An Open Letter To Pokemon

Dear Pokemon,

Today is your 26th birthday. You may have been around longer than me, but that has also meant you have been able to be one of the only constants in my life. Ever since I can remember, I was a gamer, but what is the one franchise that has always been there for me? You, Pokemon.

When I was a little boy, I was fortunate enough to grow up with a Gameboy Color and a Nintendo 64. I didn't have a huge variety of games, but that didn't matter. On the Gameboy, my main game was Pokemon Gold, one of my all time favourite games. I played that game for hours on end, and I could feel a flame ignite inside me. I was obsessed from the very beginning. On the N64 I had Pokemon Stadium 1 + 2 and Pokemon Snap, which are by far some of the most nostalgic games to me, and also favourites for sure! This was all while watching the anime, of course.

School was not an easy time for me, while I had minimal (yet the most amazing) friends, I still had Pokemon. I eventually moved onto the Gameboy Advance, and Pokemon Ruby was my game of choice. This is probably the game I have put the most hours into out of every game. Even while I was being bullied for being different to the rest of the kids, I could still always play Pokemon to lift my spirits. It was always there.

High school was a time where that I struggled in many ways during. Even though I had friends, amazing ones at that, I still felt my mental health going downhill so many times. I felt like I was alone at times. I felt like the weight of the world was on my shoulders. But again, I was able to take solace in Pokemon to be a safety net for me. I was able to play Pokemon X and Y and just escape reality, even if just for a moment. Pokemon has truly been there for me in moments when it felt like people hadn't been.

Even though my experience with Pokemon may seem morbid, there has been more happy moments than sad. I am lucky enough to have the most amazing best friend in the world. We have known each other since we were 5, and one of our biggest connections is our love for Pokemon. We have played games from the series for as long as I remember, whether it's Pokemon Stadium mini games, getting a little competitive and battling each other in so many games, or even teaming up and conquering the field in Pokemon Unite. This just proves that Pokemon is that amazing that is can bring us together, and I'm insanely grateful for that.

Although some people do nothing but complain about the newer games we are getting from Pokemon, I adore them all. Whether it's Let's Go, Pokemon Quest, Pokken Tournament, Sword and Shield, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, Legends Arceus or Pokemon Unite, I adore them all. Pokemon will forever be one of my favourite series of all time, and I'm so excited to see what is coming in the future.

So, Pokemon, on your birthday, I just want to say thank you for existing. Thank you for literally helping me through my darkest times. And most importantly, thank you for bringing me and my best friend together so many times. I am so excited to see what the future brings, and I can't wait for another 26 years of amazing games and content!

Love, Galaxy Gaymer

PC vs Console: The Real Gaming War

Hey everyone! It's your lad, Galaxy Gaymer!

You know, in modern gaming, there's a 'war' that people talk about so much that it's almost impossible not to hear about it. 'The console wars'. There's this peculiar belief within the world of gaming that there absolutely HAS to be a superior console, there is absolutely NO chance of just letting people have their opinion on the matter, and it shapes the way people perceive you. That argument has been shown in so many places like YouTube videos, every social network, and even the Neptunia series is based around different consoles. You know what argument we don't address and criticise enough however? The battle between console and PC players.

There is this strange habit that so many have gotten into where they will blame people being on console for them losing a game. "Oh, this person was on console so they were toxic." "Oh, this person is on console, so that's why we lost!" It tends to be a lot of excuses and belittlement, and it personally has never made any sense to me. Heck, a lot of PC gamers won't even criticise people using a controller from a console instead of a mouse and keyboard, because "at least they're not a console player!" I have a lot of thoughts about this.

For starters, I think the whole thing is really dumb and ignorant. I'm a proud console player, and I like to flaunt that in a non arrogant way, but sometimes just playing on console alone is enough to fan the flames of this conflict! It feels as though, as a console player, I am almost not welcome sometimes to play certain games, or squad up with certain people, and why? Because I can only afford a console worth hundreds of dollars, instead of a PC that can cost thousands of dollars. It can be end up feeling like such a patriarchy, and just completely take the enjoyment out of gaming, my favourite thing in the world to do! 

When people blame their loss on someone, or call someone toxic, just because of the platform they are playing on, it can actually be one of the saddest moments when you are enjoying a game. Suddenly you can feel no longer welcome, and as if you are lesser to the people saying it. Look, maybe sometimes having a controller, or playing on console can be more or less of a challenge, but it's not a console players fault that maybe you're just not very good at the game.

All in all, I really believe this stigma towards console players needs to stop as soon as possible. I'm not even being soft by this point, it just frustrates me that there's so much gatekeeping in gaming by some very clearly narcissistic people. And yes, I know there are some amazing PC players who don't mind playing with console players and are just there to game regardless, and for that, I commend you. You're almost a minority in the gaming community! So, next time you want to insult someone, or blame your failure on someone being a console gamer, maybe check yourself first. :)

What is your opinion on this whole silly feud? Comment down below!

Have a nice day!

Love, Galaxy Gaymer

Why I Believe Amouranth Is Amazing

Hey guys! It's your lad, Galaxy Gaymer!

Twitch is in a really interesting place at the moment. There are a lot of changes to what is the most popular, so it can be really hard to stay on top of all the new trends. I feel like this isn't necessarily a bad thing though, the amazing thing about Twitch is the huge variety of content you can watch. Not everyone agrees with this however, a lot of people are very fast to jump on the hate wagon and essentially attack or 'meme' these people out of pure hate, or maybe even jealousy in some cases.

One of maybe the most hated content creators on Twitch is Amouranth. Whether it's because of her pushing the Twitch T.O.S boundaries, or just out of pure jealousy, people love to hate her. But, I honestly think she is one of the most amazing and unique streamers on Twitch, and this is why. Warning. This post is 100% my opinion and it's totally fine for you to disagree, but please respect my opinion.

Most people see Amouranth as controversial and have nothing but bad things to say about her, but I think she's absolutely incredible. Not only is she unapologetically herself, but she is also probably the most dedicated streamer I watch. She streams for so long that I can literally go to bed when she's streaming, and wake up to her still streaming. It's a great feeling when you can watch your favourite streamer at any time. Even if she really pushes the boundaries and people don't love that, she really does work harder than she is given credit for! And her having the ultimate goal of opening an animal sanctuary is not talked about anywhere near enough. I feel like that's an important thing to consider when talking about her.

Another really amazing thing about Amouranth, and even the hot tub streaming community in general is the lack of internal drama. There is so much drama in other communities on Twitch, but I have never seen arguing or drama of any kind between Amouranth or any other hot tub/ ear licking ASMR streamers. I think that's hugely admirable and really impressive because I haven't seen that in any other communities really.

All in all I really admire Amouranth, and I find her to be a really relaxing and genuine content creator to watch. I admire her work ethic so much and I just think she gets far too much hate for just living her life and being her genuine self. At the end of the day she is honestly a really entertaining streamer, and I don't think people should be so quick to judge just because they don't like the idea of her.

What is your opinion on Amouranth? Comment down below!

Have a nice day! 

Love, Galaxy Gaymer

'Lake', Mail Delivery Made Beautiful

Hey everyone! It's your lad, Galaxy Gaymer!

When it comes to indie games, they tend to have a one-of-a-kind charm that I feel can't be showcased in games by huge studios. The stories can often be a lot deeper, and you can often feel how much love is put into the games. I feel like this is why we are so easily drawn to them.

Lake is beautiful indie adventure game set in 1986 that follows the story of Meredith who returns from the big city to her small hometown of Providence Oaks, Oregon to fill in as the local mail carrier for two weeks. During this two weeks, Meredith must complete mail deliveries daily, all whilst building relationships with the locals of the town. The way you talk to each person will help decide who you befriend, who you will basically hate, and who you could become more than friends with.

I really love the simplistic beauty of Lake. It really showcases the beauty that seems to only come from art styles from indie developers. Lake is a very good example of an amazing game that isn't overly complicated. This is also complimented by the soundtrack that just feels so fitting for the game. I also really love that there is a streamer mode that allows you to cut out the music that could give you a copyright strike while creating content for it. It's a really nice and considerate touch that all games should have honestly.

I highly recommend this game for any indie lovers who are looking for a game with solid storytelling and really incredible characters. I feel like the more days you play in game, the more the characters develop, along with you relationship with them. This is a huge highlight of the game that I absolutely fell in love with upon playing it. There are a few small glitches in the game too, but honestly, some of them make the game even better as weird as it sounds. I will definitely be playing this game again very soon.

What is your favourite part of indie games? Comment down below! Also, a huge thank you to the incredible Whitethorn Digital for a copy of this game! I love it so much and I just couldn't put it down while I played it.

Have a nice day!

Love, Galaxy Gaymer

The Hand-drawn Beauty of 'Catty & Batty: The Spirit Guide'

Hey everyone! It's your lad, Galaxy Gaymer!

Art style is such an important part about any kind of game. A decent art style is the first thing to catch people's attention, which can make or a break a game. One of the best art styles in my opinion is definitely a hand drawn art style.

Catty & Batty: The Spirit Guide is an absolutely amazing, yet simple puzzle game where you guide the little spirit characters back to their home. Catty and Batty, the main characters, are able to create different types of boxes, all while using different items and overcoming different obstacles. There is no one way to complete some levels, meaning you really have to use your creativity to beat them.

The art style of this game is so charming and simplistic. I find the hand drawn art just so relaxing to experience and it makes the game really easy to keep playing without any frustration. The jazzy soundtrack also makes this game so light-hearted and fun, which also makes it easy to sit and beat the game in one sitting without even really realizing. I also really love that it gets super challenging the more you play, but not instantly, which allows you to actually learn the mechanics and not just rage quit.

This game is perfect for lovers of the puzzle genre, or even people that want to dip their toe into the genre. The hand drawn art makes it so appealing that I don't think anyone could say no to it. I also think the price of $4.99 is an absolute steal for what you are getting with this game. I for one will be playing this repeatedly, just to try to finish it faster every time.

What is your favourite puzzle game? Comment down below! Also a huge shout out to Sometimes You for giving me yet another review copy of one of their incredible games. It's appreciated beyond words.

Have a nice day!

Love, Galaxy Gaymer

'Northgard', A Reintroduction into the RTS Genre

Hey everyone! It's your lad, Galaxy Gaymer!

Real-time strategy games can be a bit of a rarity in the modern world of gaming. Even though it fits so well in the ever so popular simulation genre, it can be so often overlooked, making some of the games very overrated. That brings us to today's game.

Northgard is an incredible real-time strategy game that follows the story of a group of Vikings moving to the newly discovered Northgard. Before they are able to do so, however, the entire group is slain apart from one member. This member swears revenge on the enemies who did this. This leads to where you need to pick one of 6 clans, and build multiple structures and amenities to strengthen the clan. You also need to manage things such as the food stock and assign certain people to certain positions.

Northgard is really impressive in the way that it takes such a beloved genre, and makes it feel unique without straying too far away from some of the aspects we have all grown to love about it over time. I find the art style to be really clean and visually pleasing to look at, which is a huge perk of the game. I also found the music to be epic and very well suited for a Viking game, which lead to me finding it elsewhere to listen to, even if I'm not playing the game.

I feel like anyone who loves the bigger real-time strategy games will enjoy Northgard. It's a twist on a beloved genre that has become less populated with new titles, but Northgard scratches that itch for sure. It is also potentially a really good starting point for those who want to try the genre or just simply step into the territory of a unique game in the genre. I want to say a huge thank you to Shiro Games for providing me with a copy of this game on Switch. It was so refreshing to play and reignited my love for RTS games.

What is your favourite RTS game? Comment down below!

Have a nice day!

Love, Galaxy Gaymer

'Virus Blast', A Challenge That My Life Needed

Hey everyone! It's your lad, Galaxy Gaymer!

It can be really hard to find difficult games sometimes. There is a plethora of cosy and relaxing games that exist, but sometimes a challenge is exactly what the doctor asked for. And the game I'm about to discuss is very much that, a challenge.

When I say Virus Blast is a fast paced shooter, that is maybe the understatement of the year. Virus Blast is a shooter where you literally play a bullet and the aim is to hit targets to steal as much data as possible. This is all while you climb as high as possible in a magnificent world of digital beauty. This is all while your enemy, a firewall, tries to sideline you and make everything more difficult for you.

Virus Blast seems like your average fast paced shooter, but it quickly becomes extremely addictive. I feel like it is so simplistic and simultaneously unique that you can pick it up and suddenly be instantly obsessed. The difficulty gets increasingly higher, which is usually the case, but this just makes the game infinitely better. This also makes it super satisfying when you beat your own high scores.

The graphics of this game are eye catching, but also not overly complicated. I feel like this also just improves it more than ever, because you can admire the graphics without getting overly distracted. The soundtrack is also an absolute bop and I felt super motivated listening to it while playing this game super poorly.

I feel like Virus Blast was made for the people who just need a fast paced challenge in their life. This game is criminally underrated, and I feel like it absolutely deserves more exposure than it has received. I also think anyone who is decent at this game is basically a god compared to me. A huge thank you to Rooftop Dog for giving me a copy of this game. It's really amazing, yet insanely difficult for mere mortals like myself.

What is the most challenging game you have ever played? Comment down below!

Have a nice day!

Love, Galaxy Gaymer