namuwonderling's art Reviews on Newgrounds

[tags arent important]

So on one hand, Yerself is majorly depressed about being dumped by his wife and expresses it like most people do.

But on the other hand, he has a full-on Joker arc.

MidTierArtist responds:

no shit but youre a wee bit wrong
its another version and this one is a mix of beta luigi and yourself yeahhhh babyyyyyy

[Sorceress Vivian]

This. Is. In-CREDIBLE!

It's clear you possess some exceptional skills in the art of character design, because this is a 10-outta-10 at first sight; the look and feel of Vivian's new outfit and accompanying staff is unique whilst still encapsulating the bass fundamentals of the Mario aesthetic.

Vivian being rendered as a low-poly 3D character beautifully accentuates said aesthetic; it makes the design appear as if it were a proof-of-concept for a 3D Mario RPG made sometime after the success of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.

I wish Nintendo wasn't so strict about Mario fangames, because I would absolutely play a Mario fangame that looked like this and had Vivian as a playable character / party member.

[Aiden Etch Dee]

As I scrolled down on this, my eyes instantly caught notice of an ADHD tag in the Credits & Info section. I feel obligated to say somethin' like "Hello fellow neurodivergent artist!" 'cus for me, it's a surprise to bump into other neurodivergent people online; and in regards to Aiden's explicit purpose as a character, it adds a lot of relatability to some of the mental health struggles she embodies.

With that mini-ramble aside, time for me to do some actual critiquing. Since ADHD's been mentioned, I'll start off with Aiden's name; I love it. It took me speaking her name outloud in my head to realize that her full name's a somewhat subtle corruption of the pronounciation for ADHD, which is some great attention to detail without being *too* on the nose about it. Without that context, I doubt most people would surmise what Aiden's full name is supposed to mean.

Now, as for her design, I like it as well. For a vent character, she doesn't come off as overwhelming edgy, which is apparently a common trend amongst these types of OCs; I'd say she'd look right at home in some location reminiscent of psychological horror games like Silent Hill 2 or In Sound Mind. I can imagine Aiden would likely be in need of a hug or some positive affirmations.

The only part of her design that confuses me a bit is the bloodstained slab of metal. The third image has me thinking its supposed to part of some torture device, while the first one makes it appear as a weapon that Aiden could use as a form of self-defense. If the latter is true, I think the metal slab having a makeshift handle on one side would make for a relatively decent sword design.

And that pretty much sums up my thoughts on this character. Overall, she's a good OC in my eyes; has a great name and a horror-esque design that doesn't fall on edgy OC tropes from back in the day when those were popular.

CacklingPumpkins responds:

Thanks! And I appreciate the critique. As for the blade that's meant to be the blade of a guillotine. It's a cursed object that's a constant reminder of her pain. The blood on it is her blood. It's usually right at her neck like a guillotine is meant to be. But it can be removed though never truly gotten rid of.

But she does need it as if she doesn't for too long she goes feral. Think of the blade like the cap of a bottle. If it isn't there then everything could leak out. Much like someone who bottles up their emotions. She starts to act more animalistic when it's gone for too long.

[all you can eat]

I like this design! The incorporation of candy and sugary stuff's pretty unique and greatly emphasizes Mr. T's role as a character. He certainly looks more demon-like now.

[PNG's eye [and speech]]

I don't know if my Mario's Madness brainrot is getting worse, but I'm certain that PNG's speech is supposed to be a somewhat subtle reference to Ultra M's brief speech from All-Stars (Act 4).

I'm a fan of PNG's eye looking directly into the camera, for it makes his dialogue hit harder; it'd feel as if he's directly speaking to you whenever you glance at this.

MidTierArtist responds:

PNG is trying to help the lad to cope with depression
with the Boyfriend here being Yourself
yes its a reference to Ultra M's brief speech

[that part of silly billy where yourself gets smol]

My personal headcanon for this guy is that he comes from an alternate timeline that's identical to Yerself's, albeit it all takes place in the Madness Combat universe.

I can imagine him appearing through some type of portal while Yerself vanishes somewhere into the distance, before the latter eventually returns to the song's backdrop.

MidTierArtist responds:

*inhale*
c o r r e c t !