AMA IaMA Gorse: Ask me Anything! (AMA)

[Gorse]

Whats a unique game mechanic you instatly fell in love with?

The immediate thing that came to mind for me is the trapping mechanic in Tecmo's Deception series. In both the slower-paced first game and the more arcade-y sequels, the sense of anticipation and build-up you get as you chart out a course, then watch invaders slooooowly work their way through it, the tension building as they ignorantly approach a trap... then immediately springing it on them and seeing the payoff of your foresight is devilishly delicious. I talked about it in my article a bit more, but the entire Deception series really does make you feel like you're being a sneaky, devious mastermind.

I love games about foresight, planning, and last-minute improvisation. I also love any game that takes an existing formula and flips it on its head, which often means that you're playing as the villain. Not to belabour a point, but Deception is kind of the anti-Undertale – it's about causing as much pain, suffering, and humiliation as possible to people who don't deserve it. WHICH IS FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also, any game that deeply integrates direct player interaction and music is going to get my little winker a-going. In games like, say, Lumines, Patapon, and Parappa the Rapper, I love it when I get so into the song that the rest of the world "melts away" and my mind gets sent to the music dimension, where I'm able to interface directly with the game world and forget about anything else. I have a pretty strong sense of rhythm (at least in video games), so any game that finds a unique way to incorporate music (i.e. not a DDR clone) is going to interest me.

Who’s your favorite Twin Peaks character?

I've never seen the show. :( I'm sure I will at some point before I die, but for now, let's say: NONE OF THEM, THEY'RE ALL FAT AND DUMB!!!!!!!!!

who’s your favorite muppet?

Honestly, from the main cast, I think it's just Kermit. I love his personality, and I think he looks really cute whenever they dress him up in a shirt or a sweater or something. He's extremely funny in those old 1960s-era Muppets commercials, too, which are easily my favourite Muppets-related media (and I like an awful lot of it). I also like Rowlf a lot – there's a certain sense of sadness to his character that I think is really heart-warming.

From Sesame Street, it's Bert & Ernie, easily. (I love the shorts when Ernie is being sold letters by a shady pusher.) From Muppets-inspired spinoff media, it's ALF, J.D. Richfield (from Dinosaurs), and Randy Feltface. I always tend to prefer puppet characters with extremely silly voices and boisterous personalities over the more random or low-key ones, because I think they're simply more entertaining to put into various situations.

 

[ciro64]

Favorite 2D Disney movie? (not gonna ask on the 3D category because we can all agree on Tangled)
Favorite Pixar movie?

 

[JustLooking123]

I have played Undertale without ever hearing about it, and only played it one hour or two, and held it for later because i was in middle of another game...
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Hey wait! this was supposed to be a question! So here you go:
?

 

[DrunkOcelot]

How?

 

[OmegaPunch's iconOmegaPunch]

Is this man in the picture you see in front of you "Ballin"?

 

[Bakuma1997]

If you find two bills in the street, one of 10$ and another of 100$... which one you pick?

 

[Mr. Daddy]

Approximately how many words do you think Peter Griffin has spoken over the course of Family Guy?

 

[Gorse]

Favorite 2D Disney movie?

Honestly? I think it's either The Emperor's New Groove or Hercules. Both of them have great characters, very funny humor, and are just a lot of charming fun in general. I'm probably leaning a liiiiittle more towards Herc because I really like the songs in it, and it has better artwork... OK, my answer to this question is Hercules. But The Emperor's New Groove gave me the single best Disney TV series I've ever seen in my life, and I love the protagonist and antagonists in it to bits. IT'S ALL ABOUT ME

Lion King and Sleeping Beauty are both wonderful films, but they're not quite funny enough for me to rank highly. (Comedy and likability are my #1 most important thing when watching cartoons of any sort.) I also think Princess and the Frog is OK, though it has a lot of character issues and isn't particularly charming beyond a few songs. Also also, Fantastia 2000 is if nothing else, a very interesting and theatrical movie that I think is certainly worth a watch at one time or another. I didn't grow up with anything Disney beyond the Channel, so I'm not really crazy about it as a whole.

not gonna ask on the 3D category because we can all agree on Tangled

Tangled is good, but I prefer Wreck-It Ralph because I like the characters more (Sara Silverman exempted). Frozen and everything they've made after that can pretty much suck my gorilla-gun. I don't really think any of Disney's in-house 3D movies are that great.

Favorite Pixar movie?

Again, I don't really like any of them that much. I grew up in the 2000s when they were fucking omnipresent across all forms of media, and I think that really burnt me out on the company as a whole. I guess I like Monsters Inc the best, simply on the strength of its two leading characters, with WALL•E as a distant second. The rest of 'em can pretty much F off. (Just wait till I get started on Studio Ghibli!)

I have played Undertale without ever hearing about it, and only played it one hour or two, and held it for later because i was in middle of another game...

Well, good, THEN YOU NEVER NEED TO PLAY ANY MORE. Well, you can if you want to. BUT I'LL DISAPPROVE. I actually think the first hour of Undertale, especially on repeat playthroughs, is probably the most excruciating part of the game, and it has a lot of competition.

How?

If you find two bills in the street, one of 10$ and another of 100$... which one you pick?

I take both of them, as there is plenty of room in my pocket and I'm not a fool. I choose to spend the money on obscure, difficult-to-find books on Amazon.

Approximately how many words do you think Peter Griffin has spoken over the course of Family Guy?

Too many, but none have been as important as these:

 

[Bakuma1997]

I take both of them, as there is plenty of room in my pocket and I'm not a fool. I choose to spend the money on obscure, difficult-to-find books on Amazon.

Then why not bo...?

 

[Gorse]

Is this man in the picture you see in front of you "Ballin"?
View attachment 40805

The man in the picture I see in front of me is “Goonin’”. Unfortunately, the picture in front of me is a mirror.

 

[ObscureJigglypuff]

Hi Gorse, are you feelings okay?

 

[Gorse]

Hi Gorse, are you feelings okay?

OH, I AM JUST DANDY!!!!
I'M COCK-A-HOOP!!!
I'M HIC-A-DOO-LAH!!!

I'm doing great, because it's Friday! TGIF, am I right folks? I hope you're doing well too, Jiggs!

 

[Yousef]

Are you a fan of sonic 2 and 3?
This question is not related to a certain dm, or it might be

 

[Bakuma1997]

Is clam juice your weakness?

 

[Samatonic]

Monster Hunter or King of Fighter Fan ? Favorite Weapon Of Choice ? Favorite Monster ?

 

[Gorse]

Are you a fan of sonic 2 and 3?

Sonic 3 (and Knuckles, of course) is an absolutely phenomenal platformer. The game has quality, polish, and fun bursting out of its every seam – the level design is excellent, all the characters move beautifully and play really distinctly, the music is fantastic, the visuals are bright and colourful, the bosses are an utter joy to fight... The list goes on!

I prefer Sonic 1 for my own reasons (which everyone will learn soon in an upcoming Yousef article ), but if I had to recommend a single Sonic the Hedgehog game over any other, S3&K might just be it. Some would say it's the best plaformer Sega ever made, and I'd struggle to disagree. Even without Sonic and Knuckles, I'd still say Sonic 3 is really terrific. It's just an excellent video game.

On the other hand... I don't really like Sonic 2 at all, I'm afraid. It's sort of the antithesis to Sonic 1 – there are too many levels and a lot of 'em suck (whereas I'd say every single zone in both Sonic 1 and 3&K is good), the special stages are really monotonous and frustrating, the bosses are way too simple (even moreso than Sonic 1), and the game is really too long. To illustrate my thoughts: I've only ever beaten Sonic 2 with all emeralds once, and I've beaten Sonic 1, CD, and 3&K with all emeralds/Time Stones more times than I can count.

I don't know if this opinion is popular or not, but I think Sonic 2 is pretty clearly the worst Mega Drive one. They shouldn't have had FILTHY, SMELLY, BIG-NOSED AMERICANS working on the game – it should have all been developed in Japan by Sonic Team, like 1 and CD. It's damning to say, but I think the 8-bit version (especially on Master System) is a lot better – I certainly had more fun with it. This opinion is pretty much an instant ban from any classic Sonic forum.

Is clam juice your weakness?

I've never tried it, but I have the sneaking suspicion that it might be. I don't even believe I've ever eaten a clam in my life, come to think of it! I've never really had the opportunity to try it at a restaurant or anything, and I wouldn't know the first thing about cooking it myself... I would like to try chowder sometime, though.

Here in Canada, we have a lovely drink called Clamato, which is a mixture of clam and tomato juice. YUM YUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Perhaps one day I'll serve it at a fancy party and tell everyone it's strawberry juice, then run away before I get immediately murdered.

Monster Hunter or King of Fighter Fan ? Favorite Weapon Of Choice ? Favorite Monster ?

I've never played a single game from either series, and know nothing about them. (KoF is where Terry Bogard and Mai Shiranui are from, right? I don't even know!) For now, I'll say my favourite Monster Hunter weapon is the oversized sword and my favourite monster is the one that looks like a real animal, but with exaggerated features.

 

[Antilocal123]

Wagwan Gorse! I too relate to you because I'm not exactly well-liked with the higher-ups at times, have you ever had to *y’know* under the desk? /j

 

[Gorse]

I too relate to you because I'm not exactly well-liked with the higher-ups at times

What on Earth are you talking about, you silly gooner? All the mods on RGT look up to me as a sterling, handsome, intellectual member – the kind of poster that everyone else on the forum should aspire to be, and should emulate in both tone and content as closely as possible.

have you ever had to *y’know* under the desk?

UNDER the desk? Do you think I have something to hide? Mate, you'll need a platoon of soldiers just to get me OFF the desk once I'm in the zone.

 

[Yousef]

What on Earth are you talking about, you silly gooner? All the mods on RGT look up to me as a sterling, handsome, intellectual member – the kind of poster that everyone else on the forum should aspire to be, and should emulate in both tone and content as closely as possible.

Nothing but truth here.

 

[Yousef]

Sonic 3 (and Knuckles, of course) is an absolutely phenomenal platformer. The game has quality, polish, and fun bursting out of its every seam – the level design is excellent, all the characters move beautifully and play really distinctly, the music is fantastic, the visuals are bright and colourful, the bosses are an utter joy to fight... The list goes on!

I prefer Sonic 1 for my own reasons (which everyone will learn soon in an upcoming Yousef article ), but if I had to recommend a single Sonic the Hedgehog game over any other, S3&K might just be it. Some would say it's the best plaformer Sega ever made, and I'd struggle to disagree. Even without Sonic and Knuckles, I'd still say Sonic 3 is really terrific. It's just an excellent video game.

On the other hand... I don't really like Sonic 2 at all, I'm afraid. It's sort of the antithesis to Sonic 1 – there are too many levels and a lot of 'em suck (whereas I'd say every single zone in both Sonic 1 and 3&K is good), the special stages are really monotonous and frustrating, the bosses are way too simple (even moreso than Sonic 1), and the game is really too long. To illustrate my thoughts: I've only ever beaten Sonic 2 with all emeralds once, and I've beaten Sonic 1, CD, and 3&K with all emeralds/Time Stones more times than I can count.

I don't know if this opinion is popular or not, but I think Sonic 2 is pretty clearly the worst Mega Drive one. They shouldn't have had FILTHY, SMELLY, BIG-NOSED AMERICANS working on the game – it should have all been developed in Japan by Sonic Team, like 1 and CD. It's damning to say, but I think the 8-bit version (especially on Master System) is a lot better – I certainly had more fun with it. This opinion is pretty much an instant ban from any classic Sonic forum.

Is it fair to assume you like sonic cd then? I love that game.
Do you like Canada Dry?

 

[Gorse]

Is it fair to assume you like sonic cd then?

Yes I do! I don't think it's quite up to the standard of Sonic 1 or 3&K, but it's still a great platformer. I really like how you can "complete" the game however you want to – you can either play it like Sonic 1, collecting all the Time Stones traditionally as you would in a mainline game, or you can completely ignore the special stages entirely and explore the levels, instead. It's also got some really cool, unique level design and great artwork. And awesome enemy and boss designs, too! It's just a really fun, interesting, exciting game to play – easily one of the best games in the series.

Sonic CD's Japanese OST is also my favourite video game soundtrack of all time, and "You Can Do Anything" is my favourite piece of music from a video game. I like the American soundtrack quite a bit, too, but I can't tell you how many times I've listened to every single track in the Japanese one + the remix CD. The opening and ending cinematics are also just wonderful pieces of animation, too – I could prattle on all day about how much I like 'em.

Do you like Canada Dry?

I do indeed! For my money, they make the best tonic water around – a gin & tonic made with anything else doesn't really taste right, to me. I'm not a huge ginger ale guy, but they make my favourite kind of that, as well. I know that Schweppes is kind of meant to be the premiere brand of consumer-grade cocktail mixers, but I think all their stuff is pretty mediocre. Canada Dry is one of the very few remaining brands made in Canada that I like.

 

[Yousef]

Yes I do! I don't think it's quite up to the standard of Sonic 1 or 3&K, but it's still a great platformer. I really like how you can "complete" the game however you want to – you can either play it like Sonic 1, collecting all the Time Stones traditionally as you would in a mainline game, or you can completely ignore the special stages entirely and explore the levels, instead. It's also got some really cool, unique level design and great artwork. And awesome enemy and boss designs, too! It's just a really fun, interesting, exciting game to play – easily one of the best games in the series.

Sonic CD's Japanese OST is also my favourite video game soundtrack of all time, and "You Can Do Anything" is my favourite piece from a video game. I like the American soundtrack quite a bit, too, but I can't tell you how many times I've listened to every single track in the Japanese one + the remix CD. The opening and ending cinematics are also just wonderful pieces of animation, too – I could prattle on all day about how much I like 'em.


I do indeed! For my money, they make the best tonic water around – a gin & tonic made with anything else doesn't really taste right, to me. I'm not a huge ginger ale guy, but they make my favourite kind of that, as well. I know that Schweppes is kind of meant to be the premiere brand of consumer-grade cocktail mixers, but I think all their stuff is pretty mediocre. Canada Dry is one of the very few remaining brands made in Canada that I like.

I’m glad. Canada Dry is one of the few Canadian drinks I tried and was really happy with it.
Any other drinks you’d recommend? You’d be surprised how easy it is to find stuff from Canada, so don’t feel discouraged.

 

[Gorse]

Any other drinks you’d recommend?

I was just about to say "No", but actually, you really should try Brisk-branded soft drinks if you've never had them before. They're a very fundamental, nostalgic brand here in Leaftopia, and I've always considered them quite high-quality. They make bottled iced tea and lemonade (both regular and with raspberry), the latter of which was a core drink for ol' Gorse during his teen years.

A cold bottle of Brisk lemonade and two slices of pizza from my local, shared over a rousing discussion of which chick from Highschool DxD and/or Highschool of the Dead was the hottest with my friends, was pure heaven at age 13. I miss those days.

 

[Yousef]

I was just about to say "No", but actually, you really should try Brisk-branded soft drinks if you've never had them before. They're a very fundamental, nostalgic brand here in Leaftopia, and I've always considered them quite high-quality. They make bottled iced tea and lemonade (both regular and with raspberry), the latter of which was a core drink for ol' Gorse during his teen years.

Ok. Thanks for not recommending something with a “bubblegum” flavor. Those… tend to suck.

A cold bottle of Brisk lemonade and two slices of pizza from my local, shared over a rousing discussion of which chick from Highschool DxD and/or Highschool of the Dead was the hottest with my friends, was pure heaven. I miss those days.

That era is sadly dead my friend. I tried to relive the days by rewatching girls bravo, ikki or rosario no vampire…. But it left my heart empty knowing we’re never getting those shows again.
I’m not antagonistic towards shows like JJK, Dandadan or Attack on Titan, i just the alternative we have now (SoL romcoms) really suck now. Those USED to be great but they’re quite copypasty now.

 

[Yousef]

And don’t even get me started on isekais…. Rezero is one of the worst shows ever made. Konosuba isn’t great either. Have you gave either a try? Overlord also sucks.