An old chapter in my life has ended and a new one has began...

[Fuzzy Pickles!]

Life is an unwritten book, but only more so. Along with it, there are several "chapters" that define each period in a life (and for older people, that extends to many as well). Defining chapters, however, is not something that can easily be done. Most of the time, there's not a definitive point in a person's life where there's a clear beginning or ending to a part of their life. The dynamic of life doesn't allow that; usually a beginning or ending of a person's life is blurred and can't be pinpointed without some effort. As a matter of fact, real life doesn't have one chapter going on but many at the same time as there are many issues that can't properly be described in a linear format. In order to gain the full detail of life, going back and forward is the only way to begin to truly grasp how a person has truly lived. For me, I had just seen an old chapter of my life finally close and a new one that has opened up for me, but this has been a gradual one rather than one of an instant change.

Recently, I have decided it was time for me to move on from modern video game forums. Some real life issues I cannot reveal was the final trigger in this, but I have bigger reasons for why I've left them. These reasons are why me leaving video game forums is a full departure rather than a temporary mandatory absence or even just a break.

Prior to this, I was active in the character speculation scene for SSB 3DS and Wii U. I was known as someone who took it very seriously and attempted to analyze every character with a fair judgment. Heck, I was known as a speculator icon and I went against many conventional statements made by the community such as that Capcom hated Mega Man and therefore would not allow Mega Man in.

Mega Man was my very most wanted character for SSB 3DS and Wii U. Ever since I started to want characters for the game, Mega Man always was among my most wanted. He was my all-time favorite video game character and the thoughts of him being playable raced through my mind day in and day out. There was no other individual character I would buy a game for (even though that's not to say I wouldn't buy the game if Mega Man didn't get in); only Mega Man would be able to sell me Smash solely through his appearance. In the last few months before his confirmation, I had a lot of doubt in regards to him making an appearance. Despite his iconic status and being the most wanted newcomer for this game, he ran into issues with Capcom's greediness, the possibility that Capcom and Sakurai would not contact each other and his third-party status. I stressed out so much in regards to him that said doubt consumed my mind. No matter how much I wanted to deny it, I couldn't. I was considering giving up after a certain point, but yet I also couldn't do that either. My support for Mega Man extended beyond likelihood. I may not have considered him likely for SSB 3DS and Wii U, but nonetheless I continued to support him. The passion only further built in my heart and I did everything in my power to support Mega Man's inclusion, regardless of whatever doubt I had. Despite this, I almost never watched Nintendo's E3 direct.

Until June 10th of course. ChronoBound, a veterans speculator from the pre-Melee times (one of the last remaining) and a close friend of mine, contacted me asking me to do him a favor. Normally, I would have lied and said "no" since I really did not want to be crushed by a Pac-Man appearance at E3, but considering how close we were and that he has helped with some serious issues I'm dealing with (which I cannot reveal), I decided nonetheless to do him a favor; watch the Nintendo Direct and reveal to him whoever was confirmed at the Nintendo Direct.

The next morning at 8 AM, I got up, got dressed, ate breakfast, took a shower and then decided to hang out with my friends at Smashboards at Skype. It was a lot of fun, talking about Smash and other things, especially the Nintendo Direct. And then the Nintendo Direct began.

I first noticed how much the game has changed. The art style was more true to the characters, the game looked considerably better than Brawl and the combat was also more fluid. Then a newcomer was revealed in the form of the Villager from Animal Crossing. I was shocked to see the Villager in the game given that he had been previously rejected by Sakurai himself. Nevertheless, I was pleased to finally see him join the fray simply because Animal Crossing deserved a playable character. The trailer then ended with it saying it was coming in 2014. This was surprising. Why just the Villager? What happened to the likes of Ridley, Palutena or Little Mac? How come none of the obvious Nintendo newcomers were in there? It baffled me, but it lasted only a few seconds...

...until a "New Challenger Approaching!" signal emerged. There was a shadowy figure that made me wonder who that character was. That said character had messy hair as well. Was it Lloyd Irving from the Tales series? It was a possible guess from me, but then a much closer look-up unveiled something that I wanted to see most of it and that was MEGA MAN!

When he was shown, I flipped out. I couldn't control myself from screaming in pure joy as I saw Mega Man integrate so perfectly into the game. It was like a dream come true. Not only was my all-time favorite video game character in, he also was a definitive main for me. It was like he was included not only for the fans, but built in a way that almost any fan could appreciate it. To this day, I will never forget my reaction to when Mega Man was confirmed and it remains an important day in my life; for it began to close an important chapter in my life.

For a month, I tried my best to fully integrate into the new Smash 3DS and Wii U hype that was going on. I made an essay explaining why the 3DS would not hold back the roster as much as people were fearing, I switched my support to Roy, Ridley, King K. Rool, Lucario and Ike and even holding a Rate Their Chance. Effectively, I wanted to be a ChronoBound 2.0. Eventually, however, I realized that I simply did not have time to continue posting on the site and had to eventually leave and for good.

The first thing is that this coming late August, I will be starting a series of very difficult college classes for me that will only become harder with each semester. It will have Calculus, College Physics, General Chemistry, Spanish and other courses. College Physics is algebra-based, but still difficult because I struggle with conceptual math in general and as such, need to dedicate the most amount of time possible to it. Then I need to keep a very high GPA in order to transfer into a good university and I need a lot of scholarships in order to be able to afford college since my family cannot afford it. Finally, I have ADHD and I have to focus on one thing at a time in order to get it done right. When I try to focus on multiple things, it just doesn't work out. Not being on a modern video game forum makes it much easier to focus on things that are actually important and as such, should help me out tremendously.

Another thing is that is that after Super Smash Bros. 3DS and Wii U, I am done with following video games. Sure I might pick up a new Mega Man game if one is good and it comes out soon enough after a new Smash Bros. game, but at the moment, only that and Bayonetta 2 are definitely in my radar to get. I simply don't have the same interest in modern video games that I did back when I was a child or even a teenager. I also dislike the path that video games are going. Slowly but surely video games will go into a downloadable-only format. While I do understand the benefits of downloadable-only games, I don't agree with giving up physical formats entirely. I like being able to keep my games for as long as I want and being able to sell them if I don't want them anymore. I also worry about what happens to a game if they get taken off. Does that mean we can never see them anymore or play them? I don't like that concept of that and would like to find a way to keep them all in. Modern video game practices such as on-disc DLC are also turning me off from the gaming industry. My interest in video games will be restricted to older platforms, in which there is more than enough to keep me entertained for the rest of my life. I also plan on focusing on my other hobbies, such as manga, anime and musics where my primary interest in hobbies lies.

[Fuzzy Pickles!]

Also contributing is that I loathe the modern video game community for the most part. In it, many people are more concern about how powerful a system is rather than the games that come out on the platform. Particularly bad is the GameFAQs Smash Wii U community (the largest community for Smash 3DS and Wii U discussion). Most people in said vile community flock like sheep to characters and they worship recentess and sales; two things Sakurai has never said would get a character into the game. Many people care more about what characters makes recent appearance than characters that interest them. There is little passion, only "X character is relevant, so he's in! X character is irrelevant, so he's out!" Funnily enough, most people on that community doesn't understand that relevancy is synonymous to importance, not recentness and that Mega Man's inclusion flies flat in the face of recentness being a factor (because he sure as heck wasn't as prominent as he used to be, but his overall importance was more important to getting him in). It's really sad that there is no sense of community on GameFAQs, only arguing, whining, bitterness and endless drama towards each other. The polar opposite from this community really. GameFAQs has gotten so absymal that when I found out I had serious life issues to deal with, I closed my GameFAQs account and swore never to post there again. It's simply not worth repeating over and over again how Chrom isn't a shoe-in, that King K. Rool's absence from recent games doesn't hurt his chances (since there is no evidence that recentness matters in character decisions), that Ridley can fit in, that Lucario and Ike won't be replaced due to the unproven "the first and the last" pattern and that Roy does have a realistic shot of returning (as well as disproving the lies surrounding Roy). That site is nonredeemable and especially so the Smash Bros. community. If I were to ever return to Smashboards (which at least as a sense of community; more on that later), I don't plan on speculating again when all it'll do is result in pointless arguments. I have had it with GameFAQs and consider it one of the scums of the Internet (along with IGN).

Finally, I want to move on with my life. Now that Mega Man is in, I want to focus on more important goals to me. There is so much to do in life that I want to uncover that it's not worth wasting time on the Internet debating people who won't listen and prefer to use the same fallacious logics over and over again. I want to learn 日本語 (Japanese), I want to be able to live in Japan someday for at least some part of my life, I want to move out of my grandparents house and take on the world, I want to travel, there's just so many things I want to do with my life that I can't accomplish by being lazy.

I am going to miss Smashboards. Many of my closest friends were made on that site and I liked how many people on there each told a different story. For these people, their story still continues but for me, my story in regards to the Smash community has closed. On the one hand, it's the best thing I could have done, but it comes with leaving behind a community that has shaped and changed my life forever.

And this is where my new chapter begins. It will be a chapter where I seek out mysteries in my life along with fulfilling life-long goals. I want to look at my life with satisfaction despite the difficult road ahead. If I want to be successful, if I want to be myself, the time for me to do so is now, I won't get another chance.

[diehard67]

I do wish you the vary best luck in what every you take on.

[Fuzzy Pickles!]

I do wish you the vary best luck in what every you take on.

I'll still be around to post on this forum, but thanks nonetheless. Just wanted to get this out.

[Shiyonasan]

As a fellow Super Smash Bros. fan and former member of Smashboards myself, I support your decision to leave Smashboards. I'm glad you were able to make friends on there and share your fandom with fellow members on the site. Truth is, you can still love a series without being a member of a forum. Also, if you're still connected with friends on there, you can probably still talk with them without logging in to Smashboards. Plus, the site will most likely be there for years to come, so it will always be there if you ever do decide to return.

I also agree with you on the physical/digital game subject. I personally prefer physical copies of games myself. I like the idea of having a tangible version of the game, because it just makes owning the game feel that much more real. That being said, I am not totally against digital versions or downloadable versions of games. I would however dislike it if games went to digital/downloadable only because it would feel less like you actually own the games yourself.

That being said, I admire your go-getter attitude. I hope that whatever you choose to do with your endeavors, you end up being successful. I also wish you the best of luck in your upcoming classes.

Also, I think Mega Man is going to be a fun character to play in Super Smash Bros. for the Wii U and 3DS.

[Fuzzy Pickles!]

As a fellow Super Smash Bros. fan and former member of Smashboards myself, I support your decision to leave Smashboards. I'm glad you were able to make friends on there and share your fandom with fellow members on the site. Truth is, you can still love a series without being a member of a forum. Also, if you're still connected with friends on there, you can probably still talk with them without logging in to Smashboards. Plus, the site will most likely be there for years to come, so it will always be there if you ever do decide to return.

I also agree with you on the physical/digital game subject. I personally prefer physical copies of games myself. I like the idea of having a tangible version of the game, because it just makes owning the game feel that much more real. That being said, I am not totally against digital versions or downloadable versions of games. I would however dislike it if games went to digital/downloadable only because it would feel less like you actually own the games yourself.

That being said, I admire your go-getter attitude. I hope that whatever you choose to do with your endeavors, you end up being successful. I also wish you the best of luck in your upcoming classes.

Also, I think Mega Man is going to be a fun character to play in Super Smash Bros. for the Wii U and 3DS.

Even after Super Smash Bros. 3DS and Wii U are out, I plan on playing these games for many years to come. A timeless series like Smash can last forever in entertainment value. Heck, I even have a feeling that this will be the last Smash game made (or at least the last one made by Sakurai). Either way, I will definitely look forward to getting my hand on the game.

My hope is that we have a digital future in that physical format co-exist with downloadable games. Even if they end up having a big focus, having physical copies to co-exist would be nice to see. Would have the benefit of both while minimizing consequences of just having one format.

Sakurai really does know what he is doing when it comes to characters and his three selections so far have proved it. Wii Fit Trainer, a character that pretty much no one wanted, looks to play great and Mega Man turned out better than I imagined. The Villager is also turning out really well. I trust Sakurai to make the best decisions in regards to characters (and other parts of the game in general) and that Namco Bandai will be of a great assistance.

[Earthshine]

I also am a -huge- Megaman fan (a fan way before I as a fan of Astro Boy or anything else, for my fifth birthday the only thing I wanted was MMX for the super nintendo) and was very pleased to have learned about a month ago that Rock was going to FINALLY join the fight (I think I made a thread about that here). While Capcom has been treated one of their most treasured icons horridly lately I DO have hope (not faith) that things will improve as time goes on. This appearance of Rock in one of the most successful party games is a big step I think and significant.

While I don't analyze everything Capcom does or pay as close attention to the gaming industry as some other fans and question WHY WHY WHY all the time I am very happy that Rock is getting some attention.

As for the future of video gaming I am actually highly against the idea of 100% digital games stored solely on consoles, this may be because I was born during Nintendo days in the late 1980s, but then again it might just be because I don't like the idea. That or it just sounds too 'big brother' to me (forcing EVERYONE who wants to play a video game to have internet even if they don't want it).

Which puts me at odds with my fight for a better future... if all games were indeed digital we would be saving A LOT of plastic. I think it would be nice if the games were stored on a device like a USB that could be transferred from system to system and you did not need to have the system online necessarily.

I understand though why you want to move on with your life, the people on ANY video gaming forum can be acidic and venomous, basing their comments solely on their own personal opinions and feelings rather than being perfectly honest with the evidence in front of them. I've left quite a few video game forums because of the people and their attitude, comments such as "Your opinion doesn't matter and is void because I don't like it." were all too common for me so I left. That and I don't appreciate getting into a debate with people every single day, which is what happens on these forums.

So I am glad that you decided to leave those disrespectful people and move on, then again it's good to let go of anything that consumes your life so much that it prevents you from... living.

[Fuzzy Pickles!]

I also am a -huge- Megaman fan (a fan way before I as a fan of Astro Boy or anything else, for my fifth birthday the only thing I wanted was MMX for the super nintendo) and was very pleased to have learned about a month ago that Rock was going to FINALLY join the fight (I think I made a thread about that here). While Capcom has been treated one of their most treasured icons horridly lately I DO have hope (not faith) that things will improve as time goes on. This appearance of Rock in one of the most successful party games is a big step I think and significant.

While I don't analyze everything Capcom does or pay as close attention to the gaming industry as some other fans and question WHY WHY WHY all the time I am very happy that Rock is getting some attention.

The last few years were no doubt painful for us Mega Man fans. For awhile, I was worried about whenever or not Mega Man would ever return. That said, I really do think Mega Man's Smash Bros's appearance is a sign of good things to come from the franchise. Mega Man's inclusion in Smash is inevitably going to spark a lot of interest in the franchise (and along with it, a larger demand for a new game), which gives him much more publicity than he has had in years. If Capcom wanted nothing to do with the franchise, they would have said "no" to Sakurai when he approached Capcom with discussion of Mega Man in SSB 3DS and Wii U. Capcom approving this gives me a good feeling that they'll be releasing a new Mega Man game within the next few years.

As for the future of video gaming I am actually highly against the idea of 100% digital games stored solely on consoles, this may be because I was born during Nintendo days in the late 1980s, but then again it might just be because I don't like the idea. That or it just sounds too 'big brother' to me (forcing EVERYONE who wants to play a video game to have internet even if they don't want it).

Which puts me at odds with my fight for a better future... if all games were indeed digital we would be saving A LOT of plastic. I think it would be nice if the games were stored on a device like a USB that could be transferred from system to system and you did not need to have the system online necessarily.

You don't have to be a new gamer to know that going 100% downloadable only, unless made accessible to everyone, is not going to work. Gaming is a media that should be accessible to everyone, regardless of whenever or not they have internet. It may be shocking to many people, but not everyone has the internet and they shouldn't be denied the ability to play new games if they can't afford the internet. This is why I propose a future where games can be made available on both physical and digital platforms. Without it, an audience who doesn't want to nor can connect to the Internet is going to be left out.

I understand though why you want to move on with your life, the people on ANY video gaming forum can be acidic and venomous, basing their comments solely on their own personal opinions and feelings rather than being perfectly honest with the evidence in front of them. I've left quite a few video game forums because of the people and their attitude, comments such as "Your opinion doesn't matter and is void because I don't like it." were all too common for me so I left. That and I don't appreciate getting into a debate with people every single day, which is what happens on these forums.

So I am glad that you decided to leave those disrespectful people and move on, then again it's good to let go of anything that consumes your life so much that it prevents you from... living.

This is pretty much how I feel as well. I can understand debating on a regular basis if it comes to serious issues like politics and economies because being aware of major issues of today is important, but trying to "win" Internet arguments about which console is better or which character is more likely to get into SSB 3DS and Wii U is ultimately a waste of time. I don't have the time to deal with people who refuse to listen to evidence given straight at them and even if I did, I would rather use those times on my hobbies (which would be more productive overall since at least those don't require pointless debates and learning new languages is good for the brain).

[Tetsuwan Penguin]

@astarisborn94
I found this art by DrJerk on Da that I thought you'd like, so I'll post a link to it here.

It's MegaMan gone Steampunk!

[Earthshine]

That is so cool Penguin! I love seeing these little works of art that are so different from the original.