Join us for our 100th episode! [UPDATED]
Video Game Hangover’s 100th episode is just around the corner. It’s been an incredible ride and a lot of fun getting to this point, but we wouldn’t still be podcasting every week if it wasn’t for you–our listeners! We’ve got big plans for episode 100, but we’re going to need some help from you.
Specifically, one of you.
That’s right: We want to bring you, dear VGH listener, onto episode 100 so you can chat with us about what you’ve been playing in the Hangover, discuss a gaming topic of your choosing, get in a Last Call shout-out, and generally be a part of the mayhem that goes into producing a VGH episode. (Don’t worry, we’ll take care of all the paperwork.)
Are you excited yet? Great! Here’s all you have to do for your chance to sit in the guest host chair:
- Own a computer microphone or headset. It’ll be a short show if you can’t talk to us!
- Be available to record via Skype on either Saturday, June 1st or Sunday, June 2nd.
- Send us a 60-second (or shorter) message, via audioboo.fm/vghangover or 682-999-VGH1*, describing your topic and why you should guest host. Don’t forget to mention some way for us to reach you!
That’s it! We’ll pick a guest host by Thursday, May 23rd and contact you to get everything ready for you to come on the show. All you need to do now is give us a call! (Please leave your 60-second message by the end of Monday, May 20th, so we have time to listen to them!)
*Since phone calls usually don’t sound great, we’d prefer you leave us a message via Audioboo, but it’s up to you!
Update: We’ve updated the post to answer some common questions. To save you the trouble of reading the post again, here they are:
Q: What day will the recording take place?
A: We’ll record either on Saturday, June 1st or Sunday, June 2nd, depending on when you’re available. We’ll contact you about which day (and what time) you prefer.
Q: How long do I have to send in my recording?
A: To ensure we have enough time to listen to and compare everyone’s recordings, please send yours by the end of the day on Monday, May 20th.
If you have any other questions, leave us a comment below, or hit us up on Twitter @vghangover.
D.J.’s top 5 Rock Band DLC songs
As we covered in Episode 90, Rock Band may be over, but the massive music libraries we’ve built over the last six years are here to stay. I thought I’d share a list of my favorite songs to play–which was actually turned out to be quite difficult since my original PS3 died late last year and I still haven’t gotten around to redownloading all my songs onto the new one. But anyway, these are some of my personal picks for whenever I feel like picking up that plastic guitar.
Win Runner2 and other BIT.TRIP prizes!
Runner2 is out this week and we’re excited! We’re so excited, in fact, that we’re giving away some BIT.TRIP prizes to get you hyped up for the new game.
Our favorite game music of 2012 – Volume 1
It may already be February, but 2012 lives on thanks to my iPod filled with last year’s best game soundtracks. Put on some headphones and listen to a quick sampling of ten of my favorites below. Continue reading »
D.J.’s Top Games in 2012
#5: Soulcalibur V
It’s been an auspicious year for fighting games–can you imagine the reaction just a few years ago if someone predicted that in one year, we’d see new iterations of nearly every major fighting franchise? That’s exactly what happened in 2012, and I’ve got to give credit to the latest in my favorite fighting series: Soulcalibur. Despite some skepticism over new gameplay mechanics and a dramatically different character roster, SCV emerged as one of the series’ strongest entries and even appeared to gain back some respect from the arcade circuit. Best of all: No Star Wars characters in sight.
Get featured on VGH’s second season finale!
Has it been two years already? We’re ending 2012 on a high note (or maybe just a tipsy one) with our second annual Hungover Hangover call-in show. (Two drink minimum!) Continue reading »
Weekend Hangover: Please stand by
In case you missed our Twitter announcement yesterday (you’re following us on Twitter, right?), we won’t be publishing an episode this week due to some problems we ran into during recording. Randy may have survived Hurricane Sandy, but it’s taken a special level of coaxing to get Paul’s Internet to cooperate lately and this week it just wasn’t having it. It should be fixed soon, though, so we’ll be back on the air next Thursday.
In the meantime, what are you guys playing this weekend? I’m hoping to put a few more hours into either Virtue’s Last Reward (it’s really good) or Assassin’s Creed III (it’s really… something). Also, Rockstar just dropped a ton of new Grand Theft Auto V info, including the revelation the game will have three protagonists. Does that make you three times as excited for the game’s release this Spring? Let us know in the comments!
Contest: Win LittleBigPlanet for PlayStation Vita!
LittleBigPlanet is (officially) out for the PlayStation Vita this week, and we want to help you get started creating and playing your own custom levels by giving you a copy!
VGHomework: Space is the place
Every weekend, the VGH crew answers a few follow-up questions from that week’s episode, then turns the floor over to you! This is VGHomework.
This week’s episode was all about the Mars lander and space games–the definition of which was up for debate. That, and we had some trouble agreeing on what a space marine actually is. You might say our definitions were a bit nebulous.
Summer Backlog Attack 2012, Week 6
Confession: We straight up forgot to check in with our backlog progress last episode. We’re really embarrassed! Almost as embarrassed as we are to admit that last week was the slowest backlog week in six weeks running. I lost some of the momentum coming off Mega Man and was lured away by Modern Warfare 3. Paul still hates first-person shooters. And Randy… we heard he was too busy tracking down his new laptop, bounty-hunter style.
Has the crew hit bottom? I don’t want to give anything away, but tune in to this week’s episode for some shocking revelations in the most inflammatory installment of Backlog Attack yet!
Summer Backlog Attack 2012, Week 5
Here’s a quick, late-night backlog update for you before the next episode comes out!
Last week, I proudly announced that I finished Mega Man ZX Advent–my first backlog game completed since I abandoned Psychonauts several weeks ago. Max Payne is up next on my list, thanks to Paul’s recommendation, but will I be able to keep the momentum going?
Meanwhile, Paul took a vacation from Rapture to visit Ivalice in Final Fantasy Tactics A-2, and Randy… well, who knows what Randy’s doing? As the fall releases start to appear on the horizon (Borderlands 2, anyone?), will our hosts clear some of these games out of the way or will next summer’s slate be full of familiar faces??
VGHomework: OOUUUUYYYYAAAAAAAAAAA!!
Every weekend, the VGH crew answers a few follow-up questions from that week’s episode, then turns the floor over to you! This is VGHomework.
Q: What do you think of the Ouya? Is an open, Android-based box worth your hundred dollars?
Matt (@mkernan): I think the idea is interesting, if not all that compelling. The hardware specs are going to be a bit limited, so I kind of don’t see how the Ouya would be any better than hooking an iOS or Android tablet or phone to a television. Personally, I’d just like to see Apple add apps to the AppleTV and maybe even release some sort of controller. Ultimately, I think the Ouya is a novelty that people find intriguing, but will end up not really making much of a splash in the grand scheme of things.
Q: How long do you stick with a game after you’ve beaten it? Do you start it over, get rid of it, or do something else entirely?
D.J. (@metaly): Even if it’s a game I’m really into, I usually won’t start it over but I’ll go back and try to wrap up some of the sidequests or see content I missed on my way to the end. With longer term games like the Battlefield series and, of course, Monster Hunter Freedom Unite (which I still haven’t even technically finished), I’ll try playing as a different class or using a different weapon to mix things up. I love it when games are able to add replay value via gameplay breadth instead of just grinding out another prestige rank.
Q: What game will you never get bored of, no matter how much you play it?
Paul (@spaulsandhu): Great question. Chrono Trigger. There isn’t a single game in history that I’ve completed more often than Chrono Trigger!
Q: Which video game character should Nicolas Cage play?
Matt: I’d like to see him play himself as the lead character in a self-referential action/adventure game.
Paul: Nathan Drake in Uncharted 4. Take that Randy!
D.J.: I’d really like to see him play every game character eventually, but I’d probably start with toon Link from Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker.
Should Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo be worried about the Ouya? Do Diablo players really need more reason to spend hundreds more hours clicking on loot? And what is up with Nicolas Cage? Somebody please explain it to us in the comments!
Summer Backlog Attack 2012, Week 4
Do you know where your millionaire ninja is?
If you listened to last week’s episode (VGH #62: Millionaire Ninja), you got impressions of the latest Lego game, Final Fantasy Tactics A2, and Mega Man ZX Advent–plus Batman, Batman, Batman. We admit we might have gone a little overboard.
Speaking of going overboard, we must have gotten too caught up in the hype over The Dark Knight Rises because this was the slowest backlog week so far–but don’t worry! Tune in this week to see at least one game fall off the stack. Progress!
Summer Backlog Attack 2012, Week 3
We chatted a bit about StarCraft: Ghost last week on the show–one game that unfortunately won’t be gracing anyone’s backlog any time soon.
Not that we need the extra weight, of course. Making slow progress and not really enjoying myself, I threw in the towel on Psychonauts, instead starting up Mega Man ZX Advent and enjoying that much more. I may go revisit Tim Schafer’s classic later on, but for now I’m enjoying shooting reploids with my megabuster.
Meanwhile, Paul was still treading water in Bioshock and Randy was still busy at work to even think about the backlog. Besides, there was a new Walking Dead episode out! Check out the episode for their impressions, and tune in this week to find out if anyone gets out of their rut!
VGHomework: In the Cloud
Every weekend, the VGH crew answers a few follow-up questions from that week’s episode, then turns the floor over to you! This is VGHomework.
We dove a bit into some gaming news this week on the show, first speculating about what Sony will do with their Gaikai purchase, and then getting all misty over some promising games that never saw release.
Q: Have you tried a cloud gaming service like Gaikai or OnLive? Could you ever foresee trading your disc-based/digital download console for one?
Paul (@spaulsandhu): I’ve never tried a cloud gaming service before but when we were spitballing on the show the idea of a Netflix style service but for games came up. I would definitely be interested in a service like that especially if it gave us access to a library of classic games! Man I really hope that comes to pass…
Matt (@mkernan): I’ve dabbled with OnLive a little bit in the past. I came away pretty impressed overall with the responsiveness of the system and the fact that I could play popular PC games on my Mac. I think I could eventually see myself moving to an all-streaming situation, but for the time being I’ll stick with my traditional consoles.
Q: What’s the best way Sony could incorporate the cloud into the PlayStation 4 or Vita?
Matt: I think the current conditions with broadband penetration and speeds in the US mean that there’s not a chance in hell of the PlayStation 4 being all-streaming, but I’d really like to see Sony use Gaikai’s technology to implement 100% backward compatibility. Heck, maybe even just use it to give the users the ability to start playing new games instantly–start off by streaming the game to us, while the full game itself is slowly downloading in the background. I’d be happy to temporarily put up with an ever-so-slight latency and slightly-degraded visuals in a PS4 game just to be able to jump directly into it the moment I’ve purchased it. The technology could make demos far easier to swallow too.
Aside from that, I’d like to see them use the streaming technology to create a much more fluid experience where I can play all of my PlayStation games on any device I own.
Q: What canceled game were you most looking forward to playing and why?
D.J. (@metaly): I mentioned it on the show, but Front Mission 5 and Monster Hunter Portable 3rd are the two biggest casualties in terms of Japanese games that never got their chance in the West. I guess they weren’t technically canceled since they did see an overseas release, but I’d love to be able to play games without having to futz with a fan translation patch.
Q: If StarCraft: Ghost actually came out, what game(s) should it be most similar to?
D.J.: I’d love to see a campaign with a little more deliberately paced stealth, like Splinter Cell pre-
Is there cloud gaming in your future? What are some canned titles you wish you could play right now? Let us know in the comments!
Summer Backlog Attack 2012, Week 2
We checked in on our backlog progress in Episode 60. Paul has already blown through
Will I overcome my platforming apathy and make it to the end (or at least to the next level) of Psychonauts? Will Paul have an epiphany that turns him into an FPS die-hard? Will Randy ever relive those two lost hours of Radiant Historia?? (If only he could go back in time and avert that disaster in the first place.) Tune in to this week’s episode to find out!
Until then: If you’ve got a backlog, does it contain more “short” games like Enslaved or Bioshock, or is it the longer games that end up going unplayed?
VGHomework: NSFW
This week’s show was even randier than usual since we were talking gaming and sex! Now it’s time for your hosts to answer a few questions the morning after:
Q: Is sex in games exciting, or does it make you roll your eyes?
Matt (@mkernan): I think that if it’s done well in terms of writing, acting, and animation, it has the potential to be great. Most of the “sex appeal” I’ve seen in games tends toward the pointless and exploitative end of the spectrum though.
Q: Have you ever played a game because you were attracted to one of the characters?
Randy (@randy_wrecked): Bayonetta. I had zero interest in the mechanics of that game but I found the character smokin’ hot. I played it on the easiest difficulty just to get it out of my system.
Q: What’s your sexiest gaming moment and why?
Paul (@spaulsandhu): Sexiest moment in gaming for me would probably be the sex scene in Witcher 2 between Geralt and Triss in the elven pool. It has just the right amount of lady butt, man butt, but in all seriousness it was a really nice combination of explicit sex and tenderness that came together in a scene that didn’t cause me to roll my eyes. It was really well done.
Q: Who has the best butt in gaming?
Paul: Best butt in gaming is pretty obvious, feast your eyes on this.
Randy: D.J. Ross does, of course.
D.J.: Well, Matt and Randy already stole my choices, so I’ll have to go with the dancer from Final Fantasy IV that they actually censored in the original SNES release. Yow!
Don’t be shy! Let us know if you think games have grown up enough to handle this subject matter, or if they still have some maturing to do.
Image credits: Super Adventures in Gaming, Bioware forums
Play More Games: Theatrhyththrymthrhynmythm
Each week in Play More Games, members of the VGH team will chime in on the new video game releases that have piqued their interest.
Hey, a new 3DS game! It’s a sure sign that a console has finally gained a foothold when it gets its very own, awkwardly titled Final Fantasy spinoff. For the 3DS, that’s Final Fantasy Theatrhythm. (Or Theatrhythm Final Fantasy, if you prefer.) I need only the slightest excuse to pick up a new music game, so fill one full of classic Final Fantasy songs and it’s a no-brainer. The gameplay looks similar to Ouendan or DJMAX Technika, which have you tapping on-screen targets or sliding the stylus along a track in time with the music. But, drawing from its namesake’s RPG roots, you’ll be doing all this while guiding a party across a Final Fantasy overworld, or tapping notes to help your party battle monsters. That’s cool, I guess, although it’s really going beyond the call–all they had to do was give me some stuff to tap while male cheerleaders chocobos and moogles dance in the background and I’d be set.
Look for my impressions in next week’s episode! Continue reading »
Summer Backlog Attack 2012, Week 1
As you already know if you’ve checked out Episode 59, we’re launching an all-out attack on our backlogs as we get into the middle of summer. We even came up with a ridiculous name for it, and I figured, while we’re at it, let’s have a huge leaderboard graphic, too. So now, here we are.
VGHomework: Backloggery
This week on the show, we’re talking about gaming backlogs and what we can do to eliminate (or at least reduce) our piles of shame. How did it get to this point??
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