March is here and if you weren’t aware, we just recently celebrated Pokémon Day on February 27th, as that was the day that Pokémon Red and Green were released in Japan.
I don’t know if you shared the sentiment but I grew up on Pokémon whether it was the anime or the games. This week for Music Monday I want to share one of my favorite songs from one of my favorite Pokémon games:
It might be an odd choice, but I do have some fond memories of this song. It’s ingrained into my head. I had hours upon hours in which I would sit in a battle and just listen to the songs. The countermelody of the song with the runs up and down caught my attention especially since back on the Game Boy there were only four channels of audio for music at that time.
The Game Boy Advance rereleases, FireRed and Leafgreen took the same ideas but added some extra flair with the extra technology at the time:
Leave it to the remixers of the internet, though, they take 4 tracks of audio and make them epic. Check out a few of these remixes of this song!
Do you have a favorite Pokémon music track? Let me know in the comments or let’s talk about it on my Discord server!
It’s no secret that I am known to enjoy a show tune from time to time. Classic, modern, it doesn’t matter the kind. When there are songs that give out that energy, I’m all ears.
This week, I want to show one of the first tracks that made me realize that video game music can have a showtune vibe!
This week’s song is Star Light Zone from Sonic the Hedgehog!
It starts off and has a bit of a rhythm to it that almost screams “Broadway” to me. I can imagine if Sonic had a Broadway Musical, one of the songs would be based off this song.
There are some good remixes of this song too, and they really get into it! It’s various in style but dance remixes and more just show how versatile this song can be!
When a video game carries a major musical motif through a franchise, it’s impressive to see how it evolves. This week’s Music Monday is going to focus on a song that started on the Game Boy and has been seen as recently as the past few years!
If you’re familiar at all with the Kirby franchise, you know this song. The melody is written to be an earworm and in almost every iteration of Kirby there’s a throwback to this specific tune:
(Shoutout to the creator of this playlist that shows the evolution of the track)
This song has been ingrained in my brain, and I find myself humming it on occasion.
I thought of this too because fun fact: Kirby’s Dream Land was my first Let’s Play when I tried to make YouTube gaming videos for the first time in 2010
Warning: Young Andy video ahead:
What’s your favorite version of the Green Greens theme? Let me know in the comments or let’s discuss it on Discord!
When you think of water levels, what kind of music do you think of? What instrumentation typically comes to mind? For me, it’s ethereal and it uses instruments like strings and soft pads to generate feelings of waves and ocean. There are many great examples but today I wanted to pull focus towards Dire, Dire Docks from Super Mario 64.
I will often go back and listen to this and all variations of this song when I need to vibe. It was a great study song back in college too!
Fun Fact: The Dire, Dire Docks song was one of the first (if not *the* first) song that I ever learned on piano, thanks to an arrangement online I found from Ben Landis.
The arpeggiated bassline combined with the simple melody made it a very easy song to start learning, and all of the variations of this song just hit right.
I even love the version they remixed in Mario Kart World a ton, especially since they arranged it as almost a concert band piece:
Enjoy the vibes and let me know what you think in the comments!
(Also sorry for the late publish, this week was a little insane)
Sometimes video game music can be nostalgic, sometimes it can hold memories. Other times, it can just hit you the first time you hear it. This week’s song? It’s not even a year old yet and it hit me in just the right spot.
This week’s song is “Breaking Through (Heart of Gold)” from Donkey Kong Bananza! Even if you haven’t played the game, you might have heard this during the medley of the Game of the Year songs during The Game Awards:
There’s something about the strings in the song. That combined with the beat and guitar just hits and instant goosebumps. The song tells an abridged story of what happens in the game, which you’ve spent however many hours playing. How your song allows the singer to find you and also the way.
The song also takes bits from Donkey Kong’s history and that mixed with the lyrics of “Let’s go to the core and nothing can stop us now” brings me great joy and almost instant tears every time I hear it
IN FACT, you get an exclusive by reading this…I did actually sing this song and recorded myself doing it. Keeping the song unlisted on YouTube so enjoy!
I bet you thought it was only going to be Retro songs on here, didn’t you?
What do you think of this song? Let me know in the comments or over on Discord!
If you know anything about me, you know that I have an incredibly soft spot for Disney films, and a major part of it is because of the music that comes with it. What does this have to do with Video Game Music? Well, there are a lot of Disney video games, but there’s one song from a non-Disney video game that just gives the vibes of a Disney end-credits film. That song is…
Girl in the Tower from King’s Quest VI: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow by Mark Seibert!
This game came out in 1992, and my dad had this game as far as I could remember. He enjoyed the point-and-click Sierra games as well as strategy games such as Sid Meier’s Civilization franchise. When I was a kid, I remember that sometimes he would let me play Civ 2. It was a good time, but he also installed a no-cd patch so we could play it without the CD in the drive. The downside to that? It didn’t play music as the music was played through the CD Audio. Funny things would happen if you would have other CDs in the drive.
The first time I heard the song “Girl in the Tower” was while I was playing Civilization 2, funny enough. I’d be playing the game and randomly it’d start playing the song. I was confused at first but then we made the realization that it came from the King’s Quest VI CD. (This was also the time where you could play songs from games on CD players if you passed by the first track)
The song is a love ballad between two of the game’s principal characters, Prince Alexander and Princess Cassima. The lyrics are kind of goofy and corny, which means it’s right up my alley.
I don’t have too many covers of this song that I listen to, but it was nice to get recognition from the Game Grumps a couple years back:
(While searching for the above clip, I found this amazing cover by Skar Productions🙂
Have you heard this song before? Let me know in the comments!
It’s Music Monday! The time of the week where we talk about a various piece of video game music that has made a mark on me for one reason or another!
It’s so cool when you hear a song and it sticks with you, yeah? For better or for worse, that song has made an impact in your life. Perhaps it’s something that pops in your head when you’re feeling a certain feeling or it’s attached to a memory?
This week’s Video Game Track does that for me. I didn’t play the game a lot but I listened to the song so much.
This song is Baba Yetu, which is the opening song to Sid Meier’s Civilization IV.
For those of you who didn’t know, the lyrics are The Lord’s Prayer in Swahili. Growing up, I lived in a household that didn’t allow me to listen to a lot of popular music. Civilization IV came out in October 2005, which would’ve been my freshman year in High School. My dad was a big fan of the Civilization franchise so it was an early buy for him. After he installed the game, he and I gathered around the computer to experience the beginning of the game. The opening cinematic started and I was just put in awe of the music combined with the visuals of what was basically the “evolution of Civilization.”
My love for the song, though, was actually solidified later by the release of Video Games Live, which is a group that would go to orchestras around the world and play video game music. There were two amazing covers of this song on their albums. One was in the Civilization IV Medley in Level 1:
and the other was the duet version (my preferred version) in Level 2:
I attempted in high school to get my choir teacher to let us sing this in our choir but never had the opportunity. I did however have the opportunity in 2008-2009 to go to a “reading band” at Capital University where we almost had the opportunity to play a part of it in a Video Games Live medley for concert band. A reading band was where they brought a bunch of students together and sight-read music prior to release. Sort of a beta test.
Back to the song though, Christopher Tin does an amazing job of combining the tribal music with the orchestra. The melody is simple and easy to sing along with, even if you don’t know the words. This is also one of those songs that hits me in just the right part that even in the intro sometimes I can get choked up or emotional at the swelling orchestra.
Video game music is great, isn’t it? Have you heard this song before? Let me know in the comments, or let’s talk about it on Discord!
For 2026, I want to take time every Monday and think about video game music. If you know me, you’ll know that video game music is one of my favorite genres of music. It’s incredibly versatile from the bleeps and boops of chiptune music to the full orchestrations of modern-day gaming.
With that being said, today’s song of the week is…
It tracks that my first track comes from Banjo-Kazooie. There are so many good tracks in the OST for Banjo-Kazooie, but if I had to pick a favorite, it would be Freezeezy Peak. There’s just something there that brings joy? It evokes the Winter/Christmas vibe and Grant Kirkhope used the Brass/Strings so well in this track to keep the pace going. I remember sitting in the game for hours so I could just listen to the music of this level (before I discovered the Internet). It’s bouncy, and drowns out the ever so sinister laughs of the Sir Slush. One thing that stands out from Banjo-Kazooie is the dynamic instrumentation of the songs. I love the variations, but the main world has to be my favorite out of all of them.
I also have to give a shout out to all of the remixes of this song. There are many.
The first I go back to (a lot) is a remix by Smouvy, who was one of my friends back on the Rare Witch Project forums:
It evokes similar vibes but more sedate. I could sit with my headphones and just get lost in the snow:
Another one of note is a remix from….Grant Kirkhope himself???
The vibe is more ska-like and upbeat but the versatility of the melody is able to hit even this ska/surf rock hit!
What do you think of this wintertime snow hit? Do you have a favorite track? Let me know in the comments or let’s talk about it on Discord!
It’s really hard to believe that 2025 is coming to an end already. I wanted to look back and see where I was, where I am now, and maybe look forward to the future!
Bundy’s Life
This year has been pretty wild in my personal life. Lots of positive, some negative, and a lot in-between. Some highlights:
I directed my first High School Drama Club play (March 2025)
I had a fantastic week of camp as a counselor (June 2025)
Did audio/lighting/video tech for my local high school (about 13ish shows)
Went on 3 work trips out of state for my full-time job
Helped produce video for 2-3 major events for my full-time job
And the major lowlight? I was let go in November from my full-time job. It was a bit of a shock after being there for six years, but as of this writing I am still looking for a new full-time job. (If you’re hiring, maybe check out my About Me or my Portfolio?)
Not only did I do these things above, but I also had an amazing year as a content creator (which I assume most of you reading are here for) and I’m excited to show all of the different things that we’ve done as a community!
Twitch Highlights
Andy_Bundy’s Streamer Twitch Recap for 2025
No, I’m not just putting my Twitch Recap and calling it a day, but I like how it’s a great picture of all of the things I did in 2025! I did (as of this recap) 133 streams which I played around 65 different games (according to SullyGnome). As a variety streamer, I feel like that is a solid amount of games that I played, even when we would play the same game for weeks to finish them. Go figure, the top games that I played this year according to the recap were Donkey Kong 64, Banjo-Kazooie, Banjo-Tooie, Super Mario Party Jamboree, and Donkey Kong Bananza. Three out of the five were Rare games, one was a Rare spiritual successor (Bananza) and who doesn’t like a game of Mario Party?
Here were the games I played this year (excluding Teamwork Tuesdays):
Among Us
Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore
Banjo-Kazooie
Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts
Banjo-Tooie
Castlevania (NES)
Castlevania (N64)
Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest (Bloody Tears%)
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Croc: Legend of the Gobbos
Diddy Kong Racing
Donkey Kong 64
Donkey Kong Bananza
Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy of Goku II
Final Fantasy VI
Fortnite
Gex: Enter the Gecko
Hey You, Pikachu!
Hop ‘n’ Marty (Demo)
Kero Quest 64 (Demo)
Klonoa: Empire of Dreams
Marbles on Stream
Mario Kart World
Mario Paint
Mario Party 2
Mario Party 3
Metroid Prime Remastered
Microsoft Solitaire Collection
Miitopia
Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection
Mouthwashing
R.E.P.O.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Sonic Superstars
Spyro the Dragon
Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage
Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster
Star Wars Episode I – Racer
Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire
Super Mario 64
Super Mario Bros. 2
Super Mario Party Jamboree
Superman 64
SuperQuest
TRON 2.0
UNO
There were a LOT of games, and while I didn’t complete every one, we’ve had a ton of fun playing the games that we have! On top of that, I’ve had some amazing collaborations this year as well! We did our Banjo-Tooie Archipelago with VincentsSin, TheJewker, JoshJepson, and Aelita1234; a few podcasts and Mario Party games with ShellshockPrime; and we had a few Mario Party Shenanigans with Lady_Chuckleton, KirikTheOrc and Watermelon_Orc! However, there needs to be a special shout out to Bookslap, who was my top collaborator thanks to our weekly Teamwork Tuesdays!
Teamwork Tuesdays
This year I worked with Bookslap to make a weekly stream in which we would play cooperative games or other multiplayer games together and called it Teamwork Tuesday. We played these games:
Split Fiction
Super Mario Party Jamboree
Mario Party 3
Streets of Rage 2
Mario Kart World
PEAK
Hexen: Beyond Heretic
Mario Paint
Minecraft
PowerWash Simulator
Castle Crashers
Backrooms: Escape Together
Pokémon Scarlet/Violet
Overcooked! 2
House Flipper 2
I very much enjoyed having Bookslap on stream and it allowed me to play some games that I may not have played before (see: Split Fiction, Hexen). We even got to the point where we have Teamwork Tuesdays shirts available in my Merch Store!
Discord Highlights
If you’re not a part of our Discord, you’re missing out on a big part of my community! That’s where the community part of it comes in! I’m so thankful for the growth that has happened in the Discord this year. According to statbot.net, as of the time of this writing, we’ve sent 55,617 messages in the Discord between 110 unique members in our 38 unique channels. We’ve also collectively spend 9,512.97hours in voice chats among 52 unique members. Thank you to everyone who has hung out and listened and chatted and reacted. The server is much better because you’re in it!
Movie Nights
One of the big things we did this year was scheduling regular movie nights in which we would either pick a movie or vote from three different films in a giant list that the community created! We watched so many films this year, and I’m so thankful for the people who showed up to watch with me! The films we watched are below:
Podcast
Yes! The Life in the Bear Cave podcast returned! The podcast that I have made episodes off and on for years came back at the tail end of the year! Instead of doing it myself, I asked Bookslap to assist me as a co-host so I have someone to bounce ideas and talk to during the podcast! We’ve done an episode in October and November (perhaps one might show up in December?) and I’m happy with how the podcasts have turned out!
Conclusion
With all of the ups and downs this year, I remain grateful. I look forward to what 2026 has in store! The sky’s the limit, and I can’t wait to see what shenanigans are in store for me! I’m not 100% sure what my goals are for this upcoming year, but it’s something that I’m working on and I might share that in a later post if not discussed in stream/Discord/etc.
Thank you for taking the time for reading this post, and if you contributed in any way this year, whether it’s lurking in a stream or liking a post or donating/subscribing/etc., thank you. I have definitely felt the love from you online and I hope to foster that more in the upcoming year!
This oddly-timed Direct had a lot of folks curious (myself included) so I thought it’d be nice to recap my thoughts in a blog post for this one (especially since I was in a meeting when it happened originally).
Mario’s 40th Anniversary
On September 13th, it’ll be the 40th anniversary of the release of Super Mario Bros., so Nintendo is doing some special releases for the event!
Nintendo Museum
There are going to be some really cool art pieces and illustration from development of different games. The ticket is themed and there will be a light display in December that will be Mario Themed. They’re adding Super Nintendo World in Kyoto and also sponsoring the Kyoto Marathon. As I probably won’t be heading to Japan, I probably won’t have a chance to experience these but it’s cool nonetheless
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
Releasing April 2026
There was a teaser released during the Direct of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. The film will apparently be the main event for Mario’s 40th anniversary. I don’t know about you, but Chris Meledandri looked uncomfortable in his talk, but the news was good! Seems like most of the main cast is returning, but I’m excited to see who will play Rosalina, since they didn’t announce that. They say it’s for fans of EVERY Mario era, so I’m hoping to see some Hotel Mario representation in the film!
Super Mario Galaxy 1+2
Releasing October 2, 2025
There may have been some screaming when I saw this. I have Super Mario 3D All-Stars, but I haven’t played Mario Galaxy 2 in years. I was hoping it would be free DLC for 3D All-Stars, but I remember they don’t they sell it anymore? ANYWAY, I’m excited to experience both games again!
Adding pages to Rosalina’s story in-game AND making the storybook something you can buy??? I see you Nintendo. I’m excited for ALL the emotions.
I’m curious if there will be any Switch 2 optimizations…
Mario Tennis Fever
Releasing February 12, 2026
Oh hey, a new Mario Tennis game! With new equipment in the fever rackets and filling with things such as Wonder Flower powers, I’m excited to see this! So many players and rackets and talking flower commentary.
There are different modes, like tournaments, towers, Mix it Up mode, swing mode, and an adventure mode that has BABIES
This game has Baby Waluigi. I’m sold.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park
Releasing Spring 2026
Having some Mario Wonder DLC is going to be great. Lots of multiplayer options and the return of Phantos? Having the Phantos in a Prop Hunt Style game is interesting.
I love how many co-op modes were added in this game too!
I also saw Captain Toad and the Koopa Kids so I’m excited!
Talking Flower
Releasing Spring 2026
They really are getting their mileage out of the talking flower aren’t they? It’s cute, but I’m not sure how long I could have that on before it started getting on my nerves. There’s a reason you can turn off the talking flower in Super Mario Bros Wonder…
That said, I’m curious if you can change the language like in-game too…
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book
Releasing Spring 2026
Yoshi but make it Pokémon. This looks hecking cute and the research bit brings a very different game dynamic.
Regular Direct
Storm Lancers
Available Sept 12, 2025
This is a side scrolling roguelike that’s inspired by 80s Anime? It looks so cool and has a variety of different weapons and styles and being a roguelike there’s plenty to upgrade.
There is couch co-op, so that’s cool too! I wonder if there’s online co-op too…
Dinkum
Releasing November 5, 2025
Minecraft but set it in Australia. It looks silly but I’m excited to see people play it.
Popucom
Releasing Holiday 2025
After playing Split Fiction, I’ve learned the enjoyment of co-op games like this. The color mechanics provide an incredibly unique gameplay mechanic that would definitely promote the cooperative nature of the game!
Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream
Releasing Spring 2026
I loved the 3DS Tomodachi Life. So much. When they announced this before. Everything about this game is wacky and I’m excited to make a bunch of my friends and live the dream of having all my friends live in the same apartment/island.
Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection
Releasing October 30, 2025 (Digital) and December 12, 2025 (Physical)
You might not know this, but I love the original Mortal Kombat games. The fact that this collection has Mythologies Sub Zero saves me from having to find the original N64 cart online somewhere to play. I hope the N64 version of Trilogy is on there and not just the PS1 version. So many hours were spent growing up playing Trilogy on the N64 (I was only allowed as a kid if the blood was turned off)
Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade
Releasing January 22, 2026 on Switch 2
I’ve heard so much of Final Fantasy 7, yet I’ve never played it. I’ve only played one or two of them. It’d be cool to experience the game that Cloud and Sephiroth from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is from!
Lynked: Banner of the Spark
Releases today (September 12, 2025)
Another Roguelike. It’s pretty. There’s also fishing and farming. Probably not a pickup from me but I imagine people who like those kinds of games would enjoy the game!
Hades 2
Releasing September 25, 2025 (Digital) and November 20, 2025 (Physical)
I enjoyed (but never finished) Hades 1, but I’ve heard good things about Hades 2! The concept looks cool. Who doesn’t like to fight time? I do every week!
Kirby Air Riders + Amiibo
THEY HAVE AMIIBO WITH INTERCHANGEABLE RIDERS. Training amiibos I expected but having the ability to swap IRL looks really cool! They announced these two but they said more are coming. Also another Air Riders Direct. I’m looking forward to this game. Like, a lot.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment
Releasing November 6, 2025
Let’s mess up the Zelda Timeline more with a Warriors game! Lots of familiar things if you played Tears of the Kingdom, and YOU CAN PLAY AS A KOROK!
Also they mention Gameshare. I mean it, Single Pak Gameplay from the Game Boy Advance and Download Play from the DS walked so GameShare could run.
Dragon Quest VII Reimagined
Releasing February 5, 2026
I never played a Dragon Quest game. The art is very stylized but it felt…off to me? I hope those of you who play Dragon Quest games are excited for this. More RPGs and such!
Was this guy always such a chad in design?
Nintendo Today App
I enjoy the Nintendo Today App and the news it gives. The Kirby theme is cute!
Virtual Boy – Nintendo Classics
Releasing February 17, 2026
I screamed. Mouth open. WHAT. THE VIRTUAL BOY??????
Interesting that you HAVE to use the accessory to play it. 14 games planned to release. I can’t. I’m excited.
I don’t know if I’ll be able to stream it….which is a bummer. We’ll see
FATAL FRAME II: Crimson Butterfly REMAKE
Releasing Early 2026
I know this game from a Smash Assist Trophy. It looks creepy. Use a camera to pacify ghosts. Sanity meters and such. Not sure how to feel about it.
Switch 2 Upgrades
There are upgrades to these Switch 1 games for Switch 2:
One Piece Pirate Warriors 4 – Fall 2025
Overcooked 2 – Holiday 2025
Stardew Valley – Fall 2025 (Mouse controls and Gameshare!)
Human Fall Flat – Spring 2026 (Mouse Controls!)
Powerwash Simulator 2
Releasing Fall 2025
I literally played the first Powerwash Simulator for the first time earlier this week. The second one looks nice. There’s so much to clean. It also has 4-player co-op!
Suika Game Planet
Available Winter 2025
OMG SUIKA GAME. They took it and made it 360º! This looks cute and I did enjoy the original Suika Game.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
Releasing December 4, 2025
Samus with a bike? The game looks really cool. I’m so behind. I haven’t played any of the Metroid Prime games but this one looks cool. I have the first remaster but have yet to play it.
There are also some cool Metroid Amiibo to look at
Donkey Kong Bananza DK Island & Emerald Rush
Available Today (September 12, 2025)
Another one I screamed at. THE DK64 THEME AND DK ISLE?!??!?!???!?
It’s really cool that they did DLC for this as early as they did. I’m pretty sure I said something in one of my Bananza streams that it’d be cool to revisit DK Isle since it was mentioned but I didn’t think they’d actually do it!
It looks like a roguelike type of DLC? Lots of perks and skills to upgrade and such. Kind of cool that you get to use the Bananza skills as well!
Also you’re looking for emeralds. Thankfully they’re not Chaos Emeralds, or Knuckles would like to have a word.
Pokémon Pokopia
Releasing 2026
Oh no. Ditto turning into a human? I know they did it in Detective Pikachu but I didn’t think they’d do it in a game (if they have already, I must’ve missed this)
This is basically Minecraft but Pokémon, right? RIGHT!?
It was cute and the Gen 1 music got me. Not sure if I’ll pick it up…but probably will.
Pokémon Legends Z-A
Releasing October 16, 2025
I’m intrigued with this game and the scope of it. The mega evolutions look cool and Lumiose just looks really good. Having one town as the entire gameplay is an interesting mechanic although it is a giant city. The story is going to be interesting as well!
And there’s ALREADY DLC????
Mega evos of Raichu look cute. I know some folk who are probably stoked about that!
Danganronpa 2×2
Releases 2026
I know nothing of this game other than the bear. It seems cool enough?
Dynasty Warriors: Origins
Releasing January 22, 2026
With Hyrule Warriors on Switch, this makes sense.
Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection
Releases March 13, 2026
Another franchise I’m not big into, but it’s also pretty and I’m guessing some folks are hyped for these as well!
Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage – Winter 2025
LEGO® Voyagers – September 15, 2025
Little Nightmares III – October 10, 2025
Persona 3 Reload – October 23, 2025
From this list, I’m most hyped for LEGO® Voyagers!
Resident Evil Requiem
Releasing February 27, 2026
I haven’t played any of the Resident Evil games but I know a few folks who have attested that they’re good. They’ve been on my radar but I haven’t played them. They’re also releasing Biohazard and Village on the same day on Switch 2. Excited to perhaps play them sometime!
Fire Emblem Fortune’s Weave
Releasing 2026
Another game that I only know because of Smash Bros. It’s apparently happening during other games?
Conclusion
Some really solid announcements during this Nintendo Direct! The one that threw me off the most was the Virtual Boy announcement and the one that hyped me the most was probably the Bananza DLC. Also BABY WALUIGI’S DEBUT (I’m fairly certain?). I was hoping to see some N64 NSO announcements (Smash Bros? DK64?) but I am content with what I saw today.
What did you think? Let me know in the comments or join our conversation on my Discord Server!
A few weeks ago, I received a random message on my BlueSky from a developer asking if I wanted to try out their game. I jokingly asked if it was going to be one of those games that’ll just steal all my information, and their response was this:
It’s totally gonna steal all of your info, but I’m sure the game will be funny enough to make up for it.
I didn’t see it to start, but that response was a perfect example of what I was going to experience moving forward.
If you didn’t figure it out, I did receive a game key from the developer (but I also purchased a copy and gave it away? That’s also probably a tell of how this review is going to go…?)
The Vibe
When I started the game, I was welcomed by an interactive menu where you can select menu items by bringing your character to each item. As I was just making sure it started okay, I went to the “exit game” button and there was what I can only describe as an FMV quality missile and explosion to my character and then the game quit. I knew then this game was for me.
A screenshot from the game, highlighting some of the humor.
The game itself is an RPG. You play as Rico, a hero type that is totally full of himself. Very big himbo energy. You also meet a few other characters throughout the game. Each character has a unique personality that all melds into one interesting experience!
The Gameplay
Being an RPG, it majorly features your character from a top-down perspective. There are puzzles to be solved in-world and great NPCs to constantly check on. There are also turn-based battles in the game. The battle system feels very similar to games like Undertale or Deltarune. The battle system also has an ACT system called “Trick” in which you can do some other types of actions toward the enemy. There’s no spare system (that I saw) in the game, but the tricks can do things such as raise or lower attack and defense or deal massive damage depending on the action. The fight mechanic is a quick time event similar to the fight mechanic in Undertale, so it was a welcome, familiar action.
As long as you’re paying attention to the story, it’s not hard to know where you have to go. Thankfully it’s also set in a way that even if you don’t, there are enough roadblocks that you’ll eventually get to where you want to go.
The Music
Music has become a major component for me when I’m looking at games, and SuperQuest has its fair share of great songs. Its soundtrack uses a soundfont remniscent of the Sega Genesis and other 16-bit consoles while still using modern samples as well. Just check out this battle theme from the game:
The song “Showdown” from the game SuperQuest
There were a few times in stream in which I just zoned out and vibed to the music, which is a good sign!
Final Thoughts
If you are looking for a good laugh and casual experience with not a lot of seriousness, check out SuperQuest. The game is only about $10 USD and is well worth it. There also seems to be updates coming in the near future hinted by areas in the game (which the dev confirmed to be free DLC) so I’m excited to come back and play the game!
Check out the highlights from the two streams below or head to the SuperQuest Game Page on my website to see the playlist of VODs from the streams!
Splatoon 3’s Grand Fest Event happened September 13-16, 2024. The Grand Fest was a live concert set in a new area of the game in which the three diva bands from the three games, Callie and Marie; Marina and Pearl; and Shiver, Frye, and Big Man, rotate the stages and sing the songs that they’re best known for. It was kind of a big deal. In making the time to play this event, it got me reminiscing a little bit about the impact that Splatoon has made in my life not just as a player, but as a content creator as well!
I made an overlay based off the Splatoon UI since at the time I was playing a TON of Splatoon 2.
It all started with Splatoon 2. The game came out on the Switch and since I didn’t have a Wii U despite what some videos might have led on, I never was able to experience the first game in the series. The game was a breath of fresh air for someone who enjoyed shooter games but didn’t like series like Call of Duty or Medal of Honor. It was quirky, colorful, and fun! In 2019, I decided I would take a day a week and devote it to Splatoon 2 so I could hone my skills a bit. I wasn’t expecting to be amazing or anything, but it was good to have that consistent game to stream.
With that streaming came friends. My current mod FalcoFlyer found me because I happened to be playing the game. Because of Falco (I think), I was introduced to the Splatoon/Variety streamer Fish and all of the Splatoon players in his community. Needless to say, if I ever wanted to play or talk Splatoon, I had a community that I could rely on.
As the game dwindled in popularity after the Final Fest in Splatoon 2, my streamer friends kind of went their own ways, but I was able to maintain those relationships even without the game which was amazing.
Splatoon 3 eventually came out and a lot of friends didn’t really latch on to the game at first. I was hooked and got the game on release. I wasn’t as entrenched in the game although I did enjoy it! I’d play most of the Splatfests when I was available and still made time to play every once in a while.
Even in Splatoon 3 I found friendship through games. I got a bit of a regular team with Kirik the Orc, A MACHINE, WatermelonOrc and Lady_Chuckleton. It was so much fun getting together and playing games and just hanging out in Discord while we Splatoon!
From May 2023, tweets of our teams doing some matches during the Legend of Zelda Crossover Splatfest
The coolest thing in my opinion about Splatoon as a series is how they’ve created a whole culture of music and fashion inside the series. There are so many different musical groups and fashion brands that any player can make their own fashion combos to their heart’s content.
When Splatoon 3 announced their Grand Fest and the fact that all three of the main music groups were going to not only have their own stages but also combine for a number, my heart leaped. Despite not playing the first game, Callie and Marie have had a presence in both games and I’ve definitely grown attached to these characters.
A clip from the stream of the final night of the Grand Fest (September 14, 2024)
Having all three of the groups singing together was ethereal. Nintendo really outdid themselves with the production that went into this festival. I’m incredibly happy that I shared this event with so many of my friends, as I played with so many of my streamer friends, like Kirik, WatermelonOrc, Josh Jepson, and more!
While a lot of people associate me with Banjo-Kazooie, Splatoon has an almost equal part in my heart. I’m so glad of the community that I’ve found through the game and the content I created because of it.
It’s Easter week! Spring has hit, and there’s a lot going on!
As I’m typing this, I just finished a great seed of Banjo-Kazooie randomizer and had a grin so large that it almost hurt. I’m thankful to be a creator and a lot of the people in my community make me incredibly happy.
Clip of the Week
This past week, I was playing Fortnite and for the last game of the night, I decided I wanted to do a solo game. It got down to the wire, but I ended up clinching that #1 Victory Royale!
Thanks to JJFenceJumper for catching the clip during stream!
We are still at $123 in our fundraising toward Extra Life! I’m thinking of a few ways that I can encourage donations, such as more incentives or competitions with other creators. If you have any ideas, please don’t hesitate to let me know!
PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, PC (Microsoft Windows), Xbox Series X|S
March 26, 2024
Terra Memoria
PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, PC (Microsoft Windows), Xbox Series X|S
March 27, 2024
Claw Machine Sim
PC (Microsoft Windows)
March 28, 2024
Phosphenia
PC (Microsoft Windows)
March 29, 2024
Labyrinthia Nightmares: The Journey of Little Fluffypuff
Nintendo Switch
March 30, 2024
Irreversible
PC (Microsoft Windows)
March 31, 2024
Streaming Schedule
This week’s schedule is going to be TBD due to the Easter season. Keep an eye on social media, specifically the Bundy Bear Discord for information on when I’m going to be live! I’m planning on Tuesday Game Night with Obi and Doug but I’m not sure past that.
I totally missed the newsletter last week… 🫣 sorry about that! It’s been a bit of a crazy couple of weeks for me but I’ll show you what you missed!
As of March 18, 2024, we have raised $123 for Extra Life through donations in my channel! Don’t forget that we have incentives that you can choose which games I play on stream! More incentives to come!
So if you didn’t know already, I do social media and video for an educational fishing show, and from March 7-10, I was in Tennessee working an educational fishing camp for the show. It was a long week, but we got a lot of footage filmed and the people had a great time at the event! I even caught a trout in some down time!
Comedy and Percussion!
Yesterday (March 17) I was able to run tech for the comedy percussion show, “Buckets ‘N Boards.” It was so much fun working with them. Having the ability to run sound tech and lighting for venues at home has been super fun!
I’m actually running tech for the local school’s production of Beauty and the Beast Jr. this week, so my streaming schedule and some of my normal availability is going to be a little less.
Andy with the Buckets ‘N Boards crew
Show off the Bundy Bear in style with a Hype Polo!
We’re in March already?? It’s crazy to me to think about all that we’ve already done this year while also looking forward to the potential that this year brings!
This last week, we did some Palworlding with Obiwan362, Drummerdoug45, and Jumpingmonkeybot, we made it to the Dry Dry Ruins in Paper Mario (N64) and we played hard in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate!
This week is going to be a slow week for me in terms of streams. There might be a stream on Tuesday with some Palworld but I will be out of town for a work project from Wednesday until Sunday.
Extra Life Update
As of March 4, 2024, I have raised $113 for Extra Life! As I might have mentioned last week, we had a generous $50 donation (which was why we played Paper Mario this past Saturday) to get us up to $113! Don’t forget that there are incentives to choose which games I play on stream! I’m looking into other incentives as well, so stay tuned!
It’s almost the end of February and what a week it’s been! A great UNO stream, some Splatoon 3 DLC and Palworld…it’s crazy how quickly this week flew by. We also did a tier list of all 96 Mario Kart 8 Deluxe tracks!
In case you were wondering, these were my picks. Chat’s picks are in Discord and Twitter/X!
An Extra Life Update!
Thanks to a $50 donation we are up to $113 raised for Extra Life getting us to 5% raised of our $2,000 goal! We have incentives for choosing what games I will play on stream! This upcoming Friday there will be a whole stream on Paper Mario! We had a great two hours of UNO as well this past week!
Last week we had quite an amazing week in terms of streams! I played Legacy of Goku 2, did some Splatooning and our Jackbox stream was amazing! There wasn’t a whole lot on my side in terms of news, but who knows what other shenanigans could happen!
Extra Life Update
Thanks to viewers during the Community Game Night stream on February 18, we raised an extra $40 towards my Extra Life fundraising goal this year! We are now up to a total of $60!
We have UNO and another game to play, and who knows what we’ll see before the year is over!
Don’t forget that I have the incentive that you can donate $20 for me to play any game on stream (within Twitch TOS of course) or $50 to play the game for an entire stream! For now, I’ll play the games from donations on Fridays when I stream but if I get a backlog, I’ll spread it to other days!
2024 has been wild, hasn’t it? January feels like it’s lasted an entire year, and a whole lot has happened! I had my first 12-hour stream, I played a few games that were given to me through Keymailer, I became enraptured by Fortnite, and I’ve also been looking into diverse ways that I could optimize my content so I can provide the best content while still enjoying what I do!
Am I there yet? No.
Am I trying? ….kinda?
I did start some things that I haven’t really broadcast yet and as someone who has signed up to be on the Bundy Bear Newsletter, you get to hear it first!
🏥 Extra Life! 🏥
This year I decided to take part in the 2024 Extra Life charity event as part of the Extra Life Columbus team! Obiwan362 and Drummerdoug45, whom I have been playing Payday 3 and Fortnite and other games with, are on the same team and so I thought it’d be cool to join them in this excursion! I don’t have many incentives lined up yet, but stay tuned for more information!
To everyone who showed up during the 12-hour Twitch stream on February 3rd: thank you! I felt incredibly loved throughout the day and had some hilarious moments with community members and a variety of games that were played. Sure, there were some issues throughout the stream, but overall, the stream was a success! I don’t know if I will do another one anytime soon but it’s good to know that it is something I CAN do!
💬 New Merch – Bundyisms! 💬
I say weird things on stream sometimes. I decided to monetize on that fact and make some merchandise based on some of the things I’ve said in stream! I picked a few things based on the 12-hour stream and some of the top clips and I’m happy with how they turned out!
If you weren’t aware, you can now purchase Bundy merch on the TikTok Shop! I haven’t made any videos yet to promote things yet, but if you buy things off the TikTok Shop, consider purchasing some Bundy Merch!
One of the top clips this past month happened to be when I was playing Juna: The Dreamwalker! I happened to play through one of the dungeons and broke into the void. Thanks to Pixelmog for the clip!
💸 Guess Who’s a Humble Bundle Partner? 💸
It’s me! Hi! I’m the partner, it’s me! With all of the deals that Humble Bundle has, I thought it was a cool idea to check out the partner program! You can use the Partner Code “bundybear” to kick back some of the profits back to me as well as to the Ablegamers charity!
This is a new section and there are so many games being released so I’m showcasing one game a day this week that I think looks interesting. Let me know either by replying on here or in my Discord what you’d prefer to see here (console, genre, etc.)!
(Some of these links are affiliate links and if you purchase from them, I can get some revenue from them!)
100 Ninja Cats
PC
February 12, 2024
Ultros
PS4/PS5, PC
February 13, 2024
Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore
PS4/PS5, PC, Switch, Xbox Series S/X
February 14, 2024
Gunvolt Records Cychronicle
Xbox One, PS4/PS5, PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series S/X
I have an incredible soft spot for rhythm games. Games like Dance Dance Revolution, Guitar Hero, Cadence of Hyrule, and Hi-Fi Rush, just to name a few. Super Crazy Rhythm Castle takes the concepts from these games and creates a unique game with a lot of charm and sass that can provide hours of entertainment, both alone and with up to three friends.
The idea of the game is that you are one of four characters who set off to challenge King Ferdinand in the castle to take his crown and become the next ruler. As you enter the castle, things immediately become apparent that this isn’t going to be a simple walk in the park. The tutorial takes you through the basics, and a lot of the gameplay is done on a track like a game like Guitar Hero.
Gameplay can vary based on the different levels that you will enter in the castle. Some games are simple, in which you just tap the buttons along to the music. Others might have you destroying things or converting followers to your side or telling a story. The gameplay is never tedious, although there can be a learning curve if you want to do well in the ratings. Each level of the game is rated on a three-star level based on your performance in the level. I started the first few levels doing well with three stars, but then suddenly, I hit a level and started hitting a streak of one-star levels.
One of the bigger aspects of the game is its music selection. The genres that are covered are incredibly diverse, and you could be listening to a flamenco-style song in one moment, and in the very next moment, you’d be listening to a song that sounds like it came off a Skillet CD from the 90s or early 2000s, and then follow it up with a song that sounds like the ending credits song to an anime.
Another aspect of the game that stood out to me was the writing. The dialogue for King Ferdinand cracked me up and I was always looking forward to what he was going to say to me. The NPCs as well have clever phrases that have me chuckling throughout the game.
While the game is fun and the music is catchy, there are some issues with scaling in difficulty, especially when playing solo. I would give Super Crazy Rhythm Castle a rating of 4 out of 5 stars.
I happened to have the opportunity to go to another convention! I went for one day to GalaxyCon over in Columbus, Ohio!
According to its website, GalaxyCon describes itself this way:
GalaxyCon is a FESTIVAL OF FANDOM with celebrities, artists, writers, voice actors, cosplayers, entertainers, creators, wrestlers, fan groups, panelists, and PEOPLE LIKE YOU!!
The convention took place at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, which was a lot larger than the Expo Center that we went to for TORG. The convention was a bustling hub of excitement and creativity, with a myriad of booths and displays to explore!
I went again with my brother-in-law to this convention. My sister didn’t come along because she was sick, but I was able to meet up with Obiwan362 and some other friends to get the show on the road. My brother-in-law and I got there first and were able to stand through a LONG line that moved relatively quickly and received our lanyards.
While we waited for people to arrive, we were sitting out in the lobby and I found a group that did some cosplay as crewmates from Among Us, and OF COURSE I had to get a group picture with them. I don’t know about you, but pink seems sus.
Once we finally entered the convention, we did a lap or so around the convention center to get an idea of what was around and what we could potentially see or do. Three halls worth of artists, vendors, and more and I couldn’t decide where to start.
As we ended the first lap around the center, my brother-in-law found a gigantic replica of Appa from Avatar: The Last Airbender and you were able to pay to get a photo in front of or on top of. It was so fluffy and incredibly well made!
Near the Sky Bison was the video gaming area which was obviously an area in which I was drawn. In this area, I was able to meet the content creator Abdallah Smash who was there as a guest. I was able to challenge him to a game of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (and lost miserably) but he was great to interact with in-person and I was also able to grab three mini-figures from Super Mario RPG!
If you’re not aware from my Twitch stream, I’m a man of many hats both literally and figuratively. I was on the lookout for a unique hat that I can add to my collection to wear on stream. Thankfully one of the vendors had a bunch of Pokémon hats and I purchased a Bidoof hat! I don’t normally talk about Bidoof but it’s probably in the top ten or at least 25 of my favorite Pokémon.
It was approaching lunch time and we ended up going to lunch at the North Market, which is a marketplace a block or so from the convention center. I love going to the North Market because of how varied the food choices are there.
We returned to the convention, and I wanted to make sure to hit a few stores and see a few people! I went over to the Hero Strong booth where one of my friends was and entered a raffle and was exposed to the art that was “Cosplay Wrestling.”
I went back to Abdallah’s booth and ended up getting the other two Mario RPG mini-figures and re-challenged him but to Smash Ultimate this time. I really should practice these games more. I didn’t win again…
We ended the night by going to Pho Social and then driving home. I was incredibly energized from the experience and cannot wait for my next convention (or expo) adventure!
The convention itself was a fantastic experience, but my feet were so sore at the end of the day. I kind of wish that I was able to attend longer than I did, but unfortunately, I was unable to due to previous obligations.
Finally, enjoy some photos from GalaxyCon!
Waiting in line for a ticket/registrationThe Among Us Crew with Andy. The Andy and his brother-in-law with Appa the Sky BisonAndy and Abdallah SmashAndy and his brand new Bidoof hatAndy’s crew at lunch!Andy and Sir Lefty!An amazing Spring Bonnie/Glitchtrap/Springtrap/etc. cosplayer!Andy and the heroes of Hero Strong!An amazing Wolverine cosplayer!
American Thanksgiving is this week, and every once in a while, I like to take some time and write down what I’m thankful for in my life.
Health
Despite having a kidney stone at the end of October, I feel like I’ve been able to be relatively healthy the past few years. I’ve definitely been thankful for the Fit Fam community in my Discord, especially Zerkeo who has been solid in the commitment for fitness.
Streamer Friends
I love streaming. While it has its ups and downs it’s been a crazy experience. I don’t want to name every streamer I’m thankful for as there’d be too many and I’m afraid I’d miss one.
Stream Viewers
I’m definitely thankful for all the viewers that have taken the time to watch my streams. The viewers make the experience that much more enjoyable and I wanted to thank you for it.
Have a great Thanksgiving if you celebrate, and thank you for reading!
This past weekend (November 11, 2023), I had the pleasure of going to the TORG Gaming Expo in Columbus, Ohio! My brother-in-law found out about the expo and I happened to have the day available that I could go with him!
The expo itself was massive. It was set at the Bricker Building in the Ohio Expo Center, which held 225,000 square feet of Video Games, Comics, Toys, Art, Trading Cards and a whole lot more with over 400 vendors. I only went for the day, but they also had an after party (which from the photos looked amazing!)
We started the day with a perimeter perusal of the venue. There were a ton of retro game collectors who were selling their games and some cool companies and indie devs, etc. I didn’t purchase anything in that area, but my sister and brother-in-law who were there found some really neat things to purchase, including a gift to me of a 3D Printed Retro Rareware Logo and a Banjo-Kazooie Lenticular Art frame (they know me so well…)
There were two things that intrigued me before the convention: They were doing a competitive gaming tournament with a fair amount of retro games, including Goldeneye 007, Smash Ultimate, Space Invaders (PS1), Donkey Kong Jr. and more. The other was that they had invited four voice actors as well as some YouTube influencers as their special guests. They invited the narrator of Runner 2 himself, Charles Martinet, as well as the voice of Peach/Toad, Samantha Kelly, the voice of Bowser, Kenny James, and the voice of Rosalina, Laura Faye Smith.
So, the first thing I did after our perimeter perusal was to head to the tournament area to make sure I was signed up for the day. I went and talked to the staff and found out that the ticket I paid for was not only for one of the games but rather for all the competitive games that day. For every game you would get points based on either your high score or how you placed in the bracket. With that being said, I sat down and played Space Invaders on the PS1. Granted, I had never played this version, but I figured “How different could it be?” Let me tell you, reader, it was different. While the idea is still the same, they added things such as power ups, bosses, and a level system based on planets. I spent 45 minutes on that game and racked up a score that was over 600,000 points before I got my game over.
I went after that and picked up some lunch from a food truck outside the venue which was great. When I went back in, I went back to the tournament area to make sure I was signed in for the Smash Ultimate tournament later that day. As I approached, the guy in charge of the tournament came up to me and asked if I wanted to be in the Goldeneye 007 (N64) tournament. I hadn’t planned on participating, but I decided to join. Through some incredible luck, I happened to win the Goldeneye tournament! After that I signed up for the Smash Tournament and went to wander more.
While I was there, I was able to see my best friend from high school as well as Obiwan362 (my best friend from college and one of my Payday 3 co-hosts) and made a bunch of new friends!
After I wandered a bit, I played in the Smash tournament and lost both of my matches in the double elimination tournament. The players were really good, but I’m going to blame my loss on the fact I played with controllers I’m not used to…. I should have brought my Pro Controller (I played with Joy cons for my first match and a GameCube controller for the second).
Andy losing at Smash Ultimate
After losing, I decided that I wanted to try and get into the Charles Martinet line to meet Mario himself, but as I got up there one of the staff members made me aware that the line was closed as the convention was ending in a half hour and the line was incredibly long (It had been all day). Not letting it get to me, I ended up getting in line to see Kenny James. I went up to him and chatted and he was such a pleasure to chat with.
Andy with Kenny James, the voice of Bowser in the Mario Series
After meeting Kenny, I hopped to the next line for Samantha Kelly. As much as I love Waluigi when I play games, Peach has always been a main character of mine in Mario Party (and sometimes Kart) games. I went up to Samantha and found out that she ALSO plays the voice of Toad! With this newfound knowledge I slipped into a slight Toad voice myself and had a Toad conversation with Toad herself! This was probably the highlight of the convention for me!
Andy with Samantha Kelly, the voices of Peach and Toad in the Mario Series
The expo definitely gave me such a boost of serotonin this weekend and I’m so glad I found out about it! Unfortunately, due to other obligations I was unable to go both Saturday AND Sunday as it was a 2-day expo, but I’m hoping to go again next year! Maybe I’ll come home with a tournament championship next time! (I ended up placing 3rd overall!)
Let’s say that you’re a content creator on Twitch and/or YouTube. You’ve done a couple of streams here or there, but you noticed that there aren’t a lot of people looking into your stream? Twitch’s current platform isn’t really made for discovery, so how do you find your audience? This blog post is my advice on how you can find your audience for your content creation goals.
Know your Content
If you were asked, could you define your content in 2-3 sentences? Could you tell someone what kind of content you make in a ride up or down an elevator? Before we go and look at the stats of what you’re currently doing, it might be a clever idea to think about what you are providing for your audience. This will be the “backbone” of how you go forward in your search.
If you were to ask me what my content is, I would define my content in this way: “I create content so that I can play video games but not alone. I strive to play a lot of diverse types of games and emulate the feeling of sitting with your sibling and watching them play a game. I try to foster a sense of community and as my favorite game is Banjo-Kazooie, a lot of my content tends to lean toward games of that style.”
Do Some Research
Twitch is big. It’s really big. It’s hard to fathom sometimes how mind-bogglingly big it is. According to Twitch, there are over 2 MILLION streamers, with 10 MILLION Daily Active Users (source). There is a good chance that there are a handful of people who like the same content you do. I’ve been so amazed on the groups of people that I’ve come across in my time as a streamer on Twitch.
As an example, I’ve been a part of a few different communities:
There are content creators who also span past the few types that I’ve mentioned before. Some people are competitive eSports players, some solely do “Just Chatting” types of streams where there isn’t much if any gameplay.
If you’re not sure what attracts your community, you can do a few things. First, you can do a quick look at your Twitch/YouTube Analytics if you’ve posted a few videos or streamed a few times. Twitch specifically has some really good ways to see what viewers you have in common with other content creators.
Twitch actually has a really good tool that you can use in their analytics that tells you where your viewers come from, whether it’s from sites outside of Twitch (like on social media sites, etc.) or inside Twitch by notifications or other streamers. Check out their article about analytics, specifically their Discovery Analytics!
Andy_Bundy’s Twitch Discovery Analytics Jan 2022-Jan 2023
Another great way to find “your people” would be to go on your platform of choice and search for the games you are interested in or games that you stream. I have found so many friends by either streaming or watching games such as Banjo-Kazooie, Diddy Kong Racing, Knockout City, Fall Guys, and more!
Keep in mind the times when you stream as well. Streaming at one time might be good for one group, but time zones exist and people don’t all watch Twitch at the same time. I have viewers from all over the world, but I only see certain ones if I stream at certain times. I also am only able to watch certain streamers because of my free time for the same reasons.
Get Involved
Typically starting out you won’t have a lot of audience members. Check where other people who have similar interests are gathering, whether community Discords, forums, or other mediums like that. Don’t just go to promote your stream, though. Get involved, make friends, and become a part of the community and when you do go live, you would then be able to attract those viewers from your community.
While I do advocate to self-promote yourself, a word of caution: Don’t spam. Posting your go-live messages to streamers already live or in communities that you’re not actively involved in can be considered spammy and won’t net the viewers that you want.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it’s not beneficial to just stream if your goal is to build an audience. Taking the steps to getting involved in communities, knowing your content, and doing your research will greatly increase your viewers and community members for the content you create!
I feel like I’ve made a post like this before, but it was something on my mind and in my goal of writing two blog posts a month in 2023 I thought it would be a good way to start the year.
“You know, it’s taken me a long time to learn. It’s okay to fall, to make mistakes. I’ve made lots…The trick is to embrace your defeats as well as your victories. You pay for both in the end.”
– Willow Ufgood, Willow (2023)
I knew that I wanted to write about this subject, but I wasn’t really sure where to start. Thankfully I had some inspiration from the new Disney+ show, Willow, based off the movie of the same name.
Personally, I’ve dealt with a lot of failures and disappointments in my life. However, I’ve always liked to remember another quote from Batman Begins (2005):
“Why do we fall sir? So that we can learn to pick ourselves up.”
-Alfred Pennyworth, Batman Begins (2005)
I promise that this won’t be a blog post of just movie quotes, but those are some of the quotes that just kind of popped up in my mind as I was typing this. You may not be aware of this, but I actually took a year off of college after a year and a half of classes. It wasn’t because I wanted to, though. I had overextended myself so much that my academics suffered. I started as a Computer Science major and failed through almost all of my major classes. Even after switching majors from my advisor’s advice, it wasn’t enough and I was actually asked to take a year off to “re-evaluate” myself.
It shook me.
I didn’t go to a cheap college either. The three semesters I already accrued some debt, and I wasn’t going to just sit and take it as I moved back in with my parents. After about a half year of working at the grocery store I worked at in high school, I realized that it wasn’t what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. Because of that, I took the initiative and re-applied to the college I left. Amazingly I was able to re-attend with some tools to help and four years later I graduated from that college with my degree in Broadcasting and Digital Media, focusing in Digital Film and Video!
The story here is to say: You are going to fail. It’s inevitable. The question stands: What are you going to do with that failure? Are you going to wallow in the pity that you didn’t achieve your goal or are you going to learn from that failure and carry on? The choice is ultimately yours. Let me tell you from experience that the latter feels a lot more fulfilling.
Do you have any stories of how you overcame a failure? Let me know in the comments or let me know in my Discord Server!
2022 was a great year, and although my streaming time was shorter than in years past, I wanted to kind of give my thoughts on the top 5 games that I streamed (according to hours streamed) on Twitch this year!
5. Mario Party Superstars
Who doesn’t love a good game of Mario Party? A lot of times throughout especially the beginning of 2022, I had a ton of fun playing Mario Party boards with friends. The games were fun, and although we still don’t currently have DLC for the game, I have made some memorable moments with friends!
Huge shout out to all of the friends I played Mario Party Superstars with this year:
I think that’s my favorite part of Mario Party…playing with others…
Clip of Mario Party Superstars, clipped by me
4. Pokémon: Shining Pearl
For some reason, I skipped this generation when it originally came out on the DS. It was interesting venturing into the Sinnoh region and went in blind. I don’t know how far I would’ve gotten in the game if I had not streamed it. I can’t say that it would be my favorite generation, but I enjoyed the experience!
Clip of Pokémon Shining Pearl, clipped by me
3. Banjo-Kazooie
This obviously shouldn’t surprise anyone that Banjo-Kazooie shows up in the list of games I play the most on a stream. This year, there was a Banjo-Kazooie randomizer that was released, and I really enjoyed playing through the game in a new and fresh way. I don’t think there were any ROM hacks that I played this year, but maybe? Being the third highest in stream time, I don’t know if there was anything else, but the randomizer is worth my time. I would consider doing another seed or so in the future…
A clip from the Banjo-Kazooie Randomizer, clipped by Captain_Dyablos
2. Earthbound
I had never played Earthbound before, and it was fun taking the journey and COMPLETING the game! The humor in the game was hilarious, and the game was honestly difficult. I was thankful that I was able to finish it without too much trouble.
Clip from Earthbound, clipped by TheArcadeBear
1. Pokémon Legends: Arceus
It’s funny that this year I not only explored Sinnoh, but also its ancestor region of Hisui. This game was massive, so it’s understandable that it’s the most streamed game of mine in 2022. It was so interesting getting to see the historic region of Hisui and seeing connections to the current day, especially since I was playing Shining Pearl around the same time.
Clip from Pokémon Legends: Arceus, clipped by CurbyB0i
Honorable mentions go to Mario Party 2 (Top Game for Average Viewers) and Sonic Adventure DX (Top Game for Max Viewers) for being the top games when sorting by other data.
I’ve been so thankful this year for everyone who has participated, supported, or lurked in the streams that I’ve done this year. What were your favorite streams this year? Do you have any games you are looking forward to seeing in 2023? Are there specific games you want me to stream? Let me know! Either comment on this post, or let me know on social media!
2022 has kind of been a blur, hasn’t it? At the same time, it’s dragged on. Explain that one to me.
ANYWAY, I wanted to make a post on here and kind of recap what happened to me in 2022, and what I plan to do here in 2023. Theoretically, I should then be able to look back in a year and see if I was able to achieve the goals I’ve set. One of my friends Benjee, in their Discord, does a community “Sum Up <year>” channel every year that shows your goals and at the end of the year opens it back up as well as a new channel to set the next year. It’s a cool concept!
Here were my goals from 2021 for 2022:
Get to another convention, maybe even do another panel
Get back on the fitness train.
Do more collaborations
Make more content, not just Twitch Streams
Get back into Speedrunning again – DKR has been calling my name
Pay off more school debt
Summing Up 2022
Here are a few things that happened to me in 2022:
Went to Florida for work in January
Started going back to the gym regularly (with Discord accountability) [Goal 2]
Celebrated my dad’s 50th birthday
Ran camera and video for Country Concert 2022 (in Ft. Loramie, OH) for over 30,000 people
Did an “August Appreciation” campaign where every day in August I picked random friends off my list on Twitter and took time to let them know why I appreciate them [Goal 4]
Dressed up as an Orc to the Ohio Renaissance Festival (Twice!) [Goal 1, kinda?]
Had some great collaboration streams (through Mario Party mainly) with: [Goal 3]
CurbyB0i
Sir_Lefty
TheArcadeBear
JFriesTV
JackCox
Commentated a Diddy Kong Racing competition between TridentTail and Obiyo [Goal 5, kinda?]
Made some amazing new friends and discovered some new communities to be a part of
Witnessing my friend Obiwan362 stream 48 hours of Pokémon to both raise money for Extra Life as well as to (pending verification) breaking a world record!
Acquired a client independently for social media
While 2022 has definitely had its ups and downs, I’m happy with what I’ve accomplished!
Orc Outfit from Ohio Ren FestCountry Concert 2022!Some highlights from 2022!
Content Creation (Twitch)
Twitch has been an on and off thing for me this year. In 2022 I only streamed 82 times, but had some really good streams. I finished Earthbound, Pokemon Legends: Arceus, Shining Pearl, and Kameo! I even played some things like Mario Party Superstars and a Banjo-Kazooie randomizer!
A huge shout-out to those who’ve supported me with follows and subscriptions and all of the chat messages that you gave me this year! While I didn’t reach my 1,000-follower goal, I did get up to 885 followers on my Twitch Channel despite not streaming as much as I’d like.
2022 Twitch Recap for streaming
One of my favorite clips from 2022. Fweet Gang, where you at? Mario Party with WatermelonGhost, KirikTheOrc, and Tigre5012 (November 2022)
Fitness
July 2022 (left) vs. December 2022 (right)
It’s been quite a ride getting back into the fitness “lifestyle” and one of the biggest things that has helped me has been the #fit-fam channel on our Discord. With a special shout-out to my friend Zerkeo, I’ve posted in there whenever I have a workout and he does the same, and it’s been great being able to know that we’re both making the gains and staying consistent so we can stay healthy and in shape!
I’ve basically made my own exercises based on what I remembered from my weight lifting college classes and some of the input from friends and searching I’ve done online. I do 3x a week exercises, following a loose push/pull/leg split.
2023 Goals
Setting goals is hard. Looking at what I set for 2022, I’m honestly surprised how many of the goals I actually touched and/or completed! I know there are a few things that I have planned for the year:
Starting January 1, I’ll be opening a dedicated merch store on my website. It is hosted through Fourthwall, and will be a small way to increase some revenue as well as promote my branding in the upcoming year. You can use the “Store” link at the top of the page to visit it.
I will be directing my local community theatre’s production of Hello, Dolly! that will be performed at the end of February. It’s my directorial debut and I will be performing as the lead Horace in the production. This is a transfer from when we were supposed to put it back on in 2020.
I want to get back into podcasting. I really enjoy sitting and chatting with friends, and doing that in a podcast setting could be really fun.
I want to delve back into YouTube again…and I want to do it through weekly(?) vlogs. Back in college, I tried it and I enjoyed it. I also enjoy video blogs from people like Josh Jepson and Colleen Ballinger, so why not do it myself, at least for a little bit?
I do enjoy Twitch Streams, and I want to do them again, but I’m not sure with my schedule when those would be, especially when I start doing other shenanigans. Maybe once or twice a month?
I’m bringing back the Question of the Day bot in my Discord, which will put questions every morning to spark discussions in the server.
I realize that half of these are “I want” statements, but depending on my schedule, which seems to always be turbulent, I can’t definitively say yes or no.
Here are some other things I want to do, especially with my Discord Community:
Bring Back Movie Nights in Discord
Community Game Nights (Jackbox, Mario Kart/Party, Among Us, etc.)
Podcast Recordings (Either Twitch or Discord, not sure yet)
Voice Chat hangs (I’ve been doing this a lot in TheGigglepussGang’s Discord, and I’m really enjoying it)
I know it’s a bit early, but I like to say that 2023 is going to be the year of the Bundy! I’m excited to see what I can look forward to this year!
The Mario Kart 8 Deluxe first wave of DLC tracks released this morning and despite being out of town on a work trip, I wanted to make sure that I could at least try out each track and talk about it. There are two new cups equaling at 8 new tracks, so let’s jump in and see what there is to see!
Keep in mind that these are solely first impressions and my opinion is likely to change.
Golden Dash Cup
Course Selection Screen
Paris Promenade (Mario Kart Tour)
The first new track, Paris Promenade, from Mario Kart Tour
The first track makes Paris canon in Mario Kart, so I’m not sure how to feel about that. The course itself is fairly straightforward, at least until the last lap. There’s really only one spot I kept crashing into the side of the map near the end but they have enough arrows that I was never really lost. That being said, the third lap takes you around a totally separate route which totally messed me up. I know in Mario Kart Tour there are some alternate routes in certain tracks, but I didn’t think they’d combine them into one race. That part was a pleasant surprise!
The Eiffel Tower looks pretty great.I don’t know why but my brain kept making me hit this each lap.
Rating: 4/5
Toad Circuit (3DS)
Toad Circuit from Mario Kart 7 but HD
I remember when I got Mario Kart 7 for my 3ds. It was so exciting that I was going to be playing Mario Kart on the go and Toad Circuit was that very first track you played. (Fun fact: I’m pretty sure this course is also the practice track when you download new data in Mario Kart Tour)
The track itself is straightforward, as originally the course was an intro to the game. It looks pretty, although as detailed as the road is, the audience is still a little pixelated but didn’t detract from the overall experience, especially since I was playing in handheld mode.
Rating: 3/5
Choco Mountain (N64)
Choco Mountain from Mario Kart 64
Choco Mountain was one of my favorite tracks in Mario Kart 64. The boulders falling, the falling and having to redo the lap….this new version is also pretty similar to the Mario Kart Tour version of the same track, with the big jump over a void and the bats flying out. Again not hateful but you can definitely see the similarities. They did add a gap and a guard rail to the course so you don’t have to worry about falling off as much.
One thing I didn’t care for were the couple of places where there was a high gap and there were around 10-15 paratroopas….just staring at us. Menacingly.
Rating: 3/5
Coconut Mall (Wii)
Coconut Mall from Mario Kart Wii
I don’t know if anyone else is seeing a trend here …. but did anyone play the Mario Kart Tour version of Coconut Mall? It’s not 1 to 1, but I think that it’s influenced. One thing that’s different is that the cars at the end DON’T MOVE! They’re also piloted by Shy Guys instead of Miis, so I don’t feel bad that my Mii PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF ME AGAIN!
I also know some people were irritated by the arrows on the escalators but that doesn’t bother me. It helps me know why I’m struggling to go up/down.
Rating: 3/5
Lucky Cat Cup
Lucky Cat Cup
Tokyo Blur (Mario Kart Tour)
Tokyo Blur from Mario Kart Tour
I think I missed the part of MKT when this track was live. It was nifty. Like Paris Promenade, the course changes a lot. In fact, this one changes course each lap. I’m not sure how to feel but it did make it interesting when I thought I knew where I was going and the arrows said NOPE. The thwomps were a nice touch and it was another reminder that I still eventually want to visit Tokyo. Also Tokyo is canon in Mario Kart now.
Rating: 4/5
Shroom Ridge (DS)
Shroom Ridge from Mario Kart DS
Shroom Ridge is next. The course was neat and had some cool tricks you can perform if you’re feeling daring (and maybe have a mushroom). The aesthetic is very Mushroom Kingdom-y and blocky but I loved it in terms of upscaling a DS track.
Rating: 4/5
Sky Garden (GBA)
Sky Garden from Mario Kart: Super Circuit
So confession: I’ve never played Mario Kart: Super Circuit, so I came into this course blind. I loved the sky aesthetic of it all and the option to bounce off mushrooms and leaves was fun. This was another course with paratroopas staring at me as I drove by. *shudders*
Rating: 4/5
Ninja Hideaway
Ninja Hideaway from (I think) Mario Kart Tour. Surprisingly not labeled in-game
Okay so this one I’d not heard of. Doing some research previously links this to Mario Kart Tour. The premise of this is you’re driving through a place and basically infiltrating the shy guy encampment. The cool part of this track is the multiple routes you can take, from driving on the roofs to avoiding shurikens and shy guys who disappear and leave behind bananas. Are Shy Guys part of the Yiga Clan? 🤔
Rating: 5/5
All in all this first wave was okay. I was happy to see some new, refreshing courses in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. I’m hoping that the rest of the DLC will be this solid. I’m also hoping for Waluigi Pinball, which given the amount of tracks that were also in Mario Kart Tour, I have hope.
What did you think of the first wave of DLC tracks? Let me know in the comments or let’s talk about it in my Discord Server!
Last week was insane, hasn’t it? Between Facebook/Instagram/WhatsApp going down and Twitch’s source code getting leaked online, it’s a good reminder that all of the content that we create could be gone in an instant.
If that happens, what then?
The Facebook one kind of shook me a little bit personally. I have so much of my college life and more catalogued on there. If Facebook disappears, I lose a lot of that with it.
I’ve always been a big fan of trying out all of the platforms to see what works. I’ve been on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, MySpace, Twitch, YouTube, Mixer, and a ton more. Some have continued on and some have not.
A Screenshot from one of my first live streams on BlogTV. (Could only find the screenshot because BlogTV doesn’t exist anymore)
First and big example I can think of was back in 2011, I streamed on a little website known as BlogTV. It was super fun. Think of it as the “IRL”/”Just Chatting” parts of Twitch. I streamed there for a little bit but then they actually were disbanded (but later rebranded as “YouNow”…but not after clearing all of the archives from the BlogTV streams)
I was kind of bummed because I couldn’t go back and find these old streams. However, I started realizing that some things like Twitch Streams (where I currently stream) can be backed up on somewhere like YouTube (like my Full Twitch Stream Channel)
You have to remember too that while it’s good to backup and keep some of your content locally, you have limited space. I just recently had to delete hundreds of gigs of old live streams that I had recorded because my space was filling up. I uploaded some of them to my streams channel but not all of them, especially as some of them were bits and pieces of streams when I had incredibly old computers and spotty internet…
Anyway, putting your clips and videos on separate platforms, such as TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, etc. is good for multiple reasons. First off, you diversify and backup your content. Second of all, you reach different people. Take a look at this chart. It’s the percentage of my followers based on which platform.
While obviously my biggest follower base is in Twitter, it’s good to notice that I actually have decent bases in Instagram and Twitch as well! They’re all owned by separate people too, so it’s not like if one goes down, they all go down (like Facebook and Instagram).
So last week I went and streamed a whole 6 hours and played through Deltarune: Chapter 2, which is the sequel to Deltarune: Chapter 1 (go figure).
Here’s the full stream if you want to watch the craziness:
Full Stream of Deltarune Chapter 2 (Originally Streamed on Sep 21, 2021)
So the game is incredibly quirky. I love it. The humor is on point and Toby Fox really knew what he was doing when he made this chapter. Without going too much into it, the interpersonal relationships between all of the characters feel genuine, and I was chuckling and laughing the entire time that I’m streaming.
I was talking with a friend of mine and he did mention that I haven’t done parts of the game, so I fully plan to revisit this on stream some time in the near future. This review is going to go based on what I have experienced.
Gameplay
The RPG aspect of Undertale/Deltarune is incredibly intuitive, and I was able to get back into the hang of the game relatively quickly. At least on the Steam version, I was able to use both the keyboard and controllers (I opted for Xbox Controllers personally) in-game.
The combat is similar to the previous games in that you can either attack or perform “actions” to spare and recruit baddies to your cause. The ACT in battle is hilarious because each action is unique based on the baddy. It relies heavily on the writing, although there are some actions in which you’ll need to perform some sort of timed action, such as throwing an object or dropping one.
There are a few more mini-games in this chapter than the previous one and it’s amazing. One I noticed straight away as a clone of a well-known Nintendo IP and was enamored by it.
Music
As with Undertale and Deltarune, Toby Fox released a banger soundtrack. The music was really good with a soundtrack of multiple styles and did a fantastic job of supplementing the mood with a soundtrack that just amplified the mood. I’m eagerly waiting on YouTube Music to put the Chapter 2 Soundtrack up…I love listening to music in my car from there.
Characters
Many characters from Deltarune Chapter 1 return in this game in various forms, and there are also many new characters you’ll meet in the game. The great thing about the Undertale/Deltarune series is that each character, either player characters or NPCs, have distinct personalities.
Conclusion/Rating
This game has been a roller coaster of a ride and if I know Toby Fox, I know that I’ve only scratched the surface with what this game has to uncover. There are a few more chapters coming down the path so I’m excited to see where the story goes past this. The ending left me on a gigantic cliffhanger and while the chapter itself was only around 6 hours, I had an incredibly enjoyable time with it!
I’m going to give this game a rating of:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
4.5/5
Do you agree? What do you think of the game? Let me know in the comments or in my Discord Server!
Streaming on Twitch seems like an alluring thing, but sometimes it can be incredibly daunting to start. In this series I’m going to call Get Streaming, I’m going to go through some easy steps to get you started to stream on your favorite platform, whether it’s Twitch, YouTube or any other platform you might want to use! The great thing about streaming is that it’s basically the same, regardless of which platform you use.
Join me as we watch The Game Awards LIVE on Twitch! Based on the announcements we’ve heard, it sounds like the show is going to be a night of big surprises and more! Join me on my Twitch Channel!
I hope you’ve heard of The Game Awards, but if you haven’t, The Game Awards are an awards show similar to the Emmys and Oscars for Gaming! The Game Awards “recognizes the best video games of the year and world premieres the most anticipated games of the future.”
Join us tonight and let’s enjoy seeing who won and what’s yet to come in gaming!
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