On Could 20, 2014 developer Supergiant Video games (the crew behind 2020’s hit roguelike Hades and its recently-released-in-early-access sequel) launched its second sport, Transistor. The sci-fi motion RPG was extensively thought-about an exquisite sophomore outing for the developer, receiving a 9/10 from the likes of Recreation Informer and IGN.
I purchased Transistor days after its launch (Could 24 in accordance with my PSN trophy listing) 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 finest video games I had ever performed). I used to be so in love with the sport that I did one thing I hardly ever 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 inform you about this T-shirt. It’s a grayish-blue short-sleeved quantity with an enormous piece of artwork emblazoned throughout the entrance. The artwork, carried out by Zee, is a rendering of protagonist Pink 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 lightweight blue make it stand out in a sea of boring, spinoff online game merch. It doesn’t have the sport’s title or foremost 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 magnificence 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 attention-grabbing: The Transistor T-shirt didn’t drop proper when the sport launched. It was first revealed in a September 2014 weblog publish 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 immediately. After all, I hadn’t stopped taking part in the sport after rolling credit for the primary time— I performed Transistor almost daily for weeks, beating it again and again and accumulating as many trophies as I may.
Once I lastly obtained the shirt and wore it out it was principally mistaken as TRON merch— Like rather a lot. 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 condo through the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, I’d pull on the comfortable shirt and sit on the sofa replaying Supergiant’s greatest sport (for my part). I had but to platinum the sport, principally as a result of I obtained caught on the Efficiency Exams (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 acquired a form congratulations.
Almost a decade later, the shirt is exhibiting its age. I’ve saved it in fairly good situation nevertheless it’s worn sufficient that my fiancée has come to hate it, making it an “contained in the condo solely” shirt. She has performed Transistor now, and whereas she stays a much bigger fan of Hades, she sees its deserves. Nonetheless, I do suppose 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 immediately. Glad anniversary to Transistor, a one-of-a-kind sport, and comfortable anniversary to my T-shirt. Right here’s to a different decade.
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