Sean

Idle Thumbs 146: Osama's Dog

Recommended Posts

Idle Thumbs 146:

510__cover.jpg

Osama's Dog

Good morning students, this is Principal Newell: Christopher Remo is absent today and we are joined by Danielle Riendeau from Polygon and Greg Games Kasavin from Supergiant. Mr. Rodkin would like to remind you that this is your last week to order your 2013 Luigi Year Book. Today's hot lunch is chicken a'la king.

Games Discussed: The Sun at Night, Bravely Default, Flappy MMO, Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze, BioShock Infinite

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I feel awful for the Irrational members who lost their job yesterday. Levine's press release is ridiculous, although I wouldn't put it quite in the same league as Bethesda's ludicrous Prey 2 update. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Dear talented Idle Thumbs community:

Please draw Zero Suit Laika.

EDIT: Please also draw Donkey Kong Syriana. Basically just draw every back and forth between Jake and Danielle.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I remember watching the Quick Look of The Sun at Night and being kind of bummed out that it was such a video-game-ass video game, because the real-life story of Laika fascinates me. Basically, Sputnik II was entirely meant as a means to intimidate America during the space race. It was designed and constructed in something like five weeks so that it could be launched in time for a major Russian holiday, and had no life support systems. They told the public that Laika had survived for five weeks before having a controlled death from a cyanide capsule in her food supply, but she actually only lasted about five hours.

 

...I hate Donkey Kong, but I kind of sort of want Tropical Freeze just because right now all I'm using my Wii U for is to replay Other M and that's a little depressing to me.

 

Also, you guys brought up Pokémon twice! Put it on the games discussed list!

 

Please draw Zero Suit Laika.

 

...Maybe.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi Thumbs / Thumb-Listeners!

I'm John aka Gritfish aka "Gristle Fish" aka "The Anti-Chris" from today's reader mail. I've been a listener for ages, but I never really looked at the forums until the "weird thing committee" thing. Anyway I figured maybe some people might have some questions about the whole gaming on a treadmill thing, so I thought I'd make an account and jump in!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Hey Sean!

I love the idea of playing Titanfall on a stair machine! I don't own one (and I don't think they'd appreciate taking an xbox to the gym) but if there's a 3DS or PSP mech game, I'd totally give it a shot!

 

I didn't put it in the email (would have made it way too long and gushy) but I've played I think all of the Telltale games since Back to the Future as "one episiode start-to-finish" treadmill sessions, and really appreciate all the effort someone there put into the UI / gamepad controls (its much more comfortable than trying to use mouse+keyboard).

 

I've never tried Dota2 because of how much Awesomenauts stressed me out, but if you're interested, I'll give it a try over the weekend and report back.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

For people interested in following this working out while gaming trend but don't have (or dont want to spend the money for) a treadmill or stationary bike try looking into under the desk portable pedals. Its basically a weighted stand with pedals/footstraps on them. They range from $50 on the cheap end to 150+ for a model with variable resistance.

 

I got one from Sears years ago to help deal with the restless feeling I would get during long nights of raiding in wow and it worked like a charm. While the physical benefit isn't nearly as good it does work (my legs would sometimes feel sore the next day after a lengthy session) and helps if you have financial/space constraints that would keep you from exploring some of the other mentioned methods.

 

P.S Bravely Default is a great game if you like JRPGs even a little bit and the ability to modify encounter rate (as well as if you get exp, money or job xp that wasn't mentioned) is going to ruin other games if it doesn't become a more frequent feature in other games of this style

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

A friend of mine is this close to being done with Bravely Default because she basically hates all the characters, so counterpoint, there.

 

Have you played the UbiArt Rayman games, Sean? They are super great. It really feels like basically everyone except Nintendo has decided that 3D platformers aren't worth the hassle when you can make a 2D platformer, get rid of lives and a rigid stage structure, make it gorgeous and just crank up the difficulty.

 

The extended riff on Donkey Kong being in a few crazy ensembles as part of his George Clooney arc made me think someone was going to put two and two together and notice he's in Smash Brothers, which is exactly like the Ocean movies in that the core appeal is 'look at all these guys you love! And they're in the same scenes and interacting, this is crazy go nuts!'

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Pretty intense show this week with the Irrational and Levine stuff. I think after seeing JP's tweet, it made me reconsider my thoughts about Ken some. I hope the story of Irrational gets out there in some capacity since I bet it would be really interesting to see how such a lauded studio crumbled. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Someone's cell was causing some problems and I was on Chris's mic accidentally and clipping like mad. Not stoked about it.

 

It's a bit crackly...

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Threndsa - Bravely Default's OTHER great feature (for me, anyway) is the way almost the battle system can be set up to run automatically - pretty much reducing it to a "JRPG character manager". Turn-based battles are great for me (god i played a lot of Fire Emblem at the gym), but that "repeat the last set of commands" system combined with the fast forward  makes the whole thing just a bit more of a passively enjoyable experience when grinding.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Threndsa - Bravely Default's OTHER great feature (for me, anyway) is the way almost the battle system can be set up to run automatically - pretty much reducing it to a "JRPG character manager". Turn-based battles are great for me (god i played a lot of Fire Emblem at the gym), but that "repeat the last set of commands" system combined with the fast forward  makes the whole thing just a bit more of a passively enjoyable experience when grinding.

 

Ive pretty much forgotten at this point that im playing at 4x and see that as the default speed of the game. In a game like this with a metric crapton of customization through level based systems im glad that there is a way to speed up and streamline combat so the thought of leveling one job for main another for sub and 4 more for passive abilities doesn't seem as much as a chore as it could be in a more classic setting.

As my life progresses and my free time dwindles I enjoy when games find ways to speed up the classic experience without destorying the core of what attracted me to the RPG genre in the first place.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Welcome, Treadmill John!

 

I probably need to go back and listen to it again, but are we saying that Titanfall is a convoluted metaphor for renal failure and dialysis treatment?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Ugh. Is there anything quite so obnoxious as "reviewers" that try to analyze vidya in terms of feminism or whatever social justice is flavor of the month

 

It turns out there is.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

It turns out there is.

 

Hah!

 

Video Games Are Childish, you've come to the wrong place if you're looking for someone to back that sentiment up..

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Hah!

 

Video Games Are Childish, you've come to the wrong place if you're looking for someone to back that sentiment up..

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Ugh. Is there anything quite so obnoxious as "reviewers" that try to analyze vidya in terms of feminism or whatever social justice is flavor of the month

 

Yeah, misogyny. 

 

"flavor of the month" 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I am the world's worst multi-tasker, and I am trying to imagine myself playing a video game at the same time as exercising.  How do you keep your balance?  When I have to move or lean in real life it always affects my position in the game.  I can't keep a car going in a straight line or keep Commander Shepard in cover.

 

I'll stick to slouching on the couch!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now