Every GD day 🍻

Not to mention the pumpkin pie. I’m very thankful for the friends, family, found family (and you!) who make my world brighter.

7.5/10

We wined and dined our way through some spicy West African and islander twists on macaroni and cheese, rice and beans, turkey, sweet potatoes, veggies, potato salad (the MVP honestly), and even some bangin’ shrimp scampi.

Overall, it’s truly a visual and auditory spectacle. Just prepare to cry one of those good musical cries.

7.75/10

#Wicked #WickedForGood

Acting is solid too, especially for translating a stage play to the silver screen. Give Jonathan Bailey an award! Great symbolism, but some of the story beats don’t quite land, including some serious cop-outs towards the end.

Speaking of hard, the difficulty that Ninja Gaiden is known for is definitely present, but instead of feeling impossible and soul-crushing, it feels engaging and challenging in a fair way, always encouraging the player to give it one more try. Too bad it's so short!

8.5/10

#NinjaGaidenRagebound

All the commitees, subcommitees, and directors running around trying to figure out the best way to deal with the monster, all the while it's growing, adapting, and killing more and more, all in increasingly disturbing ways. This version of the monster's design is nice and yucky too, as it should be.

We're calling this scale the You-Curve™, because everyone experiences things differently! YOU are going to have a different experience, and that's the whole point! This IS The EXPERIENCE Point after all!

Because something that moves you is better than something that doesn't, even if it moves you because of how terrible it is. The worst thing you can be is unmemorable.

This entry also introduced one of the coolest characters in the franchise with Blaze the Cat, and the tricking and boost mechanics feel so good... At least when the levels aren't working against them. Which happens way more than it should.

7.5/10

The undeniable standout is it's soundtrack, composed by the legendary Hideki Naganuma of Jet Set Radio and Air Gear fame.

Fake fan alert! I never actually beat this game, so to celebrate it's 20th Anniversary, I finally cracked open the old 2DS (the special Pokéball edition, mind you) and started over.

Here are my favorite, least favorite, and of course, scariest and least scary media I consumed this for this year's challenge, along with my scores for each! Gotta beat this record next year! See you then, you spooky spirits 🎃