What characters I would like for Super Smash Bros?

With Super Smash Bros having a large variety of all star gaming cast including third party and with the recent announcement of more Super Smash Bros Ultimate DLC on its way, here are the characters that I would like for Super Smash Bros. I’ll try to come up with as many possible movesets as I can. I may also mention some related Assist Trophies.

Eeveelutions/Eevee – Pokemon

Naturally as an Eeveelution fan, I would be so hyped for the Eeveelutions or at the very minimum, Eevee. I actually thought with the release of Let’s go Pikachu and Let’s go Eevee, there would be a possibility of that happening. It would be so fun to use all the Eeveelutions into battle with a variety of moves based on their type. Even if only Eevee is playable, it actually does have many moves it could use from Let’s Go Eevee including its Move Tutor moves. Either way, their final smash could have all the Eeveelutions gathering together to unleash one powerful move, making it an awesome Final Smash.

At a side note, maybe there could also be a Hoenn, Unova and Galar representation (unless Sword and Shield will have a new Eeveelution!). Blaziken and Snivy comes to mind since Starter Pokemon tends to be chosen although there was once a rumor about Gardevoir and Gothitelle for Super Smash Bros Ultimate which would fit that bill. 

Phoenix Wright/Apollo Justice – Ace Attorney

Objection! Having Phoenix Wright in Smash wouldn’t be a joke since he did appeared in Ultimate Marvel Vs Capcom 3 and being an Ace Attorney fan, it would be a dream come true if this became a reality. Phoenix Wright’s Smashes could be his finger pointing poses, yelling “Objection!” and “Take That!” which would be so entertaining and he could summon his partner in crime Maya Fey to defend him. He could work in an almost similar way to Ultimate Marvel Vs Capcom 3, having Investigation, Courtroom and Turnabout mode, making himself stronger as he gathers evidence. Of course, his Final Smash would be just like his Level Three Hyper Combo from again Ultimate Marvel Vs Capcom; testifying the characters in court in a true Ace Attorney style.

On a similar subject, Apollo Justice could be his echo fighter, swapping Maya Fey with Trucy Wright while Athena Cykes could be an Assist Trophy character, using her Mood Matrix to attack the characters on screen.

Dante – Devil May Cry

With Bayonetta in Smash, it would be about time that Dante joins Super Smash Bros. He would have a wide variety of moves to use including his Ebovy and Ivony, Rebellion and Devil Trigger which would make him a versatile, if not stylish threat.

Black Knight – Fire Emblem

A couple of people have been suggesting Three Houses characters including Byleth and Edelgard which I wouldn’t mind having to played the game myself. However, there is one other Fire Emblem character in mind and that is Ike’s rival Black Knight. This would be an interesting direction as an antagonist based Fire Emblem character who would be a formidable heavy weight; tanking hits and hitting hard. Whilst his mobility would be poor with his heavy armour, he could use his Fire Emblem Heroes based skills Wings of Mercy or Wrap Powder as his recovery.

With Fire Emblem Heroes comes to mind, I would also add Reinhardnt as an Assist Trophy character, firing his Dire Thunder at the opponents saying “Magic is everything!” He could even use his Meisterschwert sword at close range opponents. 

Sora – Kingdom Hearts

As unlikely it may seem for now, Sora is no stranger to crossovers having to venture in the Disney universe. He would almost certainly be versatile with a variety of moves to choose from including his keyblades, magic and limits. Maybe he could even bring Mickey, Donald and Goofy with him.  Not only that, but a Super Smash Bros and Disney collaboration would certainly be something to hype for so maybe one day, Sora could open the door that would lead him to the Super Smash Bros universe.

Karate Joe/RingSide Wrestler  - Rhythm Paradise

When it comes to a Rhythm Paradise (aka Rhythm Heaven) representation, The Chorus Boys have been the first choice that comes to mind for many fans. However, my personal choice would be Karate Joe. The reason is that he's the kind of character who is made for fighting being a karate man and he is even shown using his karate skills in his games, hitting bombs and barrels with his punching and kicking moves. His other special could be various references to other games from the Rhythm Paradise series. This would make Karate Joe right at home in Smash.

But that's not all, I would also like the Ringside Wrestler who could be Karate Joe's echo fighter since he is the character who would be suited for fighting. After all, he is popular thanks to those memes associated with his game.

God Eater

Having to play God Eater, I have thought of the idea of having a God Eater character in smash (either using the main playable God Eater character or Soma or Alisa who are probably the most popular God Eater characters). They do have a variety of arsenal including their God Arcs (such as blades, Guns and Spears), Blood Arts and Devour. Having a God Eater character would also mean that we would have their music added and I find that the series have one of the best gaming soundtrack.

As a side note, one of the Aragami, the Vajra could be an Assist Trophy or a stage hazard, ramping the characters with its deadly electric based attacks.

Tails – Sonic The Hedgehog

A lot of people have been wanting Shadow the Hedgehog as the next Sonic representative. I do think that Shadow is cool and I can see why but I was thinking of somebody more traditional; Sonic’s sidekick Tails. Since after all, we have Mario’s brother Luigi and Ryu’s friend and rival Ken so maybe one day, Tails could join Sonic in Smash.  His moveset could be identical to Sonic’s as he does knows some spin dash moves of his own, except that he is able to fly which would give him some mobility and he could use his inventions as his Final Smash including his Tornado 2.

Arcade Bunny – Nintendo Badge Arcade

An odd choice he maybe but as I was playing Nintendo Badge Arcade and enjoyed its variety of crane based games to get the badges and was thinking that his specials could be based on the crane games including a the crane hook to grab his opponents, a hammer and bombs. This makes him an unusual choice that could actually work.

Ray MK II – Custom Robo

If Nintendo were to use one of their more obscure franchises, I would choose Custom Robo, making Ray MK II the obvious representation (also since he have been an Assist Trophy in Brawl). This could help to give Custom Robo more recognition and for veterans to rediscover the series. And who knows, maybe it could give the series a revival.  

Kite/Haseo – Dot Hack

As I was playing Dot Hack GU HD Remastered, I thought of the possibility of a Dot Hack character being playable for Smash with a wide variety of moves the characters could use including Haseo’s Dual Swords, Scythe and various lost weapons which are all bound to have lots of possibilities. This would also give the franchise some more limelight after being stagnant for a decade. Kite would possibly be the first pick as he’s the better known protagonist though it wouldn’t do harm to have Haseo alongside him too.  Either way, their Final Smash would involve Data Drain (with Haseo using his Skeith).

Makoto Naegi – Danganronpa

In a similar vain to Phoenix Wright, Makoto would be an odd pick since he’s a mere human with no powers or weapons but as a fan of Danganronpa, I thought it would be cool to have a Danganronpa representation and asides from Monokuma (who could be an Assist Trophy or a stage hazard and I’m personally not a fan of having an antagonist as the sole representation), Makoto would be the most obvious pick. Like with again Phoenix Wright, it would be interesting to see how could Sakurai could come up with a moveset for Makoto to improvise including a Megaphone Hacking Gun (from the Danganronpa side game Ultra Despiar Girls), truth bullets and various references from The Class Trail minigames including the Bullet Time Battle. For now, we have to hope that this becomes a possibility (pardon the pun).  

Muddy Mole – Mole Mania

If Sakurai were to choose one of the more obscure characters from an obscure game, it would be Muddy Mole from one of Shigeru Miyamoto’s little known works. We had some many odd choices throughout Smash Bros including Mr Game and Watch, R.O.B, Wii Fit Trainer, Duck Hunt Duo and Piranha Plant and Muddy Mole could join the Unexpected Character trope. It could even help to give Mole Mania a bigger following. Two of his moves would involve digging (of course) and moving the ball like he did in the game.

Mii Mage

Not actually a character but a new class for the Mii Fighters. There have been times when I’ve created Miis based on characters that have magical powers or people who would have magical powers (like myself) and Mii Gunner is the closest thing to it having long ranged attacks but they’re not really magic so adding a new Mii Fighter class would solve that issue. They would have a variety of magical based powers to choose from including Fire, Electric, Ice, Air, Aqua, Light, Dark or just Psychic. They could also have some defensive based moves including teleport and shield, giving them some versatility.

Wonder Red – Wonderful 101

Wonderful 101 was a wonderful gem back in the Wii U days (pardon the pun) yet it apparently didn’t sell very well. Maybe if Wonder Red were to appear on Super Smash Bros, maybe it could help more people to get into Wonderful 101, earning it more sells. With so many moves that the Wonderful 101 characters have including Wonder Red’s Unite Hand and being an action packed super hero, Wonder Red would feel right at home in Smash.

Saki - Sin and Punishment 

We have Saki as an Assist Trophy and a Mii outfit but I say it's about time to have a playable Sin and Punishment representation and Saki himself is a no brainer (or Isa from the squeal or even both of them with Isa as the Echo Fighter). This could help to give Sin and Punishment more exposure. 

Tycho Minogue – My ExBoyfriend the Space Tyrant

Lol.

Honorable Mentions

I’ve been playing Resonance of Fates HD remaster on Steam and thought that Zephyr would make a cool addition, having a couple of weapons to choose from and Hero Mode that would make him a faster, stronger and enable him to jump higher, making him a formidable character.   

With Sega’s former cash cow franchise Sakura Wars getting a new game, maybe a Sakura War character could be possible including Sakura Shinjuuji or Ichiro Ohagami, adding another Sega representative.

The other Capcom franchise come to mind is Darkstalkers with Morrgian Aensland as the playable representative I guess.

If Smash Bros were to have a Disgaea representation, then Laharl would be an obvious pick with him being the star of the first game...along with Captain Gordon, Defender of Earth! Cos it would be fun to have a hammy hero parody style character in the game. 

As far as other Indie games representatives comes to mind, Awesomenauts would be...well, awesome! There are so many characters to choose from with moves that would suit well for Smash Bros. Lonestar and Clunk comes to mind.

What to do and what not to do when consoling someone on the internet?

This is not intended to provide professional advice, this is based on my personal experience and thoughts for which I hope you'll take inspiration from.

There are times on social media including Twitter, Youtube, Instagram,  Facebook or even Miitomo (back in the day) when I see people posting something about when they're dealing with difficult times such as a lost of a loved one or during a mass shooting incident. Not to be picky but while I do often see comments that are thoughtful and inspiring (especially if they help out the person), I sometimes notice some low effort  comments like "sorry" or just leave a sad emoji and I can't help to think that they could have put in more effort.

I may not be the best communicator with me on the spectrum but I have empathy and want to help or reassure the person to be at their very best while experiencing a difficult time. Not to brag but there are times when I've helped out the recipient by coming up with a really good comment (with them commenting and/or liking that comment), giving them condolences and the positivity they need.

There was also a real life example when I did my work placement at Raby Hall Farm, meeting this guy who I sometimes talked to. Fast forward at this autistic party event, I happened to meet him again and he told me that I have helped him a lot when he was going through a rough time. I can't remember what I've exactly said back then but I was really glad that I was able to help someone with my positivity and kindness, something that the world needs.

And that's why I strive myself to help others to be at their very best during their worst including online, trying my best to come up with a comment that could help to console them. Anyone can show empathy and help out others too online. Below is a guidance on the best way of consoling someone online like for example when their loved one have passed away with each kind of comments that you may see:

Comment 1: 😭/😞

- While I do like to use emojis (but I don't need to see the Emoji movie), using emojis alone is not appropriate for otherwise serious posts which is lazy and low effort. Words are more meaningful.

Comment 2: Get over it/Snap of out it

- Not only it doesn't show effort, it doesn't show any sympathy with its snappy toning which won't help them out at all.

Comment 3: Sorry!/ Feel sorry for you/Thoughts goes to everyone

- To some extent, it does show some sympathy but it's not very thoughtful and could have more effort

Comment 3: I'm sorry to hear about your lost. Take yourself time to heal. They maybe gone but as long as they remain in your heart and memories, they'll never be truly gone. Live your life to the fullest and they'll be proud of you.

- The best kind of comment which not only show a lot of thought, effort and sympathy but it shows that you have read their post (just like listening to a person face to face) and you are willing to help them out.

And here are some tips on how to come up with good comments:

• Read the person's post (or listen to their content if they happen to post a video on Youtube about it) and give yourself time to come up with something appropriate yet sincere. Again, it's like listening to the person's conversation and showing that you've been listening. 

• You can get inspiration from positive quotes, adapting your comment based on the appropriate quote but don't directly copy it (though quoting it along side your own comment could help).

• Be humble and don't take it personally if they don't show appreciation (by liking or replying your comment). Give the benefit of the doubt that the person have read your comment and does feel appreciated without showing unless otherwise. 

• It doesn't have to be long like an essay as long as you have put some effort in and it helps them out. 

So I hope this will have help you out to show your condolences and kindness for whenever someone is going through a rough time. You could be the one who is the light for their darkest moments. To round off this article, here's a quote from Youtuber Connor Franta from his book Note to Self which have inspired me a lot:

“It will be okay. It will always be okay. I just needed the kindness of a stranger to remind me of that. We have enough badness in the real world adding to the virtual world, and we need to remember that we’re capable of projecting goodness. We need to spread love, kindness and empathy. No strings attached, no ifs and, or buts.”

So how I am handling the news about Pokemon Sword and Shield National Dex removal and the Toxic Fandom (and what have helped me)?

This is my therapeutic story regarding to the removal of the National Dex (otherwise known as Dexit) in the upcoming Pokemon Sword and Shield and the fandom reaction and what have helped me in my honest and raw thoughts and feelings, for which I hope it’ll help you out too.

As you may already know about Pokemon Sword and Shield, the directors of Game Freak have made a difficult decision of only allowing Pokemon to be transferred from the past generation Pokemon games via Pokemon Home to Pokemon Sword and Shield that are only available on the Galar region dex (as well as removing Mega Evolutions and Z-Moves).

This is due to the timing contrasts involving adding the models for every Pokemon along with new animation which happens to clash in with the release of the merch that depends on the release of the games including anime and cards (and delaying the game isn't possible because of that reason). I understand the majority of the fandom’s disappointments with them not being able to use their missing Pokemon that could be their favourite or used a lot of their competitive battling (among other reasons) in Sword and Shield. Even Game Freak themselves did not planned this and they weren’t very happy with the decision either.

I've made this meme during the Bring Back National Dex trend
as a lighthearted joke while still being constructive. 

Whilst I’m the kind of player who breed and raised Pokemon for ‘competitive battling’, I am trying my best to handle this decision well, being  rationalized and not letting it get in the way of my excitement of playing Pokemon Sword and Shield, looking forward to what will have to offer. Whilst I would like the National Dex Pokemon to be added in the long run, I do understand the reasoning, accepting and respecting their decision above. I guess it shows that working in a game company can be complicated at times for various reasons and they cannot have our way all the time. They are human at the end of the day who are trying their best.

However, the real problem for me is the toxic fandom on how this has divided the fandom. Whilst there are some fans who are constructive and respectful, there are others who are not so constructive and have been causing all sorts of drama on social media (especially with the internet making these opinions loud and clear, for better or worst) including abusing and harassing the directors and those who are defending and supporting Sword and Shield (e.g. down voting those kind of comments on Reddit just because they have a different opinion – this is why I don’t really go on Reddit with few exceptions with me not wanting to be involved with the wrong crowd) and spreading misinformation (as well as some ‘defenders’ flaming those who don’t agree with the decision though I do not have as much experience with that) .

I know I have made this meme before but I've thought about
it and couldn't resist.

Then there’s this Bring back National Dex on Twitter which from what I can gather was at first reasonable but it then got out of hand, even to the point when it became controversial (but I won’t go there).

I’ve always been cautious of the Pokemon fandom yet it pains me on how this divides the fandom with this news taking this to the next level. It brings me back to when the Mcfly fandom were like this during the McBusted days just because they wanted Mcfly album 6 and taking their hate on McBusted (especially to James Bourne who had it bad), causing again all kinds of drama and misblaming.

I myself got involved, witnessing their hate comments and negativity while defending McBusted, going through ‘depression’ and getting in the way of my enjoyment because of it. I guess with me having autism, I can get overwhelmed and burnt out with this kind of negativity. With this drama and negativity involving Pokemon Sword and Shield, I get to re-experience this pain and stress. I don’t want to be hurt again.  

I’ve been trying not to get myself involved with the fandom for the sake of my own mental health with very few exceptions which includes my friends and two web creators who are fans of Pokemon and have a rationalized opinion on the National Dex removal including Serebii Net creator Joe Merrick (who have said that he doesn’t agree with the decision yet is being calm about it, reminding us to be polite) and Youtuber Micheal Groth (aka MandJYV), the former who have the most knowledge on the gaming industry even if you don’t agree with him and the latter have made a constructive video about if Sword and Shield will be good or bad regrading to Dexit which you can check out here:

However, there is something that have been helping me with the fandom controversy and that is by this episode from one of Cartoon Network’s best loved shows Steven Universe (which you should see yourself). The episode in question is Beach City Drift which was about Steven and Connie as their fusion Stevonnie getting involved in a race against Kevin who Steven hates. The episode comes with some very good messages about spending your time and energy hating someone will allow them to waste your life without doing anything and how it’s best to move on when dealing with someone who is a jerk which makes you a better person.

In this case, Steven’s hated towards Kevin overwhelms Stevonnie which caused them to become unfused but Connie helped him by asking him if beating Kevin the race is actually worth it, realizing that his resentment for Kevin is getting in the way of him and needs to let it go. As a result, they both refuses and focus on enjoying the race. They were a good sport when Kevin wins, much to his bewilderment.  

It’s good that we have media that inspire hearts with inspiring messages like that and for my case, this helps me remind me to not to let other people’s opinions get to me and to move on from them as I would end up wasting my life getting down by them without them doing anything which isn't worth it. Stevonnie would represent me with the toxic fandom represent Kevin (not the ones who are supportive or reasonable of course) and Steven’s hated of Kevin represent my feeling about the Pokemon fandom. So by letting go out my concerns and resentment of the Pokemon fandom, I can enjoy Pokemon Sword and Shield and be a better person by again not letting them get to me and respect their opinions, just like Stevonnie on how they were able to enjoy the race without Kevin getting to them.

So hopefully, this will help me to move on from the toxic fandom and not getting in the way of my optimism for Pokemon Sword and Shield, again looking forward on what it will have to offer. And as I’ve said, I’ll be ok with the Dexit situation, using what I can use and trying out the new Pokemon while waiting for those missing Pokemon to be available, by patches, future games or any means (as well as Mega Evolution and Z-Moves though funnily enough, Dynamax/Gigatamax forms is like a combination of the two). Should I ever want to use these Pokemon, then I can use Smogon’s Pokemon Showdown which is said to include the missing National Dex Pokemon (I could even use it to try their CAP Pokemon).

I hope this have helped to inspire you. Let’s not lose our way regarding to Dexit and don’t let the toxic fandom get you down while being polite and constructive to Game Freak as you voice your opinion and look forward to a brand new generation of Pokemon.

On a brighter note, I am excited to try many new features for Pokemon Sword and Shield including Dynamax, Max Raid Battles, over world Pokemon and its stunning graphics and many of the Pokemon shown at this time of writing are pretty good. The ones I like the best so far includes Corviknight, Alcremie (especially its Gigatamix Form), Duraludon and Obstagoon (amazing on how there’s Galar Region Pokemon which have Pokemon outside of Gen One unlike Alola Forms and how they can evolve further) as well as for the pre-evolution side; Scorbunny, Sobble, Wooloo, Gossifleur and Rolycoly. The two legendaries Zacian and Zamazenta are awesome too.

Edit: This is me writing two months after this blog have been published with only a month before Sword and Shield is released. Just wanted to mention that other 8th gen Pokemon that have been revealed as of late includes Sirfetch'd and Galarain form of Ponyta as well as Gigatamax forms of Pikachu, Eevee and Charizard. 

I've also wanted to give a shout out to this other Pokemon web creator who also have a rationalized opinion on the National Dex removal who I've recently subscribed on Youtube is BirdKeeper Toby (who is disappointed yet still optimistic about Sword and Shield). He have a positive attitude and have said that there are more people looking forward to Sword and Shield according to this poll he have created about people's thoughts about Pokemon as discussed in this video below (which is interesting to find out about):

       

Works that needs more love

There has been many games, movies or shows I’ve liked which are university well liked by many and are considered cult classics. However, there are a few works that I liked that don’t receive as many love with a number of reasons including they are unpopular, niche, overshadowed by more popular works, panned or obscure. So here are the works that I have enjoyed myself and say that they need more love

Thunderbirds Movie (2004)

My textbook example of this; the live action Thunderbirds movie has been part of my childhood (well technically the teenage years) with the movie bringing the puppet based characters from the original TV series (which was also part of my childhood) to life yet it was universally panned due to it not being true to the original TV shows, bombing the box office and the original Thunderbirds creator Gerry Anderson panning it himself but we won’t go there (though funnily enough, his wife Sylvia Anderson said that it was a great tribute to the series). I suppose I get why it wasn’t well received by fans of the original TV series but I say that it’s a great adaption in its own right (if not personally preferred) with their amazingly well designed Thunderbird pilots and a great cast including Brady Corbet as relatable protagonist Alan Tracey (the main reason why I’ve got into the movie), Sophia Myles as Lady Penelope (who I say have more of a character including her cool, badass personality than the original counterpart who was boring in comparison) and Ben Kingsley as the love to hate (and arguably more entertaining and sympathetic The Hood). Even the original characters deserve a mention including badass genius Fermet and Jessie and James equivalent Transom and Mullion. So all in all, I was hyped throughout this movie and it doesn’t deserve all the hate it gets. Oh and its song Thunderbirds are go was sang by Busted which is how I’ve got into them. That alone makes this movie awesome.     

Animal Crossing Amiibo Festival

One of the two Animal Crossing spinoffs which is often panned for not being a main Animal Crossing game for the Wii U (though the reason being was the developers working on Splatoon at the time as they’re the same makers). I happened to find it enjoyable to play with my friends and family. I had so many fun and amusing moments on the Amiibo Festival Board game, experiencing events that changes throughout the months just like the actual Animal Crossing games and inviting villagers to the board game using the Amiibo cards. There are other party games though the main one that stands out is Desert Island Escape where it has some clever game mechanics involving finding resources to get off the island while playing as your villagers. You should give Animal Crossing Amiibo Festival a go with your friends and family and you’ll find that it’s more fun than others give credit for.

G-Force (film)

Why I’ve got into this film? Because it have Guinea Pigs as the main characters and I love Guinea Pigs ever since I’ve fostered one. It has great characters, impressive 3D animation and effects and won ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards 2010 yet most of the reviews are lukewarm at best and it barely has any recognition comparing to most other Disney films.  Had it received more love, then there could have been some G-Force representation at Disney World or even Kingdom Hearts.

God Eater

I’ve first discovered the series from Project X Zone and enjoyed them throughout with its combat system, characters that I’ve got really attached, great story to and have among the best video game soundtrack. The series have generally gained favourable reviews and a decent fanbase yet it doesn’t seem to have as much recognition as other Namco franchises including Tekken or Tales series. The series definitely needs more appreciation (especially in the West as God Eater seems to have a bigger fan base in Japan). A side note that God Eater 3 needs more love too with people saying that it's the weakest entry as of late. I say it's just as awesome as the other God Eater games with its music, story and characters, especially Phym.

Resonance of Fate

Resonance of Fate is another series that I’ve discovered from Project X Zone and only have discovered the remastered version on Steam by chance, giving me a chance to experience it. Whilst its battle mechanics can be quite complex at first, you’ll find that the fast paced strategic combat system gets you hyped for action especially with Hero Mode.  The story can be complicated at times but it does have many humorous moments including the Christmas based level and I find myself rooting for the main characters as they grow. The reviews are mostly positive though it doesn’t seem to have as much appreciation comparing to other Sega games. A lot of people should try out this gem more.

Marvel Vs Capcom Infinite

I’ve got into Marvel Vs Capcom since the 3^rd series which helped me to get to know many characters and franchises from...well Marvel and Capcom. Whilst I get that Infinite have its problems including graphics, the removal of Normal and Simple mode, hype blackish and maybe they could have a more varied character choices for the Capcom side (though it does have Dante, Zero and even Jedah), don’t forget that it have the story mode which I’ve find enjoyable throughout with the characters teaming up and interacting with each other (which could give Super Smash Bros Brawl Subspace Emissary a run for money dare I might say but it’s still awesome itself otherwise). I find that the character conversations are more varied than the ones in Marvel Vs Capcom 3 and most of the character themes for the Marvel side are better than the ones in again Marvel Vs Capcom 3. The character rooster isn’t half bad either (with the new Marvel characters are pretty solid). I say that Infinite isn’t bad as most people say and it needs another chance.

Watercolours (2010 film)

Watercolours was an Indie LGBTQ movie that I’ve found and watched during the same year when I come out. I’ve watched it on Christmas and felt so emotional throughout with its heart wrenching story line and tragic characters. It have earned several awards (including for the actors which is well deserved I say) and a couple of fans who loved the movie as I’ve found on the Youtube comment section for clips of the movie yet it doesn’t have as much recognition comparing to other LGBTQ movies including Love Simon and Brokeback Mountain. I hope more people will watch it to give it more recognition it deserves.

  

Zookeeper (2011 film)

As someone who likes animals and going to Zoos, this comedy film with talking animals is the film for me. The plot involves a good hearted zoo keeper named Griffin trying to win a girl’s heart with help from the animals which results in hilarity ensure. It’s a shame that a lot of reviews have panned it as I find it overall enjoyable with Griffin’s interaction with the animals, the subplot involving on how Griffin bonds with Bernie the Gorilla who lost his trust with humans due to the abuse of a jerkass Zoo Keeper (which is rather emotional for a comedy film which makes it the best part of the film) and a number of anvils dropped on how you shouldn’t please others, it’s better to be yourself and those who don’t accept for who you are not worth your time (and how animals in captivity should be treated with kindness and not all humans working with animals are bad during the Bernie subplot). Really, I don’t get the negative reviews and all of the above makes it better than the reviewers would suggest.

Metroid Other M

The most divisive Metroid game for a number of reasons especially involving the story and Samus’ characteration. Whilst I get that her characteration have conflicting issues with the Japanese and Western fanbase (including on how Japan portrays women), I personally don’t have too much issue (unpopular opinion as it maybe) as I say it was an interesting attempt to give Samus some actual character that shows her flawed, sensitive side and how she sees the world on her own point of view that others could find relatable. Plus her portrayal Jessica Martin was trying her best (it was more to do with Sakamoto’s direction on how to deliver her line) and even if you don’t like her portrayal, I don’t condone giving her abuse just because of it (I’m against abuse including death threats to other celebrities including James Bourne, Ahmed Best and Masuda above all else). Still, at least fans have warmed up to her. Don’t forget that the game itself have plenty of offer including the puzzles, combat system and boss battles. Other M may not be perfect but maybe if the flaws were fixed, the series going in that direction should be given another chance.

The Unholy War

This gem on the Playstatoin was part of my childhood, playing a wide variety of characters that have a variety of moves with free movement and turned based mode which makes it rather innovative at the time. It’s so underrated, making it obscure. Maybe if there’s a rerelease or even a remastered version, then it could give more people a chance to play it or re-experience it.

Ghost Stories

Specifically, the ADV gag dub as the original version had a bland script (and thought to have originally flopped). Apparently, ADV were told to do anything they wanted with the script as long as they stick with the original plot which resulted in a hilarious dub, making it amusing and entertaining to watch (think Yu-gi-oh Abridged though this was way back before Yu-gi-oh Abridged). Just check out the funny parts here.

Miitopia

Miitopia is a charming, RPG game where you cast your Miis for various roles and class. I’ve been playing it for three years using my friends, family, celebrities and fictional characters based Miis. Its mechanics are not perfect but it does have an interesting story, a surprisingly great soundtrack and many humorous moments. It certainly does have the potential to have a sequel with improved game mechanics.

¡Mucha Lucha!

¡Mucha Lucha! Is one of the more obscure Cartoon Network shows I’ve watched during my childhood. It have some very funny episodes and a great variety of cast though it doesn’t seem to have as much love comparing to more well known Cartoon Network shows including Dexter’s Laboratory, Powerpuff Girls, Ed, Edd N Eddy, Teen Titans, Adventure Time and Steven Universe. It definitely needs more appreciation.

Cubix

Another gem from my Cartoon Network childhood days with have brilliantly designed robots, stunning 3D animation at the time, an enjoyable theme song and some very good episodes. If only if it had more love, then it could potentially have a third season.

VBirds

Another oddity from Cartoon Network which is actually a British virtual girl group, consisting of only two songs and six one minute episodes showing the band's backstory of them being sent to a dance machine as their prison from their home planet for refusing to participle the emperor's dance farm,. The designs of the VBirds were actually rather cool though I would have to check out their two songs to see if they were better than I remembered. It's a shame that nothing have come out of it despite their moderate success as it would be interesting to see what happens next to the band and what potential they would have for their songs. 

Garfield Movie

Garfield is my favourite comic strip and I still enjoy it to this day. Its live action movie had mostly negative reviews but I say that it’s a decent adaption in its own right with the story focusing on Garfield finding Odie who he previously resented and the actors were pretty good too with Bill Murray’s voice for Garfield almost identical to Lorenzo Music from the animated series.

Billy the Cat

One of the more obscure Beano comic scripts that I've only seen in the annuals. The titular character have a cool design and with it being the Beano equivalent to Spiderman, Billy the cat is my kind my thing. It definitively needs more recognition as other bigger Beano scripts including Dennis the Menace and The Bash Streets Kids.

The Comet

Likewise, The Comet is one of the lesser known Dandy comic scripts. This super hero parody features the titular The Comet (aka Mike Wolf) who have gained super powers from a comic (or something like that) who have a rather wise cracking personality and an equally witty female sidekick Laura (who is his wife) which makes them a comical duo as shown here. The art style was rather impressive for a Dandy comic script. I've only seen a handful of scripts in the annuals and again, it needs more love like with bigger Dandy scripts including Desperate Dan and Blinky.

Honourable Mention: Paper Mario Colour Splash

For the record, I have not played Paper Mario Colour Splash though I have considered trying it out for myself at one time. Whilst I would reserve my judgement until I would get round playing it, Colour Splash have been rather divisive with the previous entry Sticker Star being mostly lukewarm and I have heard that there has been blacklash upon its reveal because of it, claiming that Nintendo were out of their touch with their fans though the game itself was in advance development by the time when Sticker Star was panned.

Colour Splash itself does have some improvements over its predecessor including the script and battle system. From what I have seen and heard myself, I have enjoyed the The Rescue V Squad trailers on Youtube (as a super hero team of Toads sounds cool) and heard about some unique characteration for certain NPCs. Colour Splash does look fun to play with interesting mechanics and beautiful HD graphics as I’ve seen some play through from a friend’s Youtube channel. So  again, I would have to experience the game fully before passing on any judgement, rather than joining the bandwagon.. 

And now for some quick fire mentions of works that do have love yet I feel that they have become divisive or don’t seem to have as much appreciation than they should (least by some vocal minorities) so I shall not be holding anything back as I gush over them:

Some say that the 5^th generation Pokemon games are their least favourite, for which I don’t get as they have a lot of great Pokemon, great story and many strong, powerful moves that makes a lot Pokemon shine than ever before.

I really don’t get people saying that Pokemon X and Y are the games that shows Pokemon's declining quality. It’s the first 3D series with Pokemon in 3D, amazing graphics, Mega Evolutions, a couple of great Pokemon and some of the best mechanics that helps with breeding, grinding and balancing issues. I say it helps Pokemon to reach its peak with some many improvements. 

Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire are great remakes with many great additions and improvements over the originals.

Say what you want against Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon but they are worthy director’s cut with plenty of changes (including brand new Pokemon and features) and improvements over Sun and Moon. Besides, we haven't have Pokemon Z so. 

Pokemon Sword and Shield may have become divisive as of late due to national dex and toxic fandom issues but that doesn’t stop me from looking forward to what Sword and Shield will have to offer as the traditional Pokemon experience on the Switch.

Some can diss the Pokemon Anime for all they like but it’s part of my childhood and what have got me into Pokemon in the first place. I’ll continue to enjoy watching it as it brings Pokemon to life.

Some may have become divisive with Fire Emblem Fates (saying that it's cool to hate it) but it’s the first Fire Emblem game I’ve experienced after Heroes (as given from a friend for my Birthday) and I’ve been enjoying it with its engaging story, characters that I became attached to and a great combat system. And along with Awakening, you have to admit that Fates that helped the franchise to reach its highest peak.

People may be more willingly to diss Super Smash Bros Brawl but for me, it holds a place in my heart for being the first Smash Bros game I’ve played online; gaining so many memories and friends along the way along with context including Final Smash and Subspace Emissary and characters that build up my hype. I'm with Brawl all the way. 

I’ve always been a huge fan of Miis, creating them based on my friends, family, fictional characters and celebrities and using them for many games including Wii Sports, Wii Fit, TomoDachi Life, Smash Bros, Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games and Miitopia. I’m hoping that they’ll make a comeback soon.

You either love or hate them for many reasons and prefer the 2D Sonic games but the 3D games Sonic games are just as good in their own ways (whenever they're fun or have memes associated with them), however flawed they are and that includes Shadow the Hedgehog too.

The Simpsons have always been enjoyable to watch even with the newer seasons. I've only seen a handful of them comparing to the earlier episodes but they do have some potential from what I've heard so I like to give them a chance rather than dissing them just because many say they're not as good.  With many memorable moments (whenever they're funny, emotional or awesome) and memes inspired by them, I say that The Simpsons will remain for a good long time whenever you like it or not. Why, I say that it depends on the episode themselves, rather than the season like you could have a good episode from a later season or a bad episode from an earlier season. 

It may sound weird for Digimon Frontier to have children that becomes Digimon but I say it does have many great episodes and the best opening theme song.

Digimon Data Squad is my personal favourite season with so many awesome moments and the best soundtrack, I choose it over Adventures and Tamers any day.

Digimon Fusion is fun to watch with many humorous moments and no hold barred action. I’m still hoping that they’ll get round dubbing the third season (and Appli Monsters) someday.

No matter what anyone says about Garfield nowadays, it still remains my top comic script. I’ve been regularly checking out the Garfield site for the latest scripts and many of them have made me smile or even outright laugh.

I’m proud to say that the Star Wars prequel trilogy have been part of my childhood and even with all the hate they get, I’m with the prequels all the way, especially when it comes to Jar Jar Binks, Admed Best and Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker as they have got me into Star Wars in the first place.

Animal Crossing Let's go to the City also deserves a mention with many saying that it's the weakest entry but I say it's good in its own right with better events, some improved mechanics and the first Animal Crossing game that I've played online with others. I wished that I have played the game longer.

Soul Calibur V may have the most divisive cast but I say it plays just as well as the other Soul Calibur games with the best soundtrack and the first to have a story mode which does have its potential it if given another chance. 

And no matter what anyone say otherwise, the Mcfly and Busted super group McBusted is awesome, bringing both awesome bands together, singing each other songs and their own, giving me a chance to rediscover Busted and the guys themselves having a good time together (with the Mcfly guys are agruely at their happiest after going through a lot during their gerat depression) while witness the bond they have with each other. I hope that they’ll get back together someday, this time with Charlie Simpson. I have no regret supporting them all the way.

My Coming Out Story

In celebration of Pride Month where we LGBTQ community celebrate diversity and promoting our rights, here my my coming out story followed by my afterthoughts including the importance of pride which I hope it'll help to inspire you:

I always had a preference for male celebrities and male fictional characters which includes my favourite male pop groups Mcfly and Busted. But it wasn’t until later on during my college years when I developed a crush on one of the Mcfly band members Danny Jones which made me consider that I am attracted to guys. This first started when he was on this TV show Popstar to Operastar, he may not have won but I was inspired by his efforts.

Later on, I made some friends on an online forum. Two of them were gay, one of them came out long ago before I knew him, the other came out to us. Of course, I accepted them but I was wondering when will be the day when I come out?

Within the same year, I discovered the movie Watercolours which was an LGBTQ movie which I became interested in. All of these above factors have helped me consider that I am gay and I eventually came out to my Mum during a random conversation; she accepted me (the conversation was about how I'm more interested in the clothing that the guys worn on Strictly Comes Dancing - the one that the other Mcfly member Harry Judd have appeared in) . I then came out to my brother, father and my friends who all accepted me too. Some of them said that they had a hunch that I was gay with some signs including me preferring to look at pictures of men. I was rather relieved that I had been accepted for who I am. I’ve bought Watercolours for Christmas; it was a very emotional movie.  I even took part in the Gay Pride march which was a great experience despite the weather.

Coming out has also helped me to meet other LGBTQ people and get to know celebrities coming out, especially on Youtube were I've learned about their coming out experience and issues. Among the first LGBTQ Youtubers I've watched includes Mark Millar, Ethan Hethcote, Matthew Lush, Connor Franta and Austin Wallis as well as Tom Daley (and found many more LGBTQ  Youtubers from that point on including Him and Him Bryan and Pascal, PK Creedon, Stevie Blaine and Daniel Miller). 

I became more aware of many issues involving the LGBTQ community and learned that being LGBTQ is not always sunshine and rainbows. It's all about fighting for equally with resilient as we face discrimination and persecution here and there including laws that prevents us from loving who we love, bigots who tries to deny our existence and violence that takes on people's lives just because on who we are which is why we need pride; to show that even if there is so much to do regarding to equality, we keep on remaining strong no matter how hard it is by being ourselves, educating others and spread more love and acceptance. Here's a related quote:

"Gay pride was not born to celebrate being gay, but our right to exist without persecution. So instead of wondering why there isn't a straight pride movement, be thankful that you don't need one" 

As we continue to fight for our rights, I have to remember to be grateful that there are more people on the side of equality, backing us up and calling out homophobia (and other forms of discrimination) along with every step forward and progress including the number of countries that legalese same sex marriage. It may not always be easy being LGBTQ but we have come so far as we become more accepted and we all must band together as we fight for our rights and for a brighter future for equality everywhere. Giving in is not an option.

So I can thank my friends and family for accepting me for who I am along with many factors that helped to make me realize my sexuality including my crush on Danny Jones and Watercolours (as well as Harry Judd for the aforementioned conversation) .