Kyle Labriola

@kylelabriola

blogging (ashamedly)

he/him
blueberrylemonade.pika.page/

Hello! I'm an artist, writer, and game developer. I work for @7thBeatGames on "A Dance of Fire and Ice" and "Rhythm Doctor."

I run @IndieGamesofCohost where I share screenshots and spotlights of indie games. I also interview devs here on Cohost.

Kyle Labriola @kylelabriola11/21/2023, 12:59 AM

The Tangled Blankets of Nostalgia

Memories of the good old days might be holding me hostage

I've made it a yearly Thanksgiving tradition to write a piece about something that's been on my mind all throughout the year.

In 2018, I wrote about what I found so unsettling about Super Mario 64. Funnily enough I didn't even notice all the creepypasta culture stuff start popping off for this game until after I had written it, so I guess we were all on the same wavelength lol.
In 2019, I wrote about Slay the Spire and how the roguelike genre is the match I've always been looking for to aid my short gaming attention span
In 2020, I wrote about Persona and public transit.
In 2021, I wrote about wishing to escape the gender binary, even as a cishet guy.
In 2022, I wrote about my difficulty with Dark Souls, and the feeling that my ability to learn is slipping away from me.

This year, I kept thinking about nostalgia, digital media, and things that make me feel complacent.

You can read The Tangled Blankets of Nostalgia over on my Medium

(i'll port it over to its own cohost post on thanksgiving i think)

Figured I'd share with you all a few days early, since you might be into it. Would love to hear thoughts!

#blogofkylelab #nostalgia

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in reply to @kylelabriola's post:

GFD @GFD11/21/2023, 1:07 AM

i am curious to know if all your critiques of NASB are aimed at the second game as well, or just the first

Kyle Labriola @kylelabriola11/21/2023, 1:09 AM

It's funny because i feel like the second game was announced and released within the timeframe that i wrote this ahaha. The scrappiness of the execution was mostly aimed at the first game but everything else about the premise and hype and intended audience applies to both, imo.

Binary @binary11/21/2023, 2:40 AM

Good post. Think a lot about how it's so easy nowadays to like, never have to branch out at all.

Kyle Labriola @kylelabriola11/21/2023, 2:47 AM

Yeah definitely. Now you have to make a concerted effort to "be the type of person who would branch out."

Iro @Iro11/22/2023, 5:37 PM

Great post. I've been thinking lately about how it would be much (heavy scare quotes) "easier" to just be A Marvel Guy or Star Wars Guy or what have you, because then I wouldn't have all that mental load around looking for new things to enjoy or escaping the nostalgia blanket; I could simply hoot and holler over the stuff that's been around forever and is now too big to fail.

Kyle Labriola @kylelabriola11/26/2023, 6:15 PM

Absolutely. Marvel, DC, Star Wars, Mario, Zelda, Pokemon, and D&D kind of jump to my mind as the IP with neverending content. It's a huge load mental load off your shoulders to just saddle up with one of those and not complain.

And honestly, as long as the creative teams on those things are allowed to do interesting experimental stuff with it, I don't terribly mind, but.....................if we have all that stuff, what motivates us to find anything new? It sucks.

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