One Quick Post Before January Is Over

So there goes another month by. All of a sudden the New Year's celebration was over. Then it was Chinese New Year. And now it's February. I can't believe it was a year ago when we joined JTV. Before that we were just a couple of guys recording for fun a show no one listened to. You guys have really inspired us. You don't know how much of a huge difference it is when you see people read what you write, listen to what you say, and even disagree with your opinions. We love doing this stuff but it's useless without you guys. So really, Thank You.

Also, I don't ever think we came out and said about our New Year's Resolutions. We've been pretty bad about certain things. We've said we were going to fix this or do that. I just want to say we are working on it. We're always working on bettering and improving what we do. Since it's now officially been a year, I'm letting you guys know that we do have these things on our minds. But again, if you guys see things that we're neglecting or need to fix, give us an email. Sometimes we just need a reminder. Other times we just don't see it.

We've got a lot planned for this year. Show number 100 is next week. Also the Revival Club will be starting up. We'll be at Ikkicon. I've had a few people asking for a tour around 4PP "Headquarters." On top of that, Season 2 will start probably in March. Travis has his own project in store for you guys around April. We're going to have a Spring Project called the 4PP B.C. And of course another Project M?

So here's to the "new" year.
David

Plus we still owe you guys the New Year's Dream Sequences

Podcast #99 Recording Tonight

When: 10pm Central Time (11pm 4pp Time)

Viewer Questions: I want you guys to make some really fucking good viewer questions. I will look over them ahead of time and will probably be way more picky, so make sure you put some effort in to them this time. Also, try not to ask something already asked before.
Postcast 99 Viewer Questions Thread.

News: There will be a new News thread in the Podcast section every week. In this thread post any news you find worthy of mention on the show and post links to their sources.
Podcast 99 News Thread.


We'll handle the rest.

Thanks

Brad

Next Week: Ikkicon 3, February 6-8, 2009

It's always absolutely amazing how fast time passes. In exactly one week, Mike, Sandra, and I will be attending Ikkicon 3 at the Hilton in Austin Texas. As far as I know Juan, Matt, and Travis will all be there as well. They'll just be hanging out, enjoying the convention and occasionally hanging out at the booth. We're trying to find out what we'll actually have access to at Ikkicon, so we'll let you know this week about a possible broadcast or events that will be going on.

Also for the first time, we will start selling the Bearrel Rolls shirts Mike designed. We'll see how it goes at the con and then move towards finally selling them online.

So first off, is anyone else going? Any suggestions about what we should do at the booth? If Brad is able to show up, we've talked about accepting random Tekken matches. I can't wait to see Peelander-Z. I've only heard nothing but positive things.

Here's a their newest video.


Can't wait,
David

If anyone wants more information, www.ikkicon.com

More From The Video Blog

So here are a few of the questions I've had for the Video Blog.

General JTV Questions

Footage of my new favorite Tekken character in my new favorite Tekken stage.

Be sure to watch the Alisa vs Alisa match later in the video. They show a lot of her cool stuff there. 2p outfit will be my outfit of choice.

Don't ruin this Namco. A KOS-MOS swap will make this an instant best game ever.


Brad

Podcast Update & Random Thoughts

I've uploaded all the most recent podcasts. Show number 98 is up. As is Top 5 2009 Backlog Games. I've also uploaded a new Dinnertime up that Brad and I recorded a few days ago. And if you've seen my last post, I uploaded a recording from the Richard Garriott talk that I attended. As a reminder we'll be back on schedule again with three recordings this weekend. The normal show which is number 99. We'll record a new top 5 as well as Nick's new podcast The Revival Club, this month featuring Oddworld Stranger's Wrath.

I forgot to mention that on this week's DinnerTime the cute girl from the Chinese Restaurant was there to be our waitress. It's worth a list just to hear what she sounds like and let your imagination run wild.


Now for some random thoughts...

I heard Tommy Tallarico is working on the music for Sonic and Black Knight for Wii. I'm glad to see he's doing well and still finding work during these economic times.

After whooping up on Sandra last week at Arcade UFO, I've been interested in playing Arcana Heart again. Suggoi! Arcana Heart 2 looks to be releasing April 6 in Japan. I'm seriously debating on importing this one. Only problem, NO ONE TO PLAY WITH. Also, Anime art for Aino has changed significantly. I'm not sure if I like it.

Final Fantasy Chronicles: Echos of Time. I am so confused about this title. I've ALWAYS wanted a good non-MMO multiplayer Final Fantasy. This is not it. 40 bucks for a DS game or 49 buck for a Wii game with DS graphics, I have no clue what's going on.

The Gurren Lagann packaging is a total clusterfuck. Basically you can buy it on 6 discs with 6 dvd cases or you can buy it on 6 discs with 3 dvd cases. I'll upload pictures on another post which I will called, "Collecting, An Art"

Finally, I getting really excited about download games and indie games. Hit me with your best shot. I want to know every game worth downloading, Indie or Console Download.

Thanks,
David

The Day I Met Royalty

If you're familiar with MMOs, you probably recognize the person above as basically the father of the genre, Lord British. Ultima Online was the first successful game of that nature and paved the way for all of the subscription based games so many play now.

I don't want to get bogged down too much on all of this person's achievements in video games. Before the series even went online, Ultima had been around for 15 years. So there would be a lot to go over.

Last Saturday, I came across the opportunity to hear him speak. Not about his games or about the video game industry, but about Space. Yes, this man has been to Space. He was the first American Second Generation, as his father went to space before him.

I posted both parts unedited for those of you who want to download it.

Richard Garriott Space Talk [Part 1] [Part 2]

I'll just say that I really overwhelmed. All this time I thought, he's a smart guy who makes video games. After hearing him speak, I really felt like an ant among giants. This man basically said, I want to go to space and then proceeded to go through all the steps to get there, including raising massive amounts of money and repairing his body surgically. There are tons of people out there smarter, better, and way ahead of any of us. Geniuses who build spaceships in their free time and here I am struggling to find time to go running in between work and the podcast. It really make me think things over and humbled me quite a bit.

Finally, I wanted to point out to those who may not listen to the recordings. At one point Garriott explains how basically every accomplishment in space travel is credited to the Russians. Every first, except the moon landing, was accomplished by the Russians, but still they celebrate us on equal terms with them. Where as here, we don't hear anything about the Russians at all.

It's an interesting listen that enjoyed,

Thanks,
David

Also thanks Casey for letting me know about the event.

The Dark Knight Returns

The Dark Knight was a film that changed the way I look at movies. The writing and the brilliant performances that brought it to life made me a Batman fan and immediately erased the horrid memories of Batman Forever and that shitty movie with George Clooney from my mind. Batman's video game history has been more reminiscent of the old Batman movies than of the new. I have been following the development of "Batman: Arkham Asylum" since its announcement last year and am becoming increasingly optimistic. Take one look at this new trailer and you will understand why.


In addition to the high production values, the story looks like it can run with the best of them. Most importantly however is the return of the original voice actors from "Batman: The Animated Series", Kevin Conroy (Batman/Bruce Wayne) and Mark Hamill (The Joker). Their presence seems to mix nostalgia with the darker, more twisted tone of "The Dark Knight". The trailer also finally reveals some game play which looks pretty solid from an outsiders perspective. Of course, the truth will come when I get a controller in my hand. For now, my anticipation grows and I hope that many of our viewers and listeners are willing to give this game a chance despite the series rocky history.

Expect a full blown post about what my hopes and dreams are for this game.

-Nick

Brad's Laundry List - You'll beat it someday, Nick.

Cumpleted:
Lumines Supernova (all skins unlocked)
Way of the Samurai (LOL)
Fatal Frame 3
Fable 2
Darkwatch
Fallout 3: Operation Anchorage (DLC)
Cuboid

Working On:
The Darkness (50%)
Xenosaga Episode 3 (98%)
Parasite Eve 2 (2%)
Tales of Vesperia (50%)
Crisis Core (80%?)


Not Finishing:
DS Games (*fart*)


Brad

Seriously... Watch This!

Yeah, it's the same trailer linked to earlier. But now it's embeded so all you have to do is hit play. Everyone needs to see this.

When Squaresoft brings their fucking A game, they always impress. God I'm excited. Could this end up being the best RPG battle system ever??


Brad

To Answer Your Question..

So I've started a video blog. I'll be posting a video once in a while to answer questions. So probably the question we've had the most....



Thanks,
David

New Final Fantasy XIII Trailer

FFXIII may not make it onto US store shelves by the end of the year but that doesn't mean all hope is lost. 2009 Is sure to be a year that is full of new details on the highly anticipated title. If you visited the new FFXIII official website within the last week, you may have noticed a giant countdown clock. Well the countdown is over and Square-Enix has given us another new FFXIII trailer for us to feast out eyes on. We also finally get to see some gameplay in action and I must say that the game looks to be shaping up rather nicely. I'm sure it will be another great entry in what has become one of the greatest video game franchises in history. To see the new trailer, follow the link below:

Final Fantasy XIII Official Website

-Nick

A Fresh Look On Zelda?

I saw this posted on Kotaku the other day about Indie developer Joakim Sandberg's one level Zelda Tribute called Legend of Princess. It's a 2-d side scrolling "Zelda" and I was excited because I think Indie games are the way to go these days. I think they're the most fresh and aren't held down my conventional game development needs. They're free to do anything.

I watched the gameplay on youtube, although there were technical problems and the gameplay looked too loose, I could appreciate the style and the fact that it still hadn't gone through the layers of polish. "Link" has this double jump where he pulls out a Cuccoo and it's quite beautiful to see.

I was really interested in playing the level until I saw this clip.



Apparently there is no escape from the Zelda formula, even in Indie games. I'm not going to go into anymore details about why this was a poor choice for a boss battle. I think the game looks nice and with some polish could be fantastic, should he pursue it further.

Because of researching into The Legend of Princess has turned me on to another of his games.

NOITU LOVE 2: DEVOLUTION


Has anyone played this? Is it worth the 10 bucks?

Thanks,
David

Oops. Little Big Planet Contest Winner is...

Doh, don't kill me. Take the holidays, the end of the year podcasts, and mix them with my rush to finish 2008 games, and we get a major fuck up on the account of me. So I totally played all the levels from the LBP contest, and I totally forgot to pick the winner. There were a lot of great levels, but only one winner. It was very close... but here we are:

Runners Up:
1. BRYN4444 - Experiments Under the Sand (beautiful and tricky)

2. Pan1c42 - 1 or 2 awesome (some really clever stuff as usual from Panic)

3. navy_flip - MGSLBPROFL1 (awesome but very hard, needed more checkpoints)



The Winner:
Tchuwib - You'RRrr a pirate



I will have Tchuwib send me a message from the PSN account he gave me to make sure it was indeed his level. I have the 20 dollar PSN card in my possession and will email you the code as soon as you confirm this. Thank you to everyone who entered the contest as there were some really awesome levels. And again, sorry this announcement was so delayed.


Brad

Max Payne: The Movie

For Chinese New Year, my brother got me to sit down and watch a movie with him. I'm not a big movie watcher, especially in the theaters. Unless it's something particularly relevant, I have a hard time spending a couple hours essentially just watching TV. But being something video game related and that I could talk about on the blog, I agreed.

When we went to go rent the movie, I asked him why he was interested in it. He explained that he was interested in Max Payne's battle against the demons. I thought, yeah, I guess that's true Max Payne had a lot of personal demons and if they had really developed that part of the plot, it could be really good. Then I looked at the back of the box, there were actual demons with like claws and wings flying around.

I was a little confused watching the movie. There was all sorts of drug use so I assumed it was causing people to hallucinate and see demons. But then all these people were going around dying being torn to pieces by the beasts and being pulled out of windows. So I never really figured out why there were demons in the movie. Despite them, I was enjoying the movie about 80% the way through. But then it got to a point where I had to call Travis and ask him about the accuracy of the Max Payne movie versus Max Payne the game. Around that point is when the movie went downhill and really never had a chance to pull itself back out.

I wasn't upset that the movie didn't follow the game. We all know that's what movie adaptations are known for and what fans always whine about. I've never played Max Payne so that's not the case for me. But when I called Travis, it was at a point in the movie where things just got totally ridiculous. It felt like they were just throwing things on the wall trying to see what stuck. I called Travis to see if maybe that's how the game went in order to understand the reasoning behind the madness. If the choices had been modeled after the game, I think I would have been more understanding.

In the end, actually there really was no end. No summation. No happy ending. No sad ending. Max Payne shoots someone for revenge. The guys dies. Payne falls to his knees. Then the police show up. And the credits roll. They had plenty to build on. A romance with Mila Kunis. The performance of Christopher Bridges (Look him up). The three years he searched for his wife's killer. They ended up going with Max Payne taking the drug himself and then becoming some possessed being shooting up everything in sight.

I really don't even know how to end this post so I'll take a cue from the movie.

Written By David Liao.

Also, why is Mark Wahlberg always making the same face? He just scrunches up his face and eyebrows and acts mad. He looked very one dimensional in this movie. I blame the movie cause I know he's been better.

NUMBA ONE!!

So first of all, I would like to thank all.... 391 people that destroyed my Hotmail address by bookmarking the FYS Channel. Seriously.... I have to delete all that now.
Speaking of which, tonight around 8-9 central, I will be receiving internet. Around this same time... there will be a meeting in my channel involving those that... well, are involved with the channel.
Important things will be discussed.

Anyways, back to Anime.

My number one,





Now if memory serves me correctly, this Anime is not really on anyone's radar whatsoever. So let me educate you all on why this anime is such a perfect design to me.
There are flaws, so MANY flaws in the human race, and honestly, primarily in man himself. This should be common knowledge to all, no big surprise, especially to you man hating woman out there who think you can have a baby without us. This anime does not pretend we are perfect, as so many animes do. This anime strives on showing you the innermost concious of the male mind and how, or why, it is as it is. Fucked up. The best scene in this anime, which takes place near the end, is completely void of happy thoughts. This scene only involves tears and yelling, confusion and anger, self realization and understanding, hate and pity. That scene made this anime a masterpiece for me. To make qualities come out of a man that many surpress in our society on a normal basis is a quality in an anime I would like to see much more often.
Along with these aspects of emotion, there of course, is love. Love is a silly thing, which all like to believe they have experienced at one point. And why not? It is something we all wish we could have one day, or at least give correctly. What this anime points out is how we can not accept someones happiness if their love differs from ours, to an extent. One of the femal characters in this anime, at one point, tells the lead that he is about to begin a unhappy life. He responds, "Who are you to decide?"
In the words of Suzuka, "Love is not a spectator sport."
While the actions that take place in this anime are obviously offensive to some, the point still stands out. Who are we to judge the actions people take on (Mutual) attraction? Whether it be because of age, proffesion, relation, or because of vows. If happiness is seen in someone elses eyes, it is our job to look back in them. Otherwise, what exactly are we looking for?

This anime is easy to laugh at, so I do not suggest it to anyone. If you think of yourself as a mature individual, then watch it. But if you go into this anime expecting silly things to happen, they will, because that is how you perceive it. As lame as that sounds, you have to go into this with an open mind rather than a preset. If you are going to watch this at all, you might as well enjoy it rather than go into 13 episodes of disgust or immature laughter.
Anyways,

Koi Kaze
This anime is about a twenty six year old man falling in love with a fifteen year old girl.
Who happens to be his sister.


-Travis

P.S. Code Geass is equal to Death Note. I think they are pretty much tied.

P.S.S. Suzuka should be on there... it's not. So lets say it is on the top ten list at 5.5

New footage of Kiryu Kazama singing his heart out.

Brad

Ok, So Stick With Me Here....

So before you all flip out and go crazy, understand that this was taken completely in a "I'm fascinated with cute things" so I have to do research on the subject.

Even though I've tried to make that clear, I know I'll still get a lot of shit about this one. But man do I love Japan. They've got cuteness down like nobody's business. I think they're the best in the world. Hell, they're so good at it...well just watch.







So yeah, say what you will, I can't really explain why I'm looking at these videos. I must say though, to clarify once more, I like cute things. I'm not attracted to guys, but I am fascinated how well they can pull this off. The mannerisms I think are the biggest selling point.


So finally, I've arranged a test for all of you. The music will play and show two "girls." It will then show the Kanji for Otoko (Male) over the one which actually is a male. See how many you can get right. I've posted my results in the comments section. Good luck!

Happy Chinese New Year

Today is Chinese New Years Eve. Tomorrow will start the year of the Ox. I'm home for the next couple days doing the Asian thing. I'll keep you informed through the blog.

Just some random stuff to start off the new year.

This is a band I recently discovered. I wish I could get you guys the full translations. Please excuse the weird intro in the beginning. I'm not sure if it's supposed to be there or what, but I love the song afterwards.

Supercar - Lucky


Thanks for everyone who sent in all the videos as response to one of my posts last week. I'm loving the suggestions for music and anime. Here's a video that invader_random sent me.


And of course the reason why this all started, Danketsu, the idolmaster song that was on Beautiful Katamari. This is from the Live For You! DVD


Again, Happy New Year
David

Podcast 98 Uploaded

I forgot to mention yesterday that I uploaded the new show.

098 - Fable II, Fear 2 Demo, Metal Slug 7 [download]

Also, I heard iTunes was having problems, anyone know?

Thanks,
David

Send this link to 5 of your friends or you will die in 7 days. Nothing supernatural. Just me... killing you.

Brad

Update on Situation and Anime

Well Howdy there!
I miss Y'all!!!! Where Y'all at?
Ya Straight!?
Let us make babies....
Wait... Ye checked? Ye want some? Ye got some? Where ye at!?
Let's do it.

Ok, For starters, I won't officially have my internet up till this Monday at eight o' clock PM. So if any certain trolls are still waiting for me, wait longer. I'll be there. Also, when the internet does come up, and after I finish my homework OF COURSE!!!!! I will hopefully be able to broadcast as well. Problem is, since the internet hasn't been working, haven't been able to test out my whole broadcasting POWER!!!... yet.

But the time I have had has not been wasted. In this week I have been doing something CRAZY AND PRODUCTIVE!!!
Playing games and watching Anime.
Don't get me wrong, this is my life, just as of late I have really been unable to dedicate any time to a certain Anime and/or Video game.
So, because of my sudden surge of anime... I just finished 50 episodes of Bleach, Koi Kaze, Started Basilisk and Elfen Lied and Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien, I will now be creating my TOP TEN ANIME OF ALL TIME.
And that time is now.

Number Ten!


A slow Anime, I will give it that. But the world it presents is so interesting... that it is honestly hard to turn away once you have started. This anime is a beautiful interpretation of an online gaming world where a player is stuck in the program, while their body is unconcious in the real world. At this point in time the program begins to... not necessarily glitch, but to change, forcing all to fight for the main characters life, and possibly their own. Damn good music as well.

Number NINE!!!!

OK, I know there is a lot of... "OMFG WHY WOULD YOU CHOOSE THAT ANIME!!?!?!?!?!!! YOU IS NOOB AT ANIME YOU KNOWS NOTHING!!?!?!?!"
Well to you I say shut the fuck up, you are an ignorant teenager who knows nothing about what an anime is, nor what it can represent as a whole.
Now.... don't get me wrong, the fillers in this anime are shit, but lets go ahead and say the first.... 120 episodes?
I can't remember the exact number, basically until Sasuke runs away. They were amazing. It has it's flaws, but this anime does wonders in character creation, Creativity and design. The story is very entertaining, and at time, a little sad. I don't remember tears flowing from this anime, but I do remember saying such things as "... Aw"
This anime was my first anime that I ever downloaded via Torrent, Back in 2004. If you want to watch this anime... NEVER watch it dubbed. Subbed only.


Number EIGHT!!!!


I doubt many of you know what this anime is. This is called Bokura Ga Ita. It is the simple story of High school romance. But, I like to think it takes a slight turn at boring and steers straight into pretty damn interesting.
Basically, this girl, likes this guy, this guy like this girl...
blah blah blah blah.
This guy had ex-Girlfriend, Ex-girlfriend died, He would never love again, She aims to change that.
Unfortunetly I can not give much away without ruining the story completely, but trust me on this....
There is one scene in this anime that just fucking does you in. It is simple Heart Wrenching.


Number.... SEVEN!?!?!!?!?


Enough said. Part of my childhood. First anime. Couldn't of been better.















..... Number... seex?
Once again... Enough said.
If they had ended this anime when Rukia was saved...
Could have been my number one.
But once again, a good anime ruined by fillers.










Number Five,
Not entirely sure how popular Elfen Lied got, but one thing for sure... It is a spectacular anime. Involving a new race of humans, Breasticles, voilence, intense psychological pain. This anime really has it all.
But, that is hopefully the draw for viewers that I don't respect, This anime really is an amazing Romance triangle. For obvious reasons, the main woman in this anime can not ever be normal, making this triangle very abnormal. The story of love is handled very carefully in this and it never fully lets on what happens. It is one of those, let you wander, sorts of animes. Very well written, very well produced, very exciting and dimming. This is no happy anime, this is an anime for those who want to sink a little lower.


Number Four!


Another "No shit" anime. This anime has stood the test of time, it is in production yet again, and this anime still freaking sells.
This anime is what Brad would call, a Mind Fuck. There is no simple explanation to this story, seeing to how most of the essential story is taking place inside the personalities and mindsets of three adolecents. Covers various philosophies, Christianity, psychological aspects of the mind and, if you listen closely, raises questions.
Unfortunetly most of them are raised at the actual anime.... Such as... "What the fuck?"






Number THUHHHHHREEEE!!!!
Kimi Ga Nozumu Eien, or as of now, Rumbling Hearts.
When I first saw this anime, It looked like crap. The characters were shallow, the setting was idiotic, the reason for interaction between characters was so saddly immature.
But I gave it another go... And watched the second episode.
Same ol' bussiness.
Then then end of the anime comes... and a phenomena that has plagued men for centuries took control of me.
I Shit My Britches.
This Anime did a superb job at remaining realistic, hiding what is to come, taking romance to a new level. This anime keeps you guessing as to what will happen, this is not an ordinary anime, this is not a happy anime. This anime is all about pain, confusion, dishonesty, and really unfortunate people. But it is so fucking good.

Number Two.
A man with a God Complex....
What an interesting theory.
This anime... does something which I thought could never be done.
You know that chill you get when something... really damn cool happens?
Everyone experiences it.
I got this feeling... while he was simply writing in a book.
A death note, to be more specific.
This is the not so average story of a genius who finds death lying in his hands. He takes the opportunity to take out all those who are bad and evil in the world. He is God, for awhile.
And that is where it gets interesting..


Oh... number one?
I'll tell y'all later.
I got class now.
SEE YA.

Cover Art Comparison - Sega's attempt to appeal to David.

So is everyone excited for this insane collection? The list of included games is crazy, as this is like a supped up version of the Genesis Collection they released a couple of years ago. I remember buying a copy of that game in the hopes that me and David could play through Phantasy Star 4 and talk about it on the show. That game is often considered to be one of the greatest 16 bit RPGs ever made -- and neither of us had ever played it. It would have been great to see what was on the other, non Squaresoft side, of JRPGs back in the day. Maybe Phantasy Star 4 will make its way into a Revival Podcast one of these days. But I digress. Here is the list of included games:

Alien Storm
Altered Beast
Beyond Oasis
Bonanza Bros.
Columns
Comix Zone
Decap Attack starring Chuck D. Head
Dr. Robotnik's MBM
Dynamite Headdy
Ecco the Dolphin
Ecco II: The Tides of Time
E-SWAT
Fatal Labyrinth
Flicky
Gain Ground
Golden Axe I
Golden Axe II
Golden Axe III
Kid Chameleon
Phantasy Star II
Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom
Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium
Ristar
Shining in the Darkness
Shining Force
Shining Force 2
Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master
Sonic 3D Blast
Sonic and Knuckles
Sonic Spinball
Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Sonic the Hedgehog 3
Streets of Rage
Streets of Rage 2
Streets of Rage 3
Super Thunder Blade
Vectorman
Vectorman 2

Unlockable:
Golden Axe Warrior (SEGA Master System)
Phantasy Star (SEGA Master System)
Alien Syndrome (Arcade)
Altered Beast (Arcade)
Congo Bongo (Arcade)
Fantasy Zone (Arcade)
Shinobi (Arcade)
Space Harrier (Arcade)
Zaxxon (Arcade)

All for 30 dollars! Fucking crazy. But wait...

Don't go looking for the box art you see at the top if you live in the United States. Thing is... Sega doesn't think we are mature enough to handle that adult cover. That is actually the cover for the UK release of the game. We get something much different. The contents are the same, but the cover and title are much different. I give you...

Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection!! !11!OMFGOKEMON!!1!TWOBBQRIBS!!

That's right, we Americans are fast and rude and will beat the shit out of Mario!!! Let's pretend nothing ever came out for Genesis worthy of mention except for motha fuckin Sonic!!! So grab some rings (at least one) and a fucking chili dog and run yo asses to the store on Feb 10th and steal a copy of this game!!!

In all seriousness... I think Sega has made it obvious where the audience is for the shitty Sonic games they keep releasing.

Brad

PS I'll be purchasing this if the Shining Force ports are good.

Does Anyone Get This Game?

I went to Arcade UFO in Austin, Texas earlier this week. My game is Dance Dance Revolution and that's what I play. But next to the DDR machine, they have Mr. Driller machine. I've never played the arcade, Playstation, or Dreamcast versions, but I have played the DS one. I got pretty far into the game but never completely grasped the concept.



So I watched this video from the Arcade UFO blog. The only thing I can see that this person does differently from me is that they don't die. I can see some of the strategies he/she uses, but I can't see myself figuring it all out. I'm sure it's just a thing where I don't have enough experience playing the game, but I'm wondering if there's anyone out there that is really good at this game?

Thanks,
David

Preach it Brotha!

I saw this from earlier in the week and I think that it is something that really, really, really, really, really needs to be clarified.... so check it out people :)


Watch live video from 4PlayerPodcast on Justin.tv

-Nick

1st Revival Podcast to Include Email Interview w/ CEO of Oddworld Inhabitants

As you know, we are rapidly approaching the recording of our first Revival podcast at the end of January. We will be discussing the merit of "Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath" from "Oddworld Inhabitants", a game development company responsible for all of the Oddworld games. We were surprised and excited to be contacted by the CEO of the company, Sherry McKenna, upon the announcement of this podcast. As a result, we are pleased to announce that we will be conducting a brief email interview with her and will be reading and discussing the interview on the show!

If anyone has a question for Sherry, please let us know and we will try to work it into the interview. You guys are a huge part of what makes this blog successful so we would love to let our listeners get involved! Please email your questions to me at: Nickhenderson@4playerpodcast.com

With that said ... please try to word your questions carefully to prevent extensive editing on our parts. Please keep the questions relevant to the Oddworld games or her company as a whole. Also, keep in mind that there are certain questions that she simply can't answer due to legal reasons so try to think of questions that she can actually answer.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Sherry and everyone at "Oddworld Inhabitants" on behalf of 4-Player Podcast and our listeners for being kind enough to agree to this interview! I think I speak for everyone when I say that this means the world to us. It's a huge step for the staff here and we thank you for making this possible.

-Nick

Yes, Even I Need Help Sometimes

I'm not sure if you guys noticed, but I am a mortal man. Living, breathing, human just like any of you. Even I am flawed. There are things that slip through my fingers.

For instance last night in chat, while I was playing idolm@ster videos, I noticed you guys (Sorry I can't recall who) talking about a im@s song in Beautiful Katamari. Having only played a few levels into the game, I never came across it, but it makes total sense seeing as they are both Namco titles.

So today, listen to my words. Don't be afraid to share the love. Don't be afraid to offer up something. It may not be the best to try to bug me in chat during a broadcast because I'll probably not see it. But feel free to email me anything you think I would like. Worst case scenario, I'll probably not watch it. There are a few like invader_random, darknezz, and raccoonboi who email me all sorts of stuff. I always appreciate finding new music or funny videos to watch and share. I'll even post them on the blog if it's appropriate.

Incase you guys didn't know, you're a huge part of this blog. Not just because you read it. You guys are always contributing by posting replys, by adding to the forums, by sending stuff in. You think the handful of people at any of the major gaming blogs get all the information all by themselves. Heck no. The internet is way to massive for any of us to search it alone. It's a collective effort and we rely on you guys for inspiration.

So for those of you who are second guessing wondering if you should let me know about something,

Hi, My name is David. Nice to meet you. What kind of things are you into? Japanese Music? Anime? Video games? I love all three. We can talk if you email me. davidliao@4playerpodcast.com.

Thanks.

Also, for any cute Japanese Girls, デート を しますか?

Revival Podcast Reminder: Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath

Don't forget guys, we will be recording our first "Game Club" or "4PP Revival" Podcast at the end of January. For our first episode, we will be discussing the merit of "Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath" for the original Xbox. If you would like to take part in the discussion, I encourage everyone to go out and pick up the game and play it (keeping in mind that the game is not backwards compatible). I will be accepting emails and forum responses regarding any thoughts about the game to be read on the show. The show will be in the last few days of January so there is still some time to pick it up and play.

On that note, we are currently brainstorming which games we would like to play through for future episodes of our "Revival" podcast. We need your help. Which games would you like us to take into consideration? There are a few guidelines though. The games we play need to be:

- Relatively accessible
- Can be on any console, but PS1 and later are more likely to be picked.
- The game needs to have some merit. We wont be playing Spongebob Squarepants... We want to consider games that are good and sometimes, under appreciated.
- Needs to be more than a year old

With that said, give us some ideas! Let us know what you want to hear. If you have any questions or thoughts regarding this new podcast or "Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath", send them to: Nickhenderson@4playerpodcast.com.

Or, check out the forum thread at: Official "Oddworld: Strangers Wrath" Thread

Thanks,
Nick

The only problem with my PSP ...is me.

So I was in my local used game shop today, and as I was standing in front of the PSP section with a 7 dollar Ratchet and Clank game in my hand when I suddenly realized something. I already have a ton of great games for my PSP and I have never beaten a single one. I have pretty much started every game that I have for the handheld, but most of them wouldn't even qualify as surface scratches. With that said, I do love my Lumines device, but I realize now that I'm actually missing out on plenty of great opportunities that I already have.

This is a list of games I would love to get through this year on my PSP:

Crisis Core
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops
Metal Gear Acid 1
Metal Gear Acid 2
Crush
Field Commander (aka Advance Wars PSP)
Phantasy Star 4 (Genesis Collection)
Jeanne D'Arc
Valkyrie Profile
Patapon
Daxter
Monster Hunter Freedom 2
Final Fantasy Tactics: WotL
Echochrome
Puzzle Quest
Wipeout Pure
Burnout Legends
Castlevania Chronicles and other PS1 downloads.


edit: Ok I did beat Dracula X Chronicles

Am I just a jaded moron? These are actually good games. Anyway, expect to see some PSP play on the feed in the coming weeks. It's time to stop the neglect.


Brad

New Dinner Time Podcast

017 - Travis and I sat down before he left for college and recorded a Dinner Time Podcast. [download]

Thanks for listening,
David

Women I Gave My Heart To

I once met a girl who was absolutely captivating. She was youthful and exuberant, always darting around from place to place. She was really athletic. All her friends from the sports clubs were always trying to recruit her. She was into all sorts of stuff. She was into professional wrestling and this one time I remember she was even involved in a hot dog eating contest. Myself, like everyone else, just seemed to be drawn to her. She had that power, people just wanted to be near her. They wanted to see the world as she saw it, full of hope with that "you can do anything attitude."

One of the best things about her, she was always quick to stick up for her friends and what was right. She never backed down, although sometimes she should have. She practiced martial arts and although she never had a sensei, she was amazing considering she was self-taught. But again she was always a hero, whether it be her protecting some one from a pack of thugs or just rescuing a kitten from a tree. She did it all with this half proud half embarrassed smile that to this day, still lightens my mood.

So if things had worked out, I wouldn't be writing about her in the past tense. I'd probably still be following her around getting into all sorts of crazy adventures. But alas, she always had something going on. It was far too hectic for me to keep up with her. She had a female rival always coming around to challenge her. She had this one guy in a red karate outfit always trying to be her sensei. And then she was always searching for this one guy in a white karate gi. I think that was the person she really wanted to be with. She said it was just because she wanted to train with a proper instructor, but when she talked about him, I could see the glow in her eyes. Broke my heart.

Anyways, I heard she's doing really well. Recently I saw her on some websites, she was promoting a new dish for a restaurant in Japan. Sweet and salty chicken and potatos. Crazy, right? I told you she was awesome.

Thanks Kasugano Sakura

Love,
David

The Best Invention Ever - MP3 Player

I'm not sure if you guys have ever heard of this new invention. It's called the MP3 Player. Instead of me having to carry around all my cds I can just rip all of them into an audio file called an MP3. I can then put a bunch of these onto the MP3 "player." All my music is sorted and easily available to me. It's absolutely amazing and if you haven't tried one yet, I suggest you all immediately go to the nearest electronics store and check it out.

My personal favorite is the Zune 30. The new Zune's are alright, but I don't like the navigation button and the size and placement of the play and back buttons. I liked the Zune 30 so much that I bought two more this holiday season after a price drop. I now have a total of three Zune 30s for a total of 90 GB.

Now why did I do this? Some may call me a little eccentric. I like to keep my music separate. I have all my Japanese Music on my first Zune. All my American music on my second one. And I'm not 100% sure what I'll end up doing with my last one. I have plenty of ideas and I'll let you know when I've figured it out.

So I'm back into American music again. I've been frantically trying to get my hands on all sorts of CDs. Buying. Borrowing. Downloading. I've been thinking about writing about music on the blog. Brad and I had discussed talking about movies too. Anyone interested?

Thanks,
David

PS - I also think that MP3 player pictured is an actual one you can buy. The Saint B Cross MP3 player.

Brad's Laundry List - 2009. Here We Go.

• Complete - Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts
• Complete - Hero Klungo SSSavess Teh World
  
• Complete - Valkyria Chronicles
• Complete - CarneyVale: Showtime

• 70%? - Fatal Frame 3
• 10% - Fable 2
• 98% - Xenosaga Episode 3
• 50% - Tales of Vesperia
• 20%? - Lost Odyssey
• 90% - Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
• 30% - The World Ends with You
• 80% - Final Fantasy 7: Crisis Core
• 10%? - Persona 4
• 20% - Patapon

I'm working on way too many RPGs really. The goal is to finish up any 2008 game that I started and was enjoying last year. Just so happens quite a few of those games were RPGs.

Brad

Moving and Creating.

This coming Tuesday, I am out of here. See ya, goodbye. I'll be back for the occasional Podcast when possible.
So to make up for me leaving, I have done the unthinkable.
Justin.tv/visimicus

I will broadcast on 4playerpodcast if it is at all possible, But sharing will be an issue.
In this new channel, Hopefully you will see plenty of me, plenty of Matt, and plenty of my Roommate Sean. As the trio of the beaten path we will continue to fight for whats right, showing you guys games which you might have not seen before. Games that might peak your interest. Reviews, and hopefully some previews, for games you have only tickled your thoughts. And of course so make you giggle like the school girls you all are.

Now here is the mission I present to you.
Make a theme song for this channel.
As a reward it will be played [Almost] every time we begin to broadcast.
This song must be only classical/instrumental. It must be epic.
It must make me cry as I punch a baby.
I don't cry.
So make this. I have created a thread in the help wanted section.
Lets do this.

Also, we need art. For the banner, for the little user picture. We need this as well.
It needs to connect us to 4pp.
It needs our personalities.
It needs the power which will make this channel holy.
So do something with your lives... and do something for me real quick.

The Trio of Gaming, 1 player, 1 frat boy, 1 roommate.
This Trio is the brother of 4pp.
We are one.
David don't touch me there.



Hopefully we can have the broadcast running around Wednesday next week.
First game will be a surprise. But it is going to be worth it, I assure you.

Brad's Game of the Year list revised.

So last weekend I named World of Goo my Game of the Year for 2008. This game was followed closely by Metal Gear Solid 4 and Fallout 3, which are also pretty fucking amazing games. Valkyria Chronicles was number 4 on my list. I think 2008 was a great year for games, and while number 4 is a great spot, there has been a change. I announced on the podcast that I had yet to beat Valkyria. Well I solved the game, and it is now my Game of the Year. I had been fairly close to finishing the game, and nothing groundbreaking really happened between then and the credits, but I didn't feel comfortable awarding the winner to a game I had not beaten. With that said, here are a couple of reasons why I love this underplayed gem so much.

The strategy was fresh, yet simple. And while simplicity in core design could lead to repetition in other games, Valkyria manages to have amazing variety in each combat scenario. Throughout the game, I never felt like I was doing the same thing twice. A stealthy night mission with an injured character or an all out battle versus a fortress on wheels (treads?) -- the range of gameplay was remarkable. And while a game like Advance Wars can impress solely on its strategy, Valkyria Chronicles manages to have an satisfying story to back up the great gameplay.

Compared to much of the 2008 competition, the story of Valkyria Chronicles felt small -- a good kind of small. Like a Suikoden or Matsuno game, you have control over key players in a conflict that doesn't feel like it is spanning the entire world/universe. And while, like in those games, Valkyria Chronicles does contain elements of fantastical lore, because the story is dialed back from the cliche "young boy saving the world from all powerful evil", the game feels much more realistic. The characters and themes are much more identifiable and adult, while still maintaining some quirky Japanese anime humor. The conclusion to the game was satisfying in a way very rare for Japanese RPGs, as most games in the genre become messy clusterfucks by the end of a long story.

The Japanese strategy/rpg genre has finally arrived this generation. Valkyria Chronicles is proof that the genre does not have to look and play like 16 bit games. Quit letting the industry push these games to handhelds, and go buy Valkyria Chronicles.

So here is the updated list:

10. N+
9. Castlevania Order of Ecclessia
8. Left 4 Dead
7. Tomb Raider: Underworld
6. Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts
5. Braid
4. Fallout 3
3. Metal Gear Solid 4
2. World of Goo
1. Valkyria Chronicles

Just missed the list: Yakuza 2, Little Big Planet, Professor Layton, Mirror's Edge, Devil May Cry 4, and No More Heroes.

Brad

In Game Advertising

We all know that advertising is a huge part of how this world financially works. Anywhere you go you'll be surrounded by some sort of advertising letting you know of a product that you can purchase. There's nothing wrong with advertising. Our society thrives because people buy products to make their lives better, easier, or more enjoyable. It only becomes a problem because everyone is fighting for your attention.

So where do we drawn the line? Take for example you're walking down the street. You have all the advertisers lined up holding up their signs. I think it's when one of those decides they want to jump out of the line and try to make themselves more noticeable. Because of this others will start to follow suit in order not to be left behind and then you have chaos. But then again their will be those who argue that it's not necessarily that instance. They could stay in line and get bigger signs trying to garner more attention and that is already crossing over. There will also be those who say that because of this line of advertisers, they can't see the grass or scenery covered up behind them.

What does this have to do with video games? I was having lunch with a friend who works in advertising. We discussed how the industry was changing for both video games and advertising. She specifically talked about a game like Dead Rising which advertising could greatly change the game experience. Instead of just having Bob's discount CD's, it'd be cool to actually have a shop that resembled what it would be like to walk into a mall. She felt that they missed out on an opportunity and that if a sequel were made, that would be the next step to take it.

I thought that was a great point, but I worried about the amount of time it would take and secure these licenses. Also the companies would want a say in how their "virtual" store looked and felt, slowing down the development process. I do think it's an amazing idea though. Just in Yakuza 3 I've already seen the depth and detail of this concept. There are stores in Yakuza 3 that I've been to in real life Japan, realistic down to the jingle they play when you walk into the store. It was an awesome feeling to be reminded of something with that small of a detail. I could see how it would add to game play but I really thinkg it's a slippery slope that could turn into a real pain in the ass.

Thanks,
David

Don Quijote is a all in one store. They sell all sorts of random items. Everything from costumes to lunchboxes. It's only one of the example that I can pick out but..

At around 40 seconds, it'll show an ingame Don Quijote, listen for the theme music, it goes. Don-don-don, Don-Quijote. Also don't forget to stick around until 51 seconds for the best part of the trailer.


Now here's a recording of the theme done by someone visiting Japan.


It's a pretty cool thing to see video games get that immersive.

Podcast 97 - 2008 Awards Show

This week's show is a two part. We couldn't talk about everything in 2 hours so we needed to break up the show into two parts.

097 - 2008 Awards Show (Part I) [download]
097 - 2008 Awards Show (Part II) [download]

Thanks,
David

This one is for David - Trace Memory R

I know he was a huge fan of the original point-and-click adventure game for the DS. This is the sequel for the Wii.





Official Site


Brad

2008 Laundry List Wrap-Up

This channel has helped me get through so many games this past year. I want to thank everyone who helped me out. Here is the list of all games I finished in 2008. My new 2009 Laundry List has begun will be updated soon.

PS2:
Yakuza 1
Yakuza 2
Beyond Good and Evil
Castlevania: Curse of Darkness
Tomb Raider: Anniversary
Prince of Persia: Sands of Time
Fatal Frame 1
God of War 2
Silent Hill 2
Silent Hill 3
Silent Hill 4

GC:
Killer 7
Resident Evil: REmake

Xbox:
Fatal Frame 2
Oddworld: Stranger Wrath
Urban Chaos: Riot Response

DS:
Professor Layton and the Curious Village
Ninja Gaiden DS
Advance Wars: Days of Ruin
Phoenix Wright 1
Castlevania: Order of Eclessia
Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance

PC:
The House
Knytt Stories

64:
Ocarina of Time

Wii:
Mario Galaxy
No More Heroes
World of Goo
Boom Blox

360:
Left 4 Dead
Prince of Persia 2008
Fallout 3
Tomb Raider: Underworld
F.E.A.R.
F.E.A.R Extraction Point
F.E.A.R Perseus Mandate
The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion
Grand Theft Auto 4
Ninja Gaiden 2
Beautiful Katamari
Dead Space
Tomb Raider: Legend
Rez HD
Braid
N+

PS3:
Devil May Cry 4
Mirror's Edge
Little Big Planet
Resistance 2
Silent Hill 5
Heavenly Sword
Uncharted: Drakes Fortune
Metal Gear Solid 4


Let me know if I'm leaving anything off. It's easy to forget something.


Brad

Could FFXIII Really Make it Out This Year?

Throughout 2008, one of the lasting questions was whether or not we would see Final Fantasy XIII hit US shores before 2010. It is now 2009 and the question still stands but one thing has changed; we are now being bombarded with constant news, details, and updates about the game. 2008 Saw almost no new information and the only major announcement was that the game would indeed be multi-platform. In the past 2 weeks though, Kotaku, Famitsu, Joystiq, and many other major gaming sites have been flooded with coverage. Take for instance, todays reveal of a new playable character, Sazh Kalroy, the first black character since Barrett Wallace!

Yes folks, he has an afro. Kotaku editor did point out that the characters design does make him seem like more of a lover than a fighter. If the past is any indication, this character should prove to be one of the more interesting characters in the game. (Original Kotaku Story)

In recent weeks, we have also been bombarded with new screens, FFXIII and FF Versus XIII have both opened their official websites, the battle system has been revealed (Kotaku: Battle System Revealed) and we were hit with the vague but optimistic release date of "2009". So what do our readers think? Will U.S. gamers be playing FFXIII by years end or will we have to wait until Q1 or Q2 of 2010 to get our greedy little hands on it?

-Nick

New Yakuza 3 Special Moves - Watch these or I'll eat your family.

Brad