Lurker > AuthenticZac

Just had one hell of a run, managing 400+mil points. The star was definitely the Vegabond+clone combo, giving me a constant stream of tarot cards - so many modified kings. RNGesus was definitely smiling on me with all those multipliers too. Finally taken down by the "cards played this ante don't count" boss (15 kings just wasn't enough)https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/8/816c7e93.jpg

Wordle 1,030 3/6





1 Trial
2 Blind
3*

Thought I had back-to-back twofers

#9 - Pom Poko

Much to my surprise, I absolutely loved this movie. It tells an interesting story about the conflict between an encroaching threat on Tanuki-ty, and the choices they have to contend with it...

Sorry, flashback to Nausicaa, but the premise is very similar. The tanuki have just taken the role of the humans, whereas the humans have tagged in for the insects/spores, overtaking the land of what once belonged to our protagonists. It doesn't take long for the story to branch off into a different direction, however. Aside from now being a comedy, this telling of the story has the Tanuki actually willing to fight to keep their land intact. Occasionally they go about it in violent ways, but more often than not, their actions are simply mischievous, leading to some of the film's funnier scenes. Though, even some of the "violent" ones were also quite humorous (ex: Chopping off the head of a cop statue)

Sadly, their pranks were no real match for the indifference of humanity, and what was a once fun-filled movie took a turn towards the end, with our furry friends losing many of their own (RIP Gonta). They didn't suffer a complete failure, as they did get some parks to live in, but not all cities are that accommodating. 90s Japan may have cared enough to keep some parks up for the wildlife, but here in modern America, it's all about commerce growth. I can't begin to tell you how much land has been bulldozed near where I love to make way for unnecessary retail outlets or shopping centers.

Pom Poko - 9.5/10

Side note: Out of the 9 movies I've seen so far, this one rated the lowest on Rotten Tomatoes (86%), which is odd since I found it to be one of the better ones. I have to wonder if it's because of western audiences being confused over "racoons" with giant balls/powers

Darkest Dungeon 2

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1 Trial
2*

2 and 5. So, For Honor?

Only a couple, but as TMOG said, just indies.
ex: Dead Cells and Vampire Survivors. Loved them both, and respected their constant free updates. Never touched the DLCs, but still bought them just to toss the devs an extra few bucks.

#8 - Ocean Waves

This was a much shorter film, at just over an hour, and yet it still lasted for 10 minutes longer than it should have. The final few scenes focused on a reunion of characters that were never introduced or given any sort of screen time in the rest of the movie, which made the "growth"/feelings of chubby-dude and short-haired female towards the main cast completely meaningless. It then devolved into what I assume had to be unintentional comedy when Taku began to fondly reminisce about Yutaka, only to have memories of her complaining and berating him.

The rest of the film wasn't that great either, as 2 of the 3 cast members were downright unlikable;
Taku loved the idea of Rikako, but only because of how much she stood out. When she spent time with anyone else, he showed just immature he really was, first by sulking when his "best friend" spent any time with her, and then later by storming off when he met her ex.

Rikako isn't much better, as she was a very self-centered character, dragging down those who got near her (nearly taking that one friend to Tokyo against her will!)

Yutaka was the only character I liked, and that was due to a complete misread of his character on my part. Throughout the film, he is shown as very close to Taku, doing things like calling him up just to see him, or talking him up to Rikako. There was even a line early on where Taku says "From that day, I saw Yutaka differently from my other friends". I know this was made in 1993, but I swear, there was some yaoi undertones there, and I was all for it. Near the end, when Yutaka was talking to Taku and said "I'm in love with you", I 100% thought they had confirmed it, but alas, it quickly cut to him talking to Rikako. Deliberate? Hard to say watching it through a modern lens. But those two would have made a much better pairing than Taku/Rikako

I wouldn't say it's the worst anime movies I've seen, but it has set a new low bar for Ghibli
Ocean Waves - 5/10

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Yea, haha, crazy, right? >_>

Look, I have a lot of things still registered to my first email, and I'm too lazy to switch them over to my gmail. Some sites won't even allow for a change of address, and I don't want to create a new account.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/2/2f382c35.jpg

Entry #10 - ten(tacles)... Yea, I can't think of any big significance with 10 in D&D

My last entry though. I'm sure it will hit 500 before I wake up, so good luck y'all!

Entry #9
By the 9 Hells!
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/7/7631f35b.jpg

Entry #8. (8 schools of magic in 5e)

I loved the original Undermine, put nearly 100 hours into it. A very underrated rogue-lite.

Lot of good games announced/had trailers released in the Triple-I today
https://store.steampowered.com/sale/triple-i-initiative

Including, a new Prince of Persia game by the Dead Cells team.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZzOxEK7hXo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJhZAvXILI4
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2717880/The_Rogue_Prince_of_Persia/

Entry #7. Come on lucky 7 feat

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/1/1fc73872.jpg

Entry #6

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1 Trial
2 Cloud
3 Lousy
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Just got done with my Ghibli movie for the night, so here's Entry #5!

#7 - Porco Rosso

As a kid, one of the few games that I played with my dad was Wings 2, so there was some clear bias in favor of the movie. In fact, if not for that nostalgia, I wonder if I would have been able to overlook the film's lack of a plot, to enjoy it as much as I did

It was charming, funny, and beautifully done, but severely lacked in the story-department. Marco starts off with wanting to repair his plane, only to get shot down mid-flight, and then declare a rematch against the American who did it (someone he doesn't show any real animosity towards). We get a single line about how he was cursed into becoming a pig, hinting that this isn't just a world where animal-people co-mingle with humans, but instead one where actual curses exist... And that's it. Sure, he gets "cured" at the end, but having never shown any struggle with the curse, it feels completely unnecessary.

The real strength comes from the comedy and characters: Children who are excited about pirates, and see a kidnapping as an adventure; Marco, who chooses to no-sell his pig-self, and instead whip out puns about his appearance; An antagonist who wishes he was Gaston. It's a film with little plot, but great comedic moments (especially what the final dogfight devolved in to). Could it have been better, certainly, but it wasn't a bad film.

Porco Rosso - 8.5/10

Side note: One hell of a coincidence, in that Ghibli once again casts a future Straw Hat (Nami-swaaan~), to interact with pirates and brings out their softer, friendly side.

Entry #4.
I changed my mind about changing my mind. I said Baldur's Gate 3 the previous 2 giveaways, I'm going back to that being my game of choice. Yes, I'd be running it at low resolution, but I'd regret not going for it. Infinite Wealth will easily go on sale during Black Friday, BG3, probably not.

AuthenticZac posted...

Let's go, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth!

Oor, maybe not? Apparently the PSN sale going on right now that saw Infinite Wealth discounted ends tonight. It would still fall under the $70 mark, but I don't like the idea of paying full price for something >_>. Not like there isn't a treasure trove of other awesome indies though.

Anyway, entry #3

Entry #2
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/1/198e3572.jpg

Ooh, another one of these. The last two times, I did D&D memes (hoping for Baldur's Gate 3), but I'm going to switch it up this time. (Honestly, my GPU is so old, I would have had to run the game at 720/30fps anyways)

Let's go, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth!
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/7/7fe4a25d.jpg

SocialistGamer posted...

Wrong IP Konami >__>

Gotta spread out the IPs. They already loaned out that game to Dead Cells last year

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoiaFMeS4Ok

ThePieReborn posted...

It will never not be funny to me that the dude occupies literally the entirety of Doom 3.

Blum was everywhere in the mid-200s. From Toonami to Adult Swim, to tons of different games. He was that era's Troy Baker

Compsognathus posted...

It's kinda wild to me that someone like Matthew Mercer still takes roles as minor background characters to begin with.

A lot of big names still do background actors. Nolan North and Steve Blum can be heard doing the voices of random thugs in the Arhkam games.

Wordle 1,026 2/6




1 Trial
2*

Luck

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1 Trial
2 Round
3 Sperm
4 Ember
5*

With all that yellow, the final word just figuring out what spots were left each letter.

Zeeak4444 posted...

one question, have you gone back and watched the first 5 min of grave of fireflies after finishing it yet? If you havent, you should.

Yep! As soon as I finished it, I went back to see what was in that fruit drop tin. Like I said, I'm so glad they didn't try to stretch out the movie with his final days, so it relied on the viewer remembering what they saw, or simply going back to re-watch it.

Nothing on Sunday night due to Wrestlemania, but movie night returns tonight with;

#6 - Only Yesterday

Easily the weakest entry in the series of films. I can maybe see some people enjoying it as a coming of age story, but to me, most of Taeko's memories just felt disconnected from what she was doing in the present day. Flashbacks to her troubles with math (the only time I had more than a slight chuckle), or her time wanting to act could have just as easily be left on the cutting room floor without affecting the rest of film.

The movie also had a tendency to hang on certain scenes for way too long. The 5-ish minutes spent cutting/eating the pineapple was bad, but the strongest example would have to be the car ride to the farm, where Toshio spent close to 10 minutes just talking about his love of farming. Which was then followed up by some long still-framed shots of the people working in the field. Establishing shots are one thing, but this almost felt like a gag with the way it was presented. Honestly, if this was a series, those extended shots would get called out as "filler".

The animation style, one of Ghibli's biggest strengths, even felt off in this film. Taeko is supposed to be in her mid-20s in the present-day, and yet, anytime she is seen laughing or smiling, her dimples and facial lines make her appear just as old as the older women she is working with.

Sadly, I have to give Only Yesterday a 6/10

I... am not Authentic at all! My real name isn't even Zac, it's zachary!

I live a life of lies!

1337toothbrush posted...

I don't know why Liquid Death is being included. Isn't it just selling at concerts and other venues where it's often the only option for water?

Apparently not. I just saw it in my weekly sales ad for the first time the other day. Never heard of it before that.
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/d/dc48233b.jpg

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^Seth was there. He was mostly just in the background

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]


At least his facial reaction improved from the last time he took a Rock Bottom
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/1/179e7dfa.jpg

https://twitter.com/DMcIntyreWWE/status/1777114915678937236?
Someone posted this on the PWB. Apparently Drew sent out a tweet while Seth was doing his entrance

ScazarMeltex posted...

Honestly, even if he loses and Drew comes out on top I want DP to cash in. Dude has had the briefcase long enough, let the dude cash in.

Looking at the MitB history, as of today, Priest now has held it longer than Edge at 281+ days

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Money_in_the_Bank_ladder_match

I've heard Nexomon is pretty good (my niece loved it, at least)
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1191580/Nexomon/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1196630/Nexomon_Extinction/

There is also Cassette Beasts, which has a 96% approval rating on Steam
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1321440/Cassette_Beasts/

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1 Trial
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#5 - Kiki's Delivery Service

There isn't much to write about this one, but it was a very cute and charming movie. The dialogue was well written (especially the sarcastic one-liners from Jiji), and the entire cast of characters were a joy to see, from the artist to the grannies (<3). Even the baker himself had some cute moments, like trying to impress Jiji at the beginning. The only characters that didn't lend themselves to the sweet nature of the film were the spoiled youngins who Kiki had to deliver the packages to, which actually served as a nice balance to the rest of the film.

All in all, I found myself smiling the entire time.
Kiki's Delivery Service - 10/10

(Side note: I was not expecting japanese Doo-wop at the beginning, but it was a pleasant surprise, and now I find myself looking for more in that style on youtube)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJwtKY_iWkM

Wordle 1,022 4/6






1 Trial
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Phantom_Nook posted...

here's a funny story about Nausicaa.
https://cinema.wisc.edu/blog/2016/09/06/when-nausica%C3%A4-became-warriors-wind

Days later, famed Studio Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki sent a katana sword to Weinsteins office, with an attached note reading No cuts.

Hah, that's actually kind of metal (no pun intended). More artists need to protect their work, to prevent it from having its image ruined for years afterwards (Looking at you, 4kids!)

#4 - Nausica of the Valley of the Wind
After this movie, I've definitely gained a new respect for the influence Miyazaki has had on both the gaming and anime industries. Within the first minute of this movie, there are creatures that are clear inspirations for what would become Chocobos, and just a little bit later, large titans who could have easily served as the blueprint for Attack on Titan ("Seven days of Fire" had definite Rumbling vibes). I've always heard how far Miyazaki's sphere of influence has been over the decades, but it's one thing to hear about it, and another to see it first-hand. Now, I could keep making comparisons throughout this topic, but I feel like that might get old, quick, so instead I'll just leave this comment on the matter - "Miyazaki/Ghibli have helped to put down the foundation for many future creators"

On to the rest of the movie, I find myself a little conflicted. One the one hand, it tells an interesting story about the conflict between an encroaching threat on humanity, and the choices they have to contend with it. Warring nations want to destroy it, but the protagonist wants to co-exist. On the other hand, however, I don't find myself agreeing with Nausicaa's line of thinking. These insects have been shown to enrage at the slighting perceived threat, and lay waste to entire cities. The toxic spores have been shown to spread at an incredibly fast rate, rooting themselves into trees and poisoning entire forests. It's idealistic to think that humanity can just peacefully co-exist with something so volatile

It's even worse when you factor in the human element. You can try to say "As long as we prune the spores and refrain from attacking the bugs, we will be all safe", but humanity isn't going to play ball for long, if ever. All it takes is one rogue person kicking a bug, and suddenly a stampede of Ohms is at your front door asking for tree-fiddy. One person decides they want to "experiment" with the spores, and now your entire village is Seattle. This is a trope seen all-too-often in zombie movies, where one person/group can ruin it for everyone, leaving no safe place to live. So yes, I found myself agreeing far more with Kushana and her Giant Warrior/"Earth Defense Force" plan than with Nausicaa's "Give peace a chance" plan. Miyazaki just wanted his film to go a different direction.

It's because of that ending that I can't give it a 10/10. Still a stellar film, and there was a big laugh when she got knocked 20 feet into the sky from the stampede (For a brief minute, I actually thought he would go for an apocalypse ending), but in the end, I'd have to say

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind - 8.5/10

(Side note: Despite being a pacifist, she is a capable badass, taking out multiple soldiers in a few seconds)

I'm 36 and will regularly forget where I park at the grocery store that I've been going to every week for years. Thankfully it's not a big parking lot, and it's just a matter of looking down the different lanes to spot the old pollen-covered car.

If I ever had to find it in a parking structure, I'd be SOL.

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1 Trial
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Nope. I almost went to a Craig Ferguson show for my birthday weekend last year, but anxiety over going alone kept me home.

Final Fantasy VII (Original only) - Blockbuster rental: Made it to the final boss fight, but couldn't beat it before the rental was up

Super Metroid - Beat it

Dishonored - Beat it

Dragon's Crown - Beat it with the Elf-girl (not like that)

Celeste - Made it to chapter 3, iirc. One day I'll go back

#3 - Castle in the Sky
First thing's first, HOLY SHIT, IT'S LUFFY! As soon as I heard the voice of Pazu, I had to pause the movie to verify the actress, and yes, it was in fact our favorite straw hat. Having him work with the Big Mama pirates a decade before creating his own crew just seemed poetic.

Second, as if the familiar voice wasn't enough, I actually got hit with a major dose of nostalgia for music that I'dnever heard before. Reason being, the composer for the movie was the same guy who did the soundtrack for Ni No Kuni, and his work here felt like it came straight out of the game (or really, vice versa).
Example: Ni No Kuni https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrL5WYCnQyc
Castle in the Sky https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNoIbYvJR5k

I was aware of Level-5 collaborating with Ghibli back when I initially played Ni No Kuni, but it wasn't until today that I finally got to see/hear the designs and songs that would help to shape it (far more obvious here than from Grave of the Fireflies and Totoro). I'm sure I'll be seeing a lot more of that influence in the coming weeks, but having forgotten about the game (despite loving it), it wasn't exactly something I was looking out for.

The adventure itself was structured perfectly as well. So much so, that I couldn't help but want to play a game set in this world, expanding on the various locales. The mining town, the underground caves, the military base, Laputa itself, all seemingly ripe for more exploration. It wasn't just the regions either, I wanted to learn more about the characters. The pirates stood out obviously, but how about the residents of the mining town? The crazy cave-hermit definitely had some stories to tell, especially after he so nonchalantly referred to the kids as demons.

This is why I favor longer series over movies, because after I was done, I was left hungry for more. 2 hours just wasn't enough!

*Sidenote* Pazu 100% has Nathan Drake luck (Or, Drake has Pazu luck). The kid couldn't climb a structure without it crumbling under him

Castle in the Sky - 10/10

And as per some of y'alls suggestions, tomorrow night will be Nausicaa

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