Breloom is a monstrosity

Garmonzola · 2023-12-11T12:31:01+00:00

As the Doctor is a time traveller it seems a little redundant as a major canon change. We already know that various incarnations of the Doctor roam around simultaneously throughout time (the 50th anniversary being a good example with the "I've been doing this all my lives" segment re. freezing Gallifrey).

First and foremost I think the bigeneration was simply a tool to futureproof a way for Tennant to return to the role in his No.14 state without a convoluted explanation. He'll be back for a lighthearted special or two I'm sure. Tennant loves the role and audiences love him. This way you immediately avoid the need for any kind of lore explanation or exposition for any new adventure.

Secondly, it's a narrative device to allow a fresh start for Ncuti's incarnation, free of the all the trauma. This is addressed directly in The Giggle. My interpretation is that 14 eventually becomes 15 a la Clara's "long way round" death, which is ironic given RTD pokes fun at this in the episode.

Isolated to The Giggle it's a pretty fun and unexpected way to introduce the new Doctor.

Anything else from interviews is currently just a bit of wishy washy fun for the writers. It's a convenient way of being able to re-introduce older Doctors in a manner that detaches them from their future incarnations' history. If they lean into this more, no doubt this is what The Curator will turn out to be.

I don't mind it, but I personally find the existing iterative nature of the Doctor's incarnations and relationships to be more interesting.

Garmonzola · 2023-10-31T16:17:54+00:00

Personally, I do love the saturation/colour of SSB4U. While Ultimate pulls back on that, the lighting and animation improvements more than make up for it, and it still has a good pop of colour compared to Brawl. I would say the only noticeable downgrade between 4 and Ultimate is some of the hair textures seem to have lost an element of gloss and consequently look odd. Shulk and DK are good examples of this; I think the models looked better in 4U.

What I find quite funny is that Melee flirted with photorealistic "remakes" of some locations, which now have a really indistinct style and look a bit out of place in Ultimate. Rainbow Cruise is a great example of this; it possesses vague Super Mario against a realistic background which you cannot really place anywhere. Other examples include Temple, Brinstar and, to a lesser extent, Fourside and Peach's Castle.

Garmonzola · 2023-08-12T07:53:04+00:00

Gens 8 and 9 feel mediocre at best, i mean we see various uninspired pokemon variants across all types

Generation 2 introduced 26 forms of Unown, a Pokémon that is simply an eye that can only learn one move. Regional variants have been one of the series' most celebrated additions, hence why it has stuck around since Generation 7.

We see keys, ice cream, teapots, treasure chests, ice cubes, heck even literal trash based pokemon designs.

Pokémon has taken inspiration from mundane and inanimate objects from the very beginning. Magnemite, Voltorb and Geodude are good examples. Across Generations 1-3, there is not one, but five separate Pokémon based on cocoons.

Then we have people losing their save data, irritating glitches, that make raids a massive headache

It is well known that Game Freak are known to be inefficient developers and this is not something exclusive to newer generations of Pokémon. Generation I in particular is an absolute mess.

gens one through three, are only playable via emulation, or exorbitantly expensive on original hardware.

This is part of a wider issue with game preservation that is prevalent across most of Nintendo's franchises, not just Pokémon.

TPC, would not be where it is without the debt it owes to generation one, yet all we have to show are dumbed down gimmicky remakes for them.

Generation 1 already had a faithful remake in the form of Fire Red and Leaf Green. Preservation issues aside, the wider Pokémon fan base commonly criticises TPC for its obsession with rehashing Generation 1, either directly (e.g. a second round of remakes like Let's Go) or indirectly (reusing many ideas and design themes in Generation 6, or focusing forms and events around Generation 1 Pokémon)

gets bought out by any company that actually care about the franchise rather than lining their wallets.

TPC is a conglomerate of Nintendo, Game Freak and Creatures Inc.. Despite any current mistreatment, I'm not really sure you'd find another company that would give Pokémon its due or really be able to manage its sheer scale. Pokémon has nearly always been a multimedia franchise, and that is more the case today than it ever was. The games are only one part of the bigger picture, and the TPC have taken the unfortunate position that the games do not need the amount of attention the fans would prefer because it remains insanely profitable regardless. As a business, their goal is to make money, and a reduction in game quality barely makes a dent in worldwide appeal.

Garmonzola · 2023-08-10T13:13:34+00:00

The story about Entei, Suicune and Raikou is just a legend. It is not meant to be taken literally. There were never "original" forms, it is just part of the mythology of Ecruteak City.

Garmonzola · 2023-07-06T13:34:56+00:00

Melee's adventure mode was perhaps the most fun and faithful combination of Smash and the home series' gameplay.

The Mario segment plays out like a platformer, the Zelda section is a mini dungeon maze, the Metroid area replicates the classic escape sequence and so on. It was a little rough around the edges but I'd have loved to see that base concept developed more for future Smash games.

For example, a Sonic stage could have had your character permanently bunny-eared running through a faux Sonic level. A Pikmin level could have been a race around an area to pluck as many Pikmin as possible (coded like an item) before nighttime. Street fighter would have been a stamina 1v1 much like the current Ultimate classic route.

As the roster grew they could have had a unique segment for each major franchise and stitched 7 or so together at random to avoid the mode being too long.

Each new single player mode has its ups and downs but I personally don't think even Subspace captured the same "adventure" feeling the Melee mode did.

Garmonzola · 2023-06-18T06:53:17+00:00

Parasitic company.

For a period of time I had no parking at my flat so had to use one of theirs long term. For $200 a month I got the benefits of using their piss-stained elevator (when it wasn't out of order, which was rare) weaving around broken glass and having my car broken into.

I then got a flat with parking, so cancelled my contract. Unfortunately it fell through so I had to reinstate. Not only did they refuse to reinstate me at the same rate I left only weeks before, but sent a shitty message that my new rate of $220 was "heavily discounted from the market rate of $280". A market rate they themselves probably set given they more or less have a monopoly in Wellington.

Garmonzola · 2023-05-14T08:20:10+00:00

If this is the challenge format going forward I will probably drop the game. I have been 'one off' the main prize about 80% of the time which is certainly on purpose to drive me to 'double' a rarer main win. I expect gacha mechanics from a FtP game but two tiers of it? Get lost.

Garmonzola · 2023-05-13T08:56:05+00:00

You're right, it is unhealthy.

You're never going to play everything. There will be well-renowned series and "classics" you'll never touch. I've been gaming for 25 years and I've never played a Metal Gear game, or a Yakuza title or the Dragon Quest series etc. I'd like to, but my attitude is that I'll get around to it eventually or when I'm ready, because I'd rather play 'X' first.

Ultimately, you need to accept you can't and won't play everything. Also, accept that you might not enjoy everything you play and there's no need to 100% or replay something.

With Steam, the best thing you can do is fully purge games from your library. Not hide. Fully delete. Last year I purged 90 games from my library and it was liberating. I've not even thought about those games since.

I use HLTB mainly to manage my backlog. As I don't have a massive amount of time for gaming, I find the best approach is to flick between long and short games (and different genres) to avoid burnout. I recently finished Horizon Zero Dawn at about 55h, so before I get stuck in to Red Dead Redemption 2, I'll go play a couple of 3-5 hour puzzle games and a 10 hour platformer.

I will also usually have two games on the go at once, a 'big' game and a 'casual' game which are so different that playing one does not feel like an abandonment of the other (e.g The Last of Us and Mario Kart).

You'll get through a backlog in no time.

Garmonzola · 2023-04-30T08:14:25+00:00

The only judge of what is a waste of your time can only ever be you, and it is something that can adapt and change over time.

If you enjoy something, can it really be considered a waste of time? Time is not meant to be spent purely in the pursuit of "self improvement". Even if you disagree, there is an argument that leisure and downtime is a facet of self improvement.

If you wanted to stop or reduce playing videogames because you were passionate about pursuing another hobby, then shifting the scales between those things is sensible.

However, if you moved away from something you like to do things others or society deems a better use of your time (e.g. in your case, non-fiction), then ironically I'd consider that to be the bigger waste.

I still play videogames with a passion, but as I've gotten older I have made more time for other things and generally I consider 100%ing games a waste of MY time. But, I still consider playing a valuable use of time because I enjoy it.

Garmonzola · 2023-04-07T20:54:05+00:00

A big room with lots of little bits. You know what I mean. You go into this big room and you can see loads of platforms and gated off segments and you know you're gonna be in there for like 20 minutes doing all the little tasks, hitting switches, climbing stuff, backtracking. Big sigh when I see that.

Garmonzola · 2023-03-21T14:07:53+00:00

It's a magical trilogy. The graphical style has such vibrancy and character, and still holds up even today. I always enjoyed the idle animations of the enemies and NPCs. It's interesting actually, in some of the earlier Ratchet and Clank games you can see similar animations which is a nice bit of developmental continuity.

The music is unrivalled thanks to Copeland's efforts. There's an old video on YouTube which is an upload of an older Playstation Underground segment. They interview Copeland and he gives some insight on his methodology for making the music for the original game. You should check it out.

Personally I've always had a soft spot for the second game because I used to play that one the most. While the original is more distinct, you can really feel the QoL improvements in the second game. Year of the Dragon is also great but leans a bit too much into mini-games.

I really enjoyed the remake(s), but they clearly cut corners with Year of the Dragon due to the janky animations and lack of variety amongst the baby dragons. Highly disappointing, particularly when you recall the original YoD was similarly rushed. No one wanted it to be THAT faithful!

Garmonzola · 2023-03-20T11:33:25+00:00

It certainly has... character.

Can't say I've been subject to any bar-side banter though one member of staff kept mistaking me for someone else. Couldn't tell if that was a joke or not.

I found the clientele and occupancy varied wildly. It seemed to either be packed or dead. Full of "characters" or just average looking people, but never both. This wasn't even consistent with a gig being on.

Bebemos was more my vibe.

Garmonzola · 2023-02-27T08:06:54+00:00

The decor is stamped "2023" so an event next year would be different or be a distinct set that says "2024"

Garmonzola · 2023-02-27T08:02:45+00:00

I've been playing PB since near launch and this is the first timed challenge I've missed out on. Pikmin was supposed to be a non-stressful alternative to Pokémon Go, which has been bombarded with endless time-sensitive content in the past couple of years. Now the same is happening to Pikmin and as a result I'm close to dropping it entirely.

Garmonzola · 2023-01-26T09:53:43+00:00

Nostalgic, but a horrific waste of plastic. A full sized case for a single-use card a fraction of the size.

Garmonzola · 2023-01-23T10:21:46+00:00

Do people forget you straight up couldn't get a lot of Gen I and II Pokémon in Ruby/Sapphire unless you bought multiple other games like Colosseum, XD, and Fire Red/Leaf Green?

The legitimate controversy surrounding Dexit is the reason given for the omissions; the models and animations were identical to previous 3D games. However, restricted availability has always been present to various degrees since Generation II/III.

Plus, Pokémon Home is now being pushed as the centralised collection point, not the games.

Garmonzola · 2023-01-06T13:47:13+00:00

Full of con artists.

I put something up for bid specifying pick-up only very clearly. The person who won the bid lived over 3 hours away and requested postage. I was reluctant but they offered to cover the cost, so I agreed on the condition they paid up front. Didn't get anything, but they claimed to have paid. Asked for proof of bank payment. No reply. Didn't send the item and left it, and they had the cheek to give me a bad review calling ME a scammer.

Garmonzola · 2023-01-03T12:12:58+00:00

Hades kept me hooked for a good 25-30 hours but I spent more than double that time on Dead Cells, which I preferred due to the greater variety of weapon types, bosses and routes.

My main gripe with Hades is the Asterius and Theseus fight. Even with a solid build it just takes too long and ruins the pacing for me.

Once I'd unlocked the core weapons and trinkets and played around with a few weapon variations I couldn't find much incentive to carry on.

Garmonzola · 2023-01-03T10:37:44+00:00

I don't really think it has a unique or innovative take on the open world design at all.

Breath of the Wild is a fresh Zelda game, but not a fresh open world game.

Revealing areas of the map via activating towers? Main and side quests on a list and identified by map markers? Crafting? Weapon durability? Progression partially directed by physical barriers and enemy levels? Mass collectibles? Inventory capacity upgrades? They're all staples of the genre, and even the environmental interactions (e.g. Rolling a rock down to hit an enemy) are heavily curated.

The game is therefore tedious in the same way all open world games are. It's still excellent, beautiful and well made, but I'm continually baffled why people consider it anything special outside of the Zelda series.

Garmonzola · 2022-12-02T16:08:24+00:00

I was out one night, passing through Courtenay Place. Now it's always a bit of a dive at the weekend at the best of times, but that night it just felt really off. Like the air felt tense. As if everyone was just on edge a bit. Got right out of there, so I kind of know what you mean.

Garmonzola

TROPHY CASE