On Could 20, 2014 developer Supergiant Video games (the workforce behind 2020’s hit roguelike Hades and its recently-released-in-early-access sequel) launched its second recreation, Transistor. The sci-fi motion RPG was extensively thought-about a beautiful sophomore outing for the developer, receiving a 9/10 from the likes of Sport Informer and IGN.
I purchased Transistor days after its launch (Could 24 in line with my PSN trophy record) and instantly fell in love with its distinctive world. Jen Zee’s attractive artwork, Darren Korb’s energetic rating, tight fight that blended real-time motion and planning, and a top-notch story made it among the best video games I had ever performed). I used to be so in love with the sport that I did one thing I not often do, I purchased merch within the type of a T-shirt. A decade later, I nonetheless love Transistor and I nonetheless put on my T-shirt.
Let me let you know about this T-shirt. It’s a grayish-blue short-sleeved quantity with an enormous piece of artwork emblazoned throughout the entrance. The artwork, achieved by Zee, is a rendering of protagonist Purple on a bike atop a superbly simplistic line drawing of the sport’s setting, Cloudbank. All of it combines to kind a form evoking the titular Transistor, a cyberpunk sword. The easy line work and the usage of solely white and light-weight blue make it stand out in a sea of boring, spinoff online game merch. It doesn’t have the sport’s title or principal character ostentatiously and lazily slapped on a shirt, which is why I purchased this merch within the first place—it evoked the sport’s world and elegance whereas not precisely rehashing the in-game artwork. It was, dare I say, cool?
In writing this text I found/was reminded of one thing fascinating: The Transistor T-shirt didn’t drop proper when the sport launched. It was first revealed in a September 2014 weblog put up as a part of a line of merch for the sport (together with a Transistor USB I nonetheless remorse not shopping for), almost 4 months after the sport’s launch. This meant that, regardless of ending the sport in solely two sittings,) I continued to obsess over Transistor for months, a lot in order that I purchased a T-shirt for it that I nonetheless proudly put on at the moment. After all, I hadn’t stopped enjoying the sport after rolling credit for the primary time— I performed Transistor almost each day for weeks, beating it over and over and amassing as many trophies as I may.
Once I lastly bought the shirt and wore it out it was principally mistaken as TRON merch— Like lots. And because the years handed, I held on to it. It went with me to school and I even saved it round after I started my transition and threw out nearly all of my boy garments. Transistor stayed! Whereas locked inside my condominium throughout the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, I’d pull on the comfy shirt and sit on the sofa replaying Supergiant’s finest recreation (for my part). I had but to platinum the sport, principally as a result of I bought caught on the Efficiency Checks (particular problem rooms with progressively increased issue). So on April 7, 2020, I hunkered down and cleared the final hurdle between me and that platinum trophy. I tweeted Supergiant about it and obtained a sort congratulations.
Practically a decade later, the shirt is displaying its age. I’ve saved it in fairly good situation but it surely’s worn sufficient that my fiancée has come to hate it, making it an “contained in the condominium solely” shirt. She has performed Transistor now, and whereas she stays a much bigger fan of Hades, she sees its deserves. Nonetheless, I do assume she could be happier if I threw it out altogether, which isn’t gonna occur as that is now formally a collectible (Supergiant doesn’t promote the shirt anymore).
In honor of my fiancée’s needs, I don’t put on the shirt out anymore—besides at the moment. Glad anniversary to Transistor, a one-of-a-kind recreation, and completely happy anniversary to my T-shirt. Right here’s to a different decade.
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