My Favorite Fictional Romantic Couples

I'm a sucker for a good romance story and I wanted to take some time to talk about some of my favorite couples in fiction.

Scott Pilgrim/Ramona Flowers

A very recent couple I’ve really come to like when it comes to my favorite couples in fiction, Scott and Ramona are one of the most grounded couples here as they are pretty flawed people. What makes them a great couple is how they overcome their flaws and learn to be better people by dealing with Ramona’s 7 Evil Ex’s in animated ways. In my opinion the game handles it well with the true ending having Ramona basically accept Nega Scott and Scott’s flaws therefore the two making each other better for it.

Edward Elric/Winry Rockbell

Probably the most realistic couple here, a great case of childhood friends becoming a great couple. You have Ed, joining the military to fix his and his brother Alphonse’s bodies, and you have Winry, a girl who has every right to avoid the military given what happens to her parents. Despite this being something that could easily create a rift between them, both Ed and Winry have great character arcs that not only make them great characters, but ends up paying off for their relationship in one of the best endings to any anime in my opinion.

Inuyasha/Kagome Higurashi

Who knew that a girl from the future would fall for a half demon/human boy from Feudal Japan? It’s definitely one of the more unique pairings for sure, it really helps that they’re involved in what I think is the best love triangle ever. And it’s a great love triangle because you feel sympathy for everyone involved, especially Kikyo who is easily the most tragic character in the series. You see the love blossom between Inuyasha and Kagome as the series goes on, both learning to deal with the other and growing side by side while making each other better in the long run.

Belle/Beast

When I think of classic romance this is the couple I think of. Pretty much the embodiment of Disney romance in all the best ways in what I argue is still Disney’s very best movie, it is the quintessential fairy tale romance to me. The girl who wants more in life and the beast who believes he can’t be loved, Disney truly was firing on all cylinders when they made this classic. I guess the only thing I could say would be Belle could have been more involved in the action, but given that it’s about the beast learning to love it makes sense that it’s him who takes charge.

Aladdin/Jasmine

If Belle and Beast are the ultimate classic couple then these two are a big subversion to Disney couples. Aladdin being the loveable street rat with a heart of gold that wants to be more than just a street rat, who tricks and lies to get what he wants at first but we’re not talking about that, and Jasmine being the princess that wants to take control of her life was something that was very refreshing back then. I love that Jasmine does not take Aladdin’s shit, figuring him out pretty quickly to hilarious effect. I can’t talk about these two without mentioning Genie, who not only steals the show but helps Aladdin come to terms with who he is and not be ashamed of it to show his love to Jasmine.

Rapunzel/Eugene Fitzherbert

The modern day version of Aladdin and Jasmine, I really enjoy these two as much as I do Aladdin and Jasmine. Rapunzel and Eugene are more active comedic and action wise, plus having a movie and a show helps out. Like Jasmine, Rapunzel sees Eugene for who he is instead of his Flynn Rider persona, and Eugene having some of the most character for a Disney love interest. Plus Eugene having Maximus as a frienemy is just all sorts of hilarious.

Usagi Tsukino/Mamoru Chiba

I couldn’t finish this without talking about what has become my favorite couple and love story in fiction. And I’m strictly speaking about the manga version as the anime hilariously made Mamoru look foolish. A love that transcends time and space, essentially spanning three lifetimes, the story of Usagi and Mamoru has everything you’d want in a great love story. From the tragedy of the star crossed lovers Serenity and Endymion to their modern day reincarnations in Usagi and Mamoru to their future counterparts in Neo Queen Serenity and King Endymion, these two go through hell from beginning to end. And while some people will say that their relationship seems cheap because of destiny or fate and it’s predetermined, they both go through absolute hell, especially Usagi with her watching him be brainwashed and killed multiple times, to be together. It’s also one of the few times we see a fictional couple actually go through a marriage ceremony. And it’s why seeing them get married is the best ending to the greatest love story ever told, overcoming time, space, and all manners of evil thrown their way.

Why David and Goliath is still relevant today

When I was a child my mom would read me bedtime stories, oh but not the normal type of stories that parents would read to their kids, she would read The Bible to me. For those that actually read it, you know how absolutely balls crazy the stories are in that, and out of all the stories she read to me my favorite, and the focus of this post, is David and Goliath.

David and Goliath (1888) by Osmar Schindler

Because this is one of the oldest stories in human history there are many interpretations of this story, so I want to explain the version I grew up with. In 1 Samuel 17, the Israelites are facing the Philistines with Goliath challenging Saul and the Israelites to bring someone to face him, but they are afraid to fight him. Saul tries to find anyone willing to fight Goliath but everyone is scared, which leads to him choosing David who denies the sword and armor Saul was going to give him and goes to fight Goliath with a slingshot and a few rocks. David kills Goliath and the Israelites defeat the Philistines. So why explain this thousands of years old story? Because this story is still relevant today and still being told in many different ways, even if most people don’t know about the story of David and Goliath.

You see it in fiction and in real life, characters and people that come from anywhere and can be seen as nobody, average, or in the background, that end up dealing with adversity that seems too big and impossible to face. So many of us do fail a lot, and yet victory isn’t as sweet without failing a few times. Everyone has their own Goliath in their life they must face no matter where they come from or who they are. And it is because of how relatable this story is that it has survived the test of time and still resonates with us today.

My Year of Video Games: 2024

What a fucking year huh? And I don’t mean that in a good way. It was a fucking trainwreck of a year, and the only reason I didn’t go insane was because of my time playing video games. My Nintendo Switch yearly wrapup came a few days ago, and I ended up playing 56 games and 674 hours in total, holy shit that’s a lot of gaming! So I want to end this year on a positive note, going over the most notable games I played this year. I’m going to try my best to do this in order as best I can as the year went by from January to now.

Metroid Dread

Let’s start with the very first game I played this year of all games, Metroid Dread. I’m not the biggest Metroid fan, I’ve only played Super, Fusion, and Prime at this point so this being the first game I played in 2024 was unexpected. This game truly brings the dread, as I had to keep myself from having heart attacks throughout the Emmi sections, besides that the game is arguably the best 2D Metroid I’ve ever played with good puzzles, decent difficulty, and a damn good final boss that’s challenging and rewarding. Well worth the long wait for Metroid fans.

Mario Vs Donkey Kong

When I first saw this I was so excited because I loved the original Game Boy Advance version years ago, happy to say that it’s just as good as the original with brand new challenging levels to test your skills. My only hope is that they make another Mario Vs Donkey Kong like this and stop doing the Mini Marios.

Mario Tennis Aces

In my opinion Mario Tennis Aces is the best Mario sports game on the Switch, probably the closest we’ve gotten to Mario Power Tennis on the Gamecube. While it doesn’t have as many crazy modes as that game, Aces excels at giving you a lot of different courts and items to keep the game entertaining. The single player does a good job with training you to play the game and a good way to have replayability. Not much else to say except it’s a really good game.

Streets of Rage 4

I don’t think it’s an exaggeration when I say this game was worth the wait. For so many years Streets of Rage 2 was the gold standard of the series and one of the best beat em ups of all time, we finally got the game not only we’ve been waiting for, but surpasses it. Looks gorgeous, plays amazing, oh and did I mention that Yuzo Koshiro came back to do some music for this game. Streets of Rage is Beat Em Up royalty and Streets of Rage 4 is another classic in the making.

Kirby Star Allies

I will say when I played this game I wasn’t expecting much, I understood that this was basically a placeholder until Kirby and the Forgotten Land came out. What I ended up getting was easily the most lore heavy game of the entire series, it’s as if they just decided to drop all of the big time lore into this game. I remember hearing how bare bones this game was at first, but playing it this year this game was loaded with tons of content that gave me plenty to do. Now the only question I have is how they’ll handle 2D Kirby after this and Forgotten Land.

Princess Peach Showtime

Sometimes you need a game that slows things down and is just a relaxing good time, and I found that with Princess Peach Showtime. It’s nice to have Peach star in her own game once again, this time in a setting right out of one of my drama college courses and a new possible rival that is the embodiment of drama divas. Made by the developers of Yoshi’s Wooly World, this is a nice, simple game that doesn’t ask for much and gives you a relaxing break from the more intense action oriented games.

Yooka-Laylee

What happens when you take a 90’s 3D Platformer, put it in a time capsule, and send it to 2017? You get one of the more divisive 3D Platformers out there in Yooka-Laylee. It really feels like it came straight from the 90’s in all the good and bad ways, overall though I think this a solid enough 3D Platformer that does its job well enough.

Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair

Obviously the superior sequel to the original, and I’m not just saying that because I like 2D more than 3D. This is just easily much better than the first Yooka-Laylee game in every way possible, I would tell someone who wants to try either game to play this first, no questions asked. If you’re looking to scratch that Banjo-Kazooie itch, Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair will do that and more.

Penny's Big Breakaway

I knew that before I finished this game I would be talking about it at the end of the year. One of the first standout games of the year, I hold this game in high regard for just how good this game feels, it has the soul of a 90’s Sega Saturn with none of the drawbacks. There’s a bit of a learning curve with this game, but the moment everything clicked I knew this game was going to stick around for me, not to mention I’m still listening to this soundtrack today. This is an indie game that’s definitely worth your time.

Splatoon 2

The original Splatoon was a breath of fresh air for Nintendo, I would know, I played it a lot when it first came out. With a very solid foundation Splatoon 2 just had to improve on it while giving us more, we ended up getting that plus bonus dlc content in Octo Expansion which was awesome. Just never make me fight Agent 3 again, you hear me?!

Sonic Origins Plus

One of the most divisive collections I’ve ever seen, I saw so many people love and hate this collection due to a number of factors. For me, this is probably the best way to play classic Sonic games right now, arguably the best versions of these classic games with some additional bonus content like playable Amy, museum, and achievements give plenty of reason to keep coming back to this collection. The changed music in Sonic 3 is a small price to pay for the best available versions of the original Sonic adventures.

AVGN 1 & 2 Deluxe

As a fan of the nerd these games really embody the bullshit the nerd goes through on a daily basis, the hard as balls gameplay, crazy bullshit that’ll make you rage, and the history of the nerd as you fight against the nerd’s greatest enemies. It’s not a shitload of fuck, it’s actually a pair of good, yet hard games.

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury

Going back to Mario 3D World I found the game to still be as good as when I first played it, but this is mainly about Bowser’s Fury, the additional content we got with the Switch port. All I can say is that this was awesome and itch scratched that Odyssey itch I’ve had since beating Super Mario Odyssey. Now where’s Odyssey 2?

River City Girls 1 & 2

I didn’t know what to expect when I bought these two games, just that they were good and they were made by Way Forward and that was enough for me. What you get are two really good beat em up games for modern consoles, with some RPG elements that make these two the longest beat em ups I’ve ever played so fair warning about that. Both games have the charm that’s to be expected from Way Forward at this point and are worth your time.

Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door

I’m still having a hard time believing this remake exists. How many times have I had to hear so many rumors of a remake of this game while still clinging on to the original Gamecube classic? It makes sense that we eventually get a remake 20 years after the original game came out. I loved the original to death, and I love this remake and the things that it fixed, if it wasn’t obvious this is not only the game I’ve been waiting for, but this is without a doubt the game of the year for me.

Shantae and the Seven Sirens

This year I played every Shantae game which means I played the GBC original and Seven Sirens for the very first time. I have to say that Seven Sirens greatly improves from Half-Genie Hero in every way, Way Forward’s flagship franchise still goes strong. I still find it funny that even though this game was good, the best game in the series, Pirate’s Curse, is the one that deviates from the core mechanic that Shantae’s known for.

TMNT: Shredder's Revenge

The gold standard of modern Beat Em Ups, oh my God how did I only start playing this game in July?! It’s as close to perfect as you can get, the true successor to Turtles In Time in every damn way possible, plus the load of dlc that helped make the game way more replayable, there’s a reason why so many modern beat em ups have been trying to replicate Shredder’s Revenge. Even if you’re not a TMNT fan, you owe it to yourself to play this instant classic.

New Pokemon Snap

Another game that I’ve been waiting for years ever since the original Pokemon Snap. Now I’m not a Pokemon fan, I’ve only watched the anime but don’t care for the games, Pokemon Snap on the N64 was a fun exception. Another game that’s easy and relaxing, it was fun to sit back, relax, and just take my time taking pictures of Pokemon I know nothing about.

Marvel Vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics

You don’t know how much you missed something until you get it back. Playing these legendary classic arcade games once again just unleashed a ton of nostalgia for me and made it hard to stop playing, even if I suck at fighting games. The games speak for themselves at this point, they are fighting game royalty and I can’t wait for the second collection to come out.

TMNT Cowabunga Collection

One of the best collections on the Switch, over 10 games to celebrate the turtles’s video game history with a crapload of additional content to make this so worth it. Like seriously, this collection has manuals, art, concept art, cartoon art, the developers did their homework with this collection.

Kirby's Return to Dreamland Deluxe

The first game of the modern Kirby era was bound to get a remake at some point, it’s still a good game but with more now with Magolor’s Epilogue and Merry Magoland. Both give the game more replayability than it originally had, and the game was already full of content. I honestly didn’t think they would give Magolor any more story than he had but hey it’s pretty good.

Luigi's Mansion 3

Not only is this the best Luigi’s Mansion game, it’s easily the best animated Mario game, you can tell they were preparing to do the Mario movie by the time this game came out. It’s so satisfying beating the shit out of ghosts, not to mention finding gems is much easier here than it was in Luigi’s Mansion 2. I just fear how crazy King Boo will get in Luigi’s Mansion 4 because he was out for blood here.

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening

If you can tell, I’m not a Zelda fan at all, only playing Link to the Past and Link Between Worlds. However, this was one of the standout games I was very excited to play even if I’m not a Zelda fan. I’m happy to say this is a fantastic game from beginning to end, nothing really negative to say about this other than the artstyle might put some people off.

Super Mario Party Jamboree

After Mario Party Superstars, we were waiting for Nintendo to drop the next Mario Party game in hopes that they’d get back on track. What we got is possibly the best Mario Party game alongside the N64 games. All the boards are great, most minigames are fun, and it hits that perfect balance of fun and rage inducing. Oh what’s that? I can get 2 stars but I can risk losing 2 stars in one turn? Yeah, I’m thinking Mario Party is back.

Splatoon 3

I don’t have much to say about this sequel, it’s the best in the series, does everything right and advances the story, lore, and weapons. Single player campaign and dlc is very well done, if you liked the first two games then this one will be no different.

Sonic X Shadow Generations

To this day I’m kicking myself for not playing Sonic Generations years ago. I honestly didn’t pay attention to this until I learned that the original game was going to be with the Shadow content. Let’s not bullshit, Sonic Generations is a Top 3 Sonic game with very little bad besides that dumbass Time Eater boss. And then to give us more with Shadow’s content is pure joy. See Sega, this is what happens when you stick with a game mechanic and refine it!

Kirby and the Forgotten Land

Kirby’s first 3D adventure is finally here after years of being teased and yeah, this is a Top 3 Kirby game for sure. While there aren’t that many copy abilities, being able to upgrade your abilities makes up for that. Plus I really like the Waddle Dees making a hometown for shits and giggles which is a cute touch. Of course this being Kirby you have your bonus content, eldritch abominations and extra things that are genuine surprises from what is one of Kirby’s best outings.

Advance Wars 1+2 Re-Boot Camp

I’m so sad this game didn’t do as well as it could, being delayed for a year will do that to a game. Turn based tactics is not the type of game I usually play, but I did like playing the original and this remake does a spectacular job, from design to music. Maybe someday we might get an Advance Wars 3 but that’s wishful thinking.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita's Rewind

The final game of my video game year, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind has been something I was waiting for ever since I saw the announcement. Given my love for the original team, this was a no brainer for me because this game is fucking awesome. Is it up there with Shredder’s Revenge? Not quite, some dlc would help with that, but like Shredder’s Revenge it’s a love letter to the fans of the original Power Rangers and a good modern beat em up to stand alongside Streets of Rage 4 and Shredder’s Revenge.

And that's all the games I wanted to highlight this year, there were plenty more games but I wanted to talk about the ones that made the most impact for me this year. Now please let this fucking year end and hopefully next year is much better!

Ranking The Star Fox Series

I love the Star Fox series, I can’t even express in words how much I love this series. I’ve been playing since 1997 nonstop, and hopefully we get a new entry in the series sooner rather than later. But for now I’m in the mood to reflect and rank the series and reexamine my opinion on the games and series in general.

8. Star Fox Command

Yeah let’s get this out of the way, this game is trash lol. This is really the only Star Fox game I dislike in general, the other games have some things I don’t like, but Star Fox Command really is the embodiment of the worst things Star Fox has done and put them into one game. From the beginning, the artsyle is not appealing to look at, having to use the stylus to control your ship is borderline unplayable, having every stage be in all range mode is boring and monotonous, and we can’t forget the non canon story with 9 endings that feels like it takes forever to do. Honestly the only good things about this game is the music, playing as different characters, and some of the endings are hilarious. Avoid this at all costs.

7. Star Fox 2

I’m honestly fascinated with Star Fox 2, it’s not this low because it’s bad (It’s not a bad game at all), it’s here because of the history surrounding it and how it was one of Nintendo’s lost relics. I look at it like a historian discovering a brand new artifact that was once considered lost to the sands of time. So much of what defines Star Fox came from this game, all range mode, charge shots, Star Wolf, the walker, a map of the Lylat System, so much of the series’s identity is owed to this game. Plus the game runs so much better than the original which is a plus.

6. Star Fox Adventures

Easily the most infamous game of the series, I can’t even begin to count how many times this game has been mocked, insulted, ridiculed, and just outright laughed at. While it doesn’t deserve all of it, it definitely deserves a good chunk of criticism. For anyone who doesn’t know the story by now, Rare was developing Dinosaur Planet when Shigeru Miyamoto looked at it and saw the main character looked like Fox McCloud and went “Let’s make it a Star Fox game.”, and the result is a Star Fox game that’s more like a hand me down Zelda game. Now don’t get me wrong, it’s not a bad game, and I have to be in a certain mood to play it, but it’s not a Star Fox game in the way we know it. Either play it to make fun of it, or out of genuine curiosity is completely up to you.

5. Star Fox

The original that started it all, despite how much it chokes on the frame rate I still find myself feeling pretty positive about the game overall. Having the three branching paths gives some nice replayability that would be a staple in the future, and the music does kick some ass, even though it’s not my favorite soundtrack in the series. That being said, a couple of bosses are a pain in the ass, and the game can be hard to follow at times due to the frame rate. But overall I think despite that the game still holds up well, it’s just that there are better games that surpass it.

4. Star Fox Assault

I think this might be the most divisive game in the series, either people love it or hate it. I think this is a fantastic Star Fox game overall, a good progression of the series, something I hope the next game does. The multiplayer is the best of the series, not surprising with the amount of ships, weapons, characters, and maps you have access to. It really did help that this came out when Halo was beginning to peak so giving a series like Star Fox this benefited the game greatly. Assault also has what I consider the best soundtrack in the series without question, it’s just so damn good. The only bad things I have to say about the game is that the on foot missions suck, the landmaster controls like crap, and the linear story mode is alright. But the negatives don’t outweigh the positives, this is a great entry in the series and is a must play if you’re a Star Fox fan.

3. Star Fox Zero

I will die on the hill that not only is this a good game, it’s one of the best games in the series. I think the biggest problem this game has outside of the game itself, it was doomed because it was on the Wii-U, which was a sinking ship by the time this game came out. As for the game itself, repeating the same storyline from 64 and the gamepad controls were the main reasons why so many turned away from this game. Oh and the gyrowing but I completely forgot about it. But hot damn does this game do so many things right, the banter between characters, music is just right, the controls are really good, and the overall action kicks ass. But to me the best part of the game is having actual modes to play, the main game, arcade mode to test your skills, training mode to get a feel for the game, and online mode to play with friends. Going forward I want Star Fox to expand on these modes and go even further to give us the best Star Fox experience.

2. Star Fox 64 3D

Originally I was planning to put this alongside the original game, but I figured I have plenty to say about this remake. First of all, the remake is fantastic, the graphic glow up is amazing, plays the same, and the soundtrack is still awesome. I will say the option to choose a stage and save your game gives this version of the game points in its favor. The only reason why this isn’t at the top is because I’d prefer to play with a controller than a 3DS.

1. Star Fox 64

Like come on, what else could it be? The uncontested gold standard of the series, considered to be one of the greatest games of all time, the magnum opus of rail shooters. No other game comes as close to perfection as this one and the game to introduce the Rumble Pak that would become a mainstay feature in gaming in general. Even the worst parts of the game in Aquas is still pretty good, the action is immaculate, the voice acting is legendary, having 25 different routes gives it the best replayability in the series. Why are you still reading this? Go and play this game now!