The Samurai Shodown Sleepy Time Post

June’s almost over, and for me this month has been uniquely terrible.

Avengers: Endgame! But Also Housekeeping

Well, I guess I might as well break the mold and talk about a niche, relatively obscure indie film that I just managed to see through one very specific venue twenty miles out from my locale.  It may never be a financial powerhouse -- or break even, for that matter -- but hey.  Sometimes you’ve just got to support creative vision and raw artistry.

…Now I feel bad for doing the complete opposite.

Avengers: Endgame!  The last Avengers for a while, I think!  I’ll talk about it!  Eventually!  And briefly!  But first, business.

Super Technical Difficulty Bros. Ultimate

So in my world, there’s no better reason to declare a state of emergency than having your PC suddenly and abruptly die on you.

Which to be fair, I only just learned about.  Talk about an unforgettable life experience.

BRB Joker is in Smash

I love how the timing for this is both amazing and awful.

Do it for Her, or Whatever -- ACT I

Alternate post title: Do it for Her, Even if it’s the Stupidest Thing Ever

Technical (Mechanical?) Difficulties Rule -- ACT 2

Now, I'm not going to say that I'm in the middle of the Suffering Arc of my life, because A) it's not THAT bad, and B) I don't want to jinx myself, buuuuuuuuuuuuut...man, it'd be a pretty apt descriptor, given the past 1.5 weeks.

TDMC: Technical Difficulties May Cry

So I’m starting to get the distinct feeling that technology hates me.  Like, all of it.

The Greatest Hits! Oh, and NieR: Automata.

So there’s a comic of NieR: Automata floating around online, which has 2B and 9S having a hypothetical meeting with Lightning and Hope from Final Fantasy 13.  While the two older ladies stay on the sidelines and alternate between stoicism and confusion, the younger boys have something else in mind.  Namely, they wish each other good luck -- for reasons that aren’t immediately obvious to the heroines, but blatantly so for the comic readers.

It’s not that far of a reach to draw parallels between the two.  Superficially -- at least based on the opening hours of NieR -- 9S is more than willing to shadow “onee-san” 2B because he’s got feelings for her.  It’s not so overstated with Hope and Lightning, but I’m sure the hints of romance (however unlikely) are there.  Of course, the key difference is that one of those games is pretty sick, and the other one just makes me sick.  It goes without saying, but NieR: Automata is better than Final Fantasy…even though I’ve only put a few hours into it, and would’ve played more if my body hadn’t nearly given out from an earnest desire for sleep.

So, like…is there any chance that I can become a robot?  Imagine how much work I’d be able to get done.

Coming Distractions (AKA Voltech the Dumb)

Whew.  Looks like I finally got over those Watch Dogs posts.  Finally.  I know I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating: in a lot of cases, I don’t intend to write thousands and thousands of words on a subject.  It just sort of happens when I sit down to make a post.  It’s problematic, I know, but if nothing else I’m comprehensive.

But whatever the case, I’m done with Watch Dogs.  I’m tired of thinking about it, and I’m ready to move on to bigger and better things -- on the blog and off of it.  (I’m on my way to Ni no Kuni City, baby!)  I mean, I could go for a little bit of a cooldown period.  Maybe lighten up the load on things here, so I can redouble my efforts on other stuff.  I mean, it’s not like I can make good Let’s Discuss posts without playing games.  And beyond that, I --

*checks Blogger dashboard*

*notices that a major milestone is coming up*

WELP.

Cross-Up Returns! (Next week.)

Title says it all, folks.  It’s about time for me to bring this hiatus to an end -- and rest assured I will.  I’m going to go ahead and shoot for uploading new content on Monday (and hopefully things will show up as planned), but it should go without saying that I’ve got more in store than just more ridiculous -- and ridiculously long -- posts.  I’m hoping I can have everything I want implemented by then, but if not, they’ll just have to trickle in later.  I can already think of one big thing in particular that needs a bit more time, but if it’s words you want, it’s words you’ll get.

And there you have it.  An announcement of…well, it’s not quite an announcement, but it’s eerily close to what the video game industry’s been doing for a while.  So to compensate, please enjoy that picture of a yeti.  Because yetis are awesome.

Well, I guess technically he’s a sasquatch, but still.  So awesome.

As Black as Lightning (Part 2)

(Cross-Up is still on hiatus, because who needs posts on video games when you can enjoy the holidays?  In the meantime, please enjoy this post on a video game!)

And here we are again. 

If you’re just joining me here for this little miniseries (and here’s part 1 if you missed it), let me give you a primer.  In lieu of current -- and in my eyes overwhelming -- evidence, I’m convinced that Square Enix’s beloved Lightning Farron is more than what she appears to be on the surface.  Whether you’re convinced she’s a strong, cool heroine or a bland marketing tool, I have my own theory in mind.  Simply put, I think this so-called “Lightning Saga” of Final Fantasy XIII games earned its name because the titular lady is actually the villain.  Or if not that, then at least a villain.

It should go without saying, but die-hard fans of Lightning/FFXIII MIGHT want to stay away from this post.  It’ll keep your blood pressure at a stable level.

(Spoilers for FFXIII and XIII-2 incoming…and also Metal Gear Rising, tangentially.  I would run now if I were you, especially if you want to see the games fresh.  Especially MGR.  Because it’s so friggin’ cool.)

As Black as Lightning (Part 1)

(Cross-Up is on hiatus, but not really, sort of!  In the meantime, please enjoy this high-quality filler!)

You know, I have a sneaking suspicion that it was (the great) Jim Sterling’s review of Final Fantasy XIII that led me to discover Destructoid one fateful day.  In a universe where eights, nines, and the occasional perfect score orbited the game like Saturn’s rings, that one glorious 4.0 shone brighter than the sun, and to this day stands as proof -- a totem of fans’ and gamers’ outrage, and in more than a few cases outright disappointment.  That game has come and gone, and for those who felt wronged -- myself included, obviously -- there have been plenty of titles that have helped heal the wound…and then the wound got torn wide open with a rusty shovel by Final Fantasy XIII-2.  And the mere existence of Lightning Returns is enough to turn my body into a living, blood-spewing gash.  But with that game looming large on the horizon and Square-Enix in dire straits -- and news of Lightning getting a bunny suit, because of course she gets a bunny suit -- I think it’s time for me to make an assertion I’ve had in mind for a while.

That famous review started with this line: “If you're a hardcore Final Fantasy XIII fan, prone to emotional outbursts and so defensive of Square Enix's latest effort that you'll get upset by harsh criticism, then you're advised to not read this review.”  The same applies here...to some extent, at least, considering that this isn’t a review.  In fact, you can almost consider this a refutation.

On NaNoWriMo (AKA Voltech the Liar)

Don’t worry, your pies are safe.  But I guess it’s about time for me to come clean.

With any luck, the truth will set me free.  Either that, or make some people very, very cross with me.

What Does Zelda Mean to You?

Hold on a second.  If I’m gonna do this, I’m gonna do it right.

Two Games Enter 2: The Cage Match

Ah.  Nothing puts me in a better mood than a good game.  And with this latest bounty, the healing process has begun.  The Last of Us, disappointing?  Pffft.  Forget about it!  I got me some better games!

Grand games, indeed.  Which is where you come in, people.  Let’s have a quick little chat, shall we?

A Creator's Responsibility

Video games?  We need to talk.

You’ve (Probably) Already Turned Japanese

I really think so.  

...Well, wasn’t that the best twist on a song you’ve ever heard.  Anyway, let’s move on to some postulations.  It’ll be fun.

Do Video Games Need Good Stories?

Short answer?  Of course they do.  Post's over.

Long answer?  The rest of this post.

Why Anime is Amazing: Because DAT MUSIC

I’m pretty sure I’ve said this before -- both online and in real-world conversations -- but just so it’s on the record I’ll go ahead and say it again.  In my opinion, no character (least of all my own) is complete without a theme song to call their own.

Not being much in the way of composition or technology, I can’t say I’ve made my own songs to blast in my headphones (though I have a couple of melodies in mind for certain heroes).  So in exchange, time and time again I find myself relying on the glory of YouTube and the music stocked there -- not necessarily from bands like Gamma Ray or Stratovarius…not always, at least.  No, I find myself making full-on Word Documents full of links to music from games.  The lack of lyrics in most songs is a boon in a lot of ways; I’ll give my characters theme songs (game-related or not), but it’s downright natural for me to look for a certain song to help me write a certain scene.  How well it works out for me is up for debate, but I’d like to think it at least makes the process easier.

And really, the same can be said for the music from anime.  So let’s take a moment to extend some praise -- yet again -- to that sacred medium yet again, shall we? 

And by sacred I mean stuffed to the brim with speedlines and mechs.  Not that that’s a bad thing; if anything it just makes the medium more legitimate.

I Hraet You -- The Feedback Page

Because I’m almost positive nobody’s tired of hearing about I Hraet You just yet.  Time to test the patience of my readership!

In all seriousness, though, this is probably going to be the last housekeeping post for IHY -- the next thing to start popping up will be new chapters.  But even so, I want to go ahead and take steps now, so that everything I can think of or might want/need in the future is pre-installed.  So here we are, with the latest feature.