Community Showcase - January 2021

Hey Jones and Damiani! Took a month off from the showcase in December, and I don’t have any new game screenshots or videos so for this month I instead just have a question for Damiani, if you could pick 5 elements from any Zelda game to make your perfect Zelda game what would be your 5 elements? For example, my five would be 1) The world design from BotW 2) The sword techniques from Twilight princess 3) The story from Skyward Sword 4) The weapon variety from BotW 5) The bosses of Twilight princess *Bonus spin-off question, I noticed that while Ocarina of Time is constantly battling Botw for my personal #1 Zelda spot, I didn’t choose any elements from it for my list. I guess this is because while I still feel that overall it’s one of if not the best Zelda game, later games have improved on individual aspects but weren’t to top it as a whole (besides of course botw). Do you agree with that or do you think there are individual aspects of OoT that still shine above anything the later games have done? L&R Mo Grant

Mo Grant

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Samo Rozman

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Ben Fitter

Ben Fitter

Aloha Brandon and Damiani, A belated Mele Kalikimaka (Merry Christmas) and Hau'oli Makahiki Hou (Happy New Year) to all the Allies. I'm checking in again after a long break since June of last year, when I posted to the Showcase last. The past bunch of months have had just bled together in a bundle of days and weeks. Unfortunately I am still sheltering at home following doctor's recommendations, which is feeling more like a house arrest than anything else. Still watching a bunch of TV and movies to the pass the time and occasionally gaming when my hand feels good enough. One of my biggest disappointments was not being able to go to Star Wars Celebration this past August for the 40th Anniversary of Empire. In lieu of anything major, I just wanted to share the Christmas present to myself for 2020. I hope that 2021 is going to be better year for everyone, since the last was a dumpster fire for the most part. Stay safe and healthy and Mahalo Nui Loa for everything you do, L & R, Samo Rozman @Namzor https://imgur.com/a/5l1qFp3

Samo Rozman

Things I enjoyed (Video Games/Anime) in the first half of 2020. Im not sure how DMCA works so if you cant show it with the music then skip lol Theres only one track. L&R - JD https://youtu.be/3L2zDYjhAUM

Mellow Felloh

Hey guys! I have to go to work in about 2 mins, so I'm just going to give a short list of anime people should check out! Attack on Titan - If they are able to stick the landing with the final season (unlike Game of Thrones) this may become my favorite show of all time. The Promised Neverland Hajime No Ippo Mob Psycho 100 Demon Slayer Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Jujutsu No Kaisen Vinland Saga No time to explain why they are good - I gotta go now, bye bye!!!!~~~ L&R - Ian, @alexander_arts

Ian Alexander

Hello fellas! Here is a clip of me playing the mobile game The Battle Cats. I'm not super good at it, but I have fun. NOTE: Sorry Jones, hard to time these things and I went over. Can you skip the first 30 seconds instead of the last 30? If possible. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1t1-FJ6Kyq67JxuOFmD80eI-3Zbg0srUe/view?usp=sharing

Parasitepaladin

I said don't disappear

Nik Gothic

Hello, Brandon! Hello, Damiani! https://i.imgur.com/BlbfwQO.png This time I want to talk about the second major character from my 1960s comic „The Ingrids Manoeuvre“! This is Nella Casket. Born to an English mother and Italian father, a soldier who defected to the British during WW2, Nelly grew up in a vast and rather desolate farm estate way down in Cornwall. Living a miserable existence in a farm that was failing, with her raging father and oppressive expecations for her in the future, she had to escape when she was 16 – anywhere. She took her mother’s old black coat that was too big for her, ran away from home and took a train to London. In London, one of her old classmates dumped her to the care of law student Jeremy Arthurs, who’s annoyed with her and now has the unwanted task of keeping her off the eyes of the landlady and the police, while also trying to figure out how to get her away from his flat and teach her how to live by herself in the city. https://i.imgur.com/0iD6Emb.png Nelly is a foil to Jeremy in that the modern city life gives her a huge shock. She’s never seen a television before in her life. She’s amazed how people don’t go to church, how they swear all the time, and how women wear such revealing miniskirts. And then, the first time she ever heard the Beatles playing, something inside Nelly changed deeply, and went on a long and painful road of new self-discovery. https://i.imgur.com/peofInp.png This is one of the oldest drawings I have of her. https://i.imgur.com/bkqMlDA.png Nelly striking poses. I love the one with the hat, cigar and a Kalashnikov. https://i.imgur.com/JV8uDUv.png I really love this one because it has such evocative mood lighting. She’s walking in night-time London in 1964, and in the background you can see a cinema premiering „Goldfinger“ and „A Hard Day’s Night“. https://i.imgur.com/T49LLcB.png Well don’t you know that happiness is a warm gun, mama? https://i.imgur.com/X4jdxf9.png What are you looking at? https://i.imgur.com/iM8hUPU.png Nelly and Jeremy. Jeremy’s always trying to show her what city life looks like, but her folk mentality and wisdom always annoys him. https://i.imgur.com/vUMJYIb.jpg Things take a turn when Nelly takes an interest in movies, though. She’s holding a camcorder she got for her birthday, and now can’t wait to record and edit her own short films with Jeremy. L&R, Nik Gothic (@Clownboss) (don't disappear pls)

Nik Gothic

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Asbo Zappruder

Good afternoon, gentlemen, Christmas on Poppleton was pretty quiet this year. It was the week after that things got a little strange. 1. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bu5Fq6faTtmODBHuD6e-kc-MIjzJL8m4/view?usp=sharing Boomer has always been a prankster but he really ramped it up the last few weeks. During the island Christmas party, he added vinegar to the fruit punch and switched the cookies with plastic ones. But the worst was the present he gave to Hazel. 2. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1a07SYN01_ij3PZmQdUIEADTpBakMYLul/view?usp=sharing She was so excited to receive the arcade machine she had her eye on. However, Boomer had programmed the fighters to say things like, “Hazel smells like wet leaves.” I said I would have a word with him but when I tried, I could not find him anywhere. 3. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1osuurvnPzo7NSSg8K4-gBoY08n7MxCas/view?usp=sharing The next day, I was walking to the museum when I heard Boomer’s voice. I looked around but didn’t see him. He spoke again, saying he was actually the snowman! I thought it was another prank but when I poked him from the back, he was able to feel it. 4. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VNe2ILuWWf9EM9Oc_ME7sSRFCJov5Jba/view?usp=sharing He explained that he recently played a prank on a forest witch. In response, she cursed him, saying, “As long as your heart remains cold, so shall the rest of you.” I asked Boomer if he was okay and he responded, “It’s actually pretty cool.” So I decided to leave him alone for now. 5. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1d9LsjgZvVXfCsDiQWiIlbt3aXIMn4ad4/view?usp=sharing The next day, as he started to melt, he was far less cheery. He said he was just having fun and didn’t understand why people were always mad at him. I didn’t know what to say so I just let him vent. 6. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1R-jF3Otil3IhOeDWF2Q5WVzB_0b4vOWF/view?usp=sharing I decided to look for the witch to see if she could help. But she said she couldn’t. It was up to Boomer to change. 7. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZBWcJ1rzzOIjYAC6V3NMgjRIcZUvgFo4/view?usp=sharing Things were dire the next time I saw him. He was pretty resigned to his fate but wanted me to tell everyone that he was sorry. He asked me to tell Hazel that he didn’t mean to hurt her feelings; he just wanted her attention. 8. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AdQu_5PGxKlG_0Edz83ZMSx9KbzLq7w4/view?usp=sharing He was gone when I passed his spot on my way to the New Year’s countdown. I decided to leave a flower with a promise to pass his messages along to everyone else. 9. https://drive.google.com/file/d/15KWIPXkSqd1jSNmpEmocj7oSe2cOHjtb/view?usp=sharing But to my surprise, a fully restored Boomer was in the plaza, offering sincere apologies to everyone he saw! No one else understood the reason for his change of heart but everyone agreed that there was no better time for a fresh start. Anyway, that’s how 2021 started on Poppleton. I’m looking forward to seeing what the rest of the year brings. Until then, Asbo Zappruder / screaming_argonaut

Asbo Zappruder

Happy New Year Allies I’d like to present a video of my top games of 2020. I didn’t complete many games this year so it’s a short list but in hindsight cramming these into a 3 minute video was a bad idea. I replayed parts of each game for capture and found it extremely difficult to tear myself away from each one, a testament to how much I love each of these games. Had a strange flickering issue with PS4 game capture. Thank you to Brandon Jones for providing the music for a certain game. I can assure you all music is copyright free. I wonder if both of you can update us on what you’ve played and left to play off you holiday check list? Video https://youtu.be/sJu9mYNCiGM

robert7lee

Welcome to my Tips & Tricks

Master Pantz

Hey I got some Tips & Tricks to share. Old calendars can be a cool gift idea and some years actually have the same days match up from the past like for 2021 you can use 2010, 1999, 1993, 1982 calendars just fine. You can actually find Pizza Sauce in a squeeze bottle. It's around the same price as ketchup and there's no reason why you shouldn't be using Pizza Sauce as a condiment. At Walmart they have Dunkin' brand cereal that's coffee flavored and it's made with real coffee. So it's cereal with a small amount of caffeine. It's kind of like Coco Puffs but coffee flavored. I really like it. They also have some Nacho Cheese flavored Taco Shells from Old El Paso that are pretty good. Sometimes I think people feel like they have to make some kind of taco meat to put in taco shells, but I don't think that's really necessary. Put some chicken strips in there, maybe a hamburger patty, no reason not to put some oven roasted turkey in a taco shell. Play Immortals Fenyx Rising in Japanese Dub. It's funny hearing people say "Zeusu!". Where is the Switch Pro? Lastly, there's a cool, easy-going challenge I like to do in party-based JRPG's. Basically, you treat every single equippable item as a unique item, so you're not allowed to have any duplicates. It gives just a little bit of extra strategy in picking who gets what items in your party. A bonus with always selling the extra copies of items is that you'll actually be afford new items when you get to towns without the need to grind. I'm thinking about trying this right now in the original Final Fantasy VII to see how a playthrough with only one of each Materia will be like.

Master Pantz

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Nextgenheff

Hey guys, I will have a continuation of my Crusader Kings 3 king of Ireland playthrough in February. In the meantime, here are some board game reviews about games I played with my family throughout the end of last year. Oceans - A fun game where you play trait cards to create your own new fish species. Then you feed off the reef or other players fish. The first ⅓ of the game you can strategize and plan what you are going to do. After the Cambrian Explosion, you can play unique deep cards for the remaining ⅔ of the game. Each deep card can let your fish pretty much break any game rule depending on the card, and strategy goes out the window. A very fun game, there is also a free app you can download right now on iOS and android to learn how to play and to play against a cpu, or pay $1 to unlock pass’n’play and other features. DC deck building game- I have bought multiple base sets and expansions for this card game. Any DC fan should buy at least one of the main sets (which can be played with just that set itself) and give this game a shot. I have had a blast playing it for the last few years. The most recent set, titled dark knights metal, includes a bunch of cool cards, some foiled, all based on the most recent comic storyline. Gloomhaven (Specifically the Jaws of the Lion box)- I haven’t played much yet, its kinda like a DnD light game that can be played without a dungeon master. It has been fun, and for the price of the box ($40-$50) you get A LOT of stuff. Finally, the modern day granddaddy of board games- Twilight Imperium 4th Edition- I have played two games since buying this. Both games with three players took about 6-8 hours to finish as we were learning how to play. The time to set it up and teach it have not been worth the entertainment value we have gotten out of it yet, but I foresee playing with more people who know how to play will lead to a great time. L&R Nextgenheff

Nextgenheff

Hello Damiani & Brandon! How’s 2021 treating you so far? It’s funny how some people were so eager for 2020 to end, like that would immediately kill the virus and everything would be back to normal; but at least we have a couple of vaccines already being distributed. It’s a dim light at the end of the tunnel; but some light anyway. Now, this is the usual time to talk about game of the year, but I wonder, what qualifies as such? If it is bounded to games that launched in 2020 that I got to play, there are only 3 candidates: “The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope”, “Super Mario 35” & “Mario’s Super Picross”. If we expand the pool to previously released games that I played this year the candidates include “Breath Of The Wild”, “The Talos Principle”, “Mario & Luigi Super Star Saga”, “Braid” & “Overcooked 2”. Hell, I could even make an argument for “Symphony of the Night” and “Resident Evil 4” just because I replayed them for the millionth time this year; but I’ll leave those out just ‘cause it was not my first taste of them. Each of the games above I enjoyed immensely. The enormous open world of “Breath of the Wild”, the philosophy lessons and puzzles of “The Talos Principle”, the irreverent comedy and fun battle system of “Mario & Luigi Super Star Saga”, the mind bending time manipulations of “Braid” & the multiplayer mayhem of “Overcooked 2” show how there is no recipe to create a great game; they are all so different from each other that it’s impossible for me to choose a “game of the year” from that pool; but I’d like to talk about “Braid” a little more. I’ve never owned an xbox and I’m not much of a PC gamer; so even when the graphic style picked my interest I didn’t play it for more than a decade; but this year’s steam summer sale made me say “it’s time”. After playing a few levels it finally hit me that I could hook up a PS4 controller to the PC and have an experience closer to my taste, but then again, having Xbox prompts on the game while using a ps4 controller was a huge problem for me at first; not only for the button naming, but since I’m so used to the Nintendo mapping, I saw “Press A” and wanted to go to the circle button on the PS4, instead of the cross; but after a while I got so used to it, that when I realized I could also use a Switch Pro controller and have the face buttons map to the correct letters; it was too late, so I went back to the dualshock for the rest of my play thru. Braid it’s a wonderful game. I hope the upcoming re-release is a huge success; and I also hope someone eventually makes a case for it as “one of the greats”. Estamos en Contact, César.

César Villa

(Note for Jones: This video is 3:03 seconds long which I know is technically breaking the rules, but there's not really many sub 3 minute stages. If you want to leave it out, that's fine.) Hey allies, and chat. While I normally get my rallying fix through Dirt Rally 2.0, I wanted a racing game for my PS5, and decided to pick up WRC 9, which has came along leaps and bounds from previous entries. I've managed to top a few leaderboards in it, and decided to send in my latest run. Happy New Year, and I hope you enjoy it. P.S. These games can sometimes induce motion sickness, so anyone that suffers from it may want to look away. https://youtu.be/XBTP4L1MRpM

BeatenDownBrian

Sadly, I don't have a new recurring idea for the community showcase so please accept a poem and a joke. There was one who said unto me that the universe was going to cause me to tremble, That I am not the wisest among my peers. She had the appearance unto me as a foolish girl, She leered at me with her fingers and her hand contorted. In the frame of a Greek gamma upon her forehead. Behold, the years begin coming, and do not cease from coming. Fed unto the axioms, I fell upon the earth and ran. It was not acceptable if not to live for the sake of pleasurable things. Your brain increases its wisdom, but your heart still seeks childish pursuits. A great amount to do, a great amount to see, Therefore, there is no difficult problem if we take to the backside of the streets. You will not know if you do not go on. You will not shine if you do not glow. Behold currently! You are entirely a star child! Begin your power! Go! Laugh! Behold currently! You are a master of the music! Begin your singing! Acquire your wages! All that sparkles is gold! Comets alone shatter the frame! (This is Smash Mouth's Allstar Translated into Aramaic and then translated back into English but read as a poem. Original idea and credit in the link: https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/entertainment/2019/08/smash-mouth-s-all-star-translated-to-aramaic-and-back-becomes-beautiful-poetry.html) Finally a Joke for Michael Damiani: You have probably heard the news that Alaska is going to be divided in half to become East Alaska and West Alaska, but did you hear why? (Allow time for response) This way, Texas can be the 3rd largest state in the US! (Boom, ya roasted)

Morgan Mohalla

Comment protection :)

Alex_AI

Hi damiani and jones, How are you today? Hopefully well. I am one of those people who just can't stop buying new games. Over the years I amassed a huge backlog and in order to finally chip away at it I made a resolution last year to beat more games. Part of that resolution was listing the games I beat so here are the games I actually finished in 2020: 1. Steamworld quest – RPG – switch : „ Fun little RPG with cardbased combat“ 2. Glass Masquerade 2 – puzzle – switch : „interesting stained glass puzzles“ 3. Minesweeper Genius – puzzle – switch : „some brain jogging for in-between“ 4. Child of Light – RPG – switch : „Finally beaten. Nice short RPG. Impressive visuals and music" 5. Langrisser 1 – SRPG – switch : „Nostalgia. Beaten the original on Sega Genesis“ 6. Langrisser 2 – SRPG – switch : „More nostalgia for me. Love this one“ 7. Legend of heroes: Trails in the Sky FC(first chapter) – RPG – steam : „Great. Had to beat it again to remember all the story bits“ 8. Chaos code – new sign of catastrophe- – Fighting – switch : „an oldie from Arc Systems Works“ 9. Legend of heroes: Trails in the Sky SC(second chapter) – RPG – steam : „Great game and loads of story pay offs as it continues the story from FC“ 10. Final Fantasy XIV a Realm Reborn – MMORPG – steam : „Fresh character“ 11. Final Fantasy XIV Heavensward – MMORPG – steam : „Finally beaten. Amazing“ 12. Final Fantasy Stormblood – MMORPG – steam : „ wayward daughter is my favourite theme.“ 13. Final Fantasy Shadowbringers – MMORPG – steam : „Got to the first credits roll will continue once all the patches are out. Really great again“ 14. Children of Morta – Action RPG – switch : „Nice pallet cleanser“ 15. Tales of Symphonia – RPG – steam : „Fun“ 16. Tales of Zestiria – RPG – steam „finicky camera but still fun combat“ 17. Hades – Action – switch : „Awesome“ 18. Huntdown – Action – switch : „Thanks Don for the recommendation“ 19. Cyberpunk 2077 – RPG – steam : „Loads of great stories and overall potential but has issues“ I have already started my list for 2021 and am excited to see what i will finally beat this year. L&R Alex

Alex_AI

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Sebastian Hall

Hello Brandon and Damiani! Welcome to 2021 where we hope things are starting to get better. Obviously nothing will be done overnight, but it feels like now with two vaccines approved (at least here in the UK) and the holidays done with, we can hope that things are looking good by the summer. Working from home this year has also meant that I have had a lot of time for gaming. I have played a lot more WoW Classic than I dare to admit, levelled and geared two characters (Warrior tank and Rogue). Raided all current content and met a lot of people which I now consider friends. Also coming to an end of a console generation meant I could start wrapping up my backlog and catch up on some stuff that I’ve had lying around for a while. This year I 100%ed Skyrim (including all the DLCs) which was fun, despite that I put in around 300 hours in the base version on PS3. This time around it “only” took me about 150 hours. Playing through FF7 Remake twice but been putting off hard mode as it seems really daunting and there are some fights I am really not looking forward to but won’t spoil here for people that still haven’t played it. Ended up putting more hours into Titanfall 2 multiplayer, still holds up, still great fun and yes I still got the skills… kinda. Shame that Respawn seems to be focusing on Apex and other stuff that means we probably never will see a third installment. That said, Fallen order that they did was a lot of great fun and if they continue with great games with more great combat like that, I’ll be all for it. My main highlight (gaming wise) of the year I think was The Last of us 2 though. Sure the pacing was a bit off and some stuff was a bit dreary, however after completing the game I felt exhausted, sad, angry, happy. a rollercoaster of emotions really. Not many games makes me end up just staring at the screen after credits trying to calm down and process it all. Also shout out to the animation team, just spot on and so fluid from start to finish. I am sorry that I’ve missed the last couple showcases. Ended up moving from my shared accomodation to my own big flat, even got a proper office space now! (whoop whoop!) then work decided to go absolutely ballistic for the last 2 months before the holidays. Hoping that now in 2021 I can build a new gaming rig so I can bring some more and better Star Citizen content to the future showcases! (if RTX 3080 could come back into stock I would be very happy). Hope 2021 be all you wish it will be! Love and Respect Lotias

Sebastian Hall

New year, new top five list! I think I played more old games in 2020 as opposed to new releases, but that doesn't mean there wasn't plenty of good stuff to work with, so let's get going: Honorable mention: Sayonara Wild Hearts This game came out last year but I didn't play it until 2020 and it is an absolute blast. A pop album music video come to life, Sayonara Wild Hearts is energetic, cheerful and oozing with style. 5. Noita Developed by a Finnish dream team consisting of superstars like Petri Purho (Crayon Physics Deluxe), Olli Harjola (The Swapper) and Arvi Teikari (BABA IS YOU), this roguelite action sidescroller captivates with its unique fluid mechanics inspired by falling-sand games of old and a wildly creative wand crafting system that lets you combine spells for all sorts of crazy results, which you'll need in order to survive this vicious world inspired by Finnish mythology. 4. Risk of Rain 2 My honorable mention from last year's list, This third-person roguelite shooter is out of early access and better than ever. I adore this game's cast of playable characters, ranging from construction robots to techno wizards and toxic lizard monsters, and of course the frenetic combat in which you'll be weaving through the attacks of dozens if not hundreds of enemies as you attempt to escape a hostile alien planet. 3. Animal Crossing: New Horizons My token big-budget game for this list, because Triple-A games are real games too. In a very challenging year, it's been nice to have something as unchallenging as New Horizons around, and I've been happy to check in on my little island every single day since the game was released. 2. Hades I think the fact that Hades ranks at number 2, despite that I think it's one of Supergiant's LESS interesting games, says a lot about the quality of both the game and of Supergiant as a studio. Despite not feeling very inspired by the setting, I absolutely loved this game's combat and character writing, and on a systemic level, it's easily Supergiant's strongest outing yet. 1. Spiritfarer "A cozy management game about dying" is the tagline that Thunder Lotus used for Spiritfarer's marketing, and while it does succinctly describe it I also think it undersells what a tremendously ambitious game this is at its core. Spiritfarer is a game about being the ferryman of the dead, about traveling the spirit world looking for people to join your crew and expanding your ship to fit the needs and wants of your new friends, but more than that, it is a game about confronting mortality. It is about losing loved ones, about never getting to say goodbye, about accepting the fact that one day you will never wake up again. It should be a gloomy affair, but with deft writing and a great deal of heart, Spiritfarer ends up being one of the most uplifting experiences I've ever had, and my life is much, MUCH, richer for it. Even if I cried like a baby. On four separate occasions. And that's my list for the year. Here's hoping 2021 is a lot less of... whatever all of that was all about. L&R, Small Leviathan

Small Leviathan

Hello Jones and Damiani and all, Have a great 2021, everyone! Or at least a good one. A decent one, maybe? How much is too much to ask, these days? Seriously, I hope we can all look forward to a good one, this time. I'm lucky that Christmas celebrations were happy and good for me, and am sharing my Christmas tradition with you yet again: an epic rendition of a jolly Christmas song! This year's choice was a French one, “Petit Papa Noël”, so I'm not sure how familiar everyone is going to be with this one. Still, I hope you enjoy, and again, best wishes to everybody, and I'll sign off with the title of the European release of the Yoshi's Story soundtrack: Love, Peace & Happiness! Kévin Gillet Link to the music: https://youtu.be/PoqV7dPLjeM

Kévin Gillet

Hi Damiani and Brandon. Happy 2021. After finishing Persona 5 Royal (and dating Makoto in original and Tae in Royal) I was thinking of playing some shorter games to end a year on a bang like Wonderful 101 and Okami. https://twitter.com/tearjuengi/status/1338064676442279937 https://twitter.com/tearjuengi/status/1338107770642554882 Alas the next one I played was longer than I expected and clocked it at almost 53 hours and looking at my stats I am bad at growing the rice and have more respect and appreciation for farmers. The game I'm talking about is of course "Sakuna of Rice and Ruin". The game surprisingly pulled me in deeper than I expected and while it became very grindy experience for me personally (because I am not good at leveling), the game had so much heart and good vibes overall that I just couldn't stop going through it. What choice would you pick? https://twitter.com/tearjuengi/status/1343708359241949184 https://twitter.com/tearjuengi/status/1341162666988101632 https://twitter.com/tearjuengi/status/1341162198115241986 Finally steps on one I just went with and drew. For a change wanted to draw her as a whole so you can see how I "expanded" it though compromises had to be made. Also background was an afterthought so I totally didn't pay attention on perspectives not to mention colored it too strong compared to a character. What's done is done. https://twitter.com/tearjuengi/status/1338852325675438081 https://twitter.com/tearjuengi/status/1342412339115655168 https://twitter.com/tearjuengi/status/1342469754615967744 https://twitter.com/tearjuengi/status/1343261253721010176 Best wishes for both of you and everyone and hope the year to turn out better Love & Respect TearjuEngi

Trung Nguyen

Hello Jones and Damiani! I hope you both had amazing holidays! Though I spent a lovely Christmas with my girlfriend's family, Toronto issued another lockdown on December 26th at 12:01AM and so I had to spend New Years with my family this year - and don't get me wrong, I love them to death and we had an amazing dinner, but they both fell asleep at 10PM and my brother lives in another time zone. Instead of sulking about, I decided to make a song about saying goodbye to 2020 and looking towards a better and hopeful new year. I hope you all enjoy, L&R Mason Victoria (@masonachu) https://youtu.be/bJL0V-nPOd4

Mason Victoria

Hey guys, on last month's Community Showcase I shared a few big time gaps in gaming-related releases from now, compared to similar time gaps in the past that felt like an eternity at the time. It's a strange subject that I dwell on way too much and I felt a little less weird when Damiani said that this stuff drives him insane too. Now that Damiani is on this month's showcase, I'd like to share a few more examples of mind-blowing time gaps, this time all Nintendo related. Just like last month, these time gaps I'm going to mention are calculated in years, so don't go crazy doing the math in your head if you know what month or day these things came out. Ready? It's been over 10 years since Metroid: Other M came out. The gap between Super Metroid and Metroid Prime was "only" eight years. The Gamecube came out 19 years ago. At the time, the NES released only 16 years ago. By next year, the 3DS will be as old as the GameBoy Advance was when the 3DS released. The Wii is as old now as the Phillips CDI was when the Wii released. Reggie Fils-Aimé joined Nintendo of America 17 years ago. The original Legend of Zelda was 17 years old at the time. The infamous Capcom 5 were also announced 17 years ago. And finally - perhaps the one that hurts my 35 year old brain the most - Mario Galaxy is as old now as the first episode of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show was when Mario Sunshine released - 13 years. Hopefully this exercise didn't make you feel too old. Honestly it just makes me appreciate how much has changed in the industry and in our lives. We don't tend to notice slow and steady change until we look back at just a short time ago, especially when it comes to something like videogame graphical realism. For example, I was replaying Horizon Zero Dawn on my very powerful PC, a game which was gorgeous on my PS4Pro less than 4 years ago, but my girlfriend was blown away when I told her it was only 4 years old; she thought it looked like a much older game just based on the graphics. As we get older, time moves too quickly for sure, but at least plenty of cool stuff happens along the way.

Joseph Caruso

Justin Case

JessieBlu

Hi Jones Link in messages as usual. Please forgive the audio quality. My setup got changed and I didn't have time to rerecord. I'm sure you can relate. L&R and Happy New Year! JessieBlu

JessieBlu

Stay safe, wear a mask

Happy New Year Damiani, Jones, and allies far and wide! Just squeezing this one into the holiday season, Really didn't intend on making a Christmas animation this year, after all the work I put into my Mega man video I was a little burned out. But then that stupid spark of inspiration hit so I took a week off work and made this: https://youtu.be/zzz0N_j9ixA I hope everyone has a good 2021, and that my PS5 disk drive stops sounding like a hornets nest. Love and Respect Dave Cleland PS. thanks for the support and shares of the Mega Man vid, it was very appreciated.

Greetings Jones and Damiani! I hope by the time of reading this you both had a great time off over the holidays, and new year. For this months submission I thought it was high time that I got around to the track that actually made me want to adapt video game music to real instruments in the first place. The original F-Zero's soundtrack stands head and shoulders above most games, and the track "Big Blue" is the standout for me, among a standout OST. I didn't have a huge amount of time to work on this one due to not being at home for some of the Christmas period, so I hope I did it the justice it deserves. Enjoy! Love and Respect, Ciaran/MrConeman. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xhJLWEJB1E

Ciaran Lyttle

My final GOTY list will be months away because CyberPunk’s late release, but shockingly awful performance and luckily securing a Series X has me waiting. Instead, here are the eight games I played from 2020. In 8th is Gears Tactics, and while last, it’s not bad. The first game I’ve played in the genre, it’s decent, though has numerous problems: Pop-in and loading at the start of every mission. Interesting story is marred by poorly handling the cast. Bosses are the best part, but they’re only three, and are one-time instances per save file. 7th place is Crash 4: It’s About Time. As I said months ago: The best Crash game ever and does so much right, but how it implements difficulty down the stretch leaves me more frustrated than celebratory. 6th place belongs to Ghostrunner. Really enjoyed my time with this first-person parkour puzzler. It’s a delight, though the second of three boss encounters and the last gameplay segment are infuriating for both how fast and precise you must be. Next is Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory. I’m not really into rhythm games, but this is FANTASTIC because it’s entirely a celebration of the franchise and you play almost every song from every game in a series known for phenomenal music. In addition, it’s a great condensed recap of major plot points. Ori and the Will of the Wisps would have been third if not for tech issues. However, like the first Ori, this is artistically the most beautiful game I’ve ever played with an exemplary soundtrack and somber story. Instead, third place goes to DOOM: Eternal. MUCH more challenging than DOOM 2016, the juggling of constantly needing health, armor, and ammo while viciously obliterating demons is satisfying. My runner up is The Last of Us Part II. One of the most impactful games I’ve ever gone through, and while I have no issue replaying the first many times, character decisions, particularly in the last third of Part II, are so emotionally jarring, I can’t replay it yet. Don’t get me wrong: It runs fantastically, looks incredible, plays perfectly, and is excellently acted. Yet, the 2020 game I loved most is Final Fantasy VII: Remake. To name a fraction of moments that will stay with me: Sitting at the main menu listening to the Prologue. First controlling Cloud, disbelieving five years of initial wait is over. Looking up at a steel sky, caught up in a soft reworking of the main theme. Fighting the Airbuster to an epic rock choir. Having my imagination in hyperdrive as credits rolled (Further fueled by the Spoiler Mode with Maximilian Dood afterwards, so thank you EZA and Max!). It’s not perfect. I have gripes with some choices in mini-games, the handling of Roche, the ending is only for super hardcore fans like myself, and certain aspects about Materia, but I said it last month: It’s my most anticipated project, and Remake is my second favorite game of all time, only behind the original.

Brandon K Gann

Hello dear Allies! Just in time for the Holidays I finally realised my long held dream of making my PC build more fun and remade my desk into a watercooled PC case. Maybe it can serve as an inspiration for others. Video of the finished build, music by my old band 2cool4school, so it's ok to keep the sound on if you like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wExoZLBqJhA Build log with specs and pictures for those who want to know more (just scroll past the stuff about my old rig): https://www.outlawgamers.com/forum/m/27218095/viewthread/32584500-new-pc-build-under-way/page/1 Love & Respect from Sweden!

Cottelito

Greetings Brandon and Damiani, Seeing as Damiani loves cats like I do-I want to share that earlier this year or sometime last year my late moggy cat Jessica rested on my mum's chest backwards so that her backside was dangerously close to her face and my brother took a picture of it. Unfortunately Jess was put down in late September but she had a lovely and long life which is what I assume all of us want from our pets-she was also the third pet I lost in the space of 13 months which is sad but the memories remain. My showcases and Q&A questions have often been long-winded, reductive and incendiary because I find I have so much to say and want the Allies' opinions on-this could be due to my journalistic mentality, but I love bringing some challenging discussions to the Q&As. I find that the more probing questions might not be to your tastes such as the list of controversial videogame opinions and this month's philosophical list based on the speeches given by George Carlin and Jacque Fresco- perhaps you find them a bit too scathing, whereas questions related to your pasts such as when I asked about your embarrassing moments are more enjoyable and engaging for everybody. My point isn't to create or insight arguments it's to garner perspectives. How do you feel about these sorts of questions and would you prefer them to be more personal and past-driven? Speaking of journalisms-do either of you have any recommendations regarding websites who will recruit videogame writers on a voluntary basis? I'm currently affiliated with The Xbox Tavern, where I've reviewed many different games from obscurities like Distraint 2 to triple A blockbusters like Assassins Creed: Valhalla-but I want to broaden my horizons. I mentioned in the Q&A that I'm partnering with HappyGaming to produce videogame content, which I believe we'll show off in our community showcases in the future. As for my GOTY games this year I've got many games I want to trudge through, but at the moment I believe Huntdown to be my personal GOTY closely followed by The Last of Us Part II and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 Remake. Huntdown gets the nod from me because of how in awe I was when I started playing it and how explosively memorable it became for me-and unlike The Last of Us Part II it never wavered and managed to stay consistently awesome from start to finish-where The Last of Us Part II despite being one the finest videogame experiences I've ever had, overdid the outpost clearing to such an extent that I wanted it to stop. Some of the worst games I've played include WWE 2K Battlegrounds, Mafia II: Definitive Edition and Fast and Furious: Crossroads. Also I predict the EZA GOTY will come down between Final Fantasy VII: Remake and The Last of Us Part II-although I feel Hades might be a dark horse contender. Thanks for all that you do. Love and Respect.

James Davie

Safety in a vaccine.

Sara Knite

Happy New Year, Damiani and Jones! Hope you guys are having a great start to 2021. Jones, you said in the last showcase that seeing my characters every month is like seeing your friends again. How about I do you one better by getting to know them? What’s one way of getting to these characters? By checking out their yearbook photos of course! In alphabetical order: Todd - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-YhmSj-oWAVkj93yZKr6makj3BWa09EA/view?usp=sharing Andrea - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nKAlOdHiZceubJ_OL-vEJnc8GacPHyR6/view?usp=sharing Mark - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ht_hx73b8JBDFdzGA1WEze7nlI2irgyT/view?usp=sharing Rick - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Dz_Mbhd1SWQyQY__PzWkOwQtBXtbQCg6/view?usp=sharing Sophie - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yfkwTq3y5J0kciC-vkTI18H_kwKVN61z/view?usp=sharing Have fun theorizing! Hope everyone is staying safe out there, wear a mask, and wash your hands! Black lives matter! Much love and respect, SaraKnite

Sara Knite

Please don’t evaporate

Michelle Jackson

Hello Allies! One of few good things to come out of 2020 for me was my mom becoming deeply invested in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. In honor of this I though I’d share some highlights from a video we made where my mom gave her thoughts on an assortment of villagers. L&R! https://youtu.be/P8SDz8RzJcQ

Michelle Jackson

uwu

Kit Snow

Plus a safety

Happy Gaming

Hello there Doctor Jones and Mr. Michael Damiani, As per tradition the last few months, I’ve completed my newest review for you and all the Allies to check out. This month, I reviewed a new game called Ikenfell. It caught my attention as it looked in the style of GameBoy Color games from back in the day. In it, a girl named Maritte explores a school for witches and wizards in search of her sister Safina. Without spoiling too much, I thought the plot was a pretty simple. However, the way it presents its characters elevates what would have been a just alright game and story to new heights. The dev team hired on members of all parts of the LGBTQ+ Community as well as other minority groups to make a cast that is one of the most inclusive I’ve ever experienced. As a side note I didn’t mention in the review, the game is also composed by Aivi & Surasshu who are most well known for their work on Steven Universe (which I’m actually unfamiliar with, but I’ve been told is famously inclusive of queer representation) The game made me excited to play others with awesome characters who don’t look like me, has made me more mindful of how I view others, and has me excited to see other games which being inclusive isn’t just a bullet point for marketing. Anyways, as always, I ask Brandon politely to cut me off at three minutes, and if you or chat would be so kind, I always love a little constructive criticism. If you’d like to see the complete review, please check out my Patreon where all of my past reviews and content are available for free. Love and respect always allies, and happy 2021 Brian from Happy Gaming https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=molM45G8PIY&feature=youtu.be

Happy Gaming

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Adam Hentschel

Hey Brandon and Damiani! To start off the year on a happier note, I recorded a little rendition of the classic Athletic Theme from Yoshi’s Island. Thanks for the listen and I hope everyone enjoys 2021 to the fullest! You guys deserve it. Adam https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnUPCvF_-Jk

Adam Hentschel

The line

Eric Jackson

Hey Jones and Damiani, What a crazy year it's been. I think I'll take it easy this showcase and forego any artwork or voiceover content. I'm currently transitioning to my new apartment, where I'll be living totally alone for the first time ever, no roommates or parents, and things have been pretty stressful, as you can imagine. I wish everyone a wonderful holiday season and a fantastic new year in spite of all the sadness and trauma currently filling the airways. As always, love and respect. - Eric

Eric Jackson

Be careful, this post is rigged...

R.F. Switch

Greetings Jones and Damiani, While I was thinking of ideas for short stories for Themis the Catgirl, I came up with a great one for our own Guru of Cheese. I really hope that you like it Damiani... Anyways, I had the idea that three of our human heroes; Derek von Waffen, Zeke O’Malley, and Trevor Baker, would have a little fun with each other, in a trolling sort of way. Don’t worry about Themis or any of the other Uprisers, they’re going to stay well the hell away from these idiots for this one. Love, Respect, and Happy New Year. R.F. Switch WARNING: Please, for the sake of yourselves and those around you, do not try anything you are about to hear or read at home. These are semi-professional people with years of experience being this stupid with each other. *Note for Jones: Please read the following sentence in your Golden Voice* And now, a World Premier Excerpt from "Prank War", Written and Performed by R.F. Switch *Clip below when I post it*

R.F. Switch

Hold

Megan Linart

Easy Allies 2020 Tribute https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZK3j2S-poE Note for Jones: Music is from Epidemic Sound (https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/I6jvClXk3K/). I’ve asked you whether I can make such submission or not on Cup of Jones (October 5, 2020) and you said to give it a try. If there’s a problem, please let me know and I’ll submit something else.

Alexander Zyryanov