Substance TV

For those you who are night owls, you might have seen some screwy stuff going on with the site this past week or so. I’ve been redesigning the site these past few weeks and can say I’m finally done. We wanted the website to reflect the new look of the show.

Here’s the short and long on what’s changed:

Of course you’ll notice the new site layout and graphics. All the navigation to the other pages is at the very top. You’ll also notice a slide bar up top. This will always have the latest updates for news on Substance TV. You can scroll through, and if it’s about the show, you’ll see it. The auto scrolling sidebar to the right constantly cycles through the newest posts. It also displays on every page so you can easily access the latest posts no matter where you are on the site. Below that is the newest episode of Substance TV (episode 10 at the moment) for your constant viewing pleasure. The title labeled “Partners” is just that. Sites that we are proud to be affiliated with will be prominently displayed. As you scroll down, you’ll find the login panel. At the very bottom of the site are some added features. Past the goofy pic of us under the “About Us” heading, you’ll see Twitter updates to the right. Now you can keep up with our Twitter updates while your on the site. To the left of that is our new Flickr photo stream displaying our latest uploads and pics. Best of all, our forums are fully functional and ready to go. You can type from left to right and the dialog box doesn’t go off the page so check them out.

It’s been a bit of work, but as with everything we do, I think it will be worth it. Most importantly, give us your feedback on the new look and layout. We want to make sure it doesn’t suck. Enjoy!

After months and months of work, episode 10 of Substance TV is finally out! Up for review this month is Donkey Kong Jungle Beat (Gamecube & Wii), Castlevania Dracula X (SNES), Astra Superstars (Sega Saturn). It’s been awhile since the last episode, but we think you’ll think, or at least we hope you think, it was all worth the wait.

Both Erik and I want to thank all of you who have supported us this far. We’ve been up countless hours getting this all ready. Though at about 5 A.M. on Saturday morning, Premiere was screwing up, so I wasn’t even sure if it would come out. I was this close to saying screw it, but I hunkered down and kept at it. Luckily it started behaving and allowed me to export the show later that afternoon.

If you dig the show, and I would guess as much if you’re here on the website, then spread the good word that is Substance TV. Host a dinner party with friends, hold a Substance TV bingo party, or even invite friends and family for a Substance TV ice cream social. However you celebrate, we condone and wholeheartedly support you.

Now that we have all the new graphics and such done, we can focus back on getting the show out every month. Well, ummmm, that’s about it, so enjoy!

Download (HQ MP4 added!)

Although updates on the site have been sporadic, there’s been a lot going on behind the scenes in preparation for the upcoming tenth episode of Substance TV. But this isn’t just another episode, this is the rebirth of Substance TV as you know it.

I’ve received a lot of questions surrounding this change. It’s been in the making these past few months, and Erik and I are proud to announce Substance TV episode ten will be released October 10th, 2009. As I’ve stated before, there will be some major changes. I’ve been a bit silent on the exact details, and although I can’t tell you everything, I will announce a few things:

Read the rest of this epic article! »

Many a year ago, Erik and I had a little tradition. We didn’t really have a name for it. It was just a night of gaming. Each week we would go over to my house or his and do some gaming till the wee hours of the morning. From these gaming nights came the inspiration for Substance TV.

Since he moved out of town, those days are in the past, but from time to time we’ve managed to take a trip to one or the other’s respective town of residence (I know, that was such a smancy fancy way of saying it). Interestingly enough, we’ve never recorded our gaming nights.

On the weekend of August 7th, I took the four hour drive from Wichita, KS to Springfield, MO to visit my good friend, and co-creator of Substance TV, Erik Neal. The whole weekend we played every video game from old to new. It came to our minds that we should record our killin’ for posterity’s sake. The following video is a collection of the best clips from our night of gaming. Footage is from Street Fighter Zero 3, Urban Reign, Mario Kart Double Dash, Soul Calibur IV, and Bionic Commando. Enjoy! Maybe someday, when and if Erik moves back into town, these gaming nights will be a bit more frequent.

In episode 5 of Substance TV, we covered the games of SNK. One of those gems was Fatal Fury: Mark of the Wolves. At the time, the only home consoles versions available were for the Sega Dreamcast (expensive) and the Neo Geo AES (very expensive). The Dreamcast port was good, but not as good as it could have been. That and these days it’s hard to find.

Seems our cries have been heard as SNK has released MOTW for both the PS3 and Xbox 360 in the form of a digital download. All for just ten smackers. Not too bad I say. And the port is very good. I dare to say it’s about as perfect of an arcade port as you can get. The game also has online play. Though it isn’t the best netcode so there are lag issues. So don’t expect to be able to have a zippy tournament match with you bud across the country. But for the price, you can’t beat it.

Well, what are you waiting for, go download it already.

BTW: King of Fighters 98 has also been released, and although I’ve not played it personally, I hear it’s a good port as well and the netcode is better then MOTW

Recently, Dusty Wenton with www.examiner.com interviewed lil’ old me. I then go on to blab on about this and that. From Substance TV to the current state of video games, I just can’t shut up. So, if you enjoy reading my ramblings, then you’re in luck! Thanks to Dusty for interviewing me thereby giving me an even bigger ego complex.

Interview with me, myself, and I