Still Alive (Also, Y’ALL STAY HOME)

I never thought I’d have to use this blog to talk about what might as well be a plague, but…I’m going to use this blog to talk about what might as well be a plague.  Tangentially, if possible, because there’s other stuff worth bringing up.  Except I know it’s not.  That’s where we are right now, I guess.

*sigh* Good job, Mr. President.

Teppen! But Also, Housekeeping (and Indignation)

I can’t think of a lot of games that I’ve fallen for so quickly, but wouldn’t you know it?  Teppen is one of them.  And to think it’d not only be the very first mobile game I’ve talked about on this blog, but the very first mobile game I’ve ever owned.  Well, besides some Tetris/Pac-Man hybrid built into this one phone I had a geologic age ago.

So let’s talk about Teppen.  Briefly.  Because God forbid, I get to talk about something I actually like and/or can be positive about.

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.

Time to Play the Game…Again.

Not that game.  God no.  Well, not now at least.

I guess it’s more of a metaphorical game than anything.  And by “metaphorical” I mean “this blog”.  That would probably help explain why things look a little…different around here all of a sudden.  Such as: a 14pt font!  Which is mostly a consequence of my word processor refusing to properly format with the Blogger dashboard and settings, but whatever.  Don’t worry about it.

Just Another Hero (AKA Hiatus Time)

Now, I’m not saying that My Hero Academia is the best shonen manga/anime in the history of the genre and demographic -- or if not that, then at least in recent years -- buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut…

…

…I can’t think of a non-incriminating way to finish that sentence.  So I’ll just embed a clip of All Might and leave it at that.

Go play The MISSING. (Also, writing junk.)

Now, I don’t want to oversell the game, but let me say this about The MISSING: J.J. Macfield and the Island of Memories. Its greatest sin is that it released in the same year and quarter as Super Smash Bros. Ultimate -- because if it chose any other time period, then it would probably, if not easily, be my Game of the Year.

I mean, it’s not perfect.  There are some technical issues (on the Switch, at least), a decent chunk of the puzzles are surprisingly basic (except for one at the end involving a big shoe), the voice acting occasionally reaches a point where main heroine JJ is channeling the spirit of Tommy Wiseau, and…yeah, I can see the general length of the game -- or lack thereof -- being a sticking point for gamers that want bang for their buck.  Then again, my $30 got me about 8 hours of entertainment, so your mileage may vary.  Also this is both a complaint and a compliment: this game really pops off in the final act or so, meaning that the ending is…yikesy mikesy.

I’ll probably talk more about the game another day, but for now?  Buy it, watch an LP, read up on it, consume it however you can.  Now let’s spend the rest of this post talking about big dumb writing projects.

The Super Sleepy Housekeeping Post (feat. Existential Dread)

Remember, kids: always get a good night’s rest.  Otherwise your brain will start eating itself.

I know that sounds like something out of some B-movie schlock (it IS October, after all), but wouldn’t you know it, science provides.  Anyway, on to this quick little post of mine.

And not sleep.  Not yet.

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.

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.

I’m on Discord, I Think!

Title says it all.  But since this is me we’re talking about, I’ve got to make use of this virtual space somehow.  Luckily, I’ve got more to talk about than just Discord (however briefly).  So let’s get to it -- featuring a game that’s bound to make it straight to the top of several GOTY 2018 lists.  What is it?  Read on to find out.

It’s not Dragon Ball FighterZ, though.  Which isn’t an indictment of that game; it’s just that I’ve already posted on it multiple times, and I don’t need to do it again right now.  On the other hand, base form Vegeta is on the way, so maybe I’ll have to revisit it again at some point.  I wouldn’t mind firing off a Galick Gun or two.  And in tandem, finding out what a “Galick” is supposed to be.

See?  I’m good at filling virtual space.

Do it for Her, or Whatever -- ACT I

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

Black Panther! Also Novel Stuff.

I know what the title says, but fair warning: this post will skew more toward novel stuff than Black Panther.  Gotta get people to click on my stuff somehow.  Don’t worry, though.  You’ll get a thicker post on Marvel’s latest soon -- and I’m sure I’ll find some way to spice up this post with the Wakandan king’s solo debut.

So before I get ahead of myself, let me say this to start: I’m bringing the blog out of hiatus mode in the next week or two.  I’m still debating whether or not I want to go full throttle from here on out; I know what I want/need to upload first, after all, but I haven’t committed to the scheduling of it.  So we’ll see.  Either way, it’s about time for me to put more focus on blogging instead of offline word-smithing.  And I’ll explain the reason for it soon.  As in, within the next few paragraphs soon.

But before I get ahead of myself (again), let me say this to start (again):

Go see Black Panther.  It’s the best one.

The best one.

Hiatus Time is (Almost) Over!

*insert crickets chirping here*

Yeah, it’s getting close to that time, so I figured it’d be best if I make a quick housekeeping post to announce it.  I’ve been holding Cross-Up down this winter with one-a-week posts, compared to the usual two, as per the hiatus -- one that I went on to finish writing a novel.  The progress on that is…going to take some explaining, but to put it simply?  Assuming everything goes well, I’ll be done with the lion’s share of the work before the end of the month.  Or maybe by the end of the month.  That’s a big assumption, though.  I’ve had three separate IRL interruptions in this day alone, so anything (awful) could happen.

Some days I wonder if it’s because I’m secretly a font of chaos and calamity.  It’s possible.  Check back with me three Thursdays from now; those seem to be my unluckiest days.  Not Mondays, for whatever reason.

Super Novel Adventures of DOOM (AKA Hiatus Time)

All right, I’m just going to come out and say it: I like Infinite’s theme from Sonic Forces.

I’m an easy mark for songs with heavy guitars and/or metal vibes, so the instrumental aspect has its charms.  The techno stuff is fine, too, especially given the character we’re dealing with -- a masked menace that uses a perversion of science’s power to cast illusions and inspire fear in others.  In theory, that should mean I’d say “the lyrics are the weak link”, but I’m fine with them.  It comes off as someone with a HUGE ego boasting about how strong and cool and deadly they are.  Expected, but appreciable nonetheless.

I’m not 100% in love with the song, granted, but I’ll give it a listen without cringing.  Maybe that’s because I’m inclined to play the contrarian; I’ve seen comments decrying the song and the character as “LOL SO EDGY” and “THE EDGIEST CHARACTER EVER” -- and I don’t really see it.  Is it just because it sounds like a Linkin Park song?  Is it because of the context of the character?  I guess it begs the question of what it means to be edgy in the first place.  Unless we can all come to a consensus on the qualifications, I get the feeling that --

What?  Huh?  What do you mean this isn’t another post on a Sonic game?

*reads title*

Oh.  Okay, let’s shift gears then.

RE: Re: Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony

Okay, so I think I came up with a workaround for uploading Danganronpa images without spoiling myself to high heaven.  I’ve got the PC version of Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony, so all I have to do is take direct screenshots as events transpire, and I’m at no risk of tapping the forbidden knowledge.  Ergo, now I’m free to use this picture of Tenko’s shit-eating grin without consequence.  Also, I remembered that Soundcloud is a site that exists, and thus I can head there to listen to the game’s OST.  And thanks to that, I don’t have to worry about video thumbnails/titles that try to spoil me on upcoming content.  On that note: YouTube, what the hell?

This is a lot of effort to put into not learning about a game.  Just as well, though.  Because 1) Danganronpa V3 is kind of blowing my mind right now.  And 2) get this game.

Or, you know, watch an LP.  That works, too.  But also, get this game.

I’ve Made a Huge Mistake -- Steam Arrange

Would it be too untoward of me to admit that, despite making that blatant reference to Arrested Development in the title, I haven’t actually seen that much of the actual show?

It would?  Oh, jeez.  Then I guess that makes the title more appropriate than ever.

Something [REDACTED] This Way Comes

So now that I’ve officially sworn off Final Fantasy (in a sense), I can’t spend months of my life ranting and raving about Squeenix’s latest and greatest “triumph”.  What’s a guy to do in the meantime?  Well, I can think of one thing.

Well, multiple things, really.  But I have to start somewhere, and it might as well be with…a hint.

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.

A Big Dumb List of Shows I Want to Watch

So last week, I put out a list of games I want to play over…oh, I don’t know.  The next year or so, basically.  That’s not a complete and ironclad list by any means; I’d love to be able to get to all of them (or remember that I wanted to get to all of them), but as I’ve found out over the years, clearing video games within a decent time frame and writing about them while they’re still relevant is haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaard.  It’s even harder when you willingly sacrifice gaming time to try and fulfill your dream of becoming a novelist, and you know you’ve still got 30+ hours of game time looming above you…from a single title.  But I digress.

And I’ll digress even further by saying that I don’t want to just play a bunch of games.  There are a crapload of TV shows (and movies) out there that are worth watching, to say nothing of what Netflix has been offering for ages.  Unfortunately, I’ve missed out on a lot of the greats; one of the biggest quirks of fate in my life is that I’ve rarely, if ever, been able to get NBC on my TV(s).  Too much interference or whatever.  So, 30 Rock?  Barely seen it.  Parks and Recreation?  Gone.  The Office?  Is that a thing?  I feel like that’s a thing.

So it’s time to at least pretend I’m going to remedy that.  Come fire walk with me as I run through a big dumb list of shows I want to watch.  Oh, and movies too.  I’m also bad at watching movies.