Ryan Zhao

Öoo🟩
Pristine puzzle-platformer. Just immaculate. Most of the paths in this game result in dead ends and you think "what was the point of that?" but realize that in getting to that dead end, you *learned* how to use your skills in a way that unblocks something else. Not new abilities; understanding.

Damn. The last two years have been rough on Mario. He's in his National Treasure --> National Treasure 2 Nic Cage stage of his life.

The last two minutes of Challengers in a packed theater.

I Dont Want to Be a Good Woman🟩
Something of a digital museum of simple but evocative digital sculptures punctuated with autobiographical experiences of the anonymous dev team's experiences of being a woman in Iran. Really powerful, very risky to create (due to local laws). Taught me a lot.

Lemmings = Pikmin + Mr. Magoo

Very funny. Good comedic timing in a player-controlled situation.

In surprised that Bugonia has already cycled out of many of my local theaters. Feels like a big release but having a very short run. imo, I think it's an excellent film, and it's not like there are other huge films moving in to push it out. Odd.

It's not Dead Rising. It's not Dead to Rights. it's...

For me, it was $40 in the Apple TV app but $15 in the iTunes software, so try multiple devices, softwares, etc.

The Town, Due Date, Bugonia, The Witches
#LastFourWatched
letterboxd.com/InsrtCoins/

its right behind you dumbass

omg. The Pokémon Seismitoad is named Crapustule in French. Translators looking at it thinking "I can't decide whether it makes me think of crap or pustules more".

Halo: Campaign Evolved is a fine enough name but why not Halo: Remaster-Chiefed

Jared Fogel not able to use the "we all know that the American justice system is especially hard on sandwich-related crime" defense in social situations anymore.

Made me think how fun it'd be to build a theme park around an even more esoteric collection of IPs. Ride the KoyaanisCoaster! Eat at the Before Sunrise Bar! Don't miss the Mrs. Harris Goes to Ferris Wheel!

The Secret Life of Pets, Kung-Fu Panda, The Mummy -- they're all like, "oh yeah, I know of that", but it all feels a bit more random than Disney's selections (though they had a ride based on Song of the South, so maybe I'm just used to 'Land).

Compared to Disney, which has such an identifiable ethos, franchise-to-franchise, Universal Studios feels so random in the IPs from which it can draw. Like, sure, I can see Jurassic Park (ugh, World) translating well into a ride, but then it's like, eat at Friday the 13th Jason's BBQ.

The thing is -- if people know the franchise, they don't need the proper nouns, and if people don't know the franchise, they don't care about the proper nouns. Like, I don't care that that character is named Sideswipe. I don't know who Sideswipe is.

... "It's Devastator! Now he's pulling us in with his cyclone" -- yeah, man, I'm on the ride. I'm seeing it happen. It's like watching a movie with audio descriptions on.

One funny trend is how "proper noun"-heavy all of the rides and attractions are. They feel the need to explain who every character is in sometimes rather ham-fisted ways. The Transformers ride constantly narrates who is who and what's happening...

Super Nintendo World is fun -- great to see the Peach's Castle facade IRL -- but very small. I enjoyed the Mario Kart ride, but most of its theme comes through the AR display; you don't feel like you're in Mario Kart as much as you feel like you're watching Mario Kart on a small screen.

...The Mummy's Revenge is very clearly aping Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye. The Secret Life of Pets has a Roger Rabbit's Cartoon Spin vibe, including a few gags that feel lifted from that ride directly.

I spent the day at the Universal Studios Hollywood theme park yesterday. The amount of rides that incorporate video screen and 3D elements gets to be a little samey, while the rides that are wholly practical feel like pretty direct copies of Disneyland rides...

Actually we use dollars here, but the general sentiment seems accurate.

Nearly double digits means nine people.

thats nuts

I'm interested by Granblue Fantasy Versus' approach. Specials are like MMO hotbar commands executed simply and consistently.
Or Melty Blood / Under Night in which it's *only* about positioning and momentum; attacks are ultra-simplified.
Smash Bros. gets closest to your Tony Hawk point of reference.

THE END OF GAMEPLAY🟩
Many of the vignettes are interesting once the player gets a sense of the built-up design language being utilized here. Not *quite* enough to say to make it an easy recommendation, but there's some stuff to think about in here.

Might makes Wright #CRTWR

Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo🟩
The rare 2D Zelda-like that surpasses its inspirations. Combat is fluid and bolstered by clever moves. Every puzzle is clever and feels great to solve. Every new ability feels useful without telegraphing its absence beforehand. Upgrade + currency system is SO GOOD 🪀