Tag Archives: video game

Godzilla, Kaiju, & Giant Monsters

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This week, resident expert Van Ching smashes through the podcast to talk about Godzilla, kaiju, and giant monsters! We discuss the latest film, some of its recurring themes and issues, Gareth Edwards, and other monster movies. We also end up talking about Ultraman, the Destroy All Monsters Melee video game, the new merchandise, and why we think Godzilla 2000 has the silliest ending in the franchise.

Guests:
Van Ching – “A little Godzilla in all of us”

Supplementary Notes:
Monsters – Trailer
Godzilla Destroy All Monsters Melee – Video Game
Godzilla 2000 Ending

Audio notes: (1hr. 3min. runtime)
04:05 – Thoughts on film, getting schooled on Godzilla lore, being a force of nature, and Fukushima
13:20 – Perspective, the cast, Monarch, Jurassic Park & Spielberg, building tension, and Godzilla’s new look
26:25 – Disaster porn, “Marvels”, the military, technology v. nature, and doors opening/closing
38:45 – Cloverfield, Pacific Rim, archetypal characters, Monsters, creature behaviours, and powerlessness
50:35 – Destroy All Monsters, War of the Monsters, kaiju video games, merchandise, and Godzilla 2000

Theme: Coconut Robot2 (James Pants) / CC BY 3.0
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Final Fantasy

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This week we’re talking about the Final Fantasy series! With FFXIV in full swing, and Lightning Returns now released, Earl brings in Brent and Tony to talk about the long-running game series, with Stephen jumping on-board a little later. They talk about Tony’s involvement with the Official Strategy Guide, Brent’s impression of the updated MMO, among a ton of other things. They also end up talking about the ridiculous names for titles, and offer Square-Enix some spin-off game ideas. (Very light spoilers, or some so old they don’t matter anymore.)

Guests:
Brent Peckham – “Brently Default”
Tony Gao – “Unredacted: Gao’s Fortune”
Stephen Hanek – “The Late of Us”

Supplementary notes:
Lightning Returns: Complete Official Strategy Guide
Unsong Story – Kickstarter

Audio notes: (1hr. 10min. runtime)
0:00:55 – The FFXIII-3 strategy guide, what’s interesting about the series, and FFXIV
0:08:45 – FFXIII’s story, lead designers & ideologies, Stephen appears, and FF’s problems
0:20:35 – Battle system, FFXV & Kingdom Hearts, and nomenclature
0:27:50 – Unsung Story, Bravely Default, spin-offs, and solving franchise issues
0:36:10 – FFXIII, how Tony worked on the guide, and story vs. gameplay
0:44:10 – Mystic Quest, completionists, FFT, Fire Emblem, and Valkyria Chronicles
0:54:25 – FF13 trilogy, time travel, Crazy Chocobo, FF10, and villains
0:59:35 – Franchise’s future, lack of identity, and going mobile
1:02:40 – Series’ successors, MMOs, F2Ps, RPG issues, and money

Theme: Coconut Robot2 (James Pants) / CC BY 3.0
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The Last of Us

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This episode of All Kinds of Philler is all about The Last of Us: a tense, bloody, emotional, and morally complex video game. In other words, it’s the feel-good hit of the summer! Earl bands together with Brent and newcomer Stephen to discuss the critically-acclaimed survival horror game, the theme of partnerships, violence, enemy AI, and executing post-apocalyptic tropes. They also end up talking about Tomb Raider, and why Ellie looks a lot like Ellen Page. (Spoilers on the entire game.)

Guests:
Brent Peckham
Stephen

Supplementary Notes:
Story Trailer

Audio notes: (1hr. 8min. runtime)
00:30 – Intro to The Last of Us
01:40 – The prologue, Sarah, Joel’s morality, and evoking post-apocalyptic fiction
07:45 – Partnerships, Ishmael, Bill, Tess, Sam & Henry, and Joel & Ellie
17:25 – Realism, AI and level design, Uncharted, and game mechanics
29:20 – Emotional weight to each kill, Joel’s brutality, and the killcams
34:06 – The four seasons as chapters, and the Utah scene
38:10 – “It’s not a fun game!”, emotional drain, The Walking Dead, and cannibalism
42:55 – Threat of sexual violence, lack of female enemies or child clickers, and David
48:35 – The Firefly battle, dissonance between player & Joel, and the final scene
58:35 – Graphics, glitches, voice acting, and Ellen Page
61:20 – Comparisons to Tomb Raider
66:00 – Stephen and Brent’s playlists

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