inpurpleshadows

Recently, I took an interest in collecting physical media for my favorite cartoons & anime alongside some other stuff that I think would fit alongside them. I originally did this out of paranoia for Internet censorship and the lack of any real official efforts to preserve media online, but now, DVDs/Blu-Rays have become my preferred way to watch stuff. To me, this is much better than having to deal with constant buffering, inconsistent video quality, and streaming services jacking up their prices for no good reason.

There's also the neat part of actually owning a copy of something you enjoy. Additionally, there are the fun bonus features, creators' commentary, multi-language audio tracks, and slick box arts. I was partially inspired by @COMPU73E@retro.pizza and @outofprintarchive@retro.pizza for this. I've built up a small collection over the past few weeks. It's not much, but personally, this library of mine is very fulfilling and better represents my tastes in what I watch.

There may be a debate on what Mega Man X3 soundtrack is better, but I think we can all agree that the game's Japanese opening theme rocks.

Though, since I'm sharing a Japanese theme for #VGMWednesday today, Rockman X3 is more fitting. Imagine being a kid growing up in Japan with the Super Famicom. You played through Rockman X & X2 more times than you can count on your fingers. Then, you hear that the new Rockman game is releasing on PlayStation One, so you save up enough money to purchase the system, or desperately beg your parents to buy one. Once you get your hands on the new PS1, you insert the Rockman X3 disc into the console, and after that legendary boot-up screen, you hear this. A fully-animated cutscene showcasing iconic moments from the previous two games, all while 'One More Time' plays in the background. That must've been absolute heaven for everyone who had the chance to experience it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_C97LfGS_WM

Here are #my9games that left a significant impact on me and formed how I view video games as a medium. Each of these games marked a turning point for me on a personal level.

Sonic Advance was the first game I ever played, introduced me to gaming, and kickstarted my longest-running hyperfixation. Super Mario Galaxy showed me the sheer scope and ambition of console games. Five Nights at Freddy's showcased how effective horror games can be. Spyro the Dragon was my earliest experience with the PlayStation and made me realize how different consoles can shape one's childhood. Mega Man X gave me an appreciation for level, enemy, and gameplay design. Metal Gear Solid proved that video games have the ability to tell gripping stories. DOOM got me fully locked in for retro games. Life is Strange established how vital characters are for leaving an emotional impact in not just video games, but storytelling as a whole. Half-Life 2 turned gaming from a passionate hobby to my primary interest. God, I feel like such an unc.

There's something I wanted to do for a long time, but never had the confidence for it out of fear that people will judge me. Well, I've learned that no matter how I behave, I'll always get shit for loving certain things. As unfortunate as it is, that's just how the Internet is to those who are autistic, "weird", or "cringe".

So basically every friday, I'd discuss an aspect of a video game, show, or anime I'm a fan of that's contentious. These can range from gameplay mechanics that're strongly disliked by players, to base-breaking characters, to common criticisms that apply to a piece of media as a whole. I'll make a post defending these divisive qualities and why I like them while still trying to get a better understanding of how some would think otherwise. I may not make that big of an impact as I want to, but I do believe having a more nuanced perspective on certain media is something that can improve online conversations. Every post will be featured in a thread below this one, so stay tuned.

For today's #vgmwednesday I present a track from Sonic 06. Yes, I know this game is infamous for being rushed, broken, and somewhat destroying the reputation of the Sonic series. However, despite everything, it has one of my favorite soundtracks in the entire franchise. Considering how this is a Sonic game, it having an awesome OST is a given, but I really do mean it when I say it's amazing.

One track I really like is 'The Water's Edge', which plays during the beginning half of the game's first level, Wave Ocean. It's fitting for Wave Ocean's beach-inspired aesthetic, and the music itself excites me every time I hear Sonic's "I gotta hurry and save Elise". When not playing the game, I find the theme oddly relaxing, though that's likely due to nostalgia.

And to be totally honest, music like this is why I can't really bring myself to hate 06, regardless of its quality. The game's OST is just that great.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ggqTSLydqr0

Me and my mother watched more MLP: FiM together. While watching it, I asked her if she knew anyone else who had My Little Pony toys growing up, and she said yes. My mom also stated that some of her male friends enjoyed watching the original 80s cartoon with her. Those words really interested me, so after we were done watching, I did some research online.

This might seem hard to believe, but 'bronies' have existed ever since MLP's inception. It just wasn't talked about as much then because Internet forums weren't a thing yet, and the actual size of the 'brony community' wasn't as huge before G4.

Compared to other girls' shows at the time, the G1 cartoon featured darker and adventure-heavy stories that appealed to a wider audience. Even now, I've heard quite a bit of people praise this show, so I might check it out when I have the time. While Generation 4 undoubtedly caused MLP to skyrocket in popularity, fans outside the franchise's target demographic have always been there.

Made some progress in Life is Strange's fourth episode, though I didn't beat it yet. I had to do some detective work, so this episode is lengthier than the previous ones.

Once I'm done with Life is Strange, I want to play more of these choice-driven games. After my first playthrough of this game, I became obsessed with choice-driven games for a while, but grew out of them because they got kind of stale. They began to blend in with each other, and some of the stories were too lackluster to justify the minimal gameplay. However, I do want to give this genre another try. I've also noticed that these chose-your-own adventure games have gained somewhat of a comeback recently with the release of Dispatch as well as Poker Night at the Inventory getting re-listed. Heavy Rain, Telltale's The Walking Dead, and Until Dawn are the top games in this genre I want to revisit. If anyone has any other recommendations for games similar to LiS, I would love to see them.

Watched more My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic today. I got to the episode titled 'Putting Your Hoof Down'. Watching this episode is always so upsetting. In the first half, Fluttershy is treated like crap by nearly everypony in town, including her pet bunny Angel. Considering Fluttershy's past experiences with bullying and intense social anxiety, this came off as unnecessarily cruel, especially by MLP standards.

In an attempt to be more assertive, Fluttershy becomes a jerk, at one point delivering a barrage of verbal insults to Pinkie Pie and Rarity, two of her best friends. Of course, Fluttershy realizes that she was being an ass, and decides to lock herself in her own house because she believes she'll end up hurting more ponies otherwise. Just... wow, My Little Pony can get unexpectedly dark at times, but this was really depressing. I relate heavily to Fluttershy, so seeing her like that saddened me. I'm aware that was the intention, but I think it worked a little too well.

You know Harvester, that one FMV game that's among the goriest in gaming history? Well, it also has a chilling soundtrack, and since I never saw it mentioned for #vgmwednesday I thought now would be a good time to give some appreciation towards Harvester's music.

This track plays throughout several rooms of The Lodge. It's creepy and sets in the atmosphere of what Steve faces on his trek through a series of liminal spaces. Yes, I'm associating zoomer aesthetics with a 90s adventure game.

To be real, while I'm not a fan of The Lodge's gameplay due to how nonsensical its design and combat is, I love how distinct its presentation is. I've always had a soft spot for early pre-rendered CGI backgrounds, and the music is downright appropriate for the abstract environments.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PCwvrhfOMMI&pp=0gcJCdgKAYcqIYzv

One video game series I've said I was a fan of but at the same time not really is Life is Strange. The original game is one of the most emotional video games I have played and left a huge impact, helping me during one of my darkest times. While I still love the first LiS and do a playthrough of it at least once every year, I can't say I'm in the actual fandom, nor do I engage in any fanworks. Sure, I've come up with a few personal headcanons, but that's about it.

I also have mixed feelings on the game's sequels. I found Before the Storm to be an underwhelming follow-up, and Double Exposure was a trainwreck. I did really enjoy LiS2 and True Colors, though not to the same degree as LiS1. I also have no interest in the upcoming Reunion, the OG game doesn't need any direct sequels imo.

I'm starting to question whether or not I'm a "true" fan of this series if I only love the first game but have little care for anything else. Am I alone on feeling like this?

I wanted to get back into making drawings for fun, so here's a sketch I did of Lucy from Elfen Lied. I'm still a novice to art, but I think it's the effort that counts. Image on the right used as a reference for the sketch.

I wonder when 68 will have its place in Internet history. Like, '69' has its place, '6 7' has become a staple of modern lingo, what about the forgotten middle child '68'?

It's been a while, but I jumped right back into rewatching My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic on DVD. While watching one of the episodes, I was instantly reminded of how much I strongly dislike Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. For people who're unaware, both fillies frequently bully other ponies, particularly the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

As someone who was bullied a lot, I find these and other 'bully' characters to be more detestable than villains. MLP: FiM has tackled the traumatic effects of bullying, in a way that's frighteningly realistic. Diamond and Silver cruelly mock Scootaloo for her inability to fly, akin to bullying a disabled person. The two fillies also display a lack of empathy, bordering on sociopathic behavior towards the CMC. Any episode involving either pony is so upsetting to me.

Am I too sensitive about this kind of thing? I know MLP is a cartoon, but I feel weird for letting it effect me. Some of the stories hit a little too close to home.

I began Episode Four of Life is Strange yesterday. This is where the game really starts getting depressing, more so than previous episodes. There are so many emotional player punches here, but the story is too awesome to quit playing.

On a slightly lighter note, there's one LiS character I really like, named Warren Graham. He's kind and has a couple of endearingly dorky traits like Max Caulfield. Warren Graham's also a potential love interest for Maxine, but if she's already in a relationship with Chloe, he doesn't seem to mind at all.

Despite that, I noticed a lot of fans seem to really dislike Warren. I've even read a few fanfics where he's portrayed as an incel, even though he has several characteristics in canon that contradict that. Warren's not the only fictional character I've seen get this treatment, but it still bothers me when fans characterize someone as more villainous than they really are. I'm open for interpretation, but these cases feel more like deliberate mischaracterization.

Sometimes I forget how big of a deal The Orange Box was back when it released. Valve basically released three highly anticipated games on the same day, plus two previously released ones as part of the package. Said package included Half-Life 2 plus its episodes, Portal, and Team Fortress 2, all of which are among the greatest video games of all time. Oh, and did I mention that you could purchase all of it for 20 dollars?

I've been craving some survival horror, so I started replaying Silent Hill 3. I sometimes forget how difficult this game is compared to other Silent Hill games. The enemies are much tougher in both health and attacks. They're faster, require more hits to kill, some have the ability to knock Heather down right on her feet. There also seems to be a higher quantity of 'moon logic' puzzles. The first main area of the game, The Mall, wastes no time at all. You're thrust right into the action with barely any health items or ammo.

Also, I want to mention how incredible Silent Hill 3's graphics look. Silent Hill 2 was already a great-looking game, but SH3 hasn't aged a day in the visual presentation. Everything, from character models, textures, environments, lighting, and particle effects have so much care put into them. It still blows my mind that this game is two decades old, it manages to surpass several games that were released in the next console generation.

Last night, me and my mother watched some episodes of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. She loved it, Applejack seems to be her favorite character. It's been a long time since I watched cartoons with my mother or anyone else for that matter. I forgot how being accompanied by someone can enrich a viewing. It also felt great to reconnect with one of my loved ones, I want to do that more often. My Little Pony: FiM really inspired me to interact with others and make friends.

Prior to this viewing session, I asked my mom if she ever watched My Little Pony, and she said yes, just not Friendship is Magic. She remembers watching the G1 cartoon from the 80s, and recognized some similarities between it and FiM. My mom also remembers having several pony figurines from when she was a child, preferring them significantly over Barbies and dolls. Given how uncanny some of those dolls can be, I don't blame her. I'm curious into checking out previous MLP generations after I'm done with G4.

Finally, I completed all three episodes of Life is Strange: Before the Storm. I know a lot of people like this game, but I found it to be a disappointing follow-up.

The writing in LiS: Before the Storm leans heavily on the mediocre side, and, at its worst, dips itself straight into awfulness. The use of slang for the dialogue is just as cringeworthy as it was in the first game. The story's pacing feels very rushed, and it lasting a mere 3 episodes rather than the original's 5 doesn't help matters.

Before the Storm's presentation suffers several issues. While the art style is technically the same as the first Life is Strange, a lot of that game's visual effects are absent here, giving the prequel a cheap look. I also noticed several glitches with the lighting that occur when transitioning between 'gameplay' and 'cutscenes', it's so jarring. The voice acting, despite having its moments, is mostly stilted. Some characters sound almost zombie-like.

I have finished Episode Two of Life is Strange: Before the Storm. I think I've reached a point in the story where I can finally say how much I hate Rachel Amber. Despite Chloe Price describing her as "her angel", Rachel Amber's an asshole. She frequently displays selfish behavior with little regard for others. She's also manipulative towards Chloe, at times placing her in, at worst, life-threatening situations.

In general, Rachel's treatment of Chloe infuriates me because of how unnecessarily cruel it comes off as. Several of their "heartwarming" moments become horrible with the knowledge in the first game that Rachel outright lied to Chloe's face and banged Frank. It's hard for me to believe Chloe and Rachel's relationship was genuine. As someone who used to have a toxic "friend", it's impossible for me to find Rachel an endearing or sympathetic character, no matter how hard the narrative tries to convince me otherwise.

I may have been critical of Life is Strange: Before the Storm in my previous few posts, but there are aspects of this prequel I do enjoy. For one, I really like the side characters. I find them to be more interesting than most of the major characters introduced in LiS: Before the Storm. I really enjoy Skip Matthews , he's one of the few adults who's nice to Chloe Price and other Blackwell students. He's in a fictional in-universe band named 'Pisshead', they've produced a couple bangers.

Samantha, another minor character introduced in Before the Storm, also has a kind personality. She's willing to be Nathan's friend and help him with his mental issues, in spite of how the rest of Blackwell perceives him. Though, Steph's my favorite of Before the Storm's ensemble. Just like Chloe, she has a bit of a snarky attitude, but she's actually very friendly and nerdy. I'm really glad Steph became a major character in True Colors, it was nice to see her expanded in greater depth.

Currently on Episode Two of Life is Strange: Before the Storm. I forgot to mention this in my previous post, but all of the characters from the first game who appeared in LiS: Before the Storm were completely re-cast. The reason for this is because Before the Storm was developed during the 2016-2017 SAG-AFTRA strike, so many voice actors of the original game were unable to reprise their roles.

I don't want to shit on any of the VAs, and I dislike comparing voice casts, but the acting in this game is a major step down from the original Life is Strange. Many of the performances sound weird, especially David, who sounds nothing like he did in LiS1. The acting occasionally comes across as dull. There are some exceptions; Rhianna DeVries does a great job voicing Chloe, and at first, I didn't even notice the change.

No disrespect to any actors who worked on BtS. Honestly, most acting problems are a result of poor voice direction.

After finishing Life is Strange, I couldn't help but do a replay of its prequel, Life is Strange: Before the Storm. I played and finished the first episode last night, and my thoughts on it were... mixed. I had mixed feelings on LiS: Before the Storm after my first playthrough, but I wanted to give it another try. I came into this playthrough cautiously optimistic, but throughout Episode One, that optimism gradually waned from ambivalence to disappointment.

There are aspects of this episode I did enjoy. For example, the prologue taking place at a concert for 'Firewalk', a fictional band, was a memorable introduction. Getting to play as Chloe was neat, and her interactions with other Blackwell students were pretty cute. The soundtrack, just like with the first game's, is nothing short of incredible. However, there were so many aspects I really disliked. The pacing is so rushed, Chloe and Rachel's break-up near the end felt very forced, especially since they only met each other a day prior.

Now that's a wrap on the original Life is Strange. Just... wow, this game is a hella masterpiece, so I'll proceed to gush on everything I love about it.

Life is Strange's story is my personal favorite in all of gaming. It's a beautiful coming-of-age narrative paired with an engaging mystery. It's also incredibly emotional. I refuse to spoil anything because it deserves to be experienced blindly.

This game's art style looks gorgeous, almost like a painting. Every texture in LiS is hand-painted, which is very impressive, and makes the colors really pop in certain scenes. I can't describe how or why, but the aesthetic is nostalgic to me. There are also several unique visual effects that help in giving this game its own artistic identity. The lighting does a fantastic job at setting the mood, being warm and pleasant most of the time while appearing cold when needed. There's so much attention to detail. On my latest playthrough, I found a few easter eggs I've never spotted before.

I finished Life is Strange's fourth episode yesterday. I didn't post about it then because what happened near the end of Episode Four was really upsetting. I knew it was coming, I have played this game several times in the past, but no matter what, the reveal that Rachel Amber died always breaks my heart.

Rachel Amber's a character that Max, Chloe, and the player have been searching for throughout the whole game up to this point, and finding out that she's dead is a real gut punch. Even more heartwrenching is having to hear Chloe's anguished cries. Rachel was not only Chloe Price's best friend, she was someone who brought her happiness during her darkest moments. I wanted to fucking cry, but this moment was so emotionally damaging, that I wasn't able to. However, when I was in my bed, 'Mountains', the song that played during that scene, came up on my video game music playlist, and hearing it had me crying for a whole hour straight. Yeah, I didn't sleep well last night.

Played more Life is Strange last night, I completed all of Episode Three in a single sitting. This episode is where the story really gets interesting, with Max and Chloe beginning their investigation on the mystery established in the previous two episodes.

Oh, I also wanted to share this clip I took at some point during Episode 3, it's easily the funniest moment in the entire game. When chosen, Maxine Caulfield spills Frank Bowers' beans on the floor, angering him. Usually, I wouldn't do something like this in a game, nor would I ever do it in real life. However, Frank's hammy reaction and the way he says "I WAS EATING... THOSE BEANS" is too hilarious to ignore. Frank Bowers then slipping on his beans, paired with Max's mischevious laugh is the cherry on top. I also tried to remain quiet when recording this scene as I always do, but this was just too funny. To be honest, I did rewind and Frank was able to continue eating his dinner, but still.

Now that's it for Life is Strange's second episode. Holy crap, that ending left me in tears, it always does, regardless of the final outcome.

Life is Strange leaves such a huge emotional impact on me every time I play it, and the biggest factor in that is how real everything is, well, aside from Max Caulfield having the power to time travel. It's funny, because when I first heard of this game, I thought I would hate it. Minimalistic gameplay, little-to-no fanservice, a focus on character relationships, I initially wrote this game off as a simple coming-of-age Yuri. Actually playing it though, I discovered that this game was way more than just that. It also gave me an appreciation for character writing, leading me to retrospectively look back on a lot of my favorite games, realizing that the most vital aspect of my love for a video game are the characters. Hell, LiS allowed me to appreciate fictional characters in a more general sense.

Played more Silent Hill 3 last night, I think I'm almost done with the game. I would've completed it yesterday, but I got stuck on Brookhaven Hospital for a while, though I managed to finish it despite the punishing difficulty.

There's one character in this game who has always interested me, that being Vincent Smith. He has a relatively minor role, but his personality and enigmatic nature left a huge impression on me. I don't know what his motivations are, who he's siding with, or if he is on anybody's side to begin with. He isn't shown doing anything explicitly villainous, but he's seen manipulating both Heather and Claudia, so many of his actions are likely for personal gain. Vincent's also responsible for delivering one of the most haunting lines in the entire series. If you've played SH3, you know the one I'm referring to.

There are several fan interpretations of Vincent, but I can't come up with many myself because he's that mysterious.

I played through more Silent Hill 3 this evening. For me, SH3 is a hard game to return to. Not that it's bad by any means, it's my second favorite game in the series. However, the beginning of the game is pretty slow-paced, even by SH standards, though I should probably explain why I think so.

In the first three or so hours spent in-game, very little of significance happens narratively. While there are some hints towards Heather Mason's past and her connection to The Order, they're vague at best. What doesn't help is that it isn't until Silent Hill 3's second half when the characters actually go to Silent Hill. Thankfully, the story starts getting interesting by then, and at that point, I have a hard time exiting the game. I don't have an issue with slow-paced beginnings, though it can become a problem when it drags on for longer than needed.

I used to think that SH3's biggest flaw was its short length, but that's not really the case anymore. It's the pacing that's weird.

Last time I played Left 4 Dead 2 was about six months ago. The reason I haven't played it in a while is because on my previous session, I was in a server where two of the people were likely ten years old at most, and the other player didn't speak at all. The two kids kept repeating "no cap" and "W drip" among other Gen Alpha slang. When we failed to fill up Jimmy Gibbs Jr.'s car, the kids yelled "that is so not sigma".

Firstly, what language were those children speaking? Also, how were they not terrified by the zombies? I'm 19, and L4D2 still scares the crap out of me.

Finished rewatching My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Season One. I didn't mention this before, but my first viewing of the show was on YouTube, you can easily find the entire series there, so no issues with accessibility. However, when revisiting Season 1, I did so on DVD. Watching My Little Pony: FiM via physical media on my TV late at night made me feel nostalgic, which is odd since I only began watching the show this year. It probably has more to do with the general atmosphere of DVDs, something that can't really be replicated on streaming.

I also want to say how much I enjoy Season One's finale, 'Best Night Ever'. Unlike future season finales, this one is written like a standard MLP episode instead of taking place on a big adventure. It's not exactly extravagant, but I think this episode is charming for what it is. Also, it was oddly cathartic to see some of the Mane Six crash out. Fluttershy even turns into a goddamn yandere, but knowing the context of the episode, her crashout was totally valid.

I'm still suffering from MLP brainrot, but don't want to rush watching the show, so I decided to start rewatching Season One.

After watching Seasons 2 through 7, this season feels pretty weird in retrospect. Compared to the rest of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Season 1 has a larger focus on slice-of-life plots over big-scale adventures. The characters' personalities, while mostly the same, are benign. Big Mac is a bigger talker. In a lot of her early appearances, Derpy lacks her, well, 'derpy' eyes. Fluttershy, true to her name, is much shyer, though this is justified given her development in future seasons.

This might not be the right word, but the general tone of the show is slightly more "girly".

I don't mind any of this; in fact, I welcome these quirks. It makes this season feel more unique. Also, when I began watching MLP: FiM, these oddities were a normal part of the show for me. Most early-installment weirdness only becomes weird if you experience later entries/seasons.

I had an absolutely horrible nightmare last night. I dreamed that I was Rainbow Dash (I dream about being fictional characters often, this is normal), and after not seeing Pinkie Pie for days, I decided to check up on her. I knocked on the door, and to my surprise, Pinkie Pie opened it. She looked depressed, lacking the cheerful, hyperactive personality she usually has.

I asked her what was was wrong, and Pinkie seemed upset that I avoided her previous few parties. I then asked her if there was anything I could do to help, and she said "yes, there is" before sticking a syringe in my neck. I passed out on the floor, then, still in the nightmare, woke up in a restraining chair. Pinkie then said "oh good, you're finally awake". I started to panic, afraid that I upset Pinkie. I pleaded and cried for her to let me out, but it was to no avail. I started apologizing for not going to her parties, but Pinkie didn't seem to care, then stabbed my flank with a cake cutter.

Compared to yesterday, I have much more energy and used this morning as an opportunity to continue playing Silent Hill 3. I think I'm about halfway done with the game since I finally arrived in the eponymous town, but what happens before then is one of the biggest player punches in gaming history.

Throughout Silent Hill 3's first act, there are several hints of Heather being the daughter of Harry Mason, the protagonist of SH1. To be honest, this isn't much of a spoiler since it's become common knowledge among the Silent Hill fandom. What really shocked me was the revelation that Harry was suddenly killed. Yeah, that one guy you played as in the first game and got attached to? He's fucking dead. I genuinely forgot this happened, which made it hurt all the more.

I did make a joke in my head about how Neil Druckmann might've used SH3 as inspiration for writing The Last of Us Part II, which did lighten my feelings, but it was only by a little.