The Comeback of the Pokemon Elite Four! The Elite Four League in Pokémon have seen better and worse days - until Generation VII brought new life to the Pokemon League. With the new features of the Elite Four and Champions of Pokemon Sun and Moon &amp; Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee, the franchise is finally making a return to its original charm. So today, let’s tackle the Generation 7 approach to the Elite Four - in this episode of Skip the Tutorial’s Boss Battle Breakdown! 

The Comeback of the Pokemon Elite Four! The Elite Four League in Pokémon have seen better and worse days - until Generation VII brought new life to the Pokemon League. With the new features of the Elite Four and Champions of Pokemon Sun and Moon &amp; Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee, the franchise is finally making a return to its original charm. So today, let’s tackle the Generation 7 approach to the Elite Four - in this episode of Skip the Tutorial’s Boss Battle Breakdown!

The Comeback of the Pokemon Elite Four

Smash Ultimate Makes Bowser a Better Boss! When Super Smash Bros. adapted Bowser for a boss fight, it had to keep his famous battle progression from the Super Mario series while also changing the format from a platformer to a fighting game. To do this, Smash added in Giga Bowser, a more powerful boss version that plays like a more traditional and better boss fight. So today, let's see how Smash Ultimate's version of Giga Bowser makes the iconic boss even greater - on this episode of Boss Battle Breakdown!

Smash Ultimate Makes Bowser a Better Boss! When Super Smash Bros. adapted Bowser for a boss fight, it had to keep his famous battle progression from the Super Mario series while also changing the format from a platformer to a fighting game. To do this, Smash added in Giga Bowser, a more powerful boss version that plays like a more traditional and better boss fight. So today, let's see how Smash Ultimate's version of Giga Bowser makes the iconic boss even greater - on this episode of Boss Battle Breakdown!

Smash Ultimate Makes Bowser a Better Boss

Smash Ultimate Makes Kirby’s Marx Even Better! Marx is one of Kirby’s most famous bosses, so when HAL Laboratory adapted him as a boss in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, they had big shoes to fill. Luckily, this Smash boss fight in the World of Light and Spirits modes is very faithful to the original fight from Kirby Super Star, and it might even be a better boss battle due to the changes Sakurai’s team added. Let’s discuss that, on this episode of Boss Battle Breakdown!

Smash Ultimate Makes Kirby’s Marx Even Better! Marx is one of Kirby’s most famous bosses, so when HAL Laboratory adapted him as a boss in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, they had big shoes to fill. Luckily, this Smash boss fight in the World of Light and Spirits modes is very faithful to the original fight from Kirby Super Star, and it might even be a better boss battle due to the changes Sakurai’s team added. Let’s discuss that, on this episode of Boss Battle Breakdown!

Smash Ultimate Makes Kirby's Marx Even Better

Meta Knight

Kirby Star Allies Saved Meta Knight! Meta Knight was always the antihero of the Kirby series - but in recent games, HAL Laboratory drifted away from using him in that way. That was until the 2018 release of Kirby Star Allies on the Nintendo Switch - which made him a familiar boss and rival for Kirby again. So today, let’s dive into how the Kirby franchise brought Meta Knight back to his pattern from Kirby’s Adventure - in this episode of Boss Battle Breakdown!

Kirby Star Allies Saved Meta Knight! Meta Knight was always the antihero of the Kirby series - but in recent games, HAL Laboratory drifted away from using him in that way. That was until the 2018 release of Kirby Star Allies on the Nintendo Switch - which made him a familiar boss and rival for Kirby again. So today, let’s dive into how the Kirby franchise brought Meta Knight back to his pattern from Kirby’s Adventure - in this episode of Boss Battle Breakdown!

Kirby Star Allies Saved Meta Knight

King Dedede Keeps Getting Better! King Dedede has been a staple boss in Kirby ever since appearing as the final boss in Dreamland - but how does HAL Laboratory keep him so interesting and memorable? Let’s look at how his story inclusions across the franchise make him such a great character right up to Star Allies, even if his moveset stays the same. Here’s why King Dedede is so great - on this episode of Boss Battle Breakdown!

King Dedede Keeps Getting Better! King Dedede has been a staple boss in Kirby ever since appearing as the final boss in Dreamland - but how does HAL Laboratory keep him so interesting and memorable? Let’s look at how his story inclusions across the franchise make him such a great character right up to Star Allies, even if his moveset stays the same. Here’s why King Dedede is so great - on this episode of Boss Battle Breakdown!

King Dedede Keeps Getting Better

Bosses that keep you coming back post-game! Designing a post-game is tough to do for an RPG - so here are three different approaches to making great bosses after the story mode. Grinding gets boring, so here are bosses to fill your time after the credits roll - so let's discover the tactics of these bonus bosses - on this episode of Boss Battle Breakdown!

Bosses That Keep You Coming Back Post-Game

Masahiro Sakurai

Masahiro Sakurai's Bizarre Approach to Final Bosses in World of Light! Ever since Super Smash Bros Brawl's Subspace Emissary, these adventure mode final bosses have been a great part of the SSB series. Now, in World of Light mode, the new final boss battles are given a design overhaul to be wonderfully weird. So today - let's tackle Tabuu and Smash Bros. Ultimate's Galeem and Dharkon true ending fight - on this episode of Boss Battle Breakdown!

Masahiro Sakurai's Bizarre Approach to Final Bosses

What Makes a Good Super Smash Bros Boss? There've been plenty of Smash Bros bosses over its history, but what makes one of these boss fights great? To answer this, let's looks at the evolution of Super Smash Bros bosses and see what worked, and what didn't, for the SSB series. Let's design a great Smash Bros boss - on this episode of Boss Battle Breakdown!

What Makes a Good Smash Bros Boss?

The bosses in Paper Mario Color Splash are a problem, but how could we fix it? It’s easy to talk about why boss battles with the Koopalings here are bad, but let’s also see where these fights could have been better within the story and gameplay. So today, let’s set the card battle system aside, forget the Sticker Star 2 comparisons, and just see how this aspect of the controversial title can be improved - on this episode of Boss Battle Breakdown!

Did Color Splash's Bosses Have to Be Bad?

Toby Fox

Toby Fox has made fantastic final boss fights in Undertale and Deltarune [or Undertale 2]. How does he design a final boss battle? By concluding themes, the Chaos King and Sans fights become the best battles in both games and serve as perfect cohesion to the games’ concepts. Here’s how his approach is so genius to boss battle design in this episode of Boss Battle Breakdown!

Toby Fox's Genius Approach to Final Bosses

Hey everyone, I'm Skip the Tutorial! In this podcast you'll find a comedic insight into the gaming analysis and design critiques of Nintendo games. The content is a mix of audio from my YouTube analysis series, as well as my current takes on games I record specifically for this podcast! Thanks for stopping by, and you have a good one, alright?

We need to hate our Pokémon rivals! Blue and Silver are perfect examples of this done well, but the recent trailers for Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee show that GameFreak is abandoning this concept for... Trace. Here's why we should dislike our rivals in Pokémon games - and why we need one in Generation 8.

Why We Need to Hate Our Pokémon Rivals

Pokémon gyms are an iconic staple of the series - but what makes for the best gym leaders? We’re studying every region from a main series Pokémon game and learning how it’s own merits and/or pitfalls teach us how to make a great gym battle. From Kanto to Alola - what factors are truly important for a Pokémon gym leader - let’s find out in this Boss Battle Breakdown!

What Makes a Great Pokémon Gym Leader?

Nintendo has some of the most influential games on the market, so it's no surprise that they also have their fair share of fan games. From Pokémon Uranium to AM2R, we're taking a look at how these bosses use their inspiration, and how we should critique these fights overall in this Boss Battle Breakdown!

Building On Inspiration: Fan Game Bosses

Players look down on reusing boss battles, but there are proper ways to implement these fights while still keeping some level of original context. Today, we're looking at the Donkey Kong series and how it tackles recontextualizing v. reusing a boss battle!

Repurposing a Boss the Right Way

Minecraft has been a juggernaut since 2011, but does that transfer over to boss battles? Today we are looking at the Ender Dragon and the Wither fights to see how these boss fights compare to the rest of the gameplay. Hello everyone, I'm Skip the Tutorial - and welcome to Boss Battle Breakdown!

Should Minecraft Have Bosses?

Mario Party 10 made some weird game decisions, and its boss fights definitely fell that way. Following after the Mario Party 9, this Wii U game looked into boss battle minigames - which mean some weird game design blends. So let's look into this and see if it's worth keeping in today's Boss Battle Breakdown!

Are Mario Party Bosses Worth It?

Roguelikes are all over the place, to say the least. From gems like Enter the Gungeon, to Dead Cells, and especially Edmund McMillen's Binding of Isaac, there's been so many great indie developed roguelikes (or roguelites, depending on who you ask) in recent years. But what does this randomness mean for boss design? That's what we're tackling today in this Boss Battle Breakdown!

Accounting for the Random in Roguelikes

Boss rushes offer some of the greatest final experiences in gaming, so we're talking about Mega Man 2 and Shovel Knight's examples in this one! Are power trips worthwhile in gaming? Let's assess that today in this action platformer themed episode of Boss Battle Breakdown!

Boss Rushes and Why We Need Power Trips

Remember when Mario Kart had bosses? Today we take a look at that part of the Mario Kart series history and looks at the 7 DS bosses to see what we can learn about boss design - especially for racing games. Pick up your steering wheel and let's go zero to 60 right into this Boss Battle Breakdown!

Designing a Mario Kart Boss - 7 Tips

Designing a platformer boss is tough, so today we’re looking at how to design a good platforming boss based off three bowser Boss battles from New Super Mario Bros Wii, Super Mario 3D Land, and Super Mario 3D World. These boss fights teach a lot about how to make a proper and fitting brawl in the quintessential Mario platforming series, so I’m on a hunt to see what I can learn for other platformers based off these three examples!

What Makes a Good Platformer Boss?

Skip the Podcast

With the recent release of Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate finally on the Nintendo Switch, I just had to talk about the boss design in one of my favorite video game series. From the bombastic set pieces of the big budget Monster Hunter World to the smaller handheld titles of Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, the franchise has gone a long way with its reach but maintains one very consistent theme: repetition, and that's the focus of today's Boss Battle Breakdown!

Monster Hunter PERFECTS Repetition

King K Rool stands as one of the most iconic video game villains of all time, especially for Nintendo baddies. Because of this, I just had to analyze my favorite fight of the big croc's in anticipation for the new smash bros! Here is my breakdown of how the King K Rool boss fight is designed to misdirect you in a clever and completely unexpected way!

How King K Rool Surprises with the Mundane

Cracking open Nitrome's dual-purpose design and how Game Maker's Toolkit taught me to appreciate it. In this episode, it's a deep dive into what Nintendo-style game design can mean for what game designers put into, and leave out, of their games.

Bomb Chicken's Dual Purpose Design | GMTK Response

The Best Multi-Part Documentaries, with documentaries on Obama, Federer vs Nadal, the making of Star Wars, Netflix vs Blockbuster and more. Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!

OwlTail

"It all started around 1997, with a guy named Marc Randolph and his mathematician friend Reed Hastings. Randolph and Hastings knew they’d have to take on Blockbuster, but what they didn’t anticipate was that their business model would take on network television and eventually change the entire movie industry.
This was an 8-year total war that left innumerable casualties in its wake: thousands of hollowed out buildings and economic losses in the billions."

An 8-part series on the brutal business battle between Netflix and Blockbuster, and later HBO.

This is Episode 1 of an 8-part series on the brutal business battle between Netflix and Blockbuster, and later HBO.It all started around 1997, with a guy named Marc Randolph and his mathematician friend Reed Hastings. Randolph and Hastings knew they’d have to take on Blockbuster, but what they didn’t anticipate was that their business model would take on network television and eventually change the entire movie industry.This was an 8-year total war that left innumerable casualties in its wake: thousands of hollowed out buildings and economic losses in the billions.Support us by supporting our sponsors!

Business Wars

This is Episode 1 of an 8-part series on the brutal business battle between Netflix and Blockbuster, and later HBO.It all started around 1997, with a guy named Marc Randolph and his mathematician friend Reed Hastings. Randolph and Hastings knew they’d have to take on Blockbuster, but what they didn’t anticipate was that their business model would take on network television and eventually change the entire movie industry.This was an 8-year total war that left innumerable casualties in its wake: thousands of hollowed out buildings and economic losses in the billions. Support us by supporting our sponsors!

Netflix vs Blockbuster - Sudden Death | 1

You don't have to like tennis to like this. There is so much to learn from how this rivalry made each player better. This series explores the unique tennis rivalry between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal-- two very different players, both exceptional, in pursuit of perfection. Swiss-born Roger Federer was seemingly born with a racquet in his hand and at a young age he quickly masters the game, but what he needs to reach the top is to learn how to master his emotions. Meanwhile, Spaniard Rafael Nadal learns the game under the tutelage of his uncle Toni on the clay courts of Mallorca, where the decision to make him a left-handed player separates him early from his competition.

A 7 part series on Federer and Nadal

In this series we explore the unique tennis rivalry between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal-- two very different players, both exceptional, in pursuit of perfection. Swiss-born Roger Federer was seemingly born with a racquet in his hand and at a young age he quickly masters the game, but what he needs to reach the top is to learn how to master his emotions. Meanwhile, Spaniard Rafael Nadal learns the game under the tutelage of his uncle Toni on the clay courts of Mallorca, where the decision to make him a left-handed player separates him early from his competition. Support us by supporting our sponsors!

Sports Wars

In this series we explore the unique tennis rivalry between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal-- two very different players, both exceptional, in pursuit of perfection. Swiss-born Roger Federer was seemingly born with a racquet in his hand and at a young age he quickly masters the game, but what he needs to reach the top is to learn how to master his emotions. Meanwhile, Spaniard Rafael Nadal learns the game under the tutelage of his uncle Toni on the clay courts of Mallorca, where the decision to make him a left-handed player separates him early from his competition.  Support us by supporting our sponsors!

Federer vs Nadal - The Hothead | 1

Best Multi-Part Documentaries

The best episodes for anyone looking to learn more about topics such as happiness, fulfillment, depression and psychology/mental health in general. With interviews with industry experts, personal stories of individuals, this topic has lessons applicable to everyone. Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!

During the 1960s the field of psychology focussed on the science of how past trauma creates present symptoms, and how to reduce people’s misery. Professor Martin Seligman wanted to change that focus. He’s become known as the Father of Positive Psychology, and he’s had a profound influence worldwide. In Part 1 of our 2 programs with Martin Seligman, hear him address an exclusive audience in Australia on happiness and human flourishing.

All In The Mind

Positive psychology—with Martin Seligman

Journaling is a bit of a buzzword in the productivity space, but with good reason. And in this episode, Mike and Brooks explain why it’s so important. They dive into the many benefits of journaling, and share 5 tips for making journaling actionable and effective. They explain how to implement a journaling habit, recommend some different tools and apps you can use, and explain how to make the habit stick. If you’ve never understood why you should journal or you have trouble doing it consistently, then this episode is for you. Get Podcast UpdatesDo you want to get an email with shownotes each time a podcast goes live? Then let us know where to send the updates by entering your first name and email.  Cheat Sheet  Why there’s a stigma associated with journaling (and why’s it isn’t true) [1:39] The benefits that come from pairing journaling and meditation [5:13] How journaling increases your mindfulness [7:53] The ways that journaling actually increases the likelihood that you will actually achieve your goals [9:55] How journaling strengthens self-discipline and improves communication skills [14:15] Why many people do something called “morning pages” and how it sets their day up for success [18:24] Why you don’t need to take a long time each day to journal (it’s the consistency that counts) [20:27] Why it is so important to keep your journal positive [24:09] The benefits of keeping a gratitude journal and how it impacts your outlook on your life [26:07] Why it is important to see the gains you’ve made by reviewing your journal [32:17] How to use journaling to identify pain points in your life so you can fix and solve them [36:38] AE recommendations for digital journals and apps you can use [38:38] Why you might want to use an analog journal and the benefits of pen and paper [48:42] Why it is so important for you to pick a time to journal that works for you and stick to it [55:03] Using automation and prompts to make journaling more efficient [58:24] 5 tips to make the most of your journaling experience [1:04:56] Why you should review your journal on a regular basis [1:06:19]  Links  SELF Journal TPS2: How to Get Started with Journaling TPS69: Journaling w/ Kendra Wright How to Take Massive Action on Your Goals by Implementing the 12 Week Year Effectively (TPS138) The 12 Week Year: Get More Done in 12 Weeks than Others Do in 12 Months 10% Happier by Dan Harris Huffington Post “10 Surprising Benefits You’ll Get From Keeping a Journal” Moodnotes Day One The Five Minute Journal TextExpander Evernote Launch Center Pro Journey app Baron Fig notebooks Field Notes Moleskine Rhodia notebook Bullet Journal Miracle Morning  If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, Overcast, PocketCast or your favorite podcast player. It’s easy, you’ll get new episodes automatically, and it also helps the show gain exposure. You can also leave a review! Here’s how. 

The Productivity Show: Time Management | GTD | Smart Personal Development | Business | Mac

Journaling is a bit of a buzzword in the productivity space, but with good reason. And in this episode, Mike and Brooks explain why it’s so important. They dive into the many benefits of journaling, and share 5 tips for making journaling actionable and effective. They explain how to implement a journaling habit, recommend some different tools and apps you can use, and explain how to make the habit stick. If you’ve never understood why you should journal or you have trouble doing it consistently, then this episode is for you. <h2>Get Podcast Updates</h2>Do you want to get an email with shownotes each time a podcast goes live? Then let us know where to send the updates by entering your first name and email. <h2>Cheat Sheet</h2> <ul> <li>Why there’s a stigma associated with journaling (and why’s it isn’t true) [1:39]</li> <li>The benefits that come from pairing journaling and meditation [5:13]</li> <li>How journaling increases your mindfulness [7:53]</li> <li>The ways that journaling actually increases the likelihood that you will actually achieve your goals [9:55]</li> <li>How journaling strengthens self-discipline and improves communication skills [14:15]</li> <li>Why many people do something called “morning pages” and how it sets their day up for success [18:24]</li> <li>Why you don’t need to take a long time each day to journal (it’s the consistency that counts) [20:27]</li> <li>Why it is so important to keep your journal positive [24:09]</li> <li>The benefits of keeping a gratitude journal and how it impacts your outlook on your life [26:07]</li> <li>Why it is important to see the gains you’ve made by reviewing your journal [32:17]</li> <li>How to use journaling to identify pain points in your life so you can fix and solve them [36:38]</li> <li>AE recommendations for digital journals and apps you can use [38:38]</li> <li>Why you might want to use an analog journal and the benefits of pen and paper [48:42]</li> <li>Why it is so important for you to pick a time to journal that works for you and stick to it [55:03]</li> <li>Using automation and prompts to make journaling more efficient [58:24]</li> <li>5 tips to make the most of your journaling experience [1:04:56]</li> <li>Why you should review your journal on a regular basis [1:06:19]</li> </ul> <h2>Links</h2> <ul> <li><a href="https://bestself.co/products/self-journal" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">SELF Journal</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.asianefficiency.com/podcast/002-journaling/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">TPS2: How to Get Started with Journaling</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.asianefficiency.com/podcast/069-kendra-wright/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">TPS69: Journaling w/ Kendra Wright</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.asianefficiency.com/podcast/138-12-week-year/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">How to Take Massive Action on Your Goals by Implementing the 12 Week Year Effectively (TPS138)</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.asianefficiency.com/likes/12-week-year/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">The 12 Week Year: Get More Done in 12 Weeks than Others Do in 12 Months</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.asianefficiency.com/likes/10-percent-happier/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">10% Happier by Dan Harris</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/thai-nguyen/benefits-of-journaling-_b_6648884.html" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Huffington Post “10 Surprising Benefits You’ll Get From Keeping a Journal”</a></li> <li><a href="https://moodnotes.thriveport.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Moodnotes</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.asianefficiency.com/likes/day-one/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Day One</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.intelligentchange.com/products/the-five-minute-journal" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">The Five Minute Journal</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.asianefficiency.com/likes/textexpander/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">TextExpander</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.asianefficiency.com/likes/evernote/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Evernote</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.asianefficiency.com/likes/launch-center-pro/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Launch Center Pro</a></li> <li><a href="https://2appstudio.com/journey/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Journey app</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.baronfig.com" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Baron Fig notebooks</a></li> <li><a href="https://fieldnotesbrand.com" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Field Notes</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.asianefficiency.com/likes/moleskine-plain-notebook-large/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Moleskine</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.asianefficiency.com/likes/rhodia-dotgrid-notebook/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Rhodia notebook</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.asianefficiency.com/likes/bullet-journal/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Bullet Journal</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.asianefficiency.com/likes/miracle-morning-book/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Miracle Morning</a></li> </ul> If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, Overcast, PocketCast or your favorite podcast player. It’s easy, you’ll get new episodes automatically, and it also helps the show gain exposure. You can also leave a review! <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rrwvGAYKeM" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Here’s how</a>. <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/productivity-show-getting/id955075042?mt=2" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/asian-efficiency" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://overcast.fm/p253645-XOswX3" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://pca.st/productivityshow" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank"></a>

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