#lessons in japanese game design

[easternmind]

- Lessons in Japanese Game Design #3 -

Aside from what is easily one of the most stylish presentations in a videogame from the 1990s, one of Front Mission 3′s truly remarkable features consists of an in-game internet browser running within a simulated operating system. Expanding on the concept first rehearsed by Squaresoft in the second entry of the series, this massive component of the game can be accessed during breaks between missions, offering the player access to a number of pages for government entities, enterprises or other institutions. Access to additional websites is permitted as the game progresses.

This inventive solution offers unparalleled insight into the fictional universe of the game, in that it paints a very granular image of a futuristic society, its economy, geopolitical environment and zeitgeist. The information contained in these pages comes in the form of of bulletin boards, institutional updates, press releases, top secret data volumes, or the occasionally amusing curiosity. The user interface itself permits some degree of customisation, such as the option to disable the startup animation - itself a gorgeous visual relic that one hardly tires of watching - or changing the wallpaper pattern. Certain websites will also provide the option to download content, including images which can be set as said wallpaper. Other resources require secure access via the insertion of a password. Moreover, the player will have access to an email inbox to both read and send messages as may be relevant to advance onto the next stage.

Make-believe computer front-ends in video games were no novelty by the year 1999. Several sci-fi adventure, role-playing or action games allowed access to often very believable GUIs for the purpose of, for instance, retrieving precious clues or, say, disabling security locks. Aside from Front Mission 2, Final Fantasy VIII fans will likely remember the exciting Balamb Garden Network terminal. Kowloon's Gate's unforgettable Kownloonet terminals gave access to an email inbox, an all-important database and various other quotidian curiosities that helped fleshing out its mystic sci-fi narrative. The Japanese were privileged to have a complete version of Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere with access to an in-game encyclopedia the player could browse, as well as additional story elements told through email exchanges between the characters. 

That same year, the western Tactical RPG sensation from the West, Jagged Alliance 2, dabbled in this idea. Only three short years later, CyberConnect2′s singular .hack series was designed around the idea of a MMORPG that plays offline, allowing for countless interactions with non-playable characters which simulate messaging formats of the era. Other notable examples include the 2chan boards in Steins;Gate or, inescapably, the passionate love letter to web 1.0 that is Hypnospace Outlaw.

Generally, all of the aforementioned titles are either entirely dedicated on a similar concept, or merely resorted to it as a secondary, amusing distraction. Front Mission 3 pioneered the use of this device as a storytelling technique. No other game of the time, at least to my knowledge, had dedicated so much of its resources to producing a credible replica of design and functionality of the internet as it once existed.

#front mission 3 #squaresoft #the internet #lessons in japanese game design #storytelling #operating systems within games #internet within games

[he-calls-me-kitten]

Dirty Dozen (ft. +2)

GN! MC x Pervert! OM Characters

(Cause y'all seemed to love the first one omg. Also TW: I made everyone wayy more sleazy and nasty than before so read at your own risk. MInors DNI)

Pervert! Mammon who likes to ask you for something specifically when your hands are full. "MC, lend me a few Grimm could ya?" He asks when you're in the middle of cooking.

"My hands are covered in cake batter, just take some from my back pocket."

"Are you sure it's there? Let me check both pockets." He isn't so much searching for coins as much as he's feeling and practically groping your ass. Seriously you start to wonder how it's taking him 20 minutes to find something that's right there.

Pervert! Solomon who keeps his room colder than usual when you come over for magic lessons.

"Is it too cold for you MC? I apologise, I kept it this way because some of the potions have bad reactions to heat but if you'd like-"

"I'm absolutely fine, Solomon. You worry about me too much." You smile at him reassuringly, not noticing how his eyes are so eagerly trained at your nipples perking up through your thin t-shirt.

Boner Bonus points if you allow him to hug you for some warmth. His fingers will definitely brush against your chest more than once.

Pervert! Beel who seems to make a mess whenever he's trying to help you in the kitchen. "I'm so sorry, MC. I didn't mean to spill it on your hands!"

"It's okay Beel, it's just some cream and syrup. I can just wash it off right away."

"But it's such a waste. Please allow me." He starts to thoroughly lick your fingers and you shake your head and let him knowing his fixations on food.

But he can't help it - you taste so good. He secretly wonders what you might taste like down there, drooling at the thought.

Pervert! Levi who has taken to sitting on pillows Japanese style while gaming and offers you the same. Sure enough you don't even suspect an ulterior motive.

"Did you get inspired by some human world anime again? Careful though - your legs and butt will start to cramp after a while."

"MC you're too gracious! Caring so much for an otaku like me!"

After you leave, he promptly takes the pillow you were sitting on and puts it in his bathtub. He's going to sleep on it ofc. Your scent on it helps him jerk off better.

Pervert! Belphie who now asks you to rub his belly till he falls asleep. "What's so funny?" He asks as you giggle at his request.

"Since when do you need help falling asleep?"

"I care about the quality of my sleep. And I sleep better this way."

Fortunately you believe him and don't suspect that it's because it's the closest he can get you to fondling his dick. He has such a difficult time holding in his moans and hard ons, every time your hands go even a bit lower than usual.

Pervert! Barbatos who got into sewing clothes as a hobby and specifically likes making them for you now. But you never understand why he needs to take same measurements over and over again.

"Oh? This is a different kind of design, MC. So the measurements will vary from before."

"Always making new things aren't you? You never fail to suprise Barbatos." You smile at him admiring.

The tightening of the tape around your chest and crotch are subtle. He can hardly keep it together when you praise him after all. But he has to if he wants to skim his hands over your body like this again.

Pervert! Diavolo who takes you on such long drives that you always doze off in the front seat, waking up apologetic for missing so much of the journey.

"Hahaha, it's okay, MC. We've been on this same road lots of times. I assure you, you didn't miss anything. And I like that you feel safe to sleep in my presence."

"But still, I'm so sorry, it feels disrespectful..." You apologize, not even knowing how hard he is in his pants right now.

Afterall, he can keep squeezing your beautiful thighs, maybe let his hands wander between them and imagine himself fucking you in the back seat as much as he wants, when you're asleep.

Pervert! Simeon who will have noone except you as his muse for art classes. And the themes just keep getting more erotic each time.

"Are you sure you're okay with this, MC? You don't have to do it if you're not comfortable-"

"Nonsense, Simeon. I feel super comfortable if it's you. You're a true artist after all." You say as you lay on his bed wrapped up only in bedsheets, exposing your entire back and legs.

If only you knew, this angel has thoughts dirtier than most demons. How he's practically fucking you with his eyes. How he's definitely going to jerk off into those bedsheets, moaning your name.

Pervert! Satan who loves teaching you things - standing right behind you, guiding your hands to make latte-art, or trying a new style of painting.

"That's it, nice and slow. Look how much you've improved, MC." He beams at the cute kitty in the coffee cup.

"All thanks to you, Satan. I can't wait to learn more from you." You smile at him earnestly.

He almost feels guilty for tricking you this way, but the way your hands feel in his, and your ass feels against his groin is so addicting. One of these days, he wishes could teach you to be on all fours and take his length in your pretty little mouth.

Pervert! Asmo who loves keeping your eyes on him and noone else. From elaborate performances to petty staring contests, he cannot have enough of your gaze.

"Oh you're turning red in the face, Asmo. Did I manage to flutter the heart of the Avatar of Lust?" You lean forward smiling.

"You're my only weakness after all, MC. It's your fault for making me this way." He almost moans.

You laugh and mock apologize at his antics but you don't know he's been grinding like an animal on his seat, and creamed his pants under your innocent gaze. Your undivided attention just turns him on so much.

Pervert! Lucifer who makes his desires too obvious sometimes. He'll regret it in the morning and take you to dinner to apologize but not until he's already done something dirty.

"Lucifer, it's 2 am. You need to throw away that coffee and sleep." You're practically dragging him to bed.

"Fine. I'll go sleep if you'll stay in my room tonight." He says knowing you'll comply. You care too much for your own good. He's not even going to let you sleep on the couch, no you have to stay wrapped up in his arms.

You might wake upto him groaning your name in his sleep and you might mistake it for a nightmare - not knowing how he's balls deep inside you in his dreams.

Pervert! Thirteen who likes how excited you get over her newest inventions and keeps making more things to call you over.

"And this little baby and can throw pie at people's faces without ever missing. Guaranteed headshot." She smiles proud.

"This would be so useful in a cafeteria food fight and then get banned right after its glory. But I so wanna use it!" You whine.

She loves how much you appreciate her inventions. She is secretly working on a 'pleasure' device scented like her to give you - she hopes you'll like it just as much.

Pervert! Mephisto who is actually taken aback by your duality. You're such a mischievous little imp usually but turn so well-mannered in front of Diavolo's esteemed guests.

"So even you can be prim and proper sometimes? If only you could maintain this on the daily." He huffs.

You laugh and mock-bow in front of him. "Of course, anything for you my dearest lord. Would you like to dance with this proper human while you can?"

He blushes at the sudden offer. Why you little- how dare you tempt him like this. You can't complain about him gripping you somewhere improper or too tight. You deserve this for your attitude.

Pervert! Raphael who is still navigating new feelings of lust he's never felt before he met you. Why his heart skips every time you fall asleep on his shoulder or why he felt a sudden warmth at the pit of his stomach feeling you breath so softly into his neck.

"Thank you for helping me tidy the classroom, MC. I didn't even know where the cleaning supplies were."

"That's alright. It's more fun with two people anyway and wait Raphael there's a bucket over the-" The fresh bucket of water already spilled splashing all over both of you.

You immediately fetched a towel to help him dry up but he couldn't stop staring at you instead. With the uniform sticking to your body like and the water glistening on your exposed skin - why was he so enthralled? Why does he feel a strange pulsing between his legs as you hover over him?

#obey me #obey me smut #obey me solomon #obey me satan #obey me asmo #obey me lucifer #obey me beel #obey me mammon #obey me simeon #obey me belphie #obey me barbatos #obey me diavolo #obey me leviathan #obey me thirteen #obey me Raphael #obey me mephisto

[prince-kallisto]

“An amusement park full of free games, rides, and food? I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to take a day off from my strenuous duties to goof off- I mean to supervise you all!”

This is my silly design for Crowley’s “Playful Land” event costume haha \(//∇//)\ Since the full story isn’t out yet, I may have jumped the gun a bit…but since all the students look like puppets, I thought it would be fun for Crowley to have a ringmaster theme. However, the outer accessories were meant to disguise him as a clown with a lot of inspiration drawn from carnival/fair attractions like carousels, shooting games, etc. But underneath it all, he’s still wearing a ringmaster’s outfit, if that makes sense

I talk more about my concept sketches and thought process below!

These two photos above are meant to be the final concept art showcasing my mental image of how his outfit works haha.

This design came to me surprisingly quick since I had a strong mental image of what I wanted him to look like. However, I DO wish I kept exploring with his design. I usually spend a lot of time in the exploration phase, especially when it’s for a nicer drawing. This above concept art was pretty much the “final” design I made before I started drawing him. And as you can tell from the finished art, there were quite a few changes…the amount of changed details alone make it an entirely different outfit haha. It caused me a lot of pain while sketching AND inking…I think I got overexcited with this event and I jumped right into inking. In fact, I had a start from scratch after inking my first art- the proportions and design was all wrong haha. A lesson learned.

From the start, I knew I wanted a ringmaster-disguised-as-a-clown theme, but I think the detachable clown pants really put it all together haha. I like outfits that can “shed” themselves to reveal a hidden theme underneath.

In his initial final design, he had a red feathered coat, meant to resemble the feathers in the students hats. This was one of the many things that changed last minute because I didn’t like how the big cost looks in Crowley’s pose haha. But I like this change better actually- it stands out to his usual headmasters coat, and it resembles Malleus’s masquerade cape. His coat lapels are decorated to look like a piano- I think there was a piano scene in Pinocchio? I actually didn’t check at all…

The carousel hat was the first thing I came up with haha, I thought it was funny. I wonder if it’s functional…that would be a funny animation haha. His bird mask is too iconic to drastically change, so it’s just a different color and shape with some beading to look like clown makeup/tears. I love how the novel describes Crowley as flamboyant yet melancholic…

I’ve only gone to a fair once in my life many years ago, so I had to search up common carnival games. I’ve seen festival games in Japanese media, where a rifle with a wooden cork is used to shoot down plushies/other prizes- and I think it would be a really fun and eccentric cane design haha. Perhaps if someone is really misbehaving, he can aim a cork at them? 🤭

The shape of his tie and thigh harness was another sudden design choice made during official drawing, but I like it! It incorporated the ribbons everyone else has without having Crowley being the one “controlled.” The gold points on his shoes are actually removable- it’s part of his “clown” theme. The white spats were made to match him with Fellow Honest- like a hint that he’s not one of the performers since he matches with the owner of Playful Land. Ahhh I’m still learning how to use gouache, and the background was a mess…but it’s inspired off of this Pinocchio concept art! It’s so gorgeous! I’m sorry Ortho…

And finally, the masks on his waist. They’re wrapped around his waist with rope, and are made to resemble the faces of certain characters. Average Kallisto moment of being the most unsubtle person ever with my theories LMAO. Anyway, I thought it would be the perfect event to include various masks on his costume in a similar placement where the mirrors are in his regular outfit. Since he has a lot of carnival game themes in his outfit, perhaps he can pretend he’s a mask vendor haha.

@marrondrawsalot Haha I’m not sure if you remember, but a long while back I made a Glorious Masquerade Crowley design, and we decided that I could tag you if I made a future event design. It’s been a while! ｡ﾟ(ﾟ´ω`ﾟ)ﾟ｡

#twisted wonderland #twst #my art #twst playful land #dire Crowley #twst Crowley #twst dire Crowley #kallistopost #twst fanart #twst art #sndbxhsj sorry that the photo looks blurry #I had to use some editing to hide to streaky gouache in the background andddd and messed up the resolution #I mean I prefer that over the terrible background but #NSBXHSJS one of the moments I’d prefer to do digital art #because I think half of my issues would’ve been solved LOL #or maybe I should just Get Good at painting… #yeah 👉👈

[isephierreo]

3H's UI Design

The title screen shows Sothis throne, in the game, Byleth sees Sothis throne between their dream of the War of the Heroes and their awakening by Jeralt. Which may symbolize that the scene of a throne is the first thing you will see before and after entering the game. The throne is also the place where the most important things happen, such as meeting Sothis, merging with her, and the events of Chapter 11.

After beating the game, Sothis is shown sleeping on a throne, this is similar to Final Fantasy XV, so spoilers for FFXV.

In FFXV, after beating the game, Noctis is shown sleeping with Luna/Oracle in a logo, mirroring the end of the game. It was the end of the game where Noctis sacrifices himself to save his world, and then sleeps in peace on his throne in the afterlife. This is similar to how we know in end of the game about Sothis sacrifices herself to save Fodlan and then went to rest on her throne in the holy tomb.

Player menus is a notebook Byleth carries with charms on it. Pages feature the country logo of chosen house, with the Church of Seiros logo on a page before choosing a house.

Besides a feather pen as a cursor, many ui are in the form of a set of papers; A plain papers, a papers with a Church of Seiros pattern and Sothis tiara, and a papers with a heart pattern in a corners cover.

The design of the options box is similar to a bookmark cards and the ribbon at the top left as a bookmark ribbon that is placed between pages.

With many ui somewhat similar to the sticky notes.

Roster's design is like a campus card, where characters stand on the ground outside a classroom when see roster.

Although the background varies depending on the floor it is on.

The cards and MVP also feature a unique frame for each house or story chapter you are in.

The lower and upper design of a banner that appears upon raising a professor level or passing a certification exam may look similar to a mosaic above a door, which may symbolize the opening of a door to new knowledge and experience gained.

The same theme is present in the banner when begin exploring or lesson plan, symbolizing the beginning of your journey of exploration and teaching others. However, there is no single for Battle, and this may symbolize that there is no benefit to be gained from battles and conflict, and this fits with the FE franchise's message that war is bad. Besides, each one has a color that distinguishes it.

The design of the Crest of Seiros and its various styles is present in most of the UI with the same, if not more, than the Crest of Flames, which is a constant reminder that Officers Academy is the same as the Church of Seiros.

There are many plant patterns that decorate the UI, which is a reference to the passing of the seasons, the meaning of the game's Japanese title. And you can see a branch of leaves on the right of the notebook, which indicates that the notebook has become more like your diary of your life in a monastery.

During a tea party, a screen is decorated with plant patterns with blue roses, giving the ambiance of a garden in which you are sitting. Along with a dialog box in the color of natural hot tea.

The date circle at the top left features four shapes for each season, rose for spring, morning glory for summer, grape vines for fall, and poinsettia for winter. However, during a period of war, the circles loses its colors and becomes grey.

In the background of the chapter title of within White Clouds, the same plants are present, with the background design as a white paper with the Church of Seiros logo. However, like the date circle, during a period of war the background becomes dark with sparks of war flames, plants change to holly and thistle, the Church of Seiros logo to the country logo of the chosen house.

The CF's background differs from the SS's in a red double-headed eagle with two additional black stripes.

And this brings me to the background title before the start of each battle. Unlike the background title in each new chapter, which looks like a new page being turned to record daily events, the background title of a battle is literally the cover of notebook, and this may symbolize something similar to the Battle theme above. Like the chapter title background, it features the Church of Seiros logo during White Clouds and changes to the country logo for the chosen house, with SS and CF sharing the same background.

Speaking of battle, before any start, Fodlan map will appear on a plank of wood. This is similar to what Claude did in cutscene The Academy, where he placed a map on a table and started discussing it.

Battle Prep looks like a clock + glass mosaic, and if you notice, it is surrounded by a magic circle that appears between roles of units. It looks somewhat similar to Mila's Turnwheel, and I know Divine Pulse sounds like shattering glass, but it can be interpreted as follows; A clock is set before the start of a battle, and the magic circle is used to set units' movement points, and when the time comes to use Divine Pulse, the clock glass is shattered, which appears as a portal to an almost parallel world to return to a specific point. Furthermore, the design where the Crest of Flames is located in the middle and surrounded by the rest of the crests is very similar to the Goddess mural. There is also a crescent inside which looks like a star chart, and this corresponds to the cutscene At Death's Door, where the use of Divine Pulse shows what looks like space.

Because we don't use a battle notebook, we use a key ring memo pad instead.

Despite all the praise I gave for the game's UI design, there were some things that disappointed me. Most notable is the Adrestian empire logo for Silver Snow.

I know that the developers called Silver Snow the empire route, but they had to design the UI to fit the Crest of Flames flag, which represents the route as a whole. They don't even reuse the MVP frame from prologue, even though it's very convenient for the route. Why do they design loungewear in line with the Crest of Flames flag but not with the UI?

again they using the Adrestian empire logo for the unique classes poster. Why didn't they design a unique poster for each route? Or make it neutral?

I wish they would change the plant patterns during the tea party in Byleth's room to match the ambiance like a garden.

After all, 3H's UI design is not as perfect or innovative and iconic as Persona 5. However, in this post I wanted to share what I found fun about designing it, and you can summarize it as follows: 3H's UI design represents Sothis, the goddess of the Fodlan world, and the core foundation of the Church of Seiros, which in turn built the Officers Academy where you begin your new life as a instructor to your students through the passing seasons of the year.

Of course, I did not include all the UI designs, perhaps because I forgot them or failed to know its meaning, such as magic circle when raising the level. So, feel free to add to this post if you have any ideas.

#fe three houses #fe16 #fe3h #fire emblem #fire emblem three houses

[lalunameli]

LaLunaMeli's MasterList of Translations:

And other miscellanea...

Tiger & Bunny:

Mostly Yuri Petrov/Lunatic related

Season 1

Yuri Petrov/Lunatic Article from Hero Gossips

Excerpts from Hero TV Fan Volume 2

TN: May add more translations from this publication later

Hero TV Newspaper Extra Pg 18: Lunatic/Yuri Petrov

Cast Comments from Yusa Kōji from an unknown magazine about Tiger & Bunny: The Beginning

Late Night Tea With Yuri-Sensei: 5th Cup By: Ogawa Kuro

Late Night Tea With Yuri-Sensei: 4th Cup By: Ogawa Kuro

Yuri Petrov's Profile from The Rising - King of Works Super Fanbook

Lunatic - Heroes Column Card

Golden Ryan - Excerpts of Heroes Column Card and short lesson on Japanese polite speech forms

Yuri Petrov's Daily Schedule: The Rising - King of Works Super Fanbook

The Beginning Novelization: Yuri/Luna's post credit scene

Translation of Barnaby's Medical Assessment Performed by Dr. Chinatsu Matsui (From the November 2011 Issue of Animage)

Media

TaiBani Music, Audio Dramas and Events

Lunatic/Yuri-centric content from The Sound of Tiger & Bunny pamphlet.

Small blurb on Special CD #6: Yuri Petrov's Melancholic Daily Life

TN: Changed title to match the title used in the previously translated audio drama; however, 憂鬱 (yuuutsu) can also be translated as "depression", "gloomy", and "melancholy", so both titles work. "Yuri Petrov's Gloomy Daily Life" also sounds pretty good.

Translation of Yuri's Character Song: Thanatos no Koe wo Kike and small article about it

Excerpts from TB2 OST Liner Notes

AFFT Talkshow Event October 13, 2017 (Mainly Yuri information)

Information about TaiBani and New Otani Hotel Collab 2024

Explaination About Yuri and the Karuizawa Cabbage Seller Theory

Taibani Videogames

Translation of Yuri-centric info from this PASH article on Hero's Day for PSP

More Hero's Day Info on Yuri's Route

Hero's Day Screenshots and other info from Yuri's Route.

TN: May add translation of Yusa Kōji interview later

Translation of Yuri's (main) Route from Hero's Day for PSP

Part 1 and Part 2

Hero's Day: Yuri's April Fools Day Message and Small Interview with Yusa Kōji from B's Log

Misc Translations

Translation of blurb on Barnaby and Kotetsu's Eau de Toilette Fragrances

Masakazu Katsura's Tribute to Toriyama Akira-sensei and Masakazu Morita's words (Translation by: Todd Blankenship on Twitter/X)

Translation of Lunatic Sound Drops

Happy 13th Year Anniversary TaiBani

Season 2

Ueda Hiroshi's TaiBani2 Sequel Idea (Tweet)

S2 Cour1 Ep 8: 顔色悪い (Kao iro warui)

Translation of Yuri and Lunatic centric parts of this interview with Kase Atsuko in Newtype, February 2023

Translation of Yuri and Lunatic centric parts of this interview with Kase Atsuko in Animedia, February 2023

Translation of Excerpts from MASAKAZU KATSURA x TIGER & BUNNY 2 Design Works

Yuri Petrov and Lunatic blurbs from the Tiger & Bunny 2 Museum

Commentary

The Murder Dungeon

Commentary on Lunatic's Hidden Room (aka the "Murder Dungeon™️") including official designs

Murder Dungeon Location Found? From The Beginning Novel Vol.2

Proto Cape Discovered in Murder Dungeon - S2 Episode 20

Commentary on Tartarus from S2 Watch Party Eps 20 and 24, as well as other inclusions of Greek Mythology

Yuri Petrov/Lunatic Guide (Jp, last updated Jan 2024)

Mystery Solved(?) How Yuri Stores His Hair in the Luna Mask

Pale Silly Man Leaves Phone Messages: The Rising Super Prelude

A Japanese Language Faux Pas

My YuriPe/TaiBani Merch:

Found and Fixed Luna-Sensei's Missing Bowgun

Some Doujinshi Anthologies and Goodies

More TaiBani Goodies From My Friend

Another YuriPe Haul🥰

P3 Chara Fineboard and Lunatic TB Styling 2 Figure

Luna/Yuri Care Package From My Friend

Suruga-ya Haul and Others

Mercari Haul

Mercari Lot: Summer Resort Heroes and Other Acrylic Stands

TB1 Sakakibara Manga and Artbook and Lunatic Rascal Acrylic Mascots

Misc (TaiBani):

My YuriPe Tattoo

Drabble: Yuri on Cabbages

Privatter: The Cabbage Connection

Picrew Fun with YuriPe: Here, Here, and Here

Fighting Game Avatars Trying to be the Pale Man: SF6, Guilty Gear Strive

Saint Seiya:

Deadend Game CV: Kawada Shinji (Thanatos' Character Song - Lost Canvas)

Tsunakan's Gag Comics (Scanlations done by House of Libra with their own translations) Here and Here

Saint Seiya Omega: Translation of Cancer Schiller's moves

Meiou Iden Dark Wing Chapter 33

#tiger & bunny #my translations #lunatic tiger & bunny #yuri petrov #taibani #tnbscans #yusa kōji #thanatos saint seiya #saint seiya #character song #yoshihiro ike #ike yoshihiro #tiger & bunny ost #ルナティック #ユーリペトロフ #ユーリ・ペトロフ #タナトスの声を聞け #タナトス #遊佐浩二 #池頼広 #英語訳 #訳文 #tiger & bunny audio drama #英訳 #タイバニの英訳 #タイバニグッズ #タイバニコラボ #tiger & bunny videogames #cast interviews #cast comments

[otakween]

Digimon Tamers - Episode 43

This episode was really good! Everything: animation, writing, pacing, was on point. Also, it was an Impmon heavy episode and those are usually pretty fun. Everyone loves a redeemed baddie, kinda like Ken in 02.

Notes:

So the D-reaper manifests in many ways we're finding out. Feels kind of weird to just call all of these creatures "D-reaper," I wonder if they have canonical names? I feel like they tried to go for a less lifelike design, which puts them apart from Digimon. Nice and mysterious. Guilmon treating them like friends was cute.

That bread baking scene was everything!! We rarely get glimpses of cute moments like that. Also, now I really want Japanese bread...

The scene where Chou-sensei helps Impmon out was super wholesome. Made me nostalgic for Japanese hospitality. I wonder if the general public would perceive Impmon to be a devil/demon or if that's too Christian lol

I get that the d-reaper doesn't have human reasoning, but I found it kind of funny that the kids hid in their classroom/the bakery (AKA exactly where you'd expect them to be). When Takato said he knew where to hide, I thought it would be the tunnels or something.

Everything about the Mako/Ai scenes was adorable. Impmon accidentally taught them a very important lesson about sharing when he ran away haha. Also, their dog is very cute.

Mako and Ai are called Impmon's "partners," which raises questions...we don't usually see humans share a digimon and they probably don't have digivices, so I'm guessing this is a more informal partnership than if they were tamers. I wonder how the three of them met. Mako and Ai seem young to even be into the digimon video game or TCG.

So now Ruki and Jian are physically connected to Taomon and Rapidmon, just like Takato's connected to MegaloGrowmon. That came outta nowhere...I mean, maybe they're closer now that they've digivolved to ultimate before, but Takato and Guilmon were connected before that.

The real world barrier to ultimate made a lot of sense and was a clever way to throw a wrench into things. Wonder how they'll get around it.

Beelzebumon digivolves to ultimate through THE POWER OF LOVE! Super cheesy, but I loved it. I am a little sad that his ultimate form is so basic though. Oh well. Hopefully Ai and Mako get to cheer him on through their TV.

Juri jumpscare! I had to rewind because I blinked and missed it. It's such a tiny frame it may as well have been subliminal. Very cool.

Shibumi returns to his former squad. I'm not sure how to feel about his voice actor. He talks very softly in a very non-anime sounding way. I kind of like it just because it's different.

#digimon tamers #digimon #anime #spoilers #spoiler

[flyfish1999]

UK Edge Magazine Issue 181 - November 2007 Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 (vanilla) in Reviews

this article is actually reviewing the american version rather than the european one - only because persona 3 vanilla hadn't yet come out in europe ! the eu recieved vanilla on february 29th, 2008, half a year after america. often forgotten is that persona 3 was europe's first persona game (but not first SMT, beaten by nocturne in 2005), having missed revelations and eternal punishment entirely. the review compares the gameplay of p3 to canis canem edit (bully, for all you ntscheads), and implies the reviewer opted for the kendo team in their playthrough ^_^

Transcription under the cut:

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 Format: PS2 Price: $50 (US), £30 (UK) Release: Out Now (US), TBC (UK) Publisher: ATLUS Developer: In-House

Suicide is painless?

Anyone who's ever complained that there aren't enough hours in the day will be pleased with Persona 3's premise. Soon after enrolling your character at the local Japanese high school you're accepted into a covert society and let in on an enormous secret: there are, in fact, 25 hours to a day. The extra 'dark hour', as it's known, occurs every night at midnight. The vast majority of the populace is unaware of its existence as, for its duration, they are rendered unconscious and sealed in coffins, oblivious to the shadow creatures that emerge outside and roam the world looking for prey. A few humans remain unaffected by the phenomenon and, as one of them, it's in the sparse company of these cognoscenti that your character finds himself after dark.

The group, called the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad, is responsible for holding back the shadow creatures' advance while trying to uncover the secrets of their origin, a huge multi-storey ephemeral tower named Tartarus, which emerges each night in the school grounds. Tartarus takes the form of an upwardly built dungeon whose Rogue-like floorplans change every visit. Your overarching mission is to scale the tower bit by bit (don't panic: a warp opens up every five floors) while leveling up and discovering new Personas: creatures that can be summoned to aid you in battle.

While this is a little traditional, the dark hour is just one element to an unorthodox game whose scenario manages to twist it out of the firm grasp of its JRPG roots. In the main this is achieved by the dark hour's counterpoint: daytime, during which you participate in the lessons, clubs and societies of a Japanese school. Here, in a similar way to Canis Canem Edit, you're tasked with daily studying, exam taking and after-school clubs and sports, all minigame-style pursuits that are used as a means to build and enhance your character's abilities. Three core stats (academics, charm and courage) must be raised by taking part in a wide range of different activities from enrolling in the school's kendo team to visiting the karaoke bar in the local mall of an evening. Raising these statistics while building and fostering relationships in school is crucial to creating stronger Personas to make your character more powerful on the nightly battlefield. By linking the game directly to 2009's school term calendar and breaking every day into seven distinct stages (from early morning through lunchtime to late at night), you quickly settle into the comfortable rhythm of a education system, which provides an excellent framework for the disparate mechanics to slot into.

The game's aesthetics are unusual for the genre. Low-poly environments, simple character models and drab lighting are the uninspiring visual building blocks. However, thanks to some ingenious use of beautiful anime artwork the game fizzes with life as character portraits zoom into shot to personify the dialogue while slick and design-conscious menus add some contemporary style.

As with any game that's based on repetitive tasks set in unchanging environments, its rhythm in time becomes a little monotonous. However, the frequent boss battles (introduced every few levels of Tartarus) and surprisingly compelling relationships you foster daily inspire perseverance. Games with distinctive souls are rare things but Persona 3 succeeds in displaying a mesmerising personality that touches the many well-crafted aspects of its curious and singular approach.

Captions, left to right:

Personas are ethereal creatures that are summoned from your unconscious mind to lend their abilities in battle. For this reason, the stronger your relationships with other students or groups the stronger your 'inner self' is and the more powerful your Personas will become. One of the most enduring images from the game comes from the way in which characters summon a Persona: by putting a gun (known in the game as an 'evoker') to their temple before pulling the trigger. To players not closely familiar with anime culture it's a shocking image that's used repeatedly, and since the game's release has attracted keen debate in the US as to its suitability.

Fans furious at the lack of a Japanese audio option have already released on the internet a patched version known as an 'undub', with English subtitles but original voices.

In battles, you only gain direct control over your own character. Your teammates can be given general directions (such as to major on offensive moves or healing) but their specific actions are handled by the competent AI.

You aren't forced to visit Tartarus every night. If you'd rather you can meet up with a friend at the local mall, visit a club in town or spend the evening at your desk studying, all of which level up aspects of your personality.

Persona cards can be fused together with one another to create entirely new monsters, and much of the deeper level of play is concerned with maximising resources to uncover the most powerful Personas in the game.

#persona 3 #edge magazine #i should probably have a tag for the info i uncover like this ehehe .. ! #i havent seen scans of this magazine anywhere before :p and also i think pal video game history is so overlooked #sorry it's a bit wonky ! it's an odd size ^_^

[silvadour]

In memory of Akira Toriyama

Words cannot describe the levels of sadness that weigh on my heart to know that one of the biggest creative figures in my and many others’ childhoods is no longer with us.

Hearing this news makes me think back to the first time I saw something Dragon Ball-related as a kid and was immediately enamored by it. That of course was when I saw my cousin’s toy collection during a Christmas reunion at their house at the age of 7. From the moment I saw those Vegeta and Goku figurines, I was immediately entranced by Toriyama’s design style even if it was diluted as something else.

Shortly a year later during another Christmas in my town, I would receive a copy of the Budokai PS2 game and that would be my first proper introduction into Akira Toriyama’s world of Dragon Ball even if it was a cliff notes version of it. A game with Japanese audio and English subtitles. But that didn’t matter from then on I was officially a Dragon Ball fan from that point onwards.

As a lover of Toriyama’s art style and his cavalier writing, I’ve made it no secret that I’ve had some difficult thoughts regarding his writing decisions in Dragon Ball, but be that as it may, I still hold a great amount of respect for him for essentially writing stories out of pure imagination without a grand thought-out plan. There is something very admirable about having full confidence in your creative ideas, playing with them, and seeing them slowly evolve. To label Toriyama as a landmark creator in the world is an understatement since the reach of Dragon Ball’s influence in other forms of media over the generations ranging from Western comics & animation, fan art, American sports culture, video games, and even other anime/manga is astounding.

For being a series that took inspiration from Sayuki and Journey to the West, Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball has certainly gone through its journey to the West and beyond to touch the hearts and minds of others. This man’s work and contributions to the development of the world of manga and anime can’t be overstated, and while we mourn his passing, I think it’s also fair to celebrate the good creative work he’s done and take inspiration from not just Dragon Ball, but from his other shorter-lived works liked Sand Land & Dr. Slump to his creative designs and involvement in JRPGS like Chrono Trigger or the Dragon Quest franchise.

What more could I add to this? With a heavy heart, I’ll still look back on the fond memories of this man’s works that contributed to my childhood, but to pay tribute to him I’ll move forward with my life, taking inspiration from some of the lessons he has imparted on generations of people in both Dragon Ball and other works.

Rest easy, Toriyama-sensei. And I hope you teach a dinosaur to ride a ball in a better place.

Words cannot describe the levels of sadness that weigh on my heart to know that one of the biggest creative figures in my and many others’ childhoods is no longer with us.

Hearing this news makes me think back to the first time I saw something Dragon Ball-related as a kid and was immediately enamored by it. That of course was when I saw my cousin’s toy collection during a Christmas reunion at their house at the age of 7. From the moment I saw those Vegeta and Goku figurines, I was immediately entranced by Toriyama’s design style even if it was diluted as something else.

Shortly a year later during another Christmas in my town, I would receive a copy of the Budokai PS2 game and that would be my first proper introduction into Akira Toriyama’s world of Dragon Ball even if it was a cliff notes version of it. A game with Japanese audio and English subtitles. But that didn’t matter from then on I was officially a Dragon Ball fan from that point onwards.

As a lover of Toriyama’s art style and his cavalier writing, I’ve made it no secret that I’ve had some difficult thoughts regarding his writing decisions in Dragon Ball, but be that as it may, I still hold a great amount of respect for him for essentially writing stories out of pure imagination without a grand thought-out plan. There is something very admirable about having full confidence in your creative ideas, playing with them, and seeing them slowly evolve. To label Toriyama as a landmark creator in the world is an understatement since the reach of Dragon Ball’s influence in other forms of media over the generations ranging from Western comics & animation, fan art, American sports culture, video games, and even other anime/manga is astounding.

For being a series that took inspiration from Sayuki and Journey to the West, Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball has certainly gone through its journey to the West and beyond to touch the hearts and minds of others. This man’s work and contributions to the development of the world of manga and anime can’t be overstated, and while we mourn his passing, I think it’s also fair to celebrate the good creative work he’s done and take inspiration from not just Dragon Ball, but from his other shorter-lived works liked Sand Land & Dr. Slump to his creative designs and involvement in JRPGS like Chrono Trigger or the Dragon Quest franchise.

What more could I add to this? With a heavy heart, I’ll still look back on the fond memories of this man’s works that contributed to my childhood, but to pay tribute to him I’ll move forward with my life, taking inspiration from some of the lessons he has imparted on generations of people in both Dragon Ball and other works.

Rest easy, Toriyama-sensei. And I hope you teach a dinosaur to ride a ball in a better place.

#Dragon Ball #Sand Land #Dr. Slump #manga #RIP #akira toriyama

[tearsinthemist]

Want to learn something new

Want to learn something new in 2022??

Absolute beginner adult ballet series (fabulous beginning teacher)

40 piano lessons for beginners (some of the best explanations for piano I’ve ever seen)

Excellent basic crochet video series

Basic knitting (probably the best how to knit video out there)

Pre-Free Figure Skate Levels A-D guides and practice activities (each video builds up with exercises to the actual moves!)

How to draw character faces video (very funny, surprisingly instructive?)

Another drawing character faces video

Literally my favorite art pose hack

Tutorial of how to make a whole ass Stardew Valley esque farming game in Gamemaker Studios 2??

Introduction to flying small aircrafts

French/Dutch/Fishtail braiding

Playing the guitar for beginners (well paced and excellent instructor)

Playing the violin for beginners (really good practical tips mixed in)

Color theory in digital art (not of the children’s hospital variety)

Retake classes you hated but now there’s zero stakes:

Calculus 1 (full semester class)

Learn basic statistics (free textbook)

Introduction to college physics (free textbook)

Introduction to accounting (free textbook)

Learn a language:

Ancient Greek

Latin

Spanish

German

Japanese (grammar guide) (for dummies)

French

Russian (pretty good cyrillic guide!)

Jan 2, 2023

Want to learn something new in 2023??

Cooking with flavor bootcamp (used what I learned in this a LOT this year)

Beekeeping 101

Learn Interior Design from the British Academy of Interior Design (free to audit course - just choose the free option when you register)

Video on learning to read music that actually helped me??

How to use and sew with a sewing machine

How to ride a bike (listen. some of us never learned, and that's okay.)

How to cornrow-braid hair (I have it on good authority that this video is a godsend for doing your baby niece's black hair)

Making mead at home (I actually did this last summer and it was SO good)

How to garden

Basics of snowboarding (proceed with caution)

How to draw for people who (think they) suck at art (I know this website looks like a 2003 monstrosity, but the tutorials are excellent)

Pixel art for beginners so you can make the next great indie game

Go (back) to school

Introduction to Astronomy (high school course - free textbook w/ practice problems)

Principals of Economics (high school course - free textbook w/ practice problems)

Introduction to philosophy (free college course)

Computer science basics (full-semester Harvard course free online)

Learn a language

Japanese for Dummies (link fix from 2022)

Ukrainian

Portuguese (Brazil)

American Sign Language (as somebody who works with Deaf people professionally, I also strongly advise you to read up on Deaf/HoH culture and history!)

Chinese (Mandarin, Simplified)

Quenya (LOTR fantasy elf language)

Dec 26, 2023

Want to learn something new in 2024??

Beginner-oriented video on how to sail

This guy has so many videos on baking different types of bread. SO very many.

Coding in Python - one of the most flexible and adaptable high-level programming languages out there - explained through projects making video games

Learn to swim! (for adult learners. I don’t care if you live in Kansas or Mali or wherever. LEARN TO SWIM.)

Learn how quantum mechanics works. Then read some more about it

[Learn about quantum mechanics again, but in a more advanced engineering/mathematics class. Then read more about the math and physics of it]

Poetry Handbook, by Mary Oliver

Something I learned this year: how to sew a quilt (Here’s a very easy beginning pattern that looks amazing and can be done with pre-cut fabric!)

How to hit the ball in softball

Tutorial video on what is under the hood of most (gas) cars + weird engine sounds and what they mean

Full beginner mechanics technical training, if you want to go more in depth

Playlist on how car engine physics work if you want to go ultra in depth

Lecture series on architecture design through study of buildings

How (American income) taxes & tax law work (choose “audit course” at checkout for free class)

Pickleball for beginners (so you can finally join your neighbor/friend/distant cousin who is always insisting you join their team)

+ Para-Pickleball for beginners (for mobility aid users!)

School is so much more fun when there’s no tests:

American Law - Contracts

Shakespeare’s Life and Plays

Fairy Tales: Meanings, Messages, and Morals

Modern Poetry

World History [Part 1, Part 2]

Learn a language:

Arabic + Resource Guide compiled from Reddit (includes info on different dialects)

Chinese (Cantonese) (audio)

Urdu (frequently recommended course on Reddit) + Resource Guide

Yucatec Maya

[number9robotic]

Intro to RAPTURE ACADEMY

(so remember a few months ago I said I wanted to make a list of characters for a fighting game? It has a name now lol)

RAPTURE ACADEMY is a superhero/alternate history project centrally focused around the Rapture Academy and Institute for Superpowered Opportunists, a school thinly designed to raise supervillains. Primarily focusing on the stories and systems around a bunch of kids with intensely dangerous powers enrolled in a private academy headed by imprisoned supervillain No. 1 Angel as part of an internationally-backed plea deal. The kids are alright.

STUDENTS:

Anti (Canadian) - Analog horror-themed hoodie kid with dark powers (makes everything they hit distort like a broken VHS tape), surprisingly nice and wholesome and probably the least likely to actually become a career villain.

Hellbound ("Eastern European") - Princess sacrificed to a draconic ritual, became a half-dragon berserker who spends her time bound in magic chains. A demure sweetheart when lucid, murderous beast otherwise.

The Vigilante Smog Monster/"Smoggy" (Australian) - A swamp monster summoned by an indigenous tribe searching for a protector, can turn into sludge and murder smoke, wears enchanted wooden masks.

Twintails (Japanese) - two students in one! A male wizard apprentice and a female ninja apprentice from rivalling clans that were fused together by a trickster yokai; one person is in control at a time, they swap from sneezing.

IDKYS/I Don't Know You, Sorry (Filipino) - Aspiring idol/daughter to high-ranking entertainment execs with a literally hypnotic voice. Placed in school with a voice-to-computer TTS mask in order to be taught a lesson in humility, is the class queen anyway.

Magnus VI (American) - Indestructible cyborg cowboy built by a mad science firm who can explosively self-destruct any joint in his body before reassembling. Extremely arrogant. No one touches his hat.

Metal Alice (French) - Daughter of a supervillain who died and was brought back as a haunted animatronic unknowing that she died. Is a walking portal to the ghost dimension who can pull out all sorts of phantasmic metal weapons, from scissors to chainsaws.

Hot★Shot (Chinese) - Cocky martial arts prodigy, has fire abilities, up-and-coming superstar. Basically thinks he's the protagonist of a shounen fighting game, is a colossal asshole from it, yet is the popular jock regardless.

Vioelectrolysis (Motswana) - Upbeat mad scientist-in-training who fights using a giant modified fire-extinguisher that mixes chemicals for deadly use, as well as a bigass flail for deadly use. She may or may not be a mutant.

White Slate (Greek) - A living statue accidentally created by a mad artist, has the ability to turn people into stone with his touch. Is missing a face, sometimes paints one on for intimidation points. Mostly an emo boi who paints a lot.

zZomnia (Pakistani) - Phoneaholic teen haunted by nightmares that double as guardian spirits with insanely powerful weapons whenever she's asleep or is on the verge of it. Is constantly sleepy. Leave her alone.

Bitter Batter (N/A) - Just an ordinary girl with no superpowers, but a baseball bat, a silent death glare, and murderous intent. Originally a teen vagrant before being enlisted in the school. The most "normal" student and also the most fn terrifying

Moonlight Rosebloom Powderpuff of the Unside Neverlandian Court (Scottish?) - A bubbly (alleged) fairy noble from a (disputed) faraway realm hidden in a (presumably) magical garden. Wields (conversely very real) magic. It's very pink.

Ryvr Sticks (Ukrainian) - A scarecrow infected with a paranatural fungi giving him sapience, regeneration abilities, and hallucinogenic powers. Indisputably the class clown and source of gossip. Is a wicked breakdancer.

FACULTY:

No.1 Angel (███) - Headmaster, part-time supervillain, full-time asshole. thinks he's a superhero who deserves to protect humanity but then gave another superhero cancer using his light manipulation powers for trying to stop him.

Panopticon (███) - head of security, a silent dude in black armor and an old-timey diving helmet who sometimes appears unacknowledged to stare at everyone in class, in hallways, or off campus. Powers unknown.

Señor Heartpuncher (Mexican) - Teacher of self-defense. Retired lucha-themed super with a long history of being a hero, but once had a heel-turn and became teacher because he owed a favor to No.1 Angel. has the ability to absorb and reflect kinetic force, perfect for teaching kids how to hit punches then tank them

Drill Instructor Friday (Brazilian) - Teacher of phys ed. Acts like the scariest and most intense drill instructor you can think of. She's also a genuine werewolf. Comes up with some of the funniest PG-13-level insults imaginable and then punishes you for laughing at them.

OfOz (Haitian) - Teacher of paranatural arts (magic, anomalies, anything "supernatural"). Pretty chill and charismatic expert in the field, is able to split his soul/body separately. Only one half of him is teaching classes, other half is doing supervillainy elsewhere in the world.

DDDD (South Korean) - Teacher of technology arts. Is the head of a megacorp developing devices for supers, mostly villains. Teaches remotely from the other side of the world using a mini-mech suit that she pilots from her office. It has weapons. She forgets this. Frequently rants about her competitors and has to be reminded by her secretary to stay on topic.

Sir SPECTACULAR!!! (Swiss) and The Virtuoso (German) - Teacher and assistant teachers of theatrics (getting students to figure out their gimmicks/brand/performances as supers). They used to commit "theatre crimes" together with SPECTACULAR!!!'s super-conductor powers and Virtuoso's super-VR tech, turning cities into musicals. After turning the state of Oklahoma into a musical, they've settled down teaching kids and enjoy it.

Mr. Professor Von Ruin (Austrian) - "Teacher" of ethics (the legalities and philosophies of being a super). he is actually a cat. a super-intelligent, talking cat, pet of a supervillain, but a cat. he doesn't really teach, so his period's just a free block.

Miss Brutalist (Swedish) - Teacher of logistics (resourcing and management of being a super). No powers, actually runs a business designing HQs and lairs for various supers. Most of her assignments involve getting students to do paperwork for her projects.

Dr. Infinity-Plus (Hungarian) - Teacher of general sciences and maths. Has incredible foresight/caculation abilities, which drove him... not quite "insane" but very jaded, paranoid, and antsy. Will often derail classes to vent about existentially terrifying concepts. wears a Rubik's cube-like helmet to dampen his mind.

Sewn Chaos (Azerbaijani) - Teacher of home economics. Former career super before using her textile-manipulation powers to design costumes for others, helps the kids figure out their costumes. genuinely like everyone's favorite grandma up until she shares stories of all the f'd up villains she worked with. Good times!

DREADNAUT (Russian) - Head librarian. Ghostly cosmonaut afflicted by paranatural forces while on the moon, now has gravity powers but is stuck in a fugue state. manages the school's library containing vast resources... which is constructed upside-down in order to make it harder for kids to access.

Gutwrencher (Czech) - Head nurse. A zombie in all but name, has a flesh-mending/regeneration factor she can use to heal herself and others. Is constructed out of various necrotic body parts and stitching that often come apart at inconvenient times. Some students are attracted to her and don't know why.

Mr. BRB (Italian) - Head janitor (and also the only one). He's a necromancer who summons ghouls to help do the cleaning for him but often still leaves things dirty. Mostly chills out in his office to record his personal podcasts and offer advice to kids who ask nicely.

#oc #brainstorming #characterbuilding #superhero #rapture academy

[waru-chan8]

Would you rather MotoGP Edition!

Okay this is a little game of would you rather... between the MotoGP (and others) series. Please feel free to add your own if your want (but please no F1-related) and share if you want. This is just for fun.

🎵 Would you rather let rather learn how to play piano with Pol, bass with Joe Roberts or guitar with Zarco?

💍 Would you rather let Luca organize your wedding (traditional/fairy tale) or Álex Rins (Party theme)?

🍴 Would you rather have a BBQ with the Binder brothers or Paella with the Márquez?

🏆 Would you rather third wheel a podium between Fermín&Alonso or Joan&Álex back in their Suzuki era?

🏄 Would you rather have surf lessons with Joe Roberts or windsurf with Dani Pedrosa?

🔄 Would you rather learn have a cooking class form Arón or a cross-snitch one from Pol?

💇 Would you rather learn Enea's or Bezz routine to keep their curls?

🏅 Would you rather learn martial arts with Raúl or learn sailing with Luca?

🛵 Would you rather train for a whole day with the VR46 Academy at the ranch or with Maverick (and Dani)'s band of misfits at the Rocco's ranch?

🎧 Would you rather let Bezz, Fabio or Jorge Martín DJ at your party?

👅 Would you rather learn languages with Dani (Spanish, Catalan, English, Italian, French and some Japanese) or with Miguel (Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, French and English)? (I know there's a Moto3 rider that speaks up to 8 languages so if anyone knows who he is, I'll include it).

🛍️ Would you rather let go shopping for clothes with Taka or Dovi?

👗 Would you rather lend a dress to Rins, Bezz or Canet?

🐉 Would you rather let Fabio or Arón desing a tattoo for you?

🖼️ Would you rather let Vale, Marc or Aleix design a helmet for you?

🧨 Would you rather participate in a Estrella Galicia challenge with Joan Mir or in a Red Bull Jorge Martín?

⛷️ Would you rather go skiing/snowboarding with the KTM/Ajo Squat/Tech3 team or with the VR46 Academy?

🏖️ Would you rather go on family vacation with the Academy at Ibiza or with Aleix, Jorge M. and Fermín in Bali?

🏍️ Would you rather ride for an historic team (Honda, Yamaha or Aprilia) or for a new one (KTM)?

🐼 Would you rather use a shark or a bunny as your animal/brand?

#Ask game #Would you rather #Waru does stuff #or at least tries

[rockethorse]

Day twenty-one: One community lot and four businesses ready to be run!

All the lots are CC-free... except one, which only uses two pieces of CC which have good odds for already being in your game.

WARNING!! This is a LONG post with a lot of pictures underneath, but I figured it was better than splitting the post up - just be warned!

These old lots are from a new BaCC-style challenge I started developing a while ago but decided to reboot from the ground up with a better approach. Some of the lots were cool, though, so I refined them into the gift you see today.

First up is Seven Sisters Fine Foods, a very large community lot primed to be an owned business based on the architecture of my home town of Adelaide. This is the lot that contains CC - the Maxis Lost & Found plumbob arch, and frillen’s Invisible Tiles, in order to create the arched walkway you seee in the preview photos above. Both files are included in the download.

As an owned business, the intent is for your Sims to sell Seasons produce and fish they have grown and caught themselves, along with restockable grocery bins and some kitchen appliances. There is a staff area on the second floor of the greengrocer’s side, and space for packing stations there and next to the fishmonger’s if you play with them (not included).

There’s already a little garden area for Sims to grow produce, and you could easily add a pond on the opposite side if you want to employ Sims to fish. This lot is built with a rowhouse effect - so that if you know how to use the Lot Adjuster, you can have other lots appear “attached” on either side - but simply delete these extra walls/bushes if you don’t need them.

The second lot is Rosé Bistro and KISS@TEN Cafe, inspired (obviously) by a TS3 rabbit hole that functions as a restaurant. I hate running restaurants so this is the only lot not primed to be run as a business, haha, but you probably could if you’re a masochist! The lot is primed to accommodate toddlers if you have mods that let you take them to community lots.

The first two floors are one restaurant, with a casual family dining area downstairs and then a fancier dining area suitable for celebrations and functions on the second floor. Of course, Sims will sit wherever they please.

The top floor is KISS@10, a little coffeeshop (and... magazine seller) based on Japanese cafes. If you did want to run this as a restaurant, then this would be a good place to sell takeaway or deco food. Sims should not trek up here to sit and order food as none of the chairs/tables/counters work together.

You can see below this lot is built for the side street to either back onto another road or lot, but you can simply close it off with a fence behind the stairs as necessary.

The third lot is the Dewitt Yuself Hardware Store, based on the kind of place we would call Bunning’s here and I guess... Home Depot? In the states? One of those big comforting home reno & garden centres dads love. This was an interesting exploration of the kind of business a Sim could run without CC, and your shop stock ends up being a mixture of fixtures, Build Mode objects, and some garden supplies. There are two checkouts, and an employee area upstairs.

And lastly, you get two more business presented as one, because they’re designed to look like two halves of the same building; Tiny Smiles Daycare Centre and The Stretched Canvas, an art/art supplies store.

The daycare centre sells toddler supplies as well as tickets, even though by default most of the clients will probably be adults. You could probably try and run it as an actual school/daycare if you use the appropriate mods.

As usual, there is an employee area upstairs.

The art store sells supplies on the ground floor and has an empty gallery on the second floor as well as a maker’s space. You could either sell tickets and charge people to view the art and take art lessons, or you could sell the art itself; either sculptures and paintings your Sims have made, or regular decorations from the catalogue. I won’t tell anyone.

It’s a bit boring, if I’m honest, but I included it for convenience to attach to the daycare - if you’d like to turn this into a different business or community lot, just use the Clean Installer to install it without any furniture. There is a pretty convenient employee area/living quarters in the back.

Thank you for scrolling this far! All lots have been cleaned with the Lot Cleaner as well as tidied from any Sim references in SimPE.

Download All Businesses/Community Lots @ SFS

#sims 2 community lot #sims 2 businesses #Maxis Madvent #community lot #NOT JOKING. VERY LONG POST. VERY IMAGE-HEAVY #rockethorse lots

[imasloid]

SHINY COLORS FASHION ANALYSIS - Mamimi Tanaka (田中摩美々)

"Mamimi doesn't like to do tedious things... Can I skip today's lesson?"

This is a project analyzing and taking a look at the fashion design and application in the multimedia series, The IDOLM@STER: Shiny Colors. This section is about the devilish & punkish prankster of the series, Mamimi Tanaka! If you want to jump to a specific section, go here!

(This is a reprint of my thread on Twitter. I put it on Tumblr for easier reading and for archiving purposes. Enjoy!)

-----

INTRODUCTION

“Mamimi is a third-year high school student with a downer-type personality who hates troublesome things. She’s a beautiful girl with a great face and style, but she’s indifferent to anything she isn’t interested in."

---

Profile

Age: 18

Birthday: May 24th

Height: 161 cm

Weight: 49 kg

Blood Type: B

Hometown: Kanagawa

Hobbies: Wandering, Teasing people

Special Skills: Cutting her own hair

CV: Chisa Suganuma

---

Before starting the analysis, I would suggest if you haven’t already, read her W.I.N.G. (introductory) commu (through the broswer game's English patch or on YouTube). If you don’t play the game, I would listen to her image song and read the lyrics to get a better sense of her character.

-----

STYLE BREAKDOWN

Mamimi’s fashion is very punkish and eccentric, having a very strong image that sets her apart from the other Shiny Colors idols. Her outfits feature a variety of punk substyles and some goth influence to make a style that is maximalist, unique, and full of personality.

Her major style influence is punkish/punk-kei (パンキッシュ・パンク系), a Japanese take on the punk styles of the 70s/80s. Less abrasive than its originator but still capturing that air of rebellion/individual freedom, it acts as a foundation for other punk substyles to add upon.

(sorry i had an actual graphic for the above paragraph but it got corrupted so. </3)

Before continuing with her style inspirations, let’s talk about some other essential elements to her punkish style, like her makeup. Mamimi wears heavier makeup in contrast to the typical natural makeup trends in Japan, liking to match her eyes and lip to her outfits and nails.

Two other elements that enhance her punkish look are her hairstyle & piercings. Following the D.I.Y. attitude of the punk movement, she cuts and dyes her own hair. Additionally, her multiple ear piercings give off classic punk vibes while also showing off her eclectic taste.

The first punk subculture I want to introduce is skate punk, an offshoot of the “hardcore punk” movement with more of a casual and laid-back edge. This style fits Mamimi really well as her style is overall more comfortable but still as edgy as ever.

Another punk substyle that has heavy influence in Mamimi’s personal style is street punk. Having traditional punk elements from the initial wave of the British punk movement with a more showy flair, it fits her well and shows her more contrarian side.

Goth punk, a mixture of the goth and punk styles, is one of Mamimi’s biggest influences in her personal style. Visually symbolizing her downer-type nature and somewhat cynical view of society, the dark yet romantic motifs mixed with punk sensibilities is a perfect fit for her.

One of Mamimi’s style inspirations that isn’t directly related to the punk movement is PEEPS, a sporty goth style popular with Japan youth in the early 2020s. Though it’s usually segmented and very clean, Mamimi’s breathes new life into the style with her maximalist approach.

Mamimi’s image color is a medium light purple. Lighter than her hair and the image color of L’Antica, purple represents her mischief, downer-type personality, as well as creativity and ingenuity.

Mamimi’s personal color palette contains three sub-palettes: a basics palette (the foundation of her outfits), an accent palette (recurring secondary colors), and a signature palette (one-off colors reserved for signature pieces).

The way she combines these three sub-palettes makes her style so unique and fun! Above are some examples of how she utilizes these palettes in her outfits.

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STYLE ANALYSIS

Mamimi Tanaka is a girl known for her punkish look and is incredibly self-serving and lazy at first glance, avoiding troublesome things at any cost. She is first met while wandering around during a late night and gets scouted by the Producer.

Though she initially rejects the offer, she rolls around the office the next day and accepts becoming an idol. Because she got “scolded so persistently” for loitering late at night, she was interested in becoming an idol and thought it would be fun.

A self-proclaimed “bad girl,” at the beginning of her idol career she consistently did things at the expense of others, like skipping practices and attending work late. However, she seems to be natural at being an idol and often executes jobs perfectly.

The same can be said for L’Antica as well, as they often scold and treat her well like a sister or a close friend. Mamimi learns how to become a part of a whole and what it’s like to be together with people who truly care about you, enough to have good and bad times together.

Not knowing what she wants to do with her life is another reason why Mamimi became an idol. But after seeing the seriousness and sparkle of L’Antica, it led her to lose her “bad girl” front and try hard to become an idol, though she still makes mischief often.

In later commu, we learn that Mamimi actually comes from a rich family and very well off. However, it’s found that Mamimi’s parents spoiled her so much as a child that she never got scolded and could get away with anything. Because of this, she started to lash out and rebel to get attention from other sources. (Above: her bedroom)

Her parents’ constant praising turning into indifference was the main reason Mamimi dresses in the punk fashion, to rebel against society and be the complete opposite of her upper-class parents’ expectations. She started dying her hair purple in middle school.

In her card “Purple Mirage,” Mamimi tells Producer that she made purple her trademark color due to it being “less hot than red and less cold than blue.” She is known for her fashion and often pays attention to blogs and magazines.

Mamimi is known to have a large closet and bought a lot of her wardrobe with her parents’ money, though she uses her own money now. She has a lot of rare or unique pieces and is able to coordinate them well, showing that her love for punkish fashion isn’t just for show.

Mamimi’s fashion doesn’t change as her character develops, keeping a punkish base as she explores & integrates other styles her own way. Her growth doesn’t have to do with changing her image, but using it as a front to shut people away and not being honest with your feelings.

Being able to be truthful to yourself and your image while able to grow as a person is not something that’s seen often. Mamimi “softening up” and positively changing doesn’t change her punkish style, her fashion showing that the two can coexist together.

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This is it for Mamimi Tanaka!

If you liked this thread, check out my Twitter and give me a tip on Ko-Fi so I can do more things like this with other idol series! Thanks for reading <3

Next section: Sakuya Shirase

#imas #the idolmaster #idolmaster #idolm@ster #shiny colors #scfa #mamimi tanaka #jfashion #fashion

[aconstantstateofbladerunner]

Kirin Izuku sounds great honestly. Though there is some serious explaining that needs to occur.

reference to this: (1) This is a test designed to provoke an emotional response. on Tumblr

it is really fun actually, but unfortunately i don't have enough ideas to justify a full fic. here are a few random ones though:

Izuku can't actually use his holy fire that often, since it can only hurt people who want to hurt him. Of course, none of his friends want to hurt him when he spars, and it doesn't burn objects so he target practice isn't much help either. But eventually, he might get angry enough to realize the fire works the other way around, when he intents harm on someone.

during the sports festival, the fire works on todoroki during their fight. guy was that jealous of Izuku's positive relationship with what Todo thinks is his dad, as well as being unconflicted by his seeming two quirks. He's also pissed for upstaging him up to that point in the games

izuku's kirin powers naturally ease Toshinori's chronic pain just be being near him. he just thinks being happy is distracting him from the pain

after the spirits arrive to help izuku at the training camp, no one is kidnapped and the kamino fight doesn't happen, so top priority is figuring out what the deal is with all the mythological creatures who are suddenly real. It's actually able to stay under wraps for a while, as the awakening was localized and who's going to believe that anyway?

The spirits and creatures of Japan were mostly content to stay hidden until Izuku was born, which they took as an omen the world was peaceful enough for them to live safely alongside regular people, but still decided to sit back and wait for Izuku to be the one to make the final call. But they couldn't just sit back and watch their destined leader be killed, so some intervened.

The dragon who saves Izuku identifies himself simply as "Uncle" and declares an oath of loyalty on the spot. Izuku, beaten within an inch of his life and coming off a severe adrenaline high, thinks he's a hallucination before he passes out. Uncle and the other spirits don't let anyone besides Toshinori even get close, but it takes a few hours for him to get there. Izuku has magic healing yes, but only some. With the delay in getting him to the hospital, the damage sets in and he's in a coma for longer.

This is the point where the word 'Kirin' first comes up. Izuku's friends, teachers, and Mom spend the time he's comatose independently researching the creature. The most substantial discovery is a story from Inko's hometown about a shrine maiden who vanished into the mountains, only to return a hundred years later with a young child. The Kirin father was said to visit their home during New Years.

The spirits willing to talk give conflicting stories about what exactly is going on. Some say Izuku is the reincarnation of a previous beast king, others a god plain and simple, or that he's something new entirely. The more introspective lot comment that their memories are more focused in the classical era, with modern times, quirk times especially, fuzzy. Perhaps they are merely extensions of Izuku's very powerful quirk that conjured them out of the folktale lessons he learned in history classes. This opinion is in the minority.

the spirits are often just as much in the dark as to the nature of the world as humans. They don't know if the gods are real, anything about the existence of universal moral laws, or if any other countries creatures are real.

Most of the others, including Uncle, were in the reincarnation camp and assumed Izuku was aware of his divine status. He was not. He didn't even know that Kirins were at the top of the Japanese mythology hierarchy until Uncle calls him their emperor, and has to explain what he's talking about.

when word does get out, izuku is showered with gifts from strangers seeking blessings. Religious leaders and random fanatics alike encourage (pressure) him into making more formal appearances. The leaders are less enthused when the gates of UA become a pseudo-shrine where people leave offerings, cutting into the profits of actual temples and shrines.

the weirdest part for Izuku is that he isn't actually expected to do anything. No evil to defeat or balance to restore. Being born was the sign that things are right with the world, so job done. But with how little the spirits themselves actually know about the nature of the supernatural in their world, he can't help but wonder if he really is a divine omen like they say, or if that's just their interpretation.

#answers #kirin izuku au

[everygame]

Atlantis No Nazo

Developed/Published by: Sunsoft Released: 17/04/1986 Completed: 01/02/2024 Completion: Finished it via the quickest route.

Everything changed for gaming in September 1985 with the release of Super Mario Bros. in Japan. The design hegemony of Xevious and The Tower of Druaga was no longer the only game in town, and now Japanese designers needed to do more than just make power-ups invisible or hide progression behind obscure actions (though they’ll still do that, even Nintendo just have.)

But Super Mario Bros., what’s the key feature that you can rip off to make sure your game is a success? Is it tight action? No, not that, I mean the original Super Mario Bros. isn’t that tight. Oh, I’ve got it!

It’s warps. Warp zones. Get as many of those in your game as possible and you’re sorted.

I joke, but this does seem to have been the mindset of Japanese game designers as soon as they were tasked with making the “next Super Mario Bros.” with 1986 seeing releases like Atlantis No Nazo, Mighty Bomb Jack, Milon’s Secret Castle and more, all of which make warping around a key feature. What’s interesting is how little research into warp zones as a game feature exists online. Being able to “skip” levels has existed since Atari’s “SkillStep” system with Tempest–does that count as a warp, or does a warp need to be found during gameplay? With what I have to hand here I seem forced to conclude that Super Mario Bros. was actually the first to do it–but I’m not sure if I’m fully convinced.

Anyway, hot out the gates in spring 1986 Sunsoft release (in their own words) “The Game That Surpassed Super Mario” Atlantis No Nazo, which translates as “The Mystery of Atlantis.” (Lotta mystery in April ‘86, I guess.) Featuring 100 levels that are explicitly called “zones” the player takes the role of Wynn, an amateur adventurer/casino developer (I assume) who heads to rescue his missing master from the recently re-emerged island of Atlantis with nothing but an infinite supply of dynamite that causes tiny, crappy explosions (slowly) and a weird floaty jump with next to no air control.

The first thing you’re going to notice about Atlantis No Nazo is it… well, it’s immediately crappy. The controls aren’t great, the graphics are weak even for the era (and never, at any point, feel “Atlantean”) and the level design has you bumping your head off the ceiling from literally the second level. I mean the second level–sorry, zone–is so immediately bad I wasn’t sure it was possible to complete–a monotonous trudge through what seems to be a loop of the same area avoiding snails that take an age to kill. When I finally saw that there is a door in it to the next zone, I was almost surprised.

The second thing you learn about Atlantis No Nazo is that unlike Super Mario Bros. you can’t just play it beginning to end. You quickly begin warping around, and if you’re just trying to beat it by playing as much of it as possible, to enjoy all that lovely ~content~ you are not playing it correctly at all. The goal of Atlantis No Nazo is to play as little of it as possible. You’re trying to find the most efficient way to the end of the game by learning which door gets you where and hoping each time it’s “really far through the game.”

The lessons of The Tower of Druaga remain vital here, because the quickest way through the game is to find all the hidden warps and doors. Throw yourself into the right pit? That’s a warp. Throw a bomb at the right place? That’s a warp. Kill yourself in the right position? You better believe that’s a warp.

Something like The Tower of Druaga has a kind of predictability, admittedly. You have to chew through the entire thing in order, so you know at X level, you need to do Y stupid thing. With Atlantis No Nazo… I almost pity the people who had to map this out, seven lives and no continues at a time. With a hundred levels and countless warps back and forward, any map of the game is a hilarious spaghetti, and there are so many amusingly cruel twists, like levels with no light (so you need to make sure you hit a level where you can get a lamp power-up from first) and levels that just throw you unavoidably to your death over and over–which I really want to believe are inspired by Jet Set Willy’s “Entrance to Hades” but probably aren’t.

As with The Tower of Druaga, I can’t really imagine anyone trying to brute force this game on their own, not least because the final level seems basically impossible without an invincibility power-up that requires you get to the end in one life. I’m sure at the time everyone just bought a guidebook, and once you have one to hand the game goes from “baffling spaghetti” to “execute your plan perfectly.”

The funny thing is, I had quite a bit of fun trying to do that. Don’t get me wrong. The controls are bad. But I became interested in trying to get the “smart bomb” power-up which requires playing level 2 literally perfectly, and I got into it. Of course, I found it hard because I hadn’t realised you could run past the snails when they were under their shells, but I still enjoyed the challenge, and then using that practice to get to the end of the game in one life via the path that takes less than ten levels… it was like signing up for one of those courses where you get to be a racecar driver for a day, but it’s actually a “be a speedrunner for a day” course. You’re never actually going to be a speedrunner, but it feels like you are, for a bit.

So, you know, I enjoyed Atlantis No Nazo once I “got” what you’re supposed to do with it (learn how to play it and then follow a guide book). I don’t think that’s actually… good, but it’s something!

Will I ever play it again? If this was an arcade game, now I know the path I’d definitely try and do it to show off. At home, I’m good.

Final Thought: Atlantis No Nazo is legendary enough to be the challenge in the first “real” episode of Game Center CX, and it was rather pleasant to give the episode a rewatch after finishing the game. You really shouldn’t bother playing this, but you should watch the episode, if you can find it!

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#gaming #video games #games #txt #text #review #nintendo #nintendo switch #atlantis no nazo #kusoge #famicom #nes #1986 #sunsoft

[markrosewater]

Hi Mark! One of your lessons in game design is that you shouldn't attempt a challenge just for the sake of a challenge. However, Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty seems to be an exception to this rule. What made WOTC decide to revisit the plane despite the daunting task (aside from fans wanting a return, since there's a fair number of fans who want to return for every niche plane, like me wanting Rabiah :)?

The product started with us doing a top-down set inspired by Japanese pop culture. If it didn’t make sense to be Kamigawa, it wouldn’t have been Kamigawa.