My weekly gaming media diet

First on the menu, my favorite gaming podcast: Gamers With Job Conference Call. I’ve been listening to this podcast since it’s creation and even before, when it was called GWJ Radio. In fact, I’ve been listening to these guys for so long, that they kind of became old buddies. I really like the chemistry and the  “food for thoughts” discutions that they have about games.

Next one is a podcast I started to listen to only recently, but it skyrocketed in my favorite podcast list: Idle Thumbs. Those guys are funny, insightful and they know their shit. Plus there’s Wizards and Hot Scoops! It’s the gaming podcast that makes me laugh the loudest.

Next up is CO-OP, a Video Podcast. The former 1UP Show crew gathered to continue their great work. Super interesting discussions, some off-the-beaten-path indie coverage and some funny sketches, plus the production value is fantastic. You should check it out.

Zero Punctuation and UnSkippable. Go Watch Now! Enough said. Now!

Even though he often gets on my nerves with his stupid “trying-to-pry-more-exclusives” type of questions during interviews. Geoff Keighley puts up an high quality shows on GameTrailers TV and Bonus Round. Anyway, I already spend too much time on this site watching trailers.

A recent addition to my podcast list is Drunken Gamer Radio. So far, it’s a blasty-blast! Check it out.

Riddle me this

  • My favorite place to go clubbing is in Alaska
  • I hate getting stuck between the Hammer and the Anvil. I also hate Patriot, Sabre and Smash.
  • My next only good deed will involve Nashville.
  • James Hannigan is a God

What or Who am I?

Updated hints in italic

Uncomfortable plot summaries

Via a funny thread on GWJ. Wow, some of those game plot aren’t really politically correct.

Here’s some of the best:

  • Half Life: Nerd screws up at work. Goes on rampage with crowbar.
  • Half Life 2: Unemployed nerd can’t talk to girl. Goes on rampage with crowbar.
  • Metal Gear Solid Series: Dysfunctional family plays hide and seek.
  • Katamari Damacy: Gay dad makes son play with balls.
  • Gears of War: Lumberjacks go on killing spree.
  • Lemmings: Good Samaritan Thwarts Suicide Cult.
  • Nethack: Email symbol ethnically clenses rest of ASCII character set.
  • HALO: Super soldier follows commands of voice in head.
  • Shadow of the Colossus: Necrophiliac vagrant obeys invisible voices, slaughters indigenous wildlife.
  • Bioshock: Man kidnaps little girls, assaults mentally ill.

And my favorite

  • Pokemon: Children implicated in underground animal fighting ring.

Games of March-April

TWL COD4 Season came to an end. And I’m really, really, not happy with how things turned out. Like the Montreal’s Canadian, my team was doing great up until mid-season, standing in 14th place, with a score card of 3-1. But after that, everything started going downhill. We ended the season in 28th place, with a score card of 4-4. Not really sure why, but people stopped showing up for practice. Where we were usually able to fill up our 16 slot practice server and get scrims going; Mid-season I was having difficulty getting 3v3 practice going on. Even worse, for the last 2 matches. I only had 4 players online, ready to play, 5 minutes before the match start. And since we play in 5v5 matches, if we’re not 5, online, ready to play, well… we’re screwed.

While COD4 was a bummer, WoW has been a lot of fun. I dinged 80 early in march and started doing Heroic instances with some friend. That’s been a blasty-blast. And I’m super-surprised by the variety of those instances. I mean, one night, we get on skype and JS says we should go do The Occulus. So we get there, kill a bunch of trash mob, then JS tells me “Talk to this guy, he’s going to give you a drake”. So, I take the drake and then we proceed to continue clearing the instance and then engage in an epic fight against the final boss while in flight on the back of those drake. A lot of fun!

After getting a bunch of Epic upgrade in those instances, I got my first taste in 10 and 25 man Naxxramas raid. And so far, I’ve had a good and bad raid experience. I really like the challenge those raids bring. Some of those fights are hard and you need to know the strategies. Problems is, some people don’t have experienced friends like me, who can explain the fights, give pointers and help you getting gear to make sure you are ready for the challenge. Have to much ungeared, inexperienced people in your raid, and you have a recipe for a lot a wipe and a big waste of time. But when everything works, everybody is geared and know their jobs, raiding can be quite fun.

Games of February

gearsorwar2

I finished Gears of War 2 early this month. What a fun game. Intense action, great cover system, good shooting and what kept everything together for me, excellent pacing. As soon as you may think you’re getting bored by killing the same monsters over and over, they introduce pace-changer, like “Betty”, “Horsey” or the Brumak. I tried some multiplayer, but of course, got my ass handed to me on a plate. The different game mode available seems really fun thought, I think that’s a game I’m going to go back to for some multiplayer fun.

I didn’t mention it last month, but I’ve still playing World of Warcraft, grinding my way to level 80. I’m almost there! I dinged level 79 yesterday, so shouldn’t be long :) So far I really like what they did with Wrath of the Lich King. They have a lot of “special” and epic quests where you’re riding a Giant or have some kind of special vehicle. Lot of silly fun quests or pace changer.

sfivI picked up Street Fighter IV the day it came out. And I confirmed what I knew already: I suck at fighting games. But even if I suck, for some twisted reason, I really want to get better at that game. I don’t know if it’s the brand, the characters or fighting dynamic, but even if I get my ass beaten to a pulp, I always want to do another round.

TWL COD4 Season is well underway. So far my team (Team Omega, yeah we’re fancy like that, we give our teams Greek Letter names) is doing pretty good. We’re in 14th place, with a record of 3-1. To date, lot of great matches and lots of heart-pounding moments. A really good season so far. Oh and I also find it funny to note that I now have 500 hours of Call of Duty 4 recorded on my xfire profile. 500 hours! That’s what I call a 60$ well spent!