#though a couple may be too specific. like exclusively pokemon names...

[expederest]

Here's my personal Connections puzzle for the day. Plus, you can also create your own puzzle there, if so wanted.

(Source)

"The Tech Guild is asking readers to honor the digital picket line and not play popular NYT Games such as Wordle and Connections as well as not use the NYT Cooking app."

[entity9silvergen]

My Oriented Aroace Headcanons From 8 Fandoms

Oriented Aroace is an aspec identity where someone does not experience sexual or romantic attraction but experience other forms of attraction in a way that causes another nonaspec label describing sexuality to feel significant enough to have a place alongside one’s aroace identity. For more information on this term, here is the info page on the oriented aroace subreddit and here is the wiki page on it.

Headcanon is a subbranch of fanon, meaning headcanon is something generally not accepted as canon but some fans choose to believe about the original content. In the queer community, it is common to headcanon characters as queer. Sometimes it’s with good reason, sometimes it’s just because we like the characters, sometimes it’s because we see something of ourselves within the characters. 

Here are some of my oriented aroace headcanons.

1. Sai (Naruto)

This is by far my favorite aroace headcanon but I don’t talk about it much because I don’t want to support the stereotype that aromantics are heartless or that asexuals are traumatized. In Naruto Shippuden, Sai is a character who does not experience emotions after an illegal black ops organization killed his brother and brain washed him. He does, however, recover his emotions and learns to be very in touch with them. In Boruto, he is married to Ino and has a son named Inojin.

I headcanon Sai as pan-oriented aroace, possibly demialterous as well, but he experiences some degree of internalized homophobia and aphobia which leads him to pursue a romantic relationship with Ino. I don’t doubt that he loves her, he definitely does but I don’t think he loves her in the same way that she loves him. I wrote about this for Aromantic Writing Month. I believe that Sai initially started courting Ino because that was what was expected of him. Ino went along with it because she is attracted to him. At some point she probably realized Sai doesn’t quite feel the same way as her but they talked about it and continued their relationship as a allo-aspec qpr.

2. Rook Blonko (Ben 10) 

Rook Blonko is Ben’s (work) partner in Ben 10: Omniverse. He is an alien from the planet Revonnah. When we see his homeplanet, we learn that he is very attractive by Revonnahgander and all the local girls are interested in him but he is bothered by it, only showing affection for one girl named Rayona. They end up dating later in the series. A couple villains show interest in Rook as well and he is usually bothered by it or has mixed feelings with no desire for reciprocation. 

I headcanon him as hetero-angled aroace, specifically gray/ frayromantic and acespike. Gray romanticism means that someone is aromantic but can experience some kind of limited romantic attraction or experiences romantic attraction under specific circumstances. Frayromantic is essentially the opposite of demiromantic. Someone may experience romantic attraction that fades as they get to know the other person. Acespike means that someone is asexual but can sometimes experience spikes of sexual attraction. 

If you have seen the show, you may know where my thoughts are coming from. Rook mostly shows romantic interest in Rayona before they start dating. Once they’re in a relationship, their feelings seem very platonic and their relationship is much like a qpr. This may be because of their age, lack of experience, or their culture but I’d like to imagine that Rayona feels the same way as Rook and they are in a qpr.

The only other character Rook has shown interest in is Isosceles Vreedle. He is briefly attracted her during a battle but doesn’t seem to have any intent on acting on his feelings (presumably because he is in a relationship). He seems to be aware that this is out of character for him, which leads me to believe that he is acespike. 

3. Alain (Pokémon)

Alain is the star of the Mega Evolution specials and Ash’s main rival in the Kalos League. I headcanon him as gay-oriented aroace.

I don’t have much of a reason for this. Headcanons don’t necessarily need reasons but I’m still going to try to explain this one.

He never has any romantic interests in the show, probably because we don’t see much of him and his story is very focused on his Pokémon training. There are many characters who are solely focused on Pokemon training and that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re aroace but with Alain, I can’t really see him ever wanting to settle down or pursue a relationship though and he doesn’t seem like a women’s man. 

His perfect life is retiring young from a decent battle career on a Pokemon ranch where he works as a Pokemon professor, giving out starter pokemon and providing a place for trainers to send their pokemon when their parties are full. He won’t have many visitors but maybe he’ll have a close companion to keep him company and help out with any projects he’s working on.

4. Toph (Avatar: The Last Airbender/ The Legend Of Korra)

Toph is Aang’s earthbending teacher in ATLA, the founder of metalbending in the comics, and Lin and Suyin’s mother in TLOK. I headcanon her as sapphic or trixic-oriented aroace.

Sapphic and trixic are both non-exclusive terms for attraction to women but sapphic is specifically for women and trixic is for non-binary people. Canonically, Toph is a girl but she is very free spirited and independent and I feel like she wouldn’t let something like gender limit her.

In TLOK, Toph does mention that she tried to have relationships with Lin and Suyin’s fathers but it didn’t really work out. I imagine that Toph is sex favorable and likes sex as kind of a fun way to enjoy herself but does not experience sexual attraction nor does she feel a need to have regular partners. Similar goes for romance. She is romance-indifferent but does not like it much.

The lesbian Toph headcanon is a popular one. Not really sure why but Toph seems like a ladies’ woman. She likes to have her fun and she just finds women to be better companions than men in these aspects. She doesn’t get attatched easily though and she’s not really into the commitment. 

5. Korvo (Solar Opposites)

Again, I feel like this plays into a stereotype that I don’t want to support but these are my headcanons and I will do with them as I want. Korvo is an alien who is having a hard time adjusting to living on Earth. We know that his species has no biological sex and do not reproduce sexually but many of them choose genders, enjoy sexual activity, and pursue romantic relationships. I headcanon Korvo as bi-oriented aroace, possibly bi-electio aroace.

I have not seen the most recent season but in season 1, Korvo is mostly uninterested in anything outside of returning the ship. We have seen him in real no romantic contexts but he and Terry are co-parents of sorts. We also see him in a couple of sexual contexts. When he got zapped by a ray that removed his intelligence, he tried humping Terry and when he and Terry tried going to college, he remained on his side of his and Terry’s shared bed when Terry brought home sexual partners.

I don’t think Terry and Korvo are in a relationship or a qpr but am not completely opposed to the idea. My point was just that we know he isn’t repulsed by the idea of doing traditionally romantic or sexual things with someone who is masculine in nature. I think he could also appreciate what a woman brings to the table, as seen when he built a robot to fulfill the role of wife and mother in the house.

I don’t think Korvo is interested in a relationship but he does value the companionship and wouldn’t be unhappy with a partner. He may struggle to maintain a partnership but I don’t think gender would be much of a factor.

6. Todd Chavez (BoJack Horseman)

Todd is BoJack’s off-and-on best friend/ roommate. Canonically, he is asexual and heteroromantic (presumably, all we know for sure is that he is alloromantic). I headcanon him as straight-oriented aroace, specifically heteroqueerpatonic and panplatonic.

I love that Todd is canonically asexual and I appreciate that they showed an asexual character who is not aromantic. But, all of Todd’s relationships have that queerplatonic vibe. When he described the kind of relationship he wanted with Emily, it didn’t sound like a romantic relationship. What he had with Yolanda certainly wasn’t romantic. Maybe it was just the writing but Todd seemed most happy when his relationship resembled a qpr. When he was dating Maude, the lines between romance and friendship were blurry and they seemed very happy, and that included not doing traditionally romantic things like getting married.

I could also see Todd as greyromantic. For him, I feel like having a label isn’t really that big of a deal. Being able to say he was asexual was a big deal for him but he just wants to be himself and find whatever makes him happy. Sex and a traditional romantic relationship don’t really seem to be a part of that.

7. Silver Surfer (Marvel Comics)

Again, this isn’t one I talk about much because I don’t want to support the stereotype that aromantics or asexuals are inhuman or lacking emotion. Before becoming the Silver Surfer, Norrin Radd is in a relationship on his home planet and he does express interest in a few women after becoming the Silver Surfer. I headcanon him as straight-oriented aroace.

Some of it may have to do with Galactus’s interference. Maybe not. The Surfer doesn’t need sex or romance (no one does but you catch my drift) but he doesn’t really want it either. Sometimes it is portrayed from a sense of duty but we don’t really know what he’s feeling. He’s been one of my favorite characters for years so I may just be projecting but it feels right.

He can get lonely. He wants a companion but I don’t think he’d want a romantic one or even a queerplatonic partner. He’d be most happy with a friend and he’d get all the fulfillment he needs from one. A romantic partner might be a bit too much.

8. Gina Linetti (Brooklyn 99)

Gina is Jake’s childhood friend, Captain Holt’s assistant, and Boyle’s... something. I’ve seen a lot of headcanons that she is pansexual but I headcanon her as heteroflexible-oriented aroace.

Gina, like Toph, is just kind of doing her own thing. I feel like she’d be sex favorable and romance indifferent. Sex is fun, relationships are alright, she’s just living her best life. Men are nice, women are too. She’s just living life and rocking with whatever rolls her way.

When she has her daughter, she does want to settle down a bit but not with a man. She loves the kid and steps up to her new responsibility but she doesn’t let it change her. She’s still as wild and free and she doesn’t want or need anyone.

[atlas-the-worldbuilder]

Final thoughts on Pokemon Sword/Shield

So in case you weren’t aware (which is most of you, I’m sure), a few months ago I started a Pokemon Shield blind Nuzlocke Run.  And recently, I completed the main portion of the Nuzlocke by defeating the Champion.  Having played through the game, though, I thought I’d give my final thoughts on it as a Pokemon fan, a gamer, and as a storyteller.

The Story & Characters

In all honesty, I rather enjoyed the main story of this game.  The Pokemon League has always been presented like a professional sport (at least in the anime/cartoon), so it’s fun to see the games taking that perspective and rolling with it.  It felt like an actual tournament/championship, to compete for the title in an officially organized manner, rather than just running a gauntlet of preset combatants.

In addition, I liked how they incorporated both the gym leaders and our rivals into the league story as not only combatants, but also as individuals with their own lives and aspirations.  Marnie and Team Yell are adorable, Hop is... mostly tolerable, thus far, but by far my favorite rival character has been Bede, the Psychic/Fairy trainer.  His haughty and prideful demeanor make him a delight to defeat, and his arc is a wonderful story to see unfold.  I’m really curious to see what he gets up to in the after-story! The Gym Leaders are also fun to meet and battle; the Pokemon games as a whole have been gradually attempting to give more and more character to each of the Gym Leaders you meet, beyond just trials to overcome on your journey to victory.  And while I always have a soft spot for the Hoenn & Sinnoh gyms, I like that they opted to have the Gym Leaders return in place of having more Elite Four members to fight  I only wish I could get more opportunities to get to know them better, cuz there’s some standout leaders from this batch which I truly enjoy!

My biggest complaint with Sword/Shield’s story, though, has been the “Heroic Quest” plotline which has become increasingly common these days.  I like the character of Sonia the researcher, and Oleana is satisfying to watch lose, my biggest complaint has been the pacing of the plot; the first 2/3rd’s of the story are us teaming with Sonia to gradually get the backstory revealed to us, and then in the last half hour, right as the Tournament’s getting underway, all the villains suddenly crawl from beneath the floorboards and run amok while you have to chase them down!  There didn’t feel like there was a proper buildup explaining why the villain wanted to summon the legendary Pokémon, especially one which we heard next to nothing about! This brings about an interesting idea, however... what if instead, they had completely forgone any Legendary-Summoning stories until after the league?  Honestly, I was way more invested challenging the gyms and fighting the champion than I was stopping the literal POKEMON APOCALYPSE from happening... so what if for future games, they saved those for after you became champion?  As a sort of test of your skills, to prove your worth to bear the mantle you have taken!  Maybe it wouldn’t have meshed well, maybe they needed to show of the game mascot more, I dunno...  it’s just my thoughts.

The GamePlay

THEY FINALLY LET US TURN OF THE GODS-FORSAKENED TUTORIALS!!!  PRAISE THE ALL-FATHER!!!

Ahem... In all honesty, I think I’d grown a bit too used to the 2nd screen of the DS-series games, but after a couple days of getting used to the mono-screen style again, I am pleased to say I found it very easy to settle back into.  Though there are still some features I wish would make a return (the HM moves as opposed to public transportation, poison’s effect while walking, wild double battles, etc.), there are alot of fun mechanics introduced and remedies to older problems that have been introduced!

I think one feature which hasn’t had much said about it is the introduction of the Poke-Jobs system; this system allows you to send your Pokémon out on timed “away missions” to gain both experience and items.  In the old days, if you wanted to passively level your pokemon, the only real option you had without introducing a second player was the Daycare center, and they could only raise two pokemon at once... and you had to pay for it.  With Poke-Jobs, though, I can send anywhere from 5-10 teammates out for whatever amount of time I want them to be out for, and then come back later to see them lively and with goodies to show for their work! At first, I didn’t think I’d get much use out of this system; I, like many players out there I’m sure, prefer to guide my pokemon’s training personally, honing their movesets and guiding their levelling and points the way I want from them.  But as I progressed further in my Nuzlocke, and as my daily life became busier and busier, I found myself sending my backup teammates out on jobs to keep them on par with my main team.  Given that the Move Deleter/Tutor and Name Rater are now services that have been rolled into the Pokemon Center, yet another good thing this series has done, I found it much easier to keep my reserve Pokemon prepared in case I needed a substitution. Some Nuzlocke “Purists” may call that taking the easy way out, but... frankly, I don’t have the willpower to do that much grinding.  I’m here to play a game and have fun doing it, dammit.

The Wild Area is another thing I’ve wanted to see from Pokemon for a long time - taking more steps to make the regions seem like an open world, with vast sprawling environments full of pokemon and secrets to uncover.  I’ll admit, though, the execution is... not entirely perfect.  While open expanses are fun to explore, the Wild Area did seem a bit... flat to traverse.  And while the weather mechanics translating into battle are fun to deal with, the same sets of wild pokemon appearing did start to wear me down.  I think what the Wild Area really needed, in the long run, was a system similar to how Black/White/Black2/White2 did - having seasonal progression ingame, where different pokemon would show up during different seasons, making the different places unique and novel all over again throughout the year. And for the record, many of my gripes with the Wild Area were addressed in the Isle of Armor’s expansion island.  VASTLY superior, and much more fun to navigate and traverse.

...I’ll openly admit this: I was not a fan of Mega Evolution when it was first introduced in X/Y.  I felt it was fine enough to see Pokemon battling without power boosts or “digi-volving” or whatever you wanna call it.  When Sun/Moon Introduced Z-Moves, it felt like a step in the right direction, but at the same time, I ended up not using it very often.  If I had to have a power boost to my pokemon, I would want it something that couldn’t be used as a crutch when the going gets tough - something that has a limited usability, and offers benefits specific to the time it’s being used. I say this because I initially approached Dynamax the same way: as just another power boost to level the playing field and shake up the battle meta which I don’t keep track of.  However, after barely surviving all 8 gym leaders without using a single dynamax pokemon, I decided to give it a chance: after having completed the Isle of Armor’s subplot and gaining access to the Max Soup, I fed it to my Toxtricity Spike, and started running dynamax raids.  As I started using it more and more, I started gaining a certain appreciation for it that I hadn’t before; this was something written in to being a unique cultural effect!  This literally is imagining Pokemon as Kaiju!  And for the most part, it works! While I still feel mega-lvl-power-boosts in pokemon are a huge waste, at the very least I can say Dynamax didn’t leave me with too bad a taste in my mouth.  I do hope, however, that Dynamax stays a Sword/Shield exclusive power; given it’s cultural importance in Galar, and how Mega-Evolution was in the previous generation, I think having power boosts specific to regions works better than having the same stuff used across the board for every meta onwards,

What Do I hope for the Future?

I can’t say for sure if they’ll release a sequel game for Sword/Shield, but if they do... I would want them to make these minor changes:

Hold off the Heroic plot for after the League plot; devote the main first half of the game to just the gyms and league story like was done here, and then save meeting uber-god-tier Pokémon for after you’ve claimed the title of Champion.

Having said that, fix the pacing of how the Eternatus/Darkest Day subplot feels as it’s being played out.  Offer us more insight into Rose and Oleana’s mindsets as they go about their business, and give us more coherent exposition from our field trips with Prof. Sonia. 

Fix how the Wild Area looks - give it more variations for each sub-region and offer more varieties of habitats, like in the Isle of Armor.  Or, alternatively, try to implement a seasonal mechanic to make the same areas change over the year, opening new paths and new avenues to explore!

Let Bede defeat Oleana.  Give my boy some closure.

Allow us to see and interact with the Gym Leaders outside of the gyms more.  I had, like, barely 2 lines of dialogue with Nessa, and even less for Milo.  Not asking for a whole lot, just a bit more to tie us into who they are as people.  Piers is best big brother.  <3

That’s all I had written for now.  If y’all want a biography of my champion team for my Shield Nuzlocke, let me know, and I’ll scrap a post together! <3

[tysonjxss011]

15 Best Twitter Accounts to Learn About funko advent calendar

What is Funko Pop! Vinyl figurines? New to Funko Pop! Vinyl?

No problem, let's bring you up to par with the rate. Funko Pops is vinyl figurines based on the hottest characters from blockbuster movies, retro tv series and even old videogames. These collectables can be bought in a variety of styles from collector editions to plain crazy to ultra cheap. With the ever-growing popularity of Facebook, it's not a wonder these items are becoming so popular on Facebook, either.

The die-cut vinyl figures from Funko POP! Are extremely detailed and the specifics of each character is clear and precise. They're also made in a variety of styles and layouts. Two collectible types you might find are the"Hollywood" and the"Vintage" styles. For example, the Hollywood style has been updated for the 21st century and includes autographs of famous faces from the likes of Harrison Ford, Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable.

If you are not buying a Hollywood or Vintage style figure, try the grey choice rather. The Vintage POP style is inspired by vintage POP toys from the 1970s. Even though the price of the Pop! Figures are higher than your regular vinyl figurines, they are a sure bet for those collectors who wish to treat their FB page such as a museum. The same as the Hollywood style, you'll see exclusive autographs of beloved characters from the likes of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and more.

A couple things you will need to know about the exceptional Pop! vinyl figures. One, they don't come with batteries. Two, if you want to alter the expression in your Vinyl Figure, you need to buy an additional battery for this (the included ones will not do much for you). Third, each figure comes individually wrapped in plastic. So, even if you collect them all, you will have to open each one individually, too!

As stated earlier, both the Vintage and the Hollywood style come individually wrapped in beautiful vinyl characters made just for TV use. You can put them in your desk at work, add images to your fridge, even display them on your entertainment center - they're portable and can go anywhere! And the characters are compatible with the wide variety of items available from the Funko Pop! Line, which means that you can dress them up, dress them down, or combine two of them to create a new look that reflects your personal style.

You can Buy the Vintage Pop! Figures or the Hollywood Style Vinyl Numbers individually, but they are a great way to introduce a child to the world of Pop! While the classic Freddy is often sold separately, the official funko app gives children the opportunity to purchase an entire retro set when they first buy the Freddy vinyl figure, which makes it easier to introduce a child to this wonderful character.

All the features and functions of This Funko Pop! vinyl figures are completely removable. To make them even more fun, you can also buy an attachment called the Funko Stomp & Roll. This attachment allows the plastic figure to do a stomp and roll, which is a good deal of fun for a young child. However, attaching the Funko Stomp & Roll might prove to be a small challenge as it uses glue for its closing. You can help your child by employing some hot glue to the letters of the Funko Pop!

If you decide not to buy the attachment, you might consider simply giving your child a Funko Pop! That has been nicely personalized with their own name. If you know someone close, you can also find an envelope with the child's name written on it. This is surely the best way to give a gift with a face which will still be enjoying this unique toy for years to come.

When your child plays with their funko vinyl figures, they will delight in putting stickers, stars, and other objects on the figures to turn them into various shapes and colors. While the glue used for these accessories may be a challenge to eliminate, you may use water or heat to remove them easily. You'll find that while adhesive may eventually chip, water or heat will not. Additionally, both these options will enable your child to express their imagination pokemon arceus game and personality as well as show off their favorite characters in a way no other toy can.

Something else you can do to enhance the longevity of your vinyl figures and to ensure their safety is to carefully follow the manufacturer's directions for caring for the item. For instance, it's crucial to avoid wrapping the item in paper towels, plastic bags, tissues or any other substance which can be damaged by the glue. While Funko Pop can be kept in a cool dry area, applying glue to the item when it is still fresh can lead to irreversible damage that could potentially stop playing with this popular toy for a long time.

[aion-rsa]

Every Nintendo Console Ranked From Worst to Best

https://ift.tt/3tsRYCX

There are some who believe that the best Nintendo console ever is the first one you owned. It’s an idea that speaks to the mark Nintendo has left on the industry and how you feel the first time you experience the latest entries in one of their classic franchises. Your first Nintendo console truly is something special.

With that out of the way, let’s talk about which Nintendo console is actually the best. No, there’s no way to convince everyone that one Nintendo console is actually better than the rest, but we’re looking back at Nintendo’s history of both home and handheld console releases (minus some peripherals like the Game & Watch) to give a little love to your first Nintendo console (whatever it may have been) and also talk about the Virtual Boy.

While this ranking was heavily based on the quality of each console’s games (which is arguably a device’s most important factor in terms of its legacy), any potential ties were broken by hardware quality, longevity, and intangible features that elevated one console over another.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

13. Nintendo Virtual Boy

Well, let’s get this out the way, shall we?

You have to give Nintendo credit for trying to make virtual reality happen in the ‘90s, but even if you accept that this console’s VR capabilities were always going to be limited (even for the time, much less compared to modern VR headsets), everything else about this device was a disaster. Its few “okay” games barely utilized its VR technology, and those games ambitious enough to explore that possibility were quite literally painful to play. It was also expensive enough to ensure that few people actually owned one, which was really for the best. 

More importantly, the Virtual Boy is the one Nintendo console that doesn’t seem to generate any nostalgia beyond being a relic of a specific time. Much like the Ark of the Covenant, though, this relic could burn a hole through your eyes if you looked at it for too long.

12. Nintendo Wii U

If it wasn’t for the Virtual Boy, it would be incredibly easy to name the Wii U the worst Nintendo console of all-time. 

Right down to its name, the Wii U always felt like Nintendo’s half-hearted attempt to answer the question “What comes after the historically successful Nintendo Wii?” The idea of making a home console slightly more portable was a good one (just look at the Switch), but the actual Wii U tablet was a terribly designed peripheral that was often tough to enjoy even when you found a non-Nintendo developer that bothered to properly use it in the first place.

Yes, the Wii U had some truly incredible exclusives, but the fact that Nintendo couldn’t wait to port most of them to the Switch really tells you all you need to know about this console’s fundamental design failures.

11. Game Boy Color

Despite its place on this list, I’d actually say this is the point when we’ll start talking about Nintendo devices that were at least worth owning. Actually, you probably either owned a Game Boy Color or you probably wished you could convince your parents to buy one.

So why is it so low? Much like the Wii U, the biggest problem here is that Nintendo and its development partners failed to really properly utilize the device’s core feature often enough. The list of true Game Boy Color exclusives is relatively small, meaning that many of us ended up using the Game Boy color to slightly enhance Game Boy games. 

While that’s not necessarily a bad thing given the quality of the Game Boy library, the Game Boy Color still feels like a missed opportunity that ultimately bridged two more notable handheld releases.

10. Game Boy Advance

It’s hard to fault anyone who thinks about really bad lighting whenever they try to remember their time with the Game Boy Advance. Nintendo eventually corrected that issue with the Game Boy Advance SP, but you have to wonder what could have been had the GBA hardware been ready for primetime (or, more accurately, bright daylight) when it was released.

Of course, a big part of the reason why people wanted to be able to see the GBA screen a bit better was that the GBA had so many great games. The GBA could have justified its existence if it was just a portable SNES (which it sometimes was), but here was a device that strangely inspired some of the industry’s best developers to really push the limits of handheld game design and start to explore what was possible.

Honestly, you could probably swap the Game Boy Advance and the next entry on this list depending on what mood you’re in, but the Game Boy Advance’s surprisingly short lifespan ends up being the fact that earns it a slightly lower spot. 

9. Nintendo 3DS

Ranking the Nintendo 3DS is difficult if for no other reason that than the fact it took a while for Nintendo to get the hardware right. Even then, the Nintendo 2DS is still one of the oddest pieces of strangely bitter “budget” device design this side of Apple. There’s also the matter of the handheld’s 3D technology which proved to be such a mixed bag that it’s honestly hard to blame anyone who never bothered to use it. 

However, the 3DS’ game library is simply one of the best in Nintendo handheld history. The 3DS boasts some of the best Pokemon, Zelda, Metroid, and Animal Crossing games ever, as well as a surprisingly strong lineup of third-party titles. 

It’s always been a little annoying that it’s so easy to recommend 3DS games but it’s been historically difficult to recommend the 3DS hardware itself. Still, Nintendo did eventually right this ship somewhat, which is more than you can say about some of their other devices.

8. Nintendo Wii

There are times when it feels like the Nintendo Wii was a fever dream. Remember when we were playing motion controlled bowling with our grandmas as we both marveled at the realization that we were indeed in the future? What a wonderfully weird few years that was.

That’s the thing about the Nintendo Wii. No, it’s motion controls weren’t always the best in retrospect, and yes, many of its games were sometimes too dependent on those controls, but the fact of the matter is that it’s hard to replace the memories that the Nintendo Wii gave us. 

You don’t need to put your rose tinted glasses on too tightly to look back fondly on the Nintendo Wii, but the console does start to fall apart just a bit the more critically you look at it. 

7. Nintendo GameCube 

You know, we can actually save a little time talking about the GameCube’s failures as we previously took an extensive look at the console’s shortcomings in an article focused on how the GameCube made Nintendo a little cynical. Check it out if you want to be reminded of the many ways this was not a perfect console. 

Then there’s the other side of the GameCube argument, which largely focuses on the fact that the GameCube’s library features one of the best collections of exclusive titles in gaming history. I mean, this is the console that gave us both Resident Evil 4 and Animal Crossing. This is the console that brilliantly reimagined the Metroid franchise and proved that Super Smash Bros. was so much more than a gimmick. 

The GameCube’s shortcomings have always been easy to focus on simply because it’s hard not to imagine what this console could have been if just a couple of the more obvious flaws had been addressed. 

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6. Nintendo 64

If you put the PlayStation’s best 100 games next to the N64’s best 100 games, the PlayStation would probably look like the better console. If you stack the PlayStation’s top 10 games against the N64’s top 10 games, though, then the conversation becomes much more complicated.

That’s the thing about the N64. While it reminds us of a generation when Nintendo started to lose some of their third-party support, that’s hard to focus on for too long when you realize that the N64’s best games were essential parts of their era. Can you imagine a world without Super Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time or going through the ‘90s without experiencing a proper GoldenEye 007 all-nighter?

Actually, in retrospect, the thing that puts the N64 over-the-top from a historical perspective is its status as arguably the best local multiplayer console ever. The industry changed shortly thereafter, and it’s always been a shame that more modern developers don’t recognize what makes the local multiplayer experience so much more than the predecessor to online play. If it weren’t for the console’s controller and a few missing/weird features, this one could rank even higher.

5. Nintendo Switch

It’s tempting to just leave the Nintendo Switch off this list for the simple fact that the console’s story is far from done. Yet, it’s a testament to the Switch’s run so far that it could pretty much fall flat on its face from here on out and still arguably rank relatively high on this list.

The thing about the Nintendo Switch’s gimmick is that it’s not really a gimmick. Instead, Nintendo simply recognized that the time had finally come to merge handheld and console gaming in a way that we used to only dream about. While the Switch’s portability is obviously one of its best features, what makes the console work is the fact that you could leave it plugged into your TV until the end of time and never feel like you’re somehow missing out on the way you “should be” using the device.

It’s honestly hard to imagine how Nintendo ever releases another console that doesn’t at least somewhat emulate the Switch’s design. Oh, and it certainly doesn’t hurt that the Switch’s library has been largely stellar so far.

4. Nintendo Game Boy

It’s easy enough to forget just how bad most handheld gaming consoles released before the Game Boy were and, for that matter, how bad many of the handheld gaming consoles that followed the Game Boy ended up being. We’ve often been willing to settle for less to play games on the go, but the Game Boy truly spoiled us.

Years later, it’s clear that the “secret” to the Game Boy’s success was the way Nintendo set a clear precedent that portable games would no longer just be lesser console games. The Game Boy occasionally dove into those waters, but many of the device’s best games felt like the kind of titles that wouldn’t have found a home on any other platform despite clearly being worthwhile (often great) experiences.

At a time when so many people still play games on mobile devices that too often boil titles down to their simplest forms, the ambitious Game Boy is more impressive than ever.

3. Nintendo DS

The Nintendo DS is another one of those Nintendo devices that can justify its high ranking on the basis of its library alone, but the thing that I don’t think gets talked about enough when we’re discussing the legacy of the DS are its touch screen features. 

At a time when the idea of touch screen gaming felt closer to a novelty, the DS treated the concept with a sense of joy that perfectly captured the thrill many of us felt when we realized that were able to control games in such a futuristic way. We said something similar about the Wii, but years later, there are DS games that make better use of touch controls than even modern smartphone titles.

The DS could have “just” been another Game Boy, and it would likely still be fondly remembered. What elevates it are the ways that it so perfectly showcases the benefits of Nintendo’s outside the box thinking.

2. Nintendo Entertainment System

You know, I’m pretty sure that everyone I knew who owned an NES eventually saw the console “fail” at some point. From broken loading trays to dusty cartridges, the NES may have been one of Nintendo’s least reliable consoles from a hardware perspective.

Like the old sports car that breaks down so often that you learn to love fixing it, though, the memories the NES gave a generation of gamers were certainly worth the trouble. Yes, the NES’ library is impressive, but what’s really impressive is how so many NES games are still playable to this day. Some of them are still seen as the gold standard in their particular genres.

You can debate which console was the best in any given generation, but it’s hard to imagine being a young gamer of a certain era and not having an NES in the house. 

1. Super Nintendo Entertainment System

Incredibly, there was a time when parents everywhere were convinced that the Super Nintendo was some kind of scam. After all, we already owned a Nintendo. Why would they ever spend a couple hundred dollars on another one?

Kids everywhere quickly figured out the answer to that question. Unlike other console follow-ups from previous generations that offered diminishing returns in order to score quick bucks, Nintendo built the SNES to prove to all the doubters that this really was the future of gaming and that the SNES was going open doors that many of us never even knew were there. 

As you’ve probably already guessed, though, the SNES spot at the top of this list was secured by the quality of the console’s games. With help from some of the greatest studios ever working at the top of their games (as well as more than a few notable contributions of their own design), Nintendo assembled a library of SNES classics that may never be topped in terms of quality, innovations, and diversity. This is truly the best Nintendo console ever.

  The post Every Nintendo Console Ranked From Worst to Best appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[technofantasia]

Oh, I LOVE whenever I see people mentioning this!

There are other popular kinds of ship naming conventions, too, that pop up in specific fandoms. Like, for example, the Pokemon fandom names are in the format ___shipping, where the blank is some word or phrase that is vaguely related to the two characters in question, like advanceshipping (Ash/May) or originalshipping (Red/Blue).

This naming convention, while it can get a little bit confusing (there are a LOT of ship names and you usually need to look it up to find which one to search for), was taken on for a reason. The Pokemon fandom in particular has a LOT of characters, most of which have different names and even personalities between Japanese and English, between game and show and comic, sometimes even between individual games! If you just said Red/Blue, it would be too hard to determine which two characters you were talking about. Do you mean Red from the games, or Red from the manga? They're very different. When you say "Blue", do you mean the rival character who was named "Blue" in America but "Green" in Japan? Or the manga-only girl character who was named "Blue" in Japan but "Green" in America? Oh, and don't even get STARTED on whether this counts for the anime character named "Ash" in America and "Satoshi" in Japan, who was technically based off of Red from the original games, and the character named "Gary" in America and "Shigeru" in Japan who was based off the rival character named Blue or Green from the original games.

Ironically, it's easier to have a hyperspecific shipname that has nothing to do with either character's name to search for.

Yet other fandoms, like the Young Justice fandom back in the day, use a convention where you just coin a term that's related to the characters' relationship in canon. For example, at one point someone tells Wally to find his own "spitfire", which in context ended up being Artemis, so Wally/Artemis became "Spitfire". Or, Robin and Zatanna had a fun little conversation about how "if you can be nonchalant about something, shouldn't you be able to just be chalant about it", so their ship name ended up becoming "Chalant". I think my favorite one from that particular fandom, though, was the shipname for Robin/Wally/Artemis, which was "Museum Heist".... because in a museum heist, you 'Rob' the 'Wall' 'Art'. Clever stuff!

Yet another ship name convention I've seen around is specific to the Danny Phantom fandom, where the ship name convention has historically been in the form (word relevant to character A) (word relevant to character B). For example, Sam has purple eyes and Danny has blue eyes, so Danny/Sam is "Amethyst Ocean". Or, Valerie's last name is Gray and Danny is a ghost, so Valerie/Danny is "Gray Ghost".

A lot of different individual fandoms had individual ship name styles, either for specific reasons or taking influence from specific sources, but a lot (especially back in the day) could get SUPER creative.

In recent years, though, I've noticed a lot more fandoms defaulting to the mashing-names-together style of ship naming, even when the fandom had more creative historical ship names for the same ship. For example, back in the earlier days of Homestuck fandom, the ship between John and Dave was commonly known as Pepsicola (because john's color is blue and dave's is red) or Hammertime (because john has a hammer and dave can control time), but in later years, the ship became almost exclusively referred to as Johndave (or less commonly Davejohn) casually. As far as I can tell, the only early fandom shipname from Homestuck that's still used often today is "Rosemary" (Rose/Kanaya). I've seen this with a bunch of other fandoms, too.

I have a couple ideas for why this could have happened. It might be because fandom in general has been getting more homogenized through use of social media like tumblr and twitter; a given person is much more likely to belong to a smattering of fandoms at the same time in the same places than just being in one fandom or using different websites/communities to talk about different fandoms. As such, it's unsurprising that people have clung to a more standardized way of referring to ships across fandoms rather than sticking with the interesting but harder to remember historical standard for that specific fandom.

Another possible reason I've considered is that AO3 has become the internet's most popular hub for fanfiction, and the AO3 tagging system uses the slash convention for all ships, regardless of content. Back in the day, "slash" used to specifically refer to same gender ships because the convention for m/f ships was.... ironically, to use an x, not a /. So. MxF, M/M. The slash was to be clear that this is a gay ship, as oppoosed to a cross which meant a straight ship. IIRC that was a convention started all the way back in the X-Files fandom, which was also the first fandom to coin the term "shipping"! So. The convention is literally as old as shipping itself. As far as I can tell, that convention held strong for years before AO3 came on the scene; when AO3 started gaining traction, though, with its tagging convention of using / for all ships (even the different gender ones), the cross/slash distinction fell out of common use to the point where nowadays it is very rare to see an x used to ship characters in ANY context. It wouldn't be too much of a stretch, then, to suggest that that may have also been at least partially the cause of other nonstandard ship name conventions falling out of common use.

Of course, just because nonstandard ship names are less common now doesn't mean they're GONE. As far as I know, most ship name conventions mentioned in this post both by me and OP are still in use! I know from experience that the invader zim ship name convention is still heavily used, and during the moomin boom of a couple years back, the term "springdove" was coined practically alongside the more standard sounding "snufmin" to refer to the same ship. While fandoms have changed in a LOT of ways over the years, its comforting to know that there are some ways its stayed the same--in that people still find it fun to refer to characters smooching with silly names.

All of this is interesting stuff and I love seeing people talk about it! It deserves recognition.

Does anyone else like watching the progression of ship names and conventions and how they change depending on the fandom? Like, for instance, in anime, you often use the first one or two syllables of the characters name and put them together so: kiribaku, sasusaku, etc.

But then an OLD anime, specifically yaoi fandom, convention was to use the order to indicate the “seme” (top) and “uke” (bottom. my GOD the fact that I can remember this smh), so sasunaru or narusasu.

And then in western fandom, you used to have a slash, so luke/leia, kirk/spock, which of course, gave rise to the slash fandom name. Because people would say “I like x slash y, you know, as a relationship”. Then, for a long time you’d often have a portmanteau of two characters names, depending on if there was a similarity between them, typically at the vowel: spirk, klance, destiel, sterek. But NOW it’s gravitating more towards mashing the whole name or a nickname together: deancas, sambucky.

But then, you can also get really fandom-specific naming conventions, like Invader Zim, with ZaDR or ZaDF where the ship name was an acronym for the characters involved, and the relationship style, romance or friendship in this case.

And of course, it’s all very fluid, so you’ll see all of these naming conventions (and more!) mixing and matching through different fandoms and times.

[metroidfreeroms]

Metroid GBA Roms

Game Boy Advance could be the best tool for gambling and gaming is now among the very famous pastimes in the complete Earth, which has been tremendously popular for many decades now. It is believed to be among the best emulators to utilize in regards to conducting the elderly games on your own device. Make sure you've got the specific emulator installed onto your own apparatus whilst running this match.

If you have got good hacks, we're very happy in the proceedings it's possible to talk about them to us. You've got to play this match once you have not done it . The game has most of the decent features very similar to other emulators.

Roms are record formats which can be utilized in tandem along with emulators, to allow you to play and download free gba roms together with your mobile apparatus. GBA Emulator is certainly the first and thebest GBA emulator you have to have available. In addition, a few emulators expect a bios document that we can not disperse for legal aspects.

It's possible to easily operate Higan emulator in your pc and it is not hard to put in. The emulator includes a keypad that could possibly be adjusted. In the event that you produce your very own Android emulator, look at creating a emulator for each Android apparatus you want to encourage.

Be given a DSi flash card and you are able to download NDS roms free of cost and play with them in your handheld. This BIOS is Provided by Normmatt. You're going to need a first BIOS file to play with a number of the games perfectly within this emulator.

In the end, you ought to develop a specific batch document. It works fine with most of the smartphoneTablets. This emulator incorporates numerous salient attributes for its own users.

Need less to say, you won't have some difficulty with the emulators, and installing them is really a fairly straightforward process it does not take a lot of skill . It's quite simple to understand the innerworkings of the battle system. Thus much so that you don't get a wonderful deal of complex choices.

Weaknesses While it's likely to play with Nintendo DS ROMs, you will find occasions once the game crashes. Game cartridges will also be tough to get, particularly those exceptional country-exclusive releases. Now you've got access to quite a few different cheats you could apply them while playing with the platinum light GBA.

When you anticipate looking for the ideal GBA Emulator for PC, there are a lot of the. The fishtank on the surface of your 3DS's screen is going to become full of dogs and cats. So if you're eager to play GBA games on such versions of Windows operating system, and then you've landed in the right place, my good friend.

In truth, it works for all of your Pokemon ROMs and also you can likewise use it in order to play with Pokemon White DSi in addition to the latest release, this is the Pokemon Black. Pokemon Sage was among the versions which some pokemons weren't permitted to go from the specific places. Every Pokemon ROM player has to be more conversant with Pokemon Cloud White and its latest series.

Nintendo 64 Features

The systems and games have been shipped all over the world to new states. Hence, if you relish your game system, there is reallyn't need to upgrade. Buying game systems has always been relatively costly opportunity, and it has been laborious also. Based in your own age you might or might not remember when video game systems first came out in the market.

While it did not delight in the specific same success as Nintendo's latest console, the Wiiit had some amazing games. The Nintendo 64 isn't enjoy the first Nintendo where you've got to blow into most of previous systems and possess the correct strategy to have it working. It came up with GameCube that a cd established system, but deficiency of mature oriented matches and small library it wasn't as popular as PlayStation. Not exactly that, after two years time Nintendo released their very own console which we know now because the Nintendo 64.

New Step by Step Road Map for Nintendo 64

The game was released on most of substantial gaming consoles. It can be difficult to choose which games to buy. So many in fact it may be tricky to select which games you want to purchase. The essential thing supporting these is that people can select the many match in accord with the reviews of those people that have played with the match sooner. For mepersonally, it's one of the very best Nintendo 64 games which has been published till date.

The controller was built to be held in three different places. This means that you may purchase three more controllers for the system if you would like. Nintendo controls are somewhat more comfortable and reliable while thirdparty controllers are somewhat more affordable. The Nintendo 64 controller has been among the 1st gaming controllers to make use of analog stick technology being a major feature, designed to deliver the user with a larger collection of functions like mobility and camera controller. Furthermore, the control for the Super Nintendo was simple along side straight forward which made easy for almost any gamer.

Maybe you can buy games on the web as though you can certainly do today. To do so, you could want to conserve the match and after that initiate the match , or you might have to press on begin to pause or see the menu, then press launch , or maybe you have to take to moving your sprite to the far left side of this screen. Now you've honed in on the matches you might need to purchase but you must be certain they are appropriate. The game isn't as simple as it sounds! The 1st match had an excellent variety of Nintendo characters to choose from, a couple of hidden unlockable characters, and a distinguishing degree design. Many games are translated by fans. It's simple enough for everybody else to get and play along with lots of games are promoted towards people who normally wouldn't play matches.

There are certainly a significant number of games offered for your own Wii. Playing games seems to alleviate stress after a difficult day's job on the job. The match is very interesting, the entire village resets every 3 days and it's really up to Link to store the entire village from the endless cycle by completing dungeons and also a great deal of pleasure exploration. An excellent game is a great game yet old or new it is. A superb game then is probably still a great game. Other games permit you availability to this debug menu utilized by the games developers.

When you beat the game under the compulsory period of time you're going to need to fight captain falcon for a way to unlock him. The game can be understood to the GBC LCD screen and the TV itself. Video-games compose a tiny portion of pawn shops business so as they do not always understand the worth of what it's that they have. Know that it's possible to run into games that may teach your child and permit them to have pleasure at the specific same moment. You're interested in being sure you do not buy little Tommy a car racing game that is so awful it is immaterial how far he enjoys cars he continues to be not very likely to dislike this game.

Metroid Fusion Rom Can Be Fun for Everyone

Possessing The capacity to enjoy playing the game with your family and friends, and simple gameplay are already enough to give you lots of excitement and fun when playing with the game. It gets harder following obtaining badges which allow it to be even more challenging and enjoyable. Nearly everything has updated that you may not know it's a FireRed game.

The majority Of the initial theme and game play will probably be kept intact in this 24-Meg cart, together with a couple new attributes that are certain to dismiss all the hardcore metroid fanatics everywhere. I'd claim that the Minus version if your preference is to engage in this, however the original game is merely fine too. In this informative article, you are going to see the variety of the best Fan-made Pokemon games.

You can find, Additionally, some brand new music concealed in days gone by match's code. This sub game is probable based on a certain Japanese card game named Karuta. If you complete the game and save after the credits, then you may begin a fresh match with all your prior equipment, in spite of the fact that they won't be leveled up yet.

You need to Follow along with the story and that means you're able to know just what methods to use. This Metroid is very different Because of this navigation platform, but additionally, it is a larger

difficulty In reaction to a range of the fans wishes. It really is strange in the first, because you want to defeat the acceptable supervisor to enter certain locations.

Defeating Omega Metroid This suggestion is simple to do with some luck, you won't have struck at all from the comprehensive conflict. Samus also offers the capacity to scale ladders and be given a grip of ledges.

Metroid on The person who travels to some sort of to eradicate the Metroid. The water will damage Samus should you produce her rack inside. You need to feel a sense of ownership over Metroid.

If you're Proficient with web site structure, coding, would like to post news, or merely have a ton of ROMs which people do not have, we'd be delighted to enable one to contribute. By Searching to get ROM games you may possibly encounter a enormous collection of them across the Web site. Although Purchasing a sport is always a Wonderful approach, this is not necessarily A choice for a.

My pc is sort of dumb therefore that I have to utilize low quality. Thought I'd discuss 1 hack specifically that I'm quite excited to view The forseeable future! It is also one of those hardly any hacks that were Published on a concrete cartridge with all an hackers' consent as a portion of a Community-led undertaking.