i’ve always been a big pokémon fan...ever since i was a kid. and i’ve found that, even as i’ve grown older, my love for pokémon has stuck with me.
especially the pokémon themselves. i’ve always been a huge scyther fan (#123alldayerryday). espeon and i go waaaaay back. weavile straight-up wrecks shop. but in the past few years, i’ve grown to love totodile.
i mean, look at him.
(via bulbapedia)
(via corsolanite)
(via youtube)
look at him.
(via giphy)
(via giphy)
(via axew)
(via imgur)
(via nookenzie)
(via reddit)
(via nidoqueen)
(via retrogamingblog)
(via clemontic)
(via turoxx)
(via neoseeker)
(via tenor)
(via reddit)
(via giphy)
(via acetrainerkayla)
(via rewatchingpokemon)
(via imgur)
what a boss.
so of course, as i grew to love this awesome croc, i started wanting some totodile merchandise. why not a plush?
...
:T
uh, before i go further, let’s take a look at some good pokémon plushes. as–uh–a reference point.
we’ve got official cuts,
reasonable off-brand,
even some bona-fide etsy/deviant-art masterworks.
(click through for poses >:D)
totodile plushes are not good.
for example. here’s an official pokémon center “poké doll” totodile plush (standard size).
...yeeeeaaaaahhh.
you say to me, “okay, well, that must be just one—”
nope.
nooope.
uh huh.
yeah.
...
scroll up and take another look at those images up top. actually, don’t bother—i’ll pull one down here myself.
(via wifflegif)
now look at this.
absolutely no resemblance.
there’s something seriously wrong with the manufacture of totodile plushes. and it doesn’t stop there!
we’ve got “duck” totodile,
“existential screaming” totodile,
“skiing holiday” totodile,
“IM MAD ATCHOO” totodile,
“submarine blob” totodile,
“lelelelel” totodile,
“bringer of bad news” totodile,
some “reversible totodile pokéball” atrocity (i kid you not),
“bitey face” totodile,
“stung by a bee” totodile,
“apparently christmas” totodile,
even blue alf!
...
i started showing these to my brother, to prove a point. i’ll have you know, rarely can i ever back myself up, but this time i won the argument. totodile plushes look ridiculous.
we even started correlating some plushes with emoji.
😳
:O
:V
:/
ಠ_ಠ
🐊
the list goes on.
i despaired that i could ever find a plush that actually looked like totodile. i consigned myself to weird knockoff misery. but then...i found some glimmers of hope.
a somewhat nice lounging totodile, but way too expensive.
an actually kinda happy totodile! but sold out. (back from diamond and pearl??)
an official pokémon center one that only became available after press time. (comes well reviewed tho.)
and then, somehow, i found the one totodile plush that is seriously and legitimately the absolute best of them all.
this now sold out pokémon center keychain is perfect. cheerful attitude, lively eyes, reasonable proportions (even if he’s a chibi). and i can take him anywhere!! :3
moral of the story: there’s always a plush out there for you. even if you have to sift through a ton of crap.
addenda!!
pokémon plushes are really hit-and-miss. you can be fairly certain that popular species have good plushes, but oftentimes it’s a struggle. weavile plushes are really meh. cyndaquil plushes disappoint me. and i guess crobat plushes are decent, but they’re all pretty angry. so.
Check it out, we have a new look! Super Famigo Austin DuBois recently whipped us up a new logo, and designed a matching color scheme for the rest of the site. I think it does a great job of referencing the Super Fami- part of our name, while symbolizing the love we have for video games and our friends.
Along with the new logo, we’re going to try to get more content up on the site. Going up with this post is a new piece by Oli, a hard-hitting exposé on the strange world of Totodile plushes. Don’t miss it! ;)
So as we start trying to update more, please keep an eye on us (which is best done by following us here on Tumblr, on our RSS feed (accessible up in the ... part of our menubar), or on Twitter @superfamigos)! We’ll try to make it worth your while.
My inaugural post on el Super Famigos punto com! Cool beans! :D
So here's my 2016 games list. These are the games I liked most in 2016. In lieu of ranking, I'll list them in alphabetical order. I'll also add some honorable mentions, since I did enjoy them and don't want them to be left out. ;)
The List
Breath of Fire III
(heartthrob credit: BoF wikia)
Fitting that the first on my list would be a SuperFamigos classic!
I picked up Bofee ("Breath of Fire III" -> "BoF III" -> "BoF3" -> "Bofee") after some prodding from my friend Chris. I’ve wanted it for a while, and even played it once, but… I don't have as much patience for JRPGs as I used to, even ones as good as Bofee or Chrono Cross. This time, though, ♪ I had a little help from my friends ♫.
Since SuperFamigos was just starting up, I downloaded OBS and gave streaming Bofee a whirl. And sure enough, broadcasting and interacting with friends via chat is way better than grinding alone. Chris shared all his expert secrets, and I flew through the slogs that stopped me before. And we spawned a whole slew of inside jokes too (oh man Teepo's flowing locks *o*). I haven't played/streamed much recently, due to a combination of old hardware and busy schedules, but with luck I can fire it back up in 2017.
As for the game itself: it's great! Top notch pixel art, animations, and music. Story's a bit slow, though Chris assures me it gets better. Definitely more fun with friends. ...smells burnt
rating: "9/molotov"
Chrono Cross
(stunning opassa credit: Chrono wikia)
Frickin' Chrono Cross! What a sweet game. Beautiful scenery, amazing music, and a genuinely enthralling and mysterious story. I'm still not fully sure what's going on! The battle system can be intense too: trying to fend off the Fire Dragon with only two Revives? Are you kidding me??
I must confess, I got Chrono Cross three Christmases ago. The game has a couple of the same JRPG issues that Bofee has. So my tactic is to whittle away at it, every once in a while. And it's a bit like turning down the lights and sitting back and listening to Kind of Blue on vinyl; you come away feeling well fed.
So why is Chrono Cross on my games of 2016 list? Partly because the OSSC got me hyped to play it on my new HDTV (it was disgusting before) (and it handles the 240p <-> 480i switch quite well), partly because Chris again got me through some tough parts (he’s a boss, seriously), and partly because it's an awesome game and it won't come off my "games of <year>" list until it's beaten. So there.
rating: "poshul4mayor"
Downwell
I finally beat Downwell (normal mode) and unlocked all the palettes in 2016. Even then, I haven't stopped playing.
Downwell is the one mobile game I actually enjoy. For all the critically acclaimed mobile games I own, none have kept my attention like console and handheld games do. Except Downwell.
The mobile qualifier is important. Often I was chilling in a café, or waiting in line for a sandwich, or unable to sleep on a redeye flight, or trapped on a god-forsaken Snowpiercer Amtrak to Portland that was 6 hours behind schedule because snow somehow broke the signals and freight trains rule the rails and "we can't tell you if it'll be 30 minutes or 3 hours"
…Anyway. Downwell kept me sane in 2016. I don't even mind the touch controls.*
By the way, here's my fav strat: Floaty. Attract gems + popping gems + gem recharge. Laser if possible, or machine gun / burst / puncher. Combo as much as possible, but only to 25 each.
rating: "10/10/10"
Open Source Scan Converter
(razor sharp credit: Rex Warden)
I know, I know, it's not a game. But it counts as one, because it gave my PS1 a new lease on life.
And what a lease it is! I kid you not, I had serious goosebumps whenever I first fired up wipE'out" XL with this puppy. It was ｂｅａｕｔｉｆｕｌ. I noticed background textures I had never noticed before. Colors popped, not bled. I could read the menu text in wip3out! And no noticeable lag! Game after game, I was amazed at the difference. A major reason these old PS1 games are on my list is the OSSC.
Granted, YMMV; the results aren't nearly as drastic on other TVs I tried. But on mine… There's no going back.
rating: "I could cut my veggies with that PS logo"
Pokémon Sun
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA (I really like this game.) AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA (A lot.) AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA (There's too much to say.) AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA (Do yourself a favor and give Pokémon Sun/Moon a try.) AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
rating: "AAAAAAAAAA/AAAAAAAAAA"
Pokkén Tournament
(sassy credit: chipsprites)
Taking a step back for a sec.
Moving to Seattle was hard. It’s still hard. I live by myself, it's my first time working out of college, and sometimes even cooking food is a chore. My life has certainly gotten better now, but those first few months were…hard.
Pokkén was what I played when I wasn't at work. It's a great game, with bumpin' music and satisfying mechanics that I could really get into. But more than that, it was a game that helped me get through a rough time. For that reason alone, I would definitely recommend.
rating: "Weavile's playmate? HECK YES"
Splatoon
(manual or automatic credit: Syfy Games)
"But Oli, Splatoon came out in—"
Whoa there. Listen up. If you haven't already guessed, this is MY list o' 2016. It doesn't matter when such-and-such game came out. If I played it in 2016, it counts.
…but you do have a point. I didn't get Splatoon until Christmas 2015, which led to me missing a good amount of the summer unveils and hype and such. And online games stress me out, so I had the most fun when I stuck to my niche: off in the corner with my paintbrush, flinging paint errywhere, firin' off torpedoes to the other side, occasionally ninja-ing peeps.
In any case, still played it enough and had fun enough to include it! Very refreshing to see some color and friendly competition in a shooter. Good music and 1P campaign too. I even picked up my first pair of Vans Slip-ons because of this game. Fashion help 10/10.
Splatoon is also one of the Famigos' go-to online games! Several times we'd host a private match and not even battle, but just hang out on the stage, swim around, go explore, etc. Kinda like what we do in real life…except as squid kids.
rating: "18/12 overture"
wip3out
(let’s be friends credit: infoxicated via wipeoutzone)
Until I got the OSSC, this game was literally unplayable on my new HDTV.
Okay, not literally. Seriously though, wip3out** has some of the most succulent graphic design in the industry, and that stinkin' yellow composite cable rendes it muddy, meh, and unreadable. Yuck. wip3out was the second game I tested with the OSSC, and it's easily the best demonstration of the power of upscaling.
But enough about that. wipE'out" (the series) is the beez kneez. What's not to like? Cream-of-the-crop electronic soundtrack, mouthwatering tDR design, spicy-smooth tracks, and rich chocolatey weaponry. That feeling when you tear down the track, barely grazing the wall as you unleash a Quake Disruptor…
wip3out makes my list this year, not just because of the OSSC, not just because it's a filet mignon of a game, but because I freakin' beat Venom Tournament mode for the first time. Even with unfair AI in Sampa Run! ( *｀∇ ´ ) And I plan to keep playing for a long time.
Interestingly, although XL/2097 and 3 have very different physics and handling, I can maneuver them both just fine…as long as I don't play them both in the same night. I get so used to one game, that I can't immediately swap discs and play the other without crashing into everything.
rating: "Excuse me, I think I need to return this steak, it's too delicious"
Honorable Mentions
Digimon World 3
I inherited this from a neighbor. Popped it in to admire the pixel art with the OSSC. The battle system is confusing, the FMVs are loltastic, but it has some surprisingly good music.
Hyper Light Drifter
I really want to like this game more.
I love the music. And the art and atmosphere seriously gave me chills. Absolutely beautiful. But I just couldn't get into the combat: too visceral. I felt...almost dirty playing it. I understand that's kind of the point, but…
Maybe with time I'll get into it.
Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime
Had a ball playing this at a work game night. Don't have many others to play with though.
Nuclear Throne
Lol both Sam and I got the Humble Indie Bundle this year, so we both played lots of Nuclear Throne. Fun (3D glasses Eyes is my man), but a bit too stressful/addictive for me. Had to stop playing for my health.
Pokémon Black 2
I grabbed Black 2 as a birthday gift for myself (I did the same for White in 2015), and to tide me over until Pokémon Sun. To try and mix it up this time around, I played with only three Pokémon for the entirety of my run: an Ice Punch Weavile (bred in White), a Dewott, and a Growlithe. I only caught maybe another five. In the end, though, I didn't level enough and I ground to a halt at the seventh gym.
I think one of the many, many reasons I loved Pokémon Sun was that I dived in headfirst, catching Pokémon, playing minigames, getting invested. Guess I didn't do that as much with Black 2. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
That being said, Black 2 definitely has its moments. There's schweet music, and I still, still prefer the animated sprites to 3D models. (Some of the new Pokémon's models are great, but some are horrible.) Super satisfying to wreck newbs with a Ice Punch to the face. Just sadly overshadowed by Sun.***
Pokémon Emerald
Lots of Pokémon on this list, huh? ;)
Got this along with a Game Boy Micro from my friend Cole. Similar with Black 2, I only used a party of four. Again, the music is top notch, and some great battle animations. Unfortunately petered out at Ever Grande City when I stopped taking the bus to/from work (my main time to play).
River City Ransom
Lolololololol
Seriously, so silly and fun. Didn't play it much though (maybe an hour when Sam was in town).
* That much.
** Yes, I'm going to do this for the whole article. I don't care. tDR 4 LYFE
*** See what I did there?!? ;)
