Lawrence M. (WingedRegent)
@wingedregent.bsky.social
Narrative Team - @staroath.bsky.social | FGC Commentator (SF/Tekken/VF) | Interviewer | Narrator | Editor/Writer | Game Journalist (Screen Rant/Skybox)
Email: [email protected]
Greetings and salutations~!
Email: [email protected]
Greetings and salutations~!
Pinned
AI Could Never BONUS STAGE (we had more pieces than days in the week!)
AI Could Never: Journey by @wingedregent.bsky.social
"Could the plagiarism machine craft an experience like Journey, one conceived as an 'act of rebellion' against the other art of its age? No."
Read on:
AI Could Never: Journey by @wingedregent.bsky.social
"Could the plagiarism machine craft an experience like Journey, one conceived as an 'act of rebellion' against the other art of its age? No."
Read on:
AI Could Never: Journey
A feature in our AI Could Never series about Journey, an "act of rebellion" in video game form.
skyboxcritics.com
Guess who's back~? My first byline since my days at Screen Rant in 2023, and I come out swinging. I discuss Journey, the personal experience I had with the game, and how AI Could Never replicate something so antithetical to what video games are or have become.
For the morning audience, I've done a deep dive into fighting game preservation, its hurdles, and the various manners in which it exists. It's a look at its dire state, the reliance on emulation, and how making a "definitive" version sometimes gets overlooked.
Pic = Article Inspiration
Pic = Article Inspiration
November 13, 2025 at 3:32 PM
For the morning audience, I've done a deep dive into fighting game preservation, its hurdles, and the various manners in which it exists. It's a look at its dire state, the reliance on emulation, and how making a "definitive" version sometimes gets overlooked.
Pic = Article Inspiration
Pic = Article Inspiration
Reposted by Lawrence M. (WingedRegent)
Please back us at patreon.com/skyboxcritics so we can bring you more great pieces like this 💟
Independent sites depend on support, and you get a lot of great stuff for very little money
Independent sites depend on support, and you get a lot of great stuff for very little money
November 12, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Please back us at patreon.com/skyboxcritics so we can bring you more great pieces like this 💟
Independent sites depend on support, and you get a lot of great stuff for very little money
Independent sites depend on support, and you get a lot of great stuff for very little money
Been a long time coming, but my latest article for @skyboxcritics.com is finally live, and in it, I tackle the dire state of fighting game preservation over the years. For my FGC folks out there, this one's for you. :)
Fighting game preservation and the tyranny of choice by @wingedregent.bsky.social
"As fighting games grow, that history is scattered in some places and left behind in others, leaving us with an incomplete picture of various revisions and re-releases. But it doesn’t have to be that way."
Read on:
"As fighting games grow, that history is scattered in some places and left behind in others, leaving us with an incomplete picture of various revisions and re-releases. But it doesn’t have to be that way."
Read on:
Fighting game preservation and the tyranny of choice
A deep dive into the issues with game preservation as they appear in the fighting game scene.
skyboxcritics.com
November 12, 2025 at 12:32 AM
Been a long time coming, but my latest article for @skyboxcritics.com is finally live, and in it, I tackle the dire state of fighting game preservation over the years. For my FGC folks out there, this one's for you. :)
Kazuchika Okada being Gedo's "guy" for Hiroshi Tanahashi's final match at Wrestle Kingdom 20 is a solid pick. The Rainmaker Shock led to one of NJPW's most important stories of the modern era. Now, we get its final chapter.
Okada/Tanahashi at WK20. One final time.
#WrestleSky
Okada/Tanahashi at WK20. One final time.
#WrestleSky
November 8, 2025 at 11:15 AM
Kazuchika Okada being Gedo's "guy" for Hiroshi Tanahashi's final match at Wrestle Kingdom 20 is a solid pick. The Rainmaker Shock led to one of NJPW's most important stories of the modern era. Now, we get its final chapter.
Okada/Tanahashi at WK20. One final time.
#WrestleSky
Okada/Tanahashi at WK20. One final time.
#WrestleSky
For anyone wondering why so many fans seem to be disillusioned and boycotting RGG Studios lately, this piece by @ashlikeadragon.bsky.social is a well-researched breakdown of the situation around Yakuza Kiwami 3 while highlighting a cultural divide in how certain offenses are handled or viewed.
Hamazaki Has To Goh - where does Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio draw the line on casting, and why is it not at sexual assault? by @ashlikeadragon.bsky.social
"it’s particularly insulting and disgusting for him to be cast in a series that has historically featured sex pests being (rightly) beat up"
Read on:
"it’s particularly insulting and disgusting for him to be cast in a series that has historically featured sex pests being (rightly) beat up"
Read on:
Hamazaki Has To Goh - where does Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio draw the line on casting, and why is it not at sexual assault?
A look at the bizarre decision to cast Teruyuki Kagawa's in Yakuza Kiwami 3, through a lens of previous re-casting decisions from RGG Studio.
skyboxcritics.com
November 7, 2025 at 11:11 PM
For anyone wondering why so many fans seem to be disillusioned and boycotting RGG Studios lately, this piece by @ashlikeadragon.bsky.social is a well-researched breakdown of the situation around Yakuza Kiwami 3 while highlighting a cultural divide in how certain offenses are handled or viewed.
#DBXV2 has its hooks in me yet again. I will never not be impressed by how long this game has maintained a sense of longevity. For all of its flaws and limitations, especially coming from a PS3 (!!) game in XV1, the game still has a really strong amount of things done well in relation to your CaW.
November 1, 2025 at 11:15 AM
#DBXV2 has its hooks in me yet again. I will never not be impressed by how long this game has maintained a sense of longevity. For all of its flaws and limitations, especially coming from a PS3 (!!) game in XV1, the game still has a really strong amount of things done well in relation to your CaW.
Not only is my name in the Credits for SamSho 2019's Rollback Update, but I'm also now in VF5 REVO's World Stage Mode! If you told me as a kid I'd have my name in *two* different fighting games, let alone in my favorite series (VF), I'd think you're out of your mind. :)
October 31, 2025 at 8:22 PM
Not only is my name in the Credits for SamSho 2019's Rollback Update, but I'm also now in VF5 REVO's World Stage Mode! If you told me as a kid I'd have my name in *two* different fighting games, let alone in my favorite series (VF), I'd think you're out of your mind. :)
Figured I'd throw it out there, but if you're looking for a writer, editor, commentator, or even a community/social media manager, I'm open and looking for work! Email's in my bio, so feel free to reach out!
Happy Labor Day, and in the spirit of Labor Day, I figured I'd put myself out there for work. If you or anyone you know is looking for a writer, editor, or a commentator of five years primarily within the FGC, then feel free to hit me up! I'll leave some links in the thread here of work I've done.
October 28, 2025 at 11:39 PM
Figured I'd throw it out there, but if you're looking for a writer, editor, commentator, or even a community/social media manager, I'm open and looking for work! Email's in my bio, so feel free to reach out!
In light of Itagaki's passing, I contributed a blurb to Skybox's tribute of a visionary of the gaming industry. I grew up around both Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive, and to say his impact is felt to this day understates the genius behind both.
“My life was a series of battles. And I kept on winning.”: Skybox remembers Tomonobu Itagaki by @edgarallanbro.bsky.social feat. several Skybox contributors
"Tomonobu Itagaki was a rock star. Maybe our last one."
Read on:
"Tomonobu Itagaki was a rock star. Maybe our last one."
Read on:
“My life was a series of battles. And I kept on winning.”: Skybox remembers Tomonobu Itagaki
A tribute to Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive director Tomonobu Itagaki from multiple Skybox contributors.
skyboxcritics.com
October 20, 2025 at 9:00 PM
In light of Itagaki's passing, I contributed a blurb to Skybox's tribute of a visionary of the gaming industry. I grew up around both Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive, and to say his impact is felt to this day understates the genius behind both.
The recent Miyamoto thing about IPs making the rounds enforces three things:
1. Always read the actual article, not the headline or synopsis given to you.
2. Always check your sources.
3. It's really not that important to react so quickly to something to get your dunks out.
1. Always read the actual article, not the headline or synopsis given to you.
2. Always check your sources.
3. It's really not that important to react so quickly to something to get your dunks out.
October 19, 2025 at 10:52 PM
The recent Miyamoto thing about IPs making the rounds enforces three things:
1. Always read the actual article, not the headline or synopsis given to you.
2. Always check your sources.
3. It's really not that important to react so quickly to something to get your dunks out.
1. Always read the actual article, not the headline or synopsis given to you.
2. Always check your sources.
3. It's really not that important to react so quickly to something to get your dunks out.
Worst: Dragon Ball Z Taiketsu on the GBA.
Most Disappointing: Mighty No. 9.
Both games touch different ends of that spectrum, but DBZ Taiketsu is just a very badly put-together game with stiff controls, ugly character models, lackluster roster, and an uninspired combat system.
Most Disappointing: Mighty No. 9.
Both games touch different ends of that spectrum, but DBZ Taiketsu is just a very badly put-together game with stiff controls, ugly character models, lackluster roster, and an uninspired combat system.
What's the worst game you finished/rolled credits on?
(games media folks, it can't be something you were assigned to review; this has to be something you subjected yourself to of your own free will)
(games media folks, it can't be something you were assigned to review; this has to be something you subjected yourself to of your own free will)
October 15, 2025 at 1:11 AM
Worst: Dragon Ball Z Taiketsu on the GBA.
Most Disappointing: Mighty No. 9.
Both games touch different ends of that spectrum, but DBZ Taiketsu is just a very badly put-together game with stiff controls, ugly character models, lackluster roster, and an uninspired combat system.
Most Disappointing: Mighty No. 9.
Both games touch different ends of that spectrum, but DBZ Taiketsu is just a very badly put-together game with stiff controls, ugly character models, lackluster roster, and an uninspired combat system.
Currently playing:
- FFXVI. Just started in earnest. Already enjoying Cid's characterization in this game + Benedikta's made an early impression as an antagonist for me. Getting used to the combat.
- NG Ragebound. The art-style's a treat, and the game feels smooth.
- SONIC RACIIIIIIIIIIING!!!
- FFXVI. Just started in earnest. Already enjoying Cid's characterization in this game + Benedikta's made an early impression as an antagonist for me. Getting used to the combat.
- NG Ragebound. The art-style's a treat, and the game feels smooth.
- SONIC RACIIIIIIIIIIING!!!
October 9, 2025 at 10:14 AM
Currently playing:
- FFXVI. Just started in earnest. Already enjoying Cid's characterization in this game + Benedikta's made an early impression as an antagonist for me. Getting used to the combat.
- NG Ragebound. The art-style's a treat, and the game feels smooth.
- SONIC RACIIIIIIIIIIING!!!
- FFXVI. Just started in earnest. Already enjoying Cid's characterization in this game + Benedikta's made an early impression as an antagonist for me. Getting used to the combat.
- NG Ragebound. The art-style's a treat, and the game feels smooth.
- SONIC RACIIIIIIIIIIING!!!
Buddy of mine is looking for an outlet that's got an opening for a review for "Demonschool". If anyone who sees this has a spot for that, reach out to Ashley.
does anyone know if there are any sites still looking for a reviewer for demonschool? boosts would be appreciated! 💜
September 27, 2025 at 7:11 PM
Buddy of mine is looking for an outlet that's got an opening for a review for "Demonschool". If anyone who sees this has a spot for that, reach out to Ashley.
I feel like the only one who actually enjoyed the Virtua Fighter Special Stage, but I think it's because I kept my expectations specifically on them doing what they did: breaking down the gameplay systems. I liked seeing the devs explain the new mechanics/systems + philosophy. Looked great to me.
September 25, 2025 at 9:11 AM
I feel like the only one who actually enjoyed the Virtua Fighter Special Stage, but I think it's because I kept my expectations specifically on them doing what they did: breaking down the gameplay systems. I liked seeing the devs explain the new mechanics/systems + philosophy. Looked great to me.
I think that AEW airing their PPVs before WWE's own PLEs is having an interesting effect of making an already-dull WWE event seem even more uninspired by having to follow. Iyo/Vaquer was an amazingly solid match, but All Out just didn't miss IMO. An incredible card start to finish. #WrestleSky
September 21, 2025 at 6:59 PM
I think that AEW airing their PPVs before WWE's own PLEs is having an interesting effect of making an already-dull WWE event seem even more uninspired by having to follow. Iyo/Vaquer was an amazingly solid match, but All Out just didn't miss IMO. An incredible card start to finish. #WrestleSky
No longer have my citation on the Dynasty Warriors 8 Article with my old team, but I do have these now. Kinda funny to see my SNK article cited there given everything, but always cool to see one of my interviews. :)
September 19, 2025 at 9:01 PM
No longer have my citation on the Dynasty Warriors 8 Article with my old team, but I do have these now. Kinda funny to see my SNK article cited there given everything, but always cool to see one of my interviews. :)
I was told this Beta didn't exist! :)
September 6, 2025 at 1:13 PM
I was told this Beta didn't exist! :)
- Nanae Takahashi
- Tam Nakano
- Meiko Satomura
- John Cena
- Hiroshi Tanahashi
All ran or running Retirement Roads this year.
- AJ Styles
- Randy Orton
- Kenny Omega
All hinting at an impending retirement.
Genuinely landscape altering for US/Japanese wrestling in the years to come. #WrestleSky
- Tam Nakano
- Meiko Satomura
- John Cena
- Hiroshi Tanahashi
All ran or running Retirement Roads this year.
- AJ Styles
- Randy Orton
- Kenny Omega
All hinting at an impending retirement.
Genuinely landscape altering for US/Japanese wrestling in the years to come. #WrestleSky
September 2, 2025 at 12:01 AM
- Nanae Takahashi
- Tam Nakano
- Meiko Satomura
- John Cena
- Hiroshi Tanahashi
All ran or running Retirement Roads this year.
- AJ Styles
- Randy Orton
- Kenny Omega
All hinting at an impending retirement.
Genuinely landscape altering for US/Japanese wrestling in the years to come. #WrestleSky
- Tam Nakano
- Meiko Satomura
- John Cena
- Hiroshi Tanahashi
All ran or running Retirement Roads this year.
- AJ Styles
- Randy Orton
- Kenny Omega
All hinting at an impending retirement.
Genuinely landscape altering for US/Japanese wrestling in the years to come. #WrestleSky
Happy Labor Day, and in the spirit of Labor Day, I figured I'd put myself out there for work. If you or anyone you know is looking for a writer, editor, or a commentator of five years primarily within the FGC, then feel free to hit me up! I'll leave some links in the thread here of work I've done.
September 1, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Happy Labor Day, and in the spirit of Labor Day, I figured I'd put myself out there for work. If you or anyone you know is looking for a writer, editor, or a commentator of five years primarily within the FGC, then feel free to hit me up! I'll leave some links in the thread here of work I've done.
Played through Ninja Gaiden 2 Black some time ago, but forgot to post about it here! Genuinely a solid experience. I think the hate it gets is a bit exaggerated as a whole as it isn't a "bad" way to experience NG2 + the patch that ups enemy count in Chapters 13 and 14 are a welcome improvement.
August 31, 2025 at 5:29 AM
Played through Ninja Gaiden 2 Black some time ago, but forgot to post about it here! Genuinely a solid experience. I think the hate it gets is a bit exaggerated as a whole as it isn't a "bad" way to experience NG2 + the patch that ups enemy count in Chapters 13 and 14 are a welcome improvement.
Took awhile for me to get around to this, but I wrote a bit about my first live wrestling show! It was a genuine treat to see @xcitewrestling.bsky.social live in Deposit last month and to finally get to experience a live show, and you can read about it here:
writeitinthering.blog/2025/08/21/m...
writeitinthering.blog/2025/08/21/m...
My First Live Wrestling Show: Xcite Wrestling in Deposit
A breakdown of my first, live wrestling show experience.
writeitinthering.blog
August 22, 2025 at 12:31 AM
Took awhile for me to get around to this, but I wrote a bit about my first live wrestling show! It was a genuine treat to see @xcitewrestling.bsky.social live in Deposit last month and to finally get to experience a live show, and you can read about it here:
writeitinthering.blog/2025/08/21/m...
writeitinthering.blog/2025/08/21/m...
Guess it's time to remove the "previously" from my profile, huh?
August 14, 2025 at 12:56 AM
Guess it's time to remove the "previously" from my profile, huh?
Guess who's back~? My first byline since my days at Screen Rant in 2023, and I come out swinging. I discuss Journey, the personal experience I had with the game, and how AI Could Never replicate something so antithetical to what video games are or have become.
AI Could Never BONUS STAGE (we had more pieces than days in the week!)
AI Could Never: Journey by @wingedregent.bsky.social
"Could the plagiarism machine craft an experience like Journey, one conceived as an 'act of rebellion' against the other art of its age? No."
Read on:
AI Could Never: Journey by @wingedregent.bsky.social
"Could the plagiarism machine craft an experience like Journey, one conceived as an 'act of rebellion' against the other art of its age? No."
Read on:
AI Could Never: Journey
A feature in our AI Could Never series about Journey, an "act of rebellion" in video game form.
skyboxcritics.com
August 13, 2025 at 10:19 PM
Guess who's back~? My first byline since my days at Screen Rant in 2023, and I come out swinging. I discuss Journey, the personal experience I had with the game, and how AI Could Never replicate something so antithetical to what video games are or have become.
Karrion Kross is an example of someone who needs a character and a motive beyond "Best Wrestler", and when given that on-screen motivation for his persona, he can thrive and make compelling TV. He excelled when given something to work with, and that's why he's so beloved now.
August 11, 2025 at 6:04 AM
Karrion Kross is an example of someone who needs a character and a motive beyond "Best Wrestler", and when given that on-screen motivation for his persona, he can thrive and make compelling TV. He excelled when given something to work with, and that's why he's so beloved now.
100%'d Crisis Core Reunion, and boy do I have thoughts on the overall experience. tl;dr - Gameplay improvements over PSP version were veeeery noticeable and welcomed, but the game's just not balanced around the changes. Story's as solid as ever, and I feel weird about the VA performances.
August 10, 2025 at 1:42 AM
100%'d Crisis Core Reunion, and boy do I have thoughts on the overall experience. tl;dr - Gameplay improvements over PSP version were veeeery noticeable and welcomed, but the game's just not balanced around the changes. Story's as solid as ever, and I feel weird about the VA performances.