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PAX West Mayhem, Mega64 Collab, and Catching Up on Reviews
42 Plays23 hours ago
In Episode 120 of Unqualified Game Chat, Azario and Spencer return with stories from the chaos of PAX: 50+ meetings, behind-the-scenes team hustle, and turning exhaustion into comedy. From hunting down the Red Bull Content Creator Club to filming a dream bit with Mega64’s Rocco, it’s a mix of grind and fun. They also dive into Yoshida-san’s surprise FFXIV interview, new reviews, Death Stranding impressions, and Gorillaz’ wild arrival in Fortnite.
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Transcript
Introduction and PAX Overview
00:00:22
Speaker
Hello and welcome to episode 120 of Unqualified Game Chat. I am your host, Azar Lopez, and with me today is my Canadian brother, Spencer, the legacy. Hello, I'm even wearing my my country's colors by accident. a It's been a couple of weeks.
00:00:44
Speaker
It's been a bit.
PAX Challenges and Team Dynamics
00:00:45
Speaker
You've been busy. Yeah, you know what? It's always PAX. PAX really, from the lead into it's really hard. um We do things differently at NoisyPixel where I make the schedule for everyone.
00:01:02
Speaker
Ooh, that's a lot of work. Yes. And it's so that we don't have overlap. It's so that the PR only has to reach out to one person. So in that in that regard, it does make things easier.
00:01:13
Speaker
But having to respond to everybody for- That's a lot. Because PAX requests come in by the yeah a dozen. we had We had over 50 meetings.
00:01:25
Speaker
Wow. Across three days. And it's a four-day event. But um yeah, you know what? when when with With the benefit of having a video team,
00:01:39
Speaker
we can ensure that every game we get on camera will be shared. You know, so it's not something that we have to like play a game for 15 minutes and then try and like write a formal preview of it.
00:01:51
Speaker
We can kind of guarantee to people, Hey, um, we don't have time to cover all of these games in a video. Yeah. We don't even have time to fucking play your game, dude. Like,
00:02:03
Speaker
I get it. I get it. You want... i get it. You have press in the seats, media, content creators, whatever, in the seats, and you want their attention. But... i'm i'm like I'm like freaking people out on the show floor, man, because they're like, well, do you want to play the game? And I'm like, nah. Like, it looks really good. It looks cool.
00:02:27
Speaker
But I am six hours into this, and I still have two more hours to go. I've not eaten today. I've not done anything. Just let me let me ride this high a little bit longer so that I can get through um these interviews.
00:02:43
Speaker
In my head, it's like, It's like, um, every, even from the beginning of the day to the end of the day, I have to show up on camera at least when the camera is rolling.
00:02:55
Speaker
And so to ensure that I got to like, keep my, my brain activity a little bit on. Yeah. I got to, um, I got to, uh,
00:03:07
Speaker
Well, these people work on these games for like three years. The least I can do is give them 10 minutes of my full Zario energy, you know, like I and I. So our setup this year was we had Colin um attend with us as a staff writer who was doing the formal previews. So if there is big games, say like a Nintendo or a Bandai Namco, he would do those um capture.
00:03:36
Speaker
Gameplay from the people that we were meeting with and then go to those separate meetings behind closed doors or whatever to, um, to work on those games formally that we weren't putting on camera.
Video Editing and Team Roles
00:03:49
Speaker
Um, so that was, that was a great asset this time around, which is packs. We just had video team. We didn't have any like formal writers that could, um, take a, take a meeting, a side meeting for behind closed door things. So, and then our camera team was just like waiting around for me to finish.
00:04:06
Speaker
Um, So we had Colin there. um he just put out um his Pokemon. Was it ZA preview? um Oh, yeah. I saw that on my subscription feed. Yeah, yeah. we i I just put that out for him a couple hours ago. But he's he getting through all of the previews. It's really cool. um So that's working out well.
00:04:29
Speaker
um We had a new camera. So aside from Mark, we had a new second camera operator, um Jose, who actually has been working with us for like three or four months now doing our socials, social posts like TikTok and Reels.
00:04:48
Speaker
um I don't know anything about that. So it's a good reason to give someone else the yeah yeah that responsibility. here I will say, so Mark and I edit all the videos that go up, but I'm pretty lazy at the end of the edit where he will create a TikTok or Reel version or short version.
00:05:09
Speaker
And I'm just like, at the end of an edit, dude, I walk away. yeah You know what? That's good. Yeah, my my inbox is already full at that point. you know i probably have other work that needs to be done.
00:05:23
Speaker
um I really do am lazy about it. So our workflow is i will edit. I will cut the end of the video that we use for the short, and I'll just render it and then upload it for Jose to take and then create a short version of it. So he does some video editing for us on that front too.
00:05:46
Speaker
Um, but, uh, it's mostly just formatting that, um, vertical thing. So he did second camera. He's really cool guy. i just met him here at, um, at PAX West.
00:05:59
Speaker
It was really, um, know it's really nice to meet people with um like similar ah humor, i guess. Yeah. Same, similar vibe.
00:06:12
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. We're, we're like, you're not, You're not totally like, oh, could I talk about this? Could I talk about that? like He shows up for for every conversation, which is nice to have in a person, especially somewhere as a tense as PAX.
00:06:28
Speaker
Oh, yeah. so so We also had Cliff um from PAX West who helped us at PAX West for a couple videos, if you don't remember him. ah He returned for all the entire event this time.
00:06:42
Speaker
ah he definitely... He definitely understood the amount of work we do at these events. And I think that kind of caught him off guard a little bit where last year, PAX East, um it was a little more lax in his department where I was like, yeah, um let's do stuff, but you don't have to do a lot. Like one or two events, some crowd work and stuff. And this time around, um we were like, well, let's get you in the camera more um so that our audience can kind of,
00:07:13
Speaker
um I get to know you. Yeah. And I think quickly the, the weight of pacing yourself across six hours is extremely hard, especially when I think, I think a lot of people, I think.
Perception vs Reality of NoisyPixel
00:07:40
Speaker
So one of two things, I love this idea of people thinking that Noisy Pixel is this self-reliant mega corporation. IGN sized.
00:07:51
Speaker
Right. like Like the stuff that goes out. The Noisy Pixel office. Yeah. like Like they can imagine. Because we don't put that stuff out there. We don't talk about that stuff. And they don't see the the the duct tape and glue that's that's really holding it all together. The Noisy Pixel office is the Noisy Pixel Discord. Yeah, yeah. and And so we arrive at these events and we're a little like ah grassroots for sure. Just like guerrilla style running these halls kind of.
00:08:22
Speaker
um And it's a lot of work. Um, but in that, I think there has to be some energy put towards, um, showing up for that work.
00:08:34
Speaker
And I think he got a pretty good idea of what it's going to take. So if he does return, um, I think, yeah, you just have, you have to come to these events.
On-Camera Experiences and Criticism
00:08:47
Speaker
I don't expect the first time on camera, the second time on camera to do well, because I sucked for years on it. And I think it's a skill. It's so easy. It's so easy while someone's talking to you to just start talking shit on yourself in your head. Like, fuck, that was a dumb question. Or is that going to play out right? it that We're not actors, you know, we're not Every interview I've ever done,
00:09:08
Speaker
Yeah. The second I said the question, my mind is, what is the next question? So I'm either thinking of remembering what it is or I'm scanning their answer for question hooks instead of actually listening.
00:09:19
Speaker
Have you ever fucking forgot a question while you have a good one right in the beginning when they start talking, but they start talking a little longer and then you lose it? Does that ever happen to you Mm-hmm.
00:09:31
Speaker
That's rough. That always feels nasty. It's like, oh yeah. Oh, it, whatever it was though. It was a good question. It was a good, that would have changed the game. I would have made this interview an all timer.
00:09:42
Speaker
Yeah, it's it's it's a big it's a lot of work. It's so much work. and i And I want to stress that on this podcast specifically is that when we're there, fuck, Mark mar is carrying... that That camera he carries around is probably 50 pounds of stuff and his backpack is full of batteries. Jose, too, dude. These guys these guys are like...
00:10:05
Speaker
walking through the crowds and navigate with these huge poles and stuff like they're like that's the work you know and and my only like thought process is i have to match or exceed whatever i feel that they're putting in because i'm not carrying around 50 pounds of shit all over me i'm not i i'm just walking oh like this way let's do bits you there you they know no like i i have to be so i think when i go to these events it's not azario it's not who you're talking to right now it's kind of like a different i have to kind of pretend to be someone else almost it's like event azario yeah in in and and and
00:10:57
Speaker
Sometimes people like
PAX Logistics and Humor
00:10:58
Speaker
it. Sometimes people don't. Sometimes like Mark gets it. um But navigating a show floor, trying to be on time to stuff is really hard.
00:11:11
Speaker
It's, um, you, you see the, you see the after product and it looks fucking amazing, but the in-between bits, the stress, the tension, the confusion, it's all there.
00:11:22
Speaker
Especially when it's like you have an appointment in a different building, like not even the convention center. so you, you're, you you don't live in Seattle or Boston or LA. So you're just like, okay, GPS says we go down this street and then this way and then this way. and then we're at this hotel that they're doing this at,
00:11:39
Speaker
Yeah. then I have to run back because I have a square in his appointment in the convention the center. it's It's exactly. And then Mark's just like, okay. And then I'm like freaking out, but you gotta like, you gotta hide those moments. If only to keep the team, like you have it, things under control, you know, even when you don't, it's, um, it's a lot of work.
00:12:06
Speaker
And everybody, everybody wants something from you. It's, um, it's a good place to be in, but it's also like, we're only so big and sometimes that work weighs down on us, but, uh, man, the end product though is so fucking good that it, it makes, it makes it worth it almost.
00:12:30
Speaker
And I was able to do ah few bits. Speaking on ah your confusion walking back and forth, there's this thing called the... ah the um Red Bull Content Creator Club.
00:12:44
Speaker
And it started at PAX West. It basically... Or PAX East this year. But basically, it's just... And if you saw the bit of me like drinking Red Bulls and stuff like that... and So that's that's what they did at this one.
00:12:57
Speaker
But they put it in like the Summit building on the fucking fifth floor, which is already a half a mile away from the convention center. So... oh We're trying to find this fucking place.
00:13:10
Speaker
And we start at an area where we think and we're like, wow, it's not here. Well, we start at the third floor of the summit because that's where we thought it was. But it was on the fourth floor. We had to go up one more.
00:13:22
Speaker
So we start at the third floor and we travel back to two um the convention center. Well, not that really the convention center, but like adjacent to it where you pick up your badges because that's also a place where they said the content creator club is.
00:13:37
Speaker
ah And then we end up at the Nintendo like live area, and I'm like, Mark. Oh, and then I finally ask.
00:13:50
Speaker
It's like 25 minutes of us already searching for the content creator club because we have nothing to do for 30 minutes. And we want to film a really bad bit. And ah and we get to this once we get to the Nintendo Live area, we talk to the person and we're like, hey, where is this? And she tells us where it's at.
00:14:07
Speaker
And and I was like, you know what, Mark, let's just do this, what we just did, ah backwards. Because I think we need to showcase one, how fucking like terribly placed this is and to really give context to how big everything is and walking around. So the bit was us looking for the content creator club.
00:14:32
Speaker
And this is the second day when we get there, dude, when we're filming the bit all the way back and we do a couple of interviews on our way back because at that point we, we had some, had like a limited run and some other people that we're talking to.
00:14:45
Speaker
So we filmed those and now we're making our way back because it's supposed to be open till seven, but it's like 620 when we get there. Fucking close, dude. That's rough.
00:14:56
Speaker
So that ain't good. So the next day we continue the bit on day three. That just adds to it. That's good. And once I finally get there, dude, I go nuts.
00:15:10
Speaker
I just say, you know what i'm goingnna i They're having cocktails. They're having Red Bull cocktails that I'm doubting of. I guess, look in retrospect, I didn't have to actually drink all the Red Bull.
00:15:23
Speaker
I could have just poured two out and then like... yeah Emulated, but but you know what? That was commitment to the pit. That's what makes you stand out. Yeah. I also did the worm in this moment, and and I never knew I knew how to do the worm.
00:15:36
Speaker
Yeah. but It's ah it's like a like one of those weird skills you just kind of get from doing it. It's like making out or something where you're like, how do I do that technically? But then you just do it, and you're like, oh, I can just do it. do I just did the worm. My lizard brain can do the worm. yeah i Because ah I like hit the ground on this bit and I was like, oh, what am I like two seconds? What am I going to do? What am I going to do? The worm. But you you were back to like 2006. What do I do in this large group to get the worm?
00:16:05
Speaker
Yeah. Someone put on some T-Pain. So that was like that was a ah good um good bit. And then i I got to do a bit with Mega64's Rocco. That was cool. I was very excited to see that. Dream come true. And some some ah listeners asked me to tell the story on the podcast. So I will say that... um It was totally improvised.
00:16:33
Speaker
I had this idea that I wanted to do this bit at PAX. I didn't specifically know who I wanted to do it with. But as we were walking past Mega64, I saw Rocco there and I was like, you know what?
00:16:49
Speaker
going to shoot my shot. So I go up to him and he's pretty, he's very funny, but he's pretty standoffish guy. Like as as just a normal person talking to him. He's pretty quiet.
00:17:00
Speaker
He's pretty to himself. Um, and even in large groups, he's like that. Um, but I think I, I've hung out with enough like comedic people to understand that.
00:17:11
Speaker
Yeah. Um, But so I showed him the video and i like, can we just do this real quick? And like a true fucking professional. Yeah. Five seconds later, dude, we're filming. and We did. We did two takes and he was so like, I i made the, he was like, should I stand here? And I was like, I'm not going to to be directing. was like, you can stand wherever you want.
00:17:34
Speaker
I'm not going to be directing you. That's for damn sure. Um, that was the fucking, dream that's so cool yeah that was um amazing so thank you mega 64 and thank you rocco for humoring us for that bit because it did really well on all on all the channels that we uploaded it to and i want to do more like bit bitty stuff like that um because i think it's fun and i think we forget how fun the video game industry is sometimes or how how fucking insane
Balancing Writing and Entertainment
00:18:08
Speaker
characters we are. and
00:18:09
Speaker
and I think there's room to say, like yes, writers are needed writers. But I'm also in this mindset where i I'm kind of an entertainer as well. Yeah. Well, you have to be nowadays. You got to you gotta to be more than just the writer.
00:18:20
Speaker
Yeah. or Or else no one's going to care about you. Yeah. and That sucks too. It does. Not everyone can be an Azario or an Ace Bonanza. oh Yeah.
00:18:31
Speaker
Just entertaining them. Yeah, once we get Bonanza on camera, it's done it's done for all you fools out there. It's done. 500 of my subs agree.
00:18:43
Speaker
the bits The bits aren't going to stop. They're going to stop. But other than that, covering PAX is the most tense, most... um insane chaotic weekends ever and I'm really glad that I have a team that don't know puts I can be pretty annoying.
00:19:08
Speaker
um Oh, so no. Yeah, I. Well, no, no, no, not you. No, that sounded very sarcastic. It sounded very sarcastic.
00:19:20
Speaker
I could be i could be kind of annoying sometimes and It's, it has to do with like the mask, the character mask that I kind of put on during these shows and, yeah and how I have to show up for every single person. And I want every person to get the same energy that I've had. But when those people are away and it's just me and my core group of friends, I, my, my jokes don't always land.
00:19:42
Speaker
You're not going to get, you're gut. Yeah. And you're not going to get the, you're not going to get the, the clever jokes all the time, but I'm, That's just my headspace. And it's something I have to do to even a few years ago.
00:19:57
Speaker
Mark would be like, dude, Azario, come on, we got to, we got to like film. So and I'd be like, it's not the good, it's not the best time. Oh no, no one cares. Oh no, that's dumb. I would say shit like that.
00:20:08
Speaker
Yeah. Now to fix that, this is what I have to do. I have to put my headspace in this place because when Mark says, dude, Azario do crowd work, like, no more it's not the right time mark yeah it's always the right time let's see what i can cook up yeah but i'm i'm over i'm over holding this back i'm over like it's like a muscle you gotta constantly work it out and yeah plus like though ever since i was a kid i've had the mindset of like oh if you bomb that just helps you be funnier like i agree if you make a joke and it doesn't land with anyone you're like okay
00:20:41
Speaker
won't be doing that one again. And you know, like, okay, this isn't widely received and that makes you funnier because it narrows your, your thing. So like no one who's actually funny has been like perfectly received every joke. Like no way that you can see like, like classic comedians too. ball Or like modern, like you gotta be open to bomb with people. you want to, you know, build up your, your repertoire and be funny.
00:21:10
Speaker
There's a joke I do every time I go up to a developer and I might have said it on the show before, but they're a little, there's sometimes a little hesitant to talk about their game on camera and um to like ease them into my humor and use them into what they're getting themselves into. I'll always say, yeah, they'll be so what kind of questions are you gonna ask? Oh, I'll be like, oh, well first we ask um what political party you're affiliated with, who you voted for in the last election. And then we stress number yeah then we just go from there and that usually chills them out.
00:21:38
Speaker
But that joke, Took some revising. Oh yeah. I have bombed with it. Cause I say it, I say it to everybody. Everyone gets, everyone gets um a version of that, but I have said versions that just didn't land. Yeah. Like hundred I like brought up the tariffs once and,
00:21:56
Speaker
and And this was this year. And the guy just got too deep with me right after I brought him. He was like, he thought you meant it seriously. Yeah. And and so i was like, oh, I can't bring up super topical stuff like that. like So yeah, i bought that I say if he didn't know that was a joke, then I bombed.
00:22:15
Speaker
um but that is But that's also even funnier. and so like That's very like Macdonald, Nathan Field. like I tell everybody, just't just watch Norm Macdonald or watch Bill Burr and you'll kind of get my humor like right away.
00:22:29
Speaker
Mine is Norm fused with... like like early 2000s internet brain rot, like newgrounds new grounds, ONI and G psychic pebble. Like just it's that old internet culture mixed with like Norm MacDonald, just ah like Norm was the best at being like quick, the funniest person, the fastest person and like completely being fine with looking like an idiot or an insane person to be funny.
00:22:58
Speaker
Yeah. Like he'd he'd say like horrible shit or like incredibly stupid shit that made him look very dumb. But you knew he was actually very smart because how funny it was. So, yeah, I think it's an excellent that I you know who we don't have is like a ah Dana ah Carvey like character in our group. We don't have yeah we don't have that. We need Dana Carvey. We need a data like just just this person that ah that does impressions and stuff. But, you know, I'll take I'll take a Norman, a Bill Burr on a show.
00:23:32
Speaker
I'll take a Norman, a Bill Burr. That's a good combo. So that was Pax. um Dude, something cool. Okay, I haven't talked about this, but we interviewed Yoshida-san from Final Fantasy XIV on camera, and he was very nervous the whole time because I don't think he expected us to do it on camera.
00:23:52
Speaker
But um we did it, and we got him to say at the end this like noisy pixel call-out, so I'm really excited to put this That's sick. yeah Yeah, and he did it in English, and it was so professional too because he had to practice it a couple times in English,
00:24:08
Speaker
to get it right. And then he he really yeah, dude. Oh, yeah And Mark threw a fucking hell Mary because it was after the interview. And Mark was like, hey, ah can you do this? And ah already I was like, fuck, Mark.
00:24:22
Speaker
but yeah You're like, Mark, he's going to say, no, it's going to be awkward. we end yeah But then he's like, sure. Yeah. Yeah. So you know what? Again, I read the room wrong. He he did. Mark bar showed up. And that's what's great about our partnership, too, is like I i do come i do approach things in a pessimistic, ah almost like um jaded way. Expect the worst.
00:24:43
Speaker
Yep. And hopes for the best. And I, and I, I absorb all the comments and the, the shit that happens in the day to day. And it kind of saves him from dealing with it all. Hear that South Park episode where butters is hired by all the famous people to read all their hate comments.
00:25:00
Speaker
And then he tries to kill himself because he's reading everyone's hate comments.
Handling Criticism and Personal Reflections
00:25:06
Speaker
Yeah. It definitely has contributed. It definitely has contributed to some moments of depression, yeah but you know what?
00:25:12
Speaker
For the greater good. mm-hmm for the greater good for the butters um we're all butters in our own way we're all butters so i've been talking a lot uh let me know what you've been up to it's uh it's been a couple of weeks it's been it's been probably a month or so right yeah yeah um i turned 29 so one more year to the big 3-0 what was your birthday party like uh i didn't really do one um I just kind of like, like I had family over a couple days before. like We had like a barbecue because we do that for every family member, like grandma, parents.
00:25:46
Speaker
We do it for everybody. um but I mostly just hung out on my birthday. um ah just played... think I just played Claire Obscura mostly because that's what I was playing at the time.
00:25:58
Speaker
Oh, no. I did i finished my... I finished my Harvest, not Harvest Moon, Song of the South. I almost said Song of the South. Jesus. Story of Seasons. say Why was that in my brain? Story of Seasons review.
00:26:13
Speaker
ah Because the embargo was the next day. so I was a good little worker boy. And ah um I spent my birthday writing that and watching. think I was watching Venture Bros because I was doing a rewatch over the summer.
00:26:24
Speaker
That's cool. Because it's been years. And that was a very foundational show for teenage Spencer. Yeah. But yeah, so I'm 29. This is like a dating profile. I'm 29. I love video games.
00:26:37
Speaker
I care too much. Does that make sense? Yeah. No. And then, yeah. um So I played Claire Obscure in its entirety because I don't think I was done Donkey Kong by the last podcast. So I finished that that great.
00:26:49
Speaker
Played Claire Obscure. What did you think? Exhibition 33. Excellent game. Yeah. Very much filled the the void of like, oh, I want like ah Final Fantasy 10 kind of game in my life.
00:27:02
Speaker
And that was, that was, it was a perfect length. Didn't drag on. Yeah. Um, I enjoyed all the characters a lot. Uh, the music was excellent, which I heard that they just found that guy on like SoundCloud.
00:27:14
Speaker
That's crazy. That's nuts. Um, but yeah, no, I loved it. I, uh, don't know if there's a spoiler free way to say which, which ending I picked.
00:27:25
Speaker
I picked, uh, Okay, so there's so I'll just say there's there's a choice of the ending. um Boy or girl?
00:27:35
Speaker
Yeah, boy or girl. I picked boy. Okay. um Because that seemed slightly healthier, but I watched the other one on YouTube, and I'm glad that they're both very tragic. So either way, ah very sad, um which fits to the tone of the game.
00:27:51
Speaker
So that was that was great. Did ever play that PS3 game Eternal Sonata? No, I remember seeing stores all the time and thinking about it, but I never did. It's pretty much clerbscane.
00:28:02
Speaker
That's interesting. yeah to um mean But it's like a musician instead of a painter. Yeah. Interesting. yeah um check I would check it out because it's it's not one-to-one for sure, but it does have those same elements of being trapped in your own create creation you know um and trying to navigate. Just like the game Comic Zone.
Gaming Nostalgia and Modern Comparisons
00:28:24
Speaker
on the second genesis dude just like captain n just like captain and what are they in the game warriors in the game war the game masters that was with uh megaman simon belmont uh well they had samus they had uh yeah there was an episode where mother brain was in it uh Yeah, what a weird show. I remember as a teenager trying to watch that because I i was like big in a Nintendo phase. And I was like, damn, this is intense. This is a very late 80s, early 90s children's cartoon. and
00:28:58
Speaker
Yeah, you can't... If you know any of the characters, remove that from These people don't care. That is not Pitt. That is not Mega Man. That is not Simon Belmont.
00:29:09
Speaker
you can everybody but simon i will say kind of resembles they make simon look like sid highwind who didn't exist yet and they turned him into like a meathead jaw it's such a weird decision what a weird and then uh pit says it it kiss at the end of everything because he's because the princess needs help what the fuck is going it's like oh i'm megaman ah Very weird show. yeah, Dr. Wily is in there, too. If any of you Zoomers who watch our podcast never heard of or watched Captain N, watch an episode. Same with the, that was big in the YouTube poop days. Same with the Zelda cartoon.
00:29:47
Speaker
and the Well, excuse me, princess. that was That was, you know what, that was early YouTube gold. oh Yeah, I fine. Same with the Mario Super Show.
00:29:58
Speaker
that was fine with all of that. I was fine with all of it. um But yeah, so played Clare Obscure. That was great. um i I'm only a couple hours in, but I started Death Stranding on the beach.
00:30:11
Speaker
no I'm excited. My friend hyped it up to me a lot um because I wasn't... I think I... I can't remember, but I think i I'm going to look it up right now to confirm. But I think I gave Death Stranding 1 a 3.5?
00:30:24
Speaker
five Oh yeah. because I thought it was very unique and interesting, but also very well, a, i was playing in a review period, but we did not have a lot of time to blow through death stranding of all games, which is you're delivering packages and doing a lot of walking and running. Uh,
00:30:45
Speaker
destination to destination and doing that straight for hours with like no because you're trying to hit the embargo is not the ideal way to play that game specifically that's not a way to enjoy it for sure no so i think that affected it but my friend hyped this one up and i was like you know what i did like death straight it was very interesting and i love kojima who has the same birthday as me i don't know what he turned on that day but we have we have the same b-day 69 sixty nine He turned 69, baby. I turned 29.
00:31:13
Speaker
But yeah, so I'm a couple hours in them and it's just as weird and and interesting. um I'm playing it slower. So I'm like, yeah, I'll just walk around. I'll just keep my balance. And I'm not like, okay, I need to get to the next story point because I have a week left.
00:31:29
Speaker
I'm just like, okay, yeah, I'll maybe listen to a podcast because a lot of parts i'm just walking. And then, yeah, that's ah that's going to be the current... the current game.
00:31:39
Speaker
um And then there's
Game Review Challenges
00:31:41
Speaker
some big reviews. There's going to be a big review month coming up. Oh yeahber so yeah. working on few still because pack set me back. Damon X Machina is probably not going up till next week.
00:31:53
Speaker
yeah You know what though, man, I just beat Kronos. um And that also was delayed because like I played the game. I was almost to the last dungeon, like two days before three or two or three days before packs.
00:32:07
Speaker
I was feeling really good. Then they put a patch that pretty much deleted the save file. Oh, that sucks. And so you update the game.
00:32:18
Speaker
And so I had to start over and I was like, you know what? I'm not going to beat this before packs. Yeah, I'm just going to not stress with fresh eyes. Yeah. So I started I replayed the game.
00:32:29
Speaker
What do you think? seems kind of mixed ah critically. If I was to score it right now, I have not written it yet. Um, uh, depending on how I write it in eight, 8.5. Okay. it's pretty good. Yeah.
00:32:47
Speaker
Um, sometimes I'll have to like, I really do have to gauge like after I write something to how I feel about that, but right now in my head, but it's so powerful in like how blooper team works.
00:33:05
Speaker
um like holds himself back from getting too ambitious but then they really push themselves in these like ways that you would never expect Yeah. And indie developer to do. There's this really cool fucking system that they never talked about.
00:33:22
Speaker
And it's so underutilized in the entire thing. But it also has to do with the entire fucking game where you create you where you can store these essences inside of you of these humans in the past.
00:33:34
Speaker
And they give you you can hold up to three and they give you like these small buffs like um a little bit of stronger shotgun ammo or you get more money. once you hit three, you have to replace um one of them when you get another one.
00:33:51
Speaker
um If there you can, you can refuse the other one, but you, you, there is a part where you do have to replace one, but that's not, that's, that's the only time where I felt like, oh this This system could have like been fleshed out a little more where if you got one, you had to replace somebody every single time. You can never back out of it. I kind of like that approach more because it it puts a real weight on you. Because I would just get someone, i was like, why? i like I like my stats right here. like Why would I replace them? Anyway.
00:34:20
Speaker
So with those three people in you, if you don't move for like a minute, they start fucking talking to each other. that's neat. Yeah, dude. It's so fucking cool.
00:34:31
Speaker
They're like, help me get out of here. And they start like, cause they're trapped inside of you. They're just like the souls of these people. Yeah. And, and you're basically feeding off of them almost.
00:34:42
Speaker
Um, And you're you're trying, you you you are trying to work to get them out for sure. Like that's a different goal. But I loved that like really cool system. Hell yeah, that sounds sick.
00:34:55
Speaker
They never talked about it. And then i'm I'm like, i was like looking at a text message or something and I was standing and I didn't pause the game and they started fucking talking all the thing. And I was like, what's going on? It was really It's always so weird. with Like, that's like, i I walked into an area in Expedition 33, like stood there and looked at my phone and then like a voice started reading French poetry.
00:35:18
Speaker
there's like one area where it's just a guy speaking French, reading poetry. And I was like, what is fucking happening on my, where is that coming from? Cause it's so used to like music that I had the exact same reaction. I was like, that's so fucking weird.
00:35:31
Speaker
It's a, it's cool and people play with audio like that. Cause you don't see that. Yeah. that happened very often. um I thought they did a wonderful job on ah creatively using their set pieces. um It's very much dead space almost.
00:35:46
Speaker
and it does It does hit an ending where i saw like you you have resource management for sure throughout the entire thing, but if you you have to look around in this game.
00:35:57
Speaker
if you don't If you do not find these cores to upgrade your suit, you're pretty much fucked. like yeah ah But like you you won't be able to upgrade everything at the end of the game.
00:36:09
Speaker
um You can restart the game with but New Game Plus or whatever to try and get a different ending. But this is a game that they kind of expect you to replay. um And on that,
00:36:23
Speaker
I really like playing games, the updated version of it, because sometimes there's these fucking day one patches that we don't have. And they're like, don't pay attention to that because it'll be included in the day one patch. And I'm like, oh, OK, but what if it's not?
00:36:39
Speaker
Yeah, exactly. What if this bug is still there and I still have to eat embargo? So I love that. ah Damon X Machina is getting already got an update because I'm playing like now I'm playing like the better version. I would say yeah just talk about on this podcast when I played Star Wars Outlaws.
00:36:57
Speaker
I played it like five months after and I was like, this game rocks because yeah they fixed every single issue that people had with it. Yeah. And so I'm I'm of the mindset now kind of like.
00:37:10
Speaker
Maybe maybe. Noisy Pixel has gotten to a point where we don't have to be first all the time. And we can still put in our in our audience will still show up for us.
00:37:20
Speaker
if we yeah if you start to build a reputation of like not first, but most high quality, 100% there's an audience for that. and People who will be like, yeah, the review will be a week late, but They played it on the day one patch. They did way more of the content and they've seen like this is a, they've sat on it for a bit too. So I, I think that's a hundred percent a valid approach to do. and I think if all the sites did that'd be way better, but it's not going to happen. I, it's almost like, it's almost like you're racing against your own ego sometimes where, Oh yeah.
00:37:51
Speaker
If you're not first, you're, you're like ostracized. so less Yeah. No, if you were going to say the Ricky Bobby, I can feel it. but Yeah. Yeah. No, but that's it. If you're not first, you're last. and And that's the mindset that a lot of like reviewers take in. And it's because that pressure is so high to hit that embargo that you, that Bailey, Bailey beat, uh, uh, silk song in 25 hours, almost 26 hours. Oh, and that's crazy.
00:38:22
Speaker
And he just like, powered through it like i can't do that no we're too old for that shit now i think i'm too old yeah i think i did it recently with snake eater uh you know what i did too that was pretty fun for the embargo i'd only finished virtuous mission because a bunch of family stuff happened and i was like i don't know if i'm goingnna hit it and then my friend was like i can't hang out tonight like we planned i said I'm playing Delta. can hit it, fellas. And i the embargo is 3 a.m.
00:38:54
Speaker
And I i resumed at like 5 p.m. And I beat it and wrote the review and had it published for embargo. And I was like, i still got it. Yeah. College Spencer is still in there somewhere. He's in there somewhere. I can just wake him up once in a while like the fucking Nine-Tailed Fox and Naruto.
00:39:10
Speaker
The last time I did that, Mortal Shell, I forgot. I thought the embargo was like Thursday, but it was actually Wednesday or something like that. And this is Tuesday, like at 12. And I was like, fuck, I know I have so much more.
00:39:21
Speaker
Fuck it. I'm going start it right now. Power through, baby. So the embargo for that was 1 a.m. or 2 a.m. my time something like that and I was like boom finish the game at like 11 p.m.
00:39:33
Speaker
okay wow so yeah so so it had and you know what the embargo was 3 a.m. because I had to write it and do the audio and then area dude I had the I had the video uploaded like 20 minutes before the embargo damn it was that's impressive and even have like the copyright checks by the time it went live Yeah, that's a
Gaming for Work and Personal Enjoyment
00:39:54
Speaker
15. That's a, that was a 15 hour, but that was like the last time I remember.
00:39:57
Speaker
Oh shit. Isario, you still got it. so got You're still a gamer. I'm still in the That game is pretty fun though. I don't, I won't say that even playing Kronos as because it happened after embargo and I had to kind of find time to replay it.
00:40:15
Speaker
Um, it was difficult to find that time, but I kind of enjoyed playing one to three hours a day of a game and just sit with and then returning to it.
00:40:26
Speaker
And then, and and now I'm going to finish a super robot wars. Why that's my next. nice Yeah. That's my next, that's your next big one. Yeah. feel like I had one more thing. Oh, they added,
00:40:39
Speaker
Even though I'm the last year of millennials, this is the Zoomer report for the Zoomers out there. They added Gorillaz to Fortnite. The band, not the animal. animalrilla
00:40:52
Speaker
Gorillaz has been my favorite band since I was a little kid when they first came on the scene. um i own every album. I have a bunch of shirts. I've been to the concert. um i saw I was on a family trip to Michigan for a family reunion and I saw feel good ink on TV.
00:41:10
Speaker
And I was like, those are cartoon singing. That's pretty sick. Yeah. And then, uh, and prop prior to that, I'd seen like Clint Eastwood in like sports stores and like West 49 on TVs and stuff. and I'd be like, that's really interesting.
00:41:20
Speaker
And I saw that and I was like, mom, can I download that offline
Nostalgia in Gaming Culture
00:41:23
Speaker
wire? And then she asked my brother if it was appropriate. Um, I think it was. Yeah. I, you know what what, it made me, uh, it made me way cooler with my peers.
00:41:32
Speaker
Um, but yeah, so they added, they added gorillas to Fortnite and I got them. Uh, so I got play some Fortnite to unlock. Murdoch on the music pass because I can't I can't miss. Are you good? or night I'm okay at Fortnite.
00:41:45
Speaker
It's not. It's the only battle royale I've ever enjoyed because um I tried PUBG and it was okay. i played war zone during COVID with my brother when we couldn't see each other and he loved war zone. So it was fun, but I was, I played it. ah Maybe it was the first person perspective, but I played it very timidly and I was like not shooting people, but in Fortnite, I'm like sliding and like yeah blasting people. Cause you know, um,
00:42:09
Speaker
But yeah, so I've a ah spent a bad amount of money in Fortnite over the years. um you didn't have You didn't have to admit to that on this It all started when they added Goku. I didn't care about Fortnite until they added Goku. That's when I was like, oh, I have to play a game if you can be Goku. They're speaking to you directly.
00:42:27
Speaker
Yeah, and then they just kept adding shit like Ash Williams in Robocop Anakin from the prequels and I was like I have to keep buying it um but yeah and Sabrina Carpenter yeah I saw she was the last music pass um I didn't buy that because I don't know want to my I don't have I have no knowledge of Sabrina Carpenter the only thing that I have in any way related to her as an experience is I had a dream it's way less interesting than you think.
00:42:55
Speaker
This dream 100% sums up me as a person ah and how much of an awkward mess I am, where I had a dream ah she was throwing a concert in a huge mall and I was in it watching and I was like, oh, I have to go for some reason. And I stood up and she was walking through the crowd and my chair accidentally knocked her over when I pushed it backwards.
00:43:14
Speaker
And I went, oh my God, I'm so sorry. I didn't see you there. i didn't. Let me help you up. And I helped her up and I felt so bad that I ran off because I was so embarrassed. And that was all very good. That's my entire experience with Sabrina Carpenter is a weird dream where yeah I did a social faux pas accident and felt too embarrassed to stay.
00:43:31
Speaker
Now you're too embarrassed to listen to her music. and i understand If I listen to it, i I knocked her down in a dream by accident when I stood up. um I listened to her music after doing something like that.
00:43:42
Speaker
um But yeah, so gorillas are in Fortnite, which got me back on the Fortnite train because I can be What more you want? Yeah, I feel bad ah playing Warzone with Mark and his friends and because I'm not good at it, but I'll i'll hang.
00:43:58
Speaker
But like I'm just annoying. I'm that guy who's not good at games, but like talk shit. Yeah. yeah like that was My brother would play sometimes, and i he'd give me the mic, so he'd be playing...
00:44:10
Speaker
And his username is like Bob from lab. Yeah. he Like killing people. up like that's the fucking Bob from lab special. Every time he died, I'd be like, yeah, wasn't even trying. Yeah. He's using, he's using hacks, which he's on like Xbox.
00:44:22
Speaker
So it's like, yeah so, but I'd be like, he's using wall hacks. Yeah. Just annoying everybody. That was my favorite part of Halo. Yeah. Let's do that to people. Oh, I, I half miss those lobbies.
00:44:36
Speaker
I know no one's on mic anymore. one wants to talk anymore. Like TF2. People are Mike and TF hasn't changed a bit. Not one bit. TF2 is a time capsule. I love, it was my favorite shooter forever. It still is my very favorite. Yeah, had in the orange box. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. I bought it when it was not free.
00:44:55
Speaker
And, uh, I went back like a month ago or two months ago and started playing it every night before a bunch of summer got busy. And like, Oh, it's a beautiful time capsule. hasn't changed a bit.
00:45:05
Speaker
Everyone on there is either the most evil, racist gamer you've ever seen or like a transgender furry who's like memeing. There's in between. I love that. like it's No matter what, you're getting like, it's the the perfect TF2 experience and they're all on mic.
00:45:21
Speaker
And occasionally for somehow there's children on mic and I'm like, how do you even know what this game is? You were born when it was dead. like it It's a melting pot after the last update. What are you doing? It's a melting pot.
00:45:32
Speaker
Yeah. So, you know, if you ever want that nostalgia, play TF2. It's free on Steve. Oh, well, that's our show, guys. It's the show. Because I got TF2 to play. Yeah. um um i Thanks for sticking around. It's a longer longer
Conclusion and Upcoming Content
00:45:48
Speaker
longer episode.
00:45:49
Speaker
big comeback episode. Yeah. I'm trying to think if I have anything else to say. Anything going on in Monstervine that you want to plug? ah My Bubsy review is coming out probably tomorrow.
00:46:03
Speaker
Oh, I just put mine out yesterday. Keep an eye out for that. i gave it i gave it a 6.5. Yeah, the best thing about the worst thing about that collection is that it's the Bubsy games.
00:46:14
Speaker
Yeah. The bonuses, great. Emulation, great. The games that are being emulated, still not good. but What could possibly go wrong? What could possibly go wrong? What would a platform a game be without any platforms?
00:46:27
Speaker
Just as charming. I fucking hate that fucking Bobcat. Yeah. ah Yeah. We have some interviews coming out from the Final Fantasy Tactics guys and Final Fantasy 14 guy. um Those will be video.
00:46:44
Speaker
um And then we have our pack stuff coming up, but we'll be sure to update. That'll come in in a couple of weeks. Give us some time. Let us cook. Let little bro cook.
00:46:56
Speaker
Other than that, We hope to see you next week, everyone. Yeah. Stay tuned. Bye. Oh, you know what I forgot to say? What? This episode is recorded.
00:47:07
Speaker
was thinking that earlier. This podcast is recorded. every we kind of just hit the ground running. Yeah, we did. This podcast is recorded every week and hopefully posted on Thursdays. um If you have a Patreon, we have a Patreon.
00:47:22
Speaker
Thank you so much for your time. Bye Bye. Moisy pixel
00:47:38
Speaker
boy piel