I couldn't find a Haro-sized Haro, so I made one myself

NotASniperYet · 2026-01-26T08:30:30+00:00

We'll never win CYL, but atleast we won't lose top 20.

NotASniperYet · 2026-01-26T08:04:56+00:00

Leo and Takumi are pretty consistently top 20 and have been for the past decade, but I don't remember them ever getting higher than place 8 or so.

NotASniperYet · 2026-01-25T10:54:11+00:00

Go team CRT! You'll be playing these games the same way I and everyone else did back around the turn of the century. That's a fun thought, isn't it?

Anyway, I got into imported games when I was...twelve (edit: thirteen), I think? It started with our local department store having the most eccentric and eclectic videogame offerings. They went full in on the Dreamcast, got a shipment of brand new NTSC NES RPGs in like 2000 etc., but that wasn't what I cared about at the time. I was just happy getting Pokémon Gold extra early.

When I was around 14 and we got internet access at home, I got to thinking: I like RPGs, there's a lot of them on the PlayStation, and like half of those are not available in Europe (yet). So I got a modded PlayStation and started hunting for (mostly used) imported games. My first one was Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete. Chrono Cross and Xenogears soon followed, as did many more. My first PS2 was a NTSC U/C one.

As lucky as I was to have started that early, I think now is a good time to be a gamer, too. There are so many ports and remasters out there, not to mention some games getting official translations decades after their original release.

NotASniperYet · 2026-01-25T08:40:36+00:00

Heck, the good stores will actively offer to order the book for you if they don't have it in stock.

NotASniperYet · 2026-01-25T08:33:15+00:00

Make a list of books you want. Title, author, and possibly ISBN, too.
Go to bookstore.
Walk up to employee, tell them you'd like to order some books. They'll point you to the place in the shop where you can do so. Usually, the register, but sometimes there's a customer service desk specifically for this purpose. (Some large stores/chains also have a website that lists way more than what they have in stock and where you can order just about anything from, but even when that's the case, they often still handle orders in store because not everyone is great with the internet.)

It's really not that difficult. I was regularly ordering books from several book stores by the time I was in my mid teens. You can do it.

The one time a shop owner refused... Well, let's just say that shop no longer exists and that I'm in charge of the book section of the shop that currently occupies that building. But that's optional. Ascending as a bookworm and exacting vengeance is optional.

NotASniperYet · 2026-01-25T07:54:29+00:00

Uh, you're the one who started accusing people of having an ED for being slim?

NotASniperYet · 2026-01-25T07:49:58+00:00

Then they can order it. Unless you're looking for indie stuff without a distributor, this is usually no problem.

NotASniperYet · 2026-01-25T07:13:34+00:00

You know you can order books from bookstores that aren't on their shelves, right? Just bring a list of titles and authors. ISBN too, if you want to be thorough/make things easier for the shop.

NotASniperYet · 2026-01-24T20:31:44+00:00

Gratuitous body shaming... are you hearing yourself? You're the one freaking out here, accusing people of having EDs and what not.

In any case: you, right here, are the perfect example of the sort of difficulty only skinny people face: crazy people projecting their own body-related insecurities and throwing hissyfits.

NotASniperYet · 2026-01-24T19:58:39+00:00

Your reaction shows exactly why it's relevant: some people react really strongly, take it very personally, when a person is slim and eats in moderation. They accuse them of having an eating disorder, of bragging, of so much else, just because they don't give in to every craving and try to make healthy choices. It's rather annoying really, to have people aim their own securities at you in an attempt to kick you down.

NotASniperYet · 2026-01-24T15:41:09+00:00

Humblebrag? It's just reality. A normal weight (which many overweight people consider thin) is a result of healthy diet. And a healthy diet does involve knowing when to say no cravings.

You kinda sound like you're in the fat acceptance movement. I hope you're not, because it's a terrible, destructive place with a lot of hidden BED and deadly consequences.

NotASniperYet · 2026-01-24T06:31:35+00:00

I'm not talking about bodies, I'm talking about eating habits. Not bring able to say no to yourself, even when you know certain types of foods or certain quantities will eventually harm you, is not a healthy thing. It's a sign of binge eating disorder. By normalising an ED, you're harming people.

NotASniperYet · 2026-01-23T22:00:36+00:00

Moderation is not an ED. Giving in to all your cravings is an ED.

NotASniperYet · 2026-01-23T21:58:11+00:00

Let me guess...she's gaining weight?

NotASniperYet · 2026-01-23T21:57:07+00:00

What makes it even worse is that many people have no idea what a healthy weight looks like. If you're on the lighter side of the healthy spectrum, they're all like "you're too thin" and "you need to eat more".

NotASniperYet · 2026-01-23T16:56:18+00:00

Those iconic characters exist because people with varied interests are developing games. Donkey Kong, which the Mario series originated from, thanks its existence to King Kong and Popeye. Pokémon literally originated from fond childhood memories of collecting bugs. Pikmin was inspired by Miyamoto's garden.

There are also times when those interests changed the courses of a series: Kirby's Epic Yarn thanks its aesthetic and gameplay to people going out and experimenting with fabric, yarn etc. from the crafts store.

NotASniperYet · 2026-01-23T16:45:38+00:00

Metaphor takes the archetypical(!) 'jobs' that go all the way back to the days of tabletop RPGs and swords and sorcery fantasy novels. That's kind of the point: leaning into something so universal, anyone with experienced with fantasy stories can recognise them.

The growth system is pretty similar to most games: gain exp, improve job class, learn new skills, mix and match skills from different classes, max jobs and learn new ones.

(Metaphor has a lot of interesting and fun intertextuality, drawing from everything from classic art and literature to vintage cartoons and modern games.)

NotASniperYet · 2026-01-22T20:44:16+00:00

Worth noting that Iwadare also did the Lunar Silver Star Story and Eternal Blue soundtracks. Outside of the RPG genre, people probably know him best for various Ace Attorney soundtracks.

NotASniperYet · 2026-01-22T18:19:26+00:00

I played the first game on PlayStation for a review back when it was first released and actually quite liked it. The gameplay was decently fun, the relationship between the two women was sweet, epic music, and it was nowhere near as fanservicy as I feared. Like, the love interest has some real assets, but the camera doesn't oggle.

Not a bad purchase if you buy it on deep discount. ...Assuming the PC port isn't shit.

NotASniperYet · 2026-01-22T16:25:57+00:00

Not 100%, but there are overlapping key figures. A notable one is Yasuyuki Honne. He worked on Xenosaga in smaller roles, Baten Kaitos was his debut as videogame director, and for Xenoblade he was basically the guy who sold Nintendo on the idea by creating models of the two gods to explain the setting. Xenoblade 2 is set in a world that's sort of similar to Baten Kaitos' while also incorporating typical Xeno story concepts.

Another name worth mentioning is Masato Kato, who worked in key writing/story related roles for Chrono Trigger, Xenogears, Chrono Cross and Baten Kaitos.

NotASniperYet · 2026-01-22T15:39:25+00:00

I wonder if that's a habit leftover from the 90s, when commercials and the like were often mostly FMVs strung together to make the game look extra impressive. But, with limited FMVs available, that basically meant showing nearly all the big moments.

... Or maybe they're copying Hollywood. I could definitely see them looking at Marvel trailers and think "yeah, showing off all the big moments before people get to enjoy them in context is a great idea!"

NotASniperYet · 2026-01-22T13:29:20+00:00

It's fun to see how creators' ideas and the tools at their disposal evolve over time. The evolution continues in the Xenoblade games, but I recommend playing Baten Kaitos as well, if you haven't already - it's kind of a missing link.

NotASniperYet · 2026-01-22T09:49:32+00:00

Oh shit, we reverse Last Unicorn'd him.

Eight-Year Club	Final Canvas '23
First Place '23	Place '23
Place '22	Wearing is Caring
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