Fic recs, November 8th: Button Mash edition! · 3:09pm Nov 8th, 2014
It happened a week ago: The great Buttoning, when Button Mash fics fell from the sky like manna from Satan and a bunch of people went, "Wait, why are there all these Button Mash fics showing up at once?"
It was fun while it lasted. :B Anyway, I'm here to give you the rundown on the collection, days after everyone else has already done so! Hurrah!
And I don’t care if this is a Button Mash journal, Sonata Dusk is still relevant.
H: 1 R: 4 C: 8 V: 2 N: 1
Button Mash by Obselescence
Genre: Random
You are Button Mash you poor sod; what will you do? This is not, for the record, actually a CYOA. There are exactly two branching paths and two ways to die, and you could pretty much read the chapters in order and be fine. That said, it’s also a lot of fun, full of self-deprecating humor and general wackiness that really feels true to Jan Animation’s characters, not to mention the image effects. If you’re into video games, you will likely appreciate this more than anyone who isn’t, though if you appreciate randomness, you’ll probably enjoy it as well. It’s a light, fun read and I had a lot to laugh about.
Recommended
All right, that was the first one, written by the jerk who instigated this nonsense, and now we’re just gonna go in order of what was posted in the group, which means next is…
Button Goulash! Which I wrote! Please read it, hardly anyone has. D:
Button Hash by shortskirtsandexplosions
Mature: Gore
Genre: Horror
Ponyville is in an uproar, searching for the unknown party who kidnapped four foals. When skirts got involved in this project, I was excited, but perhaps unsurprisingly, he did not write a story about Button Mash. Instead, he gave us a piece that is everything The Face Takers could have been, and I’m sorry it had to wait until November 1st to be posted, because it makes for a great Halloween read. His skill with imagery is hard at work here, crafting a tense, paranoid and creepy atmosphere through senses other than just sight. The writing occasionally doesn’t feel as well thought-out as it could be, and I question his usage of emphasis and onomatopoeia. (And the word ‘hash’.) Still, if you want a good, visceral dark fic, this is a worthy entry. And if your mature filters are off, note the gore isn’t too bad, though the ending is gross. (I will say that if you’re averse to reading about terrible things happening to children, you might want to skip it.)
Recommended
Button Thrash by Jake the Army Guy
Genre: Comedy
Button Mash discovers metal. On the one hand, this is just a lengthy string of horse puns based around metal bands. It’s amusing watching Button go nuts as he feels the metal course through his veins. On the other hand, it’s also a look into the lives of Button’s parents through a number of rather subtle things. The image that caught my attention right off the bat was of him rifling through his dad’s old stuff, most of which depicts the two of them in various states of debauchery. While I was sitting there, marveling at the idea that Button’s parents were metalheads in their youth, he was thoroughly uninterested by said revelation, and that was both powerful and funny. The ending also presented a bit of an unexpected character twist, though I kind of wish that the author had made a statement about the older generation growing up to be the kind of people they once rallied against. Still, this is ultimately about what it means to be a kid and discover the things your parents once enjoyed, but have since given up. (Also, Button’s middle name is inspired.)
Recommended
Button Ash by RazgrizS57
Genre: Absurd Comedy
Button Mash destroys the world. This story’s central joke — “Button Mash is an idiot” — is hilarious, but gets driven into the ground over the course of the piece. That and a certain something lacking in the writing are my main complaints about this. The rest is pretty funny, most especially the narrator’s naked contempt for Button. I’ve honestly never seen that kind of attitude in an omniscient POV before. (Apparently, Raz doesn’t like him much. Who knew?) Apart from the apocalyptic comedy, this also features something of a condemnation of clicker games (i.e., Cookie Clicker) and possibly even gamer culture itself. The final chapter is fun because it makes zero sense. If you don’t mind imperfections, take a look at this one.
Recommended If You Like Silly Stuff
Oh hey, I wrote Button Splash (Mature) too, marking my triumphant return to the world of clopfiction. I’m slightly miffed that it’s doing so much better than my serious effort. :| Go figure.
Oh, and I’ll review CouchCrusader’s Button Cash once he finishes it. It’s pretty funny though, if you want to check it out early!
Button Clash by chono
Genre: Light Comedy
Rarity attends a fashion symposium, where her ire is piqued by one attendee’s fashion faux pas. There are two major things wrong with this. First, it needs proofreading and rather a lot more commas. Second, it needs more story. Rarity gets into a bit of an argument, and then the argument is almost immediately resolved, cutting off any potential for further comedy. And given that the punchline doesn’t really make any sense, more comedy is definitely what this needs. It’s not a bad read, if you don’t mind the lack of commas, but I am kind of baffled by it.
Vaguely Recommended
Button Flash by FloydienSlip
Genre: Random Comedy
Button Mash is cursed to do something, uh, weird. I can’t this fic. There’s every possibility you won’t either, unless you’ve got a good head for classic rock lyrics. I’m just not sure I get what starts all of this off, is the main thing.
Recommended If You Like Random Stories
Button Dash by plumander
Reading by Midnight29
Genre: Slice of Life
Button Mash signs up for the Running of the Leaves, hoping to impress Rainbow Dash. This feels like the start of a good idea; for some reason, Button having a crush on Dash is a concept I find intriguing, and I wish more time had been devoted to building it up. I can’t help but wonder if the fast pacing is a meta-joke. Still, this is cute, and even if the ending is entirely predictable, I liked it.
Recommended If You Don’t Mind Fast Pacing
Button Vash by AppleTank
Genre: Doctor Who Crossover
Button Mash has some strange relatives. Ignoring that this is sadly not a Trigun crossover, it makes no sense at all. Okay, so Button is a Vashta Nerada (if you don’t know what that is, it’s explained in the story). I guess I can deal with that, it at least makes sense with the title. But Twist is made of candy? Scootaloo is a robot? At no point in reading this story did I ever feel like I understood what was happening. I will say that the final joke works, even if it involves something I don’t like. I’m just not sure if anyone else will be able to grok this, either.
Not Recommended
Button Gnash by Aquaman
Genre: Slice of Life
Sweetie Belle is forced to spend an afternoon on a play date with Button Mash, who is kind of a dork. I don’t think I know anyone who takes Button Mash more seriously than Aquaman. This is especially true when it comes to his relationship with Sweetie Belle, so I am quite excited that he’s finally gotten an excuse to write something like this. The two reasons this piece is so great are those characters. Sweetie is our POV, and her cataloguing of “Button-speak” sets up a really great friendship-at-arm’s-length dynamic. Button, meanwhile, is stripped of his “gamers are secretly superheroes” self-insert characterization, presented as your average video game-obsessed nerd who is actually a nerd to those outside gaming culture, albeit one who likes playing soccer games. (This last point, ironically, makes him a self-insert for Aquaman.) His continual shouting at the game while explaining it to Sweetie is a nonstop source of amusement, and their dynamic when one of them isn’t immersed in gameplay is fantastic. This is a really great slice of life, and despite being about something inherently silly, it’s strong as Aqua’s pieces tend to be.
Highly Recommended
Button Nash by Hap
Genre: HiE
Button Mash is the reincarnation of a guy from Nashville, a chef who specialized in breaded, fried foods. This story is really weird, and I have a few issues with it. First, the writing isn’t amazing, but whatever. More importantly, Button Mash is spread kind of thin. This pays mere lip-service to video games before rolling out the “trying to get a cooking cutie mark” plot. In other words, why is it important that this guy became Button? Still, the way this builds to its before-the-climax ending is surreal and fascinating. Overall, it’s a little compressed, but it’s not bad if you’re looking for something kind of original.
Vaguely Recommended
Button Bash by RainbowBob
Genre: Comedy
Button the Masher is king of the hill, and will let no challengers remain unopposed! This is a fun little story of the “see kids’ make-believe world” sort, with Button as a true incorrigible. One could say that it opens a dialogue on the effect of violent video games on the minds of impressionable youth, but I suspect that was not the author’s intent. This isn’t RainbowBob’s best work to date, as it just sort of peters out at the end, but it is the first story in this Thing that captures the one thing I like most about Button Mash: he’s a whiny crybaby.
Recommended for a Laugh
Button Gash by Regidar
Mature: Sex
Genre: Crackfic
Button Mash drinks the wrong potion and things change. There is not a single serious word in this entire story. It’s hilarious. My only complaint is that it’s Apple Bloom and not Sweetie Belle spouting the anti-male rhetoric, but I suppose shoehorning both in would have been a problem. I suppose I can also complain about not being sure of the characters’ ages, but I think it’s safe to say they’re at least not kids anymore, judging by how they talk. (I really hope Regidar didn't just make me enjoy foalcon. I might have to kill him.) This is kind of fantastic, if you’re into this sort of thing.
Troll Recommended
Button Squash (or Maud Doesn’t Write About Rocks) by Rinnaul
Genre: Slice of Life
Maud Pie takes her sister’s advice and tries writing poetry about something that isn’t rocks. This story has the auspiciousness of not being about Button Mash, not actually rhyming with “mash” (mine didn’t either, that’s okay), and not having been released on November 1st. Somehow, it manages to be a really worthwhile read (gee, I wonder how?) For starters, there’s Maud and Pinkie’s dynamic, which is captured perfectly, thanks in no small part to a well-written Pinkie Pie. Then there’s the whole “trying to force yourself to write poetry and failing” aspect, which I really connected with. The recipe name joke didn’t hurt things. And finally, there’s the ending, when this flips from light comedy SoL to metafic. It wouldn’t work outside this Thing, but for what it is, I really enjoyed this.
Recommended
Button’s Stash by ABagOfVicodin
Genre: Random Comedy
Three colts try to get their hooves on Button’s legendary stash, and find that he only has a stache. I literally can’t this fic. I think it’s maybe a meta-critique of the entire Buttoning in fic form. More likely, it’s just Vicodin sitting on the sidelines and laughing at our silly stories while stroking his moustache. Hey, not cool, I thought we were bros. :( Anyway, this gets a tad confusing because of the nonstop wordplay, but that’s just because ABagOfVicodin is enlightened above us puny mortals. This is fun.
Recommended for Fans of Clever Wordplay
Button Stash by Dash the Stampede
Genre: Dark
Button Mash is secretly a crime boss, with all of Ponyville under his hoof. Talk about unique: this is a really great attempt at turning Button Mash into a dark figure. It might be a little hard to swallow (how did he get into this position? it’s never really explained), but for introducing an idea, this works pretty well. There are a few hiccups in the writing early on, but those smooth out by the end. That said, I can’t help but feel something was left out of this, likely during the timeskip toward the end. It’s still a good read nevertheless, if only because by this point in the Buttoning, you’ll likely be wanting something a little different.
Recommended If You Can Believe in Child Crime Lords
Final Mashtination by Rinnaul
Genre: Dark Comedy
Button Mash is killed over and over by a mysterious force. This is really amusing, both because it plays heavily on “Button is really dumb” as well as deconstructing the whole Buttoning Thing. It’s also something of a cathartic piece if you’ve gotten tired of reading about Button Mash by this point. :V That said, it does get a little repetitive, but I do like that it uses the framing device of Button basically being in a game like I Wanna Be the Guy or something, where you only learn by dying a lot. The explanation of what’s going on is a bit of a letdown, but it’s still funny.
Recommended If You’re Sick of Button Mash by Now and Want to See Him Die a Lot
(If you saw this post and then disappear, I have no idea what happened. I literally scrolled the screen while editing and it posted somehow.)
It's true. It's one gigantic Queen reference that no one but me finds funny.
*reads about Final Mashtination* I am getting kinda tired of seeing that kid's face all over this site. Nothing against him and stories about him, I'm just ready to see something else. Still, Button Gnash sounds interesting. To my RiL it goes.
I believe in child crime lords, do you?
Yeah, I wasn't terribly happy with the ending of Final Mashtination. I wrote the whole thing in about an hour and a half, and I had a lot of fun with most of it. The ending was me just trying to come up with something to wrap it up.
I read that as "punny mortals". Seeing "wordplay" made my brain put a pun where there wasn't one and I just--
I keep shaking my head at myself now.
I wish I had known about The Buttoning back when everyone got together to do this. Unfortunately, I was one of the lost and very confused individuals to see Button Mash all over the place on November 1st. It's unfortunate because it sparked an idea for me:
Button... SMASH!
After an accident (that probably occurred while playing a video game), Button Mash finds that he turns to a colossal brute whenever he gets angry. Awesome! Except when his anger is pushed too far (probably instigated by Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon). And so he goes on a rampage, terrorizing the citizens of Ponyville, because it's been almost a full week since they've had an extremely convoluted crisis. Don't want them to start slacking off, now do we?
I could still write it, but now it feels kind of pointless. Everyone's sick of Button Mash, and The Buttoning ended a week ago.
2581883 Pfft, I enjoyed it.
2581954 Honestly? I'd say write it. It sounds like it'd be really funny. The point of it was mostly just writing for catharsis and for fun. It sounds like this would be fun so I say write it. Toss it into the Button Mash Group and I'm sure PP'll take a look and be dismissive of it.
2581883
Oh, it was all Queen? :O I just caught that it was all 70's rock, I guess I'm not up on my Queen lyrics! :B
2581888
If ya know what's good for ya! :V
2581948
The actual what's-going-on was funny, but the execution needs a little more punch.
2581954
Button Smash was one of the planned ones that never got written, actually. :B
2581888 Ohai, Artemis Fowl.
2582049
Pretty much what I meant.
I knew from the start it would be Sweetie Belle's fault. The very earliest idea was going to be a Tumblr reference, with Meanie Belle describing various ways he'd die in a journal. Then I decided to drop the Tumblr thing as I started writing it, and decided it would be normal Sweetie Belle putting him through a Ponyville-themed Tomb of Horrors instead. I was stuck on the why of that one, and settled on the reasons given basically as I started writing the final chapter.
As it stands, I know Sweetie Belle doesn't really sound in-character, I didn't really go anywhere with the idea or any jokes in the last chapter, and the ending just comes too abruptly. I kind of want to rewrite it, but I still haven't thought of anything better to do with it, and I have some other projects going now (my personal "To Be Reviewed" list is now sitting at 107 items, half of which I want posted before the month is out, and the other half I need to do before Christmas; I was at one point attempting NaNoWriMo; I haven't done reviews for PCaRG in over a month; and I actually have a life off of this site too).
[EVIL LAUGHTER INTENSIFIES]
I like to point out that .... it was all Raz's fault. I can't stream of consciousness to save my life (it took me 2.5 hours to write this. I normally take a few months or so to think on it), and so I pretty much started spazzing out at the keyboard after the first 300 words. I should probably leave a note that says "Please don't read. I regret everything. Not recommended. Why are you still here."
And maybe another note somewhere that yells at the reader for actually reading the damn thing.
Yeah that seems like a pretty fair summary of all of these. As for the lack of commas and proof reading, I can only blame myself for writing it in an hour before work. Also for not giving it a once over when I got home.
I have no regrets.
I still don't get the Button Mash fad. It makes me want to buy a bunch of Button Mash minifigures (which probably don't exist) and have my Button Mash army face off against my Halo Heroclix, though.
You should review SS&E's It Came From Black Friday because the day of consumeristic reckoning draws near. Also, it has Skirts trying to make ponies into cats with hooves, accurately envisions the rage that this "holiday" brings from an employee perspective, and is a bloody hilarious take on HiE. Oh and "Nancy". "Nancy" is how you get under the radar.
So... how do I show proper obeisance to convince you to review this, PP... oh! I know! I really like your review videos. Like the ones where you're showing off the difference between two different Fluttershys. I remember I whipped out my Fluttershy minifigure, paused the video at the right moment, and put my Fluttershy close to my phone screen and had playtime. The three Fluttershys then shared their experiences of being owned by man children instead of little girls while having a nice picnic consisting of bread, crackers, and tea. They then flew over to Lord Hissy Pissy, my Necron Lord (What? I love my angry goth terminators), who was busy genociding a bunch of Space Faggots-- I mean Space Elves. The trio then managed to convince the giant robot that killing things was wrong... well, either that or the Lord only fucked off because she got super pissed at all of the Butter Butts' soothing songs and adorable eyes. The end.
Oh, and I think I might've picked up another Fluttershy minifigure because of that review. Sure. Hooray consoomerism!
2582211
When this happens, Regidar will be more evil than TheJediMasterEd, who is currently more evil than Bad Horse, simply because he was making fruitcake, which is pure, solidified evil.
The day that PP discovers that foalcon presses his buttons will be glorious. Personally, I'd be a bit weirded out, but I ain't one to judge.
2582501
wtf c.c
Anyway, it wasn't a "fad" really, just "we should do this because funny I guess".
2582501 I already succeeded
THE STORY WAS THE MOST CON A FOAL COULD HAVE
I kind of want to have a children's brony convention, and name it "Foalcon"
2582579
Curse you, Regidaaaaar! D:
2582692 HAHA
I'm BROADENING YOUR HORIZONS
WATDSTHNGNDXZBNFBBFDCVH VBRFVNB B D
TAKE THAT
2582729
Honestly, if you were going for underaged characters, I'd say you failed. :B They swear and talk about sex too casually to be anything less than high schoolers.
2582752 obviously you've never spent any time with middle schoolers
2582805
They're all obsessed with Pokemon. :B
2582989 but they've also got foul mouths and talk about sex and also sometimes like to have buttfun
I speak from experience
2583025
I went to the wrong school :(
2583039 You're telling me you never talked with a foul mouth and about sex in 6-8th grade cause you thought it made you look cool?
2583052
Dude, I never saw a boob until 7th grade. We had these trading cards. :B I was always horribly sheltered.
2583177 Well, 6th/7th grade was about that time for me (I was mentally scarred to be the pervert who would eventually write mpreg SJW foalcon that you know and love today by being shown horse on woman porn at the tender age of 12), and I was a sheltered dude.
Step it up senpai
2583424
man I just write weird shit :B
2582579
We shall see to what degree your success is. To me, you have but simply sown the seeds. PP has shown not any indication to attraction, not even questioning such allure. But, perhaps it is just a testament to how well he is at hiding such things, and even now his mind is a-stir with these thoughts. These succulent, scrumptious thoughts...
derpicdn.net/img/2013/10/14/448962/large.png
We shall see how successful you our in time, Regidar.
2583177
Probably the Japanese version of Misty's Tears lol.
Hey... isn't Misty like 11 or 12 years old?
This has been my bad deed for today.
i come back about once a year to read "I really hope Regidar didn't just make me enjoy foalcon. I might have to kill him.)" and cackle
5607796
what an anniversary, mark :B