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Community Discussion: Blog by Ashley Davis | In which Ashley finally gets her Holy Grail of games (also, art!)Destructoid
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About

Awesome drawing of me by Jack Maverick!

Hi! My name is Ashley. I like video games, and to write and draw. Sometimes I combine the three. I have a huge knowledge of video game trivia and pop culture trivia in general, and I like to overanalyze things both for fun and for your entertainment.

I also like ducks and koala cookies.

My favorite game genres are puzzles, platformers, and scrolling shooters. I also really enjoy Mario Kart. But I don't like to limit myself, so I'll give anything a go at least once.

Even though my first console was an NES, I grew up mostly on the Genesis. Much of my childhood was spent playing Sonic 2 multiplayer by myself. I would switch the controller after every round and play both characters evenly so that it would always end in a tie.

I am a little shy, so you may have to prod me, but I would love to be your newest friend!

E-mail: stripedbird at gmail dot com
Gtalk: stripedbird at gmail dot com
AIM: odd looking bird
Xbox Live: Horned Child (currently offline)
DeviantArt: CLICK
Facebook: CLICK
Twitter: CLICK


Also, ducks - Duck is now living with a zookeeper in Alabama who can supply him with a bigger swimming area than a bathtub. He is in a better place, free of Zappers and laughing dogs.


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I was a Genesis kid. I had both it and the SNES, but I clung more fervently to the little black machine than anything Nintendo had to offer me. Now that I look back on it, I have more favorite games for the SNES than I do for the Genesis, but even so, I have retained a very soft spot in my heart for all things Sega.

That's why when my family chose to go the way of the N64 instead of the Saturn, an emptiness settled within me. It's not that I didn't like the N64; on the contrary, I loved the thing, and still do. It's just that I've always wanted a Saturn. When I was little, it was because I liked Sega and thought there was a 3D Sonic on the way for the console. When I was older and wiser, it was because of all the great games it had, particularly its shmups.

It would take the freedom of adulthood for me to be able to get my hands on a Dreamcast, and while it is an awesome console in its own rights, I was still left a bit empty. Today I come to you to excitedly announce that the empty space in my heart is now filled.

It all started with Sentry, who requested some artwork from me for his game store's anniversary celebration:







In exchange, I could have my choice of items from the store's stock of retro gamestuffs. The first thing I inquired about was, of course, a Saturn. And as luck would have it, he had one and was willing to make the trade!



I received the console a few weeks ago, along with a copy of Dark Wizard for the Sega CD (a console I someday wish to own as well), [img]Azure Dreams[/img] for the Playstation (awesome!), a copy of Street Fighter: The Movie: The Game for the Saturn (awesomely bad!) and a Saturn sampler CD. It's an MK-80000A model, with the logo a bit scratched, but it works like a charm and that's all that matters. I was so excited that I played all the way through the sampler (even the sports games!) and SF: TM: TG. After I was done, I quickly rushed to the Internet to order an Action Replay, thinking of all the Japanese Saturn games that I wanted to someday own.

A few days afterward, Anthony and I made a stop at our local Bookman's to see if they had any Saturn games in stock, so I could stop playing SF: TM: TG. It was mostly a few sports/fishing titles I didn't care about, but then I found this little gem:



Tengai Makyou: The Fourth Apocalypse! Sadly, I can't read a lick of Japanese, so this one will have to wait until I can/am patient enough to read a walkthrough, but from what I hear, it is a wacky, humorous game in the vein of Earthbound, which I'm all for. I also really love the 1890s wild west setting, even if it's terribly inaccurate. Especially because it's terribly inaccurate.

But this wasn't my "Holy Grail". It wasn't until yesterday that shit got real: as an early Christmas gift, Anthony got me the three games I haven't shut up about wanting ever since the Saturn arrived. As fate would have it, they arrived at exactly the same time as the Action Replay. Here's my new console family all together:



I'm now the proud owner of Gokujyo Parodius-Da! Deluxe Pack, Sexy Parodius, and Detana Twinbee Yahho-! Deluxe Pack, all in pristine condition and with their obi-strips. Now, this may not be that big a deal to most people, but I am the biggest cute-'em-up fan in the world. I love all shmups, don't get me wrong, but all my favorites are all bright, colorful and silly. That's just the way I like 'em, I suppose.

Anyway, before this point, I had only played what little of these series had come to the US and a little bit of Detana!! Twinbee, admiring everything else Twinbee and Parodius from afar. But now I suddenly have a lot more of it, and my personal Holy Grail, Sexy Parodius. I have been obsessed with the game for many years now, and have wanted nothing more than to play it on my television, to the point where I refused to even emulate it.



And holy crap, you guys. I can see why Sexy Parodius is held in such high regard. Now that I've played it for the first time, it's in the rankings for my favorite game ever. Also, I seem to be much better at Detana!! now that I've got a real console to play it on (as I not-emulated the PC Engine version beforehand). I still suck, but unlimited continues are on my side!

So, to recap, Sentry is awesome, Anthony is the best boyfriend ever, and the Sega Saturn is everything I could have ever wanted. And I own one! I finally own one!
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Apologies for being so rambly and all over the place, BUT I AM SO EXCITED
Fapped because I love Azure Dreams, and Christmas presents.
@Zodiac Eclipse: Azure Dreams is amazing. I'm saving it for when I have more free time so I can just sit and play all day. :)
Haha, that's awesome!
Looks like christmas came early for you :)
Welcome to the ranks of Saturn Owners Who Import, Ms. Davis, we're very happy to have you! :)

If you're looking for more cute-em-ups for the system, might I suggest Jikkyo Oshaberi Parodius, Game Tengoku, Cotton 2 and Cotton Boomerang. Of course, there are loads of awesome "non-cute" shooters for the system as well - check the link to the "Saturn Shooter Rundown" in my blog's sidebar if you want the full story. I can also offer suggestions for puzzlers and other stuff if you're ever interested. :) Congrats again on the acquisition!
Everybody wins! I love this!
You got a Saturn and found some great games... and Sentry got some incredibly awesome artwork!!
I'm so anxious to get my own saturn game, Gaurdian Heroes. I'm almost willing to pay the ludacris ebay price. I will not emulate it. I will not emulate.

Also, did you ever get that e-mail I sent you? I wanted to commission some art.
@BulletMagnet: Thank you! I'm so happy to finally be among you! :)

Anthony actually tried for Cotton Boomerang as well, but didn't win the auction. It (and 2) are definitely on my do want list. I will go read your Saturn shooter list (again!), and please, list any and all recommendations! Being a newbie, there is probably a lot that I don't know about!
@randombullseye: Yeah, the US version of Guardian Heroes seems to be pretty rare. It seems to be less expensive to get an Action Replay and a Japanese version, since they go for much less. I don't think there's much reading involved, so the language barrier shouldn't be a problem. I would understand if you wanted to stick it out for the US version, though.

And I apologize, but I don't think I have any e-mail from you. I went through a huge purge a little while back and accidentally deleted a lot of stuff I hadn't read (and a lot of stuff that I needed to keep :( go me), so it probably got lost then. If you wouldn't mind sending your request again, I'll take a look at it! Though I must admit, if it's something big, I might not be able to get around to it for a while; now that Once Upon a Pixel is in the upswing, it takes up most of my time. :\ But I'll try!
Everything in this article is unbelievably amazing!
Oh yes, Sexy Parodius, I was a fool back then to mock my cousin for playing it... alas, now that I know of it's wonderment I regret never touching it. My knavery level has increased tenfold, especially since he longer has his saturn, or most of his old game collection anyway.
So awesome. :D
Bookmans is awesome, nice find! :)
Awesome artwork, Ashley. I love the cutesy-ness of it all.
Also, I own Azure Dreams for the PlayStation, it is truly fantastic, and I think sort of unappreciated.
I actually read a walk through of the game the other day out of curiosity, it gets really intense in the later levels.

Let me know how it goes!
Welcome to the Saturn club. I'm on the hunt for a reasonably priced copy of Sonic Jam, but so far my collection consists of Resident Evil, Bug! and Bug! Too, all in the big, goofy American fail-boxes.
Huzzah for growing up as SEGA fangirls. Luckily, my parents got me a SEGA Genesis, Saturn and Dreamcast while I was a kid... Sonic <3

Although, the one game on the Sega Saturn that I want to play again is Bug.

Awesome drawings btw.
AMAZING! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3
Hudson Soft made an RPG? I clearly haven't been keeping an eye on that group. I honestly need to try that out, with or without a translated walkthrough to help me out.

Also, amazing story. Also, Rush sub. :D
WEE! I'm happy for you being happy!
Okay then, here are a few other offhand recommendations:

Astra Superstars - Pseudo-sequel to Waku Waku 7. Stupidly expensive, but if you find a good deal on it, snag it - if you're looking for a kooky fighting game this should be up your alley. I forget if this one requires the 1M/4M cart or not...I'm pretty sure it's optional though.

Keio Flying Squadron 2 - Sequel to the Sega CD shmup, this is actually mostly a platformer now, with a few shooter levels thrown in. Not too challenging, but endearing, goofy, and thoroughly Japanese.

Necronomicon - One of the best digital pinball games ever made - if you're into that scene, make sure you track it down. Last Gladiators, by the same developer, was released in the US and pretty easy to find, though not quite as good - Japan got a tweaked "Version 9.7" of that one, though, which might also be worth looking for.

Prikura Daisakusen - Isometric pseudo-shooter, starring a character from the Power Instinct fighting games. A little rough around the edges, but still a unique and worthwhile pickup IMO - if you're lucky, you might get one that comes with a mini-calendar (Cotton 2 had one too, IIRC).

On that note, two shooters I forgot to recommend - first and foremost, the godly Twinkle Star Sprites, which I could definitely see you and Anthony happily blasting each other out of the sky with (there's also a PS2 sequel). Second, Bokan to Ippatsu, spun off of the "Yatterman" anime - you actually play as villainess Doronjo (who also appears in Tatsunoko vs. Capcom) and her two flunkies, and battle the superheroes in their oversized mecha. There was a sequel to this, but it only appeared on the PS1.

There are a handful of other titles I thought of mentioning, but I'm saving those for an upcoming c-blog feature...hopefully the above are enough to keep you busy for a bit. :)
I want a Saturn now...My Dreamcast just feels all sad and neglected, sitting next to a 360 wondering why they can't be friends. I think a Saturn would make a great companion for him. Coupled with my sudden interest in shmups, it's only logical I hunt one of these suckers down!
A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.
So awesome! And I absolutely love that Koopa Kids piece.
@Jack Maverick: They sure did! Tengai Makyou (Far East of Eden) is actually a whole series of Hudson RPGs, though sadly most of them are only for the PC Engine. The second one is supposed to be really good, if you're interested!

@BulletMagnet: Thanks man! Those all sound wonderful; I think my collection will likely piece itself together slowly, but hopefully I'll get to play all those one of these days! I've gotta say the concept behind Bokan to Ippatsu excites me because it reminds me a lot of The Misadventures of Tron Bonne, which is one of my favorite games ever.

I especially want to experience Twinkle Star Sprites firsthand. It's a combination of my two favorite genres, and that blows my mind.

@Everyone else: Thanks for sharing in my happiness! :)
F'YEAH TWINBEE. Seconding the recommend for Keio Flying Squadron 2 that cropped up earlier; as if your collection didn't already have enough bunny girls.
@Jack Maverick: Further research shows that Tengai Makyou II had a GC, PS2 and DS release. So there's that! :O
Justice Dude said what I was going to say.

I've been to a Bookmans in Tucson twice, and spent way too much both times. Last year I got Mega Man 5 for Game Boy for $10! Amazing store.
Didn't really have time to read through your post so I just write what comes to my head, I loved the megaman art when he is inside rush or whatever the dog is called :> Reminds me of DeeDee from Dexters laboratory ^^
Awesome...I was a Genesis kid, too! It does what Nintendon't, man.
I always grew with Nintendo and always stayed that way. But I think I am a bit broken that my GameCube lasted me nothing. I only had one game (WaveRace BlueStorm) and no memory card, so everytime I fired it up I was playing it like some sort of arcade machine. Nw all the time they talk about how awesome Pikmin 2, Eternal Darknesss, Resident Evil 4 and Metroid Prime were, it makes me sad because I never had the chance to try them (except Metroid Prime, i tried only the very beginning though)

So my case is a little strange. I have always wanted a system I already had but never could take the potential of it.

Christmas is close, and GameCubes are dirt-cheap now. But I still wonder if my family will get a Nintendo Wii and I can take advantage of that.

Also, almost out of nowhere, but the Dreamcast always caught my attention, but I have never gotten one in my hands. And I never was the Sega guy. Not because I was against it, but because I rarely ever saw one.
I love my Saturn, and Sexy Parodius is my favorite Parodius game. Congrats on the great haul! You're making me jealous! :D
Also, Bulletmagnet's list is awesome, but some of those can get a bit pricey! Good luck!
the saturn is awesome for being the first dual-cpu-console :-D

if you're playing a fighting-game, each character has its own CPU, which is why it is so popular with fighting-fanatics :-) I received mine from a mate that had it tucked away in his attick, he saw what we did with the EuroNARPs and decided it would better spend the rest of its days @ Teh Lair :-)
I'm happy for you Ashley! Those are pretty amazing gifts.
I love the art- especially the look on Link's face.

And 'grats on the Saturn & games. I had a Sega Genesis when I was little too (and later an N64), and the only games I had for it were Sonic and Pocahontas. I played the SHIT out of those games, though.
I'm super green with envy and also happy with your amazing trades :D
I'm so jealous! That is beyond awesome, I was kind of the opposite of you haha I was a Nintendo guy that missed the SNES. Tengai Makyou looks crazy good, I didn't think Saturn games were that well animated. Anyway CONGRATS :D
Don't know how I missed this, but very, very awesome haul. A lot of the games you've mentioned, I haven't even heard of... but I'm dying to check them out now. I always wanted to get a Saturn for myself as well, but some other thing always came up before I could gather the money for one.

Thanks for sharing, Ashley!
Congrats to you, Ashley!

I sure wish I could draw now. :(
^_^

Sexy Kick Ass
Uhm, this is weird, i always thought Antony was your brother.


Anywaaaaaaaaay, glad you got awesome stuff for xmas.
@Camiwaits:

Girl, your shit has so much style. Keep that up, somebody better hire you. Love the Zelda one.
Sorry that you got the scratched one. The other Saturn we had at the time just wasn't running nearly as reliably.

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