PixlBit

Yeah the whole World debate was crazy. I thought these things were more or less hammered out before a podcast records. At least to where a main host, Gerstman, can reiterate it's meaning to the rest of the cast when they ask. It was definitely entertaining to hear the actual debate but it should never have come to that. I honestly can't recall the Top 3, just that Zelda won and Horizon wasn't in it. I completely agree with you. Horizon was amazing in that subject. I was so enthralled into that universe. I wanted every piece of info I could find. The locations were interesting and the robosaurs peppered throughout the land was unlike any other game I've played. Should have been top 3 easy but I agree it should have won.

I didn't even think about that PUBG comment. It could easily have been pushed back a few weeks. They were lucky it wasn't. Think it'll be done differently this year. That said, I'm loving PUBG on Xbox despite its flaws. I can agree 100% with what they said about the tense battles. I don't see it being GOTY but it deserves a spot on the top 10 in my opinion. 

I'm still debating on Ben. I like him a bit more than I did initally but I could easily go without him. Abby has been fine on Beastcast (outside that Australian sister bit...) but I was getting tired of the Cuphead comment after the 5th time and I'm sure it was about double that. Also Dream Daddy wouldn't have made it without her so she loses a point or 3 lol. 

The top 10 also surprised me. PUBG was almost no where else in the awards so seeing it go 1 was strange. I fully anticipated Zelda winning or maybe Mario. Gerstman also caught me off guard with how hard he was fighting for Nier. He stated how he was walking into that day thinking it would win #1 and I was shocked. I am definitely a fan of Nier: Automata but I couldn't back it as #1. It just didn't seem like a game he would be championing.

Cuphead was great but I feel it was too high. Let's be real here, that game with any other generic skin over it is not even being mentioned here. Game play was perfectly fine but not ground breaking. The art is a HUGE factor and that's fine but shouldn't push it to a GOTY contender in my opinion.

Destiny 2 was a blast for the month or 2 I played it but like most I dropped it hard and can't see myself diving back in. I can't really comment on the last 4 but I'm so disappointed that Horizon got no love on this list. Especially when I see Dream Daddy on it. Horizon got snubbed because of its close proximity to Zelda. There's no other way I can fathom it being so unloved by the majority. I'm not saying everyone should be in love with it but it deserved more than what it got. 

So glad to see you guys back for a, more or less, normal episode. Ryan Higgins was a nice surprise. I've been behind on some of my normal podcasts so if he announced he was going to be on NWP I missed it. Definitely should have him on again down the road. 

I must have also missed the listener top 5 for 2017. Unless it was only advertised on Twitter, I have an account but it's almost never used. 

Julian, I'm really glad to see how much you loved Horizon. I think I was on here a few times shouting blasphemy about how it's better than Zelda and you should go through it. It might have made my #1 for the year. 

I was also waiting a few weeks to make sure you finished up Giant Bombs GOTY Deliberations. What did you think? I thought it was a great year.

-Definitely some tense moment with Alex and Jeff debating on Fire Pro Wrestling being eligible and also the Best World Category and if it is a bad category they should drop. I haven't been listening anywhere near as long as you have. Is there any animosity there?

Not seeing Doki Doki Literature Club mentioned anywhere was a bit shocking. Don't think it's a strong candidate for top 10 or anything but there's definitely a few categories where it at least deserved a mention.

-I was really hoping Dream Daddy wouldn't make it but that's just me thinking it's stupid, lol. The content doesn't bother me It just seems so dumb. Honestly, it could be great but it just doesn't seem like something I'd enjoy. I was hoping Dan could edge it out. 

-I laughed so hard when Abby for like the 50th time proclaimed how she thinks Cuphead deserves to be higher on the list and everyone just simultaneously were like, "Yeah, we know."

To be fair those black and white areas are some of the most interesting. The industrial setting isn't the only place at all. Carnivals, Forests, Deserts, Castles, Caves, and such all appear. 

I personally loved Horizon Zero Dawn and would put it over Zelda for my list. I think it may be my GOTY. Haven't tried a Yakuza game yet. May give Zero a chance when I see a good sale. Think the main thing I missed from this year is Persona and Resident Evil 7. I'll get both eventually. 

I'm surprised you're having such a hard time with combat Julian. Though to be fair I don't know how skilled you are at 3rd person action games. I had a few spots where I had to retry but nothing major. I'll say that Chip Sets make a big difference. Shockwave, Overclock, Anti-Chain Damage, Resilience, and Offensive/Deadly Heal (I used Deadly personally) were the ones i used mostly for battle. I had some quality of life ones like increase speed and auto collect items but those aren't necessary. 

I hope you finish it. The 3rd playthrough is great and the lead up to the final boss/ending was bad ass. 

I also can't believe Angelo hasn't played this. What's going on here? I would have thought he'd played it day one. 

Sad to see Chrono Crossing go but I'm interested in the next interactive segment. To answer your question Julian, I can't recall when I finally turned my controller around the right way. I just remember Super Mario Bros. being the only game I did that with. I was around 4 at the time when I played. I know for sure I was playing Super Mario 3 normal. It probably changed when I got a gameboy. 

Got to say this Stage Select is tough since I don't typically have game time without a T.V. playing right next to me. We all know these musical Stage Selects are just to get Angelo some new tunes for work, lol. Anyways here goes. 

Stage Select: Shop Themes (In no particular order.)

Undertale: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YTeUdtilREo

One of the newer shop themes to come around from another game with an excellent soundtrack. Very well done.

(Angelo try "Hopes and Dreams" and "Battle Against a True Hero," from the Undertale soundtrack also. Some of my favorites. Let me know what you think)

Scott Pilgrim vs the World: The Game: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=b7c1KDmxKUA

One of many amazing tracks from the Scott Pilgrim game. Hopefully it gets rereleased. 

Sonic 2: Casino Night: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=B8yHNMW1OU0

Not a shop theme but sure sounds like one. This one hits my nostalgia bone. 

Resident Evil 4: Serenity: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UIWrC37i_vk

Like any RE a nice somber theme to relax to before you go out into the madness.

Great episode guys. Didn't get a chance to comment on the last one but it was a blast. Definitely helped me pass the time at work. I actually thought of going Princess Peach for stage select, slap some whip cream down and.... moving on.

I'm with you on bacon Julius. It's good but one of those things I can only eat in small doses. Too much and I lose the interest.

Anyways got to say I'm gonna miss Chrono Crossing. The song that leads to Chrono Crossing was always a joy. I guess it can technically come back at the beginning of next year.

Chrono Crossing: Super Mario Bros.
It has to be this for me. It is the oldest memory I have of videogames. It started me on my path of games which has never wavered since. I even learned how to play it with the NES controller upside down since I was left handed and it felt weird the normal way.  

Can't wait for Nier Automata talk. I just beat it, amazing game. 

Great episode guys. Listened later than normal because I had vacation but I had to throw my input. 

Stage Select: 

3. Nemesis (Resident Evil 3): This guy was gruesome. On top of that he was also relentless. You are used to zombies slowly walking toward you then this guy comes busting through a wall and is running full sprint at you. Screw this guy. 

2. 99.9% of Bloodborne: Hate Spiders? Centipedes? Aliens? Giant Brains with eyeballs? Insane old timey village mobs? Bloodborne has them all. About the only thing not scary are the weapons you have to use to kill everything that is and even then 1 of those weapons is a severed werewolf claw...

1. Basilisk (Dark Souls): These big frogs look so silly with their giant goofy eyeballs. After running into giant rats, skeletons, killer knights and so much more you see these things and laugh. But you aren't laughing once they inflict you with curse. Curse automatically kills you. Which is fine, it's Dark Souls, you die all the time. But when you respawn and see your healthbar is permanently halved you begin to look at them as insidious monsters. Next time you will stand in fear as those cartoonish eyes blink in the distance...

Chrono Crossing: Contra

Contra fills me with more memories than most NES games since it was a game my cousin and I played constantly. Anyone from these days still has the Konami code memorized. That code was better than gold since it meant my cousin wouldn't be stealing my lives until the 2nd or possibly 3rd level.

I'm with you on GTA. 3 was amazing and I spent countless hours in that game but Vice City wasn't even close imo. I think the 70s (80s?) vibe threw me off. Then I skipped San Andreas. Played 4 but that gsme was crap. I didn't get the hype. Bought 5 and loved it though. I waited til it was $25 on Black Friday for PS4. Didn't think I'd get much out of it but it hooked me good. I didn't delve into the online portion though which seems to be its own cult or something, lol. 

We may have had a fight if you dis'd Chrono Cross, lol. Trigger is amazing but Cross is my favorite game of all time. Don't know if that game could ever be in an overrated conversation. It got much praise when it released but seems to be lost to time now. 

Master Chief is fleshed out much better in the books. He was never the strongest, fastest, or best Spartan but he's a true leader with heart. An example from Fall of Reach (the best Halo novel imo and an excellent read for any sci-fi military fan) is when him and the other Spartans were young and training. They are all dropped off and are told to get to a evac point. Whoever is last has to walk all the way back to base in a very dangerous environment. He makes sure everyone gets to the evac point first so he can be the one that has to walk. 

Anyways, glad to see you all back. Another great episode. You all were missed while I worked in cold silence... On to stage select. My picks seem to be mostly recent probably since they are more vivid in my mind. 

Stage Select: Overrated games 

3. Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

The game is excellent and there are a few concepts that should find their way into many games in the future but I don't see it as the game of the Millenium like people proclaim. Dungeons were interesting but lacked the charm of past Zeldas. The story could have been fleshed out better. Ganon wasn't as epic as I would have liked. If they build on it I can definitely see BotW2 being that Millenium game though.

2. Bioshock

Would you kindly stop this game? It was fine but I got bored after about half the game. It seemed to drag on too long. Initially it was an amazing concept and the story had me very interested but that waned. Infinite was much better in my opinion. 

1. Inside: 

Damn do I not get the extreme hype for this game. It's just Limbo 2.0 and that's fine but not game of the year or anything. People made it out to be the second coming of Jesus which made me buy it immediately. In the end it was another good game but not much else. I don't think I've ever regretted buying into hype as much as I did with this one. 

Chrono Crossing: Gain Ground 

I didn't play Gain Ground until I saw it on the Sega Channel. It hooked me with its simple strategy and large cast of characters who had different weapons. It took years for me to find it again since I had long forgotten the name but when I did with one of those Genesis Classics on Xbox 360 I fell in love all over again. I hope to see a spiritual successor one day. 

Yeah Ben hasn't clicked with me yet either. Hes fine but not a good Dan replacement. I started Bombcast late so didn't even know Vinny. I thought Beastcast was gonna be their 2nd rate podcast so skipped it for a few weeks after I discovered Bombcast.

Eventually I was looking for new stuff to listen to and tried it. I actually wanted to dislike it because another podcast as long as Bombcast (which I appreciate now. BTW thanks for another long episode. I'm sure it's for me, right?) seemed like too much. But Vinny immediately pulled me in and I found myself preferring Beastcast except Dan was my favorite and was on Bomb.

When he announced his heading to Beastcast I was stoked. Now though I feel he hasn't shined as much. Though he does seem to be melding better now than he did the first few weeks. Abby is a solid addition though I can definitely go without the "Margaret" twin sister from Australia. That was a joke that overstayed its welcome, lol. I like her much more than other women in podcasts. Some seem to try too hard or act self entitled but she seems sincere. It's just before I felt they had 2 excellent podcasts and now I feel there's one. Bombcast is still great but I'm not as into it without Dan. I can't wait for GOTY deliberations. I'm dying for next year's as soon as they finish, lol. 

Have you tried CAG Cast or The Co-optional podcast Julian? They are both excellent. Part of what I like about CAG Cast is the trio dynamic. It reminded me of NWP which helped draw me in to it. Also the latest episode is titled, "We Dont Really Wear Pants." Co-optional reminds me of Bombcast and I like the main 3 on there as well. They always have a guest or 2 with them. Though the recent releases the last 30 or so minutes can be skipped. I think it was different before they started adding Steam releases. That like 20 new games a day. TB knows that and is trying to rework that segment which really drags but the rest of the show is great.