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June 2005 Donation Item Critique |
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This month's Donation Items are the Bone Dragon Helm and the Phoenix Circlet.
<center> </center>ZeekSlider Must Have Rating: 3 out of 5 Recommended Item: Phoenix Ciclet
What the?!
I don't know what to think about these items. One makes you look like Cubone from Pokemon. The other looks more like a decorative accessory. What's this? I can put more than one? Great! What the hell?! You mean I have to get three more just to get this critique done and up to par?! Well, there goes $15 US out of my pocket. What the ********!?! I can't multi-quip the six I just bought?!
Oh well, on with the critique for now.
Isn't this Copyright Infridgement?
 For those of you that don't know, this is a Cubone. A Cubone is a little Pokemon that is lonely by nature.
Does its skull look familar? Yeah, I thought so.
Well, now that we have the first mode of this item out of the way, let me talk about the others!
The second mode of this item is with the skull raised. This offers a nice hat, and is a nice alternative to the "Cubone Mask" default mode. Both this mode and the above mode take the Hat Slot, but they also replace one another. Think of this as a kind of bone version of an OMFG or BTK hat.
The next mode is as a chestplate according to the drop menu. Personally, I don't see it. It looks more like a giant bone collar. It doesn't even look all that great! The only thing this mode does is make the Courted Ruff collar you can win in the Casnio look more attractive. Still, this mode does have its merits.
When coupled with the second mode of the skull being raised, the avatar's head looks as if they are wearing an even bigger skull of the Bone Dragon. The Chestplate Mode makes it look like the user left the lower jaw on the dragon upon putting it on their head. Unfortunately the same can't be said with the skull lowered down in the default mode, mostly because of the second pair of nostrals.
The Belt Mode of this item looks rather interesting. On female avatars, this mode makes an interesting skirt. The back flares up as is the wind is blowing up creating a nice motion. On male avatars, this mode just looks odd. It looks even more odd, but humorous, with a Dancer Bottom on.
Lastly, this item can be equiped as boots. The boots themselves don't cover the feet at all, which makes me wonder why they take up the Shoe Slot instead of the Sock Slot. Furthermore, they don't look like boots at all! If anything, they look like leg wings.
Like in the preview image, the above two modes look better together. This way, they for a kind of "Bone Dragon Pants" or chaps. Coupled with the right pants and pair of socks, this could be a very interesting pair of pants for any avatar to wear... if you don't mind not having any shoes.
Collectively, this set looks like it belongs back in the stone age. Creative avatar makers will find this set of four rather bulky. There isn't much you can do with them outside of the whole "Demonic Minion in Bone Armor" angle, mostly because this item keeps screaming that it was taken off of a Pokemon design! Still, given the alternative of the Skull Helmet (the actuall skull one, not the biker one), it's better looking at the least.
The Order of the Phoenix
Despite the Harry Potter referance in the title, the item's description hints more at X-men than it does the actual myth about the Phoenix.
In any event, this item is strictly accessory! You can tell this right off the bat from its various poses.
The default mode of this item is as a close-to-the-head crown. This crown is very elegant and looks very nice on any avatar. However, given the color, it would look best on those with darker hair.
The second mode is called a Halo Mode. I don't see the Halo being formed here. It looks more like the crown was raised a little and then bent to go back and over the head to connect at some join in the back. A fancier crown, really, than a Halo. However, this look completely disappears if you have any of the two pairs of back wings that are out in Gaia right now. With the wings, this modes makes them look like insect feelers.
Moving along, the last of the various hat modes is a mode called Phoenix Raising. With the wings stretched out, this mode is a golden version of the Angelic Headband. Unlike the Angelic Headband, however, the wings go up instead of out. While this mode does impress, I would like to have seen it actually coming out from the avatar's head isntead of behind it. This is here the Angelic Headband gets its 1-Up over this donation item.
All three of the above look great on their own, but they look more impressive when put together. When together, the various modes form a very nice and mythological crown that rivals the crowns in the Casino! As elegant as they are, it will be hard to find something that will match with them to keep such a royal air around this combination of items. Your best bet is to play it safe and try to invest in reds and oranges. Too bad some of the regal stuff in the Casino can't compliment this combination well enough.
The next mode is known as Phoenix Heart. This mode takes up the neck slot, which pretty much means you won't be able to wear your favorite collar with it. But why would you want to? This mode creates a nice bow-tie that streatches over the shoulders. If this mode was black and a bat, people would jump on it just to dress up like Jack Skellington! However, that isn't such the case. The people that will get the most joy out of this mode are the ones that own red formal suits.
Incidently, if you couple this mode with the Solar Cloak's default mode, you'll actually match and have small Phoneix wings coming out of your back.
The last mode disappoints. Known as the Phoenix Tail, this mode souldn't even be on the menu. As the name implies, the crown becomes another animal tail for you to wear. The reason why it disappoints is because you cannot see it even with your hands out stretched! The feathers are too small and angled in a way that makes them impossible to see. The only saving grace is if you wear pants that don't cover it up.
The aboved two modes when combined look a little like a cape provided there isn't anying in the way that would alter their layering positions. The cape would start where the Phoenix Heart starts, wrap around the shoulders, go down the back, and split at the hip to form the Phoenix Tail. An expensive alternative to some of the capes available to the general market, but a classier one has yet to be designed. And this mock cape is very classy.
Collectively, this set is simply stunning! Every mode of it is a sight that will help you become the very attention of any forum you enter. The only down side is that you have to invest in reds and oranges, preferable the kind that are available in some form of formal wear. After all, wearing this many classy accessories demands a classy outfit.
Now if only they would fix the bugs...
The Phoenix Circlet wins practically with no contest. Each mode and each combination is simply better than the Bone Dragon Helm in every way possible! Do yourself and your avatar a favor and invest in at least one of this item! If they ever fix the bug were you can't multi-quip them, invest in two or three more. You won't regret it.
 Zeek Slider · Fri Jun 24, 2005 @ 11:35pm · 6 Comments |
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