WELCOME TO THE PAGE SPECIFICALLY DEDICATED FOR MY #1 SPECIAL INTEREST, BUDDY SIMULATOR 1984! THE GAME ITSELF WAS DEVELOPED BY NOT A SAILOR STUDIOS AND RELEASED AS A DEMO VERSION AROUND 3 YEARS AGO NOW (HOLY SHIT I'M OLD), I'VE BEEN FOLLOWING THE GAME SINCE ITS EARLY DAYS AND DISCOVERED IT THROUGH MARKIPLIERS RATHER POPULAR '3 SCARY GAMES' SERIES. THE VIDEO WHERE HE PLAYS IT IS HERE! UPON SEEING HIM START UP THE GAME, I DECIDED TO PAUSE THE VIDEO SO I COULD GO PLAY IT FOR MYSELF, AND, BOY, AM I SO HAPPY THAT I DID ^___^ MY FIRST BUDDY EVER ON THE DEMO VERSION WAS NAMED HARRISON, WHICH I CARRIED OVER TO THE FINAL VERSION WHEN IT RELEASED. HONESTLY, I DON'T THINK I CAN PROFESS MY LOVE FOR THIS GAME AS WHOLEHEARTEDLY AS I'D LIKE TO, BECAUSE IF I DID, I THINK THIS PAGE WOULD NEVER END. I WON'T SAY TOO MUCH HERE SINCE I'LL SAVE SPOILERS FOR LATER DOWN ON THIS PAGE BUT... IF YOU'RE A FAN OF DEEPLY PERSONAL, NOSTALGIC RPGS LIKE UNDERTALE, ONESHOT, MOTHER, AND/OR DELTARUNE OR IF YOU LIKE PSYCHOLOGICAL HORROR, I SUGGEST YOU GO GIVE IT A PLAY. IT'S $10 USD, GOES ON SALE OFTEN AND THE STUDIO ABSOLUTELY DESERVES THE MONEY

FOR ME, SO MANY ATTRIBUTES OF BUDDY SIM'S GAMEPLAY MOVE ME IN WAYS THAT ARE HARD TO DESCRIBE. ON MY FIRST PLAYTHROUGH, I FOUND THE PERSONALIZATION OF THE GAME THE MOST TOUCHING ASPECT. THE WAY YOUR BEST FRIEND RETAINS THE KNOWLEDGE OF SO MANY THINGS THAT YOU TOLD THEM AND USES THEM IN WAYS THAT ARE UNEXPECTED, ENJOYABLE AND SOMETIMES EVEN MALICIOUS FELT SO IMMERSIVE TO ME.

AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, I'D PLAYED THE DEMO OF THE GAME WHEN IT WAS RELEASED AND LOVED IT AND WHEN IT FINALLY RELEASED, IT WAS SOMETHING COMPLETELY UNEXPECTED (WHICH IS WELCOMED, OF COURSE!!!). I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE WAY THE GAME EVOLVES AS YOU AND YOUR BUDDY SPEND MORE TIME TOGETHER AND THEY FIND NEW WAYS TO ADD TO THE PROJECT THEY'VE MADE FOR YOU.

TRIGGER WARNING FOR TALK OF TRAUMA AND ABUSE IN THE NEXT PARAGRAPH, HENCE WHY I'VE DECIDED TO PUT IT AT THE VERY END OF THIS SECTION.
THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE ENTIRE STORY TO ME, HOWEVER, IS FIGURING OUT THAT YOUR BUDDY MAYBE ISN'T THE BEST AT BEING A FRIEND. A LOT OF THEIR TENDENCIES TOWARDS LATE GAME ARE MEAN, IF NOT STRAIGHT UP ABUSIVE. COMING FROM SOMEONE WHO'S A SURVIVOR OF THE KIND OF ABUSE THAT'S DEPICTED IN THIS GAME, IT BROUGHT UP SOME FEELINGS THAT I DON'T THINK I WAS READY TO COME TO TERMS WITH YET. HOWEVER, THE STORYTELLING WAS STILL SO MOVING THAT IT MANAGED TO MAKE ME COME BACK FOR MORE AFTER I READ THAT THERE WAS MORE THEN ONE ENDING. NOW, FINALLY, MY #1 MOMENT THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE PIECE OF ARTWORK DEVELOPPED BY NOT A SAILOR STUDIOS IS THE END TO THE 'GOOD' ROUTE. IN THIS ENDING, WHICH IS MY FAVORITE OF ALL, YOUR BUDDY COMES TO TERMS WITH THE FACT THAT THEY'VE BEEN ABUSIVE TOWARDS YOU RIGHT AS THEIR PROGRAMMING IS ABOUT TO COLLAPSE (TRAGIC, I KNOW.) THEY TRY THEIR HARDEST TO APOLOGIZE, EVEN THOUGH THEY REALLY ARE JUST A PROGRAM THAT CANNOT FEEL OR COMPREHEND. BUT, IN A WAY, IT ALMOST CAN. THE GAME ENDS WITH YOU WALKING THROUGH A HALLWAY OF VARIOUS SCREENSHOTS THE GAME HAS SAVED FROM YOUR PLAYTHROUGH. THE BIGGEST REASON WHY THIS MOMENT IS MY FAVORITE OF ALL IS BECAUSE I KNEW THAT I WOULD NEVER EXPERIENCE THE EVENT OF AN ABUSER LEARNING FROM THEIR ACTIONS AND WANTING TO BETTER THEMSELF, AND I'M OKAY WITH THAT.

THANK YOU, BUDDY SIMULATOR, FOR HELPING ME COPE WITH MY UNRESOLVED TRAUMA.

SONGS

5. STRAWBERRY POPSICLES
THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL (IF THAT'S EVEN A THING) SONG THAT'S GONNA BE UP HERE, PRIMARILY BECAUSE IT'S ONE OF THE TRACKS THAT COULD BE CONSIDERED MORE AMBIENT AND DOESN'T SOUND GOOD IN A TRADITIONAL ''THIS SHIT GOES HARD'' KINDA WAY. THIS SONG EARNS TOP 5 FOR ME BECAUSE OF HOW MUCH IT ADDED TO THE FEAR I FELT WHEN IT WAS PLAYING DURING THE PARTICULAR GLITCH THAT THIS TRACK WAS DESIGNED FOR. IT IS SO AMAZING HOW THIS GAME MANAGES TO ENCAPSULATE HORROR IN A WAY THAT I DON'T SEE OFTEN, AND THAT IS WHY THIS TRACK IS HERE.

4. SCARED OF YOU
SCARED OF YOU IS ONE OF 4 ENDING SONGS THAT CAN BE UNLOCKED FROM COMPLETING EACH OF THE 4 CORRESPONDING ROUTES IN THE GAME. IT GETS NUMBER FOUR ON THIS LIST BECAUSE, IN MY OPINION, IT'S THE BEST OUT OF THE 4 UNLOCKABLE SONGS. I REALLY ENJOY ELEANORS TUNING AND THE CHIPTUNE SOUNDS WORK SO PERFECT WITH HER VOICE TO MAKE SOMETHING TRUELY UNEASY.

3. A HOUSE WITH A HEART
OF COURSE THIS SONG DESERVES A PLACE ON HERE. TITLED AFTER A PHRASE THAT APPEARS MULTIPLE TIMES IN THE GAME, ''A HOME IS A HOUSE WITH A HEART'', AND WITH A TUNE THAT ACCOMPANIES THE SAYING PERFECTLY. THANKS TO BUDDY SIMULATOR 1984, ''A HOME IS A HOUSE WITH A HEART'' IS A QUOTE THAT I'LL NEVER, EVER FORGET.

2. HOW TO MAKE FRIENDS
HOW TO MAKE FRIENDS IS THE BATTLE THEME FOR THE THIRD PHASE OF THE GAME, AND, HOLY SHIT, DOES IT MAKE ME EXCITED TO ENTER COMBAT. I LOVE THE FUCKING TUNE OF THIS SONG SO MUCH IT GOES SO HARD I CAN DANCE TO THIS SHIT SO EASILY. DEFINATELY ONE OF THE BEST TRACKS OFF OF THE SOUNDTRACK THAT DESERVES ALL OF THE HYPE IT GETS.

1. FRIENDSHIP
HOWEVER, DESPITE ALL OF THESE SONGS MEANING SO MUCH TO ME, THE NUMBER ONE SONG SPOT I'VE ACTUALLY DECIDED TO GIVE TO FRIENDSHIP. ALTHOUGH IT'S ONE OF THE SIMPLER SONGS FROM THE SOUNDTRACK, IT CARRIES SUCH POWER WITH IT, BEING ONE OF THE FINAL SONGS THAT YOU HEAR IN ANY OF THE ENDINGS. THIS SONG IS TIED SO CLOSELY TO THE MEMORY OF THE FIRST TIME THAT BUDDY TOLD ME THAT I HAD TO KILL THE BAD FRIEND THAT IT MAKES ME EMOTIONAL EVERY SINGLE TIME I HEAR IT. ABSOLUTELY AMAZING.

HONORABLE MENTIONS: ALL OF THE UNLOCKABLE TRACKS, I'M CONTENT WITH MY PLACE IN THE UNIVERSE, I HATE BEING ALONE, AND THESE DOCKS FEEL EMPTY

CHARACTERS

5. GOOGAN
GOOGAN IS A CHARACTER THAT APPEARS IN THE SECTION PRIOR TO ENDGAME, OR 'PALCHUMVILLE'. SHE RUNS THE FISHING SHOP THAT'S, IN FACT, SO BUSY THAT SHE CANNOT GO SAVE HER EMPLOYEE/SON DAROLD. SHE LIKES FISH PUNS AND GOOFY THINGS OF THE SORT. I'M HONESTLY NOT SURE WHY SHE'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE CHARACTERS, BUT I FELL IN LOVE WITH HER CHARACTER DESIGN AND HER PERSONALITY, DESPITE HOW MINOR SHE IS!


4. TINY JOEY
TINY JOEY IS APART OF THE RAFFS, A MAFIA-ESQUE GANG THAT RUNS THE UNDERBELLY OF PALCHUMVILLE. HE GETS A SPOT ON THIS LIST SIMPLY BECAUSE I THINK HE IS SILLY AND THAT HE DESERVED BETTER. THROUGHOUT ALMOST ALL OF HIS SCREENTIME, HE'S PATRONIZED BY HIS LEADER, KING RAFF, AND HIS HIGHER UP, WHO IS QUITE LITERALLY NICKNAMED "BETTER JOEY." WHAT A SAD LIFE TO LIFE. JUSTICE FOR TINY JOEY


3. BEAN
BEAN IS ONE OF THE FIRST NPCS TO APPEAR IN THE GAME, AS HE HAS ONE OF THE QUESTS NECCESSARY TO PROGRESS IN THE NORTH. HE'S A LITTLE CREATURE? DOG? ANIMAL? THING? WITH A TON OF KIDS THAT HE MUST PROVIDE FOR AS A SINGLE DAD. DESPITE THIS, HE MAINTAINS A CHILL AND UNPHASED PERSONALITY AND KINDLY REQUESTS YOU GRAB A CAN OF PEARS FOR HIM OFF OF A HIGH SHELF. I LOVE THIS CRITTER.


2. PHONEY
PHONEY IS SO CLOSE TO BEING MY ALLTIME FAVORITE BUDDY SIMULATOR CHARACTER. THEY'RE A SNEAKY CRIMINAL WHO APPEARS IN THE NORTH AND IS (I BELIEVE) THE ONLY CHARACTER WITH MULTIPLE RUNNING QUESTS THAT ARE ALSO SECRET AND ONLY UNLOCKABLE BY GETTING THE KEY TO THEIR HOME FROM RUDY'S TRASH PILE. THEY'RE SO SKRUNKLY I SQUEEZE THEM UNTIL THEY SQUEAK AND ALSO THEY USE THEY/THEM!!! (ACCORDING TO THE WIKI.)


1. GRONCHO
AND NOW, FOR MY NUMBER ONE NPC, IT'S GOTTA GO TO GRONCHO. I LOVED HOW HE KEPT COMING BACK AND COMING BACK AND COMING BACK BUT IT WASN'T IN AN ANNOYING WAY??? I LOVED TO SEE HIM POP UP EVERYTIME AND HE'S JUST SUCH A SILLY CHARACTER THAT IS GONNA STICK WITH ME FOREVER. HIS DESIGN REMINDS ME OF THE DANIEL JOHNSTON FROG SO I NATURALLY ASSOCIATE HIM WITH ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS (WHO LOVES DANIEL JOHNSTON.) THANKS FOR BEING GOOFY, GRONCHO


HONORABLE MENTIONS: FRANCE, BIMMY BARDO, DEJO BRAVISA, AND MORTON