There can only be three! This week, Nick, Kaz and Justin have a relatively unfocused discussion on all of their holiday gaming and crazy sales. Nick straps on Diddy in Donkey Kong Country Returns, while Justin and Kaz celebrate the joys of the 2010 winter Steam sale. Machinarium, Left 4 Dead 2, The Path, The Void and more are covered within. Plus, the January gaming triumvirate, bed-wetting Sims and Kirby’s epic package.
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I dropped a massive amount of money on games in 2010. Maybe it’s because I signed on to my first real job in my life, or maybe it’s because it was just a damn good year for gaming. (The pricey launch for the Kinect didn’t help, either.) However, while I easily could have expanded my top five of the year to a top 20, around Thanksgiving, I began to have a personal epiphany. Maybe, instead of buying games the moment they came out, perhaps I could wait just a few months more and buy them for considerably cheaper prices. Maybe I could miss out on blockbusters like Call of Duty: Black Ops and Fallout: New Vegas without feeling a huge sense of remorse. Of course, you’re probably thinking that I sound a little obsessive already, but ask yourself if you’ve fallen for the “cult of the new” in the past. Haven’t you jumped the gun at least once or twice this year on games that are still sitting in their shrink-wrap?
It’s time to start think fourth dimensionally! For the final show of 2010, the Pack talks with A.J. LoCascio, the voice of Marty McFly in Back to the Future: Grow Taller 4 Idiots The Game. He tells the guys about working with Telltale, future voice work and potentially holding a full-grown Tony. After the interview, Justin talk about StarCraft II and all of his recent Steam acquisitions, while Tony offers his (erroneous) trilogy theory. And if you make it to the show, prepare for the most controversial game of the year lists yet! Plus, ewoks, Christopher Walken and skin suits.
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Skype just won’t let Justin win this week! Unfortunately, with the world’s most popular VoIP down for the evening, the Pack is forced to go back in time through the magic of Ventrilo. At least they still had plenty of games to talk about! Kaz masters Newtonian physics through Osmos, Tony tosses around Prince Fluff in Kirby’s Epic Yarn, Tom is confounded by the World of Keflings and Justin begins his own Game Dev Story on the Android. Plus, Steam sales, Humble Indie Bundles and general yuletide cheer.
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There’s no escape from the Pack’s winter hijinks! This week, the guys go back into the Animus one more time for Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, putting to rest any debates over its merits as a “real” sequel. Justin pours on the love for Fluidity, Kaz calls the Heavy’s bluff in Poker Night at the Inventory and Tom raises his gaffi stick for the Doritos games. Plus, a Fable III tip, Sy Snoodle (again), VGA trailers, Game of the Year prep and spooky Wii cobwebs.
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Jeff Green (Justifiably) Rips Apart the VGAs
The snow and wind may be blowing hard, but not as hard as the Pack can! This week is all games, all the time. Tom gets his stabbin’ on in Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, Justin stumbles and moans in Dead Nation, Nick finds out that not all “bad endings” are bad in 9 Hours 9 Persons 9 Doors, and Kaz grumbles about Gran Turismo 5‘s car list and bemoans, well, everything he can. Stay tuned at the end of the episode for a heartfelt eulogy for Justin’s favorite new television show. Woof!
Who:Â Everyone (including the Video Game Jocks)
When: 9 p.m. EST, Thursday, December 2nd
What: Halo Reach (specifically, the latest DLC)
Where: Xbox Live
Why: Because we’ve had our fill of Sword Base.
RSVP here.
Hope you had a nice “Mansgiving” (or “Womansgiving”) holiday. This week, the guys share their Black Friday stories…which thankfully don’t include any of the typical people-stomping horror. Instead, Amazon and Steam are keeping them fully stocked for the winter. Meanwhile, Kaz goes south of the border once more in Red Dead Redemption, Justin celebrates the lack of Swanky Kong in Donkey Kong Country Returns, Tom completes his mission in Call of Duty: Black Ops and Nick cuts the cheese in Fable III. Plus, ilomilo‘s not-so-secret-launch, Gran Turismo 5 apathy, “Tangled,” and Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood.
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“Why Fable III is an Embarrassment to Video Games,” by Paul Tassi
Wakka wakka wakka! Pac-Man C.E. DX Fever has swept the Rumble Pack, and the only cure will be reaching the top of the leaderboards. This sequel has more ghosts and more mazes, but does it have legs? Meanwhile, Kaz unleashes his standard-issue EMP in Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, Justin is blown away by the sheer competence of Sonic Colors and Nick unlocks a panda in Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2. Plus, gassy greetings from Fable III, Vanquish‘s gravely voice “acting,” depressing sales figures, a visit to the Buy More and a random giveaway at the end of the show.
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