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I was sent Bus Simulator 21 Next Stop to review. I am very grateful for the opportunity, but I will keep my review honest.
Bus Simulator is getting a huge update with performance improvements, new features, more cosmetics, a new area to explore, and a very cool career mode. If you are in the market for a relaxing simulator, Bus Simulator should be in your library. It looks good, runs great, and has an amazing soundtrack.
If you are coming into this game as a new player, I recommend starting with the career mode. Do not skip the tutorial because some of the mechanics aren’t intuitive. Career mode gives players a great starting foundation as well as some goals to work towards. You are responsible for the city’s public transportation, and it is your job to make it the best possible. The recommended difficulty is also perfect for beginners, but players can adjust the settings to make the experience more immersive if needed. I recommend you mess with these settings and sandbox mode once you have a solid understanding of how the bus system works.
I had a lot of fun with this game, but it is a niche experience. If you are looking for a different and relaxing experience, this is a great title to sink some time into. The problem I see this game having is that the amount of time players will sink into this game depends on how much they enjoy the simulation. Players have to obey traffic laws, deal with customers, and drive in real-time. I enjoyed the elusiveness of the game, but I didn’t have the attention span to play for too long. My attention span has nothing to do with the game, it’s great, but it is something to think about before you make the purchase.
Bus Simulator 21 Next Stop Gold Edition is $45.99 for PC via Epic Games and Steam. The console version is $49.99 for Xbox and PlayStation. The gold edition upgrade is only $14.99 on Steam, Epic Games, PlayStation, and Xbox. The Gold Edition is a great place because it comes with the base game and all the previous DLCs. If you already have the base game, all you need is the upgrade. There are also free console upgrades if you’ve bought the game for your last gen console.
While we wait for Sunday’s chapter, I’ve decided to revise the Seekers story to fix some of the story’s awkwardness. I will keep the story the same but will try to make it sound nicer. This isn’t my story, so please make sure you check out the original chapter. Let me know if this is something worth continuing. Make sure you start at chapter 1-1
Eiji steps out of the subway and stands hesitantly at the edge of Ninth Avenue. He keeps one foot in the subway tunnel and contemplates abandoning the mission. Eiji looks at the cramped, dirty, sketchy alleys reminiscent of Kolwoon or Showa-Era Kabukicho and can’t help but feel uneasy. He feels small at the bottom of this valley of towering slums. Illegible signs and advertisements clutter the skyline, spilling their sickly vibrant neon against the dirty walls. The air seems thick with danger, and it makes Eiji uneasy.
Eiji takes a deep breath as he takes it all. “Hey Loogamon?” his voice shakes with a bit of worry, “What is this place?”
Loogamon shoots an annoyed glance at Eiji. “Seriously? Are you dumb?”
“Hey be nice, it’s my time in the Digital world. You have to guide me…”Eiji follows close behind as he continues surveying his surroundings. “Wait, aren’t you a king or something?” Loogamon doesn’t respond. “Am I supposed to bow down to you?” Eiji stops to give a joking curtsy “Your Majesty”
“Quit it!” Loogamon growls.
“As you wish your highness,” Eiji laughs.
“This is why your dog didn’t like you. Hurry up and get serious! You have work to do.”
Eiji scrolls through his screen, looking for the mapping tool. “I love you Loogamon!” he sings. Loogamon shakes its head and continues to move through the alley. Eiji launches the mapping tool.
“The guy said we just need to walk around and leave the tool running.”
Nothing made sense in Ninth Avenue. The streets wound into zagging mazes of uneven streets and alleys. Some buildings looked as if they were on the verge of collapsing, while others leaned to a degree that made Eiji uncomfortable. There were signs that dangled loosely from a single rusted bolt. It looked as if the lightest gust of wind could bring them crashing to the ground. There were old dirty wires that hung from walls like dirty dying ivy, and widows blacked out with filth. The streets were littered with bits of dirty shattered glass. They walked over and around mounds of trash.
Eiji checks the map as he walks.
“There are Digimon here, but they are hiding,” Loogamon explains as they move through the seemingly abandoned maze of decay. Eiji shivers as he feels hidden stares over him.
“Ninth Avenue is the worst neighborhood in the Wall Slums. Most newcomers get robbed the moment the step foot on these grounds. Those foolish enough to go deeper don’t make it out,” Loogamon says coldly.
“This place is scary.”
“Come on. We have to make it to the Castle of the Nine Wolves. It’s at the heart of all of this.” Eijie and Loogamon continue their work. Their mapping goes uneventfully. Eiji begins to relax, but a hint of disappointment sneaks into him. There were no Digimon or much of anything despite Loogamon’s insisting.
Character design/illustration illustrator: malo
The pair empty into a cul-de-sac. At the head sits an old run-down red building reminiscent of a Chinatown mausoleum.
“That’s the Castle of Nine Wolves? All we have to do is map that and were done? This test is easy!” Eiji exclaims as he walks towards the mausoleum.
Loogamon stops.
“What’s wrong Loogamon?” Eiji stops his advance and looks down at the wolf.
“This…This is my home…Or it used to be” Loogamon explains as he struggles to force a memory.
Eiji looks at Loogamon and then at the red building. “Did you remember something?”
Loogamon shakes its head. “There’s a faint smell. Markings I left behind…It’s me, but not me. It’s something much stronger…” Loogamon’s voice trails off as it takes a big whiff of the air.
“Do you think maybe…” Eiji begins as he examines his surroundings with a new understanding, “do you think it might have been an evolved you?”
A booming roar spills from the building, carrying with it a howling wind that forces Eiji to his knees. Loogamon digs his paws into the ground and braces itself.
“Loogamon? What was that?”
A winged monstrosity rushed from the shadows and takes to the sky above the two. Dust, dirt, and trash swirl violently around them. As the wind and dust settle, Eiji begins searching the sky for the source.
“Was that a bird? A Dragon?”
“Neither, look”
Eiji turns to the space Loogamon points to. It was a metallic Digimon with the head of a Dragon and the body of a helicopter. It has two rotors that hold it up above them.
Cargodramon, ultimate, machine, virus type.
Across the side, Eiji can read the word “Police” clearly.
“Crap” Eiji yells, his voice barely louder than the rotors. “It’s the DigiPolice!”
The doors from the hovering Cargodramon open. From it descends a squad of Commandramon.
A screeching siren sounds loudly. Eiji looks at the map and sees it fill with red dots. The DigiPolice were surrounding the castle. Panic starts to creep over Eiji. “They want us to open voice chat on the GriMM channel!?!” he shouts to Loogamon. “What should we de?”
“Open up chat code craker!” commands a voice from the Cargodramon.
“Um, I don’t have the password…” Eiji grows more anxious as the dots continue to close in on his location.
“Don’t play dumb with me. Surrender now. We have you surrounded!”
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I don’t think Scream 6 is necessary because it doesn’t add much to the franchise. Scream 6 feels like it was made for fans of the franchise who have seen and will continue to see every movie in the franchise. If you are a fan, you’ve probably already seen this movie in theaters. If you are thinking of seeing this movie, I would hold off till you can watch it for free and then wait a little more after.
In the aftermath of the last Ghost Face attack, the survivors struggle to lead normal lives. The trauma still hunts them, and the survivors struggle to adjust properly. Just as they begin to gain a semblance of normalcy in their lives, another Ghost Face rises from the shadows to hunt them once more. Have they learned enough from their experience to survive another mediocre slasher film, or will this prove the end for our heroes?
Scream 6 isn’t anything special. The acting is fine, but the writing and story aren’t. You will forget you watched this almost immediately because it does nothing to stand out amongst the franchise. This movie doubles down on its nostalgia and meta-commentary to the point where it becomes boring. If you are a fan of the franchise, you will probably appreciate 6 more than I did. I felt lost as it went over events from past movies because I have only seen the first Scream and barely remember the last. Because of the slightly silly tone, this movie doesn’t feel like it has any real stakes. As a result, the tension and suspense don’t really do anything for this movie. I liked that they tried to show how trauma affected the characters and how the events left a darkness within them, but they don’t develop this plot enough because the movie is too busy being meta and nostalgic.
If you’ve seen Scream 5, go watch that instead. Scream 6 isn’t worth watching unless you are invested in the franchise. If you are one of the few who still have a Paramount+ subscription, you can stream it there. Otherwise, I would wait till you can watch it for free elsewhere. I wouldn’t pay to watch this movie, and I definitely wouldn’t rush to see it either.
Apex Legends is hitting the tabletop in a new multiplayer experience that is worth some attention. The popular hero shooter is getting its own board game in an already fully funded Kickstarter. The officially licensed board game aims to bring the highly competitive and tactical experience offline, and the conversion looks successful. There is a loot system, abilities, and gear based on the game, and you can even cast the ultimates. If you are a fan of the video game, you should at least check out the page.
The base game supports three game modes for all levels of play. It includes some beautifully sculpted unpainted minis and dioramas for Bangalore, Bloodhound, Gibraltar, and Wraith. The game comes with modular buildings for fully customizable maps that you can use for your other war games. I’ll probably be using it with my Heroclix. You can buy the game for $80 which seems reasonable for what you are getting. Backers of the Kickstarter will also get the exclusive Loba expansion for free. Higher tiers include additional expansions and collectibles for cheaper than retail and access to all the stretch goals. Future expansions will open up the game to six players and bring more of the beloved characters to the table.
Minis
1 / 13
Painted Minis
2 / 6
Dioramas
More Shots of the Game
4 / 39
If you are a fan of Apex Legends or are looking for a new wargame to play with your friends, it might be something you add to your library. You can back Apex Legends: The Board Game on Kickstarter.
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I was sent Volcano Princess as a review code. I am very grateful for the opportunity but won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review of the game.
Volcano Princess is a visual novel life sim for PC. You play as a single father who must raise a daughter in a fantasy world where demons and man are at war. You make the choices that will foster her growth into a functioning adult. How you choose to raise her is up to you, but the choices you make affect her future.
The gameplay loop is simple. Each day you are given a limited amount of action points to spend where you do activities with your daughter that increase her stats. What you choose to do is up to you, but the limits affect your relationship with her and what she grows up being. The game slowly introduces more mechanics as your daughter ages and choices become harder. When she is old enough, there will be a lite dating sim where she can choose from 18 romantic partners and a mini turn-based rpg game. The pacing is fantastic, and the different game mechanics give the game much-needed diversity. Your first playthrough will take about eight hours, but there are more than 50 endings to work toward.
This game is surprisingly addicting. I stressed over my choices because I needed to be a great father the first time around. I think I was successful, but I already have some ideas for future runs. The amount of choices available is what makes this game so much fun. Eventually, you be forced to think tactically about how you spend time with your daughter. Do you help her through a difficult time at the cost of some important attributes? Do you let her date? Become a writer? An actor? A warrior? It is all up to you, and it is such a wholesome good time.
My biggest tip for new players is to go in as blind as possible. I recommend not looking up a guide unless you want to collect every ending. Even then, I recommend you get some of your own endings first. The story is a little cheesy, but it is a good kind of cheesy worth experiencing at least once.
I love this game and would buy it if I hadn’t gotten it already. The art is cute, the story is wholesome, and the mechanics are relaxing and fun. That said, it isn’t for everyone. This game is great for players who love life sims and don’t mind visual novels. This game involves a lot of reading and waiting for timers. The timers aren’t long, but it doesn’t make for the most exciting gameplay. The story is fine, but there are noticeable grammatical errors. I didn’t mind the grammatical errors and loved the gameplay, but it is something to think about before you make the purchase.
Volcano Princess is $10.99 on Steam, and it is totally worth it for what you are getting.
While we wait for Sunday’s chapter, I’ve decided to revise the Seekers story to fix some of the story’s awkwardness. I will keep the story the same but will try to make it sound nicer. This isn’t my story, so please make sure you check out the original chapter. Let me know if this is something worth continuing. Make sure you start at chapter 1-1
The cloaked Digimon watches as Eiji and Loogamon make their way toward Ninth Avenue.
“I wasn’t told they’d be Mindlinked,” the Digimon says suddenly to nobody.
“I wasn’t told either. I didn’t know they were going to show up with a limit unlock,” replies the interviewer.
“I wonder if that dog…Loogamon noticed. I wonder if it noticed our Mindlink?”
“Who knows?”
“Fang and the Demon Wolf of the Castle of the Nine Wolves…Won’t mapping Ninth Avenue be too easy for them?”
“Normally, yes” the interviewer replies,”but I’ve made a few…adjustments.”
Once on the ground, Loogamon begins weaving through the streets. Eiji follows closely. A tunnel takes the pair underground until they are standing at the edge of a platform. The platform is eerily empty. Eiji looks over and sees train tracks that seem to disappear into tunnels neatly dug on either side. Eiji watches as the stones that surround the tracks start to vibrate and jump to the rhythmic echoes of an approaching train. Out of the shadows, a familiar sight surprises Eiji. The train screeches to a stop and its doors open. The Wall Slum train.
Character design/illustration illustrator: malo
Eiji watches as the world blurs past his window. He clutches unto a strap nervously.
“So this is the Slum Circle subway…” he finally says, breaking his silence.
The interior of the train looks like those he rode in Tokyo, but the riders here were Digimon. The train is also a Digimon. There were signs and electronic displays, but the information is written in the language Eiji had never seen before.
“Is this the Digimon lanugage? What does it say?” Eiji asks, pointing at one of the signs.
“It’s against the rules to cause trouble on this subway,” Loogamon answers standoffishly.
“So…no fighting?”
“This is a public place. Just mind your manners,” Loogamon says as it curls up, taking three seats.
The train passes through a station every couple of minutes. Eiji is fidgety and restless. He doesn’t know where they are going, nor can he read the signs for clues. He finally turns to Loogamon and says, “I’ve been thinking about this Mindlink stuff. Is that how ChuuChuumon and Damemon work?”
“Don’t compare me to that….thing” Loogamon snaps, clearly offended. “It’s nothing like that. Think about what’s happening with your body right now.”
“My body?” Eiji thinks about it for a moment. Only his mind was linked to Loogamon’s Digicore. Eiji’s body leans against the wall of his loft, unconscious.
“Your body is asleep back home. It won’t wake up unless you break the Mindlink. ChuuChuumon and Damemon are both here…Do you understand Eiji?”
“yeah…sure…By the way..”
Loogamon lets out a sigh. “What?!”
“Do you mind if I pet you now?” Eiji is already reaching for Loogamon. Loogamon lies comfortably on the seats, looking like a puppy.
The wolf tenses up and flashes its teeth. “No!” it growls.
Eiji quits his attempt. “The dog I used to have didn’t let me pet it either.”
“I’m not a dog!” Loogamon replies, growing more annoyed. “I’ve had enough of your dog stories…”
A few passengers get off at the next station. Those who board the train are surprised to see a human sitting amongst the remaining Digimon.
“Hey Loogamon…the Digimon are staring…”
“There aren’t many humans walking around the Wall Slums”
“Right,” Eiji replies as he examines the rest of the train. The train is crowded with strange-looking Digimon. “These Digimon look injured like their data has been corrupted or something.”
“Most of the Digimon the live in the Wall Slums have been used by humans for whatever humans do with Digimon,” Loogamon explains bitterly.
“Used by humans?” Eiji responds as he looks at the Digimon more closely. They looked abused, damaged, sickly, and incomplete.
“These Digimon were discarded after they were no longer useful.”
“Discarded…Digimon…” Eiji repeats slowly. Digimon are used as tools by humans. All the top tech companies, military groups, and government agencies use Digimon for security. For code crackers and hackers, Digimon are the tools of the trade. Like most tools, Digimon wear out and break eventually. Eiji knew this truth well, but seeing the faces of the discarded Digimon made it heartbreaking.
“Digimon that die become Digitama,” Loogamon continues his explanation. “Those who survive end up here where they have built cities and villages on the outer wall. The abandoned Digimon thrive here, in the slums they’ve created.”
It was an admirable type of resilience.
“This slum has become a paradise for the abandoned. An escape from the cruelty of humanity or the troubles of the Digital World beyond the wall. There are even Digimon who are born and raised on these streets..” Loogamon’s explanation is cut off by the train’s loud screeching.
The subway breaches the surface. Its metal wheels splash through puddles of contaminated brackish water. The air fills with toxic putrid fumes. Mounds of trash and junk data make large messy mounds on either side of the trains. Chuumon, mutant Daimon, and other strange Digimon watch the train pass. Eiji watches as a couple of Chuumon fight over food.
“Do the Digimon here not get along?”
“The Digimon that live in the slums are poor. They don’t have enough food and have to fight to survive. This is a city riddled with conflict. If Digimon aren’t fighting each other for food, they are fighting each other for territory. The only place there is no fighting is on the train and in the center of town.”
Eiji looks out the window and searches for the center, but his view is obscured by a river that flows upwards. “What’s so special about that place?”
“That’s the gateway to the inside,” Loogamon replies, referring to a Digital World untouched by humans.
The train crosses a polluted river before returning underground. The train grows dark. Eiji watches as sparks jump against the walls before the lights turn back on. Eiji stays silent for a moment as he processes the information. “Does the gate also keep out humans?” he finally asks.
“Not just humans, Digimon too.”
“All of the Digimon here?” Eiji is saddened by the realization that none of the Digimon here could return to the Digital World.
“Digimon in the Wall Slum have been contaminated by real world data. Once a Digimon is contaminated, it can’t return to the Digital World. The gate won’t let them.”
“And who decided that?”
“It’s always been like that. The Digital World’s systems were programed long before the first Digimon drew breath. For a Digimon in the Wall Slum, bellow the wall is their long lost home.”
Eiji watches the darkness outside the window. “Hey Loogamon? Do you know what’s on the other side of the wall?”
“We’re getting off here” Loogamon gets off its seat and walks towards the exit. The train continues to move. Eiji begins to form another question but is interrupted by the intercom. “Next stop, Ninth Avenue.”
Eiji gets up and starts to follow Loogamon. He would ask another day. First, he needed to pass his test.
“What kind of place is Ninth Avenue?”
“I’ll know when I get there.”
“You seem to know a lot about this place, have you been here before?” Loogamon had spent most of his life in the Digimon Linker, and Eiji had never thought about asking it anything personal. He didn’t know Digimon had pasts.
“I don’t remember…”
“What do you mean?”
“My memory is hazy. It comes back in fragments. I remember being a kid growing up in the slums, but I don’t remember much after that….”
“Maybe you have amnesia? Maybe we have to jog your memory.” Eiji suggests. “That Chuumon seems to remember you, maybe we can ask it”
Loogamon continues to walk in front of Eiji in silence. “When I try to remember,” Loogamon says suddenly “It comes back foggy. I can’t really make sense of much of it. But since I’ve come to the Wall Slums with you, I think I am beginning to remember. I get the sense that there is something Ninth Avenue that I need to see. Something that’s important to me.”
While we wait for Sunday’s chapter, I’ve decided to revise the Seekers story to fix some of the story’s awkwardness. I will keep the story the same but will try to make it sound nicer. This isn’t my story, so please make sure you check out the original chapter. Let me know if this is something worth continuing. Make sure you start at chapter 1-1
Eiji looks over the ledge and is left breathless by the exotic skyline. The sky fills with a collection of vibrant neon colors as networks and data swim across it, creating brilliant dancing auroras. Large dirty buildings are densely jammed against this small patch of land, surrounded on all sides by an arid emptiness. Some buildings stand tall and greet the world with cracked, dirty, or broken windows, while others have already begun to crumble under the weight of neglect. This might have been a bustling metropolis at some point, but now it sits here as a seemingly abandoned slum.
It takes a moment for the initial shock to fade and for Eiji to regain his composure. “So this is the Digital World,” he remarks, not hiding his amazement. “It’s like something out of Cyberpunk!”
“What does that mean?” Loogamon poses, not understanding the reference.
“I thought the Digital World would be more wild, but this…” Eiji trails off, remembering the images of the Digital World he saw back at the DDL. He remembered forests, mountains, and deserts, but he never imagined there’d be cities with modern buildings.
“It’s called the Wall Slum” Loogamon interrupts, sounding a tinge offended. “It is a city of security walls that protects the Digital World from the flow of junk data. Just outside those walls is where all the junk data collects,” it says as it turns their attention to the northern walls. “If you look carefully, this city sits on a rounded surface.”
Eiji examines the skyline carefully and sees how the horizon separates the sea of networks in the sky from the shelled city below in a clear dividing line.
“Ah….”Eiji explains ” I see it now. It’s like a city built on the inside of an eggshell.”
“if you try to go from the human world to the Digital World, you will be blocked by the security wall”
“Wait…Then how can code crackers control Digimon from the real world? I thought we were connecting to digital world?”
Loogamon chuckles, “It was just the Wall Slum. Those Digimon code crackers grab are just those you see running around the Wall Slum. Most code crackers don’t Mindlink, so they’ll never know the difference.”
Eiji is left speechless by the explanation. Eji thinks about the time his Tyrannomon hunted down the Modoki Betamon. Were they just running around this place? “Has anyone gone beyond the security wall? Has anyone seen the Digital World?”
“No human has ever set foot in the Digital World, at least not beyond the Wall Slums”
Character design/illustration illustrator: malo
“Beyond the wall is the “deep” Digital World,” Loogamon continues his explanation.
Everything Eiji thought he knew about the Digital World crumbles as he borrows Loogamon’s vision to see the bottom of the network. Eiji finally understood why the Digital World wasn’t mankind’s secret. Digimon are alive, and Eiji was standing at the tip of their world. Eiji continues to admire the alien landscape.
“Well…” Loogamon says as it begins filling the heads-up display with tabs of information. The virtual monitor appears in front of Eiji’s conscious mind. It looks like something out of Gundam or Iron Man. “Do you remember why we came here Eiji?”
Eiji is stunned by the sudden jolt to reality.
“Right, I forgot you’re a pathetic code cracker,” Loogamon snips as it pulls up a window with the words “Operation Wolf” scrawled across it.
“Right,” Eiji replies, remembering the Sons of Chaos Job. He begins reading over the details.
According to this, I’m supposed to be briefed by a local member of the Sons of Chaos somewhere around here.
Character design/illustration illustrator: malo
Eiji rushes to the designated location. He arrives at what seems to be a deserted rooftop. A cloaked Digimon stares down at the pair from the top of the building’s antenna. The Digimon is roughly the same size as Loogamon, but its identity is hidden by the tattered cloak. Eiji tries to search for the Digimon’s data, but the search yields nothing.
“You’re late…” An annoyed voice comes from the cloaked figure. “Tartaros likes our people to be punctual.”
“We had some trouble. Maybe we can get a pass this time?” Loogamon replies.
“Hey Loogamon?” Eiji interjects.
“What? Oh?!!” Loogamon turns to find Eiji suddenly standing next to it.
Eiji, wearing his usual street clothes, looks down at his palms as he tries to move his arms and legs. “Well look at that!”
“Where did you come from?” Loogamon asks in its confusion.
“I don’t know,” Eiji begins “A lot of the functions in Mindlink work by thinking about them. The Digimon Linker has a hololize function. I thought maybe it would work the same in the Digital World, so I gave it a try and it worked!”
Loogamon is silent for a moment. “I can’t tell if that was impressive or just lucky,” it snarks.
Eiji chuckles as he extends his hands to pet Loogamon’s forehead. The metal brace feels cool to his touch, and the blue fur feels soft.
The wolf tenses as it growls in response.
“Did you just growl at me?”
“Don’t touch my forehead!” Loogamon snaps, bearing its fangs at Eiji.
Eiji quickly retracts his hand. “Sorry, I didn’t know I could touch you.”
In the real world, hololized Digimon were just a projection of data. You can’t actually touch them. But here….
“In case you’re wondering,” Loogamon interrupts “You can’t exist too far from me, so stay close!”
Eiji nods as he turns his attention back to the cloaked Digimon again.
“The name is Fang”
“…I thought it was Eiji?” the Digimon rebukes impatiently.
“No need to focus on the details. So what’s the job? The interviewer said I was supposed to ask you for details.”
“I’m sure the interviewer also told you this would be a test. You’ve already been deducted two points for being late.” A screen suddenly appears above the cloaked Digimon’s head, displaying a rough map of the Wall Slum. The city is shaped like a large circle, divided into districts. At the center is a volcanic crater. Sixth Avenue, Eiji remembers ChuuChuumon mentioned it earlier.
“I need you to survey and map the area painted in this color. As you know, the Wall Slum is undergoing a lot of redevelopment.”
With the constant flow of data from the real world that moves through the city, nothing ever stays the same.
“So you want me to make a map? Simple enough.”
“The Wall Slum is very important to the Sons of Chaos. We like to keep our map data up to date.” The Digimon tosses Eiji a memory card.
Eiji accepts it as a mapping tool that appears on his virtual monitor.
“All you have to do is walk around the area while running the tool and it will do the mapping for you. We want you to investigate Ninth Avenue…”
Loogamon turns before the Digimon finishes its sentence and laughs. “Perfect!”
Eiji hurries after Loogamon. “…What do you mean?”
“I’ve got some business to attend to.” Loogamon smiles, bearing its fangs as it continues its stride.
“Do you think we should listen to the rest of the explanation?” Eiji asks, but Loogamon doesn’t answer.
The cloaked Digimon watches the pair hurry off toward Ninth Avenue.
“I wish you well Eiji. I hope for Tartarus’ sake, you pass.”
If you have been enjoying my content and want to support what I do, please consider buying me a coffee
I was sent Super Dungeon Maker as a review code. I am very grateful for the opportunity, but I will keep my review honest.
If you like old-school RPGs or have always dreamed of making your own, you need to go buy Super Dungeon Maker. This game has fun gameplay, an expansive dungeon editor, and the cutest art. If you have kids, this is a great game to add to their collection. The game does a fantastic job of giving players a basic understanding of RPGs so they can make their own later. The dungeon editor gives kids an outlet to be creative, and the consistent stream of content gives them hours of gameplay. Adults will have the opportunity to be creative and enjoy the return to a nostalgic era of gaming and the possible satisfaction of clearing some of the more impossible levels.
I am not creative, so I didn’t spend much time in the dungeon editor. From what little I did mess around in it, it seemed pretty expansive. I felt overwhelmed by the choices, but mostly because my brain couldn’t turn the different parts into a cohesive map. That said, I was impressed by the diverse selection of levels available this early into the game’s life.
As a player, I loved how healthy the community is. There are a lot of games to choose from, but not all of them are great. The thing about these types of games is that the fun is community driven. You need players to motivate creators, and you need creators for content. You are going into this game knowing you have to sift through the expansive library to find your fun. You don’t have to finish the maps you don’t like, but I can see people being turned off by the rough nature of the level design.
That said, Super Dungeon Maker is a fantastic game if you are looking for a classic RPG without much commitment. You don’t have to worry about extensive lore or investing in an expansive story. Everything is self-contained, cute, and fun. Now is a great time to get into Super Dungeon Maker because there is a healthy community driving and consuming its content.
Super Dungeon Maker is available on Steam and the Nintendo Switch for $19.99. I played the Steam version and loved it, and considering getting it on the Switch. Playing some of the maps, especially the Zelda-inspired ones on the go would be perfect. As it happens, Nintendo has it on sale for $15.99 until May 25th. Regardless of which version you choose to play, I guarantee it will be lots of fun.
While we wait for Sunday’s chapter, I’ve decided to revise the Seekers story to fix some of the story’s awkwardness. I will keep the story the same but will try to make it sound nicer. This isn’t my story, so please make sure you check out the original chapter. Let me know if this is something worth continuing. Make sure you start at chapter 1-1
“Loogamon?” Eiji repeats as he begins to piece the mystery together. “You’re the voice aren’t you?” There is no response. “Can you explain what’s going on?”
This time the gruff voice replies, “Explain what exactly?”
“For starters, what is this place? Why can the Digimon talk? How did I get here?” Eiji is bursting with questions.
Loogamon scoffs. “Didn’t you listen to Ryusenji?”
“Ryusenji? The professor?” Eiji is surprised by how informally Loogamon referred to the professor.
“Yes the professor,” Loogamon replies with a hint of judgment. “Didn’t you listen to his Mindlink explanation?”
Eiji remembers the professor talking about jailbreaking the Digimon Linker. In order to infiltrate the Sons of Chaos, some of the watch’s functions needed to be deactivated. Ryusenji worked on a hack that not only made the Digimon Linker more inconspicuous, it also boosted the user’s hacking affinity.
“Do you mean the function that turns me into an elite hacker?”
“Ugh…” Loogamon can’t hide its disappointment.
“I didn’t really understand his explanation…” Eiji was becoming uncomfortable with Loogamon. He isn’t making a good impression on Loogamon. Loogamon starts moving without responding. “Careful! There’s broken glass everywhere..” Eiji notices the reflection of one of the pieces of glass. It’s Loogamon.
Wait…Eiji thinks as he stares at the wolf’s reflection. Am I not here? Am I seeing through Loogamon’s eyes?
Character design/illustration illustrator: malo
Suddenly, a pink rat rushes up to Logamon and bows. then with its
“Master!” It squeaks in a respectful tone. There is a slight trembling fear in its voice. “You’ve returned at last! All hail the Demon Wolf of the Castle of Nine! I…a lowly Chuumon, am at your service.”
Eiji watches the groveling pink Digimon and recognizes it as the Chuumon they rescued.
Eiji doesn’t have an answer.
“Where did you go? Rumor has it you were turned into a Digitama and captured by a human…”
“Who do you think you’re talking to?” Loogamon growls.
“Squeak! So..Sorry!” The Chuumon bows, desperate to apologize.
“Do you believe me so weak to be caught so easily?!”
A bead of sweat starts to make its way down Chuumon’s trembling face. “P-p-p-please, forgive me, master.”
Loogamon takes a deep breath and raises its head, absorbing its surroundings. “I remember now,” it finally remarks, “The Dust Kingdom. You Chuumon served Sukamon, ruler of the Fifth Avenue Trash Heap.”
“Yes! That’s it!! You remember!”
Loogamon looks over the nervous-looking Chuumon who is on the verge of tears. “You serve me now and in return, I’ll look out for you.”
Chuumon is overjoyed by the news. “Thank you! Thank You! Thank you! You won’t regret it!”
“The Demon Wolf…Huh? It’s got a familiar ring to it,” Loogamon whispers.
“So Chuumon”
“Yes?”
“Everyone thinks I was captured by a human?”
“It’s only a rumor. You’ve been gone for so long. A lot has changed in your absence. Ninth Avenue is a shadow of what it used to be. It’s mostly deserted now.”
Loogamon looks over the dirty cracking concrete walls. Things have changed. It turns its attention to an eagerly waiting Chuumon.
“Here,” Loogamon says as it tosses Chuumon some meat. “Take it.”
Chuumon stares at the piece of meat. It doesn’t know how to react. “Is this…is this real-world meat?” Chuumon gives it a deep sniff “Of course it is, a Digimon of your stature would only eat the best!” Chuumon bows its head respectfully. “Thank you, master. Until next time!” Chuumon gathers the meat and cheese and quickly scurries away.
“Are..are you done talking?” Eiji asks timidly.
Loogamon sighs, “You wanted an explanation?”
“Yes, please!”
Loogamon thinks for a moment. “What is it you humans say, seeing is believing?” Before Eiji can answer, Loogamon leaps out a broken window. Eiji finds himself in free fall as he watches concrete towers shoot up past him. Loogamon lands the four-story drop without issue. The pair find themselves in a valley of skyscrapers.
Loogamon begins its trot. Its claws dig into the dark asphalt. Eiji studies the deserted city as it blurs past the racing Loogamon. Suddenly, Loogamon begins his stride up one of the buildings.
Eiji feels the wind blow over him as Loogamon runs. He feels every step Loogamon takes. His senses are overloaded with new sensations. Sounds came more clearly, colors were more vivid, and smells were more pungent. It was like he and Loogamon shared senses.
So this is Professor Ryusenji’s work? This is D4’s most confidential technology. Eiji remembers the professor’s explanation.
The Digital world isn’t like ours. People can’t see it normally without special tools, and even then, it is never the full picture.
But what if there was a tool that would give us the ability to experience the Digital World with all five senses? What if there was a tool that would let us explore it? Experience it like we experience this world?
After years of research, I finally found a solution. We can take a person’s mental data and convert it to Digicore, sort of like data. We then take this Digicore and inject it into a living Digimon where both consciousnesses can exist simultaneously. This is the essence of Mindlink.
It all makes sense now.
Loogamon continues to run as Eiji takes in the beauty of this new world. This isn’t a pixelated image on a cheap LCD screen or a video on a virtual screen. This is real and vibrant. This is the Digital World.
“I can’t believe I’m a Digimon,” Eiji exclaims in excitement.
“This is your first Mindlink. You’ll get used to it soon enough.”
“How is it I can talk to you?”
“What do you mean? We Digimon have always been able to talk. You’re just getting to know is better”
Digimon are alive! Eiji repeats to himself. Loogamon, Tyrannomon, and all the rest…They’re alive!
While we wait for Sunday’s chapter, I’ve decided to revise the Seekers story to fix some of the story’s awkwardness. I will keep the story the same but will try to make it sound nicer. This isn’t my story, so please make sure you check out the original chapter. Let me know if this is something worth continuing. Make sure you start at chapter 1-1
Eiji loses his senses as the room melts away into darkness. He no longer has control of his limbs as the darkness consumes him. Eiji loses consciousness and wakes up in a world full of bright colors. The colors spin around him as he falls quickly into the unknown.
Suddenly, a memory from his childhood flashes before him.
Its summer. The day he and his family spent by the river. He remembers how refreshing the water felt on a hot day, the sound of the river crashing over the rocks, and the games he and his friends played.
“Eiji!” his friend Leon calls to him as he gets out of the water. Eiji turns his attention to Leon, but he’d unknowingly walked in too deep. His foot slips him into the deep part of the river. His feet search but find no ground. He tries to swim, but the force of the river is too strong. He can’t find the surface. The river bubbles around him as his limbs desperately search for air.
Eiji isn’t in the river, but his senses are overwhelmed by the familiar sensation. He tries to calm himself. The bubbles start to settle and quiet. A new world begins to unfold before Eiji. Eiji finds himself overwhelmed by the sudden rush of stimulation.
A bright light. It blinds him, but he can’t close his eyes.
What’s going on here?
Disoriented. Confused. Anxious.
Eiji tries to piece it together but can’t understand what he sees. His eyes continue to adjust, but he can’t seem to focus. Everything is a blur of color and light, zooming and changing as he attempts to make sense of it. His ears fill with a strange static buzzing in his ear, and the air fills with a putrid animal smell.
Is this a bad dream?
But it’s not a bad dream…
Over the static, Eiji can hear a voice speaking clearly to him.
Who…Who is it?
CRASH!
The sound of something being kicked over. Eiji hears someone running towards him.
Eiji’s eyes begin to adjust. He sees a small pink rat Digimon quickly scarring towards him. It clutches a piece of data in its hands as if it were cheese.
“Chuumon, child, beast, virus type,” his heads-up display reads.
Where am I?
Eiji’s eyes continue adjusting. He can see more clearly. He finds himself in an empty dirty room made of concrete.
Suddenly, another Digimon appears. Another rat, but this one is made of cloth like a puppet.
ChuuChuumon, puppet, child, virus type.
It rides on the back of metallic poo-shaped Digimon. It carries a tonfa and chases after the pink rat.
Damemon, mutation, adult, virus type.
Eiji is confused by the scene unfolding before him. He is overwhelmed by the excitement of seeing real Digimon but takes the moment to compose himself. This isn’t a theme park he reminds himself.
“How brave of you to try to steal from my family,” Says Damemon in its metallic voice.
“Squeak! Don’t let him do this ChuuChuumon! I beg you! For the love of all rats!” Chumon pleads.
Chuumon stole Chuuchuumon’s food and is trying to escape.
“Not good, not good” Chuumon mutters to itself.
Damemon readies the tonfa for an attack.
“Is that a dog?” ChuuChuumon says suddenly, looking towards Eiji.
Huh, a dog? The Digimon is talking?
Damemon stops its attack. ChuuChuumon continues “I haven’t seen you around here before. The Wall Slum’s Sixth Street is our turf. You better turn tail and run if you know what’s good for you!”
“A rat picking a fight with a wolf? Don’t make me laugh?”
The strange familiar growls in his ear. Out in front! Eiji isn’t in control.
“This is my turf now”
“Do your worst!” ChuuChuumon yells, accepting the challenge. “Damemon! Gun Vulcan!”
Bam-Bam-Bam-Bam!
Character design/illustration illustrator: malo
The Vulcan gun embedded in the tonfa erupts with fire. Bullets explode into the walls and floor. Chuumon zigzags, desperate to escape.
Whaaa?
Eiji is overwhelmed with nausea. A putrid smell fills his nostrils. The bullets Damemon fires aren’t particularly strong, but they release a foul odor, almost like a poisonous gas.
“Hahahaha! That attack must be torture for a dog. Digimon battles are all about exploiting weaknesses!” ChuuChuumon taunts.
“Not good, not good!” Eiji lets out.
“Shall we get rid of this stray Damemon? Finish it off with Boo-st Atta…”
But before ChuuChuumon could finish his sentence, strange energy begins to swirl around Eiji.
What is this feeling?
-Howling Fire!
A fireball erupts from Eiji’s snout and flies toward the enemy ChuuChuumon. Before Damemon has a chance to react, the flame engulfs the pair. The flame eats away at the room around them.
“HOT! HOT! HOT!”
The force of the impact knocks Damemon off balance.
“Just one shot?! But how?” Chuuchumon rolls out of the Damemon’s cockpit and onto the floor. The flames continue to smolder. ChuuChuumon begins to short-circuit. It stares up as the wolf looms over it. It begins to tremble “Lo…Loogamon?”
Loogamon? Eiji asks himself as he looks down at the cowering ChuuChuumon.
“So you’ve returned to the Wall Slums?”
ChuuChuumon’s tone suddenly becomes more respectful.
Eiji is at a loss.
“You’re looking good..”
Loogamon turns away for a moment. ChuuChuumon attempts to make its escape.
Eiji regains his composure. “Loogamon? Can you hear me? Loogamon!”
