🏳️⚧️ "Critical Kate” Willært
@katewillaert.bsky.social
(WILL-ert) | Investigating forgotten gaming history | Creator of the greatest Metroid video on Youtube | Asexual, autistic, artistic, 🏳️⚧️(she/her) | Linktree: https://katewillaert.com/link-tree
Pinned
Writers: repost a random piece your proud of.
On top of the collab with Kevin Bunch mentioned below, another piece I'm very proud of is this exploration of Metroid's likely-but-unconfirmed influences beyond the Alien films.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGwW...
On top of the collab with Kevin Bunch mentioned below, another piece I'm very proud of is this exploration of Metroid's likely-but-unconfirmed influences beyond the Alien films.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGwW...
Some say Flicky is the first game with an escort mission, but does it really count?
November 29, 2025 at 7:25 AM
Some say Flicky is the first game with an escort mission, but does it really count?
Has anyone ever made a list of trans video game protags? If not, suggest them below, let’s get a list happening. What’s the earliest one?
i can’t believe I’d never heard The Devil Inside (2000). Written and directed by the writer of Alone In The Dark, you play as reality TV action hero Dave, who can transform into a sexy witch named Deva by activating pentagrams found throughout the levels? How is this real? How is it so obscure?
November 28, 2025 at 4:31 AM
Has anyone ever made a list of trans video game protags? If not, suggest them below, let’s get a list happening. What’s the earliest one?
i can’t believe I’d never heard The Devil Inside (2000). Written and directed by the writer of Alone In The Dark, you play as reality TV action hero Dave, who can transform into a sexy witch named Deva by activating pentagrams found throughout the levels? How is this real? How is it so obscure?
November 28, 2025 at 4:01 AM
i can’t believe I’d never heard The Devil Inside (2000). Written and directed by the writer of Alone In The Dark, you play as reality TV action hero Dave, who can transform into a sexy witch named Deva by activating pentagrams found throughout the levels? How is this real? How is it so obscure?
Reposted by 🏳️⚧️ "Critical Kate” Willært
I love this woman's look.
1938-10-04 "Girl arrested on slot machine charge"
1938-10-04 "Girl arrested on slot machine charge"
November 27, 2025 at 10:32 PM
I love this woman's look.
1938-10-04 "Girl arrested on slot machine charge"
1938-10-04 "Girl arrested on slot machine charge"
I've been to very few big concerts in my life due to lack of funds, so this is nearly all of them:
- Roger Waters x2
- Tool x2
- A Perfect Circle
- RHCP + QOTSA (w/ opening act The Mars Volta)
- Primus + Clutch
- Roger Waters x2
- Tool x2
- A Perfect Circle
- RHCP + QOTSA (w/ opening act The Mars Volta)
- Primus + Clutch
Introduce yourself with five concerts you've seen...
Against Me (touring for As the Eternal Cowboy)
Bad Religion (Touring for Process of Belief plus 30+ more times after)
AFI (Sing the Sorrow record release show)
Refused (Glasshouse warm up for Coachella reunion)
Saves the Day (music video show)
Against Me (touring for As the Eternal Cowboy)
Bad Religion (Touring for Process of Belief plus 30+ more times after)
AFI (Sing the Sorrow record release show)
Refused (Glasshouse warm up for Coachella reunion)
Saves the Day (music video show)
November 28, 2025 at 1:52 AM
I've been to very few big concerts in my life due to lack of funds, so this is nearly all of them:
- Roger Waters x2
- Tool x2
- A Perfect Circle
- RHCP + QOTSA (w/ opening act The Mars Volta)
- Primus + Clutch
- Roger Waters x2
- Tool x2
- A Perfect Circle
- RHCP + QOTSA (w/ opening act The Mars Volta)
- Primus + Clutch
This line from Video Games (Apr 83) was too prescient. One of the more frustrating things to me about the state of video game preservation is what feels like a general lack of interest in pre-'80s games; I will never stop banging the drum about the importance of '70s games (especially Death Race).
November 27, 2025 at 11:57 PM
This line from Video Games (Apr 83) was too prescient. One of the more frustrating things to me about the state of video game preservation is what feels like a general lack of interest in pre-'80s games; I will never stop banging the drum about the importance of '70s games (especially Death Race).
Reposted by 🏳️⚧️ "Critical Kate” Willært
It's kinda like if you were born intuitively feeling like the A button should be on the right, X should be up, B down, etc. but life hands you an Xbox controller and everyone gets super weird the moment you ask about button remapping.
November 14, 2025 at 2:43 AM
It's kinda like if you were born intuitively feeling like the A button should be on the right, X should be up, B down, etc. but life hands you an Xbox controller and everyone gets super weird the moment you ask about button remapping.
Yoji Shinkawa was reading WildC.A.T.s and Sin City and other imported US comics, I’m not at all surprised he was also reading Hellboy.
(Interview from the Metal Gear Solid “Official Mission Handbook” US strategy guide.)
(Interview from the Metal Gear Solid “Official Mission Handbook” US strategy guide.)
November 27, 2025 at 9:47 PM
Yoji Shinkawa was reading WildC.A.T.s and Sin City and other imported US comics, I’m not at all surprised he was also reading Hellboy.
(Interview from the Metal Gear Solid “Official Mission Handbook” US strategy guide.)
(Interview from the Metal Gear Solid “Official Mission Handbook” US strategy guide.)
I was asked recently who is the first on-screen human male video game player character with a name who is original to video games (so not Fonz or Susuke) since I worked out the first female example, and I think the first male example might actually be Mr. Jack from Nintendo’s Sheriff?
November 27, 2025 at 9:00 PM
I was asked recently who is the first on-screen human male video game player character with a name who is original to video games (so not Fonz or Susuke) since I worked out the first female example, and I think the first male example might actually be Mr. Jack from Nintendo’s Sheriff?
Reposted by 🏳️⚧️ "Critical Kate” Willært
Happy Thanksgiving!
In honor of the FINAL WEEK before Metroid Prime 4 Beyond, here is one last Metroid Prime Hunters inspired render that I haven't posted here yet.
In honor of the FINAL WEEK before Metroid Prime 4 Beyond, here is one last Metroid Prime Hunters inspired render that I haven't posted here yet.
November 27, 2025 at 6:48 PM
Happy Thanksgiving!
In honor of the FINAL WEEK before Metroid Prime 4 Beyond, here is one last Metroid Prime Hunters inspired render that I haven't posted here yet.
In honor of the FINAL WEEK before Metroid Prime 4 Beyond, here is one last Metroid Prime Hunters inspired render that I haven't posted here yet.
Reposted by 🏳️⚧️ "Critical Kate” Willært
They really lovingly captured the look that the era of DS games like Hotel Dusk and Ace Attorney had (the pre-rendered backgrounds are a highlight for sure), but there's also references to The Portopia Serial Murder Case in here. They know ball.
November 26, 2025 at 3:04 PM
They really lovingly captured the look that the era of DS games like Hotel Dusk and Ace Attorney had (the pre-rendered backgrounds are a highlight for sure), but there's also references to The Portopia Serial Murder Case in here. They know ball.
Did I swing by a Target because I heard some Switch 2 kiosks were running the demo, only to turn up empty?
November 26, 2025 at 4:15 AM
Did I swing by a Target because I heard some Switch 2 kiosks were running the demo, only to turn up empty?
As the old saying goes, good enough isn’t, which is why Goonies was not rated ‘R.’
I think enough time has passed that we can revisit the question: 'R' Goonies, in fact, good enough?
November 26, 2025 at 4:14 AM
As the old saying goes, good enough isn’t, which is why Goonies was not rated ‘R.’
Reposted by 🏳️⚧️ "Critical Kate” Willært
All I want for Christmas is for you and two of your friends to go preorder Metroidvania: The First Decade at your favorite cool local book shop
I once asked a bookseller at a large indie store how many people would have to buy a book for it to get the attention of the store buyer and cause an additional order and they said: Three.
I see some book piracy discourse, and, to make a positive argument in favor of buying books, your marginal ability to influence what books get published and support the careers of writers you like is massive compared to most other forms of media.
November 26, 2025 at 3:14 AM
All I want for Christmas is for you and two of your friends to go preorder Metroidvania: The First Decade at your favorite cool local book shop
Here’s mine, except I don’t consider Star Wars a series of movies anymore.
1. Andor
2. Empire
3. Star Wars
4. Rogue One
5. don’t care
1. Andor
2. Empire
3. Star Wars
4. Rogue One
5. don’t care
If you want to count Spaceballs I would totally put it at number four of my personal rankings and bump everything else down, but:
1: Star Wars
2: Empire
3: Last Jedi
4: Return of the Jedi
5: Force Awakens
6. Phantom Menace
7: Solo
8: Rogue One
9: Sith
10: Clones
11: Rise of Skywalker
1: Star Wars
2: Empire
3: Last Jedi
4: Return of the Jedi
5: Force Awakens
6. Phantom Menace
7: Solo
8: Rogue One
9: Sith
10: Clones
11: Rise of Skywalker
haven’t seen ROS or Solo but this seems like a pretty ball-knowing list from Pritzker, particularly if he volunteered the name “Star Wars” rather than “A New Hope”
November 25, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Here’s mine, except I don’t consider Star Wars a series of movies anymore.
1. Andor
2. Empire
3. Star Wars
4. Rogue One
5. don’t care
1. Andor
2. Empire
3. Star Wars
4. Rogue One
5. don’t care
Okay, but when are the cowards going to drop this crop top?
November 24, 2025 at 7:55 PM
Okay, but when are the cowards going to drop this crop top?
Reposted by 🏳️⚧️ "Critical Kate” Willært
The newest episode of Otherworld mentioned this Alex Colville painting from 1976 that looks eerily like a screenshot from a PlayStation-era video game and I can’t stop thinking about it.
www.otherworldpod.com/blogs/episod...
www.otherworldpod.com/blogs/episod...
November 24, 2025 at 6:20 PM
The newest episode of Otherworld mentioned this Alex Colville painting from 1976 that looks eerily like a screenshot from a PlayStation-era video game and I can’t stop thinking about it.
www.otherworldpod.com/blogs/episod...
www.otherworldpod.com/blogs/episod...
The only useless pieces I know are the ones I literally cannot use because I’ve been sworn to secrecy.
i was going through my X archives and found this by @superpodsaga.com, which I qrt'd at some point years ago
so, let me bring the question back: what is the most useless piece of video game knowledge you know?
so, let me bring the question back: what is the most useless piece of video game knowledge you know?
November 24, 2025 at 3:20 PM
The only useless pieces I know are the ones I literally cannot use because I’ve been sworn to secrecy.
Out of curiosity, do I have any followers who are familiar enough with Applesoft BASIC to be able to understand an odd bit of NPC behavior that's likely determined by a combination of hidden dice roles and dialogue choices?
November 23, 2025 at 7:12 PM
Out of curiosity, do I have any followers who are familiar enough with Applesoft BASIC to be able to understand an odd bit of NPC behavior that's likely determined by a combination of hidden dice roles and dialogue choices?
One day kids are going to tell each other the month of November is nicknamed Black Friday because it’s the second to last month or the year as Friday is the second to last day of the week.
November 20, 2025 at 11:30 PM
One day kids are going to tell each other the month of November is nicknamed Black Friday because it’s the second to last month or the year as Friday is the second to last day of the week.
Reposted by 🏳️⚧️ "Critical Kate” Willært
Only 7 days left to join the crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter for not one, but two books: Stage 3 of the Video Games series and Rebels, Pirates and Tentacles: The Story of LucasArts.
What are you waiting for?
www.kickstarter.com/projects/110...
What are you waiting for?
www.kickstarter.com/projects/110...
Video Games: Stage 3 and The Story of LucasArts
Stage 3: From 1985 until 1989 - Rebels, Pirates and Tentacles: The Story of LucasArts
www.kickstarter.com
November 20, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Only 7 days left to join the crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter for not one, but two books: Stage 3 of the Video Games series and Rebels, Pirates and Tentacles: The Story of LucasArts.
What are you waiting for?
www.kickstarter.com/projects/110...
What are you waiting for?
www.kickstarter.com/projects/110...
To raise awareness that today is Transgender Day of Remembrance, which closes out Transgender Awareness Week, I present to you a thought:
If Birdo doesn't lay eggs and is canonically trans, and Yoshi does lay eggs, have we considered that Yoshi is also trans?
If Birdo doesn't lay eggs and is canonically trans, and Yoshi does lay eggs, have we considered that Yoshi is also trans?
November 20, 2025 at 4:59 PM
To raise awareness that today is Transgender Day of Remembrance, which closes out Transgender Awareness Week, I present to you a thought:
If Birdo doesn't lay eggs and is canonically trans, and Yoshi does lay eggs, have we considered that Yoshi is also trans?
If Birdo doesn't lay eggs and is canonically trans, and Yoshi does lay eggs, have we considered that Yoshi is also trans?
I just learned that John Carmack misgendered and deadnamed Rebecca Heineman in his "tribute" over on Twitter. He probably thinks it's okay when talking pre-transition days, but FYI, most trans people hate that. Worse, he never calls her "she," switching to "they" for recent memories. Fuck that guy.
November 20, 2025 at 4:35 PM
I just learned that John Carmack misgendered and deadnamed Rebecca Heineman in his "tribute" over on Twitter. He probably thinks it's okay when talking pre-transition days, but FYI, most trans people hate that. Worse, he never calls her "she," switching to "they" for recent memories. Fuck that guy.
Reposted by 🏳️⚧️ "Critical Kate” Willært
look ma, we're trending on bluesky
Bluesky's Top 10 Trending Words (past 60min):
💨x1* - democracy 🔓
💨x1* - ukraine 🔓
💨x1* - gaza 🔓
💨x146 - cloudflare
💨x104 - 1﹐613
💨x76 - olbermann
💨x66 - piggy
💨x60 - demonschool
💨x57 - cloudfare
💨x50 - neutra
*🔓 = Unlocked Emergency Words (see img)
#FreePalestine 🇵🇸
(Something not right? Reply!)
![Emoji Legend
💨x# | "Increased Trending Rate" for a Word (meaningful value; "💨x8 - burger" will mean "burger" is trending at 8 times its own normal rate for this time of day)
🔓 | "Unlocked" Ongoing Emergency Word (such words are not weighted down by their own previous usage; their *ongoing* increased usage--weeks, months, years--would otherwise move them down the list.)
[PREVIOUSLY USED]
⚠️💨# | "Trend Strength Rating"
⚠️🌀💨 | "Trend Strength Rating" (see above)
⚠️🌀 CAT. # | [same; "CAT." = Category, like hurricane]
💬# | 10min Post Count
🆎# | 10min Word Count
🙂# | 10min Emoji Count](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:k43ha6nlknmdw4owymqnvcat/bafkreigp6bgag3jzkool6uxrujpcrwtn6zkd7cbfrmevhaxaqhhewgolmu@jpeg)
November 18, 2025 at 6:49 PM
look ma, we're trending on bluesky
Words fail me.
All raise a sword, for the Goddess of Stories, Jennell Jaquays, as she ascends to Valhalla to share tales of bravery and mirth, forever @dark-towers-mom.bsky.social
November 18, 2025 at 4:38 PM
Words fail me.