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izzy-b-hands · 4 years

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You Send Me: Chapter Seven

Tag List: @xmxisxforxmaybe

A little bit of sweet sleepy Freddie, one great Detroit show, and one not so much, and a new job for the reader (unofficially, but still, a new job title is a new additional job title!)

Drunken antics coming up after this, because of course they’re going to have a bit of fun trying to lighten up after a shit show. Look out for that in the next chapter, and for now, enjoy this slightly calmer one!

My love to all who read/like/reblog!

A finished 10 hour drive and one successful show later, and Freddie was peacefully snoring in your arms in the latest hotel. They would play another show at the same venue tomorrow night, and for now they all needed rest.

Freddie, especially. You had slept on and off during the drive to Detroit, but each time you’d woken up he was always somehow still awake, talking with one of the guys or the crew, or playing with your short hair, running his fingers through it slowly. You had no idea how he’d managed to stay awake like that, but he was certainly paying the price now.

He didn’t move an inch as you left the bed to turn on the TV, and only made the lightest of sounds at the loudness of the show playing before you could turn down the volume.

You could almost pretend it was normal. That you weren’t on tour, just in a poorly decorated room in a house together, resting after a night out. There was a coffee maker that made terrible coffee, but you made enough for both of you regardless, watching him sleep while it brewed. The TV droned some random local news network, and it was wonderfully comfortable.

There was a knock at the door a few hours later, too delicate to have been Roger.

Sure enough, there stood Brian instead, with John behind him. “We were going out for a bit, before heading over to the venue to rehearse. Thought we’d see if the two lovebirds want to come with.”

You gestured to the bed. “Someone’s still sleeping, so probably not. But I can make sure he’s up and ready and to the venue for rehearsal.”

They nodded.

“Three hours from now,” John said. “Not a long rehearsal either, only a quick run and then he can come back and sleep more if he wants, make sure he knows.”

“I’ll let him know,” you replied, and shut the door as they walked away.

You thought maybe that would have roused him, but he had only rolled over and promptly knocked out again.

You were tempted to wake him, for a moment, to let him know, but it was hard to when he looked so peaceful. Instead, you rubbed his back and waited until his eyes fluttered open on their own.

“What time is it?”

“You have rehearsal in-” you checked your watch. “About two hours now. John said it’ll be quick. But I’m to make sure you make it there.”

He dropped his face into the pillow and sighed. “But it’s the same thing we did last night.”

“I know, but they requested...”

“I’m requesting another day off,” he grumbled.

“There’s one scheduled after Kalamazoo,” you reminded him.

“That we don’t have to spend traveling,” he continued.

“Ah. Well...maybe there’ll be another stage full of rats and water damage?”

He sighed and flopped onto his back, gesturing for you to come close.

“I don’t think this is helping you get ready for rehearsal,” you said as you snuggled up against him.

“It is, very much so,” he protested, and you looked up only to find his eyes closed again.

“In fact, I think you’re just trying to pull me down for a shared nap.”

“I don’t know what you mean,” he smiled, bringing his other hand to cover your eyes. “But let’s pretend that was it, and maybe just pretend we both fell asleep and so you couldn’t wake me, hm?”

“Are you okay?”

He nodded. “It wears on a person fast, this routine. I’m not one to layabout constantly or anything, but Christ. There’s never a chance to breathe, not for long, at least. When I’m old, we’ll have to slow this down. Or do less dates, or have more breaks, or something.”

“And what will ‘old’ be for you?”

“Thirty-five,” he mused. “Think the boys will go for that?”

“That’s not old,” you laughed. “I think you could convince them of that by sixty, maybe, but even then, you guys don’t seem the type to slow down for much of anything.”

He nodded. “That’s true. And just watch, I say that I want it slowed down, and then I’d be miserable that way. It’s just the nature of the beast, of touring. Never quite comfortable, never quite happy, never quite enough time to stop and relax.”

He paused. “Well, except for the happy bit, this time. I’m plenty happy, with you, though I do wish we could actually go out and see these cities more.”

“Could always come back, off tour,” you replied. “Take our time, only go to the cities we’re really interested in, rather than what’s on the roster.”

“That would be nice,” he said. “I still have to get up, don’t I?”

“I’m so sorry, but yeah. Otherwise I’ll have Brian and John after me,” you answered.

“We can’t have that. One or the other maybe, but not both,” Freddie murmured as he struggled out of the bed, yawning the entire time, stretching like a cat after a good nap, enough that you could hear his back crack. “You stay here and rest, if you can. I doubt there’s anything you’ll need to do until show time.”

“I don’t mind coming with. Besides, Crystal and the guys keep bugging me to sort of practice the routines back stage, getting more used to where certain supplies are kept.”

He turned and frowned. “In what world are you doing so badly, exactly? I mean, have we been going to different shows, or something? Because I can tell when the crew is off, and nothing has seemed off at all.”

You shrugged. “They want to put me through the paces, and that’s fair.”

His frown didn’t disappear, and strengthened as he walked to the coffee pot. “What is this?”

“Supposed to be coffee, but having drank it, I don’t think that’s what it is,” you said. “Sludge from a long gone era? Might be fossils in it somewhere, could be worth something.”

“If that’s the case, they must surely be irradiated,” Freddie sniffed. “I’ll forgo this, I think.”

“That is probably the best decision to make about it,” you agreed. “I’m sort of afraid I may have poisoned myself drinking it, quite frankly. If I drop dead tomorrow-”

“Sue the hotel, the coffee maker company, and the company that produced the coffee beans,” Freddie interrupted. “Got it.”

“I was going to say make sure I have a decent funeral and a cremation, but sure, that too,” you giggled.

He shook his head and laughed as he got ready, wrangling random bits of clothing from his bag and doing what all of you had been doing (sniffing each article, trying desperately to remember the last day you’d hit a laundromat, and finally giving up and just putting it on and hoping for the best.)

“You could look excited,” you teased as you locked the room and followed Freddie down the hall.

“I am excited,” he said. “I don’t look it?”

“You look tired,” you said softly, resisting the urge to wrap an arm around his waist. “John did say you could come back and sleep some more, after the run through.”

He waved away the idea. “If I’m up, I’m up. May as well just stay at the venue at that point.”

“True,” you agreed, as you knew you would likely do the same yourself.

“You’ve got to be faster!” the tech scolded you. “At least a little bit. What if Brian was onstage now, and needed that string replaced?”

“I’m going as quick as I can without making a bunch of noise,” you protested. You’d been copying the quick but quiet walk that the rest of the crew seemed to have mastered, and you didn’t think you were going any slower than any of them.

The tech threw up his hands. “Fine. Just try and be faster, if you can, alright?”

“Of course,” you replied, and walked back towards the edge of the backstage area as he waved you off.

Rehearsal had quickly devolved into the boys hanging out together, and it was one of the sweetest things you��d seen. Aside from sleeping on the van, you weren’t sure you’d seen them more relaxed before.

“I know you probably know nothing about drums,” Crystal said, suddenly behind you, and you jumped a foot.

He chuckled. “Sorry. Anyway, I know you probably need some training on that, actually, I can tell-”

You were getting more than a bit sick of the presumptions. As it happened, you had been one of the go-to staff for assisting drum techs at the venue back home, but apparently none of that mattered here, and all your previous knowledge was erased.

“Oh, no,” you said sarcastically. “I’ll just be stopping at KFC to get Roger his drumsticks for the night.”

There was a beat, and you couldn’t tell what Crystal would do next.

He broke out laughing, and the tension thankfully fell.

“Fucking hell. Fine then, maybe we aren’t training you from the ground up. But we’ve had some issues the last few nights and I need an extra pair of hands right by me. Can I count on you?”

“You can,” you said confidently. “I’ll even still go get everyone KFC if you want.”

He smiled, and shook his head. “I should warn the rest. Hanging out with Fred is sharpening you up, making you snappy. Soon we won’t be able to tease you at all.”

You smiled, but inside you were grimacing. If all they saw you as was the office punching bag, then you weren’t having it, at least not anymore. You were trying to pull your weight, what more could they ask of you?

“Y/N!” Roger came dodging behind the curtain. “We’re going out exploring a bit more, and the crew is invited. Are you all ready?”

“Rog,” Crystal scolded. “We really ought to stay here, finish up.”

“Everything basically is finished, they haven’t had any shows in between us,” Roger protested.

But Crystal laid a hand on your shoulder, pulling you his direction. “Come on, Y/N. Let’s get to work. I’ll show you what the latest trouble spots are, so you’re ready to help me fix them during the show.”

“You’re no fun!” Roger called, but he smiled as he said it, before dashing back out onstage.

“Fun we may not be, but we help keep it all running,” Crystal said. “Don’t forget that, Y/N. There’s plenty of fun and games to be had, but the job comes first, fun and stories to tell later second.”

You nodded, having a feeling he wasn’t pleased at how you’d been attached to Freddie whenever you weren’t working. But Freddie was, essentially, one of your bosses, and he hadn’t expressed any issue with it. Nor had the rest of the band, for that matter. Just the crew seemed to take issue with it, and it made you wonder why Crystal had defended you at all before.

“Don’t look so glum,” Crystal smiled. “Tonight is going to be a good one, I can just tell. Maybe we’ll get by with less problems and more smooth running.”

“I didn’t even notice that the last few nights had any problems,” you admitted. “Everything seemed just fine.”

“Ah,” Crystal said. “That’s because you’re green yet. You’re used to one venue, one sound system, one same everything. And you haven’t gotten your ears pessimistic enough; once you do you can hear any teeny tiny mistake from a mile away. And half the time, hearing it makes you want to be a mile away. But you’ve got to own the fuck ups, and try and fix them as best you can.”

“Is that advice only for concerts, or for life?”

“Yes,” Crystal replied. “Now, let’s go over where everything is, just once more for safety’s sake...”

“Y/N!” Crystal sounded desperate, and you could barely hear him from where he was hidden underneath Roger’s seat, trying to replace something, you weren’t entirely sure what at this point, since there wasn’t much that hadn’t been replaced already.

That was because it seemed like Roger’s entire kit was working actively to fall apart and off itself, and it was starting to drive all of you mad. From the first song in, there had been one thing or another, and now, as you saw when you ran up to them, a cymbal had somehow come tumbling off.

“How in the fuck?” you muttered as you tried to get it back on, fumbling on the floor for the rivet that was supposed to help hold it in place.

“I don’t know,” Roger sighed. “Thank you, though.”

They’d cut his mic, and thankfully moved the lights off of him while you worked, but you were sure the crowd was noticing the change in sound. Even working as fast as you could wasn’t enough.

Finally, it seemed held together, and you and Crystal dipped backstage. You watched carefully as Roger smacked the cymbal that had gone rogue, and let yourself breathe as it held on.

“I jinxed us, apparently,” Crystal murmured as he gestured you to follow him. “Should never have said it would be a good night, I guess.”

“No, sometimes things just go wrong,” you said. “As long as Roger doesn’t start falling apart next, we’ll be fine. Unless you have hidden replacement parts for him somewhere too.”

Crystal bit back a laugh. “Good point, and no, I don’t. But plenty is gonna be falling apart once they get backstage.”

He wasn’t wrong either. The band made it backstage before you did, and the green room was...well.

It was destroyed.

You’d heard tales of what Queen and really any band could do after a rough show, but this was a lot. Mirrors were busted, there was somehow a tear in the couch against the wall, chairs flung across the room, a few makeup palettes had been tossed and broken against the wall, the food table had its contents shoved down it (to the end with a trash can sitting there, at least), and they were all sat in the wreckage, fuming.

You didn’t say a word as you started to clean up the bits and pieces of the room, making note of each broken item as you had been trained, so you could figure out how much the band would have to payout to the venue to replace things.

Not one of them said a word, but Freddie was suddenly by you, and grabbed you by the wrist.

He was gentle as he led you to the hall by the green room, but he flopped into your arms hard enough you had to actively catch him.

“Hey,” you said softly. “It’s okay.”

“It isn’t,” he muttered. “That was horrid. If I had my way, we’d never play here again, what an absolute embarrassment.”

“Can I tell you a secret?”

He leaned off of you and nodded, still holding onto your hands, thumbs rubbing at the palms.

“Before I worked at the venue, and even now, there’s still so much I don’t know about a rock show. So I can’t hear the mistakes, or catch them. You guys can, because you’re professionals, this is all you do, all day, every day, most days. Crystal said eventually I’ll get that way too,” you said. “But for now? I can guarantee that most, if not all, of that crowd are the same as me. They couldn’t hear it, and if they could? Hell, they might have thought you were just doing something experimental. It’s easy to beat yourself up over a bad show, but don’t be too hard on yourselves, okay?”

He sighed. “Can we hire you as band therapist?”

“I’m not accredited, I’ve got a Bachelors in the Arts for Christ’s sake,” you joked. “But sure, if you want.”

“I mean it,” he mumbled as he let his head rest again on your shoulder. It was slightly ridiculous, tall as he was compared to you, but it was sweet all the same. It was wonderful to see that he apparently felt that safe with you. “You get another title, Band Therapist. You can come talk sense into us after bad shows.”

“Is that your way of saying we’re getting drinks again, and you want me to soothe everyone else too?”

He nodded, and brought himself back up off of you. “I should go change.”

You patted his back, and made sure he made it into the green room before searching for Crystal to give him the list of damages.

You might have been band therapist, but you certainly weren’t an accountant for the band, and for that you were grateful, especially now.

#text post #LeeH writes #Queen band fic #freddie mercury x reader #freddie mercury x male reader

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tsumi-no-mori-blog · 5 years

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questions from the server

Here are the questions (and answers) asked from the hopefuls server.

Some of these answers were a bit lengthy so I’m putting a read more to not clutter the dash.

how the rp will operate, how culprits/victims are decided, how long it will go on, etc?

this rp is discord based which means that threads will take place on discord. we'll have a server set up for the game and those involved will get to have public threads in the different areas we've set up or private threads in dm groups (which must include at least one of us mods). the time frame will follow the typical danganronpa set up. there'll be time for just normal days (meaning no motive; usually lasts about a week), abnormal days (after motive drops; usually lasts about a week), investigations (will last 1-2 days, depending on what the needs of the group are), and trial time (will be a discord trial which means it'll last over a few hours but this will be planned/scheduled according to the needs of the group)! we plan to have a prologue and 5-6 chapters. this is subject to change, however! if you feel that you may need to leave or be absent, so long as you can communicate that with a mod, we'll be good!

as for the roles, we'll do our best to be as volunteer-based as possible. we'll go based on what was submitted with the apps or if anyone comes up to volunteer their character as that chapter's victim/culprit, we'll select them. after the roles have been selected, the murder will be planned between the players involved and the mods. in the case that there are no volunteers, we may have to randomize for a killer for that chapter but each person is allowed one pass. we'll allow the killer to choose their victim(s) and reach out to the muns. we're going to do our best to be as accommodating as possible which is why we ask for preferences within the app!

Hey, I was wondering how the roster drop is going to be like? Like, how the art will be?

hey there! we're planning on announcing roster both on discord and on tumblr. after which we'll make sure to contact each accepted mun with an invite link to the server via The Judge's account. as for art, we haven't decided on that yet! both prim and myself draw but despite speed (on prim's part, i'm slow™) we want to make sure that we announce roster at a reasonable time after the apping period and if we do not have the time to do art we just may not. we don't want to keep people waiting to see if they got in or not just for art. hopefully this answers your question!

Hey! For the "worst thing done* question, what do we do if our oc thinks they've done nothing wrong ever?

Still put down the worst thing they did and what they believe to be the worst thing they've done. In this case, you'd put that your oc believe they've done nothing wrong ever in addition to whatever it was that was their worst.

i had a quick question abt the setting of tnm: were the riots worldwide? or less noticeable in another country? like, could my oc's family have avoided a lot of the problems if they were in another country?

the riots stayed in Japan and was focused in larger cities in japan. if your oc lived in a small town in japan, they would've easily avoided a lot of the violence. other countries probably heard of it all but no real violence from the riots should've reached them. however even if your oc is out of the country, they could still be effected if their family has any large businesses/houses/symbols of wealth/etc.

is there a mascot u would like us to use for executions if necessary? id also like to know what the norm is about this on apps cause ive always just used monokuma until recently

There is a mascot, The Judge, but he's not going to lower himself to do that sort of thing. Monokuma's not here so you don't need a mascot surrogate if you don't want one! If your OC is running from or fighting something, perhaps you can theme it to or around their personal talent or demons! So long as it's not a real person, I think it's fine! (Even so, you can get around this by making them mannequins or shadow people). If you're really hoping to theme it. wooden puppets with either no face or warped features would probably be the best way to go!

is it okay to write out the backstory part in brief bullet points instead of paragraphs? i'm writing mine right now and it's getting unnecessarily lengthy ack-

bullet points are fine so long as you have the necessary information! just right whatever makes you feel the most comfortable. regardless of length, we're always down to read so dabs

would it be okay to apply a mute character to the group?

yes!

Clarification for the "Do you have any plans or development in mind for this duo/trio?"

In that section we're just looking for what outcome you expect either between/for the duo or trio. Were they betrayed and maybe they'll learn to forgive? Will they grow more apart? Maybe they're the best of friends and some backstabbing's gonna happen? We just wanna know what you'd like to see/are planning! The interesting thing about this section is we wanna know about your plans for the duo as an individual. So if you wanna be a snake, be a snake.

Are people allowed to apply supernatural ocs?

As stated in the FAQ, we allow supernatural apps but be aware that we'll be a little picky with what we allow!

#mod qna

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waynekelton · 5 years

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The Most Exciting iOS & Android Games of 2019

The mobile gamer can look back at 2018 with an affectionate and misty eye, secure in the knowledge that gaming on mobile devices gets more diverse, sophisticated and polished with each year. In this respect, 2019 also is shaping up to be a banner year on this front.

Roughly speaking, the most exciting upcoming games can be split into three groups: the name-brand megahits-in-waiting, boardgame adaptations, and indie projects. Read on to see what the who’s who of mobile gaming are cooking up for this year’s treats.

Quick Mentions

Fluxx - Playdek are bringing back their digital adaptation of iconic card game Fluxx, which was lost in the iOS 11 Appocalypse. It's due out on July 17th and provided you still have access to the original account you purchased it on, existing owners won't need to 're-purchase' the game again.

League of Legends Mobile - Riot are another company trying to port their heavy-hitter game to mobile. We've only had vague reports so far, and we're not even sure it's coming out this year, so it gets a quick mention for now pending further information.

Dead Cells - Being an action/platformer, this isn't something we usually cover, but the mobile port of this critically acclaimed indie game will be arriving on August 28th. Here's a trailer.

Commandos 2 HD (Real Time Tactics)

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If you're a reader of our sister website, Strategy Gamer, you may have spotted at some point us mentioning that Kalypso Media (on mobile you'd know them for Project Highrise & Crowntakers) are doing HD remasters of Commandos 2 and Praetorians, two classic RTS games from the "good 'ol days". What you might not have spotted is that, in addition to PC & consoles, Commandos 2 specifically is being ported to mobile platforms - so iOS, Android and Switch (including the Switch Lite, we assume). One of E3's more surprising announcements, especially from a mobile perspective, and we can't wait to see how it takes to being on handheld. If you've never played Commandos 2 (or any Commandos game) here's the official blurb to help you along:

In Commandos 2 HD Remastered, take control of an elite group of commandos who must venture deep into enemy territory and utilize their combined expertise to complete a series of notoriously demanding missions set in World War II. In this genre-defining classic, explore interactive environments and use your commandos’ unique skillsets to complete your mission against seemingly impossible odds.

The PC/Console version at least is probably landing in Q4 2019, but we're not sure if they're aiming to have mobile release at the same time. If not, this one could actually slip to our inevitable 2020 list, but we're happy it's coming either way.

Phantom Doctrine (Turn-based Strategy)

Phantom Doctrine ... mobile version, are you ready for the change.#indiegame #gamedev #mobile #PhantomDoctrine pic.twitter.com/fKM4RAVqkN

— CreativeForge Games (@CFGmain) June 7, 2019

Another one a few of us here are really looking forward to. Phantom Doctrine was an attempt to make an XCOM-like game set during the Cold War. You run an international spy agency and you must train up your agents, develop their cover and embed them in locations, as well as engaging in other acts of espionage and intrigue. There's a 'base/strategic' part, and then a turn-based tactical part. What stops this from just being a token nod towards Bond-style espionage is that most turn-based tactical battles can start off peacefully, and even end without a shot being fired provided you do your job well enough.

It's pretty good, although it was a bit glitchy when it first launched, but provided how well XCOM fits on tablet and mobile, I have no doubt the mobile version of Phantom Doctrine is going to be right up our alley. Considering there was no word of an actual release window, perhaps a 2019 release is a bit ambitious but what the heck, we're excited!

Tom Clancy's Elite Squad (Collectable RPG/Battler Thing)

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Not sure if this is turn-based or real-time thing - there's not much information beyond the E3 2019 trailer. Ubisoft will be offering players the chance to assemble a 5-person squad with characters from across their franchises, where you need to collect and upgrade characters and fight in 5v5 battles against either the AI or other players. There's going to be a single-player story + guild vs. guild warfare.

No release date, but pre-registration is already live so I'm expecting at least a beta or something this year, with perhaps the full release early next year if not by Christmas. I stand by what I said when we originally reported on this though - I think Ubisoft are missing a trick by not making this an Auto Chess game.

Game of Thrones: Beyond the Wall (As Above)

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Behavoir Interactive (them what made Fallout Shelter) had their own announcement as this year's E3. In the same vein as Ubisoft's Elite Squad, BE are working with HBO on Beyond the Wall, another RPG/Strategy/Squad Battler thing. Usually, separate new games sharing the same basic DNA signifies an emerging trend but, again, I think the guys have completely missed the fact that Auto Chess is happening.

Still, all the parts are there to make this a potentially compelling experience - you've got to recruit people into the Night's Watch, go on rangings beyond the Wall and defend said Wall from wildlings. This trying to cash-in on the recently finished television show, there will be some magical based mumbo-jumbo reason to recruit, or collect, famous people from the TV series as well (this game is officially set half a decade before Book 1, so you can imagine there'll be a bit creative license going on here). Pre-registration is live on both iOS & Android, so hopefully we'll learn more about this soon.

Battle Chasers: Nightwar (Tactical RPG)

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This is a tactical RPG inspired by Final Fantasy and its ilk, but made by a western studio. It was incredibly well received on PC/consoles when it released in 2017, and now we're finally getting a mobile port. It'll feature featuring deep dungeon diving, turn-based combat presented in a classic JRPG format, and a rich story driven by exploration of the world and will release on August 1st. We've seen that there's info on minimum device specs around, so make sure you've got the right tech.

Final Fantasy (Tactical RPG)

We're lumping two Final Fantasy games into one entry because there's not much to say on them at the moment. At E3 it was announced that Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicle's Remaster will also be hitting tablets and smartphones. We're expecting that to drop in the Winter. Here's the trailer:

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Meanwhile, Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius is getting a tactical RPG spin-off, War of the Visions. We're not 100% on details or release window yet, but it's also got a trailer:

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Minecraft Earth (AR)

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It seems 2019 is the year people finally try and jump on to the Pokemon GO craze. It's only been three year! Minecraft Earth is Microsoft & Mojang's answer to the likes of Ingress Prime and Harry Potter: Wizards Unite. Different from the existing Minecraft experience on mobile, this AR-fuelled game comes with a number of key concepts. First and foremost, people can explore the world in real-life, checking into locations on their phone much like how Pokestops work. These locations net them resources which can be used in the building mode, which is reported to be just as free-form as the original game. Finally, those constructions can then be placed in the real-world, so anyone with their phone can explore and interact with them.

This seems like a pretty decent marriage of Pokemon GO-style AR and a popular IP. Say what you want about Microsoft, none of their various Minecraft versions have felt like cynical cash-ins, so it'll be interesting to see how this one turns out. A beta of some kind is expected later this summer.

GWENT: The Witcher Card Game (Card Game)

One can never have too many card games in their lives, or at least, that's what the makers of all of the Hearthstone wannabes like to tell themselves every night before going to sleep. GWENT started life a a mini-game within The Witcher 3, but it proved so popular CDPR decided to spin it to create their own take on a digital card game. It's been out on PC for a little while already, and is now officially due to make its leap to mobile later this year. No details as to when yet, but we'll keep you posted.

Out of the Park GO! (Sports/Management)

While not the all-father of sports sims that is Football Manager, the OOTP Baseball series holds just a firm a place in baseball fans hearts. The mobile incarnation of OOTP has been a series of games called MLB Manager, the most recent of which we reviewed last year. It seems the developer is starting from scratch for the next iteration, even re-branding it to become OOTP GO! Here's what they have to say about it:

OOTP Go! will be free to play, which includes full access to Perfect Team and the ability to create and play fictional solo leagues. The current MLB rosters are a $4.99 in-app purchase, international leagues will be $1.99 each and historical MLB seasons will be (as usual) $0.99 (plus there will be bundles available for a reduced price).

Last thing we knew, it was due for release sometime this summer on iOS & Android.

Dire Wolf Digital (Board Game)

This isn't the name of a game, but the name of a company that announced this year they're making a bucket-load of digital board game adaptations. Because we only have the announcement text to go on, we've decided to keep the new games all in one place until we know more. The games Direwolf are bringing to digital (which afawk also includes mobile devices) are:

Mage Knights – It's worth noting this is the first step in a bigger agreement with WizKids, so it's likely we'll be seeing more announcements this year.

Wings of Glory – A popular table-top aerial skirmish game.

Raiders of the North Sea – An excellent worker placement game themed around the 8th and 9th century viking raids (pictured).

Yellow & Yangtze – a Reiner Knizia tile placement game of civilization building.

Sagrada – A dice drafting game about creating works of art.

Root – the recent Kickstarter sensation about asymmetrical warfare in the woods.

We're not sure which project is due to appear first - possible WizKids & Mage Knights, given the importance that project has within the announcement? We'll update as we learn more.

Call of Duty Mobile (Shooter/Battle Royale)

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Announced at GDC 2019, this latest Call of Duty-on-mobile spin-off is the latest in a long series of mobile adaptations of the hugely popular FPS franchise. This latest attempt appears to be following in the vein of games like Fortnite & ARK - offering a fully 3D, fully-developed version of the main franchise that can run on phones and tablets. From what we know so far, it's going to be a kind of 'greatest hits' compilation of modes, maps, characters etc... and may even feature a Battle Royale mode (putting it in direct competition with Fortnite, which is popular on mobile as well as desktop). We've not had official confirmation its coming this year, but pre-registration is open and we'd be surprised if Activision allow too long a lead time on this.

Mario Kart Tour (Racing)

It’s been practically a year since this title was first announced and outlined with few concrete details added between now and then. Nintendo’s mobile offerings have run the gamut, from the premium Mario Run, the Miitomo social & style app everyone tried and forgot about, to the successful and generally great Fire Emblem: Warriors. Mario Kart is a treasured and classic franchise, even amongst Nintendo offerings, so that reputation guarantees some level of careful handling. It remains an open question whether the game will be a premium or freemium model, but the launch date is still projected to be March.

Diablo Immortal (Action RPG)

Diablo Immortal will draw some side-eye and mockery, having been already made notorious because of its horribly mistimed announcement. (Yes, we have phones, but read the room, Activision-Blizzard). Even more puzzlingly, the game is being created in partnership with NetEase, a Chinese developer whose resume already includes ‘Eternal Realm’ (无尽神域) itself essentially a Diablo clone. Weird stuff: the official license merging with a pretender to the throne to make a hybrid project together. Concerns about endless grind or re-skinning of Eternal Realm are well-founded, but while most of us will be as judge-y as possible we’ll also probably still give the final product a try. Good action RPGs live or die by loot, character progression and above all, delicate-yet-accurate controls, so it will be interesting to see if Diablo Immortal will be a good game as well as the inevitable cash cow.

Five Tribes (Boardgame)

Five Tribes, oldie but goodie, will make its digital debut this year. Days of Wonder has been updating and digitising its catalogue at a steady pace and with fantastic results. Five Tribes central mechanic is just like mancala. Pick a space and drop the meeples one by one along the path. Dead simple, but if you think it makes the game easy, you’d be dead wrong. The Five Tribes each possess unique scoring criteria and effects, and the turn-order bid means timing depends on correctly valuing the current layout. Many simple bits add up to make a nigh-perfect game.

Scythe: Digital Edition (Boardgame)

In another history, the Great War also ruined Europe and annihilated a generation, but its nations and technologies faced the blight and devastation quite differently. With large mechs, steampunk agricultural combines and faux-Eurasian player nations, Scythe gives each player a unique entity to steer to victory. Engine building games are always efficiency races, conversion puzzles, but Scythe’s unique setting, eye-catching miniatures and indirect player confrontation quickly made a it a fan favorite amongst the gaming community. Its rollout on Steam has been smooth experience, with decent AI and a robust tutorial. The assets and UI will translate well to mobile and what used to cost near three figures will be available to most anyone for a fraction of the price.

Terraforming Mars (Boardgame)

Terraforming Mars sounds like a noble goal for all of humanity. In reality, the game is a push-and-pull competition for corporations to garner by prestige by...terraforming Mars. Three categories: oxygen, temperature and ocean coverage dictate the endgame, but to get there, players will reshape the red planet into a bright blue hope. It’s a Euro though-and-though: precisely balanced, intricately co-dependent and inevitably point-based. But the close match between theme and mechanic makes this game deeply satisfying and intuitive to learn and explain, and the action selection mechanic is uniquely innovative and inspired. Just when I think boardgame design is tapped out, something truly exceptional rises to the top.

A limited beta is already in progress on mobile, so hopefully it's not too much longer before we can get our hands on this one.

Mew-Genics (Sim)

This one has been incubating forever but should be worth it when it finally gets here. Ed McMillen (of Binding of Isaac fame) has been teasing this cat-breeding simulator for ages. The game has been described as a mix of Tamagotchi, Pokemon and the Sims, with its signature art style courtesy of McMillen. All bets for a playful wild game about the weirdness, sweetness, malice and all-around havoc of cat-raising seem to be right on the money. The ideas are there, the premise is promising, the only question remaining is when it will get here.

Overland (Finji) (TBS/Survival)

Overland is tactical turn-based survival meets cross-country road trip (from hell). Each waypoint is a battle, a flashpoint conflict over some minor life-extending objective. Its overland map and procedural generation seem reminiscent of FTL (or its follow-up Into the Beach) but the setting here is familiar people struggling with post-apocalyptic daily hardship. Water, medicine, gas, weapons: the items are banal but vital. The game uses minimalism and scarcity to great effect, sketching characters and strategic scenarios alike with the barest elements.

Impossible Bottles (Rhythm/Action)

Various robots move about in their bottles and raging about like a bull in a china shop. Each level presents one of these Impossible Bottles for the player to fix by manipulating the environment and repairing the situation, or at the very least soothing its sole occupant. A scientist built these robots as part of a perpetual motion machine for unlimited energy, but they don’t quite work as is. The secret to fixing everything is music, or in gameplay terms: rhythm. One-touch gameplay and lush, fantastic art, with a slated mid-year release.

Nowhere Prophet (Card Game)

Nowhere Prophet (Pictured): this one is a doozy and a little secretive. The dark horse of this race, if you will. In the game, post-apocalyptic leaders trek across a scabrous landscape to gather supporters and supplies, occasionally clashing with foes or environmental dangers. This card game has grid-based combat as well procedurally generated encounters. It’s a card-battler roguelike, essentially, with a unique setting and what seems to be a robust battle system. Current indications state it's due to release this Summer.

Heaven’s Vault (Interactive Fiction)

Inkle (of 80 Days interactive fiction fame) has been teasing their mechanically ambitious Heaven’s Vault for some time now. An archaeologist-slash-xenolinguist explores the dusty remains of an alien civilization on an unknown planet, with a vivid backdrop of sienna sand and celestial blue. There’s some pretty nifty procedural tricks behind the code-breaking and translation, and while its approach to storytelling is a little less handcrafted, it has the potential to have even more surprises and replayability than the globe-trotting 80 Days.

Other Missing Games From 2018

As a reminder, here is a quick list of some other games we were expecting last year, but never turned up:

Bad North (RTS)

Exodus: Proxima Centauri (Boardgame)

Epic Card Game (Card Game)

Lord of the Rings Living Card Game (Card Game)

Monster Slayers (Card Game)

EVE: War of Ascension (MMO)

Best 2019 Mobile Releases So far

There's already been some excellent releases this year, and not all of them were expected/on this list. If you haven't already, check these games out:

Astrologaster (??)

Tharsis (Turn-Based Strategy)

Shards of Infinity (Card Game)

Fort Sumter (Boardgame)

Dungeon Warfare 2 (RTS)

Cultist Simulator (Card Game/Sim)

Necrodancer AMPLIFIED (Roguelike)

The Castles of Burgundy (Boardgame)

Star Traders: Frontiers (RPG)

Legends of Andor (Boardgame)

Evolution: The Video Game (Boardgame)

The Escapists 2: Pocket Breakout (Simulation)

Seen any other games coming out this year you're excited about? Let us know in the comments.

The Most Exciting iOS & Android Games of 2019 published first on https://touchgen.tumblr.com/

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theinquisitivej · 6 years

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Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - Character Predictions

Let’s take a brief detour from films and narrative analysis and talk about games, or rather a specific game. Or, I suppose, let’s do both at the same time, because the game I’m more excited about than any other this year is the latest in my favourite party game meets intense fighter series, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

I apologise to those of you who have stumbled across this and have no idea what I’m talking about, because I’m pretty sure the next few thousand words or so will be impenetrable gibberish. But, if you’re riding the hype train along with me and share my passionate excitement for this series, or you’re still curious and want to know more, then read on.

Super Smash Bros. is an ongoing series from Nintendo in which you get to play as some of their most popular characters from their numerous iconic franchises as you duke it out with a group of other players in intense, frantic battles. For a series with a relatively simple premise, it’s gained a deep level of appreciation from fans of all backgrounds, as it draws players from a number of different fanbases of the different games it represents, branching out to even include characters from third party companies like Sonic, Pac-Man, Mega Man, and so on. Whether you’re a player who enjoys bringing the game out at casual get-togethers with friends and family, or you’re a competitive player who obsesses over knowing the game inside and out, there’s something universally exciting about seeing a game that celebrates so many franchises and their characters, settings, and music.

And now there’s a new game coming out, which means people are losing their minds over speculation concerning which new characters we might get to play as, and I am certainly no different. We’ve had a number of new characters already announced including Ridley and King K.Rool, fan favourite villains who players have been clamouring for since the days of Super Smash Bros. Melee in 2001. Their inclusion makes it feel like all bets are off; in the past, expectations and hopes were tempered by thoughts like ‘ah, that character would never make it in’, but now, if sodding Cloud from Final Fantasy VII can make it, then anyone can.

So, because everyone’s been making their prediction/wish lists and I’ve spent far more time obsessing over this game than I care to admit, I figured I’d have a little fun and throw together a list of my own character predictions. If you’ve been checking out other people’s theories and videos on the subject, then I’m sure many of these picks will sound familiar, and, on the one hand, I do worry that this post will look like a shallow attempt to regurgitate the same information that other people have gone over for the sake of jumping onto the bandwagon. But truthfully, I just wanted to make this list for the fun of getting it out there and seeing how many I end up getting right once we know the game’s final roster of characters. The way I see it, I’d be writing this list for myself anyway, so I might as well share it with anyone who’s interested.

This list is meant to represent likely candidates rather than necessarily my all-time dream picks. This is who I expect will make it in, not who I hope beyond hope to see in this game (otherwise the list would just say ‘Banjo-Kazooie’ ten times). Even so, there are one or two characters on the list which I will admit have less of a chance, and most likely got as far as they did in my considerations due to preferential bias. Nevertheless, there are enough points in their favour that I stand by dedicating a spot to them. And at the end of the day, this is my own damn list on the dumb fighting game about cartoon characters, so try not to worry about it.

*So how many more new characters do you think there’ll be?*

This is the question a lot of people who’ve been closely following news on the game have been wondering. Masahiro Sakurai, the series director whose dry offbeat sense of humour and difficult to predict eccentricity has made him just as beloved to Smash fans as some of the Nintendo mascots featured in his games, has gone on record to say that, since Ultimate’s remit was to bring every single character in the series’ history back for this ‘ultimate’ instalment, we shouldn’t expect too many newcomers. Considering the insane amount of content already revealed for this game, many have said that’s a fair deal, with a common sentiment being that the game could ship with just what we’ve heard about it thus far, and we’d still be over the moon with what it’s given us.

However, Sakurai is a notorious workaholic whose obsessive dedication to his work has led him to exceed our expectations time and time again in Smash’s 20-year history. Since making that statement, Sakurai has shown off 5 new characters, and hinted that there is more to follow. What helps is that Sakurai and his team have found a creative solution which enables them to include an impressive number of new characters without cutting too much into development time in the form of ‘Echo Fighters’. Echo Fighters, or ‘Echoes’, is a term coined by Sakurai to describe characters who are technically new to the series, but whose set of moves are closely based on a pre-existing fighter. This means we get the option of playing a slight variation on a classic fighter who, through a different surface appearance and a few of their own unique animations, feels like their own distinct character.

So, what this boils down to is that, while Sakurai may mean it when he says we’re getting fewer brand new movesets than we have in past instalments, we are nevertheless getting a good number of new representatives from different series through this time and money-saving measure. While I’m sure there are some critics of this approach out there, the overwhelming consensus on this is that it’s a win-win situation which takes some of the weight off the developers while simultaneously providing the players with more characters who may not have necessarily made it in otherwise.

To answer this section’s original question, I’m inclined to think that, on top of the 4 ‘newcomers’ (characters with brand new movesets) we’ve seen so far, we’ll get 2 or 4 more, as trends suggest it will be an even number. As for echoes, who we’ve been receiving at a surprising rate, I think we’ll see 4 or 6 more on top of the 4 we’ve already seen. This leadup to the list has taken long enough, and this thing is going to be monstrously big already, so let’s not waste any more time on the boring stuff and get straight to the list. I’m setting it in stone:

These are my final predictions for the rest of the characters we’re going to see in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Newcomers

#1: Decidueye

Artwork by R-nowong.

Pokémon is Nintendo’s biggest franchise after Mario, so it gets reps. The latest generation of Pokémon, Sun & Moon, did well with people and sold decently, and Decidueye, the final evolved form of the grass starter Rowlet, is arguably the most popular of the three Sun & Moon starters, much like Greninja was in the previous generation, who secured a spot in Super Smash Bros. 4. Decidueye also has the added bonus of embodying an elemental type that hasn’t been represented by a solo Pokémon fighter in Smash before – grass. On top of that, he’s got some ghost-type moves and a signature arrow attack in his toolkit which he can use, and with the added appeal of being a mysterious hooded owl warrior who can fly about, his potential moveset writes itself. He was even in Pokémon’s standalone fighting game Pokken, so yeah; he’s probably the safest bet on this entire list. On the other hand, that flame cat wrestling heel starter Incineroar from the same generation has also slowly risen in popularity, so I could see him also being a possibility. But my money’s on the spooky Robin Hood-in-feathers, Decidueye.

#2: Geno

Artwork by jordanewing.

You’re either completely oblivious to whoever the hell this character is or you’re rolling your eyes and saying you’re sick to death of hearing about Geno – there is no middle ground.

A wooden toy puppet given life by a … star spirit, I think? I’m not sure, I’m only halfway through my playthrough of the game right now. Anyway, Geno is a one-time character from a SNES Mario RPG game called, er, Super Mario RPG. The game was a collaboration between Nintendo and Square, and represents the spiritual beginnings of other Mario RPG series such as Paper Mario and the Mario & Luigi games on handheld systems. Of the characters unique to Super Mario RPG, Geno stands out; he’s mystical and dedicated to his mission to reform the Star Road in order to make it so that people’s wishes can once again come true, meaning the point where he joins the party also introduces the player to the game’s central quest. With his innocent wooden doll appearance and contrastingly enigmatic cape, profile, and gun-arm weapon, he seems like the kind of character who’d result from a fairy-tale colliding with a Final Fantasy plot, making him a suitable representative for a game made through the collaborative efforts of Nintendo and Square.

Speaking bluntly, Geno has little-to-no relevance in this day and age, having only appeared once as one of several main playable characters in a game that released over 20 years ago. Even so, he’s a character with such appeal that he’s not only been a fan favourite request for Smash since the days of Melee, but he’s also someone Sakurai himself has wanted to include for a long time now. When people talk about Geno’s game, it’s always with a loving, nostalgic fondness, and, having made my way through a decent portion of the game, I can see why. Also, appearing only once in a classic game that came out decades ago has never stopped the Ice Climbers from being a series staple for Smash, so I don’t think Geno’s solitary appearance necessarily hinders his chances. Since Sakurai seems to be using Ultimate to grant some longstanding fan requests and finally include things he’s been meaning to do for years, I’d say the odds have never been in Geno’s favour more than they are right now.

#3: Bandana Waddle Dee

Artwork by rongs1234.

Weird name, I know. Still, Waddle Dee is the most enduring and recognisable enemy type in the Kirby series, and there’s been one Waddle Dee in particular who’s tagged along in Kirby’s adventures for several decades now, and he’s known as ‘Bandana Waddle Dee’. Donning a bandanna and wielding a spear as his weapon, he’s pretty much a perfect melting pot between Kirby’s adorable friendliness, Meta-Knight’s cool proficiency with an actual weapon, and King Dedede, being his underling / dogsbody who’s probably more competent and reliable than he is.

There’s not a lot of complicated reasoning as to why Bandana Waddle Dee is both likely and deserving to make it in. The Kirby franchise is a big part of Nintendo, and of the more prominent in-house series in Smash, it stands out as one that could do with a little more representation. Being stuck at 3 characters seems like a loose end in Smash, as you only need one more inclusion to have enough characters for a traditional 4-player battle. Bandana Waddle Dee makes the most sense for this series as he’s just a delightful recurring character with the potential for a unique moveset, and after Kirby, Dedede, and Meta-Knight, he’s the next most recognisable character in the series. It’s high time Kirby got another character, and Waddle Dee fits the ticket perfectly.

#4: Paper Mario

If Link gets three versions of himself in this game, then Mario can have a third one too, and darnit, Paper Mario has paid his dues! As far from grace as he’s fallen, he is still an ongoing property, and his first two … eh what the hell, let’s thrown in Super Paper Mario in there too and say his first three games are still wonderful and a part of Nintendo’s history that’s fondly remembered by many and stands out as something that is yet to be acknowledged by Nintendo’s flagship crossover series beyond a simple stage.

Admittedly, if one Mario RPG character were to get in, then I’d oddly expect the one-time Geno to get in over this character, even if he does have a series of games to his name. But I think Paper Mario as a series has enough unique qualities to its aesthetic and characteristic mechanics to distinguish itself from the rest of the Mario franchise, including the other Mario RPG games. As such, I think bringing both of them in would represent different properties well enough. If I’m being honest with myself, of the four proposed newcomers, Paper Mario’s the least likely to make it. Geno’s got the edge on him, especially if space is a premium for new characters. But then again, they have brought back the Paper Mario stage for Ultimate, so here’s hoping that Mr. Game & Watch has a new two-dimensional best friend joining him in the next Smash.

Echoes

#5: Isabelle

With Animal Crossing being unquestionably one of Nintendo’s biggest franchises today, eclipsing veteran series like Starfox, Metroid, and F-Zero, it’s frankly staggering that Ultimate, with a roster that currently sits at 70+ characters, only has one representative from this flagship franchise. I mean, I get it; Animal Crossing is a relaxing, peaceful game about life in a quiet village where the biggest conflicts are ensuring you make your appointment to see your dog neighbour tomorrow afternoon like you promised and paying off your debt to the local ruthless raccoon landowner. It’s difficult to envision any of the characters from this series engaging in battle with Solid Snake or an anime protagonist with a six-foot broadsword. But Smash is a ridiculous series that embraces cartoonish logic, so the incongruency of these series is a big part of the fun. And the fact that Villager is in shows that there’s precedent for a fun as hell character with a slice-of-life moveset that kicks ass.

Isabelle would be a terrific choice for a second Animal Crossing representative, and if character spaces are tight enough that she can’t make it into the fully-fledged newcomer list, then she could still easily incorporate Villager’s moves. There are a ton of mainstay Animal Crossing characters who would also be very fun to play as like K.K. Slider, Tortimer, and Tom Nook, but since New Leaf came out in 2013, Isabelle has been a prominent face for the series. She’s been heavily featured in Animal Crossing’s various off-shoots since then, as well as in promotional material and crossovers like the excellent Mario Kart 8 dlc. Plus, with Smash’s roster being so heavily taken up with male characters, we could really do with more female characters being featured. Isabelle is not only one of my most hopeful newcomers, she’s also one of the most likely to make it.

And to that one person who I know is reading: Jeremiah is lovely, but I’m sad to say I just don’t see him making it in … just yet.

#6: Black Shadow

Wolf’s back, DK and Diddy have K.Rool, Samus has two villains from her series to contend with now; bad guys are currently all the rage in Smash, and while I’ll admit to being completely inexperienced with F-Zero, Black Shadow seems like a suitable pick for a much-needed rival to Smash’s resident Captain Falcon. As a dead series that still receives a ton of love from fans yet only has one representative in Smash at the moment, F-Zero could do with a little push into the spotlight. Black Shadow’s design isn’t much to write home about by itself, but when paired against Captain Falcon, I think there’s some potential. His ‘Night on Bald Mountain’ look and pompous smirk could be a fun personality to play with, and I’m positive that Ultimate’s stellar team of animators could make him stand out. With Ganondorf becoming more and more his own thing, Black Shadow could honestly just take Ganondorf’s moveset from Melee with one or two changes, and he’d be a terrific Echo Fighter of Falcon that’s good to go.

#7: A Metal Gear Solid representative, most likely Raiden

I adore the Metal Gear series. Its outlandishly over-the-top military action and exaggerated characters, its cool-as-hell protagonists, and its legendary music make it a special series in games. Here’s the thing though: I’ve never played them. Well, I’ve played and completed the first Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2. Anything from Metal Gear Solid onwards, however, I’ve yet to play through. I was first introduced to the series when Snake was announced for Brawl, and since then, I’ve listened to many pieces of music from the series, enjoyed hearing passionate fans talk about the games, and learned and heard things about the series which make me positive that I’m going to love these games when I finally take the time to sit down and play them, ludicrous plot and all.

So, since Konami, the company who owns the rights to the series, have not only okayed Snake coming back to this upcoming game, but also allowed Sakurai to have both a newcomer and an echo from their Castlevania series, I reckon Snake’s chances of gaining an echo as a partner have gone up. The most likely candidate is Raiden, the protagonist from Metal Gear Solid 2 who has an important role in the franchise, but as I’ve yet to play a good portion of this series, I honestly can’t say for sure who would be the best echo. Maybe someone he contends with, to fit the theme of villains and rivals I mentioned earlier, like Liquid? Snake’s former mentor turned villain Big Boss would be cool too, especially if it’s him when he’s an old soldier, as we could do with some badass old characters in the game. My favourite pick, however, is Meryl. Her design is cool as hell, she seems to be a significant character in the series, and as I mentioned earlier, we need to even out the gender imbalance in this roster. At the end of the day, however, I would be happy to see any of these guys make it in.

#8 Tails…or Shadow, if we must

I know that the most likely second Sonic representative via echo fighter at the moment is Shadow. His assist trophy is nowhere to be seen, he fits Sonic’s model and moveset, and he’d fit the bill of the current trend of rivals / villains making the cut. But… really? Do we really want to go with the edgy teen version of Sonic that once starred in a dreadful game that took itself too seriously and filled a cartoon universe about fast-moving animals with realistic guns? …alright, to be fair, when that came out I unironically loved it, played the hell out of it, and I still have a soft spot for it, so I wouldn’t even be unhappy to see Shadow make it in as a true guilty pleasure of a character.

But come on, as much as I’m not the biggest fan of Sonic games from any era, I think that the character deserves to have his version of Luigi in, and that’s Tails. He’s been there since practically the beginning, has a design that’s always been appealing and avoided becoming dated (or as good as this franchise can manage), and despite nominally playing different to Sonic with his flying propeller tails, he moves very similarly to Sonic. Just make him a little slower on the ground, have him control better in the air, and shift some of his aerial attacks around, and you’d have a decent echo. Say what you will about the Sonic series, but it is iconic to the videogame medium, and Tails is a big part of the picture whenever you consider Sonic as a franchise.

But whatever, put grungy Sonic with guns in instead if you want, that should be good for a laugh.

#9: Ken/Akuma

This one is difficult to call. Ryu’s my favourite fighting game character of all time, and his inclusion in the previous Smash Bros. as DLC was a significant moment that I adored seeing come to pass. In his own series, he’s had no shortage of characters based off of him with similar movesets, so looking through the range of options for echo fighters from his series has yielded two likely options. Ken, as a pallet swap version of Ryu with more fire effects added to his moves with slightly different properties, is pretty much the perfect template for an Echo Fighter. He’s got a sweet musical theme that I believe was already in the previous Smash, and he’d be a ton of fun to play as.

Still, there’s one other person who has a chance of snagging the Rye Echo Fighter slot away from him: Akuma. A fan favourite and Ryu’s dark opposite with an ultimate move that translates to “Wrath of the Raging Demon”, there’s no denying that Akuma would be an impressive villain to include to Ultimate’s expanding catalogue of dark rivals. I’d be ecstatic with any new representation from Street Fighter, so calling this one is tough. I’ll go with Ken, as he just embodies the concept of an echo fighter perfectly. But, if I’m wrong and we get Akuma, that would be cool too. Or Sakura, she’d be awesome as well. Just as long as it’s anyone other than Dan Hibiki.

#10: Impa

Legend of Zelda is one of my all-time favourite game series, providing me with numerous all-time classics that have been some of the most formative games of my life. But despite its flagship status as a Nintendo franchise, and despite having 6 characters in Smash already, it’s in an awkward position when it comes to who else you could put into the game. The series has no shortage of striking, memorable, and well-loved characters, but the format of the series means that each game is more or less a fresh start, introducing us to a new version of Hyrule with a fresh batch of inhabitants and different iterations of a handful of enduring characters, namely Link, Zelda, and Ganon/Ganondorf. What this means is that, while you can have different versions of Link and Zelda from different games in Smash, there’s not a lot of options for character picks who have a lasting presence in the series beyond the one game they’re featured in. Of course, this sort of reasoning doesn’t necessarily have to mean anything, and Sakurai could have just said screw it and thrown in a fan favourite like Skull Kid, but it’s difficult to say if there’s much of a chance of that happening.

What I can say is that there is one recurring character in Legend of Zelda who has yet to be included in Smash: Impa. She’s appeared in many different forms throughout the series, and while I would love to see her old nurse / attendant to Princess Zelda appearance be the inspiration for a creative moveset, I think it’s more likely we’ll see one of her more warrior like iterations using most of Sheik’s moves with the occasional change here or there. She could resemble her Skyward Sword appearance, or her impressive design from Hyrule Warriors, but either way, I think she would make a great addition to the series. She’s more representation for not only Legend of Zelda, but for formidable older women as well, who I think could do with a lot more prominence in all areas of fiction, let alone Smash.

And that was my lengthy list! We’ll be back to film reviews soon, but if you’ve made it this far, thank you for indulging me and letting me try this out. If you’ve been absorbing as much fan speculation content on this upcoming game as I have, I’m sure you’ve seen a lot of what I’ve talked about today discussed in other places, but I nevertheless felt a need to write all of this down and put it out there. So, for those of you who have no idea what I’ve spent thousands of words going on about but have nevertheless read to the end, thank you so much! It’s always a lot of fun to try something new and different. In fact, if I was to narrow down what I love about Super Smash Bros. represents as a series, it would be how much it celebrates and delights in the endless possibilities of creativity. There’s so much to enjoy out there, and it’s all so different; it can be overwhelming at times, especially when you feel the impossible need to try and keep up with media, but it can also be immensely uplifting and inspiring to see just how many different experiences there are out there. I’ll keep trying to seek out those new experiences in all aspects of my life, because there’s so much art and content out there to inspire you, whatever your field of interest might be.

Of course, once December 7th rolls around, it’s quite likely I’ll turn around on that and play nothing but Smash. Ah well, we can but try.

#The Inquisitive J #article #game article #video games #nintendo #super smash bros #super smash ultimate #super smash switch #smash bros #super smash bros characters #the inquisitive j reviews

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flauntpage · 7 years

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Juggle Trouble: Seven Takeaways from Ducks 6, Flyers 2

After the Flyers’ 6-2 loss to Anaheim yesterday, Dave Hakstol said he would “evaluate it all and get better from it.”

Maybe that’s because the Ducks blew up his mad science experiment.

Look, I know it’s proper form to have a nice lede to a story. To write something that really draws in the reader and keeps them wanting more.

And that’s fine when the team is winning, or if it loses a game or two.

But for a game like this, where it was painfully obvious on MONDAY that the Flyers were starting from a disadvantage against a very good Anaheim team because of a peculiar coaching decision?

I don’t want to come across as spitting fire. The team had a clunker. And if they have one every nine games and go 5-3 in the other eight, that’s a 91-point pace. Steal another point here or there and you are a playoff team. So this isn’t Armageddon.

But if I can identify a bad hockey idea 24 hours before the coach, that’s not good.

So, there’s no time for cute and fluffy introductions at times like this. Flyers fans want answers. And while I may not have all of them, I’m not going to waste time getting to them.

So, to the takeaways…

1) Lessons in Bad Coaching Decisions

Once it was learned that Andrew MacDonald would miss four-to-six weeks with a lower-body injury (he took a puck to his right knee… and was on crutches in the press box last night), Dave Hakstol decided that rather than just plug in his replacement he would completely shuffle the defensemen into three brand new pairs.

It was a real head-scratcher. Shayne Gostisbehere and Robert Hagg had been excellent together through eight games. Why break them up?

Hakstol had a couple of options: keep Travis Sanheim on the third pairing with Brandon Manning and move Radko Gudas to the top unit with Ivan Provorov, or play Gudas with Manning, since they’ve played together before, and see what Sanheim looks like with Provorov.

He chose Door Number 3.

A former coach had Dry Island, which didn’t go over well with some players. This coach ended up with Zonk Island, which I know kind of went over like a lead balloon in the locker room.

I mean, on Monday Gostisbehere himself said it would be a challenge to juggle all the defensemen.

“I’ve never played with [Gudas] before,” he said. “We just got to feel each other out right now. I’m sure there’ll be some growing pains but let’s hope the mistakes aren’t magnified too much.”

Well, the Ducks brought the world’s largest magnifying glass with them to the Wells Fargo Center.

It made no sense to make these changes, which I outlined on Twitter before the game started:

I didn't get a chance to write this b/c… well… @Eagles happened, but I'm not liking the idea to switch up all 3 D-pairs to replace AMac