Just the Spicy Bits Press Start to BGN Show Recap 01/03/2018

Hey! Listen!

Welcome back to Press Start to BGN, this week on the show we talked about our favourite video game weapons and had the occasional chime in from a kind of guest Chris! If you are a first time listener/reader Press Start to BGN is Laurier’s gaming show by a bunch of Game Design & Development students here at Laurier’s Brantford campus. The program is very new and so is our show, so for those who don’t know Game Design & Development is headed by Dr Scott Nicholson through the Brantford Games Network or BGN, hence the name “Press Start to BGN” which sounds like “begin.” Thanks for tuning in!

NEWS!

• Nintendo has updated their website to allow people to leave Switch game reviews on the site with some Little Big Planet Online esque review tags.
• KazHiraiCEO, a very popular gaming-related account on Twitter will cease to tweet on June 15, right after E3. The anonymous user has decided to bring things to a close by raising money for a charity organization.
• A Sonic the Hedgehog film is set to debut next year, and is expected to be in theaters on November 15, 2019. The director of Deadpool, Tim Miller, signed on as executive producer.
• Blizzard Celebrated the Year of the Dog with the Overwatch puppy rumble. Viewers also had the option of adopting all the good boys out on the playing field.
• A new augmented reality game has been announced and it is from the Ghostbusters franchise. It’s called Ghostbusters World and you can watch the teaser trailer below:

• A week after school shooting that happened in Florida the idiot President of the United States donald trump has pointed to mature content in video games and movies as a potential cause of youth violence during a meeting on school safety. He also remarked:
  • “I’m hearing more and more people say the level of violence on video games is really shaping young people’s thoughts,” said Trump (via CNN on Twitter). “And then you go the further step, and that’s the movies. You see these movies, and they’re so violent, and yet a kid is able to see the movie if sex isn’t involved, but killing is involved, and maybe they have to put a rating system for that.”

He seems to be unaware that their is a rating system, the MPAA and ESRB and that this type of claim has been studied before and the there is no evidence suggesting this claim could be true.

•  A Rhode Island representative has proposed a raise in tax on M-rated video games to fund mental health provisions in school.
• Nintendo is partnering with Bloomingdale’s for a clothing and accessory line.

 

• Harvest Moon creator has announced a new game titled, Little Dragons Cafe. It will be released late summer 2018 on Playstation 4 and Nintendo Switch.

• Luigi’s Balloon World a minigame after you beat Super Mario Odyssey is out now.
• Dice 2018: Neil Druckman On Inspiration for The Last of Us 2 and how the Crash scene was added to Uncharted 4
• Payday 2 is on the Switch! But it’s not the latest version.
• There is a short film adaptation of the award winning game Papers, Please and it is out now. You can watch on Youtube or through Steam.

What’s Coming Out Soon!

Hey everybody! Check out what came out this week!

• De Blob2 Remastered
  • De Blob 2 is a puzzle platformer game where you play as Blob and fight against Comrade Black and his Inkies who have sucked the colour out of Prisma City. Your job, is to save the day and paint the city back to normal.
• PayDay 2 (Switch)
  • PAYDAY 2 is an action-packed, four-player co-op shooter that once again lets gamers don the masks of the original PAYDAY crew – Dallas, Hoxton, Wolf and Chains – as they descend on Washington DC for an epic crime spree. Up to four friends co-operate on each heist, and as the crew progresses the heists gets bigger, better and more rewarding. Along with earning more money and becoming an infamous criminal comes new customization that lets players build and alter their guns and gear.
• Darkest Dungeon (XBox One)
  • Darkest Dungeon is a challenging gothic roguelike turn-based RPG about the psychological stresses of adventuring. Recruit, train, and lead a team of flawed heroes against unimaginable horrors, stress, famine, disease, and the ever-encroaching dark. Can you keep your heroes together when all hope is lost?
• Heroine Anthem Zero (PS4)
  • Heroine Anthem Zero Episode 1 is an epic fantasy 2D side-scrolling ARPG with Japanese voiceovers and support for 7 languages. In a world unforgiven by God, it is a story of sacrifice and survival ten years in the making. Come and enter a world of adventure from long ago.

PS+

• Rime
• Knack

Games With Gold

• Trials of the Blood Dragon 3/1 – 3/31
• Assasin’s Creed Chronicles: India 2/16 – 3/15
• Brave: The Video Game 3/1 – 3/15

Topic of the Show

Hey, so I’m really proud of myself this week cuz guess what, I came up with Topic of the Show for this week and it was actually a really cool discussion. Too bad it only took a whole month for you guys to finally hear it. This week, we talked about our favourite game weapons!

 

Stephan: Hidden Blades (especially the hookblade from Assassin’s Creed: Revelations), Collapsable Sword (Dishonored), Binary Rifle (Halo 4), Magma Cannon (Halo 4), Plasma Gun (Halo), Magnum (Halo), Batmobile (Arkham Asylum), Sly Cooper’s Cane (Sly Cooper), Chainsaw Gun (Gears of War), Energy Sword (Halo), Ness’ Bat (Smash Bros.), Disco Ball (Ratchet and Clank), Sheepinator (Ratchet and Clank)

 

Cassie: Banana on a Stick (Dragon Age: Inquisition), Slime Gun (Slime Rancher), Evie’s Cane Sword (Assassin’s Creed Syndicate), Brass Knuckles (Assassin’s Creed Syndicate)

 

Chris: Chainsaw Gun (Gears of War), Golden SCAR (Fortnite), M16 (Fortnite)

Paris: Keyblade (Kingdom Hearts), Mei’s Ice Gun (Overwatch), Dildobat (Saints Row: The Third), Lightsaber (Star Wars), Energy Sword (Halo), Kirby’s Hammer (Smash Bros.), Homerun Bat (Smash Bros.), Gravitron (Ratchet and Clank), Disco Ball (Ratchet and Clank)

 

Eden: Anchor (Dragon Age: Inquisition), Icerail (Horizon: Zero Dawn), Black Widow Sniper Rifle (Mass Effect 3)

 

Yours Truly, Jelena: Arcstrider’s Bo Staff (Destiny 2), Implosion Grenade (Star Wars: Battlefront), Rope Dart (Assassin’s Creed III) (yeah I have a HUGE list of weapons, I know)(tbh a lot of my favourites got mentioned anyways so it doesn’t really matter)

 

Got any suggestions for Topic of the Show? Hit me up on Twitter @j_vulic98 or email me at vuli5850@mylaurier.ca. I’d love to read what you have to say!

 

What We’ve Been Playing:

CHRIS

• Fortnite
  • Fortnite is set in contemporary Earth, where the sudden appearance of a worldwide storm causes 98% of the world’s population to disappear, and zombie-like creatures rise to attack the remainder. Considered by Epic as a cross between Minecraft and Left 4 Dead, Fortnite has up to four players cooperating on various missions on randomly-generated maps to collect resources, build fortifications around defensive objectives that are meant to help fight the storm and protect survivors, and construct weapons and traps to engage in combat with waves of these creatures that attempt to destroy the objectives. Players gain rewards through these missions to improve their hero characters, support teams, and arsenal of weapon and trap schematics to be able to take on more difficult missions. The game is supported through microtransactions to purchase in-game currency that can be used towards these upgrades.A standalone mode, Fortnite Battle Royale, based on the battle royale game genre, was released for the same platforms in September 2017.
• PSVR (Various)
• Crazy Taxi (XBox 360)
  • Hey hey, come on over have some fun with Crrrrrazy Taxi! Barrel through traffic packed streets, hurdle off parking garages, and Crazy Combo your way to Crazy Money in a wild frantic race to scare up the most fares. In Crazy Taxi, time is money, and only the Craziest Cabbies come out victorious.

JELENA

• Mario Party 8
  • The world’s most popular party video game franchise is getting a lot crazier in Mario Party 8 for the Wii. Whether you’re shaking up cola cans or lassoing barrels, you and your friends will be drawn into the action like never before using the Wii Remote!
• Shadow of the Colossus (PS4)
  • Rebuilt from the ground up by Bluepoint Games and JAPAN Studio, SHADOW OF THE COLOSSUS on PlayStation 4 system introduces the awe of its unforgettable world and towering creatures to a new generation of gamers, while allowing long time fans to revisit the beloved masterpiece with unparalleled visual fidelity and improved performance.
• Pyre
  • Pyre is a party-based RPG from the creators of Bastion and Transistor. Lead your band of exiles to freedom through a series of mystical competitions in the Campaign, or challenge a friend to a fast-paced ritual showdown in the head-to-head Versus Mode.

CASSIE

• Nancy Drew: Last Train to Blue Moon Canyon
  • The Hardy Boys have invited you, as Nancy Drew, on a train ride out West hosted by beautiful and prominent socialite, Lori Girard. Lori has gathered the greatest minds in mystery to solve a century-old secret and the haunted train is their best clue. The luxurious train once belonged to Jake Hurley, who set out long ago to find the mother lode during mining mania. Years later, Jake’s train was found in Blue Moon Canyon with the engineer slumped over in the car – dead. Jake had mysteriously vanished… Climb aboard, as Nancy Drew, and see if you can uncover the truth at the end of the line in Nancy Drew: Last Train to Blue Moon Canyon!
• Animal Crossing New Leaf
  •  a life simulation video game released in 2012 for the Nintendo 3DS. The player takes on the role of mayor of a new town, and with the help of the townsfolk and Isabelle, an eager secretary, it will be their job to make the town a better place to live.
• Minecraft
  • The creative and building aspects of Minecraft allow players to build with a variety of different cubes in a 3D procedurally generated world. Other activities in the game include exploration, resource gathering, crafting, and combat.

PARIS

• Jak and Daxter
  • Enter a new world of magic, adventure, exploration, and discovery where enormous vistas and exotic characters lead you to places beyond your imagination. Test your wits and your skills as you embark on a journey to reverse your best friend’s transformation into a furry Ottsel, even as he entangles you in his amusing antics. Discover twisted corruption and battle the sinister minds behind this chilling plot. Light Eco. Precursor Technology. Power Cells. Dark Eco. What does it all mean? Only one person holds the secret behind the power of the mysterious Eco. Together you must now take on these endeavors
• Mario Party 8
  • The world’s most popular party video game franchise is getting a lot crazier in Mario Party 8 for the Wii. Whether you’re shaking up cola cans or lassoing barrels, you and your friends will be drawn into the action like never before using the Wii Remote!
• Mario Kart (Wii)
  • Drivers, start your engines! The worldwide race is on with a whole new set of tricks, tracks, and ways to play! Place first in Grand Prix circuits or clear skill-based missions. Drawing on circuits and battle arenas from every game in the series—not to mention tons of brand-new ones—the true king of the Mushroom Kingdom racing circuits will finally be crowned! Time to get turnin’ and burnin’!

STEPHAN

• Super Mario Odyssey
  • Use amazing new abilities—like the power to capture and control objects, animals, and enemies—to collect Power Moons so you can power up the Odyssey airship and save Princess Peach from Bowser’s wedding plans!
• Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
  • Forget everything you know about The Legend of Zelda games. Step into a world of discovery, exploration, and adventure in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, a boundary-breaking new game in the acclaimed series. Travel across vast fields, through forests, and to mountain peaks as you discover what has become of the kingdom of Hyrule In this stunning Open-Air Adventure. Now on Nintendo Switch, your journey is freer and more open than ever. Take your system anywhere, and adventure as Link any way you like.
• Sly Cooper
  • Sly Cooper is a series of platform stealth video games for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita. The series was developed by Sucker Punch Productions for the first three games, and then it was passed on to Sanzaru Games while Sucker Punch continued work on the Infamous series. The first three games were remastered into high-definition for the PlayStation 3 by Sanzaru Games, titled The Sly Collection.