What WOULD Brian Boitano do??
Well, that picture of my shelf is already out of date; I just added Utena #1 and Pokemon movie 17 to the pile, plus my sister bought me Princess Jellyfish for my birthday, so that answers the question of what my next anime is going to be. Also, I guess the opening makes a reference to (among other things) Singin' in the Rain? SIGN ME UP FOR THAT <3
And now, as fortold by the ancients (well, me from last year)... I bought "South Park: The Stick of Truth" because it was on sale... and it's absolutely everything I was hoping it would be.
It's a South Park RPG. It's everything a South Park RPG should be. It's THE SOUTH PARK RPG, HOLY CRAP YOU GUYS I'M SERIOUSLY. I have so many horrible nostalgic feelings for South Park right now, I don't know what to do with myself (other than put the likes of "Come Sail Away" and "Swiss Colony Beef Log" on endless repeat because they're approximately THE BEST SONGS EVER?! Nggggh).
Shall I elaborate?
OK, first of all, this game really feels like a return to all of the things I do actually like about South Park. Yes, it's crass and crude and intentionally offensive, but when it's truly firing on all cylinders there's a certain sense of innocence and honesty and subversiveness present in the characters and situations that makes it work in all its absurdity. When the show started feeling more cynical and mean-spirited, I stopped watching. But the game is (essentially) about children playing a game of fantasy make-believe in their backyard, and the world of the game is set up to make it feel just like that-- cardboard swords and bouncy balls as weapons (and lit matches and broken bottles and lawn darts and stop signs-- OK, it's childhood-imagination-space slightly tweaked for adults and children who didn't grow up as sheltered as I did, but it's brilliantly childlike nonetheless ^^;). And even though you do end up fighting Nazi zombies and government agents posing as Taco Bell employees, it's all in the name of protecting THE STICK. A stick is the most important item in the game to these characters. I love that.
Second-- the references. Holy cow, the references. I mean, I stopped watching this show more than 10 years ago, so I'm sure there are things that are completely going over my head, but it's far from incomprehensible or unfunny as a result-- and the fact that there are STILL so many in-jokes, continuity nods, and overall sense of mythos for this quiet mountain town is as impressive as it is completely smile-inducing. Not only have I found a few Okama GameSpheres and Wild Wacky Action Bikes, but you can go into the movie theater and hear the trailer for the most definitive Rob Schneider movie of all time. And the main collectible in the game? Chinpokomon!! (always relevant to my interests, but as of late? HOLY CRAP SUPER-RELEVANT XD). I can FINALLY collect my own Chu Chu Nezumi, Pengin, and Shoe, not to mention some new ones that are legitimately really adorable (Vampoko the cutesy bat-thing? Flowerpotamus? Get Nintendo on the phone about these things right now THEY NEED TO EXIST DX). Got to buy buy buy, buybuybuy... Chinpokomon! It really IS Super-Toy Number One. Ohhhhh?!??! ^_^ (Ahem. But as a side note, I can't BELIEVE South Park Studios doesn't have these older episodes available online for free anymore, I never thought I'd be living in a world where that was the case. I'M SUCH A SAD PANDA ;_;)
Third-- within minutes, BUTTERS IS RIGHT THERE BUTTERS IS YOUR FIRST FRIEND IN SOUTH PARK. I just... I love Butters so much, you guys. If any character deserves to be wrapped in a blanket and given cookies, it's him. He's just so innocent and naive and adorable. He plays the part of a paladin-- with a little hammer that deals holy damage, and he heals you by patting your character on the back and saying things like "there ya go, little buddy" and "I got your back, yo." Let me say that again. He heals you. BY PATTING YOU ON THE BACK. AND BEING ENCOURAGING. I can't emphasize with mere words how completely perfect it is, ONLY SQUEALING WILL DO. Even his transformation into Professor Chaos is adorable aslkjdfasdfkh. At one point, you have to make a choice to side with the elves (Stan, Kyle, and Jimmy) or the humans (Cartman, Kenny, and Butters, as well as Tweek, Craig, and Token) and... no, there was absolutely no question, I could never betray Butters! Fighting against him goes completely against the laws of decency in my eyes-- he needs protection from this cold, cruel world. Freaking... BUTTERS <3 <3 <3
How could anyone ever wish misfortune upon this face? It's OK Butters-- when the game's over we'll grab some dinner at Bennigan's :D
Honestly though, all of the the battle-support characters are well-written and have in-character and completely appropriate powers and abilities. I do really like the fact that Kenny is a beautiful princess, and I'm half-sure Stan's victory pose is meant to mimic Cloud's from Final Fantasy VII (there are definitely little RPG references and fourth-wall-breaking moments scattered here and there <3). Kyle gets his baby brother Ike (dressed as a berserker pirate) for a "kick the baby" attack, and Jimmy plays one mean brown note. I haven't put Cartman in my party or used any of the summons yet but I'm sure they're uh... appropriately offensive as well (I'm still trying to find Jesus though. We're playing hide-and-seek :D).
It probably says something about me that my favorite characters' defining traits are innocence (Butters) and being high-strung (Tweek), but I don't much care XD I like Craig too (he's the silent type), but I guess he doesn't flip people off much anymore. Aw, nuts.
Literally my first attempts at computer-generated fanart, circa 2002(?). Thanks, CorelDraw!
The ONE THING that irks me about the game is that you can't play as a girl. You can have long hair, give yourself rosy cheeks, customize the colors of your armor and headgear to fetching shades of purple and teal-- in short, craft the perfect avatar to fulfill all your Mary Sue self-insertion (heh... insertion) fantasies about South Park-- and pretty much the first thing out of your in-game father's mouth is "Son..." Man, that just doesn't feel right. I'm in the part of the game that supposedly dictated that Douchebag (yes, that's your character's name-- I spent like 15 minutes trying to perfect a ridiculous fantasy spelling of my real name only to have it be ignored completely and forever-- well played, South Park, well played XD) "had" to a boy, but I just don't see it. I could just be a tomboy who didn't want to play with the girls. The characters are 9 years old, for crying out loud-- any 9-year-old doing the things you have to do to befriend the girls regardless of sex/gender is ridiculous-- so mandating male-ness just feels like lazy writing to me. Well, I still identify my Douchebag as a girl, and the fact that everyone just assumes I'm a boy (you play as a silent protagonist, so every time it cuts to me not saying something, it actually becomes funnier when whoever I'm interacting with drops a "him/he" while talking to/about me because HOW PRESUMPTUOUS) just means the joke's on them XD
Anyway. It's not the best RPG ever but it is ridiculously fun, funny, vicariously satisfying, and the quintessential South Park experience, so I am compelled to endorse it for those reasons if nothing else.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have to upgrade my armor. The desire to give my character Level 11 underpants to wear on her head is a bit overwhelming at the moment. My inner 12-year-old demands it.
And now, as fortold by the ancients (well, me from last year)... I bought "South Park: The Stick of Truth" because it was on sale... and it's absolutely everything I was hoping it would be.
It's a South Park RPG. It's everything a South Park RPG should be. It's THE SOUTH PARK RPG, HOLY CRAP YOU GUYS I'M SERIOUSLY. I have so many horrible nostalgic feelings for South Park right now, I don't know what to do with myself (other than put the likes of "Come Sail Away" and "Swiss Colony Beef Log" on endless repeat because they're approximately THE BEST SONGS EVER?! Nggggh).
Shall I elaborate?
OK, first of all, this game really feels like a return to all of the things I do actually like about South Park. Yes, it's crass and crude and intentionally offensive, but when it's truly firing on all cylinders there's a certain sense of innocence and honesty and subversiveness present in the characters and situations that makes it work in all its absurdity. When the show started feeling more cynical and mean-spirited, I stopped watching. But the game is (essentially) about children playing a game of fantasy make-believe in their backyard, and the world of the game is set up to make it feel just like that-- cardboard swords and bouncy balls as weapons (and lit matches and broken bottles and lawn darts and stop signs-- OK, it's childhood-imagination-space slightly tweaked for adults and children who didn't grow up as sheltered as I did, but it's brilliantly childlike nonetheless ^^;). And even though you do end up fighting Nazi zombies and government agents posing as Taco Bell employees, it's all in the name of protecting THE STICK. A stick is the most important item in the game to these characters. I love that.
Second-- the references. Holy cow, the references. I mean, I stopped watching this show more than 10 years ago, so I'm sure there are things that are completely going over my head, but it's far from incomprehensible or unfunny as a result-- and the fact that there are STILL so many in-jokes, continuity nods, and overall sense of mythos for this quiet mountain town is as impressive as it is completely smile-inducing. Not only have I found a few Okama GameSpheres and Wild Wacky Action Bikes, but you can go into the movie theater and hear the trailer for the most definitive Rob Schneider movie of all time. And the main collectible in the game? Chinpokomon!! (always relevant to my interests, but as of late? HOLY CRAP SUPER-RELEVANT XD). I can FINALLY collect my own Chu Chu Nezumi, Pengin, and Shoe, not to mention some new ones that are legitimately really adorable (Vampoko the cutesy bat-thing? Flowerpotamus? Get Nintendo on the phone about these things right now THEY NEED TO EXIST DX). Got to buy buy buy, buybuybuy... Chinpokomon! It really IS Super-Toy Number One. Ohhhhh?!??! ^_^ (Ahem. But as a side note, I can't BELIEVE South Park Studios doesn't have these older episodes available online for free anymore, I never thought I'd be living in a world where that was the case. I'M SUCH A SAD PANDA ;_;)
Third-- within minutes, BUTTERS IS RIGHT THERE BUTTERS IS YOUR FIRST FRIEND IN SOUTH PARK. I just... I love Butters so much, you guys. If any character deserves to be wrapped in a blanket and given cookies, it's him. He's just so innocent and naive and adorable. He plays the part of a paladin-- with a little hammer that deals holy damage, and he heals you by patting your character on the back and saying things like "there ya go, little buddy" and "I got your back, yo." Let me say that again. He heals you. BY PATTING YOU ON THE BACK. AND BEING ENCOURAGING. I can't emphasize with mere words how completely perfect it is, ONLY SQUEALING WILL DO. Even his transformation into Professor Chaos is adorable aslkjdfasdfkh. At one point, you have to make a choice to side with the elves (Stan, Kyle, and Jimmy) or the humans (Cartman, Kenny, and Butters, as well as Tweek, Craig, and Token) and... no, there was absolutely no question, I could never betray Butters! Fighting against him goes completely against the laws of decency in my eyes-- he needs protection from this cold, cruel world. Freaking... BUTTERS <3 <3 <3
How could anyone ever wish misfortune upon this face? It's OK Butters-- when the game's over we'll grab some dinner at Bennigan's :D
Honestly though, all of the the battle-support characters are well-written and have in-character and completely appropriate powers and abilities. I do really like the fact that Kenny is a beautiful princess, and I'm half-sure Stan's victory pose is meant to mimic Cloud's from Final Fantasy VII (there are definitely little RPG references and fourth-wall-breaking moments scattered here and there <3). Kyle gets his baby brother Ike (dressed as a berserker pirate) for a "kick the baby" attack, and Jimmy plays one mean brown note. I haven't put Cartman in my party or used any of the summons yet but I'm sure they're uh... appropriately offensive as well (I'm still trying to find Jesus though. We're playing hide-and-seek :D).
It probably says something about me that my favorite characters' defining traits are innocence (Butters) and being high-strung (Tweek), but I don't much care XD I like Craig too (he's the silent type), but I guess he doesn't flip people off much anymore. Aw, nuts.
Literally my first attempts at computer-generated fanart, circa 2002(?). Thanks, CorelDraw!
The ONE THING that irks me about the game is that you can't play as a girl. You can have long hair, give yourself rosy cheeks, customize the colors of your armor and headgear to fetching shades of purple and teal-- in short, craft the perfect avatar to fulfill all your Mary Sue self-insertion (heh... insertion) fantasies about South Park-- and pretty much the first thing out of your in-game father's mouth is "Son..." Man, that just doesn't feel right. I'm in the part of the game that supposedly dictated that Douchebag (yes, that's your character's name-- I spent like 15 minutes trying to perfect a ridiculous fantasy spelling of my real name only to have it be ignored completely and forever-- well played, South Park, well played XD) "had" to a boy, but I just don't see it. I could just be a tomboy who didn't want to play with the girls. The characters are 9 years old, for crying out loud-- any 9-year-old doing the things you have to do to befriend the girls regardless of sex/gender is ridiculous-- so mandating male-ness just feels like lazy writing to me. Well, I still identify my Douchebag as a girl, and the fact that everyone just assumes I'm a boy (you play as a silent protagonist, so every time it cuts to me not saying something, it actually becomes funnier when whoever I'm interacting with drops a "him/he" while talking to/about me because HOW PRESUMPTUOUS) just means the joke's on them XD
Anyway. It's not the best RPG ever but it is ridiculously fun, funny, vicariously satisfying, and the quintessential South Park experience, so I am compelled to endorse it for those reasons if nothing else.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have to upgrade my armor. The desire to give my character Level 11 underpants to wear on her head is a bit overwhelming at the moment. My inner 12-year-old demands it.