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crusherthedoctor · 3 years

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Can you list anything you unironically like in the games (and cartoons and comics) that you don't like?

I won't bother mentioning music, since that goes without saying and is to be expected for a Sonic game... unless you're Chronicles.

Sonic Adventure 2 (mixed gameplay-wise, annoying story-wise) - While I prefer Sonic's SA1 levels for a number of reasons, I still think his and Shadow's gameplay in SA2 is fun on its own merit. I also don't mind the treasure hunting gameplay returning or how big the levels are this time around, since Knuckles and Rouge are still fast and not '06 levels of slow. It's mainly the gimped radar that creates the unfortunate domino effect of making them a problem.

- Introduced Rouge, one of my favourite characters for how playful she is and how she's a lot more nuanced and intelligent than you'd expect.

- Some genuinely good scenes, like Eggman's trap on the A.R.K and Sonic escaping from the G.U.N. helicopter.

- Had some good ideas going for it, like the Pyramid Base and the Biolizard as a scientific monster instead of an ancient one.

- Despite my thoughts on the backstory itself (or rather, its execution), Shadow has enough depth and subtle qualities and occasional unintended hilarity to stand out from the typical dark rival characters you see in media.

- The Last Scene's music in particular is one of my favourite cutscene tracks in the series.

Sonic Heroes (mixed gameplay-wise, loathed story-wise) - The gameplay is fun when you're not being screwed over by repetitive combat, overly long levels and/or ice physics.

- Boasts some of the most consistently Genesis-worthy environments in the 3D games, up there with SA1's and Colours'.

- The in-game dialogue that isn't the same tutorial drivel repeated ad nauseam can be interesting, funny, etc.

- Reintroduced the Chaotix, which provided me with another character I quite like in the form of Vector.

- Bringing Metal Sonic back in full force and front and center in the plot after a long absence (not counting cameos and the like) is a perfectly fine idea. Just... not like this.

Sonic Battle (decent yet repetitive gameplay, mixed story-wise) - Emerl's arc is compelling, and it earns the emotional weight of having to put him down at the end.

- While some characters are iffy (read: Amy), other characters are extremely well-handled. Shadow is probably the prime example.

- Gamma's belly dance healing animation is fucking hilarious.

- When I was young, and the game was first announced, I was really excited about being able to play as Chaos. This proved to be my downfall when it turned out he was arguably one of the worst characters in the game due to being slower than me during the writing process, but I still recall that excitement fondly.

Shadow the Hedgehog (comedy classic) - The sheer amount of legendary stupidity this game has going for it makes it practically impossible to actually hate. It helps that it's not quite as white-knighted on the same level as '06... usually. You know you're in for a unique experience when you hear a gunshot every time you click something in the menu.

- By extension, Black Doom never gained an unironic fanbase like Mephiles/Scourge/Eggman Nega did, which means I'm a lot more willing to take Doom's dumbass brand of villainy in stride. He even has a unique design... a terrible one that rips off Wizeman granted, but alas, even that is a step-up from Fridge Shadow and Bumblebee Eggman.

- Despite being... well, Shadow the Hedgehog, some of the environments would fit right in with any other Sonic game, like with Circus Park, Lava Shelter, and Digital Circuit. Even the Black Comet levels look pretty cool.

- This game understands amnesia better than IDW does.

Sonic '06 (what do you think?) - The obvious one: Shadow's character was handled pretty well, even if it came at the cost of everyone else being a dummy and being forced to interact with Mephiles.

- Like SA2, there are some good moments, like the Last Story ending sequence with Sonic and Elise.

- In the greatest form of irony ever, I like Solaris as a concept and design(s), and its backstory has potential to serve as a parallel with Chaos without being a complete ripoff. Iblis sucks, Mephiles sucks, but I'm fine with Solaris.

- Introduced legendary characters like Sonic Man, Pele the Beloved Dog, Hatsun the Pigeon, and Pacha from The Emperor's New Groove.

The Rivals duology (apathetic outside of Nega-related grumbling) - There were some cool zone ideas in both games that were sadly let down by the restrictive and limiting gameplay. I particularly like Colosseum Highway for thus far being the only full-on Roman level in the series instead of merely having a couple minor hints of Roman, and Meteor Base for the unique scenario of the space station being built into an asteroid. These level concepts and others deserve a second chance IMO. (At least Frontier Canyon got a second chance in the form of Mirage Saloon, amirite?)

- Ifrit has a better design than Iblis. Not saying it's amazing, but the Firebird motif it has going on is a lot more interesting for a fire monster than the Not-Chaos schtick they had with Iblis.

Sonic and the Secret Rings (a very frustrating gaming experience) - Erazor Djinn, A.K.A. Qui-Gon Djinn, A.K.A. Dr. N. Djinn, A.K.A. I'll Take It On The Djinn, A.K.A. Not From The Hairs On My Djinny Djinn Djinn, is one of the best villains not associated with Eggman in the series. He's a Mephiles-type character done right, and there's actual weight and reason to his actions, however sinister or petty.

- I don't have strong opinions either way on Shahra as a character, but the Sonic/Shahra friendship is sweet and well-handled.

- The ending is one of Sonic's greatest moments. The sheer contrast between how ruthlessly he deals with Erazor and how comforting he is towards Shahra speaks volumes... Still gonna make fun of the mountain of handkerchiefs though. (Before anyone lectures me, I understand the significance of it and can even appreciate it from that angle... doesn't mean I'm not allowed to poke fun at it. :P)

- Another game with some redeeming environments. I love the aesthetic of Night Palace, and Sand Oasis looks gorgeous too.

Sonic Chronicles (my personal least favourite game in the series) - Uh...

- Um...

- Er...

- I like Shade's design?

Sonic Unleashed (overrated game and story IMO) - The obvious two: the opening sequence and the Egg Dragoon fight deserve all the praise they get.

- Seeing Eggmanland come to life was an impressive moment to be sure. While part of me does feel it didn't quite measure up to what I had in mind (ironically, the Interstellar Amusement Park ended up being closer to what I had in mind), it still looks badass and works well for what it is. I also don't mind the idea of it being a one-level gauntlet... key word being idea.

- Obviously, the game looks great. Not a fan of the real world focus (real world inspiration is fine, but copy-pasting the real world and shoving loops in it is just unimaginative), but it can't be denied that the environments look good.

- This game pulled off dialogue options a lot better than Chronicles did, since they didn't rely on making Sonic OoC.

Sonic and the Black Knight (just kind of boring all around) - Despite my gripes with the story (Merlina wasn't nearly as fleshed out as her unique anti-villain status deserved, which ends up severely undermining the ambition of the plot in more ways than one, and the other characters go from being useless yes men for King Arthur to being useless yes men for Sonic), I will admit it provides interesting insight into Sonic's character.

- Like '06 and Secret Rings, the ending is very nice... well, aside from Amy being an unreasonable bitch ala Sonic X at the very end.

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 (apathetic) - The admittedly few new concepts sprinkled within had promise. They may not have been as fleshed out as they could have been, but level concepts like Sylvania Castle and White Park, bosses like Egg Serpentleaf and the Egg Heart, and story beats like the Death Egg mk.II being powered by Little Planet, all could have been brilliant had they been better executed.

SatAM (apathetic outside of SatAM Robotnik-related grumbling) - I'm not a fan of the environments on the whole due to them looking too bland or samey, but there are some exceptions that look pleasant or interesting, like the Void.

Sonic Underground (apathetic) - The character designs make me feel better about myself.

- Does "large quantities of unintentional meme material" count as a positive?

Sonic X (mostly apathetic outside of Eggman's handling) - Helen was a better human character and audience surrogate in her one focus episode than Chris was throughout his entire runtime.

- Actually, most of the human characters not named Chris were legitimately likable. Including everyone in Chris' own family not named Chris. Hilarious.

- Despite arguably having the most Chris in it, I actually don't mind the first season that much, partly due to slight nostalgia from seeing it on TV when it was new, but mostly because Eggman actually acted like a villain for the most part, and certain other characters weren't quite as flanderized yet. It's season 2 and onwards where things started going off the rails IMO. (Incidentally, Helen's episode was part of season 1...)

The Boom franchise (apathetic) - Along with Chronicles, the games provide yet more proof that just because someone isn't SEGA/Sonic Team, that doesn't mean they're automatically more qualified to handle the series.

- The show had some good episodes here and there, and Tails' characterization was probably the most consistently on-point out of the cast.

- Despite not exactly being favourite portrayals for either character, even I'll admit that many of Knuckles and Eggman's lines in the show on their own were genuinely funny.

Archie Sonic (pre-reboot is mostly terrible, post-reboot is mostly... bland) - Whenever I doubt myself as a writer, I think back to Ken Penders, and suddenly I'm filled with a lot more confidence.

Sonic the Comic (apathetic) - Fleetway isn't a comic I tend to recall much of aside from how much of a loathesome cunt Sonic is, but IIRC, Robotnik's portrayal is pretty good. Different, but good.

IDW Sonic (stop pissing me off, comic) - Putting their handling aside (and being too obviously "inspired" by MGS in the latter's case), Tangle and Whisper are good characters IMO.

- Same goes for Starline, before he was killed off-screen and replaced with Toothpaste Snively.

- Execution aside (noticing a pattern?), the zombot virus was a fine concept on its own and an interesting new scheme for Eggman.

- I get to remind myself that I've never drawn scat edits and posted them publicly on Twitter.

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staticscreenwriting · 5 years

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casual moths - chapter four

Deleted the links to the other parts in hope that this might show up in the tags that way. Find them on my masterlist or if you add /angel-reyes-fanfiction after my URL :)

If you liked this part and wanna help me out, please consider a reblog. Thank you.

Chapter four - fears and starlight

Her name is Lex. She has bright red hair and a body to die for. She knows how to move in all the right ways and how to make Angel feel good. Her skin is warm against his as their bodies are tangled with each other in his bed.

Any other day, he would be caught up completely in the bliss of a gorgeous woman’s body. Not this time though. This time all he can think about is how he wishes the hair was blond and the eyes were a deep shade of brown. How this isn’t enough. Not anymore.

How much that thought scares him.

When it’s all over and done with and Lex falls into an exhausted slumber, Angel crawls out of bed, puts on his boxers and sits on the porch steps of his house.

It’s the very early hours of the morning and Santo Padre is quiet. It feels peaceful. Comfortable. It’s rare moments like these when Angel’s mind seems so loud and the world seems so stil, that he really feels the gravity of it all. That he feels just how lonely he really is. How the girls in his bed will never fill the void. How the familiall bond he found with the MC will never be a proper substitute for what he’s missing with his blood family.

How his heart aches for the love of another person. Fatherly love. Brotherly love.

The love of a blonde single mother.

And it scares him because, despite what others might think — what his dad might think, Angel is not an idiot. Callie is soft touches and warm smiles and love. She’s too good for him in all ways considered. He’s all gloomy and sad and angry and she’s — magic.

Angel doesn’t regret the path he chose but it’s moments like these where he wonders what could be if he had taken another. If he cared a little more about academics, tried a little harder, reached out a little further. If he made his dad a little prouder, protected EZ a bit better. If all was different, would he be a good enough man for Callie ?

The sun slowly starts to rise and cover the street in a glow of pinks and blues. Angel wonders if she watches the sunrise too. And he knows that’s some real pussy shit to think about and that his brothers would have his balls if they ever found out he was thinking such things. But he does anyway. Because it’s the early hours of the morning and everything is quiet around him and his head is so loud and it’s nice to indulge in a future he can never have but so desperately wishes he could.

- OOO -

It’s later that day, when Angel is slumped down on his dad’s couch absentmindedly watching some 90s TV show rerun on tv, that EZ enters the room casual as always.

“ The fuck are you doing here ? “

At his older brother’s exclamation of dismay, EZ raises his eyebrow in confusion.

“ Uh. Was gonna say hi, see how pops is doing ? Why ? “

“ Nah. You’re supposed to be watching Callie “ a ball of anger builds inside of Angel’s stomach. It’s red hot fury. He’s supposed to keep the girls safe. His trust lies in EZ to be his eyes, his ears. Be the knight in shining armour he denies himself to be. He’s too much of a villain to ever play that role entirely.

“ She sent me away. Angel I’ve been watching her house from the moment she left the scrapyard last night, no sight of the car anywhere. She’s at work now but she insisted I leave. Her customers are mostly old ladies and apparently they’re aren’t too fond of a dude on a motorcycle watching the store at all times. That’s reasonable, honestly. “

“ Are you stupid ? Of course she was gonna send you away. That doesn’t mean you gotta leave, just keep some distance you — “

Angel can’t finish the sentence though, as his dad interrupts him with a loud cough.

“ What are ladies bickering about again, huh? One would think I raised a bunch of hens. Goats maybe. “

“ Don’t worry, old man “ Angel waves him off. This is none of his dad’s concern really. He doesn’t want or need him to get involved in this. He’d just be another reminder that Angel will never be good enough for Callie.

“ I do worry. It’s what comes with the whole parenting ordeal. “ Felipe grumbles.

“ Angel she didn’t want me there. I am not going to force my protection on her. “ EZ starts to reason again, before another interruption from their father.

“ Her ? who’s her ? “

“ Callie “ EZ answers.

“ Who is Callie ? “

“ It doesn’t matter “ Angel replies. Only it does. Because she’s all that’s on his mind recently and it’s stupid and ridiculous because he just met her a few weeks ago. She’s just a girl. Only she is so much more and it’s fucking terrifying.

“ Is she the one with the little girl ? “

Angel doesn’t reply, just bites his lip in frustration. This isn’t how this was supposed to go. In a different world where his dad loved him enough, he would be delighted to talk to him about Callie. In a different world she’d be his and he’d bring her around for BBQs with his dad — and maybe his mom, and they’d embarrass him with old baby pictures and he’d pretend to hate it but secretly love it for the smile it’d put on Callie’s face.

But that world is not the one he lives in. The one he lives in greets him with a look of pure frustration and disapproval on his father’s face.

“ Angel. She’s a mother. Don’t get her involved in this. “

This. Involved in this. It means involved in him. He knows it and it breaks his fucking heart to hear his insecurities voice by his own father. He knows it’s a terrible idea but to have his dad confirm his fear is — too much.

So he reacts the way he always does. With anger.

“ This ? What is this exactly huh ? Me. You can say it. Don’t get her involved with me. I know that’s what you want to say. I know that’s what you think. And honestly you’re probably right. She’s most definitely too good for me but maybe she could see something else, you know ? Something more ? She thinks I’m a good guy. She — she makes me want to be better. Enough. Something I could never be for you, for this family. Maybe this time I can be. “

He shrugs off the hand that EZ rests on his shoulder to try and keep him calm. There’s no staying calm aymore. For too long, Angel has sat in his anger and hurt and frustration. Letting it gnaw at him and devour pieces of his heart little by little.

Not anymore. Not any longer.

- OOO -

The wind lashes around him as he speeds down the streets of the outskirts of Santo Padro. His anger dissipating with every mile. The adrenalin, the rush, it helps him calm down. Just like punching stuff does. Just like sex does. He’s been on the road for hours, the day almost making room for the sun to set.

Maybe his father is right though. Maybe he should end it now. Not contact her again. Stay away and let her live her life in peace and quiet and find a proper man who can take care of her and the little one.

But that thought kills him a little inside. Because he’s not ready to let go of the spark, no matter how dim it is. How little light it actually spends. Even a small spark can start a fire.

He finds himself at her door, stomach tied in knots. He’s never been nervous about meeting a girl before. But those girls didn’t really mean as much. They weren’t his spark.

There’s laughter ringing through the house and Angel has to think back to the days when laughter lived at his home. When he was younger and careless and happy. When mom was alive and when dad was in love and when things were … good. When he had a family.

Callie opens the door with a huge smile on her face and a strand of blond hair falling across her face while the rest is pulled into a messy ponytail. She’s wearing denim shorts and a shirt that looks two sizes too big for her. There’s flour on her cheek and sauce on her collar.

Angel thinks she’s never looked more perfect.

“ Hi “ she says and smiles that gorgeous smile that has become a source of heart palpitations for Angel.

“ Hey. I uh — “

What Angel ? He asks himself. I was in the area ? That’s bullshit. Tell her the truth.

“ I wanted to see you. “

She takes a breath but the smile doesn’t fall not for a single second.

“ You wanna come in ? We made pasta. Spaghetti sauce is store bought though. Hope that’s alright ? “

And for the first time that day, Angel smiles.

“ That’s perfect. “

- OOO -

The tv plays cartoons in the background while little Daisy is fast asleep on the couch.

Angel wonders what it feels like to be a parent. What that unconditional love feels like. If that even exists. It seems to exist with Callie and Daisy. It used to exist with his mother. He wonders if it goes away at some point. Because he sure all hell hasn’t felt any of that love from his dad in a long time.

Callie pours another glass of wine, perched on the little white fold out chair on her balcony, and watches as Angel’s eyes seem to gloss over with — nostalgia ?

The night is dark, only illuminated by the stars and the fairy lights placed all around the balcony and the light coming from inside the house.

“ She’s cute isn’t she ? “

The corner of Angel’s lips pull up into a little grin. “ You know she is. Did good there. “

“ Yeah I did “

The pride her words hold, is so all consuming, Angel finds himself feeling almost jealous. Pride is something he never got to experience at home and maybe that’s his own fault but it doesn’t make it any easier.

“ Hey uh — thanks for sending EZ to keep an eye on us. I know I said you shouldn’t and I know I sent him away but I did feel quite a lot safer last night knowing he was outside watching out for us. “

“ Of course. Gotta keep you save. “

“ But you don’t “ Callie replies “ you don’t have to do it but you do it anyway. I appreciate it. “

“ Well you don’t gotta invite me in for dinner and make me feel like — “ he sighs wondering if he should speak the following words but unable to stop himself “ — like I’m part of a family for an evening. Even if it’s just for a few hours it means a shit ton. “

The deep brown of her eyes seems to come alive with a whirlwind of emotions. There’s so many and Angel can’t name a single one because they all blend into one another so perfectly.

And she doesn’t say anything at first, just places her hand on his. And it’s soft and warm and wonderful.

“ You can be a part of our little world any time you want. I owe you that. “

“ You don’t owe me shit. But would you — would you want me to be ? “

Callie takes a sip of her wine and looks to the side, mulling over her words. There’s no right or wrong here just honesty. There’s no pressure and yet it feels like the weight of the world is resting on both their shoulders. And shouldn’t this be easy ? Shouldn’t this be the most simple answer on earth ?

And maybe it is because Yes she wants him here. But Yes is the hardest word to say sometimes. Because it means more than just that. It means letting him in. Letting him be a part of her life and, by extend, that of Daisy. It’s giving a part of their little world to him and it’s crazy really because since he stumbled into it a few weeks ago, he’s already been occupying her mind. Little by little taking over her heart.

She doesn’t love him. Because love is complex and confusing and something that takes time. But there’s no doubt in her mind that she can love him. That she can learn to let him in.

“ I’m terrified ” she confesses.

“ Why ? “

“ Because I like how this feels and I like the idea of more nights like this. I like to think of what could be and I’m scared that it’s not gonna turn out this way. That it’s gonna crash and burn and hurt both me and Daisy. “

“ It — “ he doesn’t get to speak out though, as Callie goes on.

“ I’m even more scared of what happens if it does turn out the way I wish it did. I’m scared that I get another chance at love and that things become magical again and that life is good and then when it is, it gets taken from me again. I can’t go through that again. Daisy can’t. She was too little to understand then but she’s grown. She’s old enough now. “

“ I’m scared too. “ Angel answers truthfully. And really, to hear his doubts reflected in her is both terrifying and comforting all at once. Because things are only half as scary if you go through them with someone else, aren’t they ?

“ Well we shouldn’t be, thought. Good things aren’t scary, right ? “

“ But there’s good things that are a little scary. “

“ Like what ? “ Callie asks, a little smile making its way onto her face.

“ Rollercoasters. Horror movies. Skinny dipping. “

“ You’re being surprisingly reasonable, I gotta give you that one. “

Angel softly takes her face in his hand, making her focus on him and him entirely. And it’s like the quiet night takes them in and covers them in a veil of silence and starlight. And all that is there is the electricity between them and the beatings of their hearts.

“ I think some things are worth it. Facing your fears and all. I’m gonna try all I got, to make this one worth it. And we don’t have to go all in immediately I just — I need to know this isn’t one sided. You’re all that’s been on my mind since you showed up at the clubhouse looking for Jess. I can’t explain this and yeah it fucking terrifies me too but god am I ready to face this head on. I’m not the best catch but I can be the best version of myself. I can. “

Callie only nods, her face so close he can feel her breath on his lips, her nose brushing his.

“ Sorry for being so fucking cheesy “ he whispers, lips brushing hers as he speaks.

“ No. No, keep talking. You’re making me fall in love with you. “

And as her lips meet his, Angel feels like that spark has become something more. This feels right even if it shouldn’t. Even if he’s never going to be good enough. Even if he’ll never be deserving of her. The spark is now a wildfire and it’s consuming everything.

Angel doesn’t think he’s ever felt anything better than her lips on his. Callie thinks he’s a magnificent kisser.

Santo Padre is quite and dark that night, only illuminated by the stars and the moon and the glow of two lost souls finding one another in the dark.

Taglist: @world-from-my-viwe , @carlaangel86, @genius2050, @brokenandrising, @captainsamwlsn, @starrynite7114 ,

#angel reyes fanfic #angel reyes imagine #angel reyes fanfiction #mayans mc imagine #mayans mc fanfiction #mayans mc fanfic #mayans imagine #mayans fanfiction

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thepapergirlandthespiegelman · 5 years

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My Top Ten Favorite Video Games of All Time

As of right now.

10. Madeline European Adventures (Creative Wonders, Microsoft Windows, 1996)

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Keywords: point-and-click adventure, single player

This short, cute PC game from my childhood follows young Madeline on an adventure through Europe. The game has the same sweet, unassuming art style as the books and cartoon. You help Madeline by completing simple tasks like collecting flowers and piecing together a ripped up train ticket. The simplicity and childish wonder of this game fill me with nostalgia.

9. Spaceteam (Henry Smith, Android, 2012)

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Keywords: couch co-op, multiplayer, party game

I think this might have literally been one of the official tag lines of the game, or maybe it was in the trailer or something, but I commonly introduce this game as “a game where you get to scream at your friends.” Also, chaos. The premise of the game is that you work with your friends to fly a spaceship. Each player has a unique dashboard, and some of the instructions that appear on a player’s screen will be for controls on another player’s dashboard, meaning that everyone has to yell out their commands as they get them (while also listening for instructions for their own dashboard).

The aesthetic of Spaceteam is simple and elegant. The background music is a perfect fit. I love the uniqueness of the characters in the Waiting Room. Even though your character’s appearance has no bearing on the actual game, it’s a nice aesthetic touch that seems superior to simple sprites distinguished from each other only by color or something like that. It adds that small, additional silly moment of “I’m the pink guy with the elephant trunk and pageant queen sash.” (I also love that silly moment when playing with someone new: “Is that who I’ll be in the game?” “Nope.” “Oh.”) And the opening lines (“...as a SPACETEAM!”) are so satisfying and iconic.

I love the complexity of the controls; rather than just tapping buttons, playing Spaceteam involves turning dials, moving notched sliders, and swinging broken panels back into place.

The picture sectors are by far my favorite because of how ridiculous and diverse the verbalization that people come up with are. Sometimes it’s as simple as yelling “California! CALIFORNIA!!!” over and over again, but other times it seems impossible to communicate with anything less than “Partially drained pool on a hot day! PARTIALLY DRAINED POOL ON A HOT DAY!”

Spaceteam is a simple game and not as popular as it was in its heyday, but it’s still a fun icebreaker and party game.

8. Old School RuneScape (Jagex, Microsoft Windows, 2013)

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Keywords: role-playing game (RPG), massively multiplayer online (MMO), third person

I never played RuneScape Classic, I only recently got into OSRS, and I only play free-to-play (FTP) because I’m too cheap with money to spend it on RuneScape and too cheap with time to try to generate enough in-game currency to buy membership. As I understand it, RuneScape has something of a reputation as a game of mindless grinding and meaningless achievement. This is probably somewhat deserved. There is a lot of repetitiveness in improving skills (“skilling”) in RuneScape, and it’s not really balanced by any creative aspect in the way that the gameplay in Stardew Valley is. There are quests, but I quickly ran through all of the free-to-play quests (with the exception of two that called for me to murder innocent people and therefore, to this day, lie incomplete in my quests list...). There’s also player-versus-player (PVP) combat, but besides the aforementioned aversion to murder, I don’t really stand a chance against even a mediocre player.

But there’s a lot to love about OSRS. While I initially cringed at the extremely dated aesthetic, I grew to love it. Is it ugly? Yes. Do everyone’s eyes look like unholy, black, triangular voids? Yes. But the same things that make it dated and ugly also make it visually interesting and unique.

What really redeems RuneScape for me, though, is the other players. RuneScape was the first MMO that I ever played, and I was really pleasantly surprised by how genuinely kind, helpful, and thoughtful the other players are. Veterans are eager to help out new players. Multiple people have given me super high value items or gold for little or no reason, pretty much out of the blue. One player asked me if I help other people; when I said something like, “Most of the time,” he rewarded me for my honesty with gp and told me to always be good to others. Another gave me gold for complimenting his outfit. Someone gave me a shit ton of runes because he had just won a game of hide and seek and I happened to be walking by, and another person gave me a piece of gilded armor for doing a trivial task.

Part of this, as one player who I talked to pointed out, might be that veterans like to “flex on” noobs, as the kids are saying these days. But I think that part of it is really just that RuneScape is a world of abundance, and when people prosper, they’re eager to share that prosperity with others. I really love that, and I wish that the real world was more similar.

That same conversation leads me to another important point of the social world of RuneScape: surprisingly long and deep conversations. Conversation with the players around you is a way to pass the time while skilling, but, then again, maybe playing RuneScape is an excuse for or avenue to conversation. As far as I can tell, it’s near impossible to find someone to have a pleasant, real-time chat with on the Internet. Sites like Omegle tend to be plagued with bots and horny men (although, actually, I once met someone on Omegle and we’re Tumblr mutuals to this day. So sometimes good things do happen). But everyone I’ve met on RuneScape seems happy to chat about the game and life and whatever else, and I’ve had some really interesting conversations.

7. Swapples (OMGPop, Web, c. 2006)

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Keywords: tile-matching, match 3, multiplayer, online

It’s not that Swapples, a fairly generic tile-matching game, is especially stunning. The game is cute and fun, but what I really appreciate is the OMGPop model. One of my favorite things about playing video games has always been playing with other people. Back in the day, my friends and I would drop OMGPop links in our Skype group chat to invite each other to play these silly games. I love the simplicity of that: no one has to make an account, or friend the other user, or download or buy anything, they just click the link and you’re ready to go. Sadly, OMGPop no longer exists, and I don’t know of any other site that does this.

6. Mario Party 8 (Nintendo, Wii, 2007), Mario Kart Wii (Nintendo, Wii, 2008), Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Nintendo, Wii, 2008)

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Keywords: party game, competitive, multiplayer

I grouped all of these together because they’re the three multiplayer Wii games that I would play with my brothers and friends when I was a kid. I don’t have that much to say about them except that playing games with people is fun!

I’m neither competitive nor at all skilled, but I still enjoyed Brawl for the following reasons:

1) Chaos, comebacks, and rooting for one player or another. I think “Stay out of the way and try to let the big guys beat each other up” is a pretty standard tactic, but yeah; it’s a good one. Even if you don’t win, you get to watch the match, and hey, maybe one of them will kill the other and you’ll survive slightly longer!

2) Badass female character action. It’s superficial, but hey, I loved playing the female characters in Smash: Peach kicking people in the face in her pink high heels; magic-wielding, gender-bending Zelda/Sheik; Samus turning into hot as fuck Zero Suit Samus after her Final Smash.

3) The drama of the story, perhaps exaggerated by my young brain, but a factor contributing to my liking of the game regardless. The idea of all of these different characters coming together to resist being forced to fight each other to the death is pretty romantic.

5. Undertale (Toby Fox, Microsoft Windows, 2015)

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Keywords: role-playing game (RPG), single player, third person, overhead perspective, pixel art

It took me a looong time to get around to playing Undertale. I had known about it for awhile, but I only actually decided to play it after everyone on Tumblr started freaking out about Delta Rune.

I definitely wasn’t disappointed. This game is iconic.

The tag line pretty much sums it up: “The RPG game where you don't have to destroy anyone.”

Historically, I’ve had two problems with video games:

1) Too hard. Games that are too difficult are basically unplayable, and unplayable games aren’t very fun. While I get that if you work at anything long enough, you’ll probably be able to do it eventually, I’d still rather start with an easy game and work up to more difficult ones. I don’t have years of video game experience that would have improved my reaction time and hand-eye coordination and given me a knowledge of strategy. While any game is playable with time and effort, games are most fun (at least for me) when level of player skill and level of challenge are in some kind of balance (there are those masochists who will plug away at games like Getting Over It for hours upon hours, and power to them, but I am not one of them, at least not currently).

2) Too violent. This problem is twofold and relates to the above. The first problem is my general distaste for violence, even fictional. I’d rather help someone than hurt them, if possible. The second problem is that I often get bored by combat. Again, this is partially due to the difficulty being too high; repetitively training myself to improve things like my reaction time and aim seems rather dull to me on the face of it, although I now understand a little better how it could be a welcome challenge. Other times, it seems like combat boils down to just numbers (player stats, etc.), which again, I didn’t immediately see the appeal of, although I now get how it could be intellectually stimulating to calculate and strategize.

Undertale manages to craft a unique and entertaining game without having either of the above problems or reducing the game to a more visual novel-like format.

The save points (which sport the text “...fills you with determination”) feel like a promise from the game that as long as you stay determined, you will be rewarded. I really appreciate that.

This is a fantastic game. It’s sweet, ridiculous, suspenseful, funny, creepy, tragic, and inspirational. The pixel art aesthetic is wonderful. The soundtrack is excellent. Everyone, especially people who think that they don’t like video games, should play this game.

4. Stardew Valley (ConcernedApe/Chucklefish, Microsoft Windows, 2016)

Image: my own screenshot

Keywords: farming simulator, role-playing game (RPG), single player, online co-op, multiplayer, third person, overhead perspective, pixel art

Stardew Valley is a lovely, whimsical farming simulator/country life role-playing game that feels like home. I haven’t played any other farming sims (other than a brief stint with FarmVille, which I pretty quickly abandoned), but what seems to set it apart is the relationships that you build with the other villagers. They’re simplistic in some ways; a big part of the social dynamic follows the typical RPG format of “give person gift, now they love you,” but each villager’s likes and dislikes are (mostly) unique, and the dialogue and cut scenes help to make the relationship feel more real. You can even marry one of them and have children.

You also get to know the villagers’ schedules to some extent and get used to seeing them on holidays, which is weirdly pretty realistic. Predictability makes things easier to code, but human beings also just are predictable. We have routines. We look forward to holidays. The game can get boring, and obviously there are limitations in what you can do to affect things in the game that would not exist in real life, but it still feels pretty real and satisfying.

Co-op mode, in which one player can invite other players to work on their farm with them as farmhands (and may ultimately propose to and marry them, if they wish) feels like a weirdly accurate simulation of what it’s like to run a household together. You worry about money and talk about how much each person should be able to spend. You think about the relationships that each of you has with other people. You collaborate on furnishing and decorating choices. It feels like good practice for the future.

3. Pokémon Leaf Green (Nintendo, Game Boy Advance, 2004), Pokémon Sapphire (Nintendo, Game Boy Advance, 2003)

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Keywords: role-playing game (RPG), single player, third person, overhead perspective, chiptune

My Pokémon games were me hand-me-downs from my brothers. I’m not really sure, but I don’t think that they’re the most popular ones of the series. Regardless, I loved them. I loved caring for each of my precious Pokémon, training them to grow big and strong, and watching them improve and evolve. I caught a Ralts very early on in one of the games, which is apparently quite rare, and lovingly raised it up to a Gardevoir. As a Psychic Pokémon, Gardevoir became kind of a sign of protection and positive mental health for me, a sort of good luck charm. I had a Blaziken named Peeta, after the Hunger Games character. I tried to make sure that each of my Pokémon got time to play and didn’t have to spend eternity cooped up in my Box; this wasn’t always super compatible with my other goal to “catch ‘em all,” but the thought was there. I have such happy nostalgia associated with this game and each of its different aspects: the different biomes and weather, planting berries, the shops and Pokémon centers, the Poké flutes, the different types of Poké balls, the ancient Pokemon, the thrill of potentially catching a legendary Pokémon, the music.

2. Humongous Entertainment suite - Pajama Sam (1996-2003), Freddi Fish (1994-2013), and Putt-Putt (1992-2003)

Image: my own screenshot

Keywords: point-and-click adventure, single player

The HE games are point-and-click adventures featuring a young boy with a silly superhero alter ego (Pajama Sam); a fish (Freddi) and her friend (Luther); and an anthropomorphic car (Putt-Putt). These exploration games fascinated me as a child, and the Pajama Sam aesthetic had a huge impact on me. “No Need to Hide When It’s Dark Outside,” in which Sam journeys through the fantastical Land of Darkness that he never knew was in his closet, is the most iconic. The game is mostly dressed in shades of purple, blue, and black, with occasional pops of bright yellow and orange thrown in. The game effortlessly tows the line between creepy and charming, with characters like two doors that come to life and act as game show hosts to test Sam before he can pass through. Beyond those two doors lies one of my favorite scenes of the game, a hallway of logic-defying doors: doors of all sizes, shapes, and colors, on the floor, walls, and ceiling. Gravity doesn’t seem to work normally in this strange, liminal space. The mines in the game, in contrast to most of the other imagery, have a lot of stark red and gold, but black border and background elements make the mines just as creepy as the rest of the game, and perhaps more menacing. Like a lot of children’s games, “No Need to Hide” also contains a lot of wacky, mismatched imagery (hot dogs as the ends of cattails, giant paintbrushes next to multi-color geysers that double as paint pots) which, in this case, can be attributed to the fact that the Land of Darkness, for all its forests, rivers, mines, and more, is still contained within Sam’s closet. The confused chaos somehow feels very representative of what the inside of a child’s mind is like.

“You Are What You Eat from Your Head to Your Feet” and “Life is Rough When You Lose Your Stuff” are similar to “No Need to Hide,” but the soundtrack improves, bringing in varying kinds of jazz music, from swing to bossa nova, as the final element tying the Pajama Sam aesthetic together.

I also have to give a nod to the first Freddi Fish game. The aesthetic of “The Case of the Missing Kelp Seeds” is similarly bizarre and wonderful. The dark and creepy junkyard guarded by an angry “dog” fish, the sketchy manta ray watch salesman, the “peanut butter and jellyfish” sandwich that you have to feed to a hostile lurking eel, the fish cabaret. It’s just really creative and aesthetically interesting.

1. Paper Mario series - Paper Mario (2001), Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door (2004), Super Paper Mario (2007)

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Keywords: role-playing game (RPG), single player, third person, player-controlled party members/allies

Paper Mario, Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door: turn-based combat

Super Paper Mario: real-time combat, action role-playing game, side-scroller, platformer

The only Mario games that I’ve played other than the party games, I used to play these with my younger brother. We’d take turns playing and watching the other person. I love the idea of Paper Mario, and of course the characters and art style are unique, creative, iconic. We started with Super Paper Mario, and I remember that one the most vividly. In Super Paper Mario, the paper version of Mario actually has the ability to go 3D, finding secret locations and paths inaccessible to those restricted to two dimensions. Something about that is just really cool to me, and it expands on the theme of exploration of all nooks and crannies (check ceilings, look under loose bricks!) from the game’s predecessors.

So much weird stuff happens in this game (note: some spoilers ahead, obviously): seemingly cute and innocent Mimi forces Mario into slavery after he accidentally breaks a vase, then later transforms into a horrifying spider monster; Mario visits the underworld and swims in the river Styx, where long, creepy white hands grab at him; there’s an entire secret alternate version of one of the central locations, “Flipside,” called “Flopside.” This game is just wild, and I love all of the different settings and characters and how the plot progresses.

Honorable mentions/good games that didn’t make my top ten: Frog Fractions, Jackbox games (Drawful, Quiplash), Zoo Tycoon, Depression Quest, The Stanley Parable, The Beginner’s Guide, Doki Doki Literature Club, Firewatch, Donut County

So that’s my list! I’m still very new to the world of video games. There are a lot of genres that I haven’t even tried yet. I’m very open to recommendations!!!

#list #video games #aesthetic #gameplay #storytelling

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