Idle Thumbs 81: Happy Halloween

[Chris]

Idle Thumbs 81: Happy Halloween

In this spooktacular special episode, which is haunted, we discuss video games. The cast is coming from inside the pod.

Games Discussed: Tennnes, Hotline Miami, Hawken, Dota 2, DayZ

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Episode page.

[subbes]

You Amerocentrists and your distaste for the correct name of the murder mystery themed detective game Cluedo. The game was published in 1949: there weren't many funny puns around, as we had used them all for the war effort. Cluedo was the best pun we had, and by gum we liked it.

[Faegbeard]

I'm pretty sure this is the 3rd or 4th time I've heard the "Implicit Butt/Explicit Butt" joke on Idle Thumbs.

[gregbrown]

The simple-but-expressive controls you mentioned for Tennes and other games are also a highlight of the best iOS games. Generally, games that bring over the complexity of console controllers fail, while the ones that go with a really simple control or just a physical metaphor succeed.

[anthonyRichard]

'It makes you feel like you're wearing a three day old t-shirt' is the best description of Hotline Miami. I've enjoyed playing it a lot but I'm not going to finish it because it just makes me feel too gross. I don't regret playing it at all, though.

[Twig]

Hotline Miami is my favorite game in a long time. I haven't listen to the episode, yet, but since it's a topic, I just wanted to say that as a preface to whatever I say later, just to be fair.

[Gormongous]

Yeah, I'm so glad you guys are playing it. At least one of you has to push through the "dirty t-shirt" phase to experience the pure game beyond it. Preferably the other two will have quit out of disgust so they can revile you at that point.

[thainatos]

I agree heartily with the 3-day-old-shirt thing. I went on a binge playing HM yesterday, during the nor'easter, and I came to the conclusion that it's the game I've been waiting for since I beat Spelunky on the PC back in '07 or '08.

[DeBurgo]

Yeah, I dunno. I'm kind of torn on Hotline Miami. It's really fun, probably the most fun I've had in a while (hell, I beat it), but it's hard to recommend it without a few reservations. It does that kind of thing that games like doing when cribbing from films, which is to strip the film of any dramatic irony or satire or even context, and just take the most superficial interpretation of the film(s), and stick it into the game.

It's a really good superficial interpretation, though. Your guy can murder other dudes real good. It's awesome.

Sadly, I have to say, I like video games after all.

[Jake]

Yeah, I dunno. I'm kind of torn on Hotline Miami. It's really fun, probably the most fun I've had in a while (hell, I beat it), but it's hard to recommend it without a few reservations. It does that kind of thing that games like doing when cribbing from films, which is to strip the film of any dramatic irony or satire or even context, and just take the most superficial interpretation of the film(s), and stick it into the game.

It's a really good superficial interpretation, though. Your guy can murder other dudes real good. It's awesome.

Sadly, I have to say, I like video games after all.

I think you're selling Hotline Miami short.

[I Speel My Dreenk]

Sean: did you catch the section on the Ludo Wikipedia page which lists the 'skills required' for play as 'Dice rolling' and 'right moves'?

Ya gotta have the right moves, kid.

[melmer]

never fails to amuse

[vimes]

So, the Idle Book Club Podcast is officially pushed back to next week? That's good news for me: I haven't finished, started, got my hand on Telegraph Avenue yet.

[melmer]

+ + = win

(what i imagine the cockpit of a mech would smell like)

[Astro Creep]

I absolutely agree with your appraisal of Hotline Miami. It's given me the most conflicting feelings out of any game I've played in a looong time. The feeling you get after busting through a stage you've been stuck on is awesome, but then you look back at what you've done, and you feel... gross. The entire game feels like some sort of fever dream from the moment you start it up, and upon quitting, all I can think is "what in God's name have I doing for the past hour". It's definitely a Cactus game, I'm getting mad Mondo and Norrland vibes from the effects.

What I find most interesting is how people are interpreting the gameplay. I'm going through it as more of a puzzle game, working out the best order to get through the rooms, but I see quite a lot of people playing it as a straight action game, never taking even a second to stop and work out their options beyond the start of the stage. Both approaches seem to be equally successful, which is fantastic.

Like others, I don't know if I'll keep playing it. From what I've heard, it gets even more off-putting in the later stages. Given how I feel about it now, I'm not sure if I'll be able to get past that. I feel like that's the point, though. Spec Ops had the same thing going for it, and it's an absolute shame more people didn't understand the point it was trying to make. It's one thing when a game can simply shock you with outrageous action, it's another thing when it can actually make you feel bad for playing it and question why you're doing the things you're doing.

[melmer]

Classic British bullshit?!?!?! screw you guys

[Sean]

Classic British bullshit?!?!?! screw you guys

Tremendous

[George B]

Organ intro: great.

Hotline Miami.

I thought it would be like Manhunt, but it isn't at all. Manhunt draws out the gore, dwells on it, HMiami speeds it up and keeps slamming it in your face.

I don't like it all that much. I find it has a bunch of dumb technical things keeping me from enjoying it. You can't rebind keys, you cant change mouse sensitivity, you can't lower the music volume, it crashes a fair bit (or has in the 3-4 hours I've played it). For some reason I feel like a 10 dollar game shouldn't have these issues. But I am spoiled. (also I only got to the 4th chapter before becoming too frustrated... my old man hands can't handle it)

Kinda shocked that Sean likes the game, especially given his earlier thoughts about Tennes and how frustrating the exactness of those controls can be. I find the controls in HMiami are just crummy. It would require a bunch of time to get used to them. The atmosphere of the game, the comical ultra violence, will keep me from spending that time. And I'm a guy who put 300+ hours into Binding of Isaac.

I understand, however, why some people will love the game. It's a unique action puzzler with a ton of attention put into it's presentation, and some folks will eat it up.

So I dunno, maybe I'm not enough of a "twitch" gamer to do well at HMiami and get to what I have heard are interesting narrative things that come up as you approach the end.

I can't be that bad at games though, as I went on to beat the Ornstein and Smough boss fight in Dark Souls. #braggin'

You guys gotta put 75 hours aside to get into Dark Souls.

GAMES!

[Twig]

The controls in Hotline Miami are incredible. Yes, the game is fast-paced and floaty, but that's not really attributable to the controls. It's a choice the game designer made. It really is the Super Meat Boy of top-down shooter/action games. Although, with a whole hell of a lot more focus on story and presentation than SMB ever pretended to have. Eh, maybe not presentation, but definitely story.

The Binding of Isaac is like a snail compared to Hotline Miami's cheetah, so it's no surprise you would end up preferring BoI if you don't like HM for the way it feels.

[George B]

I liked BOI because of the varied builds you'd get through the game. Unlocking weapons and picking a different mask doesn't have the same depth - as far as I have experienced. Playing the game is not for me, but I will likely watch a let's play of Hotline to see the rest of the story as so many folks are saying it's a strong point.

Twig, I like your analogy of the snail and the cheetah, though I would have gone with the tortoise and hare.

Locking on with mouse-3? My mouse fingers do not use mouse-3 swiftly, they never have had to. Especially over the last 5-6 years that I have had a 5 button mouse and can bind mouse-3 things to mouse-4. With HMiami I suppose I can change my mouse's sensitivity on it's own.

I'm of the belief that rebinding keys should almost always be an option. I want to play a twitchy action puzzler - without the extra layer of finger Twister.

weegie weegie weegie

[Badfinger]

I'm totally with Sean from the other side of the fence (dirty newbie League of Legends) on the LoMa fit and finish wars. It is awesome that there are multiple successful games, which means that to be the best game you must constantly improve. That's good for everyone. And the curve of how much those animation touches matters to you is cool, too. For the casual or newbie player, quality of life changes don't mean anything at all, but the little tweaks to animation looping and hitching or smoothing out the auto attacks or how the spells react like you think they should totally salve over little frustrations playing you didn't even know you had. Some champions are just easier to last hit with, which means maybe they're more fun.

[Sean]

Some champions lords are just easier to last hit with, which means maybe they're more fun.

FTFY.

[Twig]

Twig, I like your analogy of the snail and the cheetah, though I would have gone with the tortoise and hare.

Haha. I didn't mean it at all in an insulting way. I love BoI. Although, for completely different reasons. Obviously. U:

[Badfinger]

FTFY.

My most sincere apologies. Some Lords are just easier to last hit with. Some Ladies as well.

[brkl]

Goddamn mouse-3. Why do game makers keep thinking that's a good button to use for anything? Mouse-3 is the damn scrollwheel and clicking it feels like crap. Maybe they all think we're using those old mice with three big buttons from before scrollwheels existed.

First world problems.