Gathion

Star Fox Zero and Star Fox Guard arrived today!  Sweet pre-order deal from Amazon...20 percent off!

I haven't had a chance to play Guard, but I did play the first two levels of Zero...was it worth the wait?

Well, yes!  Heck yes!  So far, anyway!

The game is gorgeous.  Say what you will about the simpler look of Nintendo games, but they made it work here.  There's a bit of slowdown on some of the more intense moments, but the game moves smoothly and shines brightly otherwise.  Some of the designs are a bit simple too, but I think it gives it more of an "old mixed with the new" vibe...and is fitting to the game's origins and progress.

The gameplay is Star Fox of old...if you enjoyed Star Fox 64 and the original Star Fox, this game delivers on that front.  There are a few new gameplay elements, including the walker (I haven't used the gyro yet though), and so far they play just as smoothly as the flying (something Assault didn't quite nail down in the flight-to-foot transitions).  The rail system is back and just as good as it was in SF64 and Assault, and all-range mode returns, though some of the objectives are a bit difficult to achieve (see controls below)

The story...is Star Fox 64 all over again.  Kinda disappointing, but the franchise's progression has been dormant for so long that it needs a good kick start.  Corneria is a familiar experience, but it's still a new experience...it's not a retelling like Star Fox 64 3D, but a reimagining, with more effort in the story and dialogue.  Fans of SF64 probably won't have to guess how the Point A to Point B story pans out, but the path there definitely has some new attractions to check out.

The voice acting...is so much better.  Fox and Falco are fine.  Slippy doesn't annoy me.  Whoever they chose to take over as Peppy...is more bearable this time around than SF64 3D, but it still feels like he's trying a bit too hard sometimes (Peppy's voice actor in Assault was the best, hands down).  The supporting cast is alright...still corny as ever, but eh, it is what it is.

The controls, however, I definitely need to address.  They are HARD to master.  Most reviews of this game will describe them as unintuitive, and it's true, it will take some time and coordination to get used to it.  You are basically watching yourself fly on the TV while manning the gun on the gamepad.  HOWEVER...the game will not punish you for just watching the TV, at least not early on.  There are definitely points where you need to use both, but for the most part, you can work your way through the level just watching the TV.  If anything, you will be rewarded the more you learn the control scheme and begin to utilize both...after all, the gamepad provides you an extra edge by being able to fire all around...excellent when you don't have to worry as much about where you're going.  I look forward to adapting to these controls, though I absolutely understand why this is a dealbreaker for some, and if you really struggle with coordination, you may have a difficult time enjoying the game to its fullest.

Early Impression Score: 85/100 - It's fun and nostalgic, but the controls will make things a bit wonky on the uptake.  Recommended!

Hi folks!  Sorry things have been rather quiet on this front...I've been working overtime every week the past month, so it's limited my time on projects.  I'm just about done with a commission, and I've been practicing my digital sketching otherwise.  I feel I've been getting the hang of it (those Zootopia sketches were my first attempts), and MAN does it offer a lot of flexibility.  I'm a slow and deliberate traditional sketcher, but I've learned to draw quickly with digital tools...which is a huge relief for my wrist and elbow, which suffer greatly from my need to drag the pencil across the paper as hard as possible when doing lines. Also, mistakes are much easier to correct...and I make a lot of mistakes!

I will try to bring some of my efforts to fruition over the next week.  Anything anybody wants to see in particular?

Just an FYI, I'm removing most of my art...older stuff I'm not really happy with, mostly.  I think most of what's there right now (from the Iron Artist to the present) will stay, but I'm going though some older pieces to decide if anything else is worth keeping.

I am not putting back up any old Star Fox art.  I'm not happy with any of it, honestly...just hard to look at it when I've made so much progress. The couple pieces I did after the Iron Artist Challenge will stay though.

If there's something I drew for you that has vanished, let me know and I'll make sure you get it...I still have all the files stored on DA until I've gone through them.

BECAUSE WHERE'S THE SNOW?  SIXTY DEGREES ON CHRISTMAS EVE, WHAT THE HECK N' STUFF?

Deviant to the CORE
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One last hurrah with the Core membership...I had 1200 points laying around, and today's six months for 1200 points deal seemed to fit the bill.  So there we go.

Me Smarting Up!
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I'm currently in that wonderful world of needing to learn a new program's quirks and not having the time to learn them...as such, I'm just in sketch mode until I find some opportunities to learn the in's and out's of Manga Studio (aka Clip Studio) and get comfortable with the updated layouts.  If anyone knows of any truly helpful tutorials (video or text), I'd be happy to hear ya out.

Speaking of video vs. text tutorials, I was playing Shantae and the Pirate's Curse and got stuck at a certain point.  Back in the old days, you used to be able to go online and find a written walkthrough that you could just go to what you wanted, read the info you need, and move on. 

THERE ARE NO TEXT WALKTHROUGHS OF THIS GAME.

Seriously, I couldn't find a single one, just video walkthroughs...and while I like watching PLAYthroughs, I hate watching walkthroughs, because they're not always played straight to the point, there's no simple way to pinpoint the information you're looking for, and there can be HOURS of footage to comb through.  This may be easier for the folks creating the walkthroughs than trying to write it all out, but it's incredibly difficult to navigate as the person seeking help.  Maybe it's just me being old and using "Back in my day" gripes to emphasize that I'm behind the times, but that's just how it is for me.  In any case, I eventually remembered what I needed to do and went on to accidentally beat the game...seriously.  I just wanted to find a cacklebat, and I ended up at the final boss instead.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens
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I liked it.

Chronicles of Gathion
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I'm debating what kind of illustrations to do for this project...I've considered everything from pencils only to digitally inked and colored, and with Manga Studio I have even considered adapting it into a semi-comic...not sure the best way to describe it, but I've seen other artists doing it, where they post images with a segment of the story attached to each, be it in the description or as part of the image (I'd rather do the latter).  I'm not doing a full-fledged comic, mind you...that would take too long and requires skills and speed I don't have.  The thing that matters most right now is actually writing the thing, which is going well at least.  More on that later.

Other Projects
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It was disheartening to cancel Please Notice Us.  As I mentioned above with Chronicles of Gathion, I simply don't have the speed and skill to do a comic series, and to be honest, the material I produced just didn't work for me.  It's partially a lack of context, partially a lack of confidence in my own work, and partially the prude in me that will produce something with adult content in it and then never post it out of embarrassment. Even the "poster" of Lana almost didn't make it simply because of an implied swear word. I suppose that's something I need to get over...it's not like I'm producing something that's never been seen before, and saying a bad word or making a sex joke doesn't make me a bad person.  I guess it's just...expectations.  Or what I assume people expect.  However, that's getting into personal drama territory, so

ABRUPT SUBJECT CHANGE
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I still don't do requests, trades or commissions?  I'd like to, and I will again soon, but give me a bit of time to get myself familiarized the tools of the trade.  I'll make a journal with details when the time's right.

Happy Whatever You Celebrate
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May your holiday season be absolutely wonderful!  Take care, folks!