Messages

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Music Tournament / Re: Rebirth of music tourney: nominations commentary repository

« on: November 01, 2021, 11:24:43 PM »

Generic/Repeatable Battle Music
1. Night Walker (Linne’s Theme) - Under Night In-Birth (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRZEKRv4fyc)

Not much to say. it's a banger.

2. Demons – Fallen Ones – SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMdstmjUQQU)

Also a banger. gonna be a pattern in this category.

3. Believe It! – Tokyo Xanadu (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpzZYMMMkN4)

Tokyo Xanadu is kinda a mess of a game but check out this major boss theme! what a banger.

4. Setsuna – Evil Zone (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MW4rq7SvulM)

Evil Zone is a game I have never played but it seems to directly channel the energy of 90s OVAs and I love that.

Unique/Final Battle Music
1. {EDGE OF THE FUTURE} – 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkgVPYoYGY8)

Final fight of 13 Sentinels.  In-game it's different loops as the boss changes stages, culminating with the vocals coming in in the last phase, in a reflection of the plot.  It's a great moment in a great game.

2. Maiden’s Capriccio – Touhou Luna Nights (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srqzk_rLUHo)

Love the just kitchen sink percussion in this, perfectly appropriate for its dramatically difficult in-game fight.

3. Lady Maria – Bloodborne (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mByDcrNSV0)

Love the little violin vibrato thing right at the beginning, gives you a shiver up the spine, perfectly appropriate for a chilling throwdown.

4. Last Battle ~ Asellus – SaGa Frontier (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3DD2vDWwOM)

This one requires a little explanation.  What's so cool about it is that the intro uses motifs, mostly from Asellus' theme but also a little bit of Trick as well.  In order, at 0:00 in Last Battle it uses a slowed-down arpeggio from 0:05 of Asellus' theme, then at 0:11 and again at 0:019 it uses Asellus' descending line from 0:00, then after a descending line it hits this little 3-note dip (1 down to augmented 7th up to 1) that is used all over the place in Trick, then finally at 0:28 slows down on this ascending line reminiscent of Trick at 0:51, except the Last Battle version accents every note instead of being smooth like the Trick version.  Some real virtuosic shit.  (And not the only place you see this kind of use of motif in the game - Shuzer's melodic line is reused in Battle 4's intro in a really cool way too.)

Repeatable Zone/Dungeon and Overworld Music
1. Deep Breath Deep Breath – Persona 3 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqcANoctDF4)

I always wanna sing along when this one comes on.  Underappreciated IMO.

2. Behind the Circuit – Phantasy Star IV (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3YK0SqiWds)

PSIV sure has some bangers, eh?

3. Within the Giant – Final Fantasy 4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3zDZ7MgU1E)

Another one I feel is perhaps overshadowed by other stuff in its game.  It does this thing where the melody comes in and feels like it's starting in the middle of the piece, I guess from going 5-3-1 instead of first establishing itself by going 1-3-5.  Gives it this feeling of you being just thrust into the middle of some mess and now you have to deal with it, which is quite appropriate considering where it's used in-game.  (I feel the same way about Sailor Moon Stars' OP, it starts with the last three notes of a scale, 6-7-8.)

4. The Wind of Tsukigata – Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon
 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxg2iN3Ddw0)

Devil Summoner 2 does a surprisingly good job of unexpectedly depositing a goofy series into a realm of unsettling psychological horror, moving you to a rural town of dark secrets that is distinctly unwelcome to outsiders.  And this is the town's theme.  Love it.

Unique Zone/Dungeon Music
1. Valestein Castle – Ys: Oath in Felghana (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSzaK_ueHY4)

I've tried to keep away from high-profile picks but I just can't not include this one.  Highly recommend also checking out the versions of it from older ports of Ys III (of which there are many and they all sound differently).  Cuz it's some level of banger in all of them.

2. PowerOne – Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rFTA3VLY9M&list=PL0772E34775C81D9E&index=29)

I love the atmospheric noise in this that gives the impression of a slinky-like sound traveling across taut metal cables.  Really gives it that sense of place.

3. Hesitantly Descending – Environmental Station Alpha (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYrhaNURgiE)

ESA music all has this kinda muffled sound to it that makes it more unsettling.  Love it.

4. Apocalypse – Devil Summoner: Raido Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sny7bmI1l44)

Somehow ended up with 2 Devil Summoner 2 noms.  Well this one I just love the sound of and frankly not sure too many people played the game this far so I wanted to give it some love. 

Town/Hub/Shop Music
1. A Person’s Warmth – Wild Arms 3 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0IfR6VbZ8o)

Feel like this song has a lot of power in its simplicity.  That's a tough trick to pull off.

2. How Long Will the Rain Last? – Breath of Fire IV (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQx1QwADjmc)

This one's really special in my opinion, just a perfect encapsulation of the angst that pervades the town and kinda the game.  In places, especially 0:42, it feels like it's about to pull out of the gloom, and then it just doesn't do that.

3. Vivi’s Theme – Final Fantasy IX (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cTctWXAhw0)

It's like the musical version of getting up to hijinks on the edges of respectable society.  I love how this kind of march-like instrumentation comes in a 1:15 then kinda veers away as it loops.  Really sets the tone for the game. 

4. Lowest Level Area – Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SC1wdoTF1xw)

Just really dang pretty imo.

Tension/Crisis Music
1. Growing Poppies – We Know the Devil (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VzBZAToizI)

Not sure I've heard anything quite capture the sense of anxiety and dread and wrongness lurking under the surface like this does.

2. Engage the Enemy – Xenoblade Chronicles (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xi0M9SIaLb4)

Needs no explanation, I think.

3. The Red Wings – Final Fantasy 4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yqAxdo4QDU)

I think this theme is the first thing I ever heard in a videogame that made me think about its music.  Had to include it.

4. The Black Blood – Phantasy Star IV (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K90tPeGJNIk)

Love how this is used in-game.  Hear this and you know you about to throw down.

"The Power of Friendship!" Music
1. Seaside Vacation – 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKdIhT3Feks)

This one's really special.  It's written in the style of an 80s j-pop hit, and in the middle of the game when things are looking bleak, it's sung over mech combat in a Macross homage, quite the contrast between the tone of the song and the action around it.  It plays again at the ending game during an emotional reunion, once peace is returning.  It's really moving.  Not a dry eye in the house.  Can't recommend 13 Sentinels enough.

2. Melody in the Pocket – Tokyo 7th Sisters (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OY9jG8T1h84)

A song that expresses the game's overriding theme that idols should be empowered to care for themselves and look out for one another.

3. Battle vs Lord Blazer – Wild Arms 2 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBuWNO1mxcI)

Needs no explanation, I imagine.

4. JUDGEMENT -審判- (Brother NISHIKI Edition) – Yakuza 0 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezk-IkngUsw)

*cough*

Wild Card
1. A Song Melting in the Moonlight Night – The Liar Princess and The Blind Prince
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyvYsE4cMMs)

I've been using a Liar Princess desktop theme for ps4 for the past year and a half and it plays this and sometimes I just like, get distracted by it and sit on the couch and listen to it instead of actually playing a game.  That still happens even now sometimes so I am bringing it to you.

2. Happy Angel – Dance Dance Revolution SuperNOVA (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBTao8gS52s)

There's nothing in DDR I love more than aggressively cheerful uptempo pop sings that kick your ass.  And Happy Angel is top of that list. (Well Cartoon Heroes and Kimono Princess are harder but Happy Angel's the one I like the most.)

3. Forbidden Codex – Deemo (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ow4tPyo5sU)

I just love it.

4. Dreamin Chuchu – Hatsune Miku: Project Diva Megamix (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdHRGH1Qv70)

About the sweetest song I know of, so I figured I'd share it.

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General Chat / Re: What games are you playing 2021: Please don't bully cute, girly-girl alchemist

« on: October 13, 2021, 03:47:56 PM »

Iconoclasts

Finished this, and it's great.  This is a metroidvania (more or less) action platformer entirely made by one guy over the course of a decade.  And it's brilliant.  And it has the feeling of a game designed in 2008 because it definitely has some of the DNA of Cave Story and Iji in it.  Art's stellar, music's fine, gameplay's good, puzzles of which there are many range from annoying to excellent but they're all fair, bosses are a real standout.  The plot's where the game really excels, and there's a lot of it (and it frequently takes you away from being able to freely explore the map, which is why I think the game didn't make as much of a splash in the metroidvania circles).  I don't want to say too much about it but it does a stellar job of worldbuilding, characters have unique voices and the dialogue's great, and the bad guys are detestible in the best way.  Got to 100% in about 13 hours, including a cool bonus boss, a normal run would take about 10.  Completionists fear not: no chests are permanently missable.

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General Chat / Re: What games are you playing 2021: Please don't bully cute, girly-girl alchemist

« on: October 01, 2021, 05:30:52 PM »

ENDER LILIES:

Was good but not great.  Very pretty game, good music, good combat, passable exploration for a metroidvania but kinda rote, weak plot that feels like a pale imitation of its obvious influences (Nier/Drakengard, Dark Souls).  I really liked the difficulty and combat balance - every new zone and boss felt like a challenge, and all of your weapons and sub-weapons were situationally useful, and the game really encourages careful thought about which combinations of abilities are well-suited to a zone's combination of enemies or a boss' moveset.  The plot is disappointing; you play as a pure and innocent girl, a priestess whose duty is to take on the burden of corruption in the world.  And that's fine but it never develops into anything with any real depth or intrigue.  Unlike Nier/DS, when you uncover the world's history during your travel, it's just kinda there.  It's a tragic story but to me at least it didn't resonate emotionally.  With a better plot and a little more subtle exploration it could have been great.

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General Chat / Re: What games are you playing 2021: Please don't bully cute, girly-girl alchemist

« on: September 09, 2021, 05:13:31 PM »

Astalon: Tears of the Earth

Astalon's mechanically basically a metroidvania but its heart and soul are in 90s anime fantasy and rpgs.  It's by the folks who did Castle in the Darkness, and it brings that same kind of idiosyncratic retro-but-not-like-other-retro design.  some of the art is done by the author of Dragon Half, and you'll pick up some distinct similarities to music from FF4 and PSIV.  I'm sure there are many other references in the game, but they're all really well-integrated.  Nothing feels gratuitous or out of place.  I love it.  Mechanically it's excellent - you control one of three characters, each with their own skillset, and you swap between them depending on your exploration and combat needs.  This works really well in the context of the game.  The only letdown in the game is that the plot payoff in the end is a little weak compared to the groundwork that's laid.  In any case, a game well worth your time if puzzle platforming is your deal.

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General Chat / Re: What games are you playing 2020: The true last year of the current decade

« on: October 22, 2020, 09:47:17 PM »

13 Sentinels: beat.  I'm not sure why I don't play more VNs.  The ones I have I almost invariably like.  Maybe I'm an easy mark, or maybe, since I've generally only hit the highest-profile of 'em I've only encountered the good stuff.  13 Sentinels is not strictly speaking a VN - I guess you'd say it's a combination of segments of RTS combat and light adventure game gameplay.  But in spirit it's a VN through and through.  The basic structure of the game is that the RTS segments are a final battle against a mechanical alien force called the Deimos, who are opposed by our protagonists: 13 teenage pilots, some of whom have time-travelled from other eras, of giant robots called sentinels.  So that's where we know the plot ends up, but how, why, and to what end? The real meat of the game (and what you will spend far more time on) is the adventure game segments where you guide each character through the choices they can make in their daily life prior to the final battle.  Here's where the game really impresses.  13 perspective characters is a lot.  Now imagine a plot akin to what you had in Odin Sphere, where characters are constantly bouncing off one another, questions that arise in one character's story are answered in another, alliances form and shift, and story segments are not doled out in even remotely chronological order, and multiply that complexity by three or so.  That's 13 Sentinels.  It's brilliant.  Critical to all that is the plot twists, of which there are many, abetted by the nonlinear storytelling.  I streamed the whole thing, and eventually each stream would start with half an hour or more of pure speculation as to the plot, and on a regular basis words would come out of my mouth that formed sentences but were also so objectively absurd they'd make you laugh, even in context.  Have I mentioned that the game somehow manages to be perfectly serious 90% of the time but is also neck-deep in blatant pop culture sci-fi references?  It's quite something.  I'd be remiss not to talk about the art.  It's absolutely beautiful.  Much more restrained color scheme than Vanillaware's standard fare, which helps set the tone for the more serious story, but the light effects are just on another level.  The sunset in the distance, the sunlight shining into a dusty old wooden schoolbuilding with no interior light, it's just all great.  The character art is also quite restrained considering Vanillaware's other games, but shines in giving each character a body language in line with their personality.  I can't think of another videogame that's had more dedication to those subtle movements of arms and body.  Music is good too - Hitoshi Sakamoto & co., occasionally channeling the GitS:SAC soundtrack, it seemed to me.  It's a stellar game.  Play it!  Also there's Problematic (ymmv) Queer Romance, which I cannot even begin to discuss without getting deep into in spoiler territory but I appreciated a great deal.

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General Chat / Re: What games are you playing 2020: The true last year of the current decade

« on: October 21, 2020, 04:04:40 AM »

13 Sentinels: I can't believe Vanillaware created a mystery VN with 13 perspective characters and time travel and the biggest plot hole is why does Gouto have his glasses in his sentinel cockpit?

13 Sentinels is a very good game.

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General Chat / Re: What games are you playing 2020: The true last year of the current decade

« on: October 09, 2020, 03:14:55 PM »

twitch.tv/notmiki

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General Chat / Re: What games are you playing 2020: The true last year of the current decade

« on: October 08, 2020, 07:27:13 AM »

Buy the game Miki, buy the game. Give Vanilla Ware your money!
Kamiya went as far as defying orders from Atlus to get this game out. He needs to be rewarded. (Atlus ordered Kamiya to cut away 5 characters from the game. But Kamiya didn't listen and still made 13 character under the table.)

I bought it.  I meant I've been broadcasting it myself, not watching other people.

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General Chat / Re: What games are you playing 2020: The true last year of the current decade

« on: October 06, 2020, 05:34:05 AM »

I've been streaming 13 Sentinels.  About 75% through the plot, after 9 or so 3-hour sessions.  Just an astounding game.

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General Chat / Re: What games are you playing 2020: The true last year of the current decade

« on: May 30, 2020, 08:02:02 PM »

Chess battle should be fun.

Really what is even the point of a tactical rpg that doesn't have a chess battle?

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General Chat / Re: What games are you playing 2020: The true last year of the current decade

« on: February 26, 2020, 04:06:52 PM »

I would kill for a Raidou game with production values

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Discussion / Re: DLCon 2020 - Vancouver v.2

« on: February 23, 2020, 12:31:18 AM »

Will likely make it. probably goes without saying but I'd prefer to avoid travel on or around the 4th.

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Discussion / Re: DLCon 2020 or something resembling it

« on: January 15, 2020, 03:08:35 AM »

I'm interested in hosting in Boston.  Not definite yet - my work is moving offices this summer and maybe (but probably not) I'm moving apartments for June 1.  Which could potentially strain things.  But I think that is not likely to be a major impediment.  I can't do the week of June 8th, otherwise as far as I am currently aware the summer is wide open.

If it makes more sense to do Vancouver this summer, I am open to that (and will likely attend).  Also as a stray thought, I'd be open to hosting a smaller gathering in the fall, maybe mid to late October when the leaves are turning and New England is particularly pretty.

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Discussion / Re: Politics 2019- Impeach the daughter-fu-

« on: November 19, 2019, 04:24:47 PM »

Are you implying that everything WaPo publishes is secretly the opinion of liberals?  Cause this guy is clearly a conservative - his other wapo piece is defending george mason naming its law school for scalia, and he's got work published in the daily caller, plus fox news speaking gigs.

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Discussion / Re: Politics 2019- Impeach the daughter-fu-

« on: November 06, 2019, 05:43:24 PM »

I think that's mostly bullshit but on the subject of boundary-pushing, Gen Xers sure do have a lot to answer for, don't we?  Mark Zuckerburg, Jack Dorsey, the worst of the tech boom, the ultimate degradation of privacy and individuality, the disgusting surveillance state that the world lives in.  That's mostly us, and we do precious little to stop it.  We'll tell our grandkids that we only used Facebook and Twitter out of necessity, that it was too big for us to do anything about, that the evil Gen Xers aren't us, don't represent us.  Do you think they'll buy that?  That'll be a bunch of #NotAllGenXers to them.

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Discussion / Re: Politics 2019- Impeach the daughter-fu-

« on: November 05, 2019, 12:26:30 AM »

The question is whether a common or dominant mindset in a group entitles you to treat them all like garbage.  That's not a question you can answer just by priming your anger for them with a breathless list of indictments.

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Discussion / Re: Politics 2019- Impeach the daughter-fu-

« on: November 04, 2019, 11:39:25 PM »

I'm not sure if "really long list of grievances about specific people" counts as a nuanced understanding of a generation.  "Boomers!  A lot of them were bad therefore woe betide anyone who takes issue with a generalized attack on all of them!"  Please.

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General Chat / Re: What games are you playing 2019?

« on: November 04, 2019, 07:05:37 PM »

13 Sentinels - I cannot wait for this game, I want it now.
Since I bought the prologue, I was able to play up 20% of the whole game with the trial version. And UGH, I can't wait for the real thing.
The art is great and the story really hooked me up.
The battle system is not great, but serviceable enough.
It is a real time rock and paper like SLG. But the air unit really breaks that balance.

Glad to hear it.  What I've seen so far in trailers had me very worried about the game.

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General Chat / Re: What games are you playing 2019?

« on: October 28, 2019, 06:05:47 PM »

Cornifer is really tucked away in some zones.  I wouldn't read much into not finding him.  You can buy his maps in town after some time passes.  I would say that there are a few zones that you really, really want a map for, but even with the maps your first foray into a zone is basically blind.

One of the true delights of Hollow Knight is how open the game is once you pick up the mantis claws.  There's no such thing as a "right" order to do the zones in.  You can have a wildly different experience from other players based on where you choose to go from there.  Many of the later zones can be first accessed from different directions depending on where you've gone, what upgrade's you've picked up.

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General Chat / Re: What games are you playing 2019?

« on: October 21, 2019, 10:56:37 PM »

Glad to hear it.  I loved Ys 8 and played the hell out of it (as my twitch videos can attest).  Have high hopes for 9.

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General Chat / Re: Good Morning 2019- Glow Up Edition

« on: October 03, 2019, 06:25:43 PM »

He does indeed, and if he ever gets back from his honeymoon I'm sure he'll have something to say about it

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Discussion / Re: Politics 2019- Impeach the daughter-fu-

« on: September 20, 2019, 01:41:29 PM »

https://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2019/09/the-catholic-church-holds-a-lesson-for-progressives/

How convenient, i was gonna respond on fb but didn't get around to it.  Link is something to chew over all re: all this.  And not a direct response but I'd be remiss not to plug unitarian universalism here.

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General Chat / Re: What games are you playing 2019?

« on: July 27, 2019, 05:11:52 AM »

...
so...
three way?

Look Xander only has one oversized dildocarrot

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General Chat / Re: What's for dinner, DL?

« on: July 22, 2019, 05:34:56 PM »

New apartment, same recipes, and everything's not quite where it should be.  This is in large part from switching from electric to gas stove, in small part from switching grocery stores and not having quite the same versions of the ingredients (my new ras el hanout is way to cinnamony).  I'll get there but it's pretty frustrating for the time being.

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General Chat / Re: What games are you playing 2019?

« on: July 11, 2019, 04:49:06 PM »

fuck. why haven't i played this sooner?

it's so good!