Gamma Testing

The umelaut stands for two extra dots worth of metal.

Whaddya say about a game that has the rich atmosphere that only a man like Tim Schafer can realize, the incredible voice acting of a host of metal icons, and gameplay that stutters between six different styles of game (RTS, adventure, driving-based missions, rhythm, ....), servicing none of them well?

Brütal Legend is flawed, but -- depending on your perspective -- not flawed enough to stop you from playing it.

Matt's music suggestion: The Metal, Tenacious D

Rick's book (and movie) suggestion: Almost Famous; A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, Mark Twain

Brian's food and drink suggestion: 620 blue M&Ms

(Next week: Borderlands)

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Gamma_Testing_Ep25-Brutal_Legend

Brian's off this week, so Rick and Matt gird their loins for the first of the big holiday game releases -- Halo 3: ODST. Apparently, it's a lot like previous Halo games, albeit without the fancy Spartan abilities.

Cool jazz soundtrack, neat new vision, Firefly cast reunion, comes packaged with all the Halo 3 map packs, the first Halo game Matt and Rick didn't play co-op. There's more, but I wasn't there, so you'll just have to listen to it for yourself.

Rick's reading recommendation: Armor, John Steakley

Matt's listening recommendation: Gravity Don't Let Me Go, Jon Black

Brian's food and drink recommendation: Hunt wild hog -- with a sticky grenade for extra char.

Gamma_Testing_Ep24-Halo_3:ODST

Annnnnd ... we're back.

After a month hiatus, Rick and Matt invite their parents in for a little retro-music recital courtesy of The Beatles: Rock Band. They give us a little insight on their memories of the British Invasion, the Fab Four's enduring charm, and why modern rhythm games have so much appeal for a wide range of consumers.

It helps that Harmonix has made The Beatles: Rock Band one of the best possible iterations of the genre.

Rick's reading movie recommendation: Tribute: A Rockumentary

Matt's music recommendation: All You Need Is Cash, The Ruttles; Killer Tofu, The Beets; The Backbeat Band

Brian's food and drink recommendation: Full English breakfast, tea

(Next week - Halo: ODST)

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Gamma_Testing_Ep23-The_Beatles-Rock_Band

Can a licensed super-hero game actually be worth playing? Yep, if it's as chock full of Batmanosity, Batmanness, and Batmany or Batmannish game play as this game. For once, a studio actually nailed the fundamentals of a comic book character in atmosphere, game play and story. And, it's fun.

Don't like Batman? No worries, Batman: Arkham Asylum is still a great game.

Rick's reading suggestion: Arkham Asylum, Grant Morrison and Dave McKean; Long Halloween, Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale

Matt's music suggestion: To the Taxmobile, Lenlow; Angry Angel, Imogen Heap

Brian's food and drink suggestion: Hostess Snack Cakes

(Next week - The Beatles: Rock Band.)

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Gamma_Testing_Ep22-Batman-Arkham-Asylum

Polish uber-man BJ Blazkowicz is back to kill Nazis in Wolfenstein, this time stopping Himmler's dreaded SS from harnessing the occult power of the Black Sun dimension. Or something.

In any case, it's easy to like this most recent incarnation of a franchise that was among the first to popularize the first person shooter. There are lots of fun weapons, a mildly innovative base/mission system, and fun replay if you like pumpkins. Or, actually, hate pumpkins. And Nazis.

Spoiler alert: No Hitler. You killed Hitler's robot-suited brain a long time ago.

Rick's reading recommendation: Unholy Alliance: A History of the Nazi Involvement with the Occult, Peter Levenda

Matt's music recommendation: 4 to the Floor, Bang Bang Eche

Brian's food and drink recommendation: pork schnitzel, German Riesling

(Next week - Batman: Arkham Asylum!)

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Gamma_Testing_Ep21-Wolfenstein

I'm a week behind, so this week you get two podcasts for the price of one!

First, we review Shadow Complex, a side-scrolling 2D adventure/shooter with a 3D environment, from developer Chair and the mind of author Orson Scott Card.  It's the last downloadable game of this year's Xbox Summer of Arcade. The game -- essentially a slick Metroid clone -- is the most downloaded single-player game in Xbox history, probably because it's so damn fun to play.

Of course, we wanted to hate it thanks to the absurd and hateful politics of Orson Scott Card, who advocates armed rebellion against state and federal governments that legalize gay marriage. So, after gushing for a half hour we proceed to list all the reasons you shouldn't buy it, and why we feel bad that we did.

Listen up for the full details, and read Rick's post about the controversy.

Matt's music suggestion: Forcefield, Awesome New Republic

Rick's reading suggestion: Gay Marriage: Why it's good for gays, good for straights and good for America, Jonathan Rauch

Brian's food and drink suggestion: A big batch of cosmos and Julia Child's beef Bourgignon.

Links to a couple of organizations that support gay marriage -- Freedom to Marry, Marriage Equality USA

(Later this week: Wolfenstein!)

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Gamma_Testing_Ep20-Shadow_Complex

It's like Wii Sports, but on an island. Plus, you get to pound Miis with a padded sword.

We had a lot of fun with Nintendo's new Wii Sports Resort, designed to showcase the Wii Motion Plus plug-in, even if there are a few games that we'll never play again. (Canoe? Really?) The heightened sensitivity of the controller is great, even if it made Matt and Rick disappoint their cute Mii doggies and toss a dozen frisbees into the water. They made sure to punish Brian during swordplay, however.

And that sensitivity means it'll take most folks at least a week or two to figure out how to play the dozen games in Wii Sports Resort while lying supine on the couch, instead of flailing wildly in front of the TV. They'll learn eventually.

Matt's music suggestion: Island in the Sun, Weezer

Rick's reading suggestion: Medieval Swordsmanship: Illustrated Methods and Techniques, John Clements

Brian's food and drink suggestion: Wuhu Island Mai Tai -- Slice the top off of a whole pineapple, then core it while leaving the bottom intact. Place in freezer. While the pineapple is chilling, drive to party store and buy a pack of those little drink umbrellas. Once pineapple is suitably frozen, fill with 1 part aged rum (like Barbancourt), 1 part light rum, 1 part citrus juice (orange and grapefruit are ideal) 1/2 part Cointreau, and a good squeeze of lime. Garnish with umbrella and mint. When you finish the drink, eat the pineapple.

(Next week -- Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor.)

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Gamma_Testing_Ep18-Wii_Sports_Resort

Rick, Brian and Matt realize just how far they are from semi-pro 2-D fighting game fanatics after playing BlazBlue (I linked to a fan site because the official site is useless). Actually, it's not the playing that did it, but the tutorial video produced by IGN that comes in the Limited Edition.

But even our clearly meager fighting skills found some traction in the intricate gameplay of BlazBlue. And even thought the game features a mere 12 characters to choose from, there is so much differentiation between each that hardcore and casual gamers alike should find something to like in both appearance and gameplay.

Matt's listening suggestion: Canary Teikoku No Gyakushuu, Bleach (aka Bleach03, Bleachmobile)

Rick's reading suggestion: How Fiction Works, James Wood

Brian's food and drink suggestion: Flaming Blue Curacao (float something high-proof on a glazz of curacao, ignite at your peril), Flaming Blue Saganaki (heat a plank of some soft, mild blue, cheese, douse in brandy, ignite at your peril) -- OPA!

Next week: Wii Sports Resort.

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Gamma_Testing_Ep17-BlazBlue-Calamity_Trigger

Yes, we're reviewing a game that's now 19 years old. But Secret of Monkey Island is that good, especially with the fancy voice acting and graphical overlay LucasArts has tacked onto this beloved adventure game. Even without those fancy modern widgets, however, the real secret of Monkey Island (and the new Tales of Monkey Island) is an engaging story and constant humor that still makes us chuckle.

And there are pirates. And monkeys. And monkey pirates. (Uh, ape pirates, to be exact.)

Rick's reading suggestion: Under the Black Flag: The Romance and the Reality of Life Among the Pirates, David Cordingly

Matt's music suggestion: Monkey Man, both original Specials version and the Ore Ska Band cover

Brian's food and drink suggestion: grog, stew (omit poisonous yellow flowers)

Next week we return to the 21st century with Blaz Blue: Calamity Trigger!

Listen up! (And then read Rick's Review!)

Gamma_Testing_Ep16-Secret_of_Monkey_Island_Special_Edition

Brian, Rick and Matt dive deep into this '90's-era, comic-inspired, morally-devoid, open-world, super-dude action game and revel in the freedom of movement and wide range of epic combat options. Of course, no amount of car-throwing, copter-jacking or disease-tendrilizing can overcome brutal and blatantly manipulative boss fights, like the final one in Prototype.

Still, epic is good.

This episode also marks a new audio set-up, which will require some fine tuning. For anyone who's a fan of Rick's sultry voice: draw a bath, light some candles, and listen up.

Matt's music recommendation: Survivalism, Nine Inch Nails

Rick's reading recommendation: Black Hole, Charles Burns

Brian's food and drink recommendation: foie gras, gin with squid ink

Next week: We retro-review Secret of Monkey Island

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Gamma_Testing_Ep15-Prototype