iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Alexander

Dan @kingklonoa.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

I have been playing a lot of hacks, mods, and remakes lately. It has me wondering about how opposed I actually am to changing games. Maybe games are built to be changed. nebula.tv/videos/kingk...

nebula.tv

KingK — Games Are Built To Be Changed

Maybe it's fun when we change our video games.

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Alexander @aurumalex.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Some time ago, I discussed the final expansion in Wizard101's fourth story arc. I had a great time with most of it, right up until the last few quests. Looking back, I'm not sure I fully articulated the reasons why. Let me try again. youtu.be/5xOvruxAzdU

youtu.be

Wizard101: Rethinking My Wallaru Critique

YouTube video by AurumAlex

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Alexander @aurumalex.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

I know it's beating a dead horse wrt Level-5, but I wanted to share this excellent essay by @darrenmooney.bsky.social on the connection between pop culture nostalgia and the broader push for Generative AI. What Level-5 is doing with series like Professor Layton perfectly illustrates Darren's point.

youtube.com

Harry Potter and the Culture of AI | The Backdrop

YouTube video by Second Wind

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Alexander @aurumalex.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Despite overtures towards being a "break" in the action, Deltarune Chapter 5 is the first time a Deltarune chapter doesn't hold on its own merits. It's a chapter that's too reliant on its past and too invested in its future to remember to tell an affecting story *right now*. youtu.be/iLg3LFkBxts

youtu.be

So... DELTARUNE Chapter 5 Could've Been Better

YouTube video by AurumAlex

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Alexander @aurumalex.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Finally getting around to Monster Hunter Wilds with some friends these past few weeks. I'd heard a lot of negative things, but I've been having a blast with it. It's also a really beautiful game. Maybe I'm just happy I don't have to go around collecting Spiritbirds every hunt like in Rise lmao

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Alexander @aurumalex.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

My most toxic trait is continuing to watch Star Trek even though I think the new (live action) ones aren't good. Today's Strange New Worlds turned everyone into puppets, but then they do "it was all a dream" unironically because the show doesn't even have the spine to stand by its own gimmick eps.

static.klipy.com

Spock Is All Ears in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

ALT: Spock Is All Ears in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

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Alexander @aurumalex.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Wizard101 community not beating the nostalgia allegations with this one Every Arc 4 world obliterated immediately. Darkmoor lost to.... Wizard City. I'll salvage Arc 4's reputation with my bare hands if I have to!

2026 Wizard101 World Cup hosted on the Wizard101 subreddit to coincide with the actual World Cup.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Wizard101/comments/1v1bwtu/the_journey_is_complete_at_the_end_of_it_all_only/

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Alexander @aurumalex.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

Once, Professor Layton came to offer respite in the realm of bad video game adaptations, or so the story goes. However, I can't say I'm the biggest fan of Eternal Diva, a movie that copies the beats of Layton with minimal understanding as to why those beats work. youtu.be/r8Anfy4YFug

youtu.be

Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva's Biggest Problem

YouTube video by AurumAlex

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Alexander @aurumalex.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

Powered through Deltarune Chapter 5 today, and unfortunately, I think it's a significant step down from Ch. 2-4. Gameplay-wise, I thought this was easily the game at its strongest, but narratively, it felt like a whole lot of wheel-spinning.

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Alexander @aurumalex.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

With Nintendo touring its greatest hits like it's 2011 again, I thought it might be nice to re-examine that era. In particular, how me might take from A Link Between Worlds' example, a game which shows just how much old material can shine when put under a new perspective. youtu.be/66Bd7rCtEHQ

youtu.be

A Link Between Worlds Is Searching for Perfection

YouTube video by AurumAlex

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Alexander @aurumalex.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

PMD Personality Quiz if it went through a mid-life crisis

Question: "Do you find adventure to be more of a chore than a pleasure...?"

Question: "Do you believe that it is wrong to fall for the beloved of a close friend...?"

Question: "Do you believe the world to be filled more with sadness than with joy...?"

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Alexander @aurumalex.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

spent nearly two hours trying to figure out why my mic wasn't recording audio despite being recognized by Resolve turns out Resolve was having issues because Windows 11 decided to turn on "✨ audio enhancement" on my sound inputs without telling me I'm NOT mad ✨✨✨

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Alexander @aurumalex.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

I genuinely do recommend playing this, for no other reason than it's impossible not to have a visceral reaction to some of the nonsense this game gets up to in its second-half. Tales of Arise simply operates on levels no human has fully been able to comprehend

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Alexander @aurumalex.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

My hot take is that Valencia, Part 2 is a good expansion and acts as a solid (if undeniably rushed) ending to Pirate101. It's honestly impressive how well it turned out, considering it had the unenviable task of condensing at least five expansions worth of story into one half-expansion.

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Alexander @aurumalex.bsky.social · 17/05/2026

Getting stunlocked by the ending to another Pokémon game has caused to me to reflect on the fact that Gates to Infinity might be the only Pokémon game that gets it. Gates acknowledges that its return to the status quo in the postgame is in contradiction to the lesson it had the Partner learn.

The Partner saying: "[Player] must have friends and family in the human world as well."

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Alexander @aurumalex.bsky.social · 15/05/2026

Pokémon Pokopia may appear to be a quaint little spin-off, but don't be fooled: its ambitions are enormous. Let's explore how Pokopia transcends its inspirations, how it remakes a monolith in its own image... ...And how one iPad threatens to undermine it all. youtu.be/l1MqpLImDe4

youtu.be

Pokopia Is the Pokémon Game I've Been Waiting For

YouTube video by AurumAlex

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Alexander @aurumalex.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

it will be very funny (bleak) if Nintendo's big titles for 2026 end up being "that star fox game you played in the '90s" and "that zelda game you played in the '90s"

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Alexander @aurumalex.bsky.social · 02/05/2026

My dad was telling me about this confusing trailer he saw in the theater yesterday, that characters were made up of random parts, that it "wasn't anime but in 3D," and that one of them reminded him of the spork from Toy Story 4 I realized he was trying to explain to me The Amazing Digital Circus

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Reposted by Alexander

CM30 @cm30.bsky.social · 24/04/2026

Posted a new interview on the Gaming Reinvented site folks! This one is with YouTube video essay creator @aurumalex.bsky.social, known for their videos on games like Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam and the Professor Layton series: gamingreinvented.com/interview/le...

gamingreinvented.com

Let’s Interview: YouTube Essayist AurumAlex

They’re the creator known for those essays on the Mario RPGs and Professor Layton games, among others. Let’s learn more about ’em here!

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Alexander @aurumalex.bsky.social · 19/04/2026

The funny thing about this is apparently Providence is one of the islands DQVII Reimagined just straight up removed which, like, I get it, but also... Boo.

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Alexander @aurumalex.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

The AI discourses surrounding things like Expedition 33, Arc Raiders, and Crimson Desert were quaint compared to whatever's going on at Level-5 right now. This company is so shamelessly on board with The Sloppening it puts Square Enix to shame

youtube.com

【PV】妖怪ウォッチシリーズ新企画『名探偵猫又之助』篇『妖怪ウォッチぷにぷに』（LEVEL5 VISION 2026 Ver.）

YouTube video by LEVEL5ch【公式】

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Alexander @aurumalex.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

OK, I can't lie to you all anymore. I think Dream Team is the best Mario & Luigi. youtu.be/D4z2clVC-FQ

youtu.be

Mario & Luigi: Dream Team Is Awesome, Actually

YouTube video by AurumAlex

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Alexander @aurumalex.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

Having gone through the Professor Layton series, I felt compelled to fill in the last few gaps. So let's talk about Layton Brothers: Mystery Room, playing on a smartphone, gruesome murders, and my particularly perplexing problems with Placid and Potty Prof. youtu.be/QBJAupTpcE4

youtu.be

Quick Thoughts on Layton Brothers: Mystery Room

YouTube video by AurumAlex

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Alexander @aurumalex.bsky.social · 15/03/2026

About 12 hours into Pokopia so far, and I'm loving it. I am also very worried about where the story is going. The appeal of a post-apocalypse setting is to re-evaluate civilization from first principles, to look at the rubble around you and ask, "what do we build from its ashes?"

media.tenor.com

ALT:

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Alexander @aurumalex.bsky.social · 12/03/2026

i'm so glad they decided to make Dragon Quest Builders 3

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Alexander @aurumalex.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

Pokémon Legends: Z-A is disappointingly vacuous, caring neither for its Pokémon, nor its people, nor the city it's set in. Even its prized combat can't escape the clutches of Pokémon's ideological stagnation. youtu.be/UpImPONTBmc

youtu.be

Is Pokémon Legends: Z-A the Mega Evolution of Pokémon?

YouTube video by AurumAlex

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Alexander @aurumalex.bsky.social · 03/03/2026

they don't know I still play Ring Fit Adventure every week

Stats on Ring Fit Adventure, with nearly 400 hours on workout time, a maxed-out Calorie counter, and over 1200 miles run after New Game ++ completed and 712 days of Custom Workout.

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Alexander @aurumalex.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

With the Pokémon Presents tomorrow, I've been reflecting on the past 3-4 years of the series. Generation 9 started out fairly promising with base Scarlet & Violet -- though it was rough and often lacking in substance -- but the Gen quickly revealed itself to be business as usual after the fact.

media.tenor.com

a collage of four images shows a person flying through the air and a landscape

ALT: a collage of four images shows a person flying through the air and a landscape

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Alexander @aurumalex.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

Has anyone been using the new quiz feature on YouTube? I was hoping it would make a giant pop-up on the screen while watching, but it only seems to put the quiz in the description with a timestamp

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Alexander @aurumalex.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

I keep hearing people say they want Pokopia to be Pokémon Animal Crossing, but, like, I kinda hope not! I need this to be a stealth Dragon Quest Builders 3. The DQB games are fire, and doing that formula and structure with Pokémon is such a good idea.

media.tenor.com

a cartoon character with a hand reaching out towards him

ALT: a cartoon character with a hand reaching out towards him

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Alexander @aurumalex.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

I've praised Wizard101's maps before, because they're cute and really well drawn, but the way they go about the labeling is really something else almost gagged when I saw these for the first time

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Alexander @aurumalex.bsky.social · 30/01/2026

In Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective, a single light switch, a glass of water, or even a piece of uneaten chicken can mean the difference between life and death. A game about how the imperceptible connections between us make a universe of difference. youtu.be/xiyDx1B7cbc

youtu.be

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective Sees Power in the Minutiae

YouTube video by AurumAlex

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Alexander @aurumalex.bsky.social · 15/01/2026

do i sound like alan from smiling friends

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Alexander @aurumalex.bsky.social · 14/01/2026

Metroid Prime 4 has a lot of obvious pain points, but the big one for me is making it about documenting a new culture, where 98% of scannable objects are variations on "this dumpster's lid has eroded with age," for aliens that wouldn't have enough juice to feature in a mediocre episode of Star Trek.

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Alexander @aurumalex.bsky.social · 09/01/2026

Persuasion isn't just for advertisements and essays. It's also a story's most useful tool for eliciting emotions. Let's see if we can't find out what Pokémon Mystery Dungeon and a giant snowflake might tell us about how stories make persuasive arguments. youtu.be/YNVm3IIUgp0

youtu.be

Persuasive Storytelling and the "Evil Snowflake" Principle

YouTube video by AurumAlex

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Reposted by Alexander

Skyehoppers @skyehoppers.bsky.social · 31/12/2025

New Video! Earthbound resists being understood. Here I go trying anyway. Join me as we analyze the game from front to back and unravel its ideas about love, evil, sacrifice, togetherness, and humanity 💙 youtu.be/1f-xI_NyVvM

youtu.be

Earthbound Believes in You, in Us

YouTube video by Skyehoppers

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Reposted by Alexander

ARCdraws @arcdraws.bsky.social · 31/12/2025

🐊Followed to school

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Alexander @aurumalex.bsky.social · 29/12/2025

I only played four-ish newly released games this year, so a GOTY list from me wouldn't be terribly interesting (#1 is Silksong, in case you're wondering) Instead, since most of my gaming time is dedicated towards channel work, I want to reflect on the videos I'm most proud of from the year.

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Alexander @aurumalex.bsky.social · 19/12/2025

At the start of a new story arc, #Wizard101 takes stock of its past. The findings are grim. Duties neglected. Allies distant. Dreams dead. As a curse bent on destroying compassion pulses through Darkmoor, Wizard101 can only come to one conclusion: the future is dark. youtu.be/y7RyCG4d4V0

youtu.be

Wizard101: The Ultimate Darkmoor Review

YouTube video by AurumAlex

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Alexander @aurumalex.bsky.social · 15/12/2025

Is the Mega Dimension DLC for ZA any good? I've heard next to no buzz about it, but the trailers made it seem kinda underwhelming. Just don't know if it's worth paying 30 whole smackers for it atm

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Alexander @aurumalex.bsky.social · 11/12/2025

Finally got around to playing Investigations 2, the last Ace Attorney I had never played. It was... fine. There were no bad cases, and it was definitely better than 1, but I have some pretty core problems with the game's fundamentals.

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Alexander @aurumalex.bsky.social · 21/11/2025

Bowser's Inside Story has many admirable qualities, using its obvious affection for the DS to adapt more of the Mario universe into RPG form. It makes for a pretty strange game, but I wouldn't have Bowser's best and only outing any other way. youtu.be/bE737LPgzrE

youtu.be

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story Is the Perfect Chimera

YouTube video by AurumAlex

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Alexander @aurumalex.bsky.social · 13/11/2025

It's that time of year again to play peak-of-the-century

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