Joystiq Podcast 036 - You gotta believe edition
by Justin McElroy 
{ Feb 1st 2008 at 1:30PM }
In this episode, Chris finally plays Mass Effect, and we open that old wound again. There's also talk of Smash Bros. Brawl, Facebreaker and, on a less violent note, Full Life Consequences. You've also got your Brush With Fame, reader emails, and some other junk that your life will be hollow without.
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Hosts: Chris Grant, Ludwig Kietzmann and Justin McElroy
Music: "Get Ready for Love" by Nick Cave, "Parappa's Live RAP with MC King Kong Mushi"
See all of this week's links after the jump.
NEWS:
The Xbox is profitable?
Sony sells 4.9M PS3s in fiscal Q3; game division yields profit
PC game sales only 14 % of industry in 2007
Wii tie ratio 8:1 in December, still trailing life-to-date
Valve shares SteamWorks toolset with PC development world
Undertow team creating Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game's game
EA reveals 'Facebreaker,' a tooned-up Fight Night
BIG THREE:
3.See Ronald McDonald teach DDR
2.Super Spoiler Bros. Brawl: Major leaked roster update, videos & more
1. Rumorang: The "final" Smash Bros. Brawl roster
And, of course ... Full Life Consequences
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Justin McElroy @ Feb 1st 2008 12:43PM
When I say Ron Eldard, I mean Ron Perlman.
Ludwig Kietzmann @ Feb 1st 2008 1:29PM
I'm voting this comment down.
samfish @ Feb 1st 2008 2:03PM
I'm piling on the bandwagon.
Zertoss @ Feb 1st 2008 2:07PM
Me too, AND I'm voting Ludwig's comment up, not because he's awesome, not because his accent is classy, but because he's a fellow Sonic fan.
Let's keep this bandwagon rolling!
FidliousWong @ Feb 1st 2008 2:07PM
I had a bandwagon once. And by band I meant group of idiots and by wagon I mean resin caked van. But hey, I bought it for $250. Sold it for $1000.
Korova @ Feb 1st 2008 2:24PM
All this friction between Justin and Ludwig needs some soap and a fat lady.
Then it'll be a real soap opera.
Purple Haze @ Feb 1st 2008 2:40PM
I'm gonna follow Ludwig on this one.
StrangeBum @ Feb 1st 2008 3:30PM
Yay! Voting down and jumping on the bandwagon FTW!!
Also, I haven't yet downloaded one of these podcasts. Are they any good, worth it for someone who reads the blog daily?
Korova @ Feb 1st 2008 3:45PM
StrangeBum
Yes and yes. Its like if you already eat pie daily and someone is offering you some cake. Pie and cake!? Yes and yes.
Donald @ Feb 1st 2008 1:48PM
Parappa The Rapper music?
I haven't even downloaded yet and I can already feel the epic oozing from this piod-cayst
Limezor @ Feb 3rd 2008 5:11PM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joystiq_podcast
:D
Marek Hryc @ Feb 1st 2008 1:55PM
Who didn't kill Natalya the first time around?
I just loved the noise when you shot Natalya in Goldenye.
Not the screaming but the sort of slamming a fist on the table noise.
Gameshark @ Feb 1st 2008 2:02PM
Heh, made an account just to comment on your guys podcast.
I've got to say, listening to you guys makes wasting an hour+ at work all the easier... Haven't yet listened to the podcast, so it'll be interesting to see if Chris picks the option to get the blue alien out of her suit to see her junk.
Shagittarius @ Feb 1st 2008 3:01PM
Hey, I sure wouldn't mind getting some more of that Arcturian poontang! Remember that time?
ZForce915 @ Feb 1st 2008 2:07PM
Ok I've got to ask this question first. Do you always have to click the email link to post comments? Am I missing something here?
Marek Hryc @ Feb 1st 2008 2:10PM
only if you didn't type your e-mail and password in the "current users" section
ZForce915 @ Feb 1st 2008 2:12PM
Ok, I've got it now. There was a temp password listed in my email that I needed to use. I've got it changed now. I love the podcast, and love the info on the site,...but find it just a bit hard to navigate.
ZForce915 @ Feb 1st 2008 2:13PM
Ok, I've got it now. There was a temp password listed in my email that I needed to use. I've got it changed now. I love the podcast, and love the info on the site,...but find it just a bit hard to navigate.
Shagittarius @ Feb 1st 2008 2:31PM
I've really got to make time to play Mass Effect, if only to see how hard the tank is to control.
I can't believe its as hard as you all are making it out to be. I especially don't believe Chris Grant because he had a problem with the Car in Episode 2 if I remember correctly which seemed fine to me. Perhaps CG just has a disconnect with Videogame vehicles.
THE WICKER MAN (BWF) (GT: Dalek Prime) @ Feb 1st 2008 3:02PM
Its not that its hard to control, its just repetitive and tacked on.
Christopher Grant @ Feb 1st 2008 3:08PM
Yeah, that ... and also hard to control.
And the car in Ep2? Why on earth was your right trigger mapped to freelook? How helpful is that when you're driving? I don't know about you, but I look *in front of me* when driving.
Shagittarius @ Feb 1st 2008 3:13PM
Sorry Chris I thought you had played it on PC...I didn't experience the console version so I take that back.
Christopher Grant @ Feb 1st 2008 3:16PM
Oh, totally. It would be perfect on PC; unfortunately, it's evident that the car's control scheme was built for PC and wasn't adapted for a gamepad.
StrangeBum @ Feb 1st 2008 3:33PM
The tank in 'Virtual Orgasmic Rape' was pretty bland. Not necessarily difficult, just not all that interesting. It didn't add anything to the game, but at the same time I don't feel it really took away either.
I guess it's just a personal preference.
ogvor @ Feb 1st 2008 2:54PM
FULL LIFE CONSEQUENCES!!!
I know it's based off an old story, but that is still such a totally hilarious video, I can't stop watching it.
Marek Hryc @ Feb 1st 2008 3:07PM
Punchin Pants... Classic!
Jerk Face @ Feb 2nd 2008 9:20PM
Yeah, I totally LOL'ed at that.
Crash Happy @ Feb 1st 2008 3:18PM
I have to disagree when you say that bombing Coopers page on Amazon was immature. Alot of the comments were actualy regarding the fact that as a supposed expert she thought it was ok to go onto a national news station and deride a game that she actually knew nothing about. If that level of thought and research is indicative of how she approaches her work then anyone looking to buy her book has every right to know just how poor an academic she is.
THE WICKER MAN (BWF) (GT: Dalek Prime) @ Feb 8th 2008 11:31PM
I feel like some new internet slang term should come from this. Taking a Coop?
danny. @ Feb 1st 2008 3:24PM
Downloaded... I can't listen until I know it's Smash Bros. Brawl certified SPOILER-free.
Dustin @ Feb 1st 2008 3:44PM
They start talking about Brawl at around 50 minutes... there a few spoilers, but not much.
danny. @ Feb 1st 2008 3:51PM
damn.
Dustin @ Feb 1st 2008 3:43PM
Alter Echo was actually pretty fun. It came out really late in the Xbox's life, though... I doubt very many people even heard of it.
Dustin @ Feb 1st 2008 3:50PM
Wow! Sorry for three comments in a row, but I hadn't gotten to the Brush With Fame yet...
And now, I am super pumped. Thanks a million!
Lard @ Feb 1st 2008 4:00PM
Justin - I agree that people shouldn't be afraid to comment negatively on games.
But Chris is exactly right, criticism that is researched and constructive isn't the problem.
The kind of criticism that Fox News and Larry Cooper (I know she's a woman, it's just fun to call her Larry) provided was ill informed and ignorant. And that's why it needs to be nipped in the bud.
Brilliam @ Feb 1st 2008 3:52PM
Only just starting to listen now. Re: Mass Effect, the checkpoints get less stupid as you play. In fact, a lot gets less stupid as you play, like the previously mentioned non-action-ness.
The Mako, however, I enjoyed using. It was sluggish and difficult, but for some reason I enjoyed it. The weird sluggishness made it feel more like "SPAAAAACE!!!" (as compared to just, you know, "space."). Whatever, it worked for me. A bunch. I loved killing things in the Mako.
HERE'S something nobody's talked about before, at least that I know of. Mass Effect death music sounds EXACTLY like the bass line from "Terrorist" by DJ Vadim, released in 1999. Here's some lame fan video with the song in it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmFfp4mrOBA
I used ot be a HUGE Vadim fan; every time I died in Mass Effect, I got that song stuck in my head. Surely I'm not the only one who thinks it sounds EXACTLY the same?
Snap Count @ Feb 1st 2008 3:53PM
Dammit, I can't find my my MP3 player adapter cord and I have 15 minutes to get to work......I'm pissed.
RobLink @ Feb 1st 2008 3:58PM
EE-co or EYE-co? For me it's EYE-co (I'm talking Ico here Chris). Anyone else?
Mr Khan @ Feb 1st 2008 4:10PM
The first time i was introduced to Ico was when it was reviewed on Toonami (i didn't troll game forums all day back then). Tom pronounced it "Eye-co," and thus its been for me ever since
Same with Samus. I pronounce Samus Sah-mus, like the Smash Bros announcer did, since i hadn't heard of her before that. Everyone calling her "Sam-es" in MP3 drove me crazy
RobLink @ Feb 1st 2008 6:36PM
Interesting. For the longest time I pronounced it Shay-mus. As in a beefy Irish guy. Then I played Smash Bros and went 'Hmm..... Sah-mus eh? Don't I feel silly!'
But EE-co seems a little wierd to me. Maybe it's a Philly thing?!?!
Vegnagun bwf @ Feb 1st 2008 4:02PM
Justin, I couldn't stop laughing at the 'killing Natashia' comment. I had to turn to my left and kill her 3-4 times before I was able to escort her. Sometimes I got to the end of the mission and on impulse, I'd mow her down. Classic.
Marek Hryc @ Feb 1st 2008 4:27PM
Another great thing was if you used the all weapons code, then run ahead, and throw some proximity mines into the elevator she was supposed to run into, then BLAM, good bye!, and mission failed, but laughs all around!
THE WICKER MAN (BWF) (GT: Dalek Prime) @ Feb 8th 2008 11:39PM
We used to play "bomberman" matches with the proximity mines in the underground levels. Soooo much fun. If this ever does make it to XBLA there better be a kill natalia achievement. (maybe for killing her at the end of a 00 agent escort mission?)
xeleion @ Feb 1st 2008 4:33PM
Love the Parappa reference, Justin. Are there any talks of black belt onions in this podcast?
Vegnagun bwf @ Feb 1st 2008 4:34PM
Snape kills Gordon with Rosebud!
Dauragon88 @ Feb 1st 2008 5:45PM
Kick punch, it's all in the mind...
RobLink @ Feb 1st 2008 6:43PM
If you wanna test me, I'm sure you'll find....
RobLink @ Feb 1st 2008 6:35PM
Interesting. For the longest time I pronounced it Shay-mus. As in a beefy Irish guy. Then I played Smash Bros and went 'Hmm..... Sah-mus eh? Don't I feel silly!'
But EE-co seems a little wierd to me. Maybe it's a Philly thing?!?!
RobLink @ Feb 1st 2008 6:42PM
-1 to me, I know.
kftgr @ Feb 1st 2008 7:02PM
How in the world are you guys having trouble with the Mako? Sure, it's not as easy to drive as a Warthog, but it's not difficult to drive either. The only big problem is the slow progress trying to go up way too ridiculous slopes (hint: there's usually always an easier path).
As for the same-plane issue, it really sounded like the scope wasn't used. Hell, the Mako was so overpowered that it made most fights trivial. Compare the Mako's cannon which instantly creates a sizable AoE explosion versus the enemies' slow a snails rockets. You could just stay in one place and jump over rockets as they came close (even while using the scope).
The combat was definitely confusing at first. But it gets better and easier. From the level 20s, I even started telling my guys to stay at the beginning and cleared whole facilities alone -- and this was with an Adept. Using the cover mechanic is vital. Justin, the Warp power works great, as it bypasses shields to do direct damage.
Mass Effect really could be better, especially the horrid buy/sell interface (no SORT, slow scrolling...ugh) and stupid Locker system. The texture pop-ins sucks...just like Bioshock (an Unreal Engine thing?). Too bad unlike Bioshock there's so much loading. The Normandy isn't that large, is it because the engine can't handle more than 2 floors?
Still a great game though.