riostarwind

All weekend during my stream I'm offering up my artistic talents for anyone who donates $20 (For some artwork featuring your chosen character.) or $40 (for a duo) Make sure to mention your username when donating so I can get back to you to see what you would like me to draw. Link to my Pixiv account Check out this link if you want to see my art style. Donate to a good cause and get some fun art in return. Everyone wins!

I also have a donation to interup whatever I'm playing with some Elden Ring. Every $10 up to 10 hours will start me down the path of the darkest timeline. No one will survive.

If you want to either of these bonuses makes sure to donate here ->Donate to Rio's Pencils of Promise Fundraiser! Thanks for reading this. ^_^

Hi GB community! Resident silent mod Rio here to point out that my stream is starting soon. (In an hour) Check it out below and donate if you can.

Tiltify - Rio's Support Of Abortion Rights

I wanted to point out that I'm offering my usual incentive all weekend. If you want me to draw a character or two, then a donation of $25 (For one) $50 (for two) will get you some nice artwork in return for helping this very important cause. Some recent examples below.

Gallery

@zombiepie: I did indeed play Crisis Core during the Community Endurance Run last year. I didn't finish the game, so I guess that says something about it. While the combat is fine the overdramatic story is what I remembered the most from it. Which is exactly what Stanger in Paradise seems to be doing too. Unsure which of the three paths it is going down but I certainly agree that it'll likely be a super fun time thanks to the super serious looking story that might be unintentionally hilarious.

• RioStarwind's Donation Page
• Date: Nov 5,6,7 2021 10:00AM EST to 6:00PM EST each day
• Twitch
• Donation Incentives: $25-35 Donations can request me to draw them some artwork of a character they like. I also have a extra incentive that I'm not going to promote at all. So definitely don't look at my page and 100% don't make me do that.

Ben has always brought some chaotic energy to anything he has done. Sad to see him go since I did enjoy just about everything he been apart of during his time at Giant Bomb. Good luck with whatever else you plan on doing Ben. See you space cowboy.

Rio's Game Of The Year List Version 1.0

When I first thought about what games I played this year I didn't think I would be able to finish a top ten. Yet that was proved wrong once I went over the games that came out this year. A good amount of great games that I didn't get around to this year either.

	1. Hades It's rare to see a game that is just super fun to play. No matter what set of variables come my way I was able to fight my way through them. Each run feels unique thanks to the selection of weapons and challenges that kept me entertained for hours. Plus the fact I played this a lot when it was in early access and after it was released I played it even more says just about everything you need to know. Sure it doesn't hurt that it has a great presentation and some rocking music. All in all a fantastic game. That is why it is my Game Of The Year.
	2. Genshin Impact Like #1 this is a game that I just keep playing. Doesn't hurt that the devlopers keep adding to the game every few months. Plus it's just a great pick up for 30 minutes game and then put it down again. I've had less time to play games lately so it's nice to have a game like this one. Doesn't have the most unique combat system yet the nature of exploring the world is what I ended up enjoying the most. Sure I was mostly just going around collecting random stuff but it just felt right to me. Thus it is my second favorite game this year.
	3. Final Fantasy VII Remake The gigantic task of remaking this game must have been a nearly impossible. Yet it came out and was really good. Paying homage to the original while still adding in new elements worked out for Square Enix. I very rarely play all the side quests in a RPG. But I did that in this one even when they weren't that great. I just wanted to see more of the city of Midgar again. The action based combat and the very challenging boss fights make this a very memorable game. So it's my third favorite game this year.
	4. Hatsune Miku: Project Diva Mega Mix Sega has been making Project Diva games for a while now. They don't really change much from one to another. The rhythm gameplay is still the same as always. Yet the song list changes and surprising enough the new cel shaded art style makes everything a bit more vibrant than before. Solid list of songs and a new mode to use the joycons made this a game I played for a while. For something so high on this list it may sound a bit basic. Yet I really needed something upbeat and positive.
	5. Astro's Playroom A solid platformer that uses nostalgia very well. Plays well too with simple platforming challenges and a good use of the new controller. It may not be complex or long but I just had a smile on my face the entire time. This very much seems like the first big nostalgia play Sony has ever done. Maybe that's why it effected me so much.
	6. Streets of Rage 4 I find it's very hard to make a good feeling beat em up these days. Finding the balance between not just letting your players break the game is not easy. This game manages to do that with the ablity to combo some fools for quite a while with the right mix of special moves. Especially when playing in coop. Enjoyed playing this game that I beat it multiple times which is very rare for a game like this. That is the main reason why this is so high on this list.
	8. Granblue Fantasy: Versus I love fighting games. Not very many came out this year. With this one being the only one on my list. Arc System Works has been trying to make more fighting games that anyone can play. Which always is a double edge sword. But for someone that likes to just jump in for a while it works pretty well. Let's me do some neat combos without to much practice. The story mode in this one is a bit of a let down but the overall fighting system is what I enjoyed the most. Well that and the very well done anime art style that they continue to improve on each time they make a new game.
	7. Ori and the Will of the Wisps Ori 2 really just does everything the first game did but better. All the tools that Ori has now feel great to use. The new 3D art style is just as beautiful as before. Each new area challenged me in a new way. Plus a very well done ending too. All together a great little video game that hit all the right notes.
	9. Bugsnax For a game that I somewhat expected it to be a lighthearted fun time it ended up being a lot more than what it appears to be on the surface. A deep look into a bunch of messed up relationships with some silly bugsnax's shenanigans on the side. None of the gameplay is very complex at all but the slowly revealing nature of the island and it's inhabitants kept me hooked till the end. A worthwhile little adventure that I enjoyed. 10. Helltaker A surprising little game that does more than the free price implies. A silly little story about a idiot protagonist trying to start a demon harem is pretty dumb. Yet the silly humor works most of the time and the block puzzles are fine too. The presentation and music go a long way to make it memorable too. Which is why it managed to barely get on my list this year

The first chapter got me hooked. Seemed like a well presented little puzzle/adventure game. Feels like every other game I've played this year has been inspired by Lovecraft fiction in some way. If only it didn't crash after the first chapter for me on PC I would likely play through the entire game.

@rorie Thanks Rorie, I really should have made a Extra Life thread at some point. Assuming everything goes well I'll be more vitalized for Extra Life next year.

SITE USERNAME: Michael Holbrook

LINK TO TWITCH OR YOUR STREAMING CHANNEL OF CHOICE: https://www.twitch.tv/riostarwind

LINK TO YOUR EXTRA LIFE FUNDRAISING PAGE: https://www.extra-life.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.participant&participantID=408316

DATE STARTING: Nov 6,7,8

TIME STARTING (WITH TIME ZONE): 10:00 AM EST each day till at least 3:00PM EST

Bonus Incentive: I'll draw some artwork for anyone that donates $25. You can see more details on my Extra Life/twitch page.

I was feeling quite crazy for a bit back when the virus first started to get serious in the US. It really seemed like me and my Dad were almost the only ones wearing masks whenever we went out. It was only after our governor decided to mandate everyone have masks indoors that it has been more consistent. At least at grocery stores everyone has their masks on now. Getting some fast food has been rather hit or miss. While not perfect the fact I see more people with masks on now is a win in my book.

I'll be curious to see how this experience plays out. I do think you can find a great low budget visual novel but it might take some work.

Hm, some nice cg artwork can be used effectively to break up the sameness of a visual novel. So it does seem bad when you can include all the "good" scenes in one blog post.