i made a free to use, 100% customizable comment widget for neocities users! it's really easy to install and add comment sections to any page. no more boring cbox or external guestbooks if you don't want them! and it comes with two themes to get you started!! please enjoy! you can find it here on my personal site!

LMAO TWITTER IS REALLY TURNING PVP IM LAUGHINGGGG

FREE FOR ALL, ITEMS ON, ANY STAGES

LOL

tumblr staff have...

STOP GIVING THEM MONEY! stop trying to make crab day or whatever else happen. paying for stuff from the shop is rewarding them for ignoring the userbase continuously and doing things the majority don't want, even if the things they're doing and allowing can cause actual deaths. staff shouldn't be praised and get profit for ignoring their users in exchange for trying to turn tumblr into twitter 2 ft. tiktok. at this point i don't even care for "staff are people 🥺 be nice" arguments, because even when people are being very polite in feedback, they're perfectly fine ignoring it in exchange for implementing changes nobody wants or asked for, all because new users may like it more (and forget anyone who's used the site for years, apparently).

leave bad reviews. don't buy things from the shop. send feedback, even if they never reply. email them and @ the staff, send asks to the wip blog. don't just blindly buy into "we need to support the site, buy xyz shop product", they don't deserve more money for giving a worse product.

So uh….some dude apparently recreated Adobe Photoshop feature-for-feature, for FREE, and it runs in your browser.

Anyway, fuck Adobe, and enjoy!

Give credit to the 30-year-old who worked on this for free and offers this service for free!

WHAT?!

I study graphic design and my tutor recommended and used this in his classes at art college last year, it’s so good it has SO many features for free, I really recommend it, even if you’re just trying to learn the basics of PS, such a wonderful thing <3

Photoshop is still considered an industry standard for commercial art so if you’d like to learn how to use it without breaking the bank, here’s a great tool for any artist hopefuls!

hitting you hitting you hitting you hitting you hi-

In the middle of a strike.

If you need context, earlier this year, CorridorDigital put out an "AI-made anime," where an AI filter was used to convert live action footage into "animation" (for the record, this is NOT animation. Animation is not a look, it's a process. By this logic, anyone using that Pixar Snapchat face filter is a Pixar animator). They touted themselves as "revolutionizing animation."

They were met with considerable backlash and criticism from the animation community. For one, they were taking frames from the real anime Vampire Hunter D to feed the AI. For another, the video was essentially a proof-of-concept for how "easy" and "inexpensive" it is to reduce animation to an automate-able process.

Well, Corridor did not learn anything, because they released a sequel... In the middle of a strike against the use of AI to replace/exploit/profit off of the labor of workers in the film industry. Corridor assured they hired their own artist to train the AI, but remember that industry discourse like this is interconnected. They may not be stealing art, but any studio that sees this and goes 'wow, it's that easy' will. Corridor's also boasting about AI democratizing animation-making. Now anyone can make animation in their bedroom with nothing but a camera and a free software! Except, anyone could already make animation in their bedroom with nothing but a camera and a free software. I made animation in my bedroom with nothing but a camera and a free stop-motion software when I was 10 years old.

Anyways, work like this is exactly what studios hellbent on exploiting workers want to see. It doesn't matter if it's cool or fun. Remember that AI discourse is currently the frontlines of the labor crisis in the film industry. Corridor putting out this video as "fun education" in the middle of an strike is so incredibly irresponsible and disrespectful.

Absolute fire

What does Eruka get when she goes to the hospital

A frognosis

A frognosis

A frognosis

A frognosis

A frognosis

A frognosis

Good job man.

Thank you I’m gonna try stand up soon

I'll admit that this one has cemented itself in my psyche

HEARTBREAKING: local food blogger thinks it's funny to put on a rude persona in their recipe videos

Hey, long time no post on this account! In case you haven't heard, SAKANA IS RETURNING! Nearly 4 years since the last comic post, I am dragging my carcass back into the webcomics scene after finishing a whole graphic novel and the first chapter of an adult series.

Aside from new pages (there are already 10 in the buffer! wow!) I'm also doing a site refresh and updating the cast page for the first time in maybe 10 years. Here's the first batch of fresh faces (and a sneak peek at the new color scheme!)

Thanks for sticking with me all this time! I need to finish the website, fix some navigation problems, and grow the buffer a little more, but I'm hoping to restart updates in time for my fall conventions.

Yo, I just worked on animation with @pringusmcdingus!!! I mainly worked on the opening, and it was supposed to be longer, but since I wanted my part out as soon as possible I decided to cut it in half. Special thanks to @ensunmada for the BGs and everone who worked on the animation! Watch the full thing here!!!

Boss Concepts ‘Mega Man Zero’ Game Boy Advance

Zero Concept Art ‘Mega Man Zero’ Game Boy Advance

Knuckles The Echidna.

Introduced in 1993's Sonic 3, he served as the initial antagonist of the game's story. As Sonic and Tails survey this mysterious floating island, fresh off their previous adventure, in comes this red dude strong enough to knock the chaos emeralds right out of Sonic. As you progress through the game, you see him somehow always have the upper hand on you, even taunting and laughing at you. "How does he do it!?", the kids back then probably thought.

As time goes on, we learn that he is the destined guardian of the master emerald. One of the most powerful objects in Sonic the Hedgehog's lore. He will go to any lengths to protect it and do his job. Even shattering it in Sonic Adventure 2. You'll get that this guy is stern. serious. about his job and everything else. He doesn't really care about the little things. But at the same time, he's also socially awkward. Not in a extreme way exactly, it's just that he grew up alone on an isolated floating island. It doesn't do wonders for you. At the same time, you get the sense that he's trying his best. Sonic teases him for it, while bad actors take advantage of it. He's no pushover though. Once he realizes he's been wronged, he'll use all of his strength to make it right.

His design is super iconic. When a kid is finished drawing Sonic, he'll probably draw Knuckles next. I enjoy seeing him on my screens.

Knuckles is a really fun character and one of Sonic's greatest friends. Recently, the people handling him are starting to take him more seriously, even going deeper into the mystery that still surrounds him. He's a great character and i feel he's gonna do even better.

lan party beneath vandelay towers let's get it started in hereeee

Luke Sullivan.

Character designer Kaname Fujioka mentioned that alongside Kimberly and Jamie, Luke is to serve as one of the big 3 to the new generation of street fighter fans. So, who is this guy? Is he supposed to be the new Ryu? Or something else?

He was revealed in Street Fighter 5 as the final DLC character. Back then i was expecting Makoto. I was quite disapointed, alongside other people who were expecting other things. But the development team had a lot of faith in him. Like a lot. Going as far to call him the future of street fighter?

in 5, Luke comes off as a cocky and arrogant young dude. Fresh off the army with a little bit of encouragement from Guile, he has a strong will to back it up. He's not too respectful to his opponents and doesn't seem to be taking this fighting thing seriously. he does seem to enjoy it though.

Also a cool detail about him in 5 is that some of his moves have this paint splash effect, alluding now to street fighter 6' whole aesthetic. They really meant this "future of street fighter" shit. How cool!

Time passes, and he's revealed to be included in Street Fighter 6. More humble and mature, he takes the role of the guide of the story mode of the game. Due to past experiences he seems more laid back. He seems like a really cool older brother now! This maturity is also shown to the rest of the cast. He's really endearing now.

He's also rocking a brand new design that a lot of people agree is much better to look at. It works with his MMA background very well. The t-shirt with the design meant to replace the tattoo he had in 5 coupled with the open hoodie makes for a fun look! And let's not leave out his forearms, one of his most recognizable traits.

His gameplay is pretty fun. I've found myself playing him more. He's a simple character to get down, being very easy for beginners to pick up. But at the same time, there's some depth to him. Here's him preforming one of the greatest comebacks in the past few years on the biggest stage of fighting games. I saw this live. Jaw on the floor. I wanna get good at him so bad now. His upbeat playful attitude makes for a character meant for the type of person looking to steamroll their opponents with a big dumb smile on their face. Chances are that the smile on his face will be wider.

Luke has shaped up to be one of The Dudes of all time. He's a walking definition of a gamble. Capcom took a huge one with him and when it look like it wasn't going well at the start, he's now well beloved through the efforts of the voice actor, who loves him just as much.

I think that through his journey, Luke is going to grow and evolve with the rest of the cast. I think one day, he's gonna be a respected and accomplished old master. But right now? He's gonna do him.

Unfairly Maligned Games, Vol. 3

Games I loved that got low scores, review bombed, or have some other weird negative stigma attached to them that I think is unfairly earned.

NOTE: I don't believe in giving games a number score or a letter grade. Maybe I'm just bad at criticism or very easy to please, whatever.

Indivisible [2019]

Mostly only known as the "from the makers of Skullgirls" game, Indivisible is another prime example of a game that was crowdfunded as one thing but turned into another, and gets a bad rap for its association with the ever-present controversiality of Skullgirls' creators. That said, I still think - as always - that it's crucial to view a game for what it is, not what it isn't. And what it IS is an extremely engaging mish-mash of genres and endearing characters, oozing with style and appeal, that fills a very particular void left behind by some of the most classic RPGs of a bygone era.

At its core, Indivisible is a 2D Metroidvania/RPG hybrid with an unusual battle system that plays similarly to an old PSX game series called Valkyrie Profile. During combat, each character's gauge will fill up, allowing them to take action(s). Your four party members are each assigned to one of the four face buttons on a controller (e.g. A, B, X, Y), and pressing that button will - in real-time - execute an attack on the enemy. Using it in combination the D-Pad allows for several different types of attack. All party members' attacks can overlap simultaneously, allowing you to string together combos to really rack up the damage, or juggle enemies to prevent counterattacks and break their defenses. The Metroidvania and platforming portion comprises the rest of the game, with a heavy focus on using those same action skills to scale massive environments, solve platforming puzzles, and dodge spikes. Typical Metroidvania stuff.

Story-wise, in our modern world of RPGs that is dominated almost exclusively by Japanese and Scandinavian narratives, Indivisible is breath of fresh air that focuses heavily on South and East Asian mythology and themes. Heavy inspiration is taken from the cultures of India, Tibet, Mongolia, and the South Pacific. This is reflected not only in the characters and their various ethnicities, but in the game's approach to spirituality, reincarnation, second chances, and being a teenager hellbent on destroying god. Our main protagonist Ajna is a teenager studying martial arts who isn't quite as in touch with her spirituality as her mentor would like her to be. When war strikes the land and burns her home to the ground, she gets pissed and sets out on a quest for retribution, discovering in the process that she actually does possess certain godlike powers of destruction, and also that she can absorb certain people into her head, which is just a cute way of lampshading having a Party System.

I've seen Reviewers and big Opinion-Havers on the internet criticize the game's writing for having a bull-headed protagonist who boldly rushes into confrontation, unleashing her wanton destruction without first considering the catastrophic consequences for civilians. It's almost like they've forgotten what being a teenager and making poor choices is like. But I say fuck 'em. I say we need MORE stories about uninformed teenagers with immense godlike powers and no sense of nuance making rash decisions and fucking up royally. That alone is crucial to understanding the rest of the game's themes about atonement, reincarnation, and understanding why you believe what you believe in. That's what Indivisible is all about. In many ways, I feel like Ajna shares a common story arc with Korra from the Avatar series, and it's very cool to see how she learns to deal with the damage she's caused and what insight that gives her when facing down the Big Bad.

Of course, what is a good story without characters to flesh it out? The characters in this game are absolutely charming and multifaceted, coming from a wide array of different cultures and personalities, many of which are vastly underrepresented in not only RPGs but video games in general. Personal favorites include, but are not limited to, big booba water mom Thorani (based on a buddhist deity of the same name), Leilani the Hawaiian sharknado (spins around in a cyclone attack using a leiomano, a Hawaiian shark-tooth sword), lesbian pirate mom Baozhai (based on the famous Chinese pirate Ching Shih), and of course, local nihilistic swamp witch Razmi (a loose mishmash of Korean and Persian Zoroastrian shamans). The full cast of characters is enormous (well over 20 playable ones alone), and each one comes with a unique moveset and playstyle that not only keeps gameplay interesting, but matches their personality and the role they play in the story.

But if there's one thing I truly want to focus on when I gush about this game, it's this. Indivisible has one thing over most other games of its genre, something that modern RPGs in particular suffer heavily from a severe lack of, and that's its strong commitment to multiculturalism. Indivisible made a clear decision to not only feature characters from around the globe, but to blend their cultures together in interesting and exciting ways that don't diminish or water them down. Every character is allowed to shine in their own way without diluting what makes them stand out in the first place, which is why you can have a game that features a gunblade-wielding cowboy, a Namibian songstress, an armless Chinese dancer, a Kamen Rider knock-off, and a Mongolian archer who people keep mistaking for Pearl from Steven Universe. This sort of melting-pot cultural stew used to be common in classic anime and 90s RPGs, but kind of fell out of fashion with the rise of gacha waifu games and Elder Scrolls derivatives. Now more than ever, I feel like Indivisible is exactly the sort of injection the gaming world needs to rekindle those flames of pure imagination that the old classic era brought us.

All that said, one of the biggest reasons Indivisible will always have a dark mark next to its name is of course due to the fact that its lead designer (the studio head) was involved in a sexual harassment case that resulted in everyone on the team either quitting or being laid off, and the rights to the work and characters getting lost in the shuffle. Additionally, the game was still finished and released as intended, but did not feature any of the guest star characters that were promised during crowdfunding, most of whom were indie darlings of the time (Shovel Knight, Hyper Light Drifter, and Super Time Force to name a few). Naturally, this has left a sour taste in many folks' mouths, so it is somewhat understandable why the game would have a negative stigma attached. There are also a few bizarre and possibly off-putting cameos hidden among the NPCs (a few outdated meme references and Zone-tan, of all people), but these are entirely skippable and serve only as background extras.

Sour grapes aside though, I wholeheartedly recommend Indivisible for anyone looking for a fresh take on action RPGs. The neat hybridization of Metroidvania and real-time RPG with fighting game mechanics gives it a very unique identity, and if the compelling spirituality of the story doesn't grab you, the charm of the characters absolutely will. It certainly took me for a ride. My only word of caution is to follow the game's own suggestion and get good at Blocking in combat as early as you can!

Friendly reminder!