The Adult Check Episode

[Psykoboy2]

To find out if you are an adult, click here (http://ingamechat.net/audio/IGC20090630.mp3).

We've got a full house plus one for this episode with our special guest Ryan, also known as Suave Peanut on the forums, rounding out the 6 of us. We go over all of what we played since the last episode and for one us in particular, they got a slightly used Wii console to try out, putting it to good use to give us his impressions of The Conduit. We've also got more impressions of Prototype from Jeremy. And we continue our discussion of adventure gaming in its prime.

We're directed in our conversation once again by both Twitter and emails and the discussion is lead into Starcraft 2's lack of LAN play and what that may mean for future Blizzard releases. And finally we go over our impressions of seeing Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen coming to a conclusion on it that you might not expect.

Enjoy the show. And thanks for listening.

[Suave Peanut]

I want to thank the guys from In-Game Chat for letting me come hang out and record this episode with them. I had a ton of fun and, pending listener approval, would love to do it again any time they'll let me. Anyway, everybody needs to check out this BEST EPISODE EVER.

[Psykoboy2]

You know when we record, so just give us a heads up anytime you wanna come back, and we'll open the door for you.

After we make you wait in the parking lot for a bit.

[TheKeck]

Man, I clicked on that link, and it just started downloading an mp3. Does that mean I'm an adult, or not? :p

[Doogie2K]

Man, I clicked on that link, and it just started downloading an mp3. Does that mean I'm an adult, or not? :p

Well, you have to play the MP3, obviously.

[Spigot]

I heard you guys talked about RPGs in this one. Yay!

And it's always nice to hear love of point and click adventure games. It made me sad to hear Scott say that his favourite is Myst, as I blame it for the decline of quality adventure games. Sure, it's pretty and on its own, it was a pretty fine game. Unfortunately, it resulted in an entire industry of knock-off slideshow clones that were the antithesis of quality.

Though I still harbour a certain fondness in my heart for the Journeyman Project series.

[civil]

I'll admit that I don't really listen to the podcasts (I don't listen to any if that makes me seem like less of a douche) but damn do I look forward to the podcast titles. If anything, those alone merit some sort of kudos regardless of content.

[SenatorSpacer]

Great podcast, thanks for talking about Lost Odyssey. That game needs more love. It was very 'old-school' but there was just something compelling about the way it was set up that really got me into it.

And I have the same problem, I'll go back to a JRPG and forget everything that happened, so I'll restart the whole game...I'm never going to finish Tales of Vesperia...

[Spigot]

Great podcast, thanks for talking about Lost Odyssey. That game needs more love. It was very 'old-school' but there was just something compelling about the way it was set up that really got me into it.

And I have the same problem, I'll go back to a JRPG and forget everything that happened, so I'll restart the whole game...I'm never going to finish Tales of Vesperia...HOoray for more Lost Odyssey love. Concidering the rage that the mere mention of Blue Dragon brings up in me, it's nice to know that Mistwalker can actually make a great JRPG. It is old-school, but it's a great kind of old-school and was thoroughly enjoyable.

I think I'm a rare breed who can actually have several JRPGs going at once and usually (USUALLY) be able to pick one up after an extended absence and get back into the story pretty quickly. I might forget some of the fine details, but that's why I like the games like Rogue Galaxy or Devil Summoner that give you plot summaries when you bring up a save game.

Or you can always skim the wikipedia entry up until the part where it doesn't sound like something you already know, but I only did that for Xenosaga 2 because, well, you really need something like that for that particular game.

[Suave Peanut]

ROGUE GALAXY!

That's the game I couldn't think of. Thanks Spigot!

[Spigot]

ROGUE GALAXY!

That's the game I couldn't think of. Thanks Spigot!Hey, if you ever have a JRPG question, I'm the guy to bug :)

I'm just happy you guys talked about SMT. At least, I HOPE you did! I still haven't made it home to listen to the ep.

[SenatorSpacer]

HOoray for more Lost Odyssey love. Concidering the rage that the mere mention of Blue Dragon brings up in me, it's nice to know that Mistwalker can actually make a great JRPG. It is old-school, but it's a great kind of old-school and was thoroughly enjoyable.

I think I'm a rare breed who can actually have several JRPGs going at once and usually (USUALLY) be able to pick one up after an extended absence and get back into the story pretty quickly. I might forget some of the fine details, but that's why I like the games like Rogue Galaxy or Devil Summoner that give you plot summaries when you bring up a save game.

Or you can always skim the wikipedia entry up until the part where it doesn't sound like something you already know, but I only did that for Xenosaga 2 because, well, you really need something like that for that particular game.

Blue Dragon was...Horrible...Urrghh.

Yeah, for some reason I just can't get into them unless I start at the beginning because I feel like I'm missing what I'm playing the JRPG for, which is the story.

I know, but Wikipedia just doesn't portray the emotion and impact the story wants you to feel. It's just to dry for my tastes.

[Spigot]

Eh. Usually you can pick up the story again pretty soon, depending on the game. Of course, this depends how long it has been since you last played. I'm willing to use a Cole's Note version of the plot to get me back up to speed as my memory will hopefully fill in the blanks once I remember some of the keep plot points.

[kyrieee]

Id probably still have a lot of money, but the last game they put out was Doom 3, and that game didn't have the same impact that their previous games had. They really want to remain a small company but games aren't exactly getting cheaper to make. If Rage isn't a huge success then they have to bet a whole lot on Doom 4. It's a big bet from such a small company.

They aren't doing poorly but when the stakes are so high (money wise) they could find themselves doing poorly quite rapidly, and then what do they do? Right now they're still in a great position to sell and get security for their future development (plus their retirement money), and it's not like Zenimax have Bethesda under a very short leash. Before this story came up I wasn't even aware that they weren't independent. They could've expanded when they were the kings of the world but they didn't want to and the business has just outgrown them.

I wouldn't mind Bethesda getting some help with their tech though. Their games are, technology wise, the worst pieces of shit (that people try pass off as something decent) that I've played. Fucking S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is better put together. I mean, how can you have compatibility issues with quad core CPUs on a game that comes out in 2008?!?! Fallout 3 and Oblivion have the most random ass, weird, inexplicable and inconsistent issues of any otherwise well made game ever. Their tech just reeks of being this massively layered shit that no one ever thoroughly revised.

[Spigot]

Your impressions of Prototype seem pretty spot-on from what I've played and heard about the game. It's not that it's an inherently bad game or anything, but the experience is definately lessened from having just enjoyed inFamous so much.

I thought you guys would get a kick out of the latest Chainsawsuit.

http://www.chainsawsuit.com/comics/20090707.gif (http://www.chainsawsuit.com/20090707.shtml)

[Ravenlock]

Of course, I finally get to listen to this and hear that James doesn't actually dislike Conduit that much right after posting in the last episode's thread about how much I thought he would dislike it. And it's Wednesday now, so you've already recorded the episode where he probably responded to those comments. It's like communicating via carrier pigeon. :p

James, some suggestions for Wii games you should check out to get the current "range" of the system:

+ Boom Blox Bash Party (the sequel, which is much enhanced, though the original was just fine too) - Jenga meets destructible environments. Who doesn't like physics-based puzzlers?
+ Call of Duty: World at War - Only as a rental, but at least for now I think this is the gold standard FPS on the system, both in single and multiplayer. Controls aren't quite as configurable as Conduit's but everything else is very well done. Only bad thing to say about it is that they didn't do COD4 instead. ;)
+ de Blob - Best platformer on the system aside from Mario Galaxy... and probably Klonoa, which I haven't played. I'll fix that soon.
+ Ghost Squad / House of the Dead / Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicles / probably Dead Space Extraction - Light gun shooters work well on the Wii, for obvious reasons. Disposable entertainment, but good fun.
+ The Godfather: Blackhand Edition - Best example of a cross-platform game made better (and much creepier) specifically by the game's controls. Graphically inflicting harm with the Wiimote gets genuinely unsettling.
+ The Nintendo Titles, obviously. Zelda, Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime, etc.
+ Punch-Out, if you had any love for the original. Yes, it's just remade Punch-Out, but I didn't see anything wrong with that.
+ Tiger Woods 10 w/Motion Plus - A really great golf game, but also hopefully a sign of things to come, since the 1-to-1 motion recognition feels very much like what we all thought the 2006 Wii was going to be.

That oughta keep you busy for a little while. ;)

Back to listening to the episode.

[Vigil80]

Having played both Prototype and inFamous, allow me to be the divergent opinion. Prototype edges ahead for me. Probably best if I just break it down list-style.

inFamous man looks powerful, but feels squishy. Prototype man actually feels as powerful as he looks. You chew through sooo many enemies once your powers develop. Where I am in the game, anything less than a swarm of hunters or a boss encounter is just an annoyance, and that feels right to me.

Declining energy for your powers works for inFamous. But I still don't like it.

inFamous man dies in water. It makes me rage. Prototype man launches himself 100 feet in the air out of water. It makes me happy.

The morality system in inFamous could have used another week or two on the drawing board - like most morality systems to date. The lack of such a system in Prototype is liberating.

When it comes to story, I seem to be pretty forgiving compared to others. I rarely think to myself that a story is bad until someone points it out to me. I seem to approach game stories the way James approaches movies. Having said that, both games' stories are presented well, and I would rank them just about evenly.

Finally, it's clear that GTA no longer has the open world market cornered. There are now quite a few quality titles in the category. However, GTA still does the best job of presenting a living city. Liberty City edges away from "sandbox" towards something that feels more real in a way that no other title I've played has managed, unfortunately.

[Lint of Death]

When it comes to story, I seem to be pretty forgiving compared to others. I rarely think to myself that a story is bad until someone points it out to me. I seem to approach game stories the way James approaches movies. Having said that, both games' stories are presented well, and I would rank them just about evenly.

I'm much the same way with stories in any medium, although I'm kind of a blockhead so even people telling me why a story sucks can have a hard time convincing me.

I'll admit that I don't really listen to the podcasts (I don't listen to any if that makes me seem like less of a douche) but damn do I look forward to the podcast titles. If anything, those alone merit some sort of kudos regardless of content.

OK, since civil already said it, I'll just come out and admit that I enjoy the podcasts for the same shallow reason :o

[Spigot]

I'm usually fine with whatever passes for story, cliches and all, though a lot of the time it's the tone and feel of a game that will sway me one way or another more than the actual content of the story or the way its told.

[Phil]

Props to Ryan and everyone else for an awesome show. You guys all rule so so much.

Oh god, why'd you bring up Lost Odyssey? It sits on my shelf for months now and I think I'm hearing faint cries from it because I, too, haven't finished it. Btw, that synopis stuff that every other JRPG needs? Metal Gear Solid had that. Also, in Final Fantasy Tactics you could watch all the cutscenes to the point of your save again if you needed to, which was very convenient.

Don't laugh about the Dreamcast! :mad:

Thanks for bringing up Leisure Suit Larry 1. Lots of nostalgia. LSL1 was actually the first videogame I've played in my life at maybe five years of age, with absolutely no knowledge of English. At some point my dad showed me a few commands like 'talk man', 'take rose', 'read wall' and stuff happened! But of course, I couldn't understand a word. He also showed me the secret command (Alt+X) for skipping those famous age-check questions at the beginning of the game so I could start the game up by myself to walk around, get beat up in an alley and get STDs from the hooker. I don't know how many times I saw that sequence where they build together another Larry in the secret Sierra basement and send him up again. It was just awesome.

[Straximus]

Don't laugh about the Dreamcast! :mad:

I'd have to listen to the ep to remember why we were laughing, but we all love the Dreamcast. We're going to have to do something special for it's 10 year anniversary in 2 months.

[Doogie2K]

I'd have to listen to the ep to remember why we were laughing, but we all love the Dreamcast. We're going to have to do something special for it's 10 year anniversary in 2 months.

You weren't laughing at the Dreamcast, so much as Matt.

[Spigot]

I'm finally finished listening. Great show as always. And I think I agree with you about Transformers 2 completely. I would never say it's a good movie but it gave me exactly what I wanted: Less humans, more robots.

And my lord, the toys based off of the movie are awful. My son got Soundwave and I swear that it requires an engineering degree to figure out how to transform it. I like to think of myself as a somewhat intelligent guy but I couldn't figure out how to make it transform past step 2 of 18 on the instructions. It doesn't help that most of the toys based off of the movie just look like a mish-mash of parts and nothing really fits the way it should. Compare these toys to the G1 stuff, where you basically flip up a head, pull out an arm and unfold the feet and bam - You've got Optimus. The new stuff just isn't fun to transform, which kind of defeats the purpose.

[Psykoboy2]

I remember getting Optimus from the first film and transforming him into robot mode.

2 Hours later and I propped him up and never looked back. He still sits on the shelf in robot mode from the ONE time I transformed him.

[Spigot]

I was really tempted to get the re-release G1 version of Optimus that I found in Wal-Mart recently. The only thing keeping me from doing it was the $60 price tag!

But man, it had the trailer and everything... I wanted to show my kid what a REAL Transformer was.

[Psykoboy2]

Cue Strax in....3...2..1..

[Doogie2K]

I almost forgot: where's Matt's thread? I had an idea for what he could do, but didn't see it here or in The Lounge.

Cue Strax in....3...2..1..

Sorry to disappoint, it's only me. :(

[Straximus]

Cue Strax in....3...2..1..

Sending me a link to the thread to make it happen is cheating. :p

[Psykoboy2]

I just wanted to make sure you were aware that your area of expertise was being discussed, and by one of our favorite listeners, no less.

[lucklesswonder]

I just bought the Revenge of the Fallen deluxe Optimus. I know this makes me insane, and a heretic to boot, but I prefer this one. Although this could be due to the fact that my last Optimus was from the Machine Wars toyline. That one just sucked.

I once had the G1 Optimus. In the dim days of my youth. One of my greatest regrets is that I have absolutely no idea what happened to it. I distinctly remember, though, that for a time it was not a separate figure, but a part of my hand.

[SenatorSpacer]

I was REALLY tempted to pick up the Soundwave MP3 Player toy, arrgghhh. Can't. Stop. Thinking. About. It. !

[bulletfood]

I almost forgot: where's Matt's thread? I had an idea for what he could do, but didn't see it here or in The Lounge.

Ok, what is your idea of what I can do? I'm assuming that you're talking about what I will write on the JDAM.

[kyrieee]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ng3HPrea90k

[Doogie2K]

Ok, what is your idea of what I can do? I'm assuming that you're talking about what I will write on the JDAM.

I was thinking of an overturned Portal turret saying, "I don't blame you..." I figured it'd be ironic.

[lucklesswonder]

I just got an image of a severely paternal figure holding a coiled belt. Under it, the words THIS HURTS ME MORE THAN IT HURTS YOU.

[Hawggy]

It puts me in mind of a "hair-down-there" qualifier.

[Shrinn]

James/fishbang:

I know you won't listen to me because I'm one of those guys who enjoy the genius that is the Persona series, but Persona 4 had a neat way of giving you a story synopsis. Before entering the dungeon, you can choose to "Confirm the Situation" with the party and they all talk about what's happening and how they feel about it. You don't get some of the hints and such at stuff that hasn't been revealed yet, but you still get a decent amount of past and current info.

PS: Persona 4 is amazing.

Great episode guys. You should get Suave around more. He adds a good bit to the conversation!

[kyrieee]

I think the reason The Conduit reminds people of Goldeneye is because of how you can aim your weapon without moving your view, so the weapon model points to different places as you aim just like Goldeneye, but unlike most shooters

[bulletfood]

Haven't tried any of the persona games. Maybe I should look into the series.

[bulletfood]

I almost forgot: where's Matt's thread? I had an idea for what he could do, but didn't see it here or in The Lounge.



Sorry to disappoint, it's only me. :(

I was thinking of an overturned Portal turret saying, "I don't blame you..." I figured it'd be ironic.

I'm putting up the thread in a few minutes.

[Spigot]

Haven't tried any of the persona games. Maybe I should look into the series.Yes. Yes you should. As good as Persona 3 is, I'd probably just say to start with P4. It addresses most of the... quirks... that were present in P4.

And it will take you a good 100 hours to complete, so you'll have lots to work on if you need something lengthy.

They are doing a PSP remake of the first Persona game, but the first two Persona games are very different from the last two.

[AgtFox]

I remember getting Optimus from the first film and transforming him into robot mode.

2 Hours later and I propped him up and never looked back. He still sits on the shelf in robot mode from the ONE time I transformed him.
I got the Ultimate Bumblebee for Christmas a couple years ago from my in-laws. Transformed him once into robot mode, then put him back into Chevy Camaro mode and he's never been changed back.

That one was a bitch to transform...he was so big.