ZeldaFreak

Same for me on both accounts. With that said, obviously I can tell when something is objectively bad, or if I don't personally enjoy it very much at least, but I'll usually still sit through it anyway if I've already committed to watching it, especially if I'm paying to watch it, unless it's something more long-form like a TV show. If something is objectively bad, I can usually tell within like 5 minutes, I can spot it pretty damn early. But in regards to something I just personally don't enjoy that much, I can usually tell within maybe 30-40 minutes, though sometimes a bit longer if it's more of a mixed bag.

Iiinteresting, that makes sense but that's actually a slightly different approach to what I did. I went with options that I felt had honed in on and fine-tuned their given genres to perfection, but if I went with more, like you say, "distilled, pure" examples of any given genre, that would change several of my answers (and then I'd have to agree with Sumez that something like Street Fighter II would be a better pick for fighting games.) I went with games that I felt, as a whole, encapsulated the best of their respective genres, rather than the most "pure" examples of their genres. Almost all of my picks have aspects about them that deviate from more pure examples of their genres, but to me like I was saying earlier, that doesn't exclude something from being a very good example of its genre. Also you better come up with a list of your own at some point man, you can't ask a question like this and not answer it yourself, haha.

Yeah to be clear I wasn't trying to be argumentative or anything, I never am, I was just kinda caught off-guard and somewhat perplexed by the comment that people argue about whether or not Smash Bros. qualifies as a fighting game at all. I mean there's many picks in my list that I wouldn't consider "traditional" versions of whatever genre they're meant to represent, but at least to me that doesn't exclude something from being a good representation of said genre. Being unique doesn't necessarily exclude something from being put under a wider umbrella, if anything that could even be a benefit, cause it to be a particularly shining example of any given genre thanks to its uniqueness. And yeah, that's why I think this is such an awesome question, since everyone's lists and perspectives are gonna vary wildly since, like I said, absolutely impossible to be 100% objective with this kind of thing. Also, uh... no, it would be a good introduction to the genre. The fighting game genre as a whole, exactly what I said. Like I may not always be a big fan of traditional fighting games but I've played them before, they're not that different to Smash Bros, they really aren't, haha. I think it would serve as a good introduction since like I said, it's a lot more friendly to a more casual audience, so it would be a good way to ease someone in to the genre rather than immediately tossing them in to the deep end since more traditional fighting games I feel aren't nearly as easy to just pick up and play for a newbie.

Baba is You is a really good answer for the Puzzle genre actually, and I somehow totally forgot about Metroidvanias, but yeah, Symphony of the Night would be my pick for that genre as well. Portrait of Ruin is my personal favorite Metroidvania, and my personal favorite Castlevania game as a whole, but SoTN is definitely a better representation of the genre.

...Who argues whether Smash Bros is a fighting game at all? In which circles does that happen in, in what way could you possibly argue it's not? That seems incredibly strange to me. If anything you could make a much better argument for Punch-Out!! not really being a fighting game due to how different that is from a traditional 2D, PVP fighting game, even if it does still technically fall within that genre. Super Smash Bros. is undeniably a fighting game, at least by my perspective. I picked it due to, like I said, the overwhelming amount of fighters there are, there's guaranteed to be at least one (probably multiple) that mesh well with any given person's playstyle, that amount of fighters means that there's nearly always going to be variety in the fights, not just due to varying levels of player skill, but also due to, again, the sheer number of fighters there are, and due to the fact that I would say it's more friendly to casual players, whilst still also being friendly to more hardcore players. You can get away with fairly basic attacks and simple combos most of the time, but there's also plenty of more complex combos, strategies, and all kinds of meta discussions you can have as well, just like any other fighting game, and that side of it is only amplified by, yet again, the sheer amount of fighters there are. It's a good catch-all fighting game I feel, and it's one of the few fighting games that I do actually enjoy quite a bit, and like I said I think it'd be a good introduction to the genre as well. It ticked all the right boxes for me when trying to come up with picks for the various genres I could come up with off the top of my head. It's somewhat different to a stereotypical fighting game to be sure, it has some different mechanics than what you'd expect from a Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat, it has a different feel, but... it's still a fighting game through and through, haha. I will say though that fighting games in general are one of the genres I'm not a super huge fan of, I have just barely enough experience within the genre to feel fairly confident in making a pick for that genre. Traditional fighting games I'm not usually a huge fan of, but I didn't let that cloud my judgment or anything, even if that wasn't the case I'd still stick with my pick of Smash Bros. Ultimate I think. I think it's impossible to be completely objective with lists like these anyway, everyone's answers are gonna be based on their own personal experience with games and their own personal likes and dislikes.

I went by which games I feel would best represent their respective genre as a whole, and some of those picks just happened to be my personal favorites of their genres anyway.

Couldn't have said it better myself, honestly really beautifully put. @T-Pac What he said, haha. And that all is beside the fact that, from everything I've seen and every interaction I've had with you both publicly and privately over the years, you seem to me like an extremely kind, down to earth, humble person, even outside of how insanely talented you are. Even beyond just your talent and skill as an artist, you seem like a very good person in general.

Here's what I've got so far, actually already came up with a lot more than I thought I would. Some of these are slightly specific sub-genres, but I think that's fair since trying to represent, say, every action-adventure game in one game? I mean, most of the games that exist could be categorized as action-adventure, that could mean anything, so I figured getting a bit more specific was fair. I also think I might have a slightly unique perspective here, as someone who's much younger than a good amount of the userbase here, and grew up with, and by extension have an equal amount of love and appreciation for both modern and retro gaming: Singleplayer FPS - DOOM Eternal (Might be an overwhelming choice in the situation you presented where it's someone's FIRST FPS game, but I think Eternal wraps up everything great about fast-paced FPS games in to one tightly-knit package, it's incredible and is a very good poster child for the FPS genre as a whole I feel. Even got a bit of platforming mixed in there as well to spice things up a little.) Co-op/PvE FPS - Payday 2 (Had to sneak this one in there somehow, haha. I would definitely argue Payday 2 is the definitive co-op shooter, it is tons of fun both with friends and solo, especially earlier on when you're not as familiar with the game and things are much more hectic and chaotic.) PvP FPS - Counter-Strike 2, formerly known as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (As much as I hate the name change from CS:GO to CS:2, Counter-Strike is still one of the finest examples of PvP FPS gaming, it requires genuine focus, teamwork, communication, strategy, and reflexes. If not CS:2, one of the other Counter-Strike games definitely belongs in this category IMO.) Platformer - Super Mario World (I mean c'mon, of course this belongs here, probably the most iconic entry in the most iconic platforming series of all time.) Action Platformer - Super Castlevania IV (Was very difficult to narrow it down between this and Castlevania III, but I think IV is a slightly more well-rounded, and slightly less unfair experience. Rondo of Blood is my personal favorite Classicvania game, but III and IV are better representations of the genre as a whole I think.) Puzzle Platformer - Portal 2 (This one could slot in to a lot of different genres honestly, FPS, singleplayer, co-op, puzzle, platformer, etc. Puzzle Platformer seemed like the neatest category to fit it in though. Probably my personal favorite puzzle game I've ever played, outside of something like Tetris. Genuinely makes you think reeeaaally hard, then makes you feel like a dunce when you figure out the solution, which is always the sign of a great puzzle game, haha.) Run 'n' Gun - Contra III: The Alien Wars (As great as the OG Contra games are, Contra III is incredible, very underrated, and in contrast to DOOM Eternal, would be a great introduction to the genre if someone had never played a game like it I think. It was my introduction to the Contra series and I wouldn't have had it any other way, great way to start.) Top-Down Action-Adventure - The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (Don't think this one needs any explanation, haha.) Puzzle - Tetris (Neither does this one, let's be honest.) Farming - Stardew Valley (Not much I can say about this one that hasn't already been said, I think it's pretty easily the best farming game ever made, and would not only be a terrific introduction to the genre, but is also a terrific representation of the genre as a whole for sure.) Roguelike - The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth (If you can get past the somewhat dark plot and art of the game and/or come to embrace it like I have, this is eeeaaasily the best roguelike game ever made, especially when combined with its DLCs, and is absolutely a very good representation of the genre.) Open World RPG - The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Breath of the Wild is my personal favorite game of all time, but there's no denying Skyrim is just the quintessential Open World RPG. If you haven't played it, you've definitely at least heard of it, and honestly that alone makes it deserving of this spot I think, even beside the fact that the game itself is just a very good representation of the genre anyway.) 2D Sandbox - Terraria (Honestly if I had to choose just one Sandbox game in general, I'd be hard-pressed to not pick this one over Minecraft since I've always felt that Terraria was a much better game as a whole than Minecraft, so I figured splitting it up in to 2D and 3D Sandbox was a good way to have my cake and eat it too, haha. Terraria is one of the best 2D games of all time in general IMO, everything about it is utterly fantastic, and it's definitely a wonderful representation of not only Sandbox games as a whole, but especially 2D Sandbox games in particular.) 3D Sandbox - Minecraft (No explanation needed, one of the most iconic video games of all time, and the game that popularized the sandbox genre as a whole. And in fairness to Minecraft, it's definitely more of a "true" sandbox game, whereas Terraria has a lot more gamey elements to it, so Minecraft probably is a better representation of the Sandbox genre as a whole, as much as I adore Terraria.) Choose Your Own Adventure - Detroit: Become Human (I was trying to think of a way to categorize games like this, wherein the main schtick is the player making decisions that affect the outcome of the story, and I think Choose Your Own Adventure would be the best way to put it. Of the games of this variety I've played, Detroit has been my favorite, and I think is a good representation of the genre, especially since while some games have the whole "your choices matter" thing as one of many features, this game's primary focus is the whole "your choices matter" thing, which I think makes it a better fit for this category.) Singleplayer Fighting Game/Boxing Game - Punch-Out!! (Wii) ("Boxing" felt like a bit too specific of a sub-genre, but I figured singleplayer fighting game worked. My personal favorite Punch-Out!! game, and even though it's a slightly different format to what you would normally consider a "fighting" game, it still definitely fits in to that genre just fine, and as such earns a well-deserved spot here I feel.) Multiplayer Fighting Game - Super Smash Bros: Ultimate (I mean, Ultimate is literally in the name, and as its name would imply, I would argue this is definitely the best Smash Bros game, which is by extension one of the best fighting game franchises of all time, filled to the brim with content and more fighters than you even know what to do with, so I figured this pick makes sense. I also feel it'd be a solid, if somewhat overwhelming introduction to the genre for someone who hadn't played a fighting game before.) Racing - Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Similar logic to Smash Bros Ultimate, best entry in one of the most iconic racing franchises of all time, very easy pick.) Rhythm - Clone Hero (Once again, the best version of one of the most well-known Rhythm franchises of all time, Guitar Hero. As such, I think this pick makes a good amount of sense. Honorable mention to Friday Night Funkin' as well, if the base game had more content I'd consider putting it in this category instead.) That's what I've got for the time being. There are some genres I declined to include, such as MOBAs, MMOs, Survival Horrors, etc since I don't really have enough experience in those genres to feel confident in picking a single game that could define the whole genre. Like for survival horror, based on my experience in that genre I would probably say Alien: Isolation, but I haven't played any of the Silent Hill or Resident Evil games which are the two most iconic survival horror franchises of all time, so it would be silly for me to pick a game in that genre when I haven't even played any of the most iconic entries in said genre. And then there's some genres like MMOs that just aren't really my cup of tea anyway, so I wouldn't really say I could come up with a good pick since I'm not a big fan of the genre as a whole.

Wow, that is an amazing question. I think I'm gonna have to simmer on that one for a few days honestly, haha. Gonna have to wrack my brain here.

Oh yeah it's all good, like I said I've already got plenty of sketches anyway so I don't mind RH getting it at all, I just really liked that one in particular (and I'm still surprised you chose to scrap it, it looks awesome!) I am hyped for Cosmic Turtle though ...Well I suppose the Under Mole isn't the grossest monster you've drawn any more, haha.

I was really crossin' my fingers for that one but that's alright, haha.

I'm ready if you are @RH Also, the Wizard Link is talking about is a suggestion he made from 2022's Ink-tober which ended up going to me that year. @Link I do really like that one, especially since it's from Robotron which became one of my favorite arcade games when I first played it a few years back, but I can send it your way if you do want it, I've already got plenty of sketches anyway so I don't mind giving it to you if you'd like it

I'm in, as always!

I mean, kinda depends on who you ask, critics or audience I was 12, going on 13 when the first game came out so I was pretty much the prime age for when the whole FNAF craze started. Looking at it objectively, first game is alright. Nothing all that special, but certainly not bad, and it's definitely effective at setting a good tone. Does both creepy scary and jumpy scary very well, it's just that the gameplay is very very basic. I agree with Gloves' rating of a 6.

Hey I always say like 6-8 of my favorites, since like I said I know I'm not gonna get all of 'em. I'm just doing the same thing I do every year, haha.

Actually, I think that was me...

OK, tried my absolute best to narrow it down, but that's always so damn hard to do since they're all great, and there were tons of really really good ones this year. I'd definitely like the Under Mole (25) I suggested, that one turned out way better than I ever could've imagined. But beyond that... I'd actually really like the Henchman (00) from Mappy. I have quite a lot of disdain for Mappy, but at the same time, I love collecting Mappy-related things. Sort of like how I collect a lot of Zelda-related things since it's my favorite series, I also try to collect some Mappy-related stuff here and there as it's essentially the exact opposite for me, haha. Mina (03) would be really cool, I backed that game on Kickstarter so definitely would be neat to have some art of it. I'll fight any one of you to the death for that first, scrapped attempt at the Mysterious Man (06) I love that one so much. Would go very well with that Link sketch you sent me awhile back in a very similar style if you remember that @T-Pac. LOVE the Pumpkin Ghost (08) would love to get that one, I really like how detailed this one ended up being. Lots of good spooky season drawings this year! Octopus (16) would be great, mostly because he reminds me of an Octorok from Zelda, so to me he looks like an Octorok with a goofy lil' cap on which is great, haha. Gravity Skulls (31) would also be awesome, really love the sort of mechanical design you went with for that one. And then even though I know the chances of me getting either of these are slim to none, I'll also of course mention Evil Otto (15) and Cosmic Turtle (18) those are both absolutely incredible, probably the best ones of the year, so would obviously be amazing to get either. I gotta get my hands on one of those super detailed ones one of these days, man! Haha. But of course, as always, I obviously don't expect to get all of these, those are just some of my favorites after spending like an hour trying to narrow it down, and I'll take any drawings I can get. Gotta keep adding more to the frames I have hung up on the wall for all the sketches I've gotten from you over the years! I've been able to get away with just two frames thus far, it's been enough, but honestly I may need a third one soon, starting to kind of run out of room now, haha. Tried my best not to be too greedy here, it's just always so difficult for me to narrow it down.

No but like seriously though @BlackVega are you in or no, sincerely can't tell with your last post, haha. Just want to make sure.

It was alright. That about sums up my thoughts really, haha. It was OK, nothing special.

so uh are you in or

OK yeah, just wanted to clarify since @G-type put you on the sign-ups list.

I was never feeling ogreish I hate this game, but no I would never force someone else to bear this burden, haha. Like I said to Jeevan a few days back, I expect to be done by either end of this month or very early next month, so no need to take over as much as I want to be done with this.