'Shroomfest (Round 8) - FANTASY vs SCI-FI

[Fantasy Tepig]

We're at the final day of 'Shroomfest, so this may be my last post to support Team Fantasy.

Those were 3 very fun and engaging weeks right? Quite a debate to remember I say! But, take the time to look through and think about everything that has happened here. Perhaps listening to Undertale's very emotional themes of temporarily inhabiting Toriel's home will bolster the mood.

Normal theme:

Music box version:

Knights are usually gray,
Ponies are sometimes pink,
Fantasy's pretty great,
Don't you think?
​

OK. Now for an emotion view:​

We've come this far. Thanks to everyone who helped out and participated during this wonderful 'Shroomfest, especially for making my first one very memorable. That includes you, Team Sci-Fi! You all had very great points and funny arguments too. We'll see what judge Ninja Squid has to say.
​

May the best genre win!​

 

[Waluigi Time]

Episode VIII III: The Quest for More Effort Points

 

[Diamant]

JUDGE SESSION #3​

Due to technical limitation, King K. Kool will take on the role of Ninja Squid in this following gif

​

Apologies for the disappearing act last week. I had a few secret things to handle behind the scenes. Saw Mr. Dedede stepped in for me. I appreciate that, but now your little job is done. It's time for me to super jump back into my judge role. Ahem.

We're here for the final judgment of this 'Shroomfest. As your judge, I gotta give a huge thanks to everyone who showed up to the Court Room, tossing in evidence and making their defense. But, let's not forget, the law is the law, and a ruling must be made.

For the final week of 'Shroomfest, the case requires a deeper examination of media and what truly sets Fantasy and Sci-Fi apart. After thorough review of the evidence, the Court has received several pieces that further illuminate the appeal of these two genres:

Another point of interest is Sugarcube Corner, AKA the best bakery ever! Run by Mr. and Mrs. Cake, they bake all kinds of delicious cakes, cupcakes, pastries, you name it! What's even more charming is to see their foals Pound and Pumpkin Cake… awwwww! The ever-excited Pinkie Pie liv

I think I rest my case but don't think you Sci-Fi dudes are safe just yet my man Boo1268 gots something else in store for ya.

Wowie! Those are sights to behold!

A solid case brought up by Team Fantasy was how magical their worlds can be. There's something about Fantasy that just feels different, in a way that it pulls you into a reality that's different from ours, where anything's possible. It makes you want to believe in something bigger, something you wish was real. You're looking out at these vast, beautiful landscapes, filled with things just waiting to be explored and discovered. I mean, we've already talked about fantastical creatures earlier during the debate, and the pieces of media here provided further examples of the kind of discoveries we can do.

It actually made me think about how sometimes I'll just step outside, look at the trees, and appreciate the world around me. It's simple, but in those moments, the world feels a little more magical. And that's what makes Fantasy great, it's all about imagining what could be, beyond what we know. It lets your creativity run wild because it doesn't have to make sense in our reality. Team Fantasy really hit the mark, bringing in some great examples of media that showcase this perfectly.

So, aesthetics, huh? Well the great thing about sci-fi is that it's incredibly versatile for settings! You want more grounded, realistic environments? Sure, a snow-covered planet that looks suspiciously like Antarctica or a forest planet covered in very Earth-like trees will do just fine and no one will bat an eye. The original Star Wars trilogy has a lot of this, probably due to technological limitations at the time, but it says a lot that nobody really minds, right? It just works! Of course, if sci-fi was just realistic environments stretched across a whole planet, that wouldn't be very interesting, would it? There's plenty of fantastical environments in sci-fi media that are out-of-this-world, so to speak.

An excellent point raised by the leader of Team Sci-Fi: Sci-Fi has some seriously versatile art and visual direction. It can get close to realism, but then, just like that, it can swing all the way to the complete opposite end of the spectrum. Visually, Sci-Fi can make you feel like you're stepping into a whole new, unknown world, one that challenges everything you thought you knew about the universe... all while sticking to the rules we already have in place. You can see this pretty clearly in the media Team Sci-Fi has presented to the Court.

And here's one of my personal favorite Star Wars planets, Coruscant! Okay, maybe I just think the nighttime cityscape aesthetic is cool... but look at this and try to tell me it's not gorgeous. I guess I could've posted a daytime picture to get a better view of the planet proper, but Team Moonlight won that particular 'Shroomfest, so... It's a pretty good show of what you can accomplish in this aesthetic though, right? Something familiar, but with a twist on the architecture... and lots of hovercars! Oh, and did I mention that what you're seeing here is the top of thousands of levels built up from the planet's surface? The lowest ones are now abandoned and uninhabitable... creepy!

There's something really interesting about trying to figure out why the lowest part of a building is abandoned or why the cityscape is elevated. Even though it's totally Sci-Fi, there's this feeling that it could actually be part of our real world. And that's what makes it so impressive. The way Sci-Fi can take concepts we already know and twist them into something new and fresh is a fun and creative way of imagining what the future, or even another world might look like. It's like taking a familiar idea and creating a whole new concept out of that very familiar idea.

Yoshi the SSM: "That is right. And the boss here is the head of the Topmen and also shows off Sci-Fi well. And finally, it is time to show some Mario Kart. I am talking about Rainbow Road, a course in space. And this one brings in the most into Sci-Fi."

Yoshi the SSM: "But there is also this as well."

These two pieces of media provided further examples to the points done earlier. Take Metroid, for example. It's all about exploring alien planets with tech that's pretty close to what we know, but still raises all these questions: What is this? What's its purpose? It's like walking into a totally unknown civilization, one that's so foreign we can barely understand. And yet, that's exactly what makes Sci-Fi so interesting. It challenges the rules we take for granted and makes us rethink what's possible. By exploring these unkown things, we can push the boundaries of what we know. We might even stumble upon real technological innovations in the process! That's what makes Sci-Fi such a unique genre.

Now, let's talk Mario Kart. Could you even imagine a massive racing circuit just floating above your town? And why is it even there? What's the point of it all? It's like discovering one of those weird, hidden things in the universe we didn't even know existed. Sure, we've made some impressive innovations, but in the grand scheme of things, our knowledge is still... limited. Actually, it's a bit like the ocean, so much of it is still unknown. And yet, that's where Sci-Fi really shines. It gets us asking, What if... and What could it be? simply with our current knowledge of science.

---

Both Team Fantasy and Team Sci-Fi made solid points that really showcase what their genres are all about. Each team brought in some amazing pieces of media that truly made them stand out. Well done to both teams. However, one team went a bit further, providing a more detailed explanation of what makes their genre unique and what it truly stands for.

So, I have to award my very last bonus points to...

Winner of Week 3
TEAM SCI-FI
Congratulations Team Sci-Fi, you earned +3 extra points to the EFFORT category!​

---

And with the last session done, this is where the eighth round of 'Shroomfest concludes. A big thank you to everyone who took part in this debate and helped keep it casual and light-hearted! We had a strong showing this time around, and it was such a blast. We hope you had lots of enjoyment out of it, learned some fun and creative facts about both genres and developed a deeper appreciation for what they each bring to the table.

However, it's not over until it's over! To find out who the ultimate winner of this 'Shroomfest is, be sure to check out the 'Shroomfest Highlights, which will be released in Issue 218 of The 'Shroom. It's scheduled for release on May 17th. We'll also highlight some of the best moments from this debate, along with the conclusions from the 'Shroom Research Lab's findings. What movie did the 'Shroom staff eventually watch? You'll find out the answers there!

Until then, enjoy!

'SHROOMFEST ROUND 8 - END​