I aged 20 years in 2018.
So, 2018 was like eleventy billion years long, but at least we got a lot of great games to play. And the Nerds Without Pants even played some great games last year that didn’t come out in 2018. So, seeing as how this is a podcast and all, we decided to sit down and talk about our favorite games that we played.
Fifteen years old but still fresh for newcomers.
As much as I love games, I dread the hours it takes to get over the hump of one that’s new and unfamiliar. When I finally get over it, I hope that I didn’t waste those hours on a game I won’t keep playing. So when I fired up Disgaea 1 Complete for the Nintendo Switch I wasn’t sure what to expect. Even though it’s been fifteen years since the game’s initial release, it was still a new and unfamiliar title for me. Thankfully, I’m glad to say that the hours spent getting over that initial hump were worth it.
Is Ultimate perfect? Well, it's pretty damn close.
There’s always been something special about the Super Smash Bros. series for me, even starting with the very first release. I’ve always enjoyed fighting games, but admittedly, I’m not very good at them. Smash Bros. gave me the opportunity to really compete and enjoy mastery of a fighting game for once. Being skilled in the game doesn’t come down to your ability to input complex combos, but rather your ability to read and react to your opponent. It’s a satisfying mind game that continues to draw me to the series, especially as each game becomes more grandiose, featuring bigger rosters and level selections. Ultimate, as expected, is the most impressive offering yet, boasting every character to grace the series, most of the levels, as well as a set of brand new fighters that include many of the big requests fans have had for years.
It's a tubular collection, dude.
Sega has done a lot of great things with emulation as of late. On the 3DS, they released 3D remasters of a handful of games, which boasted a handful of improvements to the source material. Their Sega Ages line marks another batch of games that are seeing improvements to the original games as they release on the Switch. However, Sega Genesis Classics is more of a compilation of classic Genesis games with some additional features that make it a great collection to have on your Switch if you grew up with these old games.
Metal Slug and Metroid had a baby.
As I’m coming to realize, I have a weakness for games classified as Metroidvanias. Between the layered progression and backtracking and the feeling of getting progressively more powerful, with some great boss fights sprinkled throughout, there’s always something to help continuously pull me through these experiences. Omega Strike, clocking in at five hours, is no exception to this rule and is further bolstered by its clear Metal Slug influence.
Travis Touchdown is back again, with a healthy helping of indie game call outs. Come see the launch trailer for Grasshopper Manufacture's latest release!
Though more streamlined, this 20 year old franchise had a better showing with its first release.
I suspect many, like myself, spent long stints in front of their Pentium II PCs constructing a wide variety of amazing theme parks and complex coasters in RollerCoaster Tycoon. Between the base game and its expansions, I clocked countless hours completing scenarios and building all manner of parks, maximizing profits and occasionally, constructing complex death machines for fun. Some of what made the original experience so great finds its way into RollerCoaster Tycoon Adventures on the Switch, but it seems that a good bit of the experience has been streamlined and simplified to make it more accessible on the platform. This makes it a less compelling iteration of the series that’s outshined by even the original release.
It's got a beat, and I can dance to it!
Welcome, at last, to the annual Nerds Without Pants music special! Yeah, it's waaaay later than intended, but we promise you it was worth the wait. If you don't like it, you can file your complaints to Julian. Find him on twitter @Tyrone_Swift. Oh, did we just spoil one of the surprises? Don't worry, there's more to come, so please enjoy this huge labor of love, preferably without pants on.
Sometimes, Julian plays games that he never talks about. Here's some now!
Welcome to one of the specials we have planned during our annual hiatus! It's just not the special we had planned to release first, but we'll cross that bridge later. Join Julian as he does a solo show about some of the smaller game's he's played recently. Maybe you'll hear about something you never heard about before, or maybe you'll come away from this episode with some new games you want to try. Or, you'll just roll your eyes because Julian doesn't like Celeste. Either way, enjoy this bite-sized special edition of Nerds Without Pants, and keep an eye out for our big music special!
Holy crap, it's Ryan Scott!
Welcome to the last episode of Nerds Without Pants for 2018! It’s been a heck of a year, and we’re closing things out with our biggest guest to date: none other than Ryan Scott of The Geekbox and The Comedy Button! So strap in, because it’s time for our annual breakdown of the video game industry that we like to call the State of the Generation podcast.
