Guys, I had the coolest dream.
Usagi: Shadow of Urbunnia
Intro
I’ve thought of keeping a dream journal for awhile, now, for story inspiration or just to later reminisce about how weird and insecure my brain is. BUT, instead of tucking some Target brand “leather” journal into a dusty corner of our bedroom, wouldn’t it be so much better if I shared these with the fellow twisted souls on the Internet?
This series shall henceforth be dubbed “Guys, I had the _____ dream” and that blank could be filled in with “coolest,” “funniest,” “weirdest,” or, OF COURSE “scariest.”
If you want, I would love to hear your dreams on Medium, the comment section on whatever social media site I’m currently bombarding with my words, or wherever. I’d love to cultivate a crock pot of creativity and creepiness with you all.
This time around, the dream was more “cool” than anything else, and I’m hoping it may spark some nerdy discussions!
Rayman, but with a Bunny Girl
Have you guys ever played the original Rayman on the original Playstation (PSX)? If not, here’s the cover art —
Rayman is this little French dude with no arms and legs, but magically attached feet and hands…and what appears to be that ’90s “cute” parted haircut that a lot of dudes on TV shows had.
So, how does Rayman work? He jumps and punches and kicks his way through platforming levels — if you’re good. If you stink, like 3 year old Megan stunk, you kinda just keep dying in the first stage AT THE FIRST POSSIBLY DANGEROUS OBSTACLE until your Dad gets frustrated and takes the controller away from you.
MILLENIAL MOMENT: This most definitely scarred me and has made it impossible for me to try new things without feeling a stabbing anxiety and having flashes of a small French man with a middle part fall to his death by the failings of my own tiny, murderous hands.
So, in the dream — I see a level a lot like the original Rayman game but instead of a cute cartoon forest, there’s this eerie, ancient and urban city overtaken by scary, twisted forest in the background. It’s giving me this I Am Legend vibe mixed with some Tarzan,because the graphics are more cartoon-y than realistic.
In the foreground, I’m controlling this character like looks like an anime bunny girl, complete with long, fluffy ears and a Xena: Warrior Princess kind of outfit. Let’s call her Usagi, because that means RABBIT IN JAPANESE and because I’m soooooo creative, hahahahaHAHAHAH. *chokes*
Usagi is super fast and acrobatic like Rayman and, if you don’t run into any obstacles while moving her forward, she gets this “boost” effect where she turns bright pink, moves at a higher speed and does crazy acrobatic jumps over her various pitfalls, enemies and other obstacles. The sound effect for this mode was like a cartoon-y ZOOM mixed with light twinkles.
[If a could draw, there would be an example of Usagi being a speedy pink bad-ass here].
This is super cool, right? I haven’t played an exciting platformer in a long time and I’m stoked my brain crafted a fake one for me to play without any real-life effort. Because, if Usagi: Shadow of Urbunnia existed in real life, let’s be real — my dad would sense my failure, drive an hour to my apartment, bust down my door and throw the controller against the wall.
Okay, he wouldn’t. But that would be the inner emotional roller coaster I would be EXPERIENCING. #MillenialMoment
Anyhoo, I make it past the first stage (so unrealistic), which goes by in a flash, and, suddenly, I’m in a first-person perspective in this medieval looking town by the sea. It’s bright and happy (very Super Mario Sunshine) and clearly not like a real medieval town, so I assume I’m actually still in the same video game with Usagi, but looking through her eyes. This was confirmed by the upbeat background music, bright colors and happy humanoids walking around. I vault onto the roof using Usagi’s crazy parkour skills and find myself observing a festival. There’s confetti, games, dancing and FOOD BOOTHS all around.
My dream dissolved soon after this into some weird chanting by one of the dancing groups at the festival. I went to investigate the chanting, got distracted by a Ralphs, walked into the Ralphs and searched for, unsuccessfully, the fancy-schmancy booze my brother-in-law brings to parties.
Conclusion: (1) I miss unique, immersive gaming experiences that surprise the player with shifts in perspective, mysterious settings and magical protagonists. (2) Never trust the chanting. (3) I really want that booze.
Questions for Y’all:
(1) What dream has stuck with you this past week?
(2) Have you had any dreams/daydreams/ideas about cool video games you’d want to see created — or perhaps create yourself? Start a conversation on Medium, SM, or wherever works for you! I’d love to hear your stories — because just sharing mine would be boring, right?
