I saw Chris play a majority of Mega Man Legends! It's got such a pleasing aesthetic, and a cartoonish sense of humor that makes the world and characters all the more charming. This is a game I've never finished - and because we put it down to focus on FFX instead, it may be a bit longer 'til I see the end - but it's a super neat change from the typical Mega Man methods of play!
Recently, I've been playing a ton of Dance Dance Revolution on my PS2 as a workout. I have every entry that released on the system, which makes for a ton of great variety where I don't get bored, and I choose whichever songs I like for as long as my workout lasts (typically ending around 5 mile "run"). I'm having such a great time!!
I have to include The Legend of Nayuta because my feelings on it have entirely swapped since last month. It's an aesthetically pretty game with a nice soundtrack and a handful of cool character/monster designs, seemingly fun gameplay (I only watched my partner play), plus changing your visuals when you switch armor, but that's where my praise ends. The story has lousy writing that utterly fails to make you care about the characters and even less about the events of the game itself, especially with how it handles the ending (or what it calls the "after story"). The game feels like it could've been at least 1/3rd shorter by cutting down needlessly tiresome conversations which simply carry on without earned emotion. They should've committed to making this a Zwei game instead and leaned into the humor of that universe, but instead we got a forgettable protagonist in a much-too-serious and boring world.
Chris and I tried a bunch of intriguing arcade games, including one with a very silly name: Tinkle Pit! It's a maze arcade game from Namco, and it's SO MUCH FUN. I'd seen an arcade ad with art of the adorable characters and vowed to try it someday... and I'm extremely happy we were able to find a way to play (as of last year, it's officially released stateside on the PSN & Nintendo eShop)! There are characters featured from across Namco's early game library, and the mechanic of dropping/reclaiming the "tinker ball" to upend unsuspecting enemies adds a bit of strategy. Highly recommended for those who enjoy simple arcade games with a lil' twist!
Pupfish Break
This pupfish is enjoying a kernel of corn. Real photo not edited!!!!!!!
Assorted Media
I've been watching a ton of Disney movies as I work this month, many of which I hadn't seen before, including one of Pixar's newest films: Lightyear. I had delayed watching this since I'd only heard overwhelmingly bad things, so when I went in with super low expectations I honestly didn't think it was that bad? I actually laughed out loud at some of the things the little cat robot did. I grew up with the Buzz Lightyear of Star Command animated series so I was a lil' bummed that Zurg wasn't portrayed somewhat similarly, but I did appreciate the lines and moments that reference portions from the Toy Story movies (which I proceeded to watch all four of after I'd finished Lightyear... the first two remain the best, I don't care for 3 or 4).
My favorite movie I watched this month is To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar, which is a hilariously long title for an equally funny and sweet movie. A romp of a roadtrip featuring three drag queens on their way to a big show on the other side of the United States, I think it's certainly an idealistic view of how drag is viewed (by the end of the movie, at least), but I appreciate how light hearted and accepting it was. If you need a movie to enjoy this upcoming June, this is a great one to check out!
One of the movies I re-watched while working - which I hadn't seen since I was maybe 6? - was E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. The acting and practical effects are pretty fantastic, though I don't remember the dialogue being as crass as it is at times?? Something I do appreciate is that the siblings clearly care about each other despite some bickering, and as with many Spielberg films it's beautifully shot. I think the most fun I got from it was eating Reese's Pieces while watching the film (for those who may not know, this film's how the candy was popularized!).
Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms is a movie which asks two questions: "Is it better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all?" and "what does it mean to be a mother?" While I think it somewhat clumsily gave (and heavily gender role-ified) its answers, I do appreciate that a romantic relationship wasn't the heart of what the movie was all about. What drew me into wanting to watch were Akihiko Yoshida's character designs (who's famous for designing characters in games such as FF Tactics and Bravely Default), and the promise of a beautiful world with stunning set pieces. I feel like those who have kids of their own might connect more strongly with the premise than I did; it was alright overall.
We've begun Aria the Natural, the sequel of Aria the Animation, and I feel like I'm loving it even more than the first part of the series. Since the world and characters are already introduced, we immediately dive into mysterious circumstances and encounters, many of which had me jumping from joy from how fun they are. We're only around halfway through the season, but it is every bit as relaxing and comfortable as the previous one. Such a treat!!
Chris and I watched the Rose of Versailles movie the day it released and it was trash!! We went into it without any context of the manga or older anime, which I've learned is a real shame because they're just so far above and beyond better than this iteration of the story. People call it a "musical," but really it's just poorly done musical interludes with (awful) contemporary music that doesn't fit any of the montage scenes they're slapped onto. On top of this, the writing was poorly done and the animation wasn't even all that impressive. I'll have to give the old anime a try at some point to wipe the bad taste of this adaptation out of my mouth.
When I got my physical copy of Snapdragon last month, the cashier recommended two other graphic novels in the same supernatural vein: Taproot and Girl from the Sea, both of which I read and liked! I thought Taproot in particular had some really cool ideas, such as a spin on the grim reaper and how ghosts communicate with people. I appreciated the core environmentalist sentiment of Girl from the Sea as well. They were both lovely, and if anyone else has similar recommendations I'm all ears!!
At the Riso Art Festival Chris and I went to last year we got the first edition of Lucky Pocket Press' Knapsack Magazine, and I only just now had the opportunity to read it -- I adored it, all the art and its entire format, and it's highly inspirational for an upcoming project I've been planning for!! The magazine itself is themed around music (its subtitle is "Cassette") and is full of awesome stories from many artists around the world! I highly recommend grabbing a copy of your own!
Next stop: June!
June is typically an exciting time with many new game announcements and tons of demos to try! I'm extremely excited for one game in particular, and actually plan to be offline for awhile as I play it starting on Wednesday, June 4th. If you need me you're welcome to reach out on social media, but otherwise I hope you have a fun month!! (Keep an eye out to see when I come back for streams, too!)
Rest in peace to CreeperBoi's sweet little kitten, Tails - I made this as a tribute to his little life.
