Talking Games Podcast 09/18/14

Thanks for the show!

I just had this game mash-up idea: Zelda Wind Waker / the odyssey (quick explanation video youtu.be/MS4jk5kavy4).

But then I had this bigger thought, why are they so few books adapted into video games? I can literally think of 2; the Witcher and Metro 2023.

Are their any books we love and want to see games of?

Mine are in order of want. The Ballad of Mulan, The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Aeneid.

About 15 years ago there was a PC Game based in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time world that I never got a chance to try.

The big book adaptation that I can think of is the Three Kingdoms, which is attributed to Luo Guanzhong.  It is basis for the Romance of the Three Kingdoms games, which I do not think is still around anymore, and the Dynasty Warriors series.  I know this only because Dynasty Warriors is my guilty pleasure game.  I just cannot get enough of putting the Yellow Turban Rebellion down.

Guilty pleasure has to be Rugrats: Search for Reptar for PS1. Does anybody remember that game? Chasing the goose through the maze, racing Angelica downstairs, going into the scary basement, and the awesome minigolf game? Good times. Guilty, but good times.

Really enjoyed this podcast, especially the commentary on Destiny. 

My thoughts on the game: It has everything I expected from a Bungie game... Amazing combat mechanics, awesome sci-fi fantasy setting, incredible music... that alone can keep me happy. Being newer to MMO's I did feel like the content variety was lacking at first, but now, especially after learning how the game changes once you hit level 20, and with the new content Bungie has released in the past week, I see the larger, long-term plan, and I could seriously see this as a game I'll play for a long, long time.  I'm new to the Playstation network and got a PS4 for this game, so I haven't really played with anybody, but I only imagine that enhances the enjoyment. I do enjoy fighting alongside random players out in the worlds or during public events. I've dabbled some in the Crucible as well, and enjoyed it... I'll go back to that once I complete my "Earn 9000 exp points without dying" bounty. That stupid bounty has eluded me three times now... once I was less that 300 exp points away and jumped off a tower that was apparently too high! (I didn't know I could die by falling too far at the time.) Man, that sucked.

I think the story narrative, being such a huge part of the Halo series, has been the biggest disappointment, especially since Bungie is a studio I expected to put more of an emphasis on that aspect of the game. My only other unfortunate thing for me is that I haven't been able to dig into the game like I've wanted. I got the game on its release date and have put in less than 8 hours, always in short bursts of an hour here or there..... still really fun though and I'll continue to play it at least until Sunset Overdrive is released and even then, will probably keep going back as new events continue to roll out.

Guilty pleasure game....  One that comes to mind for me is Gauntlet Legends for the DC.  Sure it's Gauntlet, so it's repetitive as hell and got average review scores all over the place, but something in this game hooked me and I found myself playing it through, over and over, suddenly obsessed with leveling up every character class in the game. There really were some great stages in the game with excellent music. Sure, it's mostly just constantly attacking mobs, but it was really mindless fun, especially the co-op. I'll give an honorable mention to Serious Sam as well. No strategy, a joke of a story... just balls to the wall action FPS... occasionally it reminded me of a FPS version of Smash TV (a game I put an obscene amount of hours in). 

And Rob... there should be no guilt with Earth Defense Force. I'm right there with you. My friend and I played through 2017 on the 360 years ago. Just a few months ago we finally finished up its predecessor, Global Defense Force, on the PS2 (choppy graphics and controls but still captured that same fun and epic-ness of the battles).  We're already planning on hitting up the remaining two in the series on the 360.

Here's another thought for a question for either you guys or the listeners, kind of in the same vein as the "guilty pleasure" question... What game have you completed, but you also hold the most resentment for?  Sure, you put countless hours into it and beat it, so you had a relationship there, but if you saw it walking down the street now you'd punch it in the face... the "I beat you, you son of a bitch, now go to hell!!" game... I have two I immediately think of that fit that description... both surprisingly on the N64.

Wow... that's a long post.... 

I joined the clan after hearing about it on this weeks podcast. Hopefully we can get a raid group together after a bit and try to tackle that raid. The raid was completed for the first time only 14 hours after it went live, so it might be a little challenging, but it shouldn't be too bad at all with a little coordination. My wife is going to be out of town all weekend, so I plan on doing a whole lot of loot grinding to try and get my light level up some more.

Creepy in the best way possible. It's the eyebrows, very dastardly. Well done, sir! Also, thanks so much for listening!

Alright, don't tell anyone you guys... but my guilty pleasure game is Clayfighter 2: Judgment Clay for N64.

It's likely that I couldn't go back and play this now, and actually I never knew it was that bad of a game until I grew up and heard other people talk about it with such contempt (like Killer Instinct, which I also loved as a kid). But for some reason, my friends and I would have all-nighters in middle school playing Clayfighter 2 like kids play Halo or Call of Duty now, except back in my day, you actually had to have people in the room with you to play multiplayer games. My favorite character was Nana Man, who, as Wikipedia describes him, "is a cool, laid-back banana with a Jamaican accent."