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gear-project · 10 months

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BATTLE STANCE EVOLUTION: Part 1

I'm calling this "Part 1" because I plan on covering the other characters eventually in discussion, but just keep in mind Tumblr limits 10 images per blog post, so that's the main reason I'm doing this.

Sol Badguy: Initially he gripped the Fireseal with a reverse grip in a laid-back and lazy pose and mostly let his fists and feet do the fighting, but as time went on he built the large heavy blade weapon known as OutRage Mk. 2… we already know how large it gets when completely transformed, but by itself Sol likes to use a white tassel to help throw its heavy weight around. It's actually better at smashing things than simply cutting. In times past, Sol used a Concrete Slab, an Emergency-use Axe, and a Cogblade sword. Sol has also been known to dual wield weapons on rare occasion.

Ky Kiske: Ky's Hand and a Half stance once embodied the nobility of the Sacred Order of Holy Knights, and he even maintained that stance when wielding the massive ornamental blade Aquila (proof that he can wield heavy swords even with one hand)… Later, when the Thundersealed Sword regenerated itself from saving Dizzy, Ky adopted a more relaxed side-stance, but this relaxed stance hides just how flexible he really is in combat as he can cut down a person's ankles in an instant with Stun Dipper. In addition, motion he makes for Vapor Thrust now has two different motions… the Heavy version gains more height and Ky uses more force to launch his opponents. Ky has also alternated from several different leg-based attacks from Needle Spike (An overhead axe-kick in to a slash of his sword), Crescent Slash (a reverse flip in to an upward Slash), Greed Sever (his famous "Emerald Sword"), and finally Foudre Arc which uses the same arcing motion the original Needle Spike had, but can be enhanced during "Shock State". Else, Ky has far too many moves to really list here, to say how versatile he really is… most notable being Zerofied Chain, which is a magic spell that Ky can use to maneuver around his opponent much like Baiken's Kabari "Fishing Fly" technique.

Zato=ONE: Zato's original "back-facing stance" is based on Flamenco Dancers in Spanish tradition, allowing him to stomp and clap easily (which is how he currently trained Eddie to change actions mid-motion as a kind of Attack-Cancel). His current modern stance favors his dominant foot and the motions of his arms (which are used to form many of the shadow attacks he uses, similar to a genuine Shadow Puppet Show).

Millia Rage: Her initial stance put emphasis on her physical speed and flexibility, allowing her hips to sway in motion with the flicks of her hair. But as Angra grew in size and power, Millia has had to adjust her stance to accommodate the weight of her hair as a weapon. Now she can use the weight of her hair's attacks to propel her own body mid-motion for kicks and quick movements like Mirazh (her evolved form of the Zenten forward roll she once used). Most notable of her arsenal is the changes made to her multi-hitting Lust Shaker attack. Originally they were light flicks of attacks from the top of her head towards her opponent as a kind of anti-air move, but eventually she started using the move horizontally and leaned sideways in order to use her hair's power more effectively… they created a "Rose Crest" effect on Lust Shaker (in the GGX days as the Drafting Arts depicted it)… she would of course later develop Chroming Rose as a result of this and Longinus (a follow-up to Lust Shaker), but now the attack is effective enough to be used behind her hips without much effort compared to before (in early XX depictions though, it acted as protective Ivy around her body, like a hedge of thorns).

Chipp Zanuff: Chipp has grown a lot as a Ninja to say the least… early on, he would hold his hand and leading foot outwards and shift from front to back, later, he would sometimes wag his hand in a relaxed motion as if that was his natural battle stance… but since Strive's events, he has mastered Tsuyoshi's teachings and keeps a much tighter stance with his hands and fingers for use in various Jutsu techniques. Furthermore, it can be said that his Banki Messai has changed a lot as well… as Chipp can now use Shadow Clones to attack alongside himself, instead of merely using his natural agility. He's also improved his skill in Stealth and Illusions as well.

May: Early on, May's battle stance was very simple as she would sway in accordance with the shifts in weight of her anchor, but now that she has a custom-made Anchor to match her skill with Water Magic, her stance has become less erratic so that she can use the full power of her strength and the Anchor's weight at a moment's notice… growing taller has also changed how she holds her weapon as well since she's not so tiny anymore compared to the massive Anchor's size.

Axl Low: Axl's semi-crouching stance is pretty famous in terms of how he traditionally wields his Kusari-gama, the reason being that this is the usual stance he has when throwing out consecutive Rensengeki chain attacks. Throwing the chain along the ground is how he establishes his offense and "controls the stage". Most likely the reason behind such a low stance has to do with how much effort is needed in throwing his heavy chains around, to put his whole back muscles in to the force of the attack. Axl's more modern "standing stance" is much more relaxed and reveals (believe it or not) that Axl has gotten much stronger since he started using the style: the reason he can stand up normally and still wield his chain scythes is because it takes a lot LESS effort to throw his chains now that he has more muscle power in his arms and legs to throw the weapon around. He also likes to "tap" his front-most foot in time with the sway of the chains he wields, meaning his battle stance has a rhythm to it, even if that's not immediately apparent.

Potemkin: Potemkin's old fighting stance had him rock back and forth while favoring to grip with his dominant hand: it would open and close as if readying him to grab his opponent at a moment's notice… Similar to some ways gorillas use their knuckles and forearms to propel themselves forwards, Potemkin also utilizes the size of his hands to propel himself rather than his much smaller feet and legs. He still walks normally of course, but because of how small his legs are in proportion to his arms, he's always been slow at getting around. He can still kick and stomp with a great deal of force though, make no mistake! As of Strive, Potemkin favors a stance that is more accurate to MMA-style grappling and wrestling… both hands are open and ready to pin the opponent down at any time. While Potemkin puts less emphasis on his destructive Mega Fists (Or Gigantic Piston/Magnum Opera) these days, his Potemkin Buster is still an unchanged force to be reckoned with. It's just too bad we don't get to see his stern face under all that Armor as much anymore!

Faust: Even back in the old days, Faust was something of an odd fighter, but he gets his habits from a certain warrior named TamTam of Samurai Shodown fame! He would rock up and down on the haunches of his feet and occasionally skitter backwards to maintain dominance with the range of his massive Margarita Scalpel. While his old style put more emphasis on direct hack and slash attacks, Faust would often use the natural range of his limbs and the length of his fingers to take advantage of his opponents… you do NOT want to get Slapped by Faust during his massive IKINARI OISSU Hand Slap… it stings worse than a Harisen Fan! As of Strive, Faust has "put on" the SERIOUS Surgery gloves and his massive height is on full display, even taking advantage of his unnatural flexibility and "other" bizarre powers to get the drop on anyone who would DARE stop a Doctor from fulfilling their sacred duties! More famous among his kit of moves was his "Pogo Stance" which could produce the "Doctor Copter!" using his long legs to fly in the air!

Baiken: She was the HIDDEN FIGHTER among this roster of misfits, but has since evolved from less of a Yankee Delinquent with a Katana and more of an actual powerhouse Samurai Warrior! It's worth noting that many of her animations and attacks were "unfinished" according to many sources, and even in the GGXX days, her animations hadn't been fully fleshed out as well as they should have been. It wasn't until Xrd Revelator that Baiken got a proper kit of walking and running animations… still, looking at the comparison here, you can tell that the sprite-work for GGX's version of Baiken still had to rely on the original GG1 sprites as a base, so just the fact they managed to get so far with producing Baiken as a character means there was a LOT of talent behind her creation. Based on the animations of her stance though… originally Baiken gripped her sword with her remaining hand though it's unclear how the sword was tied to her belt at the time (they didn't think to draw a proper belt for her sword!) Nowadays her stance puts emphasis on her open palm: which she uses for grab counters, Ki attacks, and even her BAKU Seals which can debilitate anyone who gets hit by them. Of course, she DOES Draw her sword, but she uses a quick draw method along with a tassel which she uses to hold the scabbard in addition to using her teeth to hold the sword before a full draw. Her multi-use Prosthetics have ranged from a pinwheel blade, a dragon cannon, a rope with a hook, and a kind of bell clasp which is what she uses in her modern style of managing her opponent's movements with Kabari (her "Fishing Fly"… the original name of Kabari was "Kamaitachi" as in a Wind Demon which is known to trip up those unawares…). Also, fun-fact... Baiken's Slot 1 Color in Guilty Gear Strive is based on the original color of Baiken's hair from GG1 which is a more natural hair color compared to the Cherry Blossom Pink color that Baiken is more known for.

Welp, that's it for now... I might cover other characters later... but I'm filing this article under the Movelist Evolution and Battle Stance Evolution tags, in case you were wondering where to find it again!

#Movelist Evolution #Battle Stance Evolution #Time Capsule

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bahamutgames · 5 months

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Afterthoughts Story : Cyber Sleuth

Game: Digimon Story : Cyber Sleuth (March 12, 2015)

Console: Nintendo Switch

Alright, let's do this. So, my last RPG that I played through before taking a break so I wouldn't have anything overlapping with the most important game ever coming out this Friday Is Digimon Cyber Sleuth, obviously. I got this game for Christmas a few years back now but didn't end up playing it until this year, and finally beat it right at the end of October. So here I am, telling you about my wonderful digiexperience!

Like always, not a review, just my thoughts. Please don't take my word as gospel, just my impressions while playing. Play anything I talk about you that interests you.

SPOILERS FOR DIGIMON CYBER SLEUTH AHEAD, PROCEED WITH CAUTION! THERE'S NO SPOILERS FOR HACKER'S MEMORY THOUGH!

Opening

So, honestly, as much as I enjoy Digimon from afar. I've never been a hard core Digimon guy. I've seen a bit of Adventures, I always liked the designs, and I follow that Digimon a day twitter that has shown me a lot of AMAZING creatures from it. But truth be told, I just never really got into the series. However I saw how popular this game seemed to be, and knew it was a turnbased RPG, so I figured it'd be a great jumping in point for me. And honestly, I was right! I had a fantastic time with this game!

Stuff I liked

I was very pleasantly surprised by this game. I really wasn't sure what to expect since Digimon is a little out of my wheelhouse, but honestly I think this was a really solid RPG with a lot of high points. I think the graphics are nice, it's not the most mind blowing thing visually outside of EDEN but when you go into digital worlds I think the game looks SUPER cool and felt like playing Summer Wars. Which makes sense, but still lol. The soundtrack is also REALLY good, much to no one's surprise, I particularly enjoyed the battle themes. The boss theme and the Eater themes were my favorites, but I also enjoyed the song that plays in the Digital Shift dungeons and the Digital World.

The gameplay was very good too and honestly really surprising to me. I know they're wildly different series, but I HAVE been playing through the Pokemon games lately, so I couldn't help but draw comparisons between the two. And while this is a monster collection game, they play NOTHING alike. In fact, Cyber Sleuth plays a LOT more like a traditional JRPG. And personally, I really like that. Things are a little linear which is fine for my lizard brain. But particularly I think the combat helps this game feel a lot faster than Pokemon can at times. Since every battle has you with 3 monsters that you can swap out during combat, and fully deck out with multiple pieces of equipment, and even completely change their movelist to your liking whenever you want. I think it works very well and while it is SIMILAR to Pokemon, and it might be more my style, I think it's good that they're so different, I don't know if I'd want Pokemon to straight up rip this off even if I think there is some convenience and maybe even some polish it could borrow from this?

In regards to that polish, I do love that every Digimon is like a full fledged party member in a more traditional RPG sense. But something I was REALLY shocked by was the amount of animations each Digimon has. They all have a standard attack, signature attack, buff, damage, death, and victory animation totally unique to themselves! From what I noticed, they're not even copied between evolutions. AND your current party follows you on the map, it's really cool! I also enjoy that digimon you aren't using can be put on the farm to gather items and sidequests, or even be fed to your other Digimon for EXP. It's small but it's a neat addition.

And as long as I'm on the subject of the monsters themselves, if you've seen my thoughts on the Pokemon games you know a HUGE aspect of those games for me is the Pokedex of the region. The monsters really make or break the monster collection game for me, of course. They're the main reason I'm playing it! And while it might be unfair to give it praise for this, since it's had years of monsters to pull from. As an outsider of the series, Cyber Sleuth MORE than delivers on its monster catalogue! There are SO many monsters to meet and recruit through the game, and so many of them were brand new to me! Obviously I had the classics I know like Agumon (one of my personal faves cause, dinosaur) but there were SO many new Digimon I had never heard of before that I fell in love with. Stuff like Pumpkinmon, Geckomon, Lekismon, Zubamon (who I just learned can turn into a sword!? SO BAD ASS!!), and my new personal favorite: Groundramon! It seemed like there was ALWAYS something new to find even when I digivolving the same creature over and over, I was always finding new creatures and still didn't get most of the catalogue filled.

Outside of that stuff, I enjoyed the story a lot. There were a lot of turns and twists that kept it interesting, and I always really enjoy plots about the relationship between the real world and cool MMOs. I think the Eden Syndrome stuff is probably a little tried but it worked! I thought the Eaters were mysterious and freaky. I liked how the plot was framed around solving cases as a detective, it was a very unique format for an RPG. I liked a lot of the characters, they were all very fun. Nokia and Yuuko were funny, I liked Arata, and Kyoko was SO hot! The game is also hilarious! It sometimes gives the energy of like "we weren't given a proper script to translate so we went a little nuts" but honestly I think it worked. The game is serious when it needs to be but is still super funny when it can be and is generally very unhinged at times in a good way. Overall it was a very fun and funny experience!

Also, the ending where you're rebuilt from the memories of your Digimon team was SO cute, I loved that, what a cute little detail as a final goodbye from your party.

Stuff I didn't like

However, as you can probably tell from the translation thing, this game is a little rough around the edges. I'd say overall the quality is very high, but there's a couple things here and there that make it feel not 100% there, if that makes sense?

So, a small one that didn't come up a lot but came up more than you'd expect was text formatting issues. This makes sense because Japanese text can probably fit a whole novel into the textboxes, while English text can be a lot longer. But sometimes text would go off screen, or there would be times where I could select lines in a dialogue box that was CLEARLY not a dialogue choice? Or sometimes I felt like they'd attribute the lines to the wrong characters. It never massively got in the way, and most of the time it's not an issue. But it's still odd and something I've never seen before.

Then there's the character designs. I like the protagonist's design. I like Kyoko and Yuuko too. And obviously the Digimon rule. But like Arata and the detective and Date all kinda look basic? Like I maybe couldn't pick them out of a crowd? And it weirded me out the WHOLE time that Nokia looked almost identical to me. Was us being separated at birth removed from our memories too? I felt similarly about Jimiken, who really didn't look as cool or noticeable (despite looking like Jimiken) to be a reoccurring threat through so much of the early game. Overall I don't think any character designs are bad, just some of them are underwhelming among the humans.

The only real issues I have with the Digimon are that there's too many Vaccine types. I ended up having tons that turned into Vaccines in the end and basically had no null types. It was very odd. And also, I do kinda wish you could digivolve for the stats without having to change the Digimon's designs. Some of them have great designs but their digivolutions kinda... suck. Like Geckomon's evo looks really stupid imo, so I had to turn him into Whamon. Who changed from Virus to Vaccine. Stuff like that genuinely got under my skin sometimes. I don't like Zabueagermon. That name is stupid. I like Zabumon. Give him back to me!

However, my biggest problem with this game. Is that it can kinda drag sometimes. In a few ways. Some smaller ways are like, when you need a new mission. Instead of just giving it to you, sometimes they make you leave the office, get a call, then IMMEDIATELY walk back inside the office. Or worse, you have to walk all the way somewhere to get a job, then go back to the office to accept, THEN GO BACK to where you got the job and continue. Or sometimes characters will just kinda talk on and on and on forever until I'm totally lost from the conversation. I know it's kind of the joke with Kyoko, but it happens a lot and especially towards the end of the game. Genuinely took me out of some story moments where I couldn't keep up with what long-winded comparison she was going on about.

And that ties into my final thought on this, that the game kinda starts to drag in general towards the end. Like, it feels like nothing is happening for a large portion of the game, then the portal opens and things get exciting. And then things just kinda stop and start dragging again. Even story relevant stuff just didn't feel exciting or sometimes out of place. The worst example being when you travel to an alternative reality to get a character who died off screen to come help you because he's still alive in this world. Was that world a reference to a Digimon series I should've been aware of? This new character who joins you from this reality just shows up out of NOWHERE and realistically this whole situation is kinda meaningless? Like this didn't need to happen, it just does for some reason and then kinda never gets addressed again. WE WENT TO AN ALTERNATE REALITY? Idk it just feels very odd. And then some late game dungeons just kinda go on or are kinda repeats of earlier dungeons with tedious copy/paste puzzles. And then you finally get to the end and you have to fight the same security system over and over until you FINALLY get to the final boss. Again it's not the end of the world, but after a bit I really like feel like the game was just overstaying its welcome a little.

Final Thoughts

Honestly though? Overall I think this game was FANTASTIC and a really good introduction to Digimon for me! I didn't even fully go into some other systems and concepts I enjoyed like crossover attacks, how you recruit digimon by scanning them, the theming of dungeons using firewalls and you actually having to hack stuff using computer functions. It's cute!

Color me intrigued, I'm certainly interested in Digimon now. I know there's a remarkable amount of RPGs and Fighting games in the series, so I'll probably check out some of those. I might watch some of the anime. I'm a little card game crazy and Groundramon has a few cards in the TCG! I'm even working on my first Digifake and joined a Digimon Discord with some of my friends. There's a whole new digital world for me to jump into!

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Thanks for reading! I totally understand why Digimon is so beloved by people, and it was genuinely really fun to finally dive into something from it full on. SO MANY COOL REPTILES IN THIS SERIES! You can see my full team right here (x)!

As for Hacker's Memory. I'm not gonna play that right now. It's longer than the base game. That's not DLC, that's a sequel!! Which is a great deal for sure! But, sheesh! I'll be sure to play it later!

I also want to give a shoutout to Helryu on Deviantart! Usually for the game cover banners at the top of posts I'll take banners from online stores, twitch, or news sites. Stuff that's probably game assets already. But they actually didn't have one for JUST cyber sleuth, they all came with Hacker's memory. So I was very happy to see Helryu did the dirty work for me. Thank you! They make lots of twitch game banners so go check them out if you need any.

That's all from me! Go out and play a game from a big franchise you've wanted to check out!

#2023 #thoughts

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saucylobster · 1 year

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My ducks are done but blody hell formatting all the info is a nightmare. Instead here’s a stripped down image with them all on. There’s a lot of info below and that isn’t even looking at stats, abilities and movelists... Floatot are easygoing if not vulnerable pokemon that require the protection afforded to them by their parents. Most adults form flocks with their own kind and raise their young accordingly, helping to establish isolated flocks of each species despite sharing the same child species. Mixed flocks are rare but do occur, being quite the sight to behold. Malldrake are adaptable pokemon hat have made their homes worldwide and in a variety of habitats. Malldrake spend more time than the other Floatot parents in the water as evolution hasn’t granted them the extreme specialisations present in the others. A “jack of all trades” kind of pokemon, their lack of any inherent weaknesses is what has granted them their worldwide success. Ganserra are keen predators and have the serrated bill to prove it. Quick in the water, they dart after aquatic prey effortlessly and can move between the surface and the river bed near instantly. Their feathers form tough scales at their breast and afford a Ganserra some level of protection against any prey that tries to fight back. Shovill are the heaviest of the Floatot parents and spend more of their time at the shore. They use their spade like bill and broad flippers to sift through the mud in search of weeds and other foodstuffs. Their heavy bill can be wielded like a shield in their defence, deflecting oncoming attacks with a swing of their head. Albusmew reside further North than other Floatot parents and are adapted to swimming in colder waters. By freezing the water around them they can trap prey and aggressors or create a frozen bulwark between the surface and the water below. During a snowstorm entire flocks of Albusmew seem to disappear, melting into the blizzard with their perfect camouflage. Dazzdarin are the flashiest of all the Floatot parents and can be the toughest to get along with. Narcassism is the name of the game and their irridescent feathers shine beautifully in the light, captivating themselves as much as any onlooker. Finding a mate as splendid as oneself is difficult when you have such a high opinion of your own appearance. Pinstream are the fastest Floatot parents and the only ones who have retained the power of flight. A streamlined body and excellent positional awareness makes Pinstream masters of land, sea and air, moving between all three mediums with little effort. Their chicks have to be particularly determined to keep up with parents like these, but they’ll never be abandoned for long.

#fakemon #fakedex #saucylobster #duck #duckling #birds #mallard #merganser #shoveler #smew #mandarin duck #pintail

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tobiasdrake · 1 year

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Tip for new players: Remembering moves has never been so easy. Take advantage of it.

It might not seem like it's that big a deal, but it is. See, it used to cost rare items to remember moves, and you had to find a specific guy who would unlock them for you. It was hard. And because it was hard, the developers made it rewarding.

It may not be hard anymore, but that reward is still there for you to find. What reward? Secret moves hidden in your Pokemon's movelist.

Every time your Pokemon evolves, its learnset changes. Most later stages of a given Pokemon evolution line have at least a few secret moves hidden in their movelist, programmed to be learned at level 1. If you use the Remember Move feature, these are available immediately after they evolve.

In fact, many Pokemon who evolve with an item like a Fire Stone or a Thunder Stone will have their entire moveset unlocked and buried in their Remember Move list.

So make sure you check your Pokemon's "Remember a Move" list every time they evolve. There might be some neat surprises waiting for you.

#pokemon scarlet and violet #pokemon

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protagonistheavy · 1 year

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Since I cant trust Gamefreak to make a full and fulfilling Pokemon game anymore, I've been looking forward to spinoffs and the potential those might have. Legends Arceus had some bumps but it was ultimately a satisfying experience, so I think there's still hope that the non-mainline games can occasionally get the love and attention they deserve.

A game I'd really like to see at this point is a Pokemon Stadium 3, with an emphasis on customizing your dream Pokemon teams and battles. Importantly, I'd want to see every possible mechanic brought into one, consolidated game -- mega evolutions, Z-moves, dynamaxing, everything. Let people tweak and adjust any pokemon to their liking, up to their legal limits; pick out the exact nature, ability, EV distribution, etc. Add every holdable item, add every variation of pokemon, let the player pick out every move from their movelist. Yeah I know that this is basically that online Pokemon game but what I'm obviously looking for here is a proper gaming experience, with full graphics, polish, and in-game reasons to grind and keep coming back.

Not everything would have to be frontloaded to the player either. In fact I think a really cool idea would be unlocking these features through a straightforward campaign. That campaign could have the player going through tournaments or facing line-ups of trainers, and with each circuit you beat, you unlock new eras of pokemon to pick from, gradually unlocking their different forms, abilities, etc. Specific customizations for pokemon could even be locked behind challenges or achievements specific to that pokemon -- so you might be able to initially pick between its two normal abilities, but after using that pokemon to get a KO or something, you unlock the choice to use its hidden ability. Sort of like a prestige system, with the endgame reward for each specific pokemon being that you unlock their shiny variant.

Campaigns and other in-game events could also encourage all sorts of different playstyles and combinations. The main campaign can see rules being added, like only allowing certain types of pokemon, prohibiting certain moves or special attacks, etc. so that players have to think about battles differently. Special events could get even wackier and bend the rules, maybe giving every pokemon a specific ability or moveset, or doubling the effectiveness of stat boots, whatever. Ultimately the fun comes from seeing these different rulesets and finding your own way to approach them, while also grinding out different goals to keep expanding your options.

The cherry on top would be making battles themselves more efficient, faster. Text boxes should be minimalized and quick; animations and pop-ups for effects should be simultaneous; buffs/debuffs should all happen at the same time rather than one stat at a time. Add the right polish to battles, give players free camera movement, have the pokemon approach each other for physical attacks, etc. etc. etc.

A game like this could ideally be made on a tighter budget too. Yeah thered be a lot of pokemon and effects to put in but there wouldn't be any elaborate overworlds, bare minimum new characters, almost no need for any human models except maybe the ability to customize your own trainer, no epic plots or involved storylines. Just encourage players to build up their dream team and then play against each other in fast, fresh matches.

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askkrenko · 3 years

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Krenko’s Guide to Pokemon: Elekid Line

Please keep out of reach of small children, including itself.

DESIGN:

Elekid looks dumb. Really dumb. Nothing about Elekid looks like a creature, and it doesn’t look artificial, either. It just looks like something that a human designed as an RPG monster. Now, granted, it is an RPG monster designed by a human, but most of these things have cohesive forms and patterns that, while infused with their element, are still things that you could conceive of as simply existing in a magical world. Elekid is as round as an egg with weirdly thick arms, no knees, and this weird plug-horns sticking straight up that don’t look like any part of anything reasonable. And then it has that big lightning bolt on its chest as if to say ‘hello, I am an electric type.’

And lightning bolts aren’t unreasonable in the design of electric Pokemon, but compare Elekid being clearly stamped to the far wilder stripe on Electabuzz, Pikachu’s tail, or Zebstrika’s mane. There are plenty of Pokemon that are visually clearly labeled as electric types, but Elekid looks like someone actually took time to stamp him. If it was a more artificial Pokemon like Magnemite or Porygon this would be fine, but we’re supposed to believe that Elekid is a baby Electabuzz and instead it just looks fake and bad in every way.

Electabuzz, on the other hand, is great. It’s got big Oni energy with its brutish form and stripes (Oni are often depicted with tiger pelts,) its stripes have a realistic animal-like pattern but still clearly evoke electricity, its little antennae are clearly non-standard but evoke oni horns, and it just looks really fuzzy. Electabuzz is clearly a thunder oni, but is also fully its own thing that is not actually a thunder oni. Electabuzz is sort of peak Pokemon design for me- taking a pre-existing mythological creature, shuffling it on itself, and making something new that evokes that creature without being it outright.

Electivire is… not something I’m happy with. It doesn’t particularly offend me the way Elekid does (save for maybe the ‘plug’ symbol on its back), but its more apelike features don’t feel like a step up for Electabuzz, and while I love the idea of it delivering electricity with prehensile tails, they always look more like tentacles coming out of its back. I think the design could be improved a lot if the tails came down and looped around instead of sticking up over its shoulders. It’s not like they’re long enough to be used as an attack that way, either. My other issue is the straighter lines. While Electabuzz’ stripes only go partially around like a tiger’s, Electivire’s run full lines, taking away the appearance of ‘fur pattern’ and adding back some of that artificial look from Elekid.

EVOLUTIONS:

I’m starting to think of cutting this section because I find myself repeating so often. Elekid to Electabuzz at 30 is correct. Electivire being a trade evolution with a unique item that has no effect other than to evolve that one specific Pokemon is just a waste of time and coding effort. Just make it a trade evolution and save the hassle of the Electirizer.

That said, both pre-evolution and a third form were necessary to give this Pokemon line full playability. Electabuzz was too weak for endgame but too strong to show up before endgame. Adding a baby form that can appear on even early routes and a final form with proper endgame stats really frees up the line to be used anywhere.

Art by hftran

TYPING:

Electivire is a pure electric type, which is mediocre but not bad. Electric has three resistances to one weakness, but on the flip side, only two things are weak to electricity and four types can withstand it. Water and Flying are both common types to see, but Earthquake is a common attack, so a pure Electric type has plenty of opportunities to shine but also has to be careful.

STATS:

Electivire has a pretty decent stat spread, with slightly below average defenses, good speed, and a great 123 physical attack. Its special attack is 95, which isn’t as good, but is noteworthy because its special attack lineup is better than its physical lineup.

Art by salanchu

ABILITIES:

Electivire’s hidden ability, Vital Spirit, prevents Sleep. This is always fine.

Electivire’s primary ability is Motor Drive. Motor Drive changes its Electricity resistance into an Electricity immunity, and raises its speed every time it’s hit by an Electric attack.

Both of these abilities are situational and require catching the right attack type, and both are equally entirely usable. Electricity’s not so much a threat that Electivire should feel the need for immunity, but at the same time, it’s common enough that being able to switch into it without harm is nice. Neither of these abilities is bad, but neither of them encourages or unlocks any interesting strategies.

Art by Koeskull

MOVES:

Electivire has the classic “Wrong Attacks” problem, and it’s actually a pretty serious issue. Physically, Electivire’s best attack is Wild Charge, with a power of 90 and recoil of 25%. And this is the best non-signature electric physical attack, so it’s not like it’s missing an attack… But for special attacks, Thunder, Thunderbolt, and Volt Switch are all just better moves to have.

When we look at coverage, we see a similar issue. Yes, Electivire gets the elemental punches and a decent lineup of fighting type attacks and the ever popular Earthquake, but it also gets Flamethrower, Psychic, and Focus Blast.

So what’s the right answer for Electivire for a movelist? There really isn’t one. You can go physical or special or a mix to get the best of both, but either way you’re going to have issues.

“Charge” by Twime777

OVERALL:

Electivire is not as good as it should be. It has a good stat lineup, but with two abilities that don’t really do much and a move lineup that puts too many of its better attacks on its worse stat Electivire just winds up as ‘fine.’ It’s not garbage or anything, because solid speed and high attack are enough to make almost anything work, but it’s not particularly good, either.

The weirdest part here is, this isn’t a problem Electabuzz has. Electabuzz just has higher Special Attack than Physical Attack, but when it evolves, its Physical Attack goes up and its special stays the same. It results in this awkward Pokemon who learns very few Physical attacks naturally wanting to become a Physical beater and not having quite enough tools to do so.

You know what’d really help Electivire? If it could get a third ability slot and get Iron Fist put in there. Having 90 power elemental punches would seriously go a long way here.

“Don’t Disturb the Pokemon” by DarienDoodles

#Krenko's Pokemon Guide #Elekid #Electabuzz #Electivire #Electrive #Smoochum is still the cutest

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linuxgamenews · 3 years

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Streets of Rage 4 new DLC will make its way to Linux

Mr. X Nightmare the games new DLC is due to get support on Linux with Windows PC for Streets of Rage 4. Thanks to the publisher and co-developer Dotemu with co-developers Lizardcube and Guard Crush Games. The current build is available on Steam and GOG. The Mr. X Nightmare highly anticipated DLC for the smash hit Streets of Rage 4 is coming to Linux. Fans are also treated to a big free update separate from the DLC. This brings several cool new features and enhancements to the game. So, as the story goes, I had a few back and forth email with Dotemu. Previously on SteamDB there was supposed to be full cross-platform support. Well...

I'm happy to announce that we'll have a playable version for Linux pretty soon!

In an early email, Dotemu outlined that there was only Windows PC support. That the details on SteamDB are to be corrected. According to a recent reply, it looks like a native port will also be in the mix "soon". So the email inquiry has spawned interesting with the right people.

Streets of Rage 4 Mr. X Nightmare - Official Launch Trailer

youtube

The DLC sees new features added to Streets of Rage 4. This is available in several different areas:

Playable New Fighters: Introducing the playable debut of powerful officer Estel Aguirre. Along with the awaited return of fully realized playable versions of Max Thunder and Shiva. Both beloved characters of Streets of Rage 2 and Streets of Rage 3.

Survival Mode: An inventive, immensely replayable challenge where fighters beat down endless waves of foes in the Mr. X Nightmare DLC. All while earning perks for as long as they can stay alive. The Random version of this mode keeps each fight unpredictable through generated runs. As a result, the Weekly version has a series of static gauntlets generated each week. So that it keeps players on their toes as they brawl their way through the streets of rage. Fighting for the top spot. Each completed level offers a choice of randomized stackable perks to choose from.

New Moves: Braving Survival’s onslaughts also permanently unlocks new moves for use across any of Streets of Rage 4’s modes. This allows players to personalize movelists for their favorite characters. Even Retro characters now have new moves.

New Badass Weaponry: Progress unlocks devastating new weapons within the incoming training mode. Mr. X Nightmare brings a gallery content.

Leaderboards Show Who’s the Boss: The mode’s leaderboards keep track of the community’s well-fought runs too; who will be Wood Oak City’s finest fighter?

New Tunes: Keep groovin’ with original music from Tee Lopes (Sonic Mania, League of Legends).

And Wait, There’s Even Moaaar: A separate free update adding an in-depth training system. Color palette options, a fiendish New Mania+ difficulty. Plus a wealth of refinements and balancing changes addressing feedback from Streets of Rage 4’s passionate community.

The background of Rage:

Streets of Rage 4 is a revival of the classic beat em’ up series released in 2020. After not seeing a release for 25 years, Streets of Rage 4 brought the series into the modern era. Also receiving critical praise for its faithful evolution of the series’ signature action. Surpassing more than 2.5 million copies downloaded. The title features new and returning characters, stylish hand-drawn artwork, fresh combat abilities, and mechanics, retro pixel character unlocks, and a soundtrack crafted in homage to the sound and style that made the original games so popular. To celebrate the release of Mr. X Nightmare, Dotemu has punched the base price of the game down by 15% percent on Steam and GOG until July 29. The retail price is $7.99 USD. Offering up support for Windows PC, and soon, Linux too. For all things Streets of Rage 4, visit www.streets4rage.com, check out Facebook, pummel @Dotemu, @Lizardcube, and @Guard_Crush’s follow buttons on Twitter, and join the Discord.

#streets of rage 4 #dlc #mr. x nightmare #linux #gaming new #dotemu #guard crush #lizardcube #ubuntu #windows #pc

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junkazama · 6 years

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ok like. i really want to play tekken and i'm Ready and Willing to spend money on the games but idk where to start. Which game should I play first ?

Well, there are 4 routes you can go, imo.

SUPER INVESTED! If you want to get really invested, completely immerse yourself in the experience, get a good grasp on the story and really explore the evolution of the gameplay, I’d say start from the very beginning and skip all the extra tag games and handheld games (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (PS2 version, not Dark Resurrection/PS3 version), 6, and 7. Tekken 1 & 2 are available on PSN for the PS3 for cheap (I think they’re like $5 a pop). Because of licensing issues with a guest character, Tekken 3 isn’t available on PSN, so you’d have to buy the original PS1 disc via eBay or Amazon (or if you’re lucky, a local video game store that still sells older generation games). You’ll need a PS2 or a backwards compatible OG PS3 for Tekken 4 & 5. Tekken: Dark Resurrection is a PS3 version of Tekken 5 with updated graphics, gameplay, and a couple new characters, but there’s almost zero story aspect and was mainly created for online play, so you may skip this one. Tekken 6 is on PS3/360, and Tekken 7 is on PS4/XBONE. Additionally, I’d recommend trying the Tag games after you’re finished with the canon games. Tekken Tag Tournament 1 has a PS2 release and a PS3 HD re-release bundle and runs on an updated version of Tekken 3′s fighting engine, while Tekken Tag Tournament 2 is on the PS3/WiiU/360 and runs on an updated version of Tekken 6′s fighting engine. Optional: Tekken Advance is basically a Tekken 3 port for the GBA which can easily be emulated. It’s pretty impressive for a handheld fighting game, but you’re not missing much by skipping out on this one. Tekken 3D: Prime Edition is essentially a Nintendo 3DS port of Tekken 6 but with different stages and the same movie bundle as the PS3 version of Tag 1. Then there’s Street Fighter x Tekken, which has its obvious flaws, but is really fun. Quite roughly runs on Street Fighter IV’s engine.

OKAY…THAT’S A LOT BUT STILL KINDA INVESTED! If all that is too much for you, I have some great news! You can start at original PS2 version of Tekken 5! 5 has arcade perfect ports of the first three Tekken games included, so if you just want to zoom through the first three just to get a feel for the series’ origins, you can do that in Tekken 5! Optional: Tekken 4 is a truly unique experience to the series and is quite different from the rest of the series in terms of gameplay, aesthetics, and stages. However, it’s definitely the black sheep of the Tekken family and is flawed, and the story focuses on a more technological aspect rather than the supernatural aspect explored in the earlier games.

…STILL TOO MUCH! Well, fortunately for you, there’s Tekken 6! Tekken 6′s story mode (called “Scenario”) is narrated by the two main characters, Kazuya Mishima and Jin Kazama, and they each briefly recap the events from the previous five games from their point of view!

WELL, MAYBE I JUST WANT TO LOOK AT IT FROM A COMPETITIVE ASPECT! If such is the case, I start the series in this order: Tekken 3 - Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection - Tekken 6 - Tekken Tag Tournament 2 - Tekken 7. Tekken 3 introduces the younger generation of characters that ultimate end up replacing many of the cast of the previous 2 games. A lot of these characters shared movelists/fighting styles of their older counterparts while simultaneously adding in their own unique style. Starting at 3 will get you familiar with a lot of the series’ current mainstays so that you’ll be ready to play them in the subsequent games. Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection is the PS3 version of vanilla 5 with fine-tuned gameplay and graphics and a very high competitive scene. Tekken 5 marks the start of the series shaping up to be the way it currently is, and many of the characters’ incarnations in this game serves as the basis for their playing styles in the subsequent games. Tekken Tag Tournament 2 is another highly competitive game in the franchise that had/has an active tourney scene. I’d recommend becoming familiar with Tekken 6 beforehand since it runs on 6′s engine. Plus, the 1v1 of 6 makes it easier to learn than the 2v2/1v2 of Tag 2. And then finally, there’s Tekken 7, the current iteration, obviously.

#long post #reply #anonymous #Anonymous #tekken

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pokemaniacal · 7 years

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Grubbin, Charjabug and Vikavolt

Today’s Pokémon are probably the strangest thing Alola has thrown at me so far, and definitely spice up the early game a bit – electrical Bug-types with battery-like abilities, which (thank all the gods) conspicuously do not become butterflies or moths. We’ve had beetle Pokémon before – Heracross – and even stag beetle Pokémon – Pinsir – but Grubbin, Charjabug and Vikavolt have little in common with either, as we’ll see.

Vikavolt’s species designation – “the Stag Beetle Pokémon” – immediately gives away what it’s supposed to be. Stag beetles are a family characterised by their oversized, powerful mandibles; where Pinsir uses these to tenderise and brutalise enemies in close combat, Vikavolt instead uses them to charge up its Electric attacks. This family includes some of the largest beetles – and by extension some of the largest insects – in the world, like the giraffe stag beetle, which can reach an impressive 12 cm long, not counting the mandibles (Vikavolt is quoted as 1.5m long, which probably does include the mandibles but is nonetheless downright terrifying). Drawing on the beetles’ hard carapaces, Vikavolt’s design is very angular, with lots of sharp corners and straight lines, giving it an almost robotic appearance. The Sun and Moon website describes it as “like a fortress that zooms through the forest,” which is an odd image, in that zooming through forests is not in my experience something fortresses are known for, but pushes the same sort of design angle. It’s odd that the Pokédex says it “zips around,” and that the website talks about its speed and aerial acrobatic skill, since Vikavolt is very much not a “zippy” Pokémon, nor is it one that has much cause to be “on sharp lookout for an opening.” Stag beetles, much like fortresses, are not exactly graceful in flight, so Vikavolt is slow, and not an actual Flying-type (though it does come with Levitate). This is not a subtle Pokémon. Vikavolt is forceful, rampant and destructive, like Genesect, Drapion or Scolipede. From reading its flavour text, you get the impression that Vikavolt is very good at navigating around opponents to hit their weak points from unexpected directions, but using this thing is rather different: Vikavolt actually handles like a drugged whale, but has no qualms about blasting its way through any and all obstacles with overwhelming electrical attacks. Still, I suppose they did give it Acrobatics and Agility, so I suppose I shouldn’t be too critical of any disconnect there.

What’s interesting about Charjabug and Vikavolt is the weird relationship they have in the wild. Charjabug, we’re told, have a phenomenal capacity to store electricity (hence the battery-inspired design). Vikavolt can take advantage of this by picking Charjabug up and carrying them into battle, slung under their bodies. Charjabug’s extra power can then supercharge Vikavolt’s already devastating electrical beam attacks. In the game, this tactic is represented by Charjabug’s signature ability, Battery, which enhances the special attacks of allies in multiple battles. The ability doesn’t carry over to Vikavolt (who replaces it with Levitate), so at the moment its competitive relevance is pretty sharply limited, though I expect in future it will probably be distributed more widely (it sure kicks the cr@p out of Plus and Minus, while conveying much the same theme). I suppose you can do a kind of support-focused Eviolite Charjabug in doubles (for those not in the know, a Pokémon holding an Eviolite that is not yet fully evolved gets a substantial +50% buff to both defence and special defence), but… ehhhhhhhh? As for where this even comes from in terms of Charjabug’s flavour, larval insects spend most of their existence eating, storing energy in order to sustain their metamorphoses into their adult forms… so we might think that Grubbin, in a similar vein, are devoted entirely to charging themselves up with electrical energy so that, as Charjabug, they can act as power-packs for adult Vikavolt. In turn, we may suspect that Vikavolt’s ability to generate its own electricity is relatively limited compared to more conventional Electric-types. Charjabug, then, isn’t an intermediary stage in quite the same way as Metapod, Silcoon, etc.; it’s actually a fairly specialised organism in its own right that provides important support to its own much rarer adult form. Of course, in the games, trainers’ Vikavolt don’t have the luxury of having Charjabug to assist them with free power… except for Sophocles’ Totem Vikavolt, who totally squanders the Battery bonus by using only physical attacks, a la Ghetsis’ Hydreigon on Black and White 2.

*headdesk*

Before me move on, a quick note on Vikavolt’s evolutionary path. Actually playing with Grubbin in the game’s story is a bit of a pain, because Charjabug is one of three Pokémon (the others being Nosepass and Magneton) whose evolution requires exposure to a “special magnetic field.” In Sun and Moon, this means you have to take them to the Vast Poni Canyon, close to the end of the game, and long after you will have first encountered an enemy Vikavolt (Sophocles’ Totem), which is extremely unusual for the past three generations (normally a Gym Leader’s signature Pokémon is one that either would have recently become available to you, or very soon will). Three-stage Bug Pokémon in the past have been known for evolving very quickly, and being strong early- to mid-game choices as a result. This is basically the key draw of early-game Pokémon – they tend to reach their peak power very quickly. Purely because of the geography of the game’s setting, this is emphatically not true of Vikavolt, making a very odd departure from the way Pokémon availability normally works, to the extent that I almost think it has to be an oversight.

Once you actually get Vikavolt, it’s a pretty tricky Pokémon to use. Vikavolt takes “artillery” to a whole new level. Painfully slow and with defences no better than decent, it nonetheless comes with a special attack score to rival some of the most powerful in the game, like Chandelure. Certainly it has the strongest special attacks of any Bug Pokémon in the game, with even Pheromosa and Volcarona noticeably behind; among Electric-types, only Xurkitree and Mega Ampharos can best it. The previous Pokémon to wear the Bug/Electric type combination, Galvantula, was able to wield incredible forces by enhancing the accuracy of Thunder with the Compoundeyes ability. Vikavolt’s Thunderbolt (or Discharge in doubles) just blows that out of the water on raw power alone, but can’t match Galvantula’s blistering speed. Bug/Electric, as Galvantula taught us, is a pretty solid combination. You only have two weaknesses, Fire and Rock, and Vikavolt adds a useful Ground immunity, courtesy of the Levitate ability. Bug attacks – for both Galvantula and Vikavolt, this is primarily Bug Buzz – cover Electric’s blind spot for Grass-types, and being a Bug-type also makes it thematically appropriate for you to learn Energy Ball, so it’s difficult for Ground-types to switch in and absorb your Thunderbolts with impunity. Those three attacks form the core of Vikavolt’s offensive capabilities. Flash Cannon is its other significant special attack, and is mostly useful to punish anyone who tries to counter you with a bulky Fairy-type special tank like Florges or Sylveon; if you’re confident your team can handle them by other means, ditch Flash Cannon. Air Slash is technically there, but it’s a weak move and doesn’t really fill any major holes in Vikavolt’s type coverage. Volt Switch, the special Electric-type counterpart to U-Turn, is on Vikavolt’s movelist as well. It’s a fantastic move, and always worth consideration, but Vikavolt’s simply not the best Pokémon to use it, for similar reasons to Incineroar, Gumshoos and Toucannon: being slow with mediocre defences, it’s a very difficult Pokémon to get into play safely, and once it’s there, its time is best spent causing as much havoc as possible with its obscene special attack stat. It shouldn’t be aiming to keep itself safe with a hit-and-run, because it may not live to do it a second time; it should be aiming to brutally murder things in, if possible, a single Choice Specs- or Life Orb-boosted attack.

Unlike all those other sledgehammer-style Pokémon I’ve been reviewing so far, Vikavolt actually learns Agility, and the thought of what this thing could do if it could actually move is nothing short of terrifying. Even after using Agility, there are still a number of perfectly respectable Pokémon that will outrun Vikavolt, especially ones that carry Choice Scarves, so you’re probably never going to make Vikavolt a proper sweeper as such, but it might be worth playing around with. Getting Trick Room support from your team is a bit difficult to pull off in singles, but makes Vikavolt damn near unstoppable for a short time if it works. Alternatively, you can Thunder Wave things to slow down important targets in a way that helps your entire team, but playing support seems like something of a waste of Vikavolt’s talent for destruction. If you’re facing multiple opponents, you can slow them all down with String Shot or Electro Web; these moves aren’t worth it in singles but can be useful support options in other formats. Finally, Vikavolt can learn Roost for healing, so, like many Alolan Pokémon, you could theoretically try shoehorning it into a sort of off-tank role, dumping speed and putting a lot of points into Vikavolt’s HP. I’m not convinced it has the durability to really make that work though.

In sum, Vikavolt is another of these Pokémon that Alola seems to like, with one or two very powerful tricks up its sleeve, but enough substantial flaws to make it very difficult to use and abuse. It’s not really a glass cannon, but perhaps something of a porcelain one. That’s an unusual role for a Bug-type, or for that matter an Electric-type, to have (I think the closest comparison is probably Magnezone), so although it’s just about the only Alolan Pokémon that effectively has no unique move or ability, I’m happy to call it pretty original on that score. Its style is profoundly weird; it looks like a distinctly inorganic Pokémon, but it isn’t, and some of the writing team seem like they may have been a little out of touch with how Vikavolt actually fights. On the other hand, it does some really creative things with the relationship between its different evolutionary stages, and the battery theme fits surprisingly well with an insectoid design base. It’s a bit bizarre, but it’s undeniably very cool.

#pokemon #alola #alola pokedex #bugtypes #electrictypes #grubbin #charjabug #vikavolt

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