Chris Posted February 4, 2016 Idle Thumbs 248: The Bear's Black Heart Happy birthday to you. We're getting really into The Witness, and we've kept it spoiler-free. Happy birthday to you. Nick has also joined Chris in his Just Cause 3 devotion, and we mull over the lineage and legacy of Myst. Happy birthday to you. There's also a teddy bear that keeps singing "Happy Birthday to You." Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to— Just Cause 3, The Witness, Myst, Riven, The Dig, ancient daddy long legs, a terrible teddy bear Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
melmer Posted February 4, 2016 Classic dad plays portal (I don't remember there being stupid music and comic sans all over the video... Oh well) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pyide Posted February 4, 2016 Seeing was incredibly distressing to me, even though I knew from the audio he didn't maim himself. Use some scissors next time you want to get inside a stuffed animal! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mwaf Posted February 4, 2016 Thanks for keeping the episode spoiler free! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
juv3nal Posted February 4, 2016 For anyone interested in reading about infocom, Digital Antiquarian has a ton of good stuff on it: http://www.filfre.net/tag/infocom/ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dium Posted February 4, 2016 Love The Witness and The Witness talk, but loving even more how Myst is now part of video conversations again (and NOT in that infuriating dismissive "wasn't that shit horrible?" way that is STILL the default mode of discussing Myst, unfortunately).Myst was cool, is all I'm saying. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thenexus6 Posted February 4, 2016 I am trying to find this tweet, but can't remember the exact name of the guy at Kotaku.. Anyone ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Milapi Posted February 4, 2016 I tweeted this @idlethumbs earlier but thought it belonged here: Hearing the thumbs mention the "Lines of Blow" tweet made me recall this recent glorious pun by Richard Cobbett in response to Wizardry 7 and gay porn (5 answers down): https://twitter.com/richardgoodness/status/692742362091491329 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Badfinger Posted February 4, 2016 idlethumbs.com/bear Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Problem Machine Posted February 4, 2016 Even though I'd already seen the video, I like to imagine that loud crack is Nick finally getting fed up with trying to get the bear and snapping its neck like a ninja Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
juv3nal Posted February 4, 2016 I am trying to find this tweet, but can't remember the exact name of the guy at Kotaku.. Anyone ? https://twitter.com/kirkhamilton/status/693937659928915969 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Johnny Driggs Posted February 4, 2016 Yeah Chris, don't think you sneaked your little Crossfire commercial pull past us. Fuck, I have a visceral reaction to the Crossfire commercial theme song. It's been stuck in my head non-stop for over twenty years without interruption. Goddamn that song. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jennegatron Posted February 4, 2016 rip birthday bear Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
syntheticgerbil Posted February 4, 2016 Remember when Youtube was good? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kickinthehead Posted February 5, 2016 Does anyone remember that there was a different version of the Crossfire commercial music? This one is the second one which even as a kid I didn't think was as exciting as the first. Also, a friend of mine had it and it was a pretty terrible game. We played it once or twice and then got bored Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gormongous Posted February 5, 2016 I am unsurprised and incredibly pleased that the nightmarish screaming of "Drop" Johnson from Miller's Crossing is something that Chris (or Jake?) knows well enough to reference immediately and stick it multiple times in the podcast. God, listening to it sounds like a fever feels... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jake Posted February 5, 2016 I am unsurprised and incredibly pleased that the nightmarish screaming of "Drop" Johnson from Miller's Crossing is something that Chris (or Jake?) knows well enough to reference immediately and stick it multiple times in the podcast. God, listening to it sounds like a fever feels... Oh man that's exactly the scene I was referencing when alluding to "screaming Coen bros characters." Did extra editing happen that I haven't heard? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cdkr Posted February 5, 2016 That reveal was incredible. I was having so much trouble holding my snickering in on the train that I somehow dribbled a little bit. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Danger Posted February 5, 2016 From the Myst/Witness cuisine discussion, and because I read the New York Times food section a lot during my lunch break: wondering if The Witness is less "deconstructed adventure game" and more "local/Slow Food adventure game"? I'm trying to think of the word for the cuisine movement that's about revisiting classic dishes with a modern eye towards ingredients but the term is escaping me (or might just not exist and my brain is messing with me). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Milapi Posted February 5, 2016 That reveal was incredible. I was having so much trouble holding my snickering in on the train that I somehow dribbled a little bit. This. I was grinning like a maniac for the rest of the episode after that stunning twist. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ninja Dodo Posted February 5, 2016 Oh man, this episode. Imagining you guys' expressions as the events involving the birthday bear unfold was just priceless. Best laugh I've had in a while. Good stuff about the Witness too. Very interesting game. Playing it in a similar way just walking around a bit solving some things, then exploring elsewhere or letting the game be for a while if I get stuck. I think being able to trust that the game is being fair and all the clues are there - which is pretty much Blow's whole design philosophy - really helps here. You're not left wondering if there's an item you forgot to pick up, a dialogue option you missed, or an area you didn't realize you could go, making it impossible to solve with the tools you have, which by contrast is what has me reaching for a walkthrough with adventure games more often than not, on the rare occasions I still play those... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Apple Cider Posted February 5, 2016 Nick looks so young compared to how I imagined he looked just hearing his voice every week. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites