#i think i've made a comment about not liking this pokémon before? i know some folks really like it and that's fine

[front-facing-pokemon]

#i think i've made a comment about not liking this pokémon before? i know some folks really like it and that's fine #it's not an inherently Dislikable or Hatable pokémon. it's just. a little polarizing to some folks i guess? #i don't actually dislike it. i think it's silly that it's a fairy-type instead of a ghost-type but also like. it's a keyring! with a lock i #its mouth. that's kinda funny. and it's kinda cute. lookin at it like this. a sentient keyring! #or a ghost possessing a keyring but i guess it's not bc it's not ghost-type #klefki

[ckret2]

saw your recent reblog about feedback and, though I’ve been occasionally gushing in tags, you deserve to hear what I tell my friends! In general, your writing style is perfect at capturing the timing and delivery of the show itself. I’ve never read a fic i’ve been able to visualize more clearly than this one. You write each character so well that between chapters it feels like i’m right back where i used to be, waiting for new episodes again. I do think you haven’t *quite* solved your side-character-ification (applejackification?) of Dipper problem yet, but other than that you’re doing an astounding job at balancing all the characters and their interactions with each other and with bill in a way that feels natural (plus with these more recent chapters i’m seeing lots of good dipper stuff so you’re definitely getting there with him too! besides, it is nice to see Mabel get the spotlight after all these years anyway. healing, even.) You know exactly how to control an audience’s emotions, you know when to drag something out and when to shut it down, you know when to cut off a conversation and when bring up the fact it was cut off later. Little foreshadowings like the loose tooth are well-planted and plot beats like lucid dreaming are dropped and picked back up delicately and with precision, like pressing piano keys. i don’t doubt for a second it’s all a part of some grand instrument, though i wouldn’t be surprised if you told me most of it was improvised - another way you’re just like the show was. you’ve done the episodic-and-serialized thing better than at least half of all silver-age cartoons that have attempted to do so! I adore the way you show kindness to all characters in your scenes, from gideon’s characterless mother to the little freak himself. It truly feels as though you pick no favorites, and that’s something you do better than the show did tbh. Not that TBOB needed to hook me in with a marketing campaign, but hypothetically, in a universe where I didn’t own a hand-sewn bill cipher throw-pillow and yet somehow still found this fic, I would definitely be excited for it after reading! you’re gifted, and i hope this does numbers on AO3. I truly cannot stand hazbin hotel, but I may go back and read your other works once this one’s over, just to hear your narrative voice. it’s a voice worth hearing, and may it be forever amplified.

oh WOW thank you so much??? 😭 this is SUCH a sweet comment and it means so much to me that you took the time to write all this!!

APPLEJACKIFICATION... that made me laugh. Dipper will get some serious development before the end of the eclipse plot and he's key in the next plot, so I think that'll help him make some progress. But yeah—he's not gonna be as important as Mabel, but I do want to make sure he has a plot that stands on its own, smaller though it may be.

It's 2/3 planned, 1/3 improvised. 😁 I've got a lead time of about 15 chapters between what I've posted and what I've written, so I can do stuff like write the poppet chapter, write the tooth fairy arc, edit the poppet chapter, realize that as long as I'm giving him a bloody lip maybe I can loosen his tooth, edit the tooth fairy arc, have him mention that that tooth was loose. And many chapters I haven't written or outlined yet I have loosely planned in my head so I know how to aim toward them.

Wanting to show kindness to all the characters and wanting to give as many of them an internal life as possible is so important to me, and I'm so glad that's showing through so far!

And honestly I think "I hate [xyz] but I'll read it if you're writing it" is the highest compliment. 😂 All my hazbin fics were written pre-season 1 when all we had was the pilot, a couple comics, creator comments, and some Helluva to go by; but idk maybe you'd consider that a plus lol. (If you're interested, on ao3 I've also written Transformers, Godzilla, some Pokémon, and a smattering of other things.)

Thanks again for sending such a nice message!

#cartoonchaos #ask #about my writing #bill goldilocks cipher

[magical-regical]

You know I've always had a strange love for the gen 8 Pokémon games (sword and shield).

Now I shall go on a rant about all the things I love about it under the cut:

Is it a perfect game? No. Admittedly the main story about Rosé and the darkest day was 100% a miss. They wanted to say the big corporate leader was actually a bad guy but didn't want to commit to actually making him a bad guy. And yea it's a really easy game but honestly I don't mind too much because I'm a lil weenie.

Still, it makes me kinda sad whenever I hear people bash it on twitter (though maybe reading twitter comments was my first mistake)

Like come on guys SwSh gave us some great designs including but not limited to:

Wooloo, corviknight, polteageist, applin, FALINKS, regieleki, etc.

And the game itself also looks amazing. I never understood why people like to tear into its graphics. Maybe I just really vibe with the art style and how colorful and vibrant everything is (esp compared to ScarVi's graphics tbh, though I do acknowledge how ScarVi had a much larger mountain to climb in that department since it's open world).

But after thinking and thinking about it, another big contributor to my love for gen 8 is probably the fact that you can cook curry in it. I fucking love curry.

(can I put another read more here? I'm just gonna gush about how much I love japanese curry and how much I love the variety of curry SwSh has)

Are y'all still here? Alright, suit yourself.

Ok as I've mentioned before, I LOVE japanese curry. It's easy to make with the curry cubes, you can pretty much add anything you want into it, and the spice levels range from "why is it sweet" to "not spicy" to "my mouth is fucking melting" it's up to you. You can do anything as long as you're ready to deal with the consequences of your hubris.

And I feel like gen 8 really captures that. I mean have you seen all the toppings available for curry making?

(this curry guide was made by @/tunnaa-unnaa btw)

I want to try ALL OF THEM even the weird ones like bloody tropical curry or whipped cream curry. And by try I mean cook. (Except maybe the wasabi one because my spice tolerance isn't that high...)

So far I've made mushroom curry, potato curry, toast curry (I put curry on toast), and salad curry. I've also made katsu curry before, does that count as 'fried food curry'? I mean it's fried but it's not exactly fish and chips.

Anyway, I think this has gone on long enough. Bottom line, I love curry and the fact that it's one of the main mini games and features of Pokémon SwSh makes me love the game more than I probably would if it was any other kind of cooking.

Here's a picture of the salad curry I made because it's the only one I remembered to take a picture of before digging in.

Maybe I should start a curry diary or something...

#One day I'll graduate from using pre-made curry cubes to actually making my own roux but right now I'm poor and exhausted from life #Pokémon #pokemon sword and shield #pokemon swsh

[juicygravitas]

When it comes to Pokémon plushies, I've always been a huge fan. They're fun to collect and often come in really soft and high quality fabric, making the experience of owning one even better. However, a certain plushie that's always piqued my interest would be the Banpresto crying Manaphy plushie.

I saw this plushie whilst looking at Manaphy merchandise a while ago, and it really caught my eye. Something about the plushie radiated a bit of mystery and nostalgia to me. At first I didn't really think much of it; I just scrolled past and went about my day. But as time went on I wanted to know more about it. Where it came from, etc. But as I tried to do "research," I noticed that it was rather obscure; sure there was evidence that it existed, but there were only a few pictures (one seen above) of it and I couldn't find much information. I saw one for sale on a foreign selling website, which made me even more curious as to how much people even owned one. The plushie had a "partially lost media" vibe to it, and I was itching to find out these things:

• Where did it come from?

• Where was it released?

And,

• How many people have it/how rare is it?

So I took to Tumblr and managed to find a post of someone talking about the plushie (@santapaws) and commented on their post expressing my interest. I just left the comment there in general not expecting an answer, but OP actually responded and sent me a message! Apparently they owned the plushie as well and even provided some pictures.

They bought it off a Thai eBay listing after searching for it for years and currently had it in their possession and sent me a few links on a Japanese auction site where it was on sale.

This kicked off my drive to further investigate. After a while of digging around and paying close attention to where I searched, I found a little "wiki page" of it on Flickr:

• The origin of the plushie originated in Japan (obviously) around 2006 (most likely, as that was when Temple Of The Sea came out and marketing for it was high). Apparently it came from a "UFO Catcher" set.

But, what is a UFO Catcher?

A UFO Catcher is basically a Japanese claw machine often found around Tokyo arcades that contain plushies of a variety of different characters, but the prizes often change, so they become out of production very quickly. With that being said, this Mana plushie was most likely one of many that could be won as a prize from a UFO Catcher around that time. These were special because they could not be purchased in stores nor centers, just specifically available at an arcade.

And apparently there was another Manaphy that could be won at a UFO Catcher as well! This one is more content.

And here's another from 2007!

And here's another one....

Another holding May's hat...

And here's a whole lotta them with Piplup making a cameo!

However, out of all, the crying Manaphy seems to be the most uncommon, retracing my words back to the beginning of it being rare (on top of it being available for a limited time so long ago!). I'm not too sure how many are in this "set," and just like the crying Mana, there could be more undocumented ones.

• Now, my final point, how many people own them? It's hard to say. OP of the post, two for sale, and another blogger that have them only tally up to four (unless you or someone you know have one lying around!). As I've mentioned before, these were limited and produced over 15 years ago, so it's hard to say how many saw the light of day. And when it comes to the crying Mana plushie, there could be very little that exist.

• What are my overall thoughts?

Well, for my first post on this site ever it's rather a mouthful, but I wanted to express how intresting I find this. I love miscellaneous merchandise! There's a bit of mystery and obscurity about it that fascinates me. How this plushie was so close to becoming lost if those photos/auctions weren't posted on the internet. Although it's just a plush, I would like it to get more spotlight. The fact that few have it and not much is known about it is what makes it intresting.

That's my rambling wrapped up. If you have any words of your own don't be shy to comment. Chances are I won't bite.

#manaphy #plushies #first post #pokemon

[starblue2406]

My comment on chapter 6

@littlecarnet

Well, here goes my comment on chapter 6, just before chapter 7 Why did you post it here and up to this point? Because I barely finished the memes and only here I can comment this with memes.

About the new discovery... Well, objectively speaking, it was very good how you handled that discovery of our dear Arceus. It was not something treated with morbid curiosity but with delicacy and innocence.

I liked it a lot and it made me think about many things that I will talk about later.

Speaking more personally, the truth is that I died laughing when I read it, I'm sorry! I already have my head very contaminated with the memes that men do with that topic, and the meme above is the clear representation of that xD.

P.S. :One thing I would like to add is a question and a complaint. If Arceus was supposed to have been in it for about an hour ... That means he did "it" while the shower head was open? Because if so, that means Arceus wasted a LOT of water. And yes, I understand the context and all but, no shit Arceus! There's a state in my country that has no water and this guy just spends it stupidly on that! XD

There, that's all I had to say. Something very "XD" and out of nowhere but I had to mention that, LOL.

Oh Delia's aunt, that was one of the funniest things in the whole story in my opinion. Very cool lady and all, but she's a little too intense xd.

I got a good laugh out of seeing Delia doing her best not to be on top but it wasn't worth it, now she even convinced her to have something with that guy who saved her life.

It seems to me that this lady watches Latin soap operas every afternoon, because she is that kind of person. What's more! I could tell she asks you if you've gotten a date yet at Christmas dinners xD.

But sure, I like that even she has an important role with a personality that to me is memorable. Maybe one day I'll deign to make a fanart based on how I imagine her.

That big walk in the festival was very nice, funny to imagine Arceus insisting with Delia about what she has the gift of aura, eating delicious food and seeing that charming town. All very nice, no reyeni moments and always on the way to the main story while the characters are growing up I like! I understand that in this kind of scenes it's easy to lose the way but very good! I like that everything goes according to a great plan! >:D

God, I can't imagine Arceus' face when he realized he became what he swore to destroy. He captured a random Pokémon (a Ditto) and it will be fun and interesting to see what happens with that, I mean, seeing Arceus dealing with this will be something very entertaining and I think that will end very well.

Okay, now let's talk a little bit about Cogita. She's a love as a person and as a grandmother (?). It's nice to see how Arceus can always count on her for anything, very cute indeed. Reminds me of my Russian Empire version of the contryhuman, both are loving and trying to guide their respective loved ones, thanks to his wisdom and experience of centuries (in the case of Cogita Thousands of years)

Only my Russian Empire is more of a dad than a grandpa jsjsjs.

It gives me a lot of intrigue, truth be told. I want to know more in detail her story, I want to know more about her history with Arceus and more from her regarding her relationship with Volo (Though most likely in chapter 7 you'll answer me some of this).

My god, I haven't played the pokemon legends Arceus game, but is Volo really that dangerous? What I've seen of him in the gameplays is that to me he's just religiously obsessed with Arceus and his vision of how the world should be. I thought Arceus would see him as a nutty guy who managed to make a mess out of that madness…. But now I see that here he's more like a VERY dangerous nutcase. I'M EXCITED FOR WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT WITH THIS VILLAIN!!!….

Arceus sure is sick of him, he doesn't even want to see him anymore. I'm sure his insanity and immortality made him very irritating for this god.

Bonus: This way the meme still looks funny, the actor's face from the original meme came out just the right way for this image. LOL

#opinion #review #fanfiction #fanfic meme #fanfic fanart

[icarusavery]

I beat Pokémon Generation I (Pokémon Red specifically) for the first time in many, many years over the last week or so. 26 hours of playtime, about 75 Pokémon species caught, and a bit too much grinding and inventory management, and I became the Indigo League Champion. Now I wanna get out some of my thoughts.

---

For context, I started with Gen IV (Diamond) back in 2008 or so, and I've played most games in the mainline series, with the only ones I haven't being Gen V Part 2 (B2W2), Gen VI (XY specifically, I have played Alpha Sapphire), Gen VII Part 1 (SuMo), and Gen IX (ScVi).

Firstly, I wanna comment on my team, because some certain quirks of Gen I - namely the limited selection of Pokémon, the prevalence of certain types and the absence of others (both in the wild and on enemy teams), and the classic Generation I Spaghetti Code - led to me picking some Pokémon I likely wouldn't give a second thought. For instance, in terms of Kanto starters, I've always been a Squirtle fangirl (turtles are one of my favorite animals IRL) but I ended up going with Bulbasaur because of a certain quirk of Gen I's code: high-crit moves basically always crit, so Razor Leaf (normally a 55 base power move that's not worth all that much) suddenly became effectively a 165 base power gatling gun of death that killed basically anything that didn't resist it in one clean shot. Anything that Razor Leaf couldn't take out, Body Slam would clear away with ease (great for all those Psychic-types with glass bones and paper skin.)

I filled out my party with a Gyarados, a Nidoking, and an Alakazam (I used PKSM on 3DS to evolve it into an Alakazam, I don't have a spare 3DS to trade with). The Gyarados was a bitch to train, but it eventually became my coverage champ: with Surf, Ice Beam, Thunderbolt, and Strength, nothing could stand in its way (especially with base 100 Special, which for those who don't know, Special is both your Special Attack and Special Defense.) Nidoking wasn't exactly a powerhouse - its stats are somewhat middling, with only a 75 base Special and a 92 base Attack - but it soon became my best choice for dealing with many of the Pokémon that could take a bit of a beating from my special attackers. As a physical sweeper, it's great, especially once you snag Earthquake from Silph Co. and get a 100 base power (150 with STAB), 100% accurate Ground-type move that annihilates basically anything that doesn't resist or is immune to Ground. With all the Poison-types in Kanto, it was a massive help, and that applies doubly to Alakazam. It doesn't have the insane coverage of Alakazam in Gen II, where it's the reigning Elemental Punch-Out League heavyweight champion, but it does have Psychic, which mops the floor with basically anything that looks at you funny, and with 135 base Special and 120 base Speed, it could reliable OHKO virtually any threat that wasn't just as stronk as it (namely, other Psychic-types).

For my HMployee, I picked up that traded Farfetch'd, since it could learn Fly and Cut. Surf and Strength went to Gyarados and Nidoking (Nidoking only getting the latter owing to its meager Special) while Flash went to a Pokémon I raised for a bit but eventually boxed, my Butterfree. Butterfree was honestly a Pokémon I had no idea would be as useful as it was, but damn if it didn't get the job done. I also decided to raise a Geodude for a short while (though ultimately dropped it, Rock-Ground wasn't that essential for me) and caught a Dugtrio basically just to use for Lt. Surge before boxing it. My Hall of Fame team also included a Moltres, but all he did was die a couple times so I could revive another Pokémon I wanted instead, and he Fire Blasted Blue's Exeggutor to death, which was pretty pog of him.

There were also a lot of Pokémon whose designs I found myself enjoying in Gen I a lot more than I remember, even if they never made it into my team. Grimer's adorable, even if I think Muk is just a straight downgrade and so I never want to evolve Grimer. Gen I Pikachu honestly looks way better than he ever did once they slimmed down his previously football-shaped body. Even Gen I Electrode looks (marginally) better, thanks to him having more defined eyeballs instead of just having some pinpricks.

---

Now that my team comp is out of the way, let's talk about gameplay. It's basically just what you'd expect from Pokémon, just a little bit less. No abilities, no held items, no genders, no Special Defense, and moves are still divided into physical and special categories based on their type rather than the individual move. The battle system still works about how you'd expect, albeit with some considerable jank, and it's still a fun experience overall. I did find myself seriously underleveled by endgame - my lv48 Venusaur was my highest leveled Pokémon compared to Blue's lv65 Charizard - but it never felt like I was out of my league. The challenge mostly ranged from "piss easy" to "fairly easy" to "below average" and only got a bit braintaxing once I hit Victory Road, barring a few one-off encounters, like a Rocket grunt in Silph Co. with a lv28 Hypno that did my shit in for a bit owing to some nasty curse from RNGiratina. The early game was the worst part - having to grind for a few hours in Viridian Forest just to get my Pokémon in a state where I could reasonably fight Brock. Other than that, no part of the game felt overly grindy or annoying.

The main problem was mostly dungeon design - I'm glad this game even has dungeons, unlike some others (cough gen viii cough) but they're often a bit undercooked, most of them reusing the same cave tileset (literally five of thirteen dungeons, and four of the ten required dungeons use the same cave tileset, and they're also generally the longest dungeons outside of the eleven-story megadungeon that is Silph Co.), and the main "challenge" in basically all of them is just some variety of "do a maze" - many of them relying on teleporter puzzles to work (and good god do those teleporters get annoying.) Other than that, the ride is a mostly smooth one, though I do wish the game was a bit better at telling you where to go next. It's not impossible to figure things out and the game does often point you in a direction to go at least, but more than once did I finish up an objective and then go "okay, well now what?"

---

Gen I does have some considerable problems outside of dungeon design, sadly, and most of them are related to quality-of-life features. Your inventory is almost comically small - a mere 20 items. Organizing it is a Sisyphean task, owing to its complete lack of any kind of tabs and the wonky item swap controls, but worse than that is the hilarious bad PC inventory. You can store items in your PC if they don't fit in your bag, but 1). you need to have space in your bag to pick up an item, it can't go straight to the PC, and 2). you only have 50 spaces in your PC. Given you can't get rid of old, useless Key Items like the S.S. Ticket or the Secret Key, this basically means you're shit out of luck for collecting things like TMs or whatnot. It's a use-it-or-lose-it kinda game, and you're constantly having to get rid of old items to fit new ones.

There's also a distinct lack of polish in Gen I compared to future titles. Beyond the graphics being a bit… primitive (poor Gen I Geodude, he's not doing great), there's a lot of little things that add up. There's no descriptions of moves or even a way to see their power and accuracy in-game, forcing you to have a guide open to check basic information like that. HMs don't activate when you interact with a relevant object, but instead require you to go and select the HM from your party menu. A lot of little things like that really do detract from the experience and make it feel very janky compared to what it could be.

I'll also say that Kanto is certainly not my favorite region. It's not got a lot that's particularly interesting about it - especially in terms of unique landmarks. The aesthetic of every town is damn near identical - liking owing to hardware limitations - and no route really stood out as unique, unless you want to count Viridian Forest. The Pokémon in the region are also often pretty bland, including Rattata, Pidgey, and Venomoth, but this applies especially to evolved forms. Frequently an evolved form is just "the previous form, but bigger" (see: Poliwhirl into Poliwrath, Mankey into Primeape, Grimer into Muk, the whole damn Pidgey line), or it's just "add another thingy" (see: Doduo into Dodrio, Koffing into Weezing, Magnemite into Magneton, Diglett into Dugtrio - though I actually really like that last one.) The worst offender is probably Electrode - I really like Voltorb, it's a neat take on an RPG mimic, but Electrode is by far one of the laziest designs in the whole damn series.

---

All that said, I still had fun with Pokémon Red. It's a fun experience that, while certainly janky as all hell, has a certain charm to it that future Pokémon games don't quite have. That's not to say it's better than future games, oh God no - I'd still rather play RSE or ORAS or USUM over this - but for what it's worth, it's a good time.

On a scale of 0 to 10, 0 being "actively harmful to society," 1 being "basically unplayable," 5 being "completely middle of the road, neither good nor bad," and 10 being "as close to perfect as possible," I'd give it a 6.5/10, maybe a 7 if I'm in a good mood. It's worth your time, just don't be surprised if it's a bit dated or clunky.

#pokemon #pokemon red #pokemon gen 1 #pokemon gen i #kanto #avery reviews a thing

[a-bit-too-much-of-a-pokemon-fan]

Pokémon B2W2: Hard Game. Don't Blind Nuzlocke it.

Despite being a bit too much of a Pokémon fan, until recently I had never played White 2. I played White, sure, but I don't think I understood in 2012 that these games were fantastic sequels to what I now think is my favorite game in the series. I was a stupid kid. This past summer, I wanted to make a change.

I looked on eBay for a used copy. Holy price scalping, Batman, is that a mess. I'm sorry, $80+ for a used ten year old Nintendo DS game? Bullshit. I got White 2 from the library instead. Yeah fun fact, your library probably has video games. Check it out.

I've already shared the amazing tale of Ponyboy, the previous user of that particular White 2 cartridge. But I reset the save with the intention to do a blind Nuzlocke. I had heard that B2W2 are among the hardest games in the series even on vanilla runs, so I went to r/Nuzlocke to ask for advice. One person very wisely commented "Hard game. Don't blind Nuzlocke it."

Instead of listen to them and just enjoy a vanilla first ever run of the game, I made a compromise. If it's so difficult, why not give each Pokémon two lives? Yeah, I know, cheating in possibly the most egregious way. I did keep track of it well, though. Mon dies the first time, mark it with a "CAUTION" triangle. It dies the second time, mark it with a circle--which looks like a stop sign on the DS screen--to show that its life has come to an end.

And you know what? It was certainly difficult. I was losing Pokémon left and right. I was playing with level caps, but not knowing what mons those opponents had. The one thing I "spoiled" myself on was wild Pokémon locations and levels, so I could route my encounters. That's how i found out about the guaranteed Eevee encounter in the Castelia City Park (repel at level 18 in the light grass, 19 in the dark grass).

I somehow managed to make it all the way to the Elite Four. My team wasn't amazing but it had some star players, Thaniel the Vaporeon among them. I took on Shauntal and Grimmsley, just scraping by. Then I went to Marshall. He did not let up. I eventually wiped. I lost my run. Most of my team had already used up their one life, but even to that point I ad never wiped in a battle.

Well, shit. It was my first time playing the game, and hell if I just don't finish it before returning it to the library. So I cheated again and took on the Elite Four once more. This time I beat all four, losing my entire team except Ultaria the Altaria. I honestly forget why I named her that. So there I was, standing in the Unova Pokémon League trying to figure out how I was going to beat Iris with a single Pokémon that happens to be weak to her STAB moves.

It's simple, really. I just force fed Ultaria every rare candy in my bag, went into battle, and set up with X Items to max out her stats. Then I swept. Was this the most legitimate way to Nuzlocke a game? Hell no. But did I have fun? Definitely. I think I wish that I had just done a vanilla run first to enjoy the game at my own pace and not have to constantly grind up new teams. That definitely informed my choice to do a vanilla run of Violet before Nuzlocking it.

A few months ago I bought a reproduction copy of White 2 and tried to Nuzlocke it again. That's a story for another post, though.

#nuzlocke #nuzlocke story #pokemon b2w2 #pokemon

[kopicetic]

Mini update time: I agreed to date him.

I don't know, we have had some massive blow up fights recently that leave us both crying and they're always over his inability to communicate and my shitty hair trigger temper.

This is something that I'm aware of and am actively trying to work on. Usually what happens is that it's just him not telling me something, like that he's been struggling with some issues lately that have affected our sex life. Which I fucking adore this man idk. He's one of my best friends. The problem is I need physical intimacy along with emotional shit, without the physical stuff the emotional side begins to fade for me. If I feel unwanted physically, I cannot be emotionally attached and I am likely to leave.

This normally hasn't been an issue since I have huge issues with intimacy and trust and actively run from actual relationships lol. Like ya girl is fucking turning 35 this year (🤦🏻‍♀️😭🤮) and he is the first actual boyfriend I've ever had because yikes.

He's also the only dude I've ever liked enough to even try with.

I mean I feel like we've had some break-throughs each fight? Lol. One is that we have dramatically different views to fighting. For me, my temper flares up hella fast and like the hounds of Hell are about to swallow you whole, but just as quick it's over and I'm horny af and angry makeup sex is the best etc.

He just feels miserable, wants to cry alone, is so far removed from the idea of even attempting sex, feels drained, etc. Which just means I need to adjust my thinking a bit here. It's been a cycle for me because fighting is almost like foreplay for me. We fight, I'm in the mood, I make a move, he rejects me, I get madbro all over again. But knowing how he feels just means I can switch up my reactions. Ideally we wouldn't fight at all, I fucking hate fighting with him.

One of the reasons he gets super drained is because I selfishly refuse to let him leave before we reach a resolution. He starts being like "It doesn't matter, you've made up your mind, blah blah" and I'm like "No. I want you to explain yourself." The idea of leaving stuff unresolved so we can pick up fighting in the morning sounds horrible to me. I don't know, the idea of leaving him when we're both mad and upset just seems so fucking terrible to me.

Then he explains himself and how shit I've done makes him feel. Some of it is valid. Sometimes, it's anxiety related, he convinces himself that something is true when it's not even remotely the case. The valid stuff I've made note of, realize how I've fucked up, and actively try to stop that kind of toxic bullshit. When it's anxiety driven, I explain what it really is or try and figure out why it comes across that way, etc.

So I don't know, I don't want to keep fighting him over stupid shit but I feel like these previous verbal blow-ups have helped us reach a deeper and better understanding?

Like he's hella introverted. Has no friends really, hates talking to people. We met through Pokémon Go, and they do a weekly hour where it spawns in only legendary raids and since I'm like literally the polar opposite (I'll talk to anyone, I'm happiest when I'm the center of attention and surrounded by people lol) raid hour for me is to catch up with my other Pogo friends, talk to people, hang out, see them face to face, etc. One of my pogo friends always has ridden with me for that.

He goes but he's always super salty because he hates that it can't just be me and him. He hates that I talk to my friends about emotional issues or even anything at all. I mention having a conversation with someone about *topic* and he makes all these loaded comments about how he guesses he's just too stupid for me to talk about whatever with him. Some other friends of mine and I started doing that Hunt A Killer thing to try and have more regular friend time and he suggested we just buy it ourselves and solve them all together because my friends are too dumb to pick up on shit.

The very fact that I've made any personal posts about him at all would DEEPLY upset him, but like I can't keep everything bottled up. I'm not sharing details so idk.

But like the whole thing is that we've realized that, because he's not a talker, has no friends (the four people he lists off that he speaks to are me, his dog, his son, and his dad) BY CHOICE, and struggles to open up to anyone means that he finds our conversations romantically and emotionally fulfilling. They make him feel bonded and intimate and like we're being super close. Even our text messages have that effect for him.

I literally talk to people all day lol, I have my group chat bubble open at all times, I'm constantly texting and DMing and snapping people, talking is just a thing I do lol, it's like a basic level bodily function with me lol, without talking to people I'd die. 🤣🤣🤣

It doesn't make me feel close to him. It's not intimate. It doesn't replace being able to physically touch his skin or wind my fingers in his hair or have sex with him or anything like that. Not even close. Kissing and cuddling feel way too intimate for me, I always used to have a no kissing rule because it feels more personal than sex but I make out with this man all the time because at least we're physically close and I can feel his heart beat and hear him breathe. Post-coital cuddling is one of my least favorite things to do and I deal with it for him.

So Idk, I feel like this new understanding is massive. We get each other more.

I don't even know where I was going with this post lol. Anyway he was really drunk and I was just pretty drunk when I told him I'd actually date him if he promised to tell me shit and that I would focus on methods of toning down the spontaneous rage. I'm kinda hoping he forgot because honestly we fight over the same shit constantly. Telling him we could be in a relationship feels like a stopgap, a desperate attempt to make this trainwreck work.

I don't get what massive difference calling him my boyfriend and him getting to tell his family about his girlfriend makes. I didn't understand. But it's super important to him and also his self esteem so like maybe it will work from an anxiety reducing standpoint.

And he opened up a bit all on his own today, told me about feeling depressed. He failed his classes last semester, something I feel hella guilty about, and it's been fucking with him, but then he said "You're worth failing for. " Bruh, no one is worth mortgaging your future over. He chose to spend time with me over focusing on school because he cared more about going places with me and getting to kiss me and hold hands than he did on maintaining his 4.0 I just. 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️ That doesn't help me feel any less guilty tbh.

Anyway this was so fucking long, if anyone actually read this whole thing then goddamn.

#personal shit

[starspatter]

ok now you do all the fic meme answers (or whichever ones you're comfortable with answering) :)

1. approximately how many fics would you say you read in a year?

Not a whole lot, tbh. Depends on my mood. Maybe 20?

2. approximately how many fics would you say you write in a year?

I tend to write in bursts, so I can spend a year spitting stuff out (though they then stay in drafts forever >.>; ), and then nothing for a long time lol.

3. what’s one character that you write in fics or rp that has changed your life, one that you couldn’t do without?

DCAU Timothy Drake/Timmy Todd ='3

4. what’s your favorite au premise?

I'm always interested in the Justice Lords verse, though I do miss my friend's and my "Domestic SuperBats AU" where Bruce and Clark are married with Kara as Clark's daughter and all the Robins and Batgirl are adopted. <3

5. what’s the optimal wordcount for a fic? (it, of course, depends. but what do you like?)

I like short drabbles I can read quickly, but if I'm going to sink my teeth into a chapter fic then I don't really have a preference as to length - just the hope it will eventually be finished.

6. describe a fic that has or would bring you to tears. links appreciated.

I know I gushed about it at the time, but I'm still appreciative of "Acceptable Losses" you wrote from my suggestion prompt, since you hit me hard with the surprise "Red" connection. ;~; It's a really important symbol in my other big fandom fixation, expressly being the "color of heroes". ;o

More recently is "Performance Piece" by fight_knight, which I've mentioned before but is an intriguing take on DCAU and comics Tim switching places post-RotJ. Specifically though, Chapter 8 got me good since it also surprised me by lining up almost exactly with a headcanon I have of Steph being the only one DCAU Timmy allows to cut his hair, but I couldn't fit it into my own fic so I'm happy someone else (sorta) did it. ='> (I hope the author does continue someday...)

Aside, I had actually wanted to use this opportunity to plug this fic to you since I don't recall if I ever shared it before, but it looks like the author deleted... OTL

7. describe a fic that has or would make you smile very hard and bury your face into your pillow / potentially scream a little bit. links appreciated.

If someone other than me were to write fluffy (or angsty) DCAU TimSteph I would die tbh.

8. what kind of fic do you like to read at 3am? be as specific as you dare…

Honestly probably my own fic draft since I still go back and revise chapters and that's typically the only time I have to do so.

9. what’s a fic you’ve thought of while you were drifting off to sleep?

See above.

10. what’s a huge fic project that you’ve always wanted to work on but never can find the time?

My old ItsuHaru fic for my first OTP from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (and my even older idea for a Gary Oak x Molly Hale fic from Pokémon, which I suppose actually predates the former in terms of "OTP" obsession *shot*)

11. what’s a fic you’ve thought of while showering/bathing?

Uh... Don't think I typically do so during that time? o.o;

12. what’s your go-to plot bunny and/or trope when you’re daydreaming?

Anything to do with my ships: DCAU TimSteph, ItsuHaru, and ShinAyaki are currently the main ones, tho I also entertain some crack/crossover rarepairs on occasion.

13. make up a fic title for a brand new fic you’ve never thought of before.

Not really new, but I've always wanted to use the title "Lights Fantastic" for something but could never think of what.

14. tell us about a fanon misconception that often shows up in fic about one of your favorite characters, and why it’s completely wrong

all the JayTim in RotJ fics or comicverse AUs in general but I usually just ignore those

15. do you experience synesthesia when you write? what about when you read?

No.

16. have you ever written something fluffy that made you feel happy, then pulled back because you didn’t want to get comments about writing something ooc? any other situations similar to this come up?

Not so much fluffy, but tbh I always wondered/worried if Tim cries too much in my fic, now even more so from your answers lol. ^^; (It does happen less so later on as he continues his recovery, fwiw.) In general I get concerned about writing DC characters OoC in any capacity since I didn't grow up with them - especially when it comes to the comics as I know even less about those versions. =x (Also some of the more... controversial scenes/ships in my stories. *cough*)

17. if a 12 or 13 y/o approached you for advice on starting to write and publish fanfiction (whether for personal enjoyment or in a friendly, age-appropriate public/internet space), what would you teach them?

I'd say don't let motivation slip away. If you're interested and inspiration strikes then go for it. Just write for your own enjoyment, and don't let outside circumstances stop/discourage you.

18. what’s a very small headcanon that you have that could easily be a novel-length fic if you had the time?

Idk about novel-length but I still like the idea of Veronica Vreeland having a crush on Bruce/being the "princess" type who promises to marry him as kids. Their parents would arrange playdates when young, and being the spoiled brat she is one day she sees a bunny in Bruce's garden and goes all Veruca Salt, demanding her daddy to get it for her. Bruce points out though it has a partner, and his dad/mom told him "rabbits can die of loneliness". That's when she decides she's fallen in love/is determined to wed her "prince" someday, and tries to confess to him by making a snow bunny - unknowingly right after his parents' deaths - but he ends up hurting her feelings like in this scene from Kanon. ;(

She watches over him from a distance as they grow up, how he refuses to play with her anymore and retreats from high society. Even when he eventually returns to the rich Gothamite circle and agrees to host/attend parties with her he still constantly pushes her away, keeping at arm's length for some reason. Until one day he suddenly grows sullen and morose again, completely shutting himself off and becoming a recluse, even letting his company fall to ruin... When she goes to visit him in the future after figuring out he's the one who saved her daughter for his final act as Batman, he still rebuffs her efforts to get him to come out and engage with others, so she repeats those words back to him before sadly leaving: "Rabbits can die of loneliness, you know."

19. who’s that character and what is a specific canon moment for that character that you can talk about for centuries and just never ever get tired of it?

DCAU Timmy and really any of his moments in the tie-in comics since they're criminally unknown (pun not intended), although for within the show itself the "Never Fear" and "Growing Pains" eps also count.

20. have you tried to get people in your life on board with your fanfiction or is it all super secret because they’d never understand?

I mean I'm still waiting for a friend to read my fics but as for other non-writers then no.

21. hurt/comfort specific: have you ever written a hurt/comfort fic that reflected something that you have personally been through in your life?

No comment.

#astrologista #starspeaks #TimSteph #Tim Drake #Timmy Todd #Stephanie Brown #Batman the Animated Series #Batman Beyond #Return of the Joker #ItsuHaru #Koizumi Itsuki #Suzumiya Haruhi #Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu #sorry this took so long to respond to #and that my answers are kinda boring/repetitive lol #thanks for asking tho!

[theangrypokemaniac]

There's a sneering attitude that the dub is inherently inferior solely for being a dub, and when I say 'dub' I mean the American one. No one attacks the South American interpretation, funnily enough, or the variety that exist globally.

Why not if foreign languages are so abhorrent?  Do you think it's kewl to hate America?

That's so original you know.

If the moan centres on the dub changing certain things, well that's a pointless stance, because it's impossible to do otherwise.

What's accepted in one country is not always permitted elsewhere, so either you make those alterations or it's never shown. I'd prefer seeing a slightly toned down version rather than have it never reach the West at all.

This is without considering the technical obstacles that a direct translation brings. The words do have to fit the mouth movements, and if they don't, truncation must follow.

America and Japan are different; the population of the former are not going to comprehend the references to the latter's history and culture, which necessitates some divergence from the original to give it mass appeal.

Anime is a branch of entertainment. It has to attract the public's good will to stay in business. If impenetrable, it'll fail, with all the resulting unemployment and finacial losses that brings.

Those in charge of dubbing understandably think they're on safer ground promoting familiarity rather than the strange, but that's not to say Pokémon was stripped of its identity. On the contrary, it was like nothing I'd ever encountered before.

I may have watched Western cartoons then, but the idea of doing so now is silly. I won't give time to any modern animation unless it's Japanese. Growing up on the dub has not produced an ephemeral fan less serious or 'true'.

The 4Kids dub had wit, humour, deep emotion, suggestive comments and flights of fancy. The voices fitted the characters well.

Unlike the current one, where everyone sounds on the verge of vomiting, but then they're clearly working with substandard material on a miserly budget. You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear after all.

Dubs can be bad, but the very state of being a dub doesn't confer worthlessness automatically. Considering the work gone into them, attempting to gain your favour, it seems rude not to appreciate the time and energy spent in production.

Knowing a little about history, sub-only fanatics remind me of the kind of folk who opposed an English Bible, because it was too good for the oiks to read the word of God.

Of course it was alright for them, rich enough to be taught Latin, but not so much the ordinary man.

It amuses me how dozens dismiss the dub, but see no hypocrisy in using its evidence to further their ship or anti-ship arguments, so it can't be that revolting.

It's also bizarre that so many hold sacred the sub of a series currently in a frenzy to shed every aspect of its anime and Japanese origins, leaving a vague, rootless ghost, supposedly making it easier to slip down the gullet of the masses.

Pokémon I've seen referred to as a 'gateway drug', as in the anime that introduced a generation to the entire concept. This means the dub. You would not have got enough kids in the late Nineties to read a screen rather than watch it, and even today most would lose interest rapidly.

Where would you be without that dub? Unless you're Japanese, your first experience of Pokémon will have been a dub, and if not the American, the one where you live, which was only made because there was the funds available.

You may have then progressed to watching the sub, but only because that dub stirred love in your soul.

Where would the franchise be without that dub? You think Pokémon would've grown to be a world-wide obsession raking in billions by itself? No, it'd still be a solely Japanese phenomena, and most likely never lasted this long.

Its decades of supremacy rests on the quality of that dub. It sold games and merchandise to kids by the ton, giving an incentive to keep the series going. If you're not a fan from the first wave, then your favourite era would have never existed had it not been financially attractive carrying on.

The team who wrote the first film actually preferred the dub, moved to tears by its emotive use of music, therefore they aren't so precious as the fans.

Where would anime be without that dub? Pokémon brought it to the West. A handful slipped through previously, but made minor impression.

To those who would dismiss Pokémon entirely in favour of more 'worthy' output such as Studio Ghibli, I would say that Pokémon, first the games, then the programme they inspired, must have an integral quality to have caught on in Japan, which isn't exactly short on similar concepts.

To have gained popularity in a crowded market, and so fervently a dub became an option, can only have come about because it held a certain magic.

It was the dub that smashed a hole in the cultural barrier, setting free the tidal wave to engulf the world. In Pokémon's trail followed Digimon, Cardcaptors, Monster Rancher, Yu-Gi-Oh! et cetera.

Without Pokémon, I doubt they'd have been translated, and definitely never broadcast on mainstream television. That came about as channels desperately hunted down anything Japanese to serve as the next craze.

I really appreciated the effort made by 4Kids in converting every aspect of the series to suit American tastes, including changing text on signs, letters and books into English. I assumed this was standard practice until I watched others.

I could never be as involved in them as I was Pokémon because of that block. It was like being denied access to the deeper waters, fenced into the shallows, and implied a rushed dub, with little care shown but to chase the same crowd and money.

If personified, the dub 'n' sub wouldn't be one human being, but rather identical twins: the same to a casual observer, but easy to tell apart by the more attentive.

It's like the games: Red and Blue are versions of a single adventure, but not totally one. Take the dub and the sub the same way. They are parallel dimensions running on separate rails, and beyond reconciliation, and that's before we consider that, sub and dub alike, each generation has only a faint relation to its predecessor, working on its own whims.

Everyone has a favourite, or can like both, and there's nothing wrong in that, but so many are proud of the fact they hate the dub, as if it conveys a revered status of supremacy.

When Disney films are shown abroad, they too are translated, and I'm sure references and jokes are redesigned to make sense to the locals. It's no use selling yourself as a comedy then being surprised when the audience refuses to laugh, having no idea what you mean.

If people prefer that one, for being what introduced them to Disney as a whole, or as a fond memory of childhood, then so what?

I don't mind if their view of a character is minutely at odds with mine, having seen the original, because what they think is canon to their version, so can't be wrong.

I don't go round declaring every Disney dub to be pathetic by its nature, that viewers of them are of a lesser breed of fan for preferring their own tongue, even though more of the world's population understand English than they do Japanese.

If you enjoy one tailored to your country there's no crime in it, just as I like one at least comprehensible to mine. It's not even my culture, but I pick it up mostly.

The choice must be made on which to follow, and this blog runs on dub canon, as that has a claim on my heart. Just because I don't acknowledge what takes place in the sub doesn't mean I'm unaware of it, but it has no bearing on what I write.

The idea that the dub alters things willy-nilly without rhyme nor reason is also mistaken. Often it does it because the original does not make sense.

In the sub, I know Nanny and Pop-Pop are just a couple of old duffers taken at random and dropped in to a castle, supposedly as James's far away nannies.

Oh yeah, that's a cushy position. You doing a lot of child care from miles off?

Mind you, it used to describe 'em as 'caretakers' on Bulbapædia, as if Nan serves as housekeeper whilst Pop tends to the garden.

That's right. Ma and Pa finally got some work out of this pair of freeloaders.

They're not related, remember? No, no, absolutely not, no way. Of course their style reflects that. They just gave Pop a 'tache, thick eyebrows and a bigger nose, and Nan got a bun and lines in her hair, but there's certainly no connection. Oh no. Such a thing is ridiculous.

They're NOT family. No. Yet Hoenn James still panics they might learn he's joined Team Rocket, spending the whole episode trying to hide the truth.

Why? Who are servants to criticise the son of their employers? Why should their opinion be of any consequence to Hoenn James, especially when his parents, fiancée and butler are cognizant of reality?

Children of aristocrats are usually brought up by governesses, thus develop a stronger attachment to these figures rather than their parents, but that isn't the case here.

James lived with Ma and Pa, not the codgers minding the castle. He would have very little contact with distant employees compared to those who waited on him daily, so why seek out their approval?

Hoenn James apparently was permitted visits to Nan 'n' Pop, which is strange considering they're not relatives. Why them and not any other house-stters?

That's right, Ma and Pa sent their son to one of their properties without them, entrusting him to the care of two shrivelled pensioners of his size that he barely knew, and who could keel over at any minute. There are no other servants present. Apparently Nan and Pop clean an entire castle by themselves.

Oh, and they run a makeshift Pokémon sanctuary, but since it's not their home it has to be done with Ma and Pa's blessing, who also have to pay for it, but they're eevul aren't they?

The idea that somehow Nanny and Pop-Pop have not cottoned on to James's occupation by now is risible.

Servants gossip about their masters. I bet the entire household of his home know, and so in turn does the county. That Nan and Pop remain oblivious proves how isolated they are, for no one's thought to inform them.

When it came to dubbing it, they were made his grandparents, removing all the above nonsense. Of course he visits his nan and granddad, it's their gaff and their money funding the place, and it is likely his mother or father would keep James's job a secret, for fear the shock would finish 'em off.

It should do really. If they're not bothered by it that's a sign of where his rapscallion ways were inherited.

They aren't facially akin to Ma and Pa, but display the same additions, so if staff it's bloody lazy, as if nannies have to resemble your parents, but inventing a blood link excuses the slothful characterisation.

Every reference I've seen on Tumblr relating to the coffin-dodgers calls them Nanny and Pop-Pop. Apparently the dub decision is met with universal approval. It does have redeeming aspects then.

Now the sub writers, rather than ignore this development, took to it too. They aren't exactly bursting with ideas these days and are probably grateful for the lifelines offered.

Remembering James had parents, they forced a likeness between them and Nanny and Pop-Pop. How else do you explain the inexplicable ageing, even when Sinnoh Ma and Sinnoh Pa are younger than Ma and Pa?

I've also known for years that the sub has this woman as Jessie's foster mother, not Ma Jess, but that's stupid.

I can grasp the idea that Jessie and Ma might have endured extreme deprivation, considering that's what Team Rocket has brought to Jessie anyway, and that they may have lived at the bottom of Mew's mountain prior to Ma's death.

What I find difficult to take in is that social services (or as they're known where I live, the S.S.), however notoriously awful they are, would give a child to a mad bitch in a shack with no running water.

Come on, they have to at least pretend to be concerned for Jessie's welfare.

As Jessie is very young, bereavement can't have befallen her in the distant past, so how can she be happy this soon after becoming an orphan? How could the grieving period be a cherished memory?

If that woman's creaming off the money, why hasn't she fixed the place up by now? Where do the payments go, sniffing glue?

Then there's the depiction. If this is just some daft bint never to be mentioned again, why do they conceal her face? Who cares what she looks like when she's unimportant?

Here's another figure from Jessie's past. She isn't disguised, and why not when she too briefly appears and is then forgotten?

Who was she?

The only sort of characters they tended to hide were other members of Team Rocket:

During the early scenes featuring Giovanni, he was enveloped in shadow, adding both intrigue and a sense of menace.

Madame Boss also got this treatment, even though there was probably no intention to ever feature her in the anime. What's the use in keeping an appearance a mystery if it'll remain masked?

With that pattern, it implies this woman is in the same category, like Ma Jess.

When it came to animation, it definitely was intended to be a foster mother. Not her real one. No.

What did they do?

They gave her Jessie's skin tone and purple hair hanging down her back!

You know, like Ma Jess?

Any colour would've done. Any at all, and being anime I do mean any colour, but no. The choice was made to give her the looks of the exact person she's not meant to be!

Is it that surprising the dub simplified things?

I don't mind if you like the dub, sub, both, or any from around the world, but I'm tired of the smug condescension, as if we all agree the sub is the only one that counts, and that dub fans are grunting troglodytes, or not 'proper' aficionados.

None of us would be here were it not for the dub. Pokémon would not be here. I think it deserves some respect for how much of a difference it made, to my life and to yours.

#pokémon #team rocket #nanny and pop-pop #ma jessie #jessie's mom

[skriaki]

TOP 10 NINTENDO SWITCH GAMES 2019 - my arbitrary list!

Sometimes it's good to be proven wrong. I was pretty sceptical when the Switch was first announced, as it didn't seem too different from the Wii U's gamepad. Then I spent two years watching Nintendo enjoy a complete reversal of fortune, to the point of potentially amassing a more compelling library than Sony's or Microsoft's consoles. So that's how I quite suddenly found myself buying a Switch in October 2019, after having resisted the PS4 and Xbone for five whole years, and my free time has since been dominated by this little machine that defied the odds.

Some of Nintendo's business decisions can still seem inexplicable, but releasing a powerful handheld console that can also be docked with a TV at a moment's notice has proved to be an inspired idea, rather than the gimmick the Wii U's gamepad mostly turned out to be. And along with Nintendo's dependable series of top-notch exclusives, the Switch has enjoyed much better third-party support, which is how I ended up buying Dark Souls for the fourth bloody time just because the option to play it portably was too tempting to resist.

The Switch is the first console I've bought since the PS3 and for all Nintendo's quirks, there's a reason the Switch has dominated Christmas wishlists for three years running. Games like Super Mario Odyssey feel like full-size adventures that just happen to have a portable option, as opposed to handheld games you can also play on the big screen. This is the first year in a long while that I've actually played enough topical titles to justify a "games of the year" list, even if my recent Nintendo bias is pretty blatant.

So with that caveat in mind, and in no particular order, here's my entirely subjective list of the best Nintendo Switch games of 2019.

Luigi's Mansion 3

This is a franchise I'd always been curious about and can finally have an opinion on. The process of going from floor to floor of the hotel hoovering up ghosts and solving puzzles is pretty straightforward, but Luigi's Mansion 3 has so much polish and personality crammed into the cartridge. Luigi is immediately lovable as a determined coward, and each level has a wildly different theme that's realised with extravagant audio and visual flair, so progress always feels rewarding. Though this isn't true horror by any means, there can be an unsettling atmosphere and some of the bosses are pretty freaky. I officially love this oddball franchise and am desperate for a chance to play the story again in co-op. Unquestionably a first-class exclusive.

Doom (Switch port)

Not to be confused with the impressive Switch version of Doom 2016, this is the iconic Doom made cheap and accessible. While purists may take issue with some minor technical deviations, this is the first time I've got most of the way through Doom because the portability and *glorious* true dual-stick control makes this easily my favourite version. There's even a cheat menu for when I just want to mindlessly punch hell beasts. The main thing that ages Doom is its maze-like structure, but playing it casually experience alleviates that frustration somewhat. At a grand total of four pounds, this is a BFB (big fucking bargain).

Untitled Goose Game

You know a game is good when the only asterisk I put on my recommendation is that it *may* be overpriced. Untitled Goose Game took the internet by storm this year because it's the quintessential indie game: cute, simple and with anti-authoritarian undertones. As a horrible goose, it's your mission to cause havoc in an unsuspecting English village, interacting with people and objects to cause chain reactions of chaos. Some of the puzzle solutions are maybe a bit obscure, but 90% of the time just messing around with everything in the area will lead to a solution. Untitled Goose Game makes up for its brevity with sheer comedic charm, feeling much better-designed than a "lul so random" affair like Goat Simulator. A honking good time.

Terraria (Switch port)

I have spent literally hundreds of hours on the PC version of Terraria, so when I was broke after buying my Switch the new Terraria port was an obvious cost-effective choice. While the controls aren't as precise, the amount of time spent mining and sorting through loot makes this a great handheld experience. I can't comment on the multiplayer options but few games represent such a sheer value for money, as there's always a new cave to explore or a new boss to overcome. Time has been kind to this 2011 classic, grind notwithstanding.

Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair

While I personally enjoyed the original Yooka-Laylee, it was definitely flawed and I never seriously expected to see a sequel. But Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair launched quite abruptly and did a pretty spectacular job of upstaging its predecessor. All the previous game's half-baked feel has been replaced with clever design touches, like the equippable tonics which grant helpful abilities at the cost of a currency penalty. The titular Lair is actually the final level and available to throw yourself at right from the beginning, but beating it without first obtaining more hitpoints by completing other stages is incredibly hard, which is a great way to incentivize progress without denying more confident players the option of beating the game earlier if they can meet the challenge. Impossible Lair might be this year's biggest surprise, and despite a modest budget I think it's worthy of comparison to excellent 2D platformers like Rayman Legends. Just don't expect to defeat Capital B on your first attempt.

A Hat In Time (Switch port)

I recently reviewed A Hat In Time but at the risk of repeating myself, it's one of the most charming games of the last few years and an incredibly impressive crowdfunded achievement. Mario's offerings may be a grander technical feat, but A Hat In Time is a fast and fabulous journey through a series of weird and wonderful worlds that all feel distinct in content and tone. It's very openly inspired by GameCube-era platformers like Mario Sunshine and Psychonauts and it easily scratches that itch. Simply one of the best original platformers of this generation, and I defy you not to love Hat Kid's cheeky antics.

Spyro Reignited Trilogy (Switch port)

As someone who thinks the original Spyro trilogy holds up better than most early 3D games, I'd have actually preferred a simple port rather than a full remake, but The Reignited Trilogy is honestly impeccable. The updated visuals are gorgeous while maintaining the general style of those old, jaggy models, and very little of the gameplay or content has changed except for sensible updates like the ability to immediately warp between every level you've visited. Having full dual-analogue control is also an absolute godsend even for a PS1 veteran like me. Though Spyro may seem a bit basic these days when faced with modern platformer marvels, the Reignited Trilogy makes these old favourites accessible again at a generous price point.

Ring Fit Adventure

Yes, I have a Wii kicking around in a box somewhere. No, Wii Fit never held my attention as anything more than a curiosity. Ring Fit Adventure, meanwhile, is limited only by my cholesterol-encrusted heart and dislike of excessive showering. This is an honest-to-goodness attempt at making an RPG out of a workout toy, and the amount of polish put into the game's presentation and hardware implementation is pretty remarkable. Levels involve jogging on the spot and squeezing the ring accessory to collect goodies and overcome obstacles, and periodically you'll engage in turn-based combat where you use a custom selection of exercise moves to deal damage. It's a fantastic idea pulled off much more elegantly than it sounds. The ring accessory unfortunately makes this quite an expensive game, so it'll take a lot of regular use to get your money's worth, but I can honestly (and surprisingly) say that exercise suddenly becomes more compelling when it's presented as a light RPG adventure with anthropomorphic gym equipment encouraging you to take breaks and drink plenty of water.

Pokémon Sword/Shield

Disclaimer: I can only give my impressions from 25 hours of playing Pokémon Shield, so this is DEFINITELY not a full review. That being said, this is still an easy recommendation to existing Pokemaniacs and a good starting point for any new acolytes. While the core formula hasn't evolved (har har) much since the very first Pokemon, Sword and Shield still has a number of modern quality of life improvements that make previous generations show their age. I've had so much fun building a core crew of cute and/or badass 'mons in a weird Nintendo version of Britain, and the online features combine with a VASTLY improved random encounter system to make grinding far less of a concern. The wild area takes some getting used to, but it's satisfying to come back and capture the huge Onyx you had to run away from a few hours before. Even if Pokémon Sword/Shield has some technical blemishes and could have pushed the series further in some regards, it's still easy to see why this franchise has maintained such a beloved status for so long.

Red Faction: Guerrilla Re-mars-tered (Switch port)

Along with Dark Souls, Red Faction was a game I never even knew I needed on the go, but now I've got it I can't imagine ever going back. A cult classic due to its amazing destruction physics, Red Faction sees you leading a proletariat revolution on Mars, literally tearing down corporate monuments to free the working class from systematic oppression. The open world is a bit claustrophobic and the shooting isn't exactly mind-blowing, but there's a reason I've beaten Red Faction every couple of years ever since its original 2009 release. The Switch port does the game justice and if you set the difficulty to easy then this is one of the best rage-venting experiences money can buy. So yes, I recommend getting your ass to Mars.

#gaming #nintendo #goty #2019 #switch #nintendo Switch #game review #review

[sage-nebula]

I don't really relate to Alain /That way/ since I've never experienced things like those in my life. However he is without a doubt one of my /favorite/ characters in the Pokemon franchise. He's compelling, he's complex, he's unique and a "first first" for all of Ash's rivals. Alain and Paul are just god sends imo. I can acknowledge well written character when I see one. (I roleplay Alain actually, lol) But no, I can see your heavy love for the guy. Way more than me. I was just taken back is all.

Alain used to have a cult following in the Pokemon fandom back when he was first introduced (Like, everyone wanting him to replace Ash, he’s such a badass yada yada etc) but ever since his League victory (Which I don’t agree with tbh) over Ash. People will occasionally shit talk him and associate the bad ending to his character quality. Which is idiotic and cringy. People can’t formulate their own opinions I suppose. First they want to ride him to next week then hate him for TV Tokyo’s stupidity

Alan’s League victory was 150% deserved from both a narrative and a pokémon standpoint. The only nonsense that happened in that League battle was that Greninja lasted as long as it did, and it only lasted that long because of Plot Armor and Rule of Drama (because honestly, blocking multiple Thunder Punches with Water Shuriken is “aim for the horn!” levels of nonsense). No matter which way you run the stats through a battle damage calculator (and I’ve run them through multiple different ways myself), Lizardon should have landed an OHKO on Greninja, full stop. If Ash really wanted a shot at winning, he would have sent Greninja against Tyranitar, and would have saved Pikachu for Lizardon (which, by the by, would not guarantee him a win, but would at least give him more of a shot). But he didn’t, and so he lost. Alan and Lizardon fought hard for, and earned, that victory fair and square. Fandom may refuse to see it, but fandom is wrong. Full stop. 

(Not to mention the fact that the idea that fandom somehow managed to delude themselves into thinking Ash would win anyway is just … beyond ridiculous. Ash will never win a major League. Never. Not ever. Not once, not ever, not once. If he wins, then the series will end. This has been stated by people working on the show. In fact, years ago, someone asked one of the lead showrunners at the time whether Ash would ever become a Pokémon Master, and the man reportedly fell back on the sofa laughing at the mere idea, because that would mean the end of the anime. So thinking, even for a second, that Ash has a shot at winning the League is ridiculous. Finalist is as far as he’s going to become. Fandom needs to accept that, and then go from accepting that to appreciating both the show and his character for what they are. That fandom was ~omg let down~ by this was fandom’s own fault. We went through five regional sagas before Kalos. Fandom should know better by now.)

But yes, the fact that people hate Alan for this is beyond ridiculous. He put in the effort, on-screen, to become the strongest alongside Lizardon. He had, from a narrative standpoint for this genre (shounen anime) a more worthy reason for wanting to win (the strength to protect those he cares about vs. Ash’s desire for glory and accolades). And aside from all of that, Ash and Alan’s relationship was not about battling, not really. Battling was a way they spent time together, a way they enjoyed one another’s company, but their relationship runs so much deeper than that. To reduce them to “omg Ash should win so that their rivalry can be concluded” is nonsense. It’s not about that. Even their League battle was not about that. Their League battle was about them finding happiness in one another’s company, and about Alan reassuring himself that he has the strength to protect others. That’s it. So yeah, the fact that people miss that is frustrating. The fact that people still, even more than a year later, bash Alan for beating Ash in the League is ridiculous. I can’t look at Pokémon videos on YouTube because of this, because the comments are still filled with nothing but vitriol. Iwane-san, one of the animators for the anime, posted an animation and some illustrations of Alan on Twitter a couple weeks ago, and there were people posting hate on those because Alan beat Ash in the League, fair and square. It’s ridiculous and upsetting, and tbh I’m just tired of this fandom’s childish nonsense. Ash was happy and proud of how far he made it in the Kalos League, so why can’t his fans be just as happy and proud of him as he is of himself? It’s a real mystery, but it’s an even bigger shame.

#raijinj