The Overwatch Salt Mine Report -- August 2018

It seems like the only time I consistently play Overwatch is when there’s an event that gives me a chance to deck out my girl Mercy with some stylin’ new threads.  Most of the time my chances are non-existent, but that hasn’t stopped me from trying.  And failing.  And trying again.  So it goes that, in the wake of the 2018 Summer Games event, I’m back in and grinding it out to try and get my hands on the Winged Victory skin.

I’ve failed.  Triumphantly.  I might have a chance to grab one or two more loot boxes, but by the time you read this, I’ll probably have thrown in the towel by virtue of the event’s end.  Still, I’ve been grinding it out before I miss the Winged Victory costume again, so you know what that means.  Time for me to start a new, off-and-on series on Overwatch.  So let the salt flow through you as I talk about Blizzard’s beloved (?) shooter.  Starting with…

Super Hero Time 2018…Relatively Speaking

Like I said before, not every post on this blog can be about My Hero Academia.  Kingdom Hearts, maybe.  But every so often I need a chaser.  So let’s go ahead and do this lickety-split.

In a way that doesn’t tie to Kamen Rider or Super Sentai.  Much to my dismay, granted, but at least this way I don’t have to worry about Toei’s army of Lawyer Combatmen coming to break my legs.

Here comes a new(ish) challenger, I guess?

Proving that EVO lasts all year here on Cross-Up, here’s…something that is distinctly not tied to any currently-released or upcoming fighting game.  But the blog is called Cross-Up, so I would be remiss if I didn’t adhere to the theme.

Well, since I’m not planning on boring anyone with the details (for once), I’ll make this brief.  I’ve been putting in the work with my characters recently, primarily because I’ve been on something of an art kick -- though as a writer of sorts, you can bet that many a notebook page has been scribbled upon.  What’s relevant to this blog is that because of my work beyond it, I may have reached a new level.  Presumably that means I’ve leveled up as a writer, but more importantly, I feel like I may have made a breakthrough with a certain character.  

Right now, he’s the one character I need to make a breakthrough with the most.

Shower Thoughts with My Hero Academia (Season 1)

You know what?  There’s a version of My Hero Academia out there in another dimension, locked deep within the darkest confines of the multiverse, where Midoriya never got his Quirk.

Like, I’ve been thinking about it, and I realize that if All Might had never run into Midoriya, and/or if neither one ran into that green blob villain -- which is feasible, given the slim odds of their encounter -- then the Symbol of Peace would have gone on as planned, given his Quirk to someone else he deemed worthy at U.A., and left our hero to be…not a hero.  

I won’t lie: there’s a part of me that wouldn’t mind seeing that story play out.  Maybe have Midoriya enroll in U.A. anyway in the support class?  Have him develop gear for heroes (in-training or otherwise) while providing support as their mission control?  Let him find ways to build armor/equipment that simulates useful battle Quirks?  Or -- and here’s the real kicker -- have him team up with Bakugou so at least one of them can make it to the top.  Bakugou’s got the talent and power, but Midoriya assists and conditions him so that the fire in his belly gets directed instead of scattered in all directions.  An uneasy alliance, sure, but a BEST MATCH when the two truly learn to work as a team.

But you’re not here for hypothetical situations.  You’re here to find out who is best girl in My Hero Academia (besides Iida, as discussed).  And the answer is…drumroll pleeeeeeeeeeeeease…

Voltech’s Super 3D Adventures of HYPER-DOOM

Alternate post title: Don’t You Just Love it When One Mistake Made Weeks Ago Ends Up Invalidating the Weeks of Work That Follow?

Okay, maybe that wouldn’t be much of an alternate title.  But damned if it doesn’t accurately represent my situation -- and yet despite that, I’m actually not that mad about it.

Just…residually mad, I’d say.

RE: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

There’s a lot to talk about and discuss with Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, but lately there’s one thing that’s been on my mind above all else: is Sakurai going to be okay after this?

I wonder.  Director and series mainstay Masahiro Sakurai has long since earned fame and infamy for his work on the Smash Bros. Series.  Reportedly, he’s a workaholic who’s put in an insane amount of hours from game to game, with the calcific tendonitis to show for it.  And to what end?  Barring the drop of a major story mode from Brawl to 4, every new installment is bigger than the last.  More characters!  More stages!  More music!  More tweaks!  Items, Assist Trophies, Pokemon, options, modes, everything, everything, everything!  It sure as hell doesn’t seem like there’s an endgame for the franchise, a plateau upon which to rest.  

It leads me to believe -- or guess -- that this is Sakurai’s last hurrah.  Throw in everything for this game, then announce his departure -- maybe dabble in smaller or passion projects.  It’s a “salt the earth” strategy you’d kind of expect from a troll-happy creator; make a big mess, then leave the next guy to deal with the cleanup as you put on your sunglasses and backflip outta there.  As one would.

The EVO 2018 Fighting Game Funtime Fiesta -- ARCADE EDITION

Well, I didn’t think I’d be doing this again so soon.  But since every fighting game company under the sun decided to drop megaton after megaton within the past few days -- with the characters to show for it -- in a desperate bid for exposure, attention, love, and those sweet, sweet FGC dollars, here we are again.

Let’s do this lickety-split.  Because apparently, gamers have nothing better to do than devote their lives to whatever game has the shiniest addition to it.

The EVO 2018 Fighting Game Funtime Fiesta

Yeah, it’s that time again!  Time to pretend I know what I’m talking about when it comes to fighting ga- I mean, welcome to EVO 2018!  

…I say, even though I might as well be light-years from the main stage.  And even though by the time you read this, it'll effectively be over.  Still, as a fighting game observer and dabbler, I can’t help but look to the genre and its top performers with glee.  This is probably as close as I’ll ever get to having a sport or teams I can root for -- except wrestling, maybe -- though I can’t say I’m regretting my preferences.

Feel free to scrounge up shove your eyeballs into whatever EVO stream (or archive) catches your eye.  In the meantime?  I’m here to talk about a bunch of fighting games as a celebration of the event.  So let’s start off with the big one: Street Fighter V.

On God of War and Narrative Transparency

Let me jump ahead of any comments and say this: when asked by my brother what I think of God of War (2018), my response was “Yeah, s’pretty good.”  Admittedly my concentration was split at the time since I was in the middle of an enemy skirmish, but it seems like a pretty apt descriptor.  I’m still not going to call it GOTY 2018 yet, or slap a 10/10 on the box; that said, it’s a good game that’s a worthy addition to any gamer’s collection.

There.  Now that I’ve made that clear, I’m at a much lower risk of ruffling tail feathers with my next statement: boy, the devs did not even try to hide their intentions with this game.  There’s pulling back the veil, and then there’s using a veil made of saran wrap.

But that might not be a bad thing.  Well, except when it is.

…

…Except when it isn’t.