Deep Listens

In this interview we speak with Steve "Vash10" Krasinski and Anthony "AmLabella" LaBella about their involvement in the Giant Bomb Community Endurance Run.  We discuss how they got involved with charity video game marathons and what made them decide to stream.  We then dive into fond memories from past Endurance Runs such as AmLabella eating a bunch of Almond Joys, Vash10 ending people in Nidhogg, their joint playthrough of Suikoden II, and AmLabella's harrowing playthrough of MGS3.  We finish up by discussing everyone's plans for this year's event.  

The Giant Bomb Community Endurance Run will be running from April 15th to 17th and it will be raising money for Pencils of Promise.  Be sure to tune in!

We are still joined by game design student Tyler Morgan as we take off the spoiler shackles and talk freely about The Witness.   We discuss as many of the puzzle mechanics, levels, and hidden secrets.  We also talk about how The Witness's long development time allowed it's development team to create one of the most narratively and mechanically consistent games ever made.  We finish up the podcast by talking about what lingering questions we still have about the world of The Witness.  

In this episode we are once again joined by game design student Tyler Morgan as we try our best to discuss The Witness without spoiling anything.  As a result, we only discuss the game's sound design, visual aesthetic, and tutorial area.  We also talk about whether the game was worth it's $40 price point and whether we would recommend it to others.  In short, The Witness is really hard to talk about without spoiling anything.

In this interview we're joined by guests Steve "Nyx" -REDACTED- and Linden "Olive Garden" -REDACTED- to discuss competitive DOTA play.  We discuss what each position on a DOTA team is required to do, how the metagame changes, how teams communicate, and how an online tournament is organized.  We also discuss how to get into DOTA if you've never played before.  We finish up by discussing everyone's favorite characters and what keeps people coming back to the game. 

You can check out Nyx and Olive Garden's team at reborndominion.com

In this episode of Deep Listens we continue to be joined by friend of the show Chris "ZombiePie" -REDACTED- to discuss Pokemon Snap.  In this episode we try to take apart what it is exactly that makes Pokemon Snap so enjoyable and why it's formula has proven to be so unrepeatable.  We dive deep on what how much our love for Pokemon Snap is colored by our loyalty to the Pokemon franchise vs. our nostalgia for the late 90s.  We close up by breaking down all of the game's levels and analyzing what makes the last level so underwhelming.  

In this episode of Deep Listens we are joined once again by friend of the show Chris "ZombiePie" -REDACTED- to discuss Pokemon Snap.  We discuss our relationships with the Pokemon franchise and how those relationships effect our appreciation for Pokemon Snap.  We also discuss the logistics of Professor Oak's photo catalog and the game's unique structure.  Listen as ZP and Billy square off to see who is the biggest pokemaniac (spoilers: it's the one who printed out Pokemon pictures at Blockbuster Video).

In our first interview episode we speak with competitive Super Smash Bros 4 player Tohfoo about his experiences in the competitive scene.  We talk about how he started playing Super Smash Bros. and how competitive play differs from other fighting games.  He also helps break down the many different things going on in a competitive player's head as he/she is playing Super Smash at a high level.  Spoilers: there are a lot of things going on in there.  He finishes up by explaining what a local SSB tournament looks like and what you have to bring if you want to compete.  

In this episode we are still joined by Dan Kempster to talk about the second half of Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath.  Spoilers abound as we discuss the big twist that happens halfway through the game and how that twist completely recontextualizes the story and the gameplay of Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath.  Come for the hybrid shooter/ platformer gameplay and stay for the heavy-handed environmentalist metaphors.  If you want to check out Dan's blog on Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath you can find it here: http://www.giantbomb.com/oddworld-strangers-wrath/3030-21431/forums/when-moolah-is-no-object-some-thoughts-on-oddworld-1790563/#11

In this episode of we are joined by special guest Dan Kempster to talk about Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath.  In this first episode we discuss where Stranger's wrath fits in the larger pantheon of Oddworld games, how the game blends first-person shooting with 3D platforming, and how the game uses it's bosses to force players to utilize all of it's mechanics.  If you want to check out Dan's blog on Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath you can find it here: http://www.giantbomb.com/oddworld-strangers-wrath/3030-21431/forums/when-moolah-is-no-object-some-thoughts-on-oddworld-1790563/#11

In this episode we are joined by the cast of the Worst Friends Forever podcast to discuss the story of Her Story.  We discuss how the game's story opened up for each of us and what we thought was actually happening in the game.  We also discuss how the role of the player changes throughout the game.  After trading theories and analyses for about 40 minutes, Billy climbs on his soap box and explains why he would give Her Story a 5 out of 10.  We close up by reevaluating our initial conceptions of what is happening in Her Story.  Thanks again to the cast of Worst Friends Forever for the great discussion!