Due to how large this project was, the end result was a clean presentation with almost professional-like quality. When I asked her if she made something like this before, she had this to say.

AM: Basically a friend of mine and I were fans of the old school combo vids done in a similar manner. They kind of fell off over time, and we kinda felt like they needed to be a thing again. We like the concept of people pushing their creativity. We like seeing the skill on display. We like seeing people bring up games that didn't really get a lot of time to shine and showing off what they're about so people can maybe get interest in them.

Having a friend push you to do your best and vice versa is one of the best qualities anyone can have, especially in the community. Then came the inevitable question. How long has Aria been invested into fighting games? 

AM: I've been playing fighting games since I was really young. The earliest one I can actively remember, like most, is Street Fighter II. I played a variety of them, though, as years went on, and I just found myself more fascinated with what was possible in those games as opposed to JUST trying to figure out how efficiently I could bat someone around, though in some ways, they go hand-in-hand. Eventually, I just wanted to take the things I could learn to try to teach people things, or at the least, to try to show people something cool, if possible.

Exploring “what’s possible” within said games is the cornerstone for new strategies being formed. This isn’t evident not just in fighting games when you “lab” in practice mode, but in other gaming communities as well. How does this tie into bringing people from various corners of the community onto the project? 

AM: My aim with the community combo video is always to bring people from different walks of life, at differing skill levels, together to give people a chance to show what they think is cool. For a lot of people I've talked to, there's a layer of intimidation when it comes to the concept of putting themselves out there, whether it's making tutorials or exhibition videos of any sort. My HOPE for the community CMVs is that they get to express themselves alongside others, and for them to be able to say "I was part of something cool."

AM: We also want to be able to show our love for the FGC. Fighting games have a deep history, more than what's covered by just the games you see on the main tournament stages. The community CMVs usually bring a decent bit of variety, so people get to see games they may not have even known about.

And what about being a content creator?

AM: I think there's a good deal of importance to it, honestly. Whether you're an avid content creator or a steady tournament player, supporting the scenes for the games you love is important for keeping those games, and in turn, the FGC itself, strong. There's also the factor of sharing information. I'd like to think that everyone in the FGC has their place. Content creators that make exhibition and tutorial vids can often dig out things very quickly that even some of the best players can overlook, so circulating that kind of information can be crucial to the growth of a game.

Don’t just simply mistake her as someone who exclusively theory crafts and create cool videos for the masses. She’s also naturally a fighter and a competitor herself!

AM: The first tournament I actually went to offline is Gwinnett Brawl, in Georgia. Pretty fun tourney experience, all things considered. It was a good starting point for someone like me that has severe anxiety issues, since it was an overall smaller venue. Personal hurdles aside, though, I've attended other locals, multiple Final Round tournies, and EVO, back in 2016. All fun experiences, and I got to meet friends I've known online for years, so massive bonus there.

AM: Just getting to see how I stacked up against others in games I loved playing was interesting, with EVO being the most prominent for me. Tied for 16th in the Nitroplus Blasterz side tourney that year, knocked into losers by one of my best friends, so I can't complain about that but so much. Definitely prefer being a content creator, though. I love to teach things when and where I can, and hope to help others progress if I can.

While at the time of writing, the thrill of competition has been placed on the backburner for Aria, the passion for fighting games hadn’t wavered. Perhaps a huge part of her identity is the voice she provides to others who are like her. An inclusive voice that the FGC has always been in need of.

As someone who is LGBT and isn’t afraid to identify with who she is as an individual, Aria represents the many members of the FGC who fights for inclusiveness.

I asked her what advice she could give to someone who is in the FGC that may find it difficult to come out and embrace their identity and individuality. I also asked about the current state of the FGC with its inclusion and representation of LGBT players.

AM: I think the representation of trans and non-binary players is integral to the overall growth of the FGC. Being accepting of LGBTQ+ players as a whole is important for ANY community, but the FGC in particular has seen its share of toxicity, both in a general sense, and in regards to bigotry within the community. As we've seen, though, the FGC is also capable of some truly amazing things when we come together, so players being supportive one another, regardless of orientation, is paramount to bringing more people in the community together. 

AM: As far as LGBTQ+ people who are hesitant to embrace who they are within the FGC, it's a tough road to walk in general, so it's understandable. Coming from someone who's been through troubles herself with coming out as trans to my family, It's all the more important that you accept and represent who you are, not only for yourself, but because your courage in doing so might in turn give others the boost THEY need to move forward and accept themselves. We have to support and care for one another. The FGC can be awesome for EVERYONE, and we can, and should show that.

A powerful answer from an equally powerful person. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if you’re a high level competitor or a “casual” player. If you prefer to provide content via streaming or YouTube videos. Even if you’re writing about players and the FGC in general via articles! It doesn’t matter if you’re cis or LGBTQ+. 

Everyone who is a part of the FGC is all under one roof, one community. Watching her community combo video and seeing all of us, myself and my friends included, contribute. All of us from various backgrounds, various disciplines, and various histories. We can all come together to create something beautiful if we all put our heads together.

As far as Aria goes, expect a lot of things planned from her this year! Including a new super top secret YT channel! Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions once again!

Syrup is a skilled alchemist who uses her craft to create succulent treats for her candy shop. While traveling into the basement of her candy shop, she comes across a candy golem whose first request is to “eat her.”

Awkward pleasantries and introductions aside, Syrup’s assistant, Pastille sees the golem and encourages Syrup to befriend her. Naturally, upon seeing a sentient talking candy girl who requests Syrup to devour her, Syrup is reluctant to take her in. Eventually, she warms up to the idea and the candy girl becomes the shop assistant. Syrup eventually gives the candy golem the name, Gumdrop.

Syrup immediately has suspicions that a witch created the candy golem as it was the only logical reasoning for Gumdrop’s creation. Because of this, Syrup immediately suspects Butterscotch, a witch who lives on the other side of town, to be the one responsible for the creation. Upon arriving at her house, Butterscotch neither confirms nor denies that she created Gumdrop, but Syrup has pressing matters on hand.

See, there’s this treat called the “Ultimate Sweet,” which is such a delicacy that whoever eats it will sing praises of the gods and shout to the heavens above. However, no alchemist was able to successfully create the candy. It’s revealed that part of this reason is due to the final ingredient located on top of a cold frigid mountain that only those proficient in magic can hope to survive.

The only woman who Syrup knows that is proficient in magic is none other than Butterscotch herself. The very same woman who Syrup is the most disagreeable with. However, she’s able to put her differences aside if only to use Butterscotch’s ability to secure the final ingredient.

After run-ins with hostile wild wolves and a friendly anthropomorphic wolf by the name of Treat, the unlikely duo ends up finding the final ingredient. However, in doing so, they end up entrapped in an ice cave. It is here that Butterscotch reveals her secret. She has been keeping a false appearance in order to maintain her own self-worth and in keeping the false appearance, her magic has been subdued the entire time.

It is at this moment that Syrup’s ego, paranoia, and overall cold exterior begins to defrost. She realizes that part of the reason for Butterscotch’s insecurities are due to the fear of Syrup’s hatred for her. Once Syrup finally acknowledges this and sets to right the wrongs that she made, Butterscotch is able to calm down. Due to her calmness and assurance in life, she’s able to melt the ice wall away and return back to town.

As repayment for Syrup’s kindness, Butterscotch reveals that she has been spying on Syrup via a crystal ball and to inform her to watch the crystal ball in privacy to get the answers that she sought the entire time.

Upon viewing the crystal ball, she learns that it was Pastille who created Gumdrop. The intention was that Pastille wanted Syrup to make friends. Being that Syrup was cold to all of the residents, Gumdrop’s creation was made as a last ditch effort to help Syrup find a friend.

At this point, Gumdrop intrudes on Syrup and Gumdrop, who was told not to reveal who created her, admitted-without-admitting that Pastille did indeed create her. At this point, Syrup has an understanding that Gumdrop, despite the awkward introduction and Gumdrop wanting Syrup to eat her, “was created with Syrup in mind.”

Syrup and Gumdrop decide to take on adventures alone while building up their friendship together in the process. Pastille understands this, happy that his plan was a success, while Butterscotch is saddened that her former-rival-turned-friend is gone. However, she’s content to see Syrup in a much better state than how she started.

That concludes the Gumdrop route.

I mentioned that there were a total of ten different endings. To break this down further, there are five normal endings representing each of the characters featured in the main menu. As you complete their route, their appearance changes to reflect this. Gumdrop, for example, wears an overcoat.

The other five endings are the bad endings. These range from Pastille flat out leaving Syrup altogether, deeming her a lost cause to Butterscotch and her cat familiar, Toffee, taking over Syrup’s shop after she refuses to work with the latter due to their use of magic in their sweets.

These are the endings that you acquire when give into Syrup’s negative traits to the utmost extreme. Take an earlier scene where Syrup and Butterscotch are trapped in the ice cave. The ideal choice is Syrup forgiving Butterscotch for being who she is. You do have a choice to give in to Syrup’s frustrations by declaring that she hates Butterscotch for getting them into this mess.

In certain route paths, this choice leaves the two of them, frustrated with each other, to sit in silence as they inevitably freeze to death. In other routes, they are saved from an “outside source.” (later revealed to be Pastille using his magic to melt the ice)

If the latter happens, then Syrup has one last chance to make amends with Butterscotch, who approaches her while still feeling bad about all that has happened. The actual canon choice at this point is to forgive her.

If Syrup still holds onto the bitterness into her heart, she ends up dying due to implied pneumonia. This is the “worst end,” as she dies alone with coldness in her heart.

There’s one more “bad” ending and it’s so obvious that I ended up getting this ending first purely by accident. It’s an ending you can get within two, count ‘em, two choices. You decide to actually eat poor Gumdrop right in the beginning of the game. As you’re doing it, the text that follows is meant to fill the player with regret. 

You essentially just ate your friend’s creation who is sentient enough to know that she is being eaten. At the end of the day, all she wanted was to be friends with Syrup, but, well, that is one way to go about it. 

Right, so, now that all of the sad endings are out of the way. Back to the main endings.  I mentioned Gumdrop’s route first because I feel it may be the “canon” route, although each of the routes have their own merit. However, Gumdrop’s ending wasn’t the first ending I got.

After eating Gumdrop, I decided to play the game for real, answering how I feel Syrup would answer along the way. Early on in the story you have the choice to give Gumdrop to Butterscotch and Toffee. After a while Syrup realizes that it was probably cruel to do such a thing, so she goes to retrieve her only to find that Butterscotch was eating Gumdrop!

It’s almost as if this was mocking me for my blunder from earlier.

Syrup ends up saving Gumdrop and re-crafts her missing body parts, while deciding to keep her hair short.

The game continues on as normal, although the crystal ball scene plays a bit different. In this route, Syrup feels betrayed that Pastille would hide the fact that he’s a witch from her. Rather than succumbing to her earlier negative traits, she reflects on the budding relationship she has with Butterscotch and declares it’s best to make amends with her. After all, everything involving Butterscotch’s insecurities were a byproduct of Syrup’s cold attitude.

In the end, Syrup teaches Butterscotch how to make candies and she starts selling candy on the side. Syrup and Pastille reaches an understanding with each other, with the latter just happy that she was finally able to befriend her rival. Perhaps even form a budding romance if the text is anything to go by! Butterscotch ending achieved.

There’s also an ending where Syrup doesn’t look at the crystal ball. In some routes, it’s flat out told through Syrup that she has an idea on what the crystal ball would show her, meaning she had suspicions that Pastille was a witch the entire time. However, no matter the route, if Syrup doesn’t look at the crystal ball, she convinces some investors to invest in the shop. She then spends the rest of her life wealthy yet remains distant to everyone. This is Syrup’s ending.

I feel like this is neither a good nor a bad ending. Just as simple a “normal” ending if this game had one. Syrup may very well realize that Pastille wasn’t completely honest with her, but she doesn’t care. She just gets even by making profits instead. Money is a strong motivator after all, but is it the best one?

There’s a hidden Toffee ending which follows the exact same path as the Butterscotch ending, yet a bonus scene plays. Toffee wants Syrup to take them to Treat to thank her for taking care of their master, Butterscotch. These scenes are short, but it expands on Toffee’s characterization.

There’s a scene where Toffee asks Syrup a simple question. Is Toffee a boy or a girl in Syrup’s eyes.

At this point I never got to think about Toffee’s gender, so for this question to arrive, it took me off guard as much as it took Syrup. When Toffee revealed that they were agender, it made sense.

A funny touch is that if you go back to this scene later, you have the option to indeed choose “Neither,” in which Toffee will ask if you’re a time traveler. I want to think in my purest of hearts that this is a Life is Strange reference. If so, kudos to you Nami!

Toffee’s entire characterization, from deliberately foregoing cat puns when it’s time for serious conversation, to their gender reveal, offers a hidden layer of depth for a supporting character. A depth that one wouldn’t be aware of if they didn’t take the time to get to know them.

As I unlocked this Toffee ending, I realized that Syrup and the player are one in the same. Characters reveal themselves, such as Butterscotch’s insecurities, Pastille being a witch, and Toffee being Toffee, the more they feel they can trust Syrup.

In order for others to trust Syrup, Syrup has to trust herself. The only way to trust herself is to look at her negative traits, acknowledge them, learn from them, and grow as a person.

With this new knowledge of Syrup and how the player is meant to view her, I felt I was ready to take on the final ending. Pastille’s.

Syrup confronts Pastille for keeping this a secret from Syrup as Syrup considers Pastille family. Pastille was at a crossroads. He didn’t know how Syrup would react and didn’t mean any ill intention. He just wanted to see someone who he cared for as a sibling figure happy. Syrup acknowledges Pastille’s witch-hood and offers a partnership.

In the end, Pastille’s magical powers to seek out rare ingredients and Syrup’s alchemy in making delicious treats proved to be a powerful combination. Not only were they both renowned for their accomplishments, but the two of them couldn’t be any closer.

I feel, with Pastille’s ending being the final ending that I unlocked, it was the perfect way to close the book on this visual novel. It took me about an hour to reach all the endings, so it is a bit on the short side. However, while short, it is indeed sweet. I was able to learn about all five central characters within the contained space that the story gives.

On Saturday’s Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late cl-r tournament, the connoisseur of bad bitches himself, Deezee Kujaku, managed to win first place without dropping a single set.

Arguably the “baddest bitch” in the series, Hilda was the character of choice as he swept through winners in a climatic mirror match finish against an earlier opponent.

The following day I wanted to ask him a few questions as I spent the majority of the prior day congratulating him for his huge accomplishment. With the blaring atmosphere of the Soul Calibur 6 finals in the background, Deezee gladly offered a few of his words in not just his victory, but who he is as a player as well.

So, as a Lost Summer’s first of many to come, I present to you Kick Punch Block’s very own, Deezee Kujaku in this exclusive player’s spotlight!

Nay: I just wanted to say, once again, congrats on your big win yesterday. I see you rocking the medal you won yesterday! First I wanted to start by asking how long have you been playing fighting games? Starting from the origins down to the moment you started heading out to events.

DZ: I’ve been playing fighters since I was a kid, like, 1996. I didn’t really start competing until 2008. Went to a small local event and got washed, but it made me want to grow and start getting better at these.

DZ: I’ve played all kinds of fighting games and over time a few clicked while a few didn’t. Still, I’d like to try them all to see what appeals to me the most.

Nay: Which game do you think clicks with you the most?  It’s safe to assume that Under Night is one of those games. Knowing you a bit more, I understand that King of Fighters and SNK games are a huge staple as well.

DZ: Right now, King of Fighters and Under Night really click with me the most out of everything I’ve played. However, I do have a fondness for other games like the Tekken and Marvel series. Most of my skill lies in the former two games though.

Nay: What do you feel those two games [King of Fighters; Under Night In-Birth] have that click with you more than other games you may have an interest in? What sets them apart from the rest?

DZ: It’s the colorful cast of characters honestly. A lot of players pick their characters based off of their archetypes like “I play grapplers or I play zoners,” etc. I just play a character I like. If she happens to be a grappler I’ll play that or if she happens to be a zoner I’ll play that. In King of Fighters and Under Night in particular, there are a lot of characters I enjoy, even those whom I don’t play. DZ: I’m a huge fan of many characters even if it isn’t Hilda. Honestly to get me to play a fighting game or any game, if the cast of characters are unique or interesting, it’ll make me gravitate towards it.

Nay: It’s funny you mention [grapplers and zoners] because Hilda is a zoner and Shermie is a grappler, so they couldn’t be any different from each other naturally.

DZ: Well, see the thing about that is Shermie’s a hybrid. Mainly if you consider Orochi Shermie as more of a zoner. I do use some of her tricks in Under NIght and vice versa. Sometimes I think “Hmm, I wonder if Shermie can do something similar to what I can do with Hilda,” as a way to make people more defensive. There is a little correlation, but at the end of the day there’s no real relation to the characters. I’d like to say I’m adaptable. If I love the character enough, then I’m willing to play and learn their style regardless.

Nay: Do you think that the opposite is true? Your experience playing Shermie and O. Shermie translating well into Hilda thus allowing you to play at a high level?

DZ: It helps a lot with my spacing. Shermie has unorthodox normals in her game and the same goes for Hilda in her game. So I have to see how each normal works from which distance. There’s other characters who I play such as Athena, Chris, and Blue Mary that I also use as a base for experience. I also like to watch other high level players play [Hilda] so I can understand what it is they are doing that I can use in my style and gameplay.

Nay: You also mentioned that your Winter Brawl victory in UNICLR is your first major win?

DZ: First major and tournament win in general actually. I’ve come close in several other tournaments. I’d get a 7th place here a 5th place there. I’d even get a 2nd place victory, but I never got first. I’m really excited for my win even though it was a small bracket. The few players that were there were really good players so it felt great to come out on top and win against my demons.

Nay: Bouncing on that and being your first tournament win, what would you say to those who have been playing just as long, even longer, or the newcomers who feel like they are also struggling to reach the grand prize? Those who may feel discouraged?

DZ: Don’t give up. Don’t give up. I understand it’s intimidating to newcomers and it’s frustrating to those who have been playing and you don’t feel like you’re good compared to others. Only one person can win, after all. However, the way I see it we all went 0-2 at some point. Eventually you’ll get to 1-2, then you’ll break even, then you’ll go 3-2, and suddenly you’re in top 8.

DZ: Don’t think because you didn’t make it out of pools or you did less than what you anticipated, you didn’t play well. Combo Breaker for example got 200 people. If you make it to 49th, even if you didn’t make it out of pools, you’re still in the top twenty-five percent. So take each loss in stride.

Nay: Are there any closing comments you’d like to say to anyone reading this right now to bounce off from what you’ve said?

DZ: Travel. Travel a lot. I know everyone is pushing the “support your locals” agenda which I agree with, but there’s a wider range of competition outside of city limits. You go to your locals to get comfortable in playing a specific game a specific way within the bracket. Once you feel comfortable enough, travel out to Combo Breaker or Big E events. If you’re West Coast then NCR/SCR or whatever major tournaments there are within your region.

DZ: Most players have a major within their region of the country so even if you don’t want to travel too far, there’s still always something close by at least several times a month. Just go out there and see how you do. You’re never going to progress if you don’t try and give it a shot. The worst thing you can do is lose and even then you try again.

Due to the nature of these tournaments in specialized events, the bracket was small. However, it was by no means a deterrent to his win as Deezee had earned every win and every victory leading up to the first place medal. After I’ve finished recording, I chimed in my own thoughts of “small tournaments vs large tournaments,” and in most cases the smaller brackets are the most dangerous. 

The smaller bracket ensures that you’ll come across a concentrated group of people, all of whom may be really amazing at the game. The larger the tournament, the larger the density for various skill levels across the board. No matter how big or small, a W is a W! One should always feel proud of their accomplishments!

As this year is just beginning for Deezee, we of the Lost Summer Dayz thank him for his time in humbling our questions and we cheer him on as he surely places in more tournaments throughout the year! Congrats once again Deezee!

To view the tournament in its entirety, in which screencap credits are also credited to, check out this video by the KombatNetwork below!

Follow Deezee on Twitter

The first is the dynamic between Sonic and Tom, the human protagonist of the movie. Remember when I joked about inspiration from Sonic X? The punchline punches itself.

Okay I know I’m not being fair in comparing a kid to a grown police officer but it’s the same energy!

Oh, right. The human sidekick is a police officer from a small town in Montana. Wanna know the name of the town?

Green Hills, Montana! Get it! Green Hill? The introductory zone that will never

Ever

Ever

EVER

Go away in some way shape or form?

I’m not gonna lie I looked it up just to see if such a place exists in Montana. I was sad to discover that was false. Bummer.

Sonic and Tom share most of their screen time together and you have some classic tropes. The “we’re a family!” trope, the “trying to understand someone different than you” trope, and the classic “ROAD TRIP!” trope.

The cliches aren’t bad however. They only seemed to enhance the dynamic that these two characters have with each other. Sonic is filled to the brim and armed to the teeth with pop culture references for centuries. Any reference you can think of is there. 

Several speed puns involving his collection of Flash comics including the movie, Speed, itself? Check. References to The Fast and The Furious? Also check. References to modern gaming such as live streaming and...a certain dance that is honestly dated at this point? Checkmark.

Sonic’s personality is unique to this movie yet key components remain. He’s still very much so impulsive, adventurous, and bold as his other counterparts. One thing I feel the movie does right is his development. He doesn’t know the power of his own strength or his own powers. Sometimes he overestimates his abilities, which leads to trouble for both Sonic and Tom. Other times, he feels out of place and yearning for family. By the end of the movie, however, there are enough seeds planted to promote further growth in the inevitable sequel.

The human protagonist, Tom, was surprisingly as interesting. We’re introduced to his character as a wise-cracking police officer who would fit the role of a cocky protagonist in any other movie. At times he tries to play the straight man to Sonic’s antics, but after a certain part in the movie, he’s not that far from Sonic in terms of impulsiveness.

Marsden, who plays the role of Tom, is no slouch either as he delivers his one-liners, matching the same energy as Sonic. Most importantly, he is able to stand on firm ground with Jim Carrey’s Robotnik. I honestly loved seeing them both on the screen as they tried to show who was the bigger smartass.

Ah! Jim Carrey! The main reason why everyone’s interests were piqued to high levels. This leads into the second dynamic. The man with the master plan! He is the Eggman Doctor.

In trailers and in promotional images, Carrey never looked better. In this movie, it is my honor to say that Carrey looked in rare form. The quirky and zany antics of Dr. Robotnik portrayed by Carrey felt nostalgic, harking back to the days of Liar Liar and The Mask. The hair-triggering jerk reactions, the body language, and the endless amount of quips made Carrey a perfect role for the Egghead. I could literally fill this review with all of his one-liners and dialogue. That’s how subtle yet powerful they were.

Remember when I said that the plot was a tad bit diluted? I’d say that Robotnik’s introduction is where the movie begins to take flight and he’s introduced fairly early. If you look at the movie as an hour and some change of Tom and Jerry style antics, with Robotnik and Sonic respectively, then you’ll get the most mileage out of the film.

Finally I’d like to mention the miscellaneous. The attention to detail to Sonic’s design is amazing, from his fur to his beat-up footwear. The method in which he received his iconic kicks was also adorable.

The special effects were also spot-on. There are two moments in the movie where Sonic is using his speed to get himself out of a disadvantageous situation. In both of these scenes, the rate of speed is exaggerated by a still frame of his surroundings. 

For those familiar with “bullet-time” and “slo mo” effects in video games, these are how the scene plays out. Seeing Sonic manipulate the environment around him only for time to regulate into “normal time” was one of the better touches of the movie from a design standpoint. I honestly wished there were more scenes like that in the movie. 

As mentioned earlier with “Green Hills,” there are several in-universe references as well. I won’t mention them all, but my favorite had to have been the “Hill Top Road” street sign.

This obviously refers to Hill Top Zone from Sonic 2.

There are also references to his moves, from the iconic spin dash, to other niche ones such as his wall kick.

For a ninety-minute movie, Sonic The Hedgehog cuts to the chase, pun intended, with no filler. Post opening credits, every scene in the movie had a purpose for progression. Nothing ever seems to overstay its welcome. 

For a film geared towards the younger audience, it’s enough to keep their attention span with enough content to keep the fans of Sonic in their seats. For the parents of said younger audience, the appearance of Jim Carey in rare form is a treat in itself to see. It’s not a perfect movie, but it is far from the dumpster fire that everyone feared it would be. It is, however, more than good enough to check it out. 

Sonic the Hedgehog is now showing in theaters. This Valentine’s Day weekend, take your Amy Rose out on a movie date and enjoy a fun movie after dinner!

...Okay so after reading this SEVERAL times, I’ve really come to terms that I shouldn’t copy and paste this review here. Why was I so cringe back then? Anyways, we reflect on who we once were so our past selves enrich our growth, or whatever Confucius said. Here’s the original link to the review. Sorry for short changing you guys! Expect an ACTUAL Sonic review later this week as we talk about the Sonic the Hedgehog movie this weekend!

When this game was first announced, it was met with a favorable, yet confused, response. Here was a Persona 5 title announced for the Switch; A game that was a Playstation exclusive. While many initially thought it was the highly requested Switch port, the Omega Force logo revealed otherwise. It was instead a Musou game. Or, a Warriors game for the Western audience. Several months later, a PS4 version was also announced, further nullifying the dreams of a Switch-port of Persona 5 for now.

Omega Force are the brains behind the long running Dynasty Warriors series. Can you believe that this series started back in ‘96? As a fighting game nonetheless? The climate was different in the mid-90s that’s for sure.

After countless, and I mean this quite literally, countless entries in the Warriors series, several spinoffs were released. This included Samurai Warriors, which featured Japanese historical figures substituting the Three Kingdoms characters, and Warriors Orochi, which combined both because why not?

It was due to the wild collision course between Oda Nobunaga and Lu Bu clashing swords that other possibilities began to bore fruit. Someone in the Bandai Namco office thought “What if we had Gundams engage in intergalactic battles vs hundreds of Zaku units?” Omega Force obliged.

Several years later, someone else, probably the same person as before, in the Bandai Namco office thought “What if we had Luffy fend off hundreds of pirates?” Omega Force went to work.

Long time partners, Koei Tecmo, pitched the idea of a Hokutou no Ken Musou game and OF was on the scene.

After a while, it did not matter what the source material was. Berserk? Fire Emblem? The Legend of Zelda? It didn’t matter. So long as Omega Force had a check to look forward to, nothing was impossible for them.

So to see the Omega Force brand assigned to the Persona series raised eyebrows, but those in the know nodded their head in approval. Fans such as myself were wondering how a game like Persona would incorporate their mechanics in a Musou game. With the Persona 5 Scramble public demo released on February 5th, our curiosities are finally sated. Or are they?

Turns out it’s not an English demo, but it’s a Japanese demo. Fortunately, it’s not awfully difficult to obtain nor play through the demo, but for the sake of convenience, I’m covering the Switch port. The main reason was that I already had a Japanese Nintendo account. The second reason was my curiosity. I wanted to know how the game played on a console with lesser specs. 

I played the demo on the Switch Lite, so I exclusively played on handheld mode. That said, the game played really well. If there were any slowdowns, it wasn’t noticeable for me. Controls were responsive and everything I wanted Joker to do, I was able to do with no hindrance.

When you first boot the demo, you’re introduced to a sizzler of sorts as you fight several shadows in Shibuya until the game cuts away to several cutscenes.

Now, this is where we reach our main caveat. These are first world problems, but I cannot tell you much about the story. Not because of spoilers although there are certainly here, but because the voices and subtitles are in Japanese. I could deduce what’s going on based on the original story however so, I’ll try my best.

Judging the time of the game, July, the game takes place quite some time after the ending of Persona 5. Several key giveaways are the props within Cafe Leblanc, such as Yusuke’s painting. All of your comrades are present and accounted for, with new attire and the like.

Immediately something is amiss as another app is downloaded on the phone. It is here where you can name your character. Remember when I said this was a Japanese game? Japanese characters and alphanumeric characters only! With very limited space as well!

I went with this. It’s a demo. Don’t judge me.

So, you’re sent to investigate any abnormalities in Shibuya with your best bud Ryujii when an idol appears to have a concert. Almost immediately you’re placed in the Metaverse. A few seconds later you’re fighting hordes of shadows with your buds in Shibuya. 

It is here that several mechanics are introduced, so, I’ll list the controls that are the most important.

X - Light Attack

Y in the middle of a combo - Heavy attack

Y by itself - Projectile

Just like in most Musou games, any combination of light attacks can be finished with a Heavy Attack to provide various results. If you use the Heavy attack by itself, Joker will use his gun.

ZR - Dodge

While walking and holding ZR - Run

R + Button = Spells

These are self explanatory. You can dodge and weave in between enemy attacks. Just like in Persona, he has access to skills. Each skill has a different effect within a different radius. The Eiha spell will hit enemies in a circle while Cleave will hit those in a cone.

X+A - Showtime 

This is this game’s version of the Musou attack. In Warriors games, these are the cinematic attacks that deal massive damage to those around the user. Not only does it look badass, but you’re also invulnerable while using it. This can be used as a way to form wiggle room when overrun.

Halfway through the first palace, as you are introduced to the palace owner and are disposed of, you come across a giant cube. As Joker interacts with the cube, a girl emerges from the cube. The girl tags along with you until it is revealed that this girl is nowhere near defenseless. She can hold her own in combat quite well. The cube she emerged from seems to be her Persona of sorts.

A - Grants you access to the interactable environment around Joker

B - Jump, press again to double jump Environmental attacks let you interact with your surroundings, like the streetlamps in Shibuya. These allow you to stay perched, away from harm as you swoop down on your enemies like a hawk to his prey. Hitting this successfully chains into another wide-ranging attack  for even more damage.

Utilizing the environment to your advantage can also provide a tactical advantage. There’s a moment in the demo where there are three powerful shadows. There’s an alternate path you could go to and sneak behind them. You could choose to fight the shadows head-on, but if you take the beaten path you’ll see a flimsy scaffold. If you use the environment attack on the scaffold, not only will the platform break, but you’ll  also surprise the enemy.

Weaknesses, critical attacks, and technical bonuses from Persona 5 are also existent here. If you hit an enemy’s weakness, you’ll be able to hit them while they are staggered to torment their surrounding foes. Tech bonuses, like in Persona 5, activate when a combination of elemental skills are used in succession. I wasn’t able to activate the tech bonus, but a tutorial prompt explaining the bonus did appear.

In Persona 5, you can negotiate with shadows to coerce them into joining your party as a persona. This game works a little differently. Sometimes if you defeat a shadow, they have a chance to join you as one of your Personas. This is good to cover your strengths and weaknesses.

As in Persona 5, certain enemies are resistant, weak, or invulnerable to specific attacks. The more personae you have, the better equipped you’ll become.

Eventually you’ll face a powerful shadow. This serves as this demo’s boss. These boss fights work a bit different from the rest of the fights thus far. The more you hit a shadow’s weak spot, the more you’re able to attack as they are staggered. Exploit their weakness enough and you’ll be able to do an All Out Attack, much like in the original game.

It is here that the demo ends. If you skip through the cutscenes you can easily beat the demo in about an hour. First impressions, I’m honestly surprised how integral the story is to the game. I’m surprised that I’m surprised, considering the source material is a story intensive game.

I wasn’t able to understand the dialogue, but it was great to travel through Yongen-Jaya and Shibuya once again. It was also nice to see that the game’s story seems to be canon to the main story. The combination of Persona’s mechanics with the twitch-reaction of Musou is like chocolate and peanut butter.

By the way in case you were wondering. The menu animations make a return and they look just as beautiful now as they did in Persona 5.

With the game’s release right around the corner in Japan, Western fans are still starving for so much as a crumb of information relating to a release date. Heck, even a confirmation that the game is coming out to the States at all! While it may be up in the air when fans will be able to look forward to news, there’s still a demo that we can enjoy.

This isn’t the first “one-shot” within the Death Note universe. The first official one-shot dates as far back as 2008, two years after the original series was completed. Set three years after Kira’s death, this one-shot focused on a new “Kira.” This “Kira” has access to the Death Note via a shinigami (who wasn’t Ryuk) and used it to murder those who had a low life expectancy. However, the new “L,” formerly known as Near, quickly shuts his antics down. The new “Kira” then uses the Death Note to kill himself and the shinigami retrieve the book.

Before we can discuss the latest one-shot, we first have to discuss Takeshi Obata’s art exhibit that was held in the Summer of 2019; Never Complete. 

Never Complete was an art exhibit celebrating Obata’s thirty-years as a manga artist. Within the exhibit, many of his previous works from Hikaru no Go, Bakuman, Death Note, and the latest ongoing series, Platinum End were all on display.

Bonus content which included first drafts of illustrations, were also featured. Among the bonus content, the most peculiar one was a storyboard draft of the 87-page one-shot. The storyboard draft can be seen and read in almost its entirety on the official Shonen Jump Plus website. Six months later, we have an official release in both Japanese and English. The official English translation can be viewed here.

Our story begins right where the previous one-shot left off. The shinigami who wasn’t Ryuk, gives Ryuk back the Death Note, claiming he was unsuccessful while also giving him an apple as an offering. Being bored of the shinigami world as well as a craving for more apples, Ryuk sets off to see who could be the successor of the Death Note. If it entails free apples, Ryuk ain’t complaining.

We then get to meet a young Minoru Tanaka, a middle schooler who is known for having the highest test grades in the region. When Ryuk introduces himself to Tanaka, the only thing Ryuk knows is that Tanaka is smart in school, comparing Minoru Tanaka to Light Yagami’s aptitude in school.

However, his actual grades are mediocre at best. This already contrasts Light who was a certified genius both in tests as well as grades. As Tanaka explains that his ability to score high on tests are dependent on his knowledge of IQ tests and quizzes, he bemoans that adults who see grades yet fail to see the bigger picture are no better.

As Tanaka holds the Death Note in his hand, all he knows is that it was once Kira’s. It is during this scene that we learn the state of Tokyo after Kira’s death, ten years later. Yagami’s legacy lives on as he is taught in schools around Tokyo. Tanaka exclaims that he was taught about him in Ethics class and in World History class, both of whom consider him to be an evil mass-murdering sociopath that placed Tokyo on the brink of destruction. 

There’s just one problem with holding the single most powerful and dangerous weapon in the world. What good is a Death Note if you can’t even read its instructions?

While this wasn’t a problem for Light as he was a genius who understood fluent English and Japanese, here was a middle schooler who struggled with English. He asks Ryuk to translate the English into Japanese, just so that he can understand how to use it.

However, while not as academically bright as Light, Minoru is more logical with his approach. He understands how the Death Note was used in the past. The major difference between the past and the present are the increase in security measures to ensure a repeat of what happened doesn’t transpire again. When Ryuk asks if Minoru can use the Death Note the same way that Kira did, Minoru hesitates.

Knowing the state of Tokyo right now as well as knowing the history of Kira and the Death Note, he has no interest or intentions of using the Death Note for similar deeds. Here lies a normal child who excels at critical thinking who has the opportunity of a lifetime.

Those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it. He also can’t risk the book falling into the hands of someone else who would use the book for the same reasons Kira did, or worse. So he does the one thing that he could do in this situation. He buys himself two years of time. He tells Ryuk to come back to him in two years, while asking him two critical questions.

The first question he asks is if it was possible for those who touched the notebook to still see Ryuk. This would involve the former Investigation Team and Near, who brought Kira to justice. 

The second question was how far can Ryuk move around without being close to Minoru. This comes into play two years later when Minoru decides to ultimately sell the Death Note.

That’s right. He sells the Death Note.

But not just to anyone, especially not via Craigslist either.

Conveniently, the TV broadcast station is close by Tanaka’s house. With a pen and paper he tells Ryuk to write a message that will incur interest without actually having to directly contact Tanaka himself. Since the net and all of its usage can be easily tracked, using the TV to broadcast the message provides a safe approach for Tanaka to cover his trail. Rather, you can’t cover a trail you never create.

Conversely, those who had seen Ryuk from ten years ago, were able to see Ryuk on television. This introduces several key characters from the original series into the one-shot. The first is Matsuda, who is every bit as hot headed and foolishly passionate in the present as he was in the past.

The second, is L.

Not the L we know, but, the current L. Near.

Fragments of the iconic “L vs Kira” fight start to show over the next few pages as the bids for the Death Note reaches into the trillions and L continuously wondering how things are playing out. He understands that the “Auction Kira” or “A-Kira” is playing a very cautious game, but fails to see the endgame.

As the bid for the Death Note reaches record highs, it is revealed that the two nations bidding for the Death Note are none other than…

...The United States of America…

...And China….

Despite two of the largest world leaders in the hot seat bidding on the Death Note, Minoru is unphased. In the end, the USA wins the auction. At this point, Near awaits to figure out just how “A-Kira” is going to attain the money. Thinking this through, Minoru demands payment in such a way that it is almost impossible to be tracked down.

Within this time period, it is enough for Tanaka to relinquish ownership of the Death Note, forget he had it, and live a peaceful life along with millions of others in Japan. Given the circumstances and how millions will have access to such money, as well as the owner of the Death Note forgetting he had the Death Note, Near backs off, admitting defeat.

There is one fatal flaw to Tanaka’s entire plan and it was a flaw that would lead to his death.

Turns out Tanaka was so smart that not only did he outsmart the smartest human alive, but he also outsmarted the Shinigami King himself. Shortly before the Death Note was relinquished, the King ordered Ryuk to write a new rule within the Death Note. The rule being this.

With even the Shinigami King being upset that the Death Note was allowed to be sold to another, this new rule ensured that Tanaka was going to die a month from now. The president, however, chose to relinquish ownership, but declares that he has the power of Kira to herald his power over everyone else.

So, as stated in the new ruling of the Death Note, Tanaka’s name was written in Ryuk’s Death Note as soon as he received the money and the chapter ends on that note.

The first thing I want to mention is that Tanaka was too smart for his own good. Kira’s downfall was that his God complex forced him to become disillusioned. Tanaka’s downfall was the complete opposite. He felt his plan was entirely foolproof without taking into the variable of the shinigami lowballing him.

This reminded me of the time when Rem declared that she would kill Light if he ever caused the death or harm of Misa. At this point this was Light’s first interaction with another shinigami. Knowing who Rem was and the type of person she was, he was able to manipulate her to his livelihood by sacrificing herself. Tanaka never got to see the Shinigami King himself, and the King made sure of it.

Tanaka not only never met another shinigami so he could understand how they would behave, but he also never met Near---I mean L. I gotta stop calling him Near.

He never got to meet L, he never got to meet the investigation team. All of Tanaka’s actions were met through the safety of his room. This was beneficial as he was able to cover his tracks, but it proved his downfall as he followed a plan from start to finish without thinking of the variables.

The moment Tanaka relinquished ownership, his fate was sealed. Tanaka wouldn’t have known about the rule change and it wouldn’t be up to Ryuk to remind him. Ryuk is many things, but Ryuk is a shinigami of his words.

It’s because of Ryuk being a shinigami of his word that proved to be fatal to Light as well. From the beginning of Light’s reign into Kira, Ryuk promised that if Light were to ever put himself in a situation where Light would die, Ryuk would write his name in the Death Note.

Ryuk never had the chance to warn Tanaka about the rule change as he was told never to show his face again. Thus, Tanaka died oblivious to anything that he had done, unlike Light who died knowing all of the things he’d done.

The final thing I want to reflect upon is the concept of legacy. Throughout the chapter we’re told about the lasting impression Kira had on not just Japan, but the entire world. It was this legacy that spurred the interest of ownership of the Death Note to begin with. Even if the Death Note was never used, the fact that it could be used to incite fear and dominance among one’s nation and the world is enough for anyone in a position of power.

The caveat of covering your path is that no one knows your name. This was the entire point of Tanaka’s ownership of the Death Note. He wanted to get rid of it while also making a profit off of it. If all of Japan would reap the benefits of the Death Note, then it was just a bonus.

His mother wouldn’t struggle, his family wouldn’t struggle, everyone would be set for life. This one child single-handedly caused an entire economic bubble and yet his legacy would be left behind with no one knowing who he was.

If you’re a fan of the series, I highly recommend giving this a read. In fact it makes me want to revisit the series one more time. It was nice seeing how my old favorites were doing ten years later, both literally and within universe. It was also a good read that, much like the original Death Note, left a lot to think about as far as current events.

The timing of the release of this chapter, the realistic physical details of the world leaders for USA and China, and the themes shared within the chapter are non-coincidental I believe. While a Death Note is obviously fantasy, it reads itself like a parody of modern-day politics. A caricature of the lengths those in power would go to obtain a destructive instrument used for intimidation purposes. 

Unfortunately, even if you do everything in your power to just live a peaceful life, in the words of Ryuk…

Whether it was in the arcade with Technika, on a mobile device with Ray, or on the PC with Trilogy, the series proved a gateway to other rhythm games outside of DJMAX, yet I always found myself coming back to it. That was why the reveal of Respect was one of the main reasons for me to own a PS4, much like how I purchased that PSP with Fever eight summers ago. Since the release of Respect, it’s a purchase any fan of rhythm games, both new and old, will enjoy.

DJMAX, a franchise and a household name in the South Korean gaming industry since its humble beginnings as a PC game in 2004, had long since staked its claim as a driving force for rhythm games worldwide. For several years it had filled a void in the rhythm game scene with its Portable series.

The vibrant colors, intricate FMVs which played in the background, flashing effects, the various genres of music, and overall presentation featuring the eccentric announcer JC gave players an arcade experience at the palm of their hands, easily attracting newcomers to the game. The game play, being easy-to-learn yet sometimes unforgiving-to-master, serves as an addiction to keep playing. At some point, every single player of DJMAX have heard these taunting words echoed through their headphones any time you reach a Game Over.

YOU NEED MORE PRACTICE, NEVER GIVE IT UP!

Yet, far from discouraging, those words only fuel your resolve to keep playing, and playing, and playing, more and more, until you finally cleared that song that you have been stuck on for an hour. You come for the pleasing aesthetics and awesome music, but stay for the near masochistic game play until you conquer that roadblock and amp up the challenge, pushing yourself, and your blistering thumbs, to the limit.

Neowiz, formerly Pentavision, in this regard have giving fans both veterans to the frantic high-octane five-hundred notes per minute action, and beginners clearing charts at a reasonable crawl, enough content to last for years, if not potentially decades.

This was what Neowiz aimed for, with the release of DJMAX Respect in the Summer of 2017, a compilation of songs ranging from DJMAX Portable 1, Portable 2, and an entire soundtrack of new songs specifically made for Respect. The intent for Respect, however, is not meant to be just a “last hurrah” for the legendary franchise, but also as the title suggests, a Respect to the series and its fans.

Boasting the largest song list of any DJMAX game to date right out of the box with well over a hundred songs, Neowiz adds on to the already robust soundtrack with DLC ranging from their second PC game, Trilogy, to the “Metro Project” Portable games, including Clazziquai and Black Square, and their arcade flagship series, Technika.

At the time of this writing, the Trilogy and Clazziquai Edition DLC are available for purchase. Aside from their entire catalogue from their respect games, the DLC also added UI tweaks. This included entire overhaul to the user interface to reflect the games of the past. With every pack there is also a new song or two, exclusive to Respect, further empathizing Neowiz’s vision of respecting the legacy that they created, while also embracing the new.

The game play for DJMAX Respect follows the “if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it” formula as it does little to deviate away from its core game play. There are four modes, 4B[utton], 5B, 6B, and 8B. 4B utilizes the left and up buttons on the d-pad as well as triangle and circle buttons, 5B adds the option of using the right d-pad or the square button, 6B makes it a necessity to use both of those buttons, while 8B adds the shoulder buttons to the game play.

Certain quirks affected game play for the Portable series are fixed for Respect, with the addition of utilizing the two trigger buttons. For example, 8B in the PSP version utilized the L and R buttons, which are also the same buttons used to change the scroll speed in game. The only way to change the speed in 8B was to pause the game and do it from there. Since the trigger buttons are mapped to speed up and speed down, this means you can change your speed in all modes, including 8B, during game play.

Another quirk that was addressed was the utilization of the analog stick for certain charts that needed it. Now, instead of using the singular analog nub, you utilize both analog sticks for the PS4 controller, although this could be fine-tuned some more as there is no strategy in any of the analog notes. I’ve found myself simply holding the stick in any direction I pleased, rather than twirling the analog stick as it was a necessity in the Portable games.

Lastly, sticking to the “tried but true” formula, you must play through the game to unlock content, including songs, note skins, gear skins, and other elements. A personal problem I had with this, is that some of the unlocks you won’t see for a long time as you’d have to grind to unlock said songs through “achievements.”

There are milestones that you must complete within the game, ranging from how many songs of a specific difficulty you play, how many missions you cleared in Mission mode, and even how many times you missed a note. There are 24 different achievement categories in the game, each ranging from as little as five tiers for the more “challenging” tiers, to the average of ten tiers. After each tier cleared within a specific achievement, you unlock whatever is underneath that tier, then you move on to the next.

If there’s a specific song you are aiming for, you often find yourself grinding songs just enough time to unlock the song you want to play in Free Mode, otherwise the only chance you can get to play these songs are whenever they appear in Arcade Mode.

Thankfully the DLC packs all come with the songs readily available in both Arcade and Free mode so there isn’t any grinding, but, DJMAX has always been a series about grinding for content. You get the most out of your money this way as you won’t be able to unlock everything within the first couple of hours, but it is a game meant to be played in bursts, much like, again, how the original Portable games were.

At the current moment this game is only available to the Asian, Japanese, and the Korean market. All versions of the game are in English, making it highly import friendly. The great news is that there is a US release on the horizon as it was revealed during PSX 2017, so expect that release sometime during early 2018.

The light of morning's rays made its way into the sanctuary of the grand church of Demacia. In it's halls, far from the crowd of priests who would begin their morning prayers, was a secluded room, where only those with noble blood may deem worth to even roam its halls, much less enter this sanctuary.

Inside the room the body of a man laid on the sole bed in this room. A warm light blanketed the male, as his armor shined within the awakening dawn. His body was motionless. His face kept a stoic expression. If one were to see him, one could easily assume that he was in deep meditation. However, for her younger sister who sat adjacent to the man, she knew better. She also knew worse.

"Your face, looks stern and hardened, just like your spirit."

Lux looked over longingly at his face, stroking her delicate fingers over his chest. The gaping hole that was caused by his assailant. The one who made her dear brother this way.

"Garen, I swear, on my Crownguard lineage. I shall confront who did this. My light shall incinerate this wicked being. Your soul will not drift in vain."

Lux closed her reddened eyes. She basked in the sunlight while it beamed on the two siblings. Every night, Lux would approach the cathedral and visit her brother around this time of the day.

As Lux sat in the welcoming quiet, church bells rung, signalling the start of the hour. Lux raised her head, as she smiled and allowed a chuckle to escape.

"And may my light also shine upon you for strength, Kat."

Almost on cue, a figure emerged from the corner of the room, cloaked in church robes. The figure unsheathed the hood, revealing the face of a beautiful woman with fiery red hair and a faded jagged scar across her eye.

"Nothing gets past you, huh Lux?" The woman stood there as she folded her arms and let out a smirk. Lux looked at her from the corner of her eye, almost unamused.  “And to think, all I’ve had to do, in order to blend in, was wear these fancy looking robes. I’ve crept in enough places unannounced to know how to be quiet.”

"You are unarmed?"

"Of course!” Katarina groaned as she frowned. “It is a sacred place, and I am not contractually obligated to assassinate anyone here right now. I'm a mercenary, not a sadist. Well, not during combat anyway."

Lux cleared her throat as she looked at Garen, then back at Katarina, blushing.

“What? Is it too much for your innocent mind to gather? I’m sure you understand a woman does have her needs---”    

"I wish for you, not to continue further, especially not in front of me." Lux shook her head, flustered, as she attempted to shift the subject back to its original topic. "I've felt your presence, no, that would be insulting your abilities as one of your credentials. I wouldn't have known you were here, but I knew you were still present. It'd be just like you, Kat."

"Oh please. You're too much." Katarina let out a dry laugh as she paced back and forth. "I'm certain at this point, that if the guards saw me, they wouldn’t hesitate to neutralize and lock me in the cellar. If you get caught, that would put a blemish on your image I’d imagine. You’re not going to rat me out, are you?"  

"Of course not! I know more than anyone, how much Garen meant to you." Lux smiled sadly as she raised herself up from the chair and walked over to her.    

“No. You correct that.” Katarina lowered her eyes, which caused Lux to tilt her head to the side, unsure of what she meant. When Katarina caught Lux’s confused stare, Katarina sighed. “It’s not how much he meant to me, got it? It’s how much he means! He’s still alive! It would take a lot for him to just perish like that from a two-bit assassin like that. Not while I still bear breath in my body! He has to be!”  

Throwing all caution to the wind, Katarina stood there, her arms lowered as tears also began to fall from her face, like a compressed bottle waiting to explode. Likely to suspend the eruption, Lux quickly ran over to her and held her close. Fiery locs rested upon the steel armor of Lux as Katarina rested her head on her shoulder.

“It’s alright to cry, Kat.”

  “...I won’t. Not only because I don’t wish to make myself vulnerable, but because it would be wasted. He wouldn’t, no, he will not want us to cry. Not one tear.” Katarina smiled as she rubbed her face with the sleeve of her robe. Lux grinned as she let herself go from Katarina, keeping a distance from her.

“Besides, if you didn’t show up, I am certain that even the guards would have been nervous. For they would have been anticipating your arrival eventually.”    Katarina scratched the back of her head as Lux let out another playful giggle. Her face scowled in her direction, but quickly turned into a smile as she let out a curt smirk

“Damn, is it really that obvious what’s going on? Between Garen and I...?”

“Uh huh...” Lux nods as she cracks another smile. “It’s funny, actually. Talking to you, I feel my heart warming up again. This whole, series of events, sent me spiraling out of control and I honestly feel this is the first time I’ve been even remotely myself. Thank you, really.”

Katarina raised her hand as if to halt Lux, nodding in agreement 

“Same here. We’ve observed Garen for days. We’re from two warring nations. And yet here we are, in support for the same man.” Katarina closes her eyes as she chuckles. “I can see, what he sees in you now.”

“Eh? What do you mean, Kat?”

“You’re not just his little sister, but you are indeed one to bear the right of your family name. He talks about you a lot, and I never knew what he was talking about. But speaking to you now, your heart isn’t filled with prejudice, but, it is indeed welcoming. Don’t ever change that about yourself, Luxanna.” Katarina tippped her hood over her head, tucking her tresses beneath her robes. It was time to make her leave. “That son of a bitch will pay in blood, and if not by my hand, then I’ll see it personally through someone else’s.

Once Katarina left the room, Lux stood, stunned as if unsure of what to say. A few seconds later, her smile returned as she looked  up towards the window, once again embracing the sun’s light as it beamed on her skin.

“You too, Katarina. I have a feeling that there will be bright skies in our future as well.”

And so fell the Piltover Enforcer, for she too, wasn't safe from the serial assassin.

As her body laid limp against the Piltover Museum, carnage surrounded her in the form of wrecked cars, broken street lamps and shattered glass; all of which painted this chaotic scene.

Beneath her cracked goggles, torn clothing, and bloodied face, Vi looked up meekly towards her would-be assailant, who bore a mask and a trilby hat. The barrel of the gun met with her eyes as she took heavy breaths, as if meeting her judgement.

"I guess I should have seen this coming, huh?" Vi cracked a smile as she let out a sharp, painful laugh. The masked man didn't respond immediately, but she felt his glare. If she could see behind his mask, he would probably be laughing at her.

"A fighter to the end. I enjoyed this dance, Vi." The masked man raised his finger and cocked the barrel of the gun.

Vi, her soul unwavered to her last breath, grinned as she spat blood in his direction.

"See you in the Shadow Isles, you motherfu--" The shot rang and echoed from the streets as a blood curling scream rang out.

"No! Vi!!!" A shrill voice echoed.

A woman, poised in a firing stance, fired several unrelenting shots towards the man. The man phased into the scenery as the bullets only grazed his body. 

"I'll kill you! You monster! I'll fucking destroy you!"

The figure didn't flinch, nor show any emotion to Caitlyn's words. It did, however, respond. 

"Caitlyn. As empty as your threats are, you aren't my target. I've gotten what I've came for. And now the circle is full again."      

The figure disappeared into the darkness completely, as Caitlyn stared, tears of anger stinging her eyes. When she regained herself, Caitlyn threw off her hat and ran towards Vi, holding her close as she moves her hand across her body.

"Vi! No. No, no, no, no! This isn't real. I told you not to go alone and your fucking confident ass had to...!"  Caitlyn's voice cracked  as the tears flowed through her face. A hand placed on top of her shoulder as Vi opened up her eyes, although very slightly.

"Cupcake? It's okay. It doesn't even hurt." Vi spoke softly, as her voice trailed off. Caitlyn's eyes expanded in worry as her lip quivered. "Please, don't cry. In this line of work, its to be expected."

"Shh! Dont talk! Conserve your breath! I've contacted EMS and they will be arriving shortly, just, please!" Caitlyn moved her hands towards the area where she was shot, but to her surprise, she doesn't find a single wound, not even one resembling a bullet scar. "...!? But weren't you---"

"See? It doesn't hurt... But I may be gone for a while. A...trial awaits me." Vi looks over towards Caitlyn as she grins, kissing her cheek. "If I don't see you again..." 

Caitlyn, who blushed at the gesture, held on to Vi angrily as she lightly shakes her.  "Don't you 'If I don't see you again' me! I won't tolerate your negativity! You will be alright! This won't be the end!”

"Perhaps I will. But until that time comes, I wanted to say. I love..."  Vi, closing her eyes once more, rested her head on Caitlyn's shoulder as her body falls limp. Caitlyn held her close to her chest, as the suppressed sobs turn into heavy cries of mourning.

Nearby, a male looked down with his face covered by a dark blue scarf. Holding a light blue sword to his side, he stared at Vi and Caitlyn from above, without any clear emotion. Not too far from the boy, a girl sprinted up to him as she caught her breath. She held a small machine gun to her side as an oversized rocket launcher was strapped on her back.

"Hey! Spiky hair! Couldn't you have waited just a little bit! I barely had enough time to stash Fishbones with me!" The girl caught her breath as she yelled, unaware of the events that transpired.

"Even if you brought both weapons, it wouldn't have mattered. We're too late, Jinx."

The girl looked down towards the streets, while she gasped, placing her hands over her mouth. The first thing she picked up were the bodies of Vi and Caitlyn, with Caitlyn holding Vi's body as a nearby ambulance draws near.

"Will Fathands be okay!? What happened!?"  Ekko removed his scarf as he lowered his eyes, shaking his head.

"It was a very one sided fight. The girl doesn't know the meaning of giving up. Growing up with her, you should know that she was the most reckless one of us all. But for her to go out like this.." 

"No way! Can't you use your timey whimey wibbly wobbly stuff to save her!? What good is having that power if you can't--" 

Ekko sighed as he clenched the sword, not daring to look at Jinx's tear stained face in fear of having himself breaking down.

"I've been down that road many times before. I couldn't fight fate then, I sure as hell can't do so now."

"That kid? But you were still getting used to your power! You've gotten used to your ability since then, so you should be able to make it in time! Right!?"

"Look! It wouldn't have mattered! There are certain things you can change, and yes I can alter time! But I can't change fate! Even if I intervened! I wouldn't have been able to do anything to save her...!"

"Ekko. Is Vi really--"

Ekko's tears silently began to fall, as the mere mention of Jinx using their real names, struck a chord within him.

"There was something that old man Zil told me when I trained under him. He spoke, that time is a constant. It catches up to even the fleetest of feet. However, even the supernatural isn't safe, and eventually time shall reveal all. I didn't know what the hell he was talking about, but its coming clear," Ekko closed his eyes as he took a deep breath, exhaling. "I've heard that this man fits the bill of the shady character who was seen in Demacia, where he....... Garen..... "

"Ekko? What are you implying---"

"We have places to visit. I'm sure Caitlyn will report this, but we need to also warn the others what we saw."  Before Jinx could protest, Ekko turned and parted his way outside of Piltover, not before giving a longing glance to Vi.       "We'll get to the bottom of this. Promise, Vi."

Our story begins with Hodaka, a 16-year old runaway who tries to start a new beginning in Tokyo after not feeling welcome in his own hometown. It’s never explicitly stated why he ran away from home, only touting family problems with his parents. Throughout the movie I wondered what his relationships with his parents were like. After all, to make such a bold decision to leave the countryside and live in Tokyo of all places is a daunting task for anyone, much less a teenager. 

Genre savvy viewers would notice something as he is introduced to Tokyo. One of the first locations we see our protagonist in is none other than Kabukichou, Tokyo’s Red Light District.

This iconic location is also known for being the home setting of the Yakuza series of video games albeit as Kamurocho. Known for its absurdity, the Tokyo nightlife is just as relentless for Hodaka as it was for Kiryuu and other protagonists who walk the same streets. 

As to be expected, his first few nights are met with living out of internet cafes, looking for part-time jobs without success, and dealing with all types of characters, from the yakuza themselves, to office workers. All of whom refuse to give a minor without any form of identification a job. Eventually he finds himself resting against the entrance of a club where he deals with a rowdy club owner who kicks him out, knocking over a trash can.

As the trash can is knocked over, he finds an envelope and inside the envelope? A loaded handgun. For expositions sake, a news bulletin is shown highlighting the hunt for several missing weapons. Guess those were one of the weapons stashed in the trash?

Hodaka finally manages to have a bone thrown at him in the form of a McDonald’s meal by a caring young girl who is a part time worker there. Being that this was the first act of kindness anyone has shown him since arriving in Tokyo, he dubs the burger as “The best dinner he has ever had in his 16 years of living.”

I don’t have a picture of the Big Mac in question but shout outs to the animators for making a Big Mac. A Big Mac look absolutely delicious.

Several days later, he runs across the same girl who is being escorted by the same club owners who gave Hodaka a hard time before. Seeing this as an opportunity to repay the girl for her kindness, he steps in and tries to intervene yet he’s thoroughly beat down for his efforts.

However as a last ditch effort he brandishes the same pistol that he found a few nights ago and threatens to shoot. Calling his bluff, the club owner instigates further until Hodaka eventually does fire a round, hitting the nearby lamp post. Using this opportunity, he grabs the girl and they make their escape.

It is here that he finds out that the girl’s name is Hina and that she was fired from her previous job. While she was contemplating on willingly being a hostess, she nevertheless thanks Hodaka for sticking up for her. It is also at this moment that she shows her hidden power to him. The power for her to control the weather on a whim. The heavy rain that plagued Tokyo since Hodaka arrived suddenly ended. The clouds part,  the sun escapes, and for that moment, everything is bliss. The rain inevitably continues however.

Eventually he is taken in by a news editor and Hodaka helps out around the small office space, gathering stories and writing for him. While the pay is meager, he thinks of the girl with the special power to control the weather. Hodaka thinks of a way to have Hina make a living and that entails a self-run service.

The service is a job posting website where people will post weather requests and Hina obliges by praying for sunny weather. Various requests included a sunny day for a festival, a park day for kids, and a fireworks concert come pouring in and everything is a success. 

The major problem shows itself in the climax however. Every time she prays for anything weather releated, a part of Hina dissolves as she becomes one with the sky. The more she uses her power, the more she sacrifices herself to make the perfect weather a reality. Even as she doesn’t pray for weather, the weather changes according to Hina’s mood.

When Hodaka’s life is endangered, she is able to summon a thunderbolt at will to cause a distraction. When Hina and her younger brother are forced to leave under suspicion of being underraged and living on their own, the weather changes into an unstoppable torrent. The weather even briefly changes to snow at one point.

Despite all of this, despite the weather changing and the seemingly eternal rain, Hodaka is met with a decision. At this rate, Tokyo is suffering from severe flooding and downpour. Knowing that the heavy rain would go away if she sacrificed herself, Hina asks Hodaka if he would want the rain to go away. Not thinking of the consequences of his choice, he answers “Yes.”

The following night, she disappears, only appearing in a dream that she had became one with the sky and is now currently amongst the clouds. The last physical remnant of Hodaka, a ring that he had given her for her birthday, falls from the heavens. 

The conclusion of this story revolves around Hodaka being chased by the police, as he rushes against time to the shrine where Hina first discovered her powers. By returning to the place of origins, he was able to connect to the skies themselves in order to get Hina back.

Despite Hina’s sacrifice ending the plague of bad weather. Despite the return of Hina spelling eternal rainfall for Tokyo. Despite their lives never returning to normal again. At the end, Hodaka chose to be with Hina. He chose for Hina to live her own life rather than sacrifice herself. He chose love.

In the epilogue, it is shown that most of Tokyo is submerged in water three years later. The metro system is replaced with ferries, most residents live in high rises, and everyday life has grown accustomed to the increase in rainfall. Hodaka returns to Tokyo after finishing high school back at his hometown. After encouragement from friends and former clients alike, he is reunited tearfully with Hina. Happily ever after.

Returning to the climax, this raised a lot of emotions within me. How far is one willing to go for the one they love? As he was approaching the heavens to save Hina and bring her back down to Earth, he was telling her that what they did together, changing the weather, was special. A life without her wouldn’t be the same in the slightest. 

And you know what? Watching that scene with Hina and Hodaka reuniting in the skies above? I cried. Didn’t care if people heard me in the theater. I silently cried.

I can understand why some may think of Hodaka’s choice as selfish. After all, with this decision, Tokyo is on course to be completely submerged underwater. If Hina’s sacrifice was kept, the weather would have surely returned to normal. Millions of people would have welcomed this weather with open arms.

However, even if the weather returned to normal and sunny days returned, Hodaka days would had been cloudy without her. Even if Tokyo rains forever, Hodaka’s days would be sunny with Hina by her side, no matter what.

If given the choice between the life of someone who gave meaning to my own life, someone who had lost life with her mother’s death, someone who had endured enough pain alone for so long. If I had to choose between that one missing piece to the puzzle of a complex, young, abrasive heart. I would choose that person every time if I was in Hodaka’s position. Especially when you’re already in such shallow water that you’ve arrived with nothing but the shirt on your back and no sense of family.

Seeing the one you love suffer is enough to sacrifice as much as you can to ensure that they are happy. Hina’s sacrifice was due to this very doctrine. When she asked Hodaka if he wanted to rain to go away, she wanted to relieve the burden of her existence. She wanted to ease his own suffering, a vagabond without a home who gave everything he had for her. When Hodaka was willing to go to the skies above to relieve her of the burdens of making those around her happy, the feeling was mutual from both parties.

Love is a highly complex matter. It hits us when either of us expect it. Hodaka and Hina’s first meeting was a chance encounter above all else but it blossomed into a series of trials. In many ways they lived up to the title of the movie. They weathered the storm together.

To catch those unaware up to speed, Nintendo released a Pokemon Direct on the 9th of January. Those who woke up to catch the news were met with a bevy of information, highlighting the game plan for Game Freak’s famed IP for the course of 2020. If you missed out on the broadcast, the Direct can be viewed here for all the information you would need.

One of the first thing to notice is that the like to dislike ratio is sitting pretty right now.

Another elephant I’ll shoo out of the room real fast is the surprise and highly welcome announcement of an HD remaster for the first two Pokemon Mystery Dungeon games, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Rescue Team DX!

The game releases in March but the demo is currently available at the time of writing. Considering I’ve always wanted to try to Mystery Dungeon games, this was news I both was not expecting and news I will embrace with open arms. Definitely look for coverage in the future as I give my own thoughts from a PMD greenhorn!

Now that the Phanpy has left the room, it’s time to take on the Gigantimax Copperajah that has made his home in the building lobby.

The focus of the Pokemon Direct was to showcase the two new additions to the Galar region. There’s the Isle of Armor which looks like it would take place right at home in Alola and Hoenn with its coastal environments. There’s also the second area, The Crown Tundra, which looks more akin to the harsh hailstorm and mountainous peaks of Northern Galar. Both of these new locations house their own unique Pokemon, both new and old, rounding out to over 200 Pokemon.

The catch? Each expansion area costs $15. This makes for a total of $30 for both areas and their respective Pokemon.

Although obtaining access to these Pokemon are free, via trading with other trainers or transporting them from other Pokemon games via Pokemon Home, reactions to this news have been mixed. A common complaint I’ve seen on social media is the cost of the game plus the expansion pass and how it correlates to previous Pokemon games. Their argument is that in the past, the base game for Pokemon were $30 USD and the third version which was more “complete” was also $30, which made it $60 altogether.

With the new expansion, the base game for Sword and Shield is $60 and the expansion, being $30, makes the game $90. Some even go so far as to compare Game Freak to EA with this business decision.

I’m sure we’ve seen this lovely image floating around...

I’m here to counter these points with my own opinion as to why I feel this is a perfect decision for Game Freak to embrace the DLC/Expansion model rather than rely on an archaic method of Pokemon distribution.

Our story starts as early as Generation 1 with versions Red and Blue. Since the very beginning, each game had version exclusives depending on what version you owned. As would be tradition moving forward, Red and Blue was followed with a third game, Yellow.

While the “third game” in the series would serve as a way to acquire some of the version exclusives, the selling point of Yellow was meant to capitalize on the success of the Pokemon anime. This can be attributed by the Pikachu who follows behind you and the name of the anime protagonist as a possible selection when you name your character. There’s also the inclusion of Jessie and James as the rivals for this version.

Generation 2 was when the “Third version following the two main versions” formula was cemented. With Gold and Silver having their version exclusives once again, Crystal provided quality of life adjustments yet again.

It made it easier to catch both of the cover legendaries, Ho-Oh and Lugia, by making them available in Crystal albeit as optional legendaries. The cover legendary, which was previously an optional legendary in Gold and Silver, could also be seen as quality of life as you could catch Suicune in a traditional Pokemon battle rather than chase it, alongside Entei and Raikou, all over Johto. The largest addition which would go on to be a staple for future Pokemon games, including remakes, was the option to play as a girl.

Pokemon Yellow and Crystal were both meant to provide quality of life changes that cartridge based games needed. Before there was an option to simply update an existing game with patches, these third versions were vital to add features into already existing generations. The third generation posed the first problem that Game Freak faced when it came to transferring Pokemon from different generations.

Up until this point, the transfer of Pokemon between all six games were made possible with link cables. Pokemon can be traded to and from Generation 1 and Generation 2 so long as the Pokemon existed in Generation 1 and didn’t learn any moves that existed in Generation 2 easily enough.

Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire introduced Generation 3 and it was called the Advanced Generation for a reason. It was on entirely new hardware, so the data used to transfer Pokemon from the Game Boy and Game Boy Color era was incompatible with the Game Boy Advance Pokemon games.

This is where we hit our first instance of “All Pokemon from existing games are not available in a Pokemon game.” Outside of special Pokemon events that distributed Pokemon, there was no legal way to attain all of the beloved Pokemon from Generation 1 and 2. 

Savvy Pokemon Trainers at the time who had access to cheating devices like a Gameshark, quickly realized, however, that hidden in the game were all of the Pokemon from previous games. Data for all 386 Pokemon up to that point were included yet at the time only 200 Pokemon could be attained between both Ruby and Sapphire. That meant almost half of the Pokedex was lost in the void and this complete dex would be dubbed the National Dex.

Where are the 186 Pokemon that was missing from this game!? Why did Game Freak lie and not include all the Pokemon in Ruby and Sapphire??? Where’s my <insert favorite> HERE!?!?

Some, not all, of these questions were answered in a game that not many people expected back then.

A year after the release of Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire, Pokemon Colosseum was released for the Nintendo Gamecube in 2004. While praised for it being a full-fledged Pokemon adventure in 3D, some of the selling points for this game was the ability to catch Johto Pokemon. From the very beginning you have access to an Espeon and Umbreon. Shortly afterward you have the chance to catch the Gen 2 starters albeit its secondary evolution with Quilava, Bayleef, and Croconaw. Throughout the game you also have chances to catch a rogues’ gallery of various exclusive Pokemon, which leads to the chance to acquire Ho-Oh at the tail end of the journey.

After completing Colosseum, only then were you able to transfer your Pokemon from the game to Ruby and Sapphire. This was only possible with the usage of a special link cable that was meant to connect your Game Boy Advance to your Gamecube. Not only did you need to own a full priced Pokemon game and play it to completion, but to reap your rewards you needed an extra peripheral device. Even at this point, you were missing a sizable chunk of the Pokemon needed to complete the National Dex at the time.

However, later on that year, a blessing would be granted to patient Pokemon Trainers. The release of the first ever Pokemon remakes, Fire Red and Leaf Green, were released in September. Finally, all 150 Generation 1 Pokemon were able to be captured and transferred to and from Generation 3.

The Johto or Generation 2 Pokemon were a different type of beast however.

Combined with the obtainable Pokemon in Colosseum and FRLG, there were still a sizable amount of Pokemon missing from Gen 2. While you could catch the three legendary dogs from Generation 2, it was still far easier to do so in Colosseum. The only way to acquire Lugia and Ho-Oh in Fire Red and Leaf Green, outside of hacking the event in-game, was through a special event. This meant Colosseum was still an important piece to the puzzle as Ho-Oh was a guaranteed encounter in that game. 

Okay, so Ho-Oh was at least accessible in one other game, thus just about rounding out the obtainable legendaries. But what of Lugia and the others?

Enter Pokemon Emerald, a full two years after the release of Ruby and Sapphire!

The coveted “third version” of Gen 3 provided some changes to the story. Rather than Team Magma or Team Aqua being the hero and villain depending on the version, both teams were the major villains and Rayquaza, who was an optional legendary prior, is now a central legendary in Emerald. Sounds familiar to Crystal?

On top of both Kyogre and Groudon being accessible in this game, it was also possible to catch a sizable missing chunk of the Gen 2 Pokemon as well as making it easier to catch the Lati twins (As Latios and Latias were only available, in the wild, depending on which version you had)

That’s great! But can you catch Lugia?

Nope, because the final piece to this puzzle, the final corner of the Generation 3 Labyrinth, was just around the corner. Pokemon XD Gale of Darkness was released at the end of 2005 as the sequel to Pokemon Colosseum.

Now, at this point in Generation 3, there have been two main versions, two remade versions, and a console game. This is not even mentioning the Pokemon Box which was the only way you could store Pokemon outside of the handheld games, which would serve as the catalyst for Bank and Home many years later. With the release of XD, this rounded the list of games up to six and this isn’t counting buying both versions of RS and FRLG.

Hey, at least you were finally able to claim Lugia alongside any remaining Hoenn exclusives and Johto Pokemon!

Needless to say, Game Freak needed to think of something for Generation 4 onward so that nothing this convoluted could exist again. Utilizing the new hardware of the Nintendo DS and its ability to access the GBA cartridge slot, transferring Pokemon from Gen 3 to 4 was made possible with very little headache. Pokemon transferred this way couldn’t make their way back to Gen 3. After various games and spinoffs throughout Generation 3, however, this was an acceptable drawback.

Throughout the years, the line between generations and game systems was blurred to the point where upon the release of Pokemon Bank, transferring Pokemon between generations as early as 4 to as late as 6 was clockwork. It was even easy to trade with others due to the usage of GTS, then Wonder Trade, and finally Surprise Trade.

If you really want to see how intricate this transfer system works, look no further than this IGN article detailing this process from as far back as Gen 3.

So why am I saying all of this? Well, let’s look back at Generation 3 one last time so we can see how we got to this point of easy transferring. 

Consider the price of GBA games ranged around the price of $30. That’s Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire, Fire Red/Leaf Green, and Emerald, so, three games equating to roughly $90. The price of Gamecube games were around the $50 range at that time so there’s Pokemon Colosseum and XD Gale of Darkness. That’s about $100. With the games alone, it checked out to around $200 over the span of two video game systems! Spending $90 in 2020 seems like a bargain steal in comparison.

It was a time of a lot of firsts for Game Freak. It was their first time developing a system that allowed all Pokemon from older generations to become accessible in modern times. It was their first time trying out various Nintendo peripherals to explore various means of transferring. It was also their first time in perfecting a way to transfer Pokemon without the need to buy an entirely new game.

This is the major point of the new Pokemon Sword and Shield update. Much like the generations past, you do not need the expansion to obtain the Pokemon from previous games. As not all of the Pokemon are still made available even if over 200 Pokemon are being added, I have a hunch that we are not done with Pokemon news as of yet. Perhaps we shall look forward to a Sinnoh remake to obtain the unobtainable Pokemon?