FimFiction Link - Short ID: 549798/party-cannon-roulette
Published: Jan '24
Party Cannon Roulette is a 6,5k word crossover with... a videogame. Can't say I'm familiar with it, but crazy games in nightclubs are pretty much universal.
And crazy it is! Not necessarily wacky and funny, but the gist is that a still-somewhat-drunk Twilight wakes up in the bathroom of a night-club and will now play a game of discount Russian Roulette with Pinkie to win a book.
The mechanics of the game are pretty simple. Load the cannon, shoot it, hope your opponent gets hit and not you. Pinkie throws a few twists and turns here, because what Twilight's drunken mind needs is more stimulation.
There may not be much depth to it, and Pinkie's additions may throw you for a loop, but the story's got a good rhythm, the characterization is solid, and it's just a fun fic all around.
I have a soft spot for the death game. Whether it's the satirization of the rat race so many find themselves in, or just the spectacle of people risking life and limb for personal gain, there's a definite and widespread appeal to it.
But for all its bloodthirsty fans, I can't think of an instance where this concept was Equestrially explored with any success. Well, Party Cannon Roulette shows that all it takes to make a pony death game work is to take out the death.
I'll readily confess to not understanding the massive hype behind the original. While novel and atmospheric, the subpar AI drags it down for me. However, this being a piece of writing, the author doesn't have to show off his programming chops, only his ability to chop it up and mix some pony in, like a Tesco burger.
We begin, as all great stories do, in a public bathroom. The setup is pretty much identical, but like a mare trotting after her human husband, though the path she takes is the same, she does it in a manner all her own.
There's a smattering of sleaze, but it serves to highlight our characters's ponish ways rather than detract from them, and lasts only until we're introduced to our amicable, alliterative antagonist.
I was pretty fond of Maud's feature. A few throwaway lines at first, then a bigger role as the story demanded.
Once the game begins, we're treated to the sight of Twilight slowly embracing the act of blowing loads in a mare's face, her descent from lost filly to cannon-toting maverick only natural.
While the gamier aspects do test the reader's suspension of disbelief, it's never stretched far enough to detract from one's enjoyment, and with some smirk-worthy references and lightspirited jokes amidst an engaging scenario, the humor punches above its weight.
To summer rice: An unexpected mashup with well-expected quality. Like a shower of confetti, it'll be over quick, but you'll have some fun while it lasts.