Tracklist:

GEARS OF THE PARTY • LAID-BACK ALIENS!! (are U not MEN?) • Reciprocity of 90's • Digital Illusion • KONTAKTE • BEEP ME UP • Mahogany Twister • Everybody Needs a RAVE • Hold On Me • RAVE20000009 • KAWASAKI BOMBASTIC • Death Shousei • Kisarazu Calling

Bandcamp ♪ YouTube (sample showcase only)

I noticed the recent influx of Axl Low fanart which I rarely see. Is that going to be a growing trend with each new character trailer release for GG2020?

I can’t really speak for the interests of other artists or even fans of certain characters but, if there is one thing I’m aware of, it’s that people will typically draw what they like or draw what they get paid to draw… Unfortunately 90% of it is self-indulgent.

That’s why you see so much Baiken fanart , that’s why you see people drawing mostly female characters in erotic ways, or if they draw male characters they draw them with feminine or muscular traits to make them especially fanservice-y or attractive.

I talked to one of my regular artist friends about the subject, and she said to me that even if she WANTED to draw other characters, more often than not she’s commissioned to draw female characters as that’s what gets the Likes/Clicks and pays the bills for her, and I’m sadly inclined to agree.

I don’t particularly condone the “male gaze” or even the “female gaze” as far as fanservice goes.

Don’t get me wrong, you still have fans who go against the grain the draw what pleases them the most…  But that’s just it: they draw what pleases them the most.

Back when Guilty Gear’s roster was more diverse and balanced as far as male-to-female ratios is concerned, yes, you WOULD see a wider variety of artworks.

I always make it a habit to think about the whole roster, not just the eye-candy characters or my “mains” or “subs” or whomever I play as regularly.

I mean, when was the last time you saw fanart of Justice, Leopaldon, Fanny, Tyr, Gig, Judgement, or Crow Kuruwaba?  Geena even?

Heck, amazing as it sounds, even Bridget fanart is getting scarce (and he was meme levels of popular back in the day).

Still, I like how ARC System Works is approaching the promotion side of things for this GG2020 game.

Reintroducing one character at a time, taking things NICE and SLOW.

I think that’s important as it gets us to think DEEPLY about how neat each individual character is in their own regard and what they’re capable of both in story and gameplay.

Even someone like Potemkin has his fanbase, so consider the source: while you might see a lot of oversaturated erotica on places like Tumblr or Twitter or even Pixiv, there’s people out there who respect good character design for what it’s supposed to be.

Anyone who’s a fan of Robo-Ky, anyone who’s a fan of Dr. Paradigm, Dr. Faust, Izuna, or even Sir “Iron Whirlwind” Gottfried from Night of Knives (an obscure character reference!?), they all deserve a day in the sun!

Tracklist:

Rave Hurricane • KAWASAKI EMERGENCY • Playing with 92's • 逃走讃美歌 ～Running Machine～ • Scritti Politici • beat the meat (2 old MEGADANCE) • The Snap of Death • Activate • DEATH BULLDOZER • CYBER HOLIC -The Paradise of Shousei- • PARTY LOVER • Pump This Party!! • RAVE200008 • ペシミズム(BREAK MIX) • Dagon

Bandcamp

GG Stages (and trivia) thus Far

Just in deference to @d-author's post about his favorite GG stages, I thought I'd talk about the different stages that HAVE appeared in the GG series!:

Sol Badguy/Neo New York ---GG1's version is New York in Ruins, you can see Lady Liberty's head up close in one version. ---Neo New York Sign version is set at "High Noon" like you'd see Gunslinger fights, and it marks the return of Sol having his own stage instead of being a nomad.  The "Infinite Burgers" Sheriff is voiced by Pachi (Sekine Kazutoshi), the battle director. ---Neo New York Revelator version is set at sunset and has a relaxed view.

Ky Kiske/Paris/Royal Court/5th Skywalk/Illyria Castle War Room ---GG1's Paris Cathedral is pretty infamous throughout the series as the area where Sol and Ky often settle their differences. ---GGX version featured glowing lamps and Yin-Yang floor design along with closed doors.  It also had a massive organ in the balcony (no small wonder why Holy Orders used a Pipe Organ sound). ---GGXX version burst open the doors and windows in the middle of a thunderstorm (the ACPlusR version of this stage has rain and lightning INSIDE the Cathedral, suggesting a hole in the roof!) ---GGXXSlash version is the "Morning after" featuring the dawn of a sunrise in the doorway, with half the stage crumbled away in ruins (meaning that the old Cathedral was destroyed). ---As of Accent Core, the "New" Paris Stage features a Goddess fountain, several Knight statue pillars, and a really neat Fire+Lightning globe. ---Paris in GGIsuka was actually Millia+Venom's stage and featured an Opera House (which was later reintroduced in GGXrd as "Opera House" based in Rome Italy instead of Paris, France). ---Royal Court (Ky's Xrd stage) takes place in the daytime as swordsman guards (voiced by Daisuke and other staff members) patrol the area.  As the fight gets more intense more guards show up, rooting Ky on. ---Royal Court Nighttime (Revelator) evokes Ky's GG1 stage roots as the original Cathedral was showcased at night as well, it shows a guard on his daily rounds suddenly LOCK the stage so the intruders can't enter the inner sanctum, while a Convict Hammer is summoned to observe the duel.  A certain candle stand can be snuffed if you swing your sword near it! ---5th Skywalk references Millia's old fountain stage in Russia, and it has lots of references to the old Paris Cathedral stage in the background.  It has three versions: Sign (Sin Daytime stage), (Leo Rain stage, a reference to GG2 Illyria), and Revelator (Sin at Fireworks during the Feast of Victory). ---Illyria Castle War Room is Leo's stage in Revelator, but it's also a reference to the Paris Cathedral as well... mostly the sword pillars and other things. Dr. Paradigm can be seen talking in the background!  An Alien creature shows up in the video footage in the stage as well.

May+Johnny/Mayship/Mayship II/May Beach ---The original Mayship was pretty classic and had its own front perspective of the ship with various Jellyfish crew who appeared (though nobody knew their names at the time). ---As of GGX, the Mayship went through a few changes of the crew, though they changed with each iteration, the original stage took place among the clouds. ---GGXX Mayship started putting crewmembers in various poses referencing other anime.  It wasn't until Slash/Accent Core that these references were notable though.  GGXX version was set in the sea near the water as opposed to in the air, making the Mayship an amphibious vessel! ---GGXXAC Mayship is more commonly known for it's reference to the show The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, but it also featured a girl holding a sign as the fights progressed, Cheering May on to "Make a Miracle!". ---Mayship II as of GGXrd was especially bright and colorful, and it even transitioned from sky to sea as the background showed.  It even featured a fish tank, explaining where May's Dolphins come from!  This time the TRUE Jellyfish crew can be spotted, and they change places from one round to the next, cheering May on as she fights. ---Mayship II as of Revelator is set at sunset once again, but takes a nice gentle ride over the continents and cities and valleys while the crew prepares for supper!  Truly this stage was built for a family man like Johnny! ---May Beach (Isuka) is just a temporary site for camping out on an island... perfect for barbeque and volleyball in the Summertime!

Axl Low/London/Edinburgh Magicapolis ---Axl's original GG1 stage references the Fatal Fury and King of Fighters series in the background as characters from those games can be seen in the back. ---The GGX version of London takes place in a rainy town at night as everyone rushes home not to get soaked in the rain (London is a city of fog and rain after all).  Only the local dog doesn't seem to be bothered. (Bit of trivia, the Downtown stage in Revelator is a reference to Axl's stage as well). ---The Slash version is a snow stage, and even puts a sweater on the dog as a couple plays with a Snowman, how cute! ---London England in GGIsuka shows a bit of a town of Witches (London was actually destroyed during the Crusades FYI, so these Witch Towns like Tioria were prominent in the region and all that remained of Axl's home town). ---Accent Core had a different take of London rebuilt like clockwork, featuring a Painter who would sometimes pain a certain Alien!  This stage was shared between Axl and Millia Rage. ---In Xrd we travel to the outskirts on a train ride to Edinburgh, a city of even more witches!  It really does evoke Halloween, though it hints at England's supernatural roots in Fairy Lore! Lots of road advertisements for Danny Missiles and Perfumes as well as RIOT clothing! ---Revelator turns the temperature down a bit and shows what it's like to Celebrate Halloween at Christmas!  While certainly chilly (why isn't Axl wearing his pants?), at least the witches flying about are wearing more appropriate attire.

Faust+Baldhead+Zappa/Tower of Lions/Phantom City/Colony/Kingdom Cemetery/Downtown ---The original Tower of Lions was a kind of Chinese-style proving ground for martial artists (not unlike Chipp's GG1 stage which featured a statue of a Buddha deity).  Most commonly known for it's "See no Evil/Speak no Evil/Hear no Evil" mantra. ---In GGX, Faust actually shared Potemkin's junkyard stage (and this was even reflected in Faust's items). ---Faust finally got something of a stage of his own in Phantom City in GGXX, though it was shared with Zappa.  The original Phantom City had red crystals and a floating house as well as ominous ravens perched about. ---The AC/Slash version of Phantom City turned the crystals to icy blue and made things a little more subdued and spooky. ---Kingdom Cemetery in GGIsuka was Faust's alternate stage along with Zappa... like a roller coaster carnival attraction. ---Korean #Reload had an original stage called "Colony" that Faust and Zappa sometimes used... I'm guessing it was a a dimensional Colony in Korea! ---Downtown in Xrd takes place in the daytime and has a fair share of secrets. Besides taking place in front of the Four Strings Hotel, as the crowd gathers and more guards appear, if Ky wins, the guards will cheer as he arrests the person responsible for the ruckus.  The daytime version of this stage also references the "Other London" stage from Accent Core which served as Millia's alternate stage! ---Downtown in Revelator takes place at night in the rain (referencing Axl Low's GGX London stage), in both versions of the stage, sometimes an airship can be seen passing overhead!

Kliff Undersn/Grave/Wilderness Gravemarker/Antarctica ---The original version of this stage takes place at sunset, and looks nice in that classic lighting. ---The GGXPlus version remains unchanged interestingly, but adds more animation to the cute little dragons (one of which may or may not be Dr. Paradigm). ---The GGXX version of the stage takes place at night with a blue sky and full moon, notable fireplace where young gears sleep. ---The Accent Core version is kinda weird because it caused a lot of glitches in later HD versions of the game.  The original AC version had a crimson sky with a full moon and the stage was well-lit, but the later versions for Steam/PS3/Vita changed the sky back to the blue GGXX version due to glitches. ---Wilderness Gravemarker was done in the same spirit as the Grave stage, but features really tall Gears walking on a long migration.  It was shared by Sol, Ky, and I-No. ---Antarctica is Leopaldon's stomping grounds... cold and forbidding.  But still the sky with it's Aurora Borealis is very pretty.

Millia Rage/Russia/Dragonica Falls ---The original stage took place in front of a huge mansion (which we are led to assume was owned by nobles like Slayer in his Villa Vampir).  Sometimes a young maid would appear in the background and tend to the garden. It also sometimes had a mysterious Alien appear in the trees. (This GG1 stage is referenced by Valkyrie Garden in Revelator). ---The GGX version took place during the day and looked really nice with the fountain (this stage is referenced by 5th Skywalk in GGXrd). ---The Night version featured little sparkly fairies (which returned in Area 42) and also had a random UFO appear sometimes. ---Dragonica Falls in Xrd Sign is a dual nod to Hell's Forest (GGIsuka), Verdant (GGXX), and the Grave stage Kliff had. ---Dragonica Falls in Revelator is at night and more spooky-looking (fun to play as Jack-O' or Raven in this version of the stage).  If you look carefully on the map, Dragonica Falls is just a ways north of South Africa where Daisuke used to live as a kid.

Chipp Zanuff+Baiken+Anji Mito/Moonlight Temple/Japanese Colony/Verdant ---Chipp's original stage featured guards protecting a statue of a four armed mechanical statue that resembles either Buddha or Shiva depending on your beliefs. (This stage is partly referenced in the designs of the boat statues you ride with in Ogre Valley in Baiken's Rev2 stage). ---Baiken's GG1 stage isn't much to speak of, but is referenced by the tents shown in the Miyabi colony during Revelator's story mode. ---Chipp later shared the Japanese Colony with Anji Mito and Baiken: ---GGX Colony was during sunset featuring a few samurai miko guarding the bridge and sweeping the steps of leaves in the fall (this is referenced by the Leaves in the Revelator version of Colony). ---GGXX Colony is done at night where a procession of ghosts comes out (also referenced by Revelator Colony). ---Isuka Colony takes place during a summer festival, while the Accent Core version takes place during spring during Cherry Blossom festival (GGXrd Sign references the Cherry blossoms in the Colony stage). ---Verdant (Bridget/Chipp stage) has two versions: GGXX version (which features Gnomes and shadow creatures), and the Accent Core version which is turned in to a training ground for Bounty Hunters (referencing Chipp's GGX ninja training ending). Verdant is referenced by Dragonica Falls (GGXrd) and Area 42 (Rev2).

Venom+Zato+Testament/Hell/Nirvana/Opera House ---Zato's GG1 stage is the prototype of Nirvana which was a Gear summoning ritual. ---Nirvana in GGX featured a Gear in the process of being sealed after it was summoned (lit by red lights, red sky, and crimson full moon, a night of blood!) ---Nirvana in GGXX bound the Gear in wraps (an Eva reference) and has green lighting to show a shift in the situation. ---While Testament's stage GG1 is technically "Hell", it's also referenced by the stage Purgatory which belongs to Nine=the=Phantom in BlazBlue! ---Hell in GGX had skull rock formation islands and zombies coming out of the ground!  Notable for it's Purple Vortex landscape (a small reference to Mortal Kombat portals, perhaps?) ---Hell freezes over in GGXX, making it look very icy with a grey vortex! ---Eddie hijacks Testament's stage in #Reload onwards and turns the stage in to Purple Poison! ---Hell in Accent Core reveals that some ancient cities fell down there, as you can see an ocean of blood and giant building ruins in the background (this is where everything went after being swallowed by the portal).  This version of Hell is referenced in Bedman's Nightmare Theater in Xrd! ---Opera House in GGXrd references Hell's grim reaper, the Rider of Death!, though they call the being the King of Demons, he decides where all the men and women victims go when they "disappear" (dumping the victims box masks and chairs in a huge pair of piles). ---The Opera House has begun to fall apart in Revelator, and is haunted by the 3 members of the Conclave!

Justice+Jack-O'+Valentines/Heaven/Heaven's Edge/Celestial Altar/The Backyard ---First, Heaven itself... more of a sealing ground than an actual "Heaven", but called such because of the cloudy view and the Romanesque statues (which are referenced in Babylon stage in Xrd and Revelator by the way). ---GGXX crumbles Heaven in to ruins and is touched up by a thunderstorm. Rain stages are the best in my opinion! (The rain stops in ACPlusR due to stage glitches though). ---Heaven's Edge not only cites the Sephirot... but it's an endless horizon of blue... and strangely enough it looks similar to the Backyard "ocean" stage you fought Valentine in during GG2's final boss events.  Jack-O' calls it a Tomb to Possibility for some reason, and it might be related to the Scales of Juno! ---Celestial Altar isn't actually a "stage" though it was the place that Sol, Ky, and Sin fought Ariels in Revelator... it would've made a nice battleground! ---The Backyard... I'm surprised we don't have a stage for this place yet... but I'm sure we will eventually!

Jam+Kum/China/Jeon Ryeok Residence/Underwood Hill ---Jam's old Chinese restaurant was steaming with restaurant smells, and she cooked OUT OF A DRAGON! Yum.  Too bad Robo-Ky, Dizzy, Millia, and Venom, destroyed it.  3 times. In a row. ---GGXX China has a slightly different time of day, but still the hustle and bustle of the shop with waitresses handling the deliveries (and some punks hanging out in the back, NO LOITERING). ---China in GGIsuka takes the view to the rooftops and shows what kind of layered place Jam lives in.  Quite the view.  It also references Jam's restaurant rivals Hyuuma and Hanagata. ---Accent Core essentially recycles Jam's Isuka stage, just adds a few minor things, nothing notable though. ---I'm putting Kum Haehyun's stage here because Korea ain't that far from China.  It has a lot of Zeal balloons, and the maids are certainly throwing some kind of party here! (Fun fact: Elphelt's VA voices Kum's head maid in Kum's episode story in Rev2).  Also note the Tuning tower where I guess Kum trains her ears and other senses. ---Underwood Hill is Izuna's GG2 stage, and is located...uh... somewhere not on earth. The edge of the Backyard I guess... but it's very Japanese in style.

Dizzy+Testament/The Grove/Area 42 ---Sometimes known as the Demon's Forest or Hell's Forest, the Grove is where everybody found Dizzy! The daytime version evokes a very angelic church-like ruin feel (the tree with a face in the back is a reference to Vampire Hunter D's film Bloodlust).  Also notable: the cute Squirrel and Chipmunk Gears sleeping nearby (there's also a warning sign by the river suggesting a hidden Gear plant existed nearby). ---Grove in GGXX takes place at nighttime and everybody gathers up by the fire as the sky glows with night fireflies!  How pretty. ---Grove in Accent Core onwards is flooded... lots of lilly-pads and water to splash around in!  Only Testament lives here now... ---Area 42 (GGXrdRev2), though Dizzy lives in a house with her family, she still likes to visit and be close to nature, and this place can't be any closer!  Its faeries reference Millia's Russia stage, but also the gears floating in the sky in the back suggest the Backyard somehow... maybe we'll find out how the world works later on!  By the way, Area 42 is significant in name because "42" references the meaning of the universe as told by the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy!  It also references Area 51, a site for Aliens. ---Dizzy's code name in GG2 was "Maiden of the Grove", FYI (though her name was never given directly, Ky refers to her as Sin's Mother).

Slayer/Castle/Pirate Fort/Villa Vampir ---Castle (GGXX) doesn't actually "belong" to Slayer, he just fights there!  Whoever it belongs to must have been huge though! ---Pirate Fort was a hidden treasure island in Isuka... Potemkin and Slayer's stage, ironic that the song was called "Riches in Me".  Who needs money when you have power in your fists? ---Villa Vampir (GGXrd), Welcome to Slayer's Dinner Table!  He'll regale you with stories from his youth till the sun comes up if you let him!  He has a taste for the finer things in life! ---Villa Vampir (Revelator), Yikes, seems like Bedman trashed the place... but it will serve as a decent training ground at least... for REVENGE.

I-No/Babylon 2181/Babylon 2192/Babylon 2187/AD 2172/Central Organ Tower ---The original Babylon 2181 (GGXX) shown both the SUN and MOON in the sky in the middle of the day, and it had a blue aqueduct flowing through it with birds flying about.  Notable is the giant cherub statue head to the side (which is referenced in Central Organ Tower in Xrd Sign).  You can see dolphins swimming in the water below too. ---Babylon 2181 (GGXXAC) takes place in the afternoon, though its not as active as the original. ---Babylon 2192 in GGXrd becomes a city of ash, with the only forms of life being stray wolves.  There's also a strange giant figure in the background, but we don't know if that's Justice or not. ---Babylon in Revelator 2187 shows the same ashen city, but Knights are investigating it for more information about what happened to the people. ---AD 2172 is Order Sol's stage in GGXX Slash... the sky is blue, the ground is burning, the Gears nearby are dying or dead... Sol's been busy.  Just another bad day for the Badguy. ---AD 2172 (ACPlusR) takes place in the rain a few moments later... something to put the fires out at least... but every fire and every war has a little flame that smolders... ---Central Organ Tower (Elphelt/GGXrd Sign): this stage is a misnomer because the tower actually can't be seen anywhere!  It's just ruins!  Originally this place was near the area where Justice appeared to syphon St. Elmo's Fire from the tower's lightning rod system... but she got overloaded and fell down, knocking a few buildings to pieces.  Elphelt lost control soon after and fought Sol (man I wish that was a boss fight). ---Central Organ Tower in Revelator is mid-cleanup, and for good measure they planted Illyria's flag in the ruins (kindof a 9/11 symbolism there...), thankfully nobody was hurt, but the ruins certainly are fun to fight in!

A.B.A./Frasco/Frasco II???/Undersea Factory/Fossil Hamlet ---The original Isuka Frasco (Flask, as in the Homunculus in the Flask), was a ghostly bedroom haunted by a young lady of the past... very creepy. ---Frasco of GGXXSlash takes place in a laboratory with all manner of creatures and barred doors that monsters tried to break out of.  This place also had some kind of magnetic alchemy stones floating around. I particularly like the stained glass window though. ---Frasco of Accent Core is more of an armory area with lots of ritualistic candles... like someone was trying to summon some dark demon or something. ---Frasco II is the "alternate site" that Paracelsus claims to be working at after Xrd's events (GG World Library hint), maybe we'll see him again someday soon. ---The Hidden Robo-Ky factory is one part restaurant bar and one part Evangelion-style robot laboratory!  Will Robo Ky ever get rebuilt again!? ---Hell's Forest/Hell's Prison seem to be connected to Flament Nagel's past history, FYI.  Guess we'll find out more later! ---Fossil Hamlet is just what you'd expect an old European farm village to be! So many cows!

Potemkin/Zepp Center Arsenal/Zepp Factory/Zepp Junkyard/Zepp Elevator ---Potemkin's first stage in GG1 is actually how Zepp Center Arsenal ORIGINALLY looked! It's quite the sight even in Xrd Sign!  Guards salute if Potemkin wins. ---In Revelator we get to take a peek inside Zepp's garage at what robot suits they're welding together. ---Zepp Junkyard (GGX) really fit with Potemkin's "muscle+jeans" look way back when... we're hoping they'll give us his old outfit back someday. This stage had two versions, morning and afternoon (GGXX). ---Zepp Factory (GGXXAC) is just a view of more riveted architecture... ---Zepp in GGIsuka's Boost Mode gave us a view of Zepp in a huge elevator! Neat.

Ramlethal+I-No+Bedman/Japan/Unknown/Nightmare Theater ---Japan is first introduced in Xrd Sign, but it's a hole in the Earth! The sky is red, and giant hands like a God reach out... like a sign from Revelation! ---Japan in Revelator is more peaceful, but still a huge waterfall hole... too bad Japan is gone, it would have made a nice view. ---Unknown is I-No's boss stage... it's actually a Rift in Space-time that she made to Time Travel.  The original version (GGXX) used an ocean ripple effect on the floor along with a few lightning bolts for effect... the AC version of the stage looks a lot better! ---Nightmare Theater is Bedman's stage, and what a stage it is... there are no words except "scary". This stage is also a subtle reference to films like the Ring trilogy, as well as the Persona games with their pillars of CRT TVs! ---Nightmare Theater in Revelator reveals that everything is Dream Sand... the Sandman cometh!

And I think that's every stage (and reference) outside of GG Judgement stages, which are too big to describe.