I do not go a week without contending least 2 post-dinner strolls, and also our interaction abilities have improved enormously'.'

It's not simply those looking for therapy that can gain from jumping on board with exactly what Weinraub calls a 'motion of movement.' She's likewise collaborated with office-bound worker groups on team-building goals, along with numerous customers who have actually pertained to her hopeless to slim down. 'One stated, 'I'm 50 pounds obese as well as sensation dreadful.' I informed her, 'You do not should hire some trainer as well as be miserable on an elliptical exerciser machine, or go a rest awkwardly in a course you're not motivated by. Allow's begin with walking.' [We went] from 30 mins, to an hour, to an hour and a half.'

Then there was the individual that was chronically fatigued, suffering from fibromyalgia and also anxiety, and also that could hardly stroll. After starting slowly, 'she now she strolls [concerning] 15 miles each time.'

A huge factor why walking-and-talking is so efficient: 'Because you're sidetracked from the puzzle you're aiming to resolve,' states Jane Isay, a veteran publisher and author of the upcoming book, Unconditional Love: A GPS for Grandparents. Isay welcomes her writers to join her on jaunts in New york city's Central Park, during which they chat about practically every little thing but the composition they're working on.

' One of the most productive discussions take place when you're strolling with somebody-there's something about the side-by-side that allows the flow to occur,' states Isay, who was transformed on to this concept while functioning with the neuroscientist Antonio Damasio on his 1994 publication Descartes' Mistake: Emotion, Reason, and the Human Mind. Damasio 'argues that the feelings are necessary to rationality and also good decision-making, and they're all in the body,' she clarifies. 'If you're looking at a person, you're concentrating. When you're being innovative, you don't intend to be focusing. Neuroscience and also the composition of the brain have actually shown that the facilities of imagination all light up when you're not concentrating. That's where your brain obtains its revival.'

Some pointers for transforming conventional sit-downs right into more effective walk-and talks? The following time you arrange a meeting with a work colleague or business partner, suggest gathering at a waterside sidewalk or running track as opposed to a trendy trattoria. (' You'll feel way much more bound later,' says Weinraub.) Or try doing a conference-call brainstorm while taking a few laps around the block.

' It's about getting emotional health and fitness,' Weinraub claims. 'Take a min and ask on your own: Who in your life today is the kind of individual you intend to go in nature with, really feel the end up against your face, and have a 45-minute diving discussion with that said you will know damn well by the end of that 40 mins? I assure, you are going to feel better, you're mosting likely to process info, as well as they are going to push you to grow.'

[kidmachinate]

Blaster Master Zero Review

Blaster Master Zero serves as both a great addition to the Switch eShop but also a throwback to a classic game from back in the NES days. Blaster Master Zero definitely shows signs of where it came from. Some of the map locations and even bosses are the same, but even the things that are the same have some twists. Blaster Master Zero, for those that don't know better, is mostly a entirely different game. The reason for this is the addition of new bosses that were not present in the NES counterpart, actually needing to enter other places in Pilot Mode when not traveling via the Sophia III, as opposed to only needing to go on a set path, and different boss pattern even for bosses that are the same. Inti Creates of Mega Man Zero fame attempts to tell a story which was pretty much absent from NES version. The story is of a boy named Jason looking for his pet frog, while dealing with a mutant invasion along the way. Blaster Master Zero even adds a character, Eve, that has ties to the Sophia III (the vehicle you drive) and has been involved in this war of sorts longer than Jason (main character) clearly is. The game also changes some areas entirely for a fresh take on the level. The only music that really returns from the NES game is the first stage theme. Everything else are original tracks that only seem to perhaps show hints of the original tracks, if at all. The level changes standout since they do emphasize exploration more than the original. Area 7 even plays with the concept of stealth, making for quite the interesting level. For what the game gains in creativity though, the difficulty is sure lacking. One of the best examples of this actually comes towards the end of the game. I won’t spoil how the boss is different from the original game but there is definitely a very quick way to beat said boss, which is a real shame given that the fight without this would have made for a real challenge, along with something a bit different. It’s hard to explain said part without spoilers but this game definitely had the chance with varied boss patterns and some minibosses to offer up a challenge, and spike up the difficulty from time to time, but no dice. In a world where we are spoiled by autosaves, this is not a thing. Plus, you have unlimited tries as opposed to lives and limited continues. Games being “NES hard” is a thing of the past unless you’re playing something like say Dark Souls, or hike up the difficulty settings in your game of choice. The game’s controls are spot on. Controlling Jason in Pilot mode controls just as expected and due to more buttons on the controller than back in the day, strafing while shooting is easier than ever. The Sofia III still suffers from being a bit slippery (a bit of “Mario Foot” as a certain VGHC admin would say) but this is true to the original and acceptable. Most of the abilities are the same too with some new ones added. Hover, a returning ability, is now easier to use. If you try to get an area and run out of Hover, skills work off of the same SP gauge, which does refill over time. A example of a new ability is a cannon that has a bit of kickback when shot and will cause an explosion upon impact. Said explosion will cause you damage if you are too close to it as a drawback. However, the huge plus, adding to the game being too easy theory, is this cannon can flat out blow up spikes. This makes a spike heavy area, like Area 8, much too easy. It makes the level only come down to eventually finding the right way. Given you have unlimited tries, this decision puzzles me overall. The more and more I think about it, the more bothersome it is, although this also could be a barrier of entry to newer fans of the series. This is the same company that had a hand in the Mega Man Zero series. They are certainly capable of making things hard...although admittedly that would have been too much if they truly were going for Blaster Master being a overall more accessible game. On that same point though of accessibility, for whatever reason, you cannot use the Pro Controller for this title, which is quite bothersome. If nothing else, it is certainly nice to see something with the Blaster Master name again that isn’t a forgettable title. In fact, I can’t remember one title outside of one that came out for the PS1 forever ago which I can’t remember the name of. Blasting Again was it? Blaster Master Zero actually does just that, except this will be one worth your time and money, even if it is a short lived experience.