Video Game Podcast for Monday, July 31st 2006

posted by Chris on July 31, 2006 6:26 AM in Podcast

#32 - E3 Has Forsaken Us

Running Time: 74:11

This week, guest geek Nathan Smart from The Game Rag joins The Geek and Frodo to discuss the end of E3, hobo names, candy scabs and massively multiplayer pedophilia.

• Nintendo Sending Out Free Wii Dev Kits?
• E3 Cancelled?!
• Professor invents 'ripeness' sticker SCIENCE!
• Happy Little Clouds: Tons of Bob Ross videos on YouTube
• Doom 1 Ported to Doom 3
• Swedish Chef TV
• Monopoly Ditches Paper Money for ATM Cards
• Star Wars Galaxies Community STRIKES BACK
• Great new t-shirt for art/video game nerds: This Is Not A Pipe
• 700 Hoboes
• Delicious Candy Scabs
• Cartoon Network MMO
• The Game Rag is a funny thing.

-Frodo

p.s. Send us mail!

Read More: board games , Bob Ross , candy , Cartoon Network , E3 , hoboes , podcast , Star Wars , The Game Rag , Wii

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Video Game Review: Harvest Moon Magical Melody (Gamecube)

posted by Chris on July 28, 2006 12:10 PM in Video Game Review

Harvest Moon for the Super Nintendo was a charming, insanely fun cult farming game which consumed approximately 2 full years of my life. Even with its strange play controls, Engrish speaking townsfolk and repetitive chore-based gameplay, it was one of the most treasured games in my collection. Ever since then I have been a fan of this quirky series, which as of late has been lackluster. Conversion to 3rd person 3D perspectives on the Playstation and Gamecube consoles have been shaky at best, and seemed to really lack the personality that made the original so special. Harvest Moon Friends of Mineral Town (and the female version, More Friends of Mineral Town) was, in my opinion, the definitive game in the Harvest Moon franchise. It was expansive, held true to the original, and had huge amounts of replay value. Harvest Moon Magical Melody, a Gamecube exclusive, may just wrestle the title of best Harvest Moon game ever away from its GBA counterpart.

continue reading "Video Game Review: Harvest Moon Magical Melody (Gamecube)"

Read More: Gamecube , Harvest Moon , reviews

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Interview with Jeff Rowland, Interweb megastar

posted by Chris on July 25, 2006 9:31 PM in Podcast

In 2005, The Geek and Frodo interviewed a Jeff Rowland over the phone on KCWU FM in Ellensburg, WA. You may know Jeff Rowland as "The Guy Who Made Snakes On A Plane Ridiculously Famous Before It Was Even Released" but that's pretty long to try to say on a regular basis. It is well known that the reclusive billionaire genius is often drunk, always surly, and incredibly profane. This will serve as a record of that fact. Prepare yourselves. Here is the famous interview with Jeff Rowland from Wigu and Overcompensating. Enjoy.

--Frodo

(download it here. mp3 format. It's worth it, trust me.)

Read More: interviews , Jeff Rowland , Overcompensating , podcast , webcomics , Wigu

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Video Game Podcast for July 24th, 2006

posted by Chris on July 23, 2006 5:55 PM in Podcast

This week's podcast, The Geek, Frodo and Nevery talk about Comic Con, movie news and shameless advertising. Download it here (.mp3 37mb 54:07), or add us to your favorite podcasting program! Here are some notes:

• World of Warcraft Trading Card Game Coming
• Egg-vertising
• Star Trek Animated Series coming to dvd
• No early screenings for Snakes on a Plane
• Animal Crossing movie trailer
• Mike Nelson brings back MST3K... sorta.
• Non- SG-1 Stargate movie?
• Heath Ledger is the Joker
• New Ninja Turtles Movie!!!!!

--Frodo

Read More: advertising , Batman , Comic Con , MST3K , Ninja Turtles , podcast , Star Trek , World of Warcraft

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Free Animal Crossing DS Downloads next week!

posted by Chris on July 20, 2006 3:48 PM in Geek Culture

Nintendo has just announced a special promotion with Toys 'R Us, where you can bring your Nintendo DS to any store in the country from July 23-29th giving you "the opportunity to download
six exclusive virtual gifts via DS Download Stations." From the press release:

Nintendo DS Download Stations at all Toys "R" Us stores nationwide will allow fans to download exclusive Mario-themed items: 1-up mushroom, star, fire bar, goal flag, question box and pipe. The items are sure to add character to any Animal Crossing player's house and, more importantly, make all of their "guests" wildly jealous of their mushroom-chic design skills.

Guess who is heading down to his local scummy toy store this July 23rd? This overgrown man-child, that's who.
--Frodo

Read More: Animal Crossing , DS

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Podcasty Goodness for Monday, July 17th, 2006

posted by Chris on July 17, 2006 6:45 AM in Podcast

On this week's podcast, The Geek and Frodo kick it old school, talking about The Amazing Screw On Head, third party love for Nintendo, hardcore gamers and as always, Snakes on a Plane. It just keeps getting weirder and weirder. Oh, video games are also discussed. Naturally.

• Watch the pilot for The Amazing Screw On Head
• Final Fantasy Characters in Mario Hoops!
• Undeniable Proof of Evolution?
• HARDCORE PC GAMER NETWORK CARDS!!!!
• EA Announces 6 Games for Wii
• GimmeSomeTune - iTunes Album Cover Art Ripper and more
• MIcrosoft Wants To Buy You A Pizza
• The Truth About Children and Violent Video Games
• New Atari Game Released. Yes, You Read That Right.
• Burger King The Movie
• The XBOY?

--Frodo

Read More: Atari , Burger King , EA , Final Fantasy , iTunes , Mario , podcast , video game violence , Wii

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This is my awesome idea. Don't you steal it.

posted by Grant on July 13, 2006 11:03 AM in Rant

If I ever end up going to one of those ren faire thingies, I will get a period-appropriate costume to blend in. But I will get one of those Tricorder toy props and communicator pin.

I will periodically use the tricorder to "scan" things semi-inconspicuously, making like I think I'm in an area where the other people can't see me. I will also periodoically go off a little distance, still where people can see me, but where it looks "out of the way", pull out the communicator pin and start talking to the air.

When I talk to people there, I will poorly attempt to mimic their olde english style of talking. I will claim that I am from a village from quite far away, perhaps over the hills somewhere.

--Geek

Read More: renaissance faire , Star Trek

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Today's Gaming Rant: Little Kids Are Jerks.

posted by Chris on July 11, 2006 10:24 AM in Rant

Little kids are jerks. Their jerkitude seems to come out more often when faced with consumer choice, or rather, consumer pressure. With the video game industry pushing for FASTER GRAPHIC ENGINES AND REAL TIME SPLODEY EFFECTS WITH BLOOD HOOKERS all the time, little kids are faced with the pressure to look cool and seem older. We all remember wanting to act older than we really were at 10 or 12, but with all the advertising for video games targeting specifically 25+ white males, I can see how those messages can seem confusing to this current generation of little punks.

continue reading "Today's Gaming Rant: Little Kids Are Jerks."

Read More: graphics , jerks , little jerks , little kids , Shrimpy McSmellypants , total jerks

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Video Game Podcast for July 10th, 2006

posted by Chris on July 10, 2006 12:04 PM in Podcast

On this week's Weekly Geek Video Game ish Podcast, The Geek, Frodo, White Mage and Nevery talk about Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man's Chest, a brand new game using the Source engine The Ship and politics, but not too much!

Podcast Notes and Links of Merit:

• 1st Issue of Nintendo Power download. Soak up the memories.
• HUGE Star Trek Auction
• In-Depth Look at The Ship
• Zelda 1 Remake for Mobile Phones, download a demo!
• Google is officially a verb
• Grotesque game lives up to its name
• Bush recieves a DS Lite and Brain Age for his 60th birthday

--Frodo

Read More: DS Lite , Nintendo Power , Pirates of the Caribbean , podcast , Zelda

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Food Porn: Caprese Salad

posted by Chris on July 7, 2006 9:58 AM in Food, Geek Culture

I like to think that people who visit this website probably have some of the same sensibilities I do, so I bring you food porn. Last night I made pretty much my favorite food in the world, caprese salad. It is fresh mozzerella, tomatoes, basil and olive oil. Simple, clean, and absolutely amazing. Here's how to make it!

What you'll need:

• 2 Balls (Approx 8 ounces) Fresh Mozzerella must be fresh, in the liquid. If you use shredded or string cheese or something I will kill you.
• 2 smallish tomatoes (romas are best for this).
• A hefty handful of fresh basil again, if you use dried basil or something, death is imminent.
• Your best extra-virgin olive oil (you should have this on hand anyway, shouldn't you?).
• salt (kosher is the best).
• fresh ground pepper.

Cut the tomatoes and mozz into medallion sized pieces. You can do the basil in a number of ways, chiffonade is good for maximum basil coverage, but you can tear the leaves or use them whole if you want it to be more of a salad green kind of thing. Mix gently in a bowl (so you don't crush the cheese) with the olive oil and a pinch of salt. After it is all mixed, dress with a swig of more olive oil on the top, grind some pepper, and you are ready to eat! EAT IT! IT'S DELICOUS!

--Frodo

Read More: cooking , food , food porn , recipes

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iTunes Music Review: Tilly and the Wall - Bottoms of Barrels

posted by Chris on July 6, 2006 1:38 PM in Music

I actually downloaded this album a couple of weeks ago after hearing the track "Rainbows in the Dark" on NPR's All Songs Considered (which is a great podcast, highly recommended for music nerds like me). What really struck me was that they have a tapdancer instead of a traditional drummer. That's right, a tapdancer. Poor thing must get tired at concerts. While this may seem gimmicky, Tilly and the Wall manage to use the driving Riverdance-esque beats to carve out a sound all their own.

Bottoms of Barrels is their second album, and it has all the hallmarks of a good sophmore collection. The songs are tight and well-produced, and they flow together very well. One of the ways that I can always tell an album is going to be in constant rotation on my iPod is when I never skip over a track, and with Bottoms of Barrels, that is definitely the case. Each song has its own personality, from the raucous, epic opening track Rainbows in the Dark (best described as an exuberant, accordian-laden thoughtful pep rally song, maybe) to the almost flamenco-sounding Bad Education. The songs go from completely unique and inspired, to reflective of their collective music tastes with tracks sprinkled with hints of new wave The Cure Depeche Mode Tears for Fears sensibility.

The album is unique, refreshing, happy, joyous music. Absolutely perfect for summertime and those tired top 40 summer tracks. I highly recommend checking out Bottoms of Barrels on iTunes, and if you are in the Seattle area, Tilly and the Wall are going to be performing a live show at the Paradox on July 11th. See you there!

--Frodo

Read More: iTunes , music reviews , NPR , tapdancing , Tilly and the Wall

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Video Game Podcast for Monday, July 3rd, 2006

posted by Chris on July 3, 2006 6:30 AM in Podcast

This week, The Geek, Frodo and White Mage beat back the terrorists on the Internet and finally bring you a video game podcast. Rejoice! We actually talk about things unrelated to video games! YAY!

• Futurama Renewed! Rejoice!
• Game On -- Seattle exhibition gives hands on view of video game history
• Color Changing Wall Paint
• Star Wars Bugs
• That new Weird Al song won't be on the album, so be sure to download it.
• Shatner to host Canadian video game awards
• Sega is trying to bring back the arcade.
• PS3 games may be more than 60 bucks.
• Bill and Melinda Gates foundation has a lot of moneys.
• McMenu: Do-It-Yourself McDonald's Restaurant Recipes.

---Frodo

Read More: Bill Gates , Futurama , McDonald's , PLAYSTATION 3 , podcast , Sega , Weird Al Yankovic

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