PixlBit

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I'm sorry to pick such an obscure character here, but I've thought long and hard about this and I have to pick Jill from VA-11 Hall-A (Valhalla): Cyberpunk Bartender Action. I don't think I've ever related to a character as much as this one. She speaks sarcasm, buys things to keep herself happy, has a random interest in Japanese pro wrestling, and just has a very go with the flow attitude. I continuously found myself saying "Yep, that's exactly what I would have said there" while I was playing this game. Hell, she even has a smoking habit she's not proud of. The author of this game needs to get out of my head. I can think of no better video game spirit animal than her.

Pak Watch:

Oh man. I have some things to say about God of War. I'm going to start by saying, Kratos is one of my least favorite video game characters of all time. I believe I once said he is the Roman Reigns of video games, and I completely stand by this. I do not get what people like about him at all. Is it because he's grey? Is it because when he has sex, he gains experience orbs? I do not know. All I know, is I'm supposed to root for a guy who killed his wife and child because he was mind freaked by Aries while he was killing other people's wives and children. What a great guy! I don't understand what Athena (Who I'm now convinced is the Vince McMahon of video games) sees in this asshole. I would be fine with all this if he was the bad guy in the next game, but nope. We must push Kratos! Kratos is money! All that aside, the gameplay in this game is fine. It did some really innovative things with quick time events. I personally think I could stomach the game more if it were just a few hours shorter, as the combat becomes very repetitive after a while. I gave up on GoW shortly after the puzzle where you have to push some soldier in a cage into some fire or something, I don't remember, I had kind of checked out at that point. Overall, it's an okay game, I appreciate what it's doing. I appreciate what it contributed to games at the time, but fuck Kratos... Seriously, fuck that guy.

Episode Comment:

I apologize up front for my negativity towards GoW. I really gave that game a solid shot, but I cannot get into that franchise. I even tried the second game to see if it would change my mind and it made it even worse. I'm half interested in the new one coming out, because it looks super pretty, but I do not know how they can change my mind on that character. He is the worst. Anyways, when Angelo was describing Mario, I was actually thinking the phrase "I'm not about that life." It made me laugh when he basically said it. I'm amazed he got that far into it. I loved Mario, but I played until I seen credits and that was good enough for me. (I had a lot of the same issues with the camera) Also I'm happy somebody else played Psi-Ops. Your description of it was perfect. I have played the Force Unleashed games but hey didn't quite scratch the same itch. I really thought they would too, but they just weren't as quirky as Psi-Ops was. (You mentioned that boss fight and the memories came rolling back. It was great.) MGS2 talk was super fun too. I love that game. Overall super good episode, I look forward to the next. Keep up the goodest of works!

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I'm going to say Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Cons[iracy. This was a pretty cool game that had a lot of fun ideas. I think it could have done some cool stuff maybe if given a few sequels. I had a good time using my mind force to suspend guys in the air and shoot them, and then literally blow enemy's minds to refill powers. It was good fun with ragdoll physics. I can't remember if the story was any good or not, (Probably not) and I do remember the protangaist looking the same as every other protaganist of that time, but I swear there was something here. I doubt we will ever know though... Oh well.

Pak Watch

If anyone ever questions Raiden, you ask that person, "Do you think Solid Snake, a pack a day smoker, could do no handed cartwheels and still manage to keep his junk covered?... DO YOU!?" Sure he may have been a little whiny, but hey... I didn't see his penis... Even though I tried to... ANYWAYS, Metal Gear Solid 2 was awesome. It has one of my favorite parts in all of gaming where... Raiden is naked and the codec WILL NOT STOP RINGING! I mean we've all been there right? ...Now if you'll excuse me I need to google some risque Chun-Li fan art to try and forget naked Raiden. Wish me luck.

Episode comment!

Sorry to upset you Julian with my take on Saints Row. Angelo nailed exactly what happened. I basically was expecting a thing and when it wasn't that thing it really threw me for a loop. Then when I went back and knew what I was getting, it was a lot better. I didn't really preview games at that time, and it was so unexpected that it just threw me off to the point of being angry about it... I'm weird like that. Love that game now though. Anyways, good episode as always. Keep up the good work. I'm happy we've finally gotten to a game on pak watch I know a lot about. Can't wait to hear all about Kojima shenangians. Keep up the good work fellers!

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3. Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest. I had no idea what this game even was when I played it as a kid, and then a friend showed me FF6 and it all clicked. I know this isn't the best game, but I have fond memories of playing it after it sat on a shelf for years while I learned what RPGs were.

2. Mass Effect. For as big of a fan as I am of this series, I really didn't like the first game when I originally played it. I had played through all of the OG XBox Bioware games and this one was a lot different from those. I'm not sure if I was expecting more from it, or what, but I played it for about an hour and stopped. Months later I decided to give it another go and... Then I got it. I played through it about 3 times after that and it's still one of my all time favorite games.

1. Saints Row 4. Hate is a strong word, and that's exactly how I felt about this game the first time I played it. I. Absolutely. Hated. This. Game. I loved Saints Row 3, and this was just not what I wanted from the series at all. I didn't want super powers. What was the point of even having the cars in the game? What's this computer simulation crap? "This is really stupid" I thought to myself. I don't think I've ever taken a game back to a Redbox so fast... Then a few years later I was really, REALLY bored and it was on sale for PS4. Something inside me said to give it another chance and... Yea I loved it. I totally got it. It all just clicked and I played it for an ungodly amount of time. This was a case of being wrong, and I'm glad that I gave it another shot.

Pak Watch: Dishonored is the perfect example of a game that looks super cool, and is probably very good, but I have no interest in playing it. I will continue to take a hard pass on the first person stealth genre unless a life threatening situation occurs where I am forced to play it. In which case I'm doomed, and I will be asking the heavens "Why couldn't my kidnappers be Hitman fans!?"

Episode Comment: I definitely played Megaman 4. I remember trying to beat Skullman a million times when I rented it as a kid. I immediately remembered the game when I saw him on the stage select screen. Thank you for your Chun Li wall scroll link. I appreciate it. It will not go to waste I assure you of that. Now if you will excuse me, I am gonna go have a run at Into the Breach because it's great and I'm hooked on it. Keep up the good work you radical dudes!

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I would really love a painting of Chun Li done by Amano. I would proudly display this on any wall in my home. It may not end up looking exactly like her in the end, but I would know, and that would be... Well that would be pretty cool.

Pak Watch:

I would like to take this time to express my adoration of Dr. Wiley. This man has had the same plan for three games at this point, and he still has not learned that it's a bad plan. He just keeps making 8, randomly themed robots, and expecting it to work. I just admire that level of persistence. Oh that last batch didn't work!? Fuck it! Make a skeleton robot! We'll call him... Skull Man! And he'll... I don't know! Skeleton robot! What else do you need!? ...Never change Dr. Wiley. Never change.

Episode Comment:

I really like the pak watch segment. A lot more than I thought I was going to. I really dig the history lesson about the game. I always enjoy learning stuff like that. I love little factoids about stuff. Give me all the factoids. Excited to see how the segment grows and evolves over time, but I really like that part about it. I learned a whole lot about a game I've never even touched before, so I would say that's a plus. I'm actually excited to hear this part about Megaman 4 because it's a game I'm 100 percent positive I played, but had to confirm it via youtube. It's been a loooong time since I rented that as a kid. Curious what parts of that game were new mechanics, (If there were any) because Megamans tend to blend together for me. Keep up the good work! Onwards and Upwards!

God I forgot about how hard the targets are to hit. I played that game a while ago when it first came out and my memory of it is just how funny the entire event is. Love that game. Its so delightfully weird.

Ah, it's good to have you guys back. Here goes nothin...

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3. The hilarious codec conversations from Metal Gear Solid. Everything from being scolded for smoking during a call, to being pitied for using a mono television during the fight with the helicopter. I stumbled upon a lot of these randomly as a kid and thought they were hilarious. I called Mei Ling so many times she refused to let me save and stuck her tongue out at me. I called Master Miller enough times that he schooled me in the art of controlling my bodily functions to make it through the game's long cut scenes,,, I just loved that part of the game.

2. Fighting Reptile in the original Mortal Kombat. I actually don't remember how you trigger this fight, but I remember doing it by complete accident as a kid and I had never been so scared during a fight up to that point. I thought it would unlock him as a character, (Which is why I was afraid to lose) but it didn't, so beating him meant nothing really. Still a moment I will never forget.

1. Crouching on a white block in Mario 3 until you fell behind the stage. This was seriously the coolest thing ever to me as a kid. I learned it from watching a TV show on the "Family Channel" about video games. I have no clue what that show was called, but I thank them for the tip. It was a personal mission after that to show this to every friend I played this game with who didn't know about it. I was all about the Warp Whistle life.

Pak Watch

I have a confession to make. I have never played the original metroid before. I think the Samus twist at the end is pretty great though! I'm sure that would have blown my mind in those days! ...But I've never played it... Also that twist would have been better if it were Chun Li at the end. I mean Samus is great and all, but she's no Chun Li... Then again who really is?

Episode Comment

Hey, Julian and Angelo are just as entertaining to me without Patrick. Not every episode needs to go off the rails on a crazy train. (Though I enjoy when it does) You're both great. Julian you've definitely gotten way further than I did in Agents of Mayhem, I played it for roughly 2 hours and got so bored I uninstalled it. I was really bummed by how disappointing it was, I thought there would be something there for me to like considering it's lineage, but there just wasn't. It's very very sad to me. I'm looking forward to hearing about Yakuza Zero shenanigans in the next episode or beyond. If I would have ranked my top 5 games, it probably would have been number one. I had so much fun with that game and how over the top it was. (Have you done the phone call minigame? It's a great moment) Really looking forward to Six when it comes out. Keep up the good work!

Hopefully I'm not too late. If so, my badsies...

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3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMwv8MwYimM I have a feeling someone on the podcast who put some hours into this game who's name rhymes with hat trick has already said this one, but the Junes song from Persona 4 was one catchy jingle. Everything's great at your Junes... Until high school kids start falling into televisions.

2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Vuzo25ZLsk I'm not really the world's biggest Earthbound fan, but I do remember this music. It sounds like the music that would play in the sporting goods section of Walmart if each section had a soundtrack. If I ever were to buy a shotgun, I think this is the song I want to have playing.

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KcY745Qbd0 I want to buy so many things to the Mario 2 character select song. I want to high step through stores and throw things into a cart with a big animated smile on my face. Or better yet, I want to go to the Funco Pop headquarters and throw all the pops into a cart that's on fire, because they don't deserve to exist. I don't trust anything with black, soulless eyes. You know what else has black soulless eyes? The devil. And I've never seen Satan and a Funco Pop in the same room together. Coincidence? I think not... But yea, Mario 2 Character Select song. Love it.

My Episode Comment: I'm excited for this pack watch thing. Believe me, if there is a way to work Chun Li in there, I will do it. I will find a way. I believe in myself. Good episode, sorry my comment is so late, my job is actively trying to kill me at the moment. Stay fierce pantsless dudes!

Hopefully I'm not too late to comment here. Stuff's been busy, so I apologize if that is the case.

My final chrono crossing pick is of course Super Mario Brothers. I remember watching my older brother in awe as he would get 99 lives off of a level exploit and then beat the game. I remember having my mind blown when I discovered the warp world for the first time. I remember watching my stoner uncle try in vain to beat the first level of the game. Ah, the memories. I will miss you chrono crossing. Hopefully whatever you are replaced with will allow me to make more Chun Li jokes than ever before.

My episode comment! Julian... you read my stage select absolutely perfectly. I was so happy with that. I had to stop working I was laughing so hard. It was everything I envisioned and more. Also steering in video games is nearly impossible for anyone. I believe theres a diaconnect because you dont actually feel anything move. I have no idea, but its ad and it should feel bad. Also I was super honored to have a catch phrase quoted. That made my life. Great show as always!

Hahahaha! Now I'm looking forward to this.

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3. Aya Brea from Parasite Eve. I imagine she tastes like an expensive bottle of champaigne. I'm basing this on the evening gown she looks so elegant in during the first scene of that game. My imagination could see through the polygons in those days... It still can if I'm being honest.

2. Vanessa from King of Fighters. I imagine she tastes like Jack Daniels. She's got that punk rocker edge that I'm probably way too into. I'd chase that down with a coke all day and night.

1. Come on... You know what's coming. It's Chun Li from Street Fighter. I imagine she tastes like a fancy chinese dessert of some kind. I don't know any Chinese desserts, but if I did... Wait... Did I answer this question right? This is what Patrick meant by this question... Right? Right!?

Chrono Crossing: I'm going to pick the game Outrun here because I played it a lot at a bowling alley I went to. I had so many questions about this game and I still do. How are these people not phased by flying out of their convertable? Why is the blond in the car with this maniac in the first place? She clearly doesn't need to be there! What are you outrunning? Why are turns impossible to make on arcade steering wheels? So many questions.

My episode comment: I love longer episodes. I listen to the show at work so a long episode makes a good chunk of my day fly by. A true NWP fan never leaves the game early. (#delaware) I teared up too when my chrono crossing got read. Thank you for that. I've been wanting to share that story for a long time now. Also I'm glad I'm not the only one who has deeply scarring video game fears. I dont feel alone in that anymore. Halloween Havoc may be no more in the world of professional wrestling, but I'm glad it lives on here.