StuckBoy ☭

@stuckboy

Programmer, Tokusatsu-enjoyer. I hated AI before it took my job. Mahjong Soul ID: 121684710 Blog: Games: Movies:

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StuckBoy ☭@stuckboy· 9d

Glad to see the "Time to Mech" for this game is roughly 15 minutes after pressing "New Game".

A still from the game Xenosaga 1. The focus of the image is a bidepal mech, known as an A.G.W.S within the game.

StuckBoy ☭@stuckboy· 9d

There's something to be said about menus like this in a JRPG. They help contribute to the vibe of the overall game while attempting to not overwhelm a player with too much information. I'm sure what lies below these 9 menu options is a waterfall of sub-menus, though.

A still of the game Xenosaga 1. The image is of the Main Menu. The right side of the menu lists several options to select, and below those is a timer indicating time played, and below that is an indicator of the money currently possession by the party. The left side of the screen displays each character currently in our party. The first character is Shion, with her status and combat position displayed to the right of her portrait. Below her is KOS-MOS' portrait, and to the right of that similar information as Shion.

StuckBoy ☭@stuckboy· 9d

For such a simple area, it sure has a banger of a theme. Based on experience with multiple SMT games, I'm assuming I'll never hear it again after this section.

StuckBoy ☭@stuckboy· 9d

They sure are nailing the cold and calculating part of talking with an android.

A still from Xenosaga 1. The character KOS-MOS is speaking the following dialogue, which is shown below the characters as subtitles, "A predetermined set of emotions has been hard-coded into"

A still from Xenosaga 1. The character KOS-MOS is speaking the following dialogue, which is shown below the characters as subtitles, "my emotion module to better facilitate interactions with humans."

StuckBoy ☭@stuckboy· 9d

I sure hope that's a hexadecimal numbering system, because honestly a billion minus one unique numbers is not a lot. Why do you think we invented IPv6 addresses?

A still from the game Xenosaga 1. Pictured are the characters Shion and KOS-MOS. Dialogue text appears below the characters. It reads, "I am an Anti-Gnosis Humanoid Fighting System, serial nujmber 00-00-00-00-1."

StuckBoy ☭@stuckboy· 9d

Giggling that they're counting down an entire minute of time. I didn't bother to check if it was accurate, but I honestly don't care.

A still from the game Xenosaga 1. A holographic display is showing a countdown, while a character off-screen is reading off the whole numbers as they appear. Text below the screen reads, "Beginning countdown. 57, 56, 55...".

StuckBoy ☭@stuckboy· 9d

It's giving 2001: A Space Odyssey

A still of an opening cinematic from Xenosaga 1. The background is of space, with various stars and colors appearing behind stark white text. The text reads, "Xenosaga EPISODE I Der Wille zur Macht

StuckBoy ☭@stuckboy· 9d

For a cinematic that came out in 2001, this looks *really* good.

An image of the opening cinematic of Xenosaga 1. Two men are pictured. The one on the left is a black man wearing a white button-up shirt facing right. The man he is talking to is Asian and is wearing a tight beanie, glasses, a dark button-up shirt, and an orange t-shirt underneath. Text of the conversation reads, "The ground there is hard, so be careful when you dig."

StuckBoy ☭@stuckboy· 9d

Color me surprised to find out that this is a real place.

A screenshot of the opening cinematic of Xenosaga 1. Pictured is a shimmering blue lake below a partly cloudy sky. Text appears in the lower left to indicate where this is. The text appears in three separate lines, each providing additional information. The first line reads "20xx A.D.". The second and third line provide a location. It reads "Lake Turkana, Kenya".

An image of the country of Kenya, with Lake Turkana circled in red pen. The lake appears in the Northwest portion of Kenya, with the tip of Lake Turkana extending into the northern neighbor of Kenya, Ehtiopia.

StuckBoy ☭@stuckboy· 9d

We've come a long way when it comes to start menu design. I think I prefer ones that lean more towards "Gaming Liminal Space". It should set the mood but not hold you hostage.

StuckBoy ☭@stuckboy· 9d

August's Games of the Month are two that I've never played before, Xenosaga Episode 1: Der Wille zur Macht and John Romero's Daikatana! I'm not sure which to start with, but I have seen the opening sequences for both already. #GameOfTheMonth #LetsPlay

The PS2 front box art for the game Xenosaga Episode 1: Der Wille zur Macht.

The poster hosted on the Steam game client for the game Daikatana.

StuckBoy ☭@stuckboy· 16d

This is not a stock screenshot, as I was playing with quite a bit of upscaling and anti-aliasing, but even without it, I am still impressed at how nice this game looked back when I first played it. I think it also helped cement my permanent fixation with frame rates over fidelity.

A screenshot from the game Star Fox Assault for the Nintendo GameCube. Pictured is the opening level. The Star Fox team is amid a battle between two fleets over the planet Fortuna.

StuckBoy ☭@stuckboy· 16d

The game of the month for July (suggested by me) is Star Fox Assault for the Nintendo GameCube! I played this game growing up, and conveniently before I understood just what a bad game experience was. #LetsPlay #GameOfTheMonth

The start screen for the GameCube game Star Fox Assault.

StuckBoy ☭@stuckboy· Jun 18

We're then introduced to our second depiction of a dragon, which in stark contrast to Michael appears to be almost demonic in appearance. Zero said as much, adding to my pile of grievances about a sequence I much rather would have just watched at this point.

A screenshot of the game Drakengard 3. The prominent character is One's dragon, Gabriel. Compared to Michael, Gabriel appears to be incredibly monstrous, featuring a jagged design and heavily armored face.

StuckBoy ☭@stuckboy· Jun 18

All this culminates with a face-off between Zero and her five numerically named sisters. The trend of overwhelming amounts of dialogue continues, with every sister trying to have a unique interaction with Zero that informs me of their previously-established relationship.

A screenshot from the opening level of Drakengard 3. Pictured are the other five Intoners standing atop a very large building. Each Intoner possesses a unique weapon, outfit and color combination.

StuckBoy ☭@stuckboy· Jun 18

It's 100% nostalgia, but there's just something about 2010-era cutscenes that hits different. They achieve a specific art style without appearing like every other game coming out in the same decade. In case you can't tell, I've been over the chase for realistic graphics for years.

A screenshot of the opening cinematic for Drakengard 3. Pictured are the character Zero and behind her is a dragon companion named Michael.

StuckBoy ☭@stuckboy· Jun 18

Time for the other half of this Game of the Month selection, Drakengard 3! Let me just say that whatever you do, do *not* attempt to configure things while letting the idle screen play. Genuinely, why would you make the first thing you hear during this portion be that?

A screenshot of the first image shown to you during the idle screen of Drakengard 3. It is an entirely black background with white text that reads, "Square Enix Presents". There is dialogue occurring during this time as well, which is a child-like voice asking to pee for some reason.

StuckBoy ☭@stuckboy· Jun 8

Several pieces of art are featured in the houses within the game, and the sheer range of what you'll see is incredibly interesting. They range from dream-like landscapes to a guy's portrait.

A screenshot of the game Valkyrie Saga. The player-controlled character Roll is standing in a house, with a large painting adorning one of the walls. I'd attempt to describe it but honestly this is like image 5 out of probably 40 and the fact that I'm trying to do alt text on all of them is a big enough endeavor as it is.

StuckBoy ☭@stuckboy· Jun 8

The range of projects that emerge from this space will have rough edges, with the exact definition of "rough" depending on what personal tastes can tolerate, and overall game design. For example, some feedback I have is the lack of dialogue text scaling, coupled with using a textured background.

A screenshot of the game Valkyrie Saga. The player-controlled character Roll is talking to a construct named Lampno. The conversation appears in a dialogue box that occupies the bottom portion of the screen. The text reads, "Yeah, We can just hold the jump button to keep gliding."

StuckBoy ☭@stuckboy· Jun 8

I decided to play Valkyrie Saga first, as it is *by far* the shorter of the two games. It was also the one I recommend, as retro platformers are a cornerstone genre for me. The art style is reminiscent of the PSX, with a color palette that some might call "a bit garish".

An image of the game Valkyrie Saga. It is a picture near the starting area, with the player-controlled character Roll standing near what appears to be a dock. In the background is the boat that she arrived in.

StuckBoy ☭@stuckboy· Jun 8

A few months ago, my friends and I started a Game of the Month Club, an activity sparked from an interest in trying more games outside our wheelhouse and by recommendation of the people participating. This month's nominations were Valkyrie Saga and Drakengard 3.

Art of the game Valkyrie Saga. The main character Roll is featured prominently in the center of the art, in a pixel art inspired style. Behind her is a background consisting of similarly pixelated cloudy blue skies and a floating island featuring several features that are indiscernible at this distance. The title of the game appears below the aforementioned scene, in front of the wispy clouds.

StuckBoy ☭@stuckboy· Jun 4

Ryu from Street Fighter and Cyclops from X-Men giving the mother of all handshakes. Ryu is in the art style of the Street Fighter Alpha series. The background of the legendary handshake is an orange sunburst centered behind the two icons. Streaks of white alongside darker and lighter oranges emanate from the center. Truly a kino moment in video game history.

StuckBoy ☭@stuckboy· May 4

If I may be so bold to say, rogue-everythings have never been more popular. Please refer to the following template, handmade by me:

A meme template taken from the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes. In it, Calvin's dad approaches Calvin while he is seated next to a record player. In this iteration, the record player is assumed to be an ancient Thinkpad running the game Rogue. While approaching, Calvin's dad says, "Playing Rogue? Let me show you something...".

The second panel is Calvin looking down at the supposed computer while his dad explains, "Two types of games are inspired by it, Roguelikes and Roguelites. All games actually fall into these two categories.". Calvin replies, "Uh-huh.", signaling that he understands the base concept, and fears where his dad is going with this.

The third panel is just Calvin's dad, as he begins a long-winded explanation of that theory with the following thought, "Hades? Roguelite. Spelunky? Roguelike, Umamusume? Roguelite. Despite being a Battle Royale, PUBG is actually a Roguelike.".

The final panel is Calvin laying in bed at night, seemingly kept awake by the explanation, annoyed by its continuing accuracy.

StuckBoy ☭@stuckboy· May 1

Gotta balance out the humors to stay sane. #LastFourWatched #LetterboxdFriday

A horizontal list of the last four movies I've watched using Letterboxd's "Recent Activity" shelf. From most to least recent they are The Big Short, Mulholland Drive, The Imitiation Game and Superman 4: The Quest for Peace. I gave The Big Short three and a half stars because while it was a great attempt at capturing the historical impact, it gave 2010 movie vibes most of the time, which I guess is accurate for its release date. Mulholland Drive received five stars and a like from me. I yearn to explore David Lynch's mind like it's the Backrooms. Imitation Game also received three and a half stars for reasons similar to The Big Short. Superman 4 received one star for reasons that should not necessitate explanation. If I recall, half a star was for Nuclear Man's cat claws and the other half was for the double date with one guy gag.

StuckBoy ☭@stuckboy· Apr 13

A still from the movie Coraline.

Pictured is Coraline's father, who is seated in front a computer in the midst of typing. His eyelids are incredibly dark compared to the rest of his complexion, implying he's racked up at least a decade's worth of sleep debt.

Text has been superimposed over the computer. It reads, "me at 3:52 am knowing damn well where I have to be at 8am."

StuckBoy ☭@stuckboy· Feb 20

I wish the catalog of shows was a bit more fleshed out, I don't know where else I'd log tokusatsu stuff.

An image of the last four things I've watched via Letterboxd. The order (from most recent to least) is Ultraman R/B (rated 3 1/2 stars), Twins (rated 3 1/2 stars with a review), Kamen Rider Zero-One (rated 3 1/2 stars with a review), and 1990: The Bronx Warriors (rated 3 1/2 stars). I have no idea why I'm seeing much mid stuff lately, but you can't find peak unless you wade through the deep waters.

StuckBoy ☭@stuckboy· Feb 12

Started Kamen Rider Geats today, because I wanted to see what later Reiwa entries were like compared to Zero-One. I was pulled in with the premise of another large cast of riders like Ryuki. I was not, however, prepared for the great culling that was episode two. RIP My boy Kamen Rider Baboon.

A screenshot of a graphic shown in episode two of Kamen Rider Geats. There are 26 headshots featuring names of characters and their rider code names. Such highlights include Kamen Rider Baboon, Dolphin, and Lizard.

A screenshot of the second episode of Kamen Rider Geats. It shows headshots of 26 people, who can be assumed are the Kamen Riders of this season. of the 26, only the center 7 are not darkened with the word "Lose" in red appearing over them. This implies that 19 died before they could even be seen as riders. My disappointment is immeasurable, and my day is ruined. RIP Kamen Rider Baboon.

StuckBoy ☭@stuckboy· Jan 9

A top and bottom panel meme. In the top panel, Chris Evans as Steve Rogers is looking downward, like he's checking his phone. Below him is the text, "I have to go."

The second panel is him standing up to rush out, with a tissue box overlayed by his hands to look like he's about to wrestle his skin snake. A group sits/stands nearby, as if they were in the middle of a conversation when he suddenly announced this.

StuckBoy ☭@stuckboy· Oct 21

If anyone needs me I'll be watching peak tonight

A still from the 1997-1998 series Ninja Turtles: Next Mutation. Center frame is the titular Shredder grasping the loose top of one of his Foot Soldiers. The outfit Shredder is wearing is a bit dramatic, but honestly the turtles look like in-his-prime-if-you-know-what-i-mean Barry Bonds. Anyways the horns on his helmet, yes I said horns, are down right silly. It's a chevron that would make great grand-pappy RX-78-2 jealous (positive). The rest of the mask is equally a little absurd, as is the rest of his outfit. His shoulder pads are domes that look like he just bought gray gear from a shop vendor in town like it was a "intelligent economical decision" given it did 3 better DPS than his more-than-four-levels-lower counterpart the humble tier 2 (A.K.A. Blue) that is providing several flat stat bonuses it is additionally providing a unique passive that gives him more HP Regen (an outstanding move). To wrap it all up it seriously looks like they modified a Takanuva child's mask (good luck deciphering that one, shout out to my bionicle brethren) because the mouth literally makes this face 😐 Anyways it's streaming on quite a few services and it's probably on something you can watch with minimal commercial breaks.

StuckBoy ☭@stuckboy· Jun 16

Me standing there reading the text box as they await my A press: