iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

My Internet is being a little wonky, but I still intend on trying to stream in the near future (but as always, I have to give my usual "no promises" disclaimer). I will likely put a note in the title and just hope for the best, although last time, I changed some settings and it helped, so we'll see.

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Supper Mario Broth @mariobrothblog.bsky.social · 22h

In the Mario Teaches Typing games, Mario never criticizes the player for underperforming and tries to be understanding and supportive. According to Charles Martinet, that was his initiative, as he felt being negative would go against the core principles of Mario's character.

In the Mario Teaches Typing games, even if the player does badly or underperforms compared to previous attempts, Mario will try to be understanding instead of critical:
Uh-oh, that wasn't quite as fast as the last time.
Hmm, are your fingers getting tired? Mine would be by now... if I had any. (laughs)
Charles Martinet, speaking at TooManyGames Convention 2021:
I got this marvelous opportunity to do Mario Teaches Typing. And when I got the script and I'm in the studio - I'm reading the script for the first time, there were things like "You failed!"
"That wasn't very good." "That was much worse... that was bad."
And I was reading that and I said, "Do you mind if I just, like, play with these words a little bit and just change them around?" because, you know, I never say "no" and I never say anything negative as Mario... and the producer graciously said "Sure, go for it!"
And so it became "Oh, that was good, but I know you can do even better!" "Oh, nice one but let's try again!" so it was always uplifting and always trying to be positive. And I think that that is the essence of the character to me - it's that love and that joy.
Source: transcript of speech found at youtube.com/watch?v=k9RywNQXCUM

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AdrianVG @adrianvg.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

I realize that saying "My favorite game developers are all friends :)" sounds like a parasocial fantasy, but considering Masahiro Sakurai and Suda 51 post pictures of themselves at dinner or drinking with people like Shinji Mikami and Fumito Ueda regularly, I feel like I'm not necessarily wrong here

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AdrianVG @adrianvg.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

(Killer7) I just remembered this minor character (one of the Red Gunners in Angel) with the peculiar, excessively zippered outfit. Zipper cleavage window, zipper *stomach* window, zipper bell-bottoms with vertical leg zippers starting from the waist...

Killer7 screenshot. The final woman of the Red Gunners before she dies.

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AdrianVG @adrianvg.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

This is one of those "meant for like three specific people" posts, but even close to two decades (!) later, but the comments for the A Boy and His Blob speed run on Speed Demos Archive still make me laugh like nothing else. speeddemosarchive.com/ABoyAndHisBl...

Best 100% time: 0:11:30 by Ray 'Croc-Doc' Cullen on 2007-06-14.

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Author's comments:

Prologue
It's Friday night, and once again, Boy was at home with nothing to do and nobody to see. Though he and his mother had moved to the area well over 2 years ago, Boy has yet to make any friends. Every time he'd try to start a conversation with his classmates, or join in on any of the games they played during recess, he'd get mocked. Nobody liked him, and nobody pretended to ... not even his parents. There is no better evidence of this than the fact that his parents never even bothered naming him, figuring he wasn't worth the effort. As you can see, Boy has had it rough since the day he was born. It doesn't help being a total spaz either.

Tired of spending the evening reading comics in his room, Boy figured he'd sit on the front porch with his notebook, the one in which he draws his friends, imaginary though they are. Grasping a pencil in his right hand, he began doodling when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a shooting star.

"I wish I had a real friend," he whispered with tears welling in his eyes.

Just then, amazingly, a creature fell from the heavens and landed with a thud in front of Boy.

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AdrianVG @adrianvg.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

THE TWITCH MOBILE APP IS SO BAD, MAN

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AdrianVG @adrianvg.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

(Ranko Tsukigime's Longest Day) It took longer than I expected, but hey, I found a glitch! It seems like getting a Game Over in a certain state (sliding under a gap?) might cause the game to stop reading your movement inputs upon continuing. I'll figure out the specifics later.

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明/Aki @aki26428.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

ミュウ

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AdrianVG @adrianvg.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

This movie's initial reception from Raymond Chandler enthusiasts is pretty funny to me, as many reviews did not care for this adaptation. My reception as a Chander fan, however, was the complete opposite; it had me hooked from the start, and it's by far one of my favorite Chandler adaptations.

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AdrianVG @adrianvg.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

"What do I need a cat for? I got a girl." "He's got a girl, and I got a cat."

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AdrianVG @adrianvg.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

One of the earliest adages of Internet interaction that people have gleefully burned for the sake of performative, viral "clapbacks."

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The Onion @theonion.com · 02/10/2026

Cashier Forced To Incorporate Humiliating New Phrase Into Every Customer Interaction theonion.com/cashier-forced-to-inco…

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AdrianVG @adrianvg.bsky.social · 16/05/2026

Thinking about the time Masahiro Sakurai commended Suda on the anniversary of NMH1's Japanese release and NMH3's final boss with a Bad Girl reference. (Google translation in the alt text.)

December 2021 tweet from Masahiro Sakurai, with a picture of a Travis Touchdown Mii fighting Princess Peach with a bat.

2007年のきょう『NO MORE HEROES』発売!!
『III』の最終戦は面くらいました｡スゴイ…｡
プレイしてみていつも思うのだけど､須田さんのセンスは唯一無二のものなので､新作が出たら積極的にプレイしたいです｡
#スマブラSP

Google Translate:
On this day in 2007, *No More Heroes* was released!
The final boss battle in *III* completely caught me off guard. It was incredible...
Whenever I play his games, I’m always reminded that Suda-san’s creative sensibilities are truly one of a kind—so whenever a new title comes out, I’m always eager to dive right in.
#SmashBrosSP

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AdrianVG @adrianvg.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

I'm convinced that this site is effectively half bots by this point, as if they're trying to beat Twitter at their own game of Dead Internet. At the very least, none of thoe bots have posted anything pornographic in my posts yet (knock on wood).

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AdrianVG @adrianvg.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

(Ranko Tsukigime's Longest Day) I am documenting information about the items/golden enemies (which unlock concept art), and while recording, I realized that the number of items/golden enemies combined amounts to *51*. Let me just say, I nearly died laughing upon finding this extremely sly reference.

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AdrianVG @adrianvg.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

If nothing else, I'm still working on my Ranko video, so that's something in the works. Mind you, it won't be a particularly long video since the game is pretty short with a handful of extras; the schedule limiting my streaming is of course limiting my recording, but again, not giving up on it!

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AdrianVG @adrianvg.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Much to my chagrin, I obviously haven't been able to fit in any streams since this post, but NMH1 speed running is still absolutely on my mind (and I've alluded to practicing off-screen). I still can't promise anything specific, but I haven't given up on it!

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AdrianVG @adrianvg.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

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AdrianVG @adrianvg.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

Here is an obscure piece of NMH history: there is a version of "Sling Shot" from No More Heroes 2 with lyrics called "SS/SR" ("Sling Shot/Saitama Riot"). It was free for a limited time on the official NMH2 website, though the website and download link are down now. www.youtube.com/watch?v=jA_3...

youtube.com

Slingshot with translated lyrics (RAW edition) - No More Heroes 2 soundtrack

YouTube video by Da Passion 242

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Excavate Card Bot @cards.excavate.top · 03/10/2026

Red-Eyes Baby Dragon

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The Onion @theonion.com · 03/10/2026

Woman’s Career Dies In Childbirth theonion.com/womans-career-dies-in-…

Woman’s Career Dies In Childbirth
Mother’s Livelihood ‘Gone Before Its Time,’ Family Says

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AdrianVG @adrianvg.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Youtube literally just showed me the real face of someone in Hololive when I wasn't remotely looking for it and

The Silver Case screenshot.

Tokio Morishima: What the fuck... seriously!

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AdrianVG @adrianvg.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

On that note, Grasshopper Manufacture returned the favor a few years later in Travis Strikes Again, with some shades of Furi and even a Furi T-shirt.

Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes screenshot. Showing off the Furi T-shirt in the menu.

Tweet from The Game Bakers
November 10, 2018

Furi tee-shirt in No More Heroes: Travis Strikes Again. Cool to see a reference to Furi in the follow up to a game that was an inspiration for Furi.

Quote of Grasshopper Manufacture tweet with a picture of shirts in TSA
November 9, 2018

Travis Touchdown just got other cool t-shirt designs featuring indie games for #TravisStrikesAgain: #NoMoreHeroes! See some of them here, including #Brawlout, #FloorKids, #Furi, #GolfStory, #HollowKnight and many more!

Art of some of the indie shirts in Travis Strikes Again. The Furi shirt is in the third row, fifth column, to the right.

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AdrianVG @adrianvg.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Among the many inspirations for the game Furi, No More Heroes is explicitly one of them, to no surprise. Ikaruga, (another favorite of mine) is mentioned, too, also to no surprise. The developers also talk a little about indie game pricing. www.camseyeview.biz/devtalk/2016...

Cam’s Eye View: What would you say inspired you to make Furi?

The Game Bakers: There are various inspirations in gaming for sure. Games like Super Punch Out, No More Heroes, Metal Gear Solid. With super cool boss fights and awesome characters. But I think the initial desire to make a game based on duels are movies like Old Boy (Park Chan Wook), The Duellists (Ridley Scott) or Duel (Steven Spielberg). Books like Montecristo with a great revenge story inspired as well, and Greek mythology of course. You’ll be able to understand why when you play the game ;-).

Cam’s Eye View: Was Furi going to be a different kind of game before becoming this stylized action game?

The Game Bakers: No, it’s always been clear how it would look, play, and feel. It was from the start designed to be very stylized, and very « Japanese » in its gameplay. Skill-based, responsive, fast-paced.

Cam’s Eye View: For the combat, what games did you reference inspiration or design ideas from?

The Game Bakers: Gameplay-wise, Furi combines long-range combat and short-range combat. The shooting part is inspired by bullet hell shoot’em up like Darius, Gradius, Ikaruga, Radiant Silvergun. The swordfight and close combat part is more inspired by Super Punch Out, it’s a game of with a simple three steps pattern: get warned-react-punish. But the controls and the end result is obviously very different than Punch Out.

Cam’s Eye View: The indie scene is definitely a competitive, but creative scene in the gaming industry, but if there was one thing you could change about it, what would it be?

The Game Bakers: In terms of pricing, I think the race to the bottom has a negative impact for everybody: the devs, the players. If games had higher prices, you would be paying more attention to what you play, you would be more careful to what you buy, more patient to give the game a try after you bought it. If I have a 300$ gaming budget yearly, I want to play six or seven memorable games. Not fifteen games with only one or two that I love. I think price is still a very efficient filter for quality. If it’s expensive and crap, people will let you know. If it’s cheap, the difference between good and great is harder to notice.

Cam’s Eye View: If Furi does well, would you say the game opens itself up for a sequel? What would be next kind of game for you at The Game Bakers?

The Game Bakers: If Furi does INCREDIBLE, and players send me flowers and love letters to get a sequel, I’d love to make that happen, but the game was designed to be a whole by itself. I could totally make a different game with the same kind of gameplay, like what Bloodborne is to Dark Souls, for instance.

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AdrianVG @adrianvg.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Even earlier than that split, you can actually *reject* Kid's first offer to join you, and while she will of course join you eventually (and not that much later, for that matter), I just think it's so cool that the game has that choice (which is necessary to do to gain a different party member).

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AdrianVG @adrianvg.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

(Chrono Cross) One of my favorite elements that may not be readily apparent on a first playthrough: there's a subtle branch split with three "starter" characters early on. In Termina, you select between three mutually exclusive characters, each one having a different route for the next objective.

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AdrianVG @adrianvg.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

I also now understand the episode "Mandy the Merciless" of the cartoon The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, because it blatantly (and hilariously) parodies the story of God Emperor of Dune.

Image from the cartoon The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy.

The characters from left to right: Billy, Grim, and Mandy (tranformed into a giant worm).

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AdrianVG @adrianvg.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

About a hundred pages into God Emperor of Dune, it's very good, there's a guy who is part-sandworm, will report back later.

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AdrianVG @adrianvg.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Black Knight Sword has been catching my eye lately, and I might give that one a spin after finishing everything with Ranko. I'm also reminded that I need to get a replacement battery for my DS, so I can play Contact without needing it to be perpetually tethered to the charging cable.

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AdrianVG @adrianvg.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Since I've only recently started working on this list, I figured out a way to more easily achieve my totally arbitrary, not-at-all-a-big-deal goal of finishing it: just tack on another year! backloggery.com/adrianvg/lis...

AdrianVG Backloggery list:
GHM Games for 2026/2027
Mostly GHM games that I haven't touched in a while, but some new ones and a few to buy. In no particular order.

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AdrianVG @adrianvg.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Since I was jumping back and forth between a specific level in the Stage Select and the Extras menu, it might be possible that I triggered some subtle glitch in the middle of that process, too.

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AdrianVG @adrianvg.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

If anyone has a copy of the game, I'd appreciate a second opinion to make sure it's not just me. I dropped my well-worn controller during practice, so maybe I knocked around something, but that doesn't sound right, especially since the controller still otherwise works normally. Weird...

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AdrianVG @adrianvg.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

(Ranko Tsukigime's Longest Day) I came across a bizarre thing that I can't quite explain. While I was recording footage, I found that pressing a direction really hard on the D-Pad in the menus somehow counted as confirmation (Cross) button press, but I couldn't get it to work consistently.

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AdrianVG @adrianvg.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

I think GHM's continued existence is a testament to Suda's savvyness as a leader/businessman; part of the reason why he even founded GHM was because he could tell Human Entertainment was about to go down. Still, yeah, there are only so many times one can get out of a Faustian bargain...

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AdrianVG @adrianvg.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

In the Hand in Killer7 interviews, Masafumi Takada talks about the inspiration for the credits theme "Reenact." Basically, Suda 51 showed him "Grasshopper" by Ride, which they couldn't use in-game, so Takada made a track that was "kind of close to it." www.sceneryrecalled.com/trans/k7int....

[Masafumi Takada] The final track, "Reenact," was the result of a request from Suda to use the track "Grasshopper" from Ride (an English band that was popular in the early '90s). But that wasn't really possible, so I tried to create a track that was kind of close to it. Man, that track just came out in a burst of energy - just banging on the guitar. I get these very specific instructions, but I also get these sloppy instructions like, "give it an overall avant-garde sound." (laughs) But later, when there'd be a sense that I was out of ideas for compositions, a door would end up opening - Suda would bring in a huge bunch of these CDs he got God knows where for their jackets and be like, "here, listen to these."

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黒井ススム @kuroisusumu.bsky.social · 07/02/2024

青空とゼルダ

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