The one and only Norm Caruso, also known as The Gaming Historian, stops by the Boomzies HQ as our special guest. We start things off with a Q&A session with the man himself to find out what makes him tick. Then in our main topic address the dreaded subject of emulation. Is wrong, right, or is there a fine line in the middle? All this and more in Issue 29 of Boomzies!

The dark one George Lucas has officially announced his retirement from ruining our childhood in film. We take a look back at his career and the future of his popular franchises. Then in our main topic we ask are video games the new TV? With video game consoles turning into all in one entertainment devices, will it dethrone TV or merge into one ball-o-media goodness? All this and more in Issue #27 of Boomzies!

After an impressive launch, the PS Vita has experienced a bit of a slump in sales in Japan. Does this spell disaster for the fledgling handheld or is it too early to tell? Then Landon and Brian talk about the games, music, movies, and all things geek they are excited for in the fabled year of doom, 2012.

The other day someone told me that Batman was not a super hero based on the fact that he is only a man, no special powers, just a regular guy. At first I gave my response, a bit angrily I might add, and went on my way. Then I thought to myself, if this person feels this way then surely others do too. Now I wouldn’t be a good Batman fan if I didn’t squash this thought and spread the good word of the Bat. So here it is, my full thoughts on not just why Batman is a super hero but why he is quite possibly the best super hero ever.

Get ready for the long haul on this one folks.

The first assumption here is that to be a super hero you must have some sort of meta-human power. These include but are not limited to; flying, super-speed, super-strength, x-ray vision, power of will, invisibility, and for good measure leaping tall buildings. While these attributes can certainly make one a super hero, they do not define it. Instead it should be defined by the ability to fight crime and injustice on a large, or if you will, super scale. This already makes Batman a super hero by the mere fact he defends Gotham, not to mention the entire world, daily.

There are plenty of other super heroes who are merely mortal as well. Green Lantern’s powers do not come from within but are granted by a ring. Yes, he does amplify those powers with his will, but will alone does not constitute a power. Captain America is only a government guinea pig for a super soldier formula, which grants him his powers. These do not take away from the men or their “super hero-ness” it only means they are not Superman, but I don’t see people arguing if they are considered super heroes.

In fact by Batman being only a man makes him one of, if not the greatest of super heroes. He teaches us; boys, girls, young and old, to overcome the limitations we are taught to accept as mere mortals. He shows us we can do and be better. Granted he has the cash to put his fantasy to greater heights than we can achieve, but it does not stop us from dreaming.

Batman knows he is a human, therefore he understands weakness, pain, and suffering. This makes him a stronger and better hero than others. While Superman can feel pain, he does not know the true weakness of being human. There are only a few instances in comics where he looses his powers and becomes human. In those instances though when Superman regains his powers, he is a better man. He becomes a more powerful hero because he understood weakness, because he was mortal for an instance. Batman is in this state at all times, yet he continuously overcomes it and that is no small feat.

Bruce Wayne is not able to be Batman forever. Inevitably he will have to step down. Being human means you age at a steady pace and Bruce Wayne will grow old. Batman will not. Being Batman is more than being a man, it is being a legend. The cowl can be passed down and live forever, thus extending the legend. See in recent history with Bruce Wayne’s “death” and Dick Grayson taking over the mantle of The Bat (or see Batman Beyond where Bruce trains young Terry McGinnis to be Batman), the legend lives, and grows, with each new installment it grows stronger. Characters like Superman cannot pass on his ability, while he grows old at a slower pace eventually he will be gone, and gone forever.

Batman isn’t called the worlds greatest detective for nothing either. In fact he is so intelligent he has a plan to take down virtually any super villain as well as his fellow heroes should they turn. He has taken down Superman on multiple occasions. This is a testament to not only his skill and training, but his intelligence and will. See The Dark Knight Returns. Batman also has the greatest rogues gallery, and yes, you can be judged by your counterpart. From the insanity and instability of the Joker to the shadowy and illusive nature of Catwoman, Batman truly has faced it all. One of the reason’s Batman’s character has been around for 70+ years is because his foes are so unique and interesting. Nobody wants to read about a hero defeating boring characters.

In conclusion to this lengthy thought, Batman is 100% a super hero any way you slice it. While he doesn’t have meta human powers he does indeed have the ability to fight crime on a large scale. He teaches us to be better, to overcome the limitations we are taught to accept, and to be fearless. Batman is more than a man, more than a hero, he is a legend and it doesn’t get much better than that.

The newest installment in the Mission Impossible franchise hit theaters this Holiday and this time around it is directed by none other than Brad Bird (Yupp, the Incredibles guy). In my opinion with the James Bond franchise swinging towards more realistic scenarios, I’m seeing this franchise taking over in the high impact action movie scene. Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) is back a few years after the events of MI:III and his team this time around consists of Brandt (Jeremy Renner), Benji (Simon Pegg) and Jane (Paula Patton).

Ghost Protocol is by far the funniest Mission Impossible, large thanks to Simon Pegg’s character who frequently comes into the action sequences and steals the scene with his comments. By no means does this take place of the action, because this movie has tons of it.

Find out more of my thoughts after the jump.

Like I said, this movie has some insane action scenes and they feel even more realistic because of how they are filmed. Everyone knows Tom Cruise is insane, fact of life at this point, but in that insanity comes an incredible actor. If he can do it, he will. To film one of the more intense, “Holy Shit” moments in this movie he is literally hanging on the side of the largest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. Check out the image below, he is really doing it.

The rest of the cast truly hold their own weight throughout the film. I’ve already mentioned Simon Pegg’s character is really funny, but Paula Patton is as gorgeous as she is deadly in this movie. No wonder Tom Cruise is dangling over the Burj Khalifa if it allows him to work with her. Also, Jeremy Renner is no slouch in this film with plenty of action scenes as well as some good humor to boot.

The mission, should they choose to accept it, is to stop the character Cobalt from receiving a list of nuclear trigger codes from an assassin, to top it off they have no support. Tensions are high throughout the whole film, they visit some gorgeous locales such as Dubai and India, and the action flows from start to finish.

Truly MI:I set the stage for a new action franchise, MI:II strayed a bit while MI:III knocked it out of the park. Ghost Protocol comes back, delivers and then some. This movie is a solid choice this holiday season, it delivers thrilling action, great comedy, and the usual Mission Impossible twists and turns! Go see it today!

The Adventures of Tintin is out now and is it worth your holiday cash? The advertisements say that it takes the best parts of Indiana Jones and Pirates of Caribbean and mashes them together. In a nutshell, yes that is how this feels, and that is a damn good feeling. Tintin is at it’s heart a true adventure film, delivering a fantastic journey that essentially anyone can enjoy. This film is kid friendly but by no means a kid movie.

My full thoughts after the jump.

The title sequence does a great job of highlighting Herge’s original vision while beautifully transitioning into the CG film, all the while being a really fun backstory to the characters. The first thing you notice when the movie begins is how gorgeous the animation is. The way the characters move and interact, especially Snowy the dog, are so lifelike it’s unbelievable. Throughout the movie you visit one beautiful location after another; from oceans to deserts this movie has it all.

I only saw this film in 2D so I can’t account for the 3D although the movie is so beyond colorful I would almost recommend the 2D as 3D can dull the color palette of most films. Not to mention the surcharge of 3D films is a bit high for my tastes. To each their own though.

Honestly this film puts Spielberg back to his old self, pre Crystal Skull (which I don’t believe is as bad as everyone makes it out to be, but definitely the weakest example of Indie). Like I said this is a true adventure film and kid friendly but not a kids film. What I mean by this is there is nothing vulgar about it, feel free to take your kids to this film but the characters carry guns and are frequently put into mortal danger. One of the main characters is essentially a drunk through most of the film, so definite alcohol references.

Overall, 100% worthwhile film. It has great adventure and locales, top notch animation, and definitely worth your holiday cash. Take your family out to see The Adventures of Tintin and you will not be disappointed!

An episode of unequaled e-drama, Brian and Landon discuss the SOPA bill, how it could change the internet as we know it, and why you should be concerned. Then in our main topic we duke it out over the five best and five worst games of 2011. Some we agreed on, others we disagreed on, while still others we fought over like cats and dogs. Don’t miss the epic battle in the last normal Boomzies of 2011!

Tell us your best and worst games of 2011 in the comments below.

In our biggest episode yet we start things off with a special look at the Video Game Awards Show. Which essentially is Brian drolling over the epic and amazing Metal Gear Rising Revengance trailer. Then we talk about the rumors surrounding Shigeru Miyamoto stepping down from his position at Nintendo. What does this mean for the future of the company and Miyamoto? Finally in our main topic we talk about the science of video game sound. From sound effects, music, and voice acting, sound plays a huge role in video games. How has sound evolved and where is it going in the future?

Microsoft surprised me today when it released it’s own Xbox Live app for something other than a Windows phone. Now if you own an iPhone or iPad you can get some of your Xbox 360 experience on the go. I, still high on the new Xbox (ad polluted) Dashboard update, had to download this as soon as possible. First and foremost you should note that this application is free, so you might as well give it a shot if you have an iOS device along with a Xbox 360. Secondly you should note that this app is gorgeously designed if you like simplicity.

Find out my full thoughts on the jump!

The interface for this app is pretty damn slick. The new app imports your avatar, achievements, friends, messages and wardrobe. On all screens you have access to your message box, which you can send and receive messages to anyone on your friends list at any time. Personally, I love this, as I do not have a chat pad for my 360 and hate using the controller to form messages, so now I will use my phone at all time.

From the home screen you have access to Xbox’s spotlight videos which play quickly without issue. You can swipe to the right and get to your account page where your Xbox avatar pops in to greet you. They have the full animations that you would see on your Xbox, which is pretty rad to see my baby Chocobo dancing on my iPhone around my avatar. From here you can access your full friends list with all the same options you would have on your console, you can even see all of their avatars and animations.

With the new Xbox dashboard update came a new option called “Beacons” which has been added to the iOS app. These are basically settings which you can add to say that you are interested in playing a specific title with friends online to help promote online gaming. From the avatar screen you can even fully customize your wardrobe on the fly and it updates automatically, which is pretty neat.

If you swipe right one more time you come to the games page, which shows all the games you have played as well as your achievements. You can compare games and achievements through your phone against your friends list here as well

All in all, this app does most everything you would expect, about the only thing this needs is a marketplace, or potentially themes like the console. If you have an iOS device as well as an Xbox 360 go get this app, it is free, gorgeous, and works. Go, go get it now!

After decades in print, Gamepro is going away. We talk about how this happened and our memories of this once great gaming journalism juggernaut (try to say that three times fast). This is our main topic we talk about the video game graphic ceiling. What will happen if we hit this fabled fidelity and how will it change the industry? Join us as Brian and Landon battle each other for the crown of geekdom!

It’s Black Friday the most deadly time of the year. Brian and Landon share our deals, steals, and tears from the busiest shopping day. And since it’s Thanksgiving weekend, what more appropriate subject than the video games we are thankful for. We look at those games that changed the industry, personal favorites, and influenced future generations of interactive entertainment.

Plus watch as our phone glitches and fails us miserably live on cast.

We have a live Q&A session with Richard Ross of Operation Rainfall to get their side of the story and how this organization of dedicated Nintendo fans is seeking the international localization of three Wii games. Then in our main topic we talk about World of Warcraft vs. Star Wars: The Old Republic. With Star Wars The Old Republic beginning beta testing, there’s a lot of buzz surrounding the release of this game. Will WoW retain its’ throne or will Star Wars usurp the the reigning MMORPG king?

Also we talk about bums, how to keep you bum fresh, and how to properly care for your bum……BUM!

Could 3DS titles be getting a $10 price hike? Then in our main topic it’s Operation Rainfall vs. Nintendo and all the issues surrounding this sore subject. What’s all the fuss over Last Story, Xenoblade, and Pandora’s Tower? Why isn’t Nintendo bringing these games Stateside and should they? Tune in to find out!

A new study proves video games just might make you more creative. Then in our main topic we talk about defunct video game grammar. What happened to codes, cheats, passwords, and all those other bits of gaming lexicon we grew up with? Are they dead or have they simply changed? Watch as the epic battle ensues and we even get trolled by an earthquake!

It’s the Boomzies Halloween Horror Cast! We talk about the nerd megafest that is Blizzcon. The changes in WoW that have people up in arms plus all the other big news. Then we gather ’round the campfire and talk about our Halloween memories. The video games that made us wet ourselves, the movies that made us weep like little babies, and everything else that frightens us. Plus watch us botch both of our contests because of our own incompetence. Oh yes it’s that bad.

What is going on with Netflix? First Netflix, then Qwikster, now back to Netflix. Has Netflix lost its’ touch? Then in the main topic it’s the evil of online passes in video games. More and more video game publishers are putting these in games. What does this mean for used games sales and how can it be combated? Pick up your torch and pitchfork and join the battle.

We talk about the life and legacy of Steve Jobs. His impact upon not only Apple, computers, or technology, but the way he changed our everyday lives. Then in our main topic of debate we stoke the fires of the age old debate: console versus PC. Who’s the best in the video game old west? Join the debate as Landon and Brian shoot it out and see who’s the victor once the dust settles!

The fur flies when Brian and Landon claw it out over the new Catwoman costume in ‘The Dark Knight Rises’. Are these new duds the cat’s meow or a chocking fur ball of suck? But wait there’s more! In our main topic we’re sorting out the laundry list of video game pre-order bonuses. With all these pre-order bonuses from countless retailers, how far does a gamer have to go and has it gotten just a little ridiculous? So take arms soldier and join the battle for truth, justice, and all things geek!

In part two of Boomzies #14 we continue to take a look at the highly anticipated Dragon Quest X. With the announcement of a required internet connection and usage fees, has the Dragon Quest series strayed too far? Then in the main topic we talk about the anatomy of video games. What makes a video game a video game and what’s the most important element?

In part one Boomzies #14 we take a look at the highly anticipated Dragon Quest X. With the announcement of a required internet connection and usage fees, has the Dragon Quest series strayed too far? Then in the main topic we talk about the anatomy of video games. What makes a video game a video game and what’s the most important element?

The 2011 Tokyo Game Show has finally come to a close. What games are we excited for and what were we disappointed in? Then in the main event we talk about the recent rash of HD video game rehashes. Are these worthwhile additions or just a quick cash in relying on gamer’s fuzzy happy memories? You tell us!

DC’s comics has pulled a redux with it’s newly rebooted franchises: Action Comics. Is this new interpretation of Superman true to form or a lack luster retelling of the original? Then in our main topic were talking about the sports game genre. In a world dominated by a boatload of Madden and sports simulation titles, has this genre stagnated into the same tired routine?

After years of resisting, George Lucas is finally releasing the Star Wars films onto Blu Ray. But there is a disturbance in the force as even more changes are being made! Then in our main topic we talk about genre distinction in video games. With so many more genres and games mixing elements from varied genres, have the lines between genres been blurred too much?

If you are a comic book fan, this isn’t new to you. You either are excited about this change or upset (fine, I guess you can be somewhere in the middle too). Some books are going away, some change drastically, and some things don’t really change at all. I am personally upset that the Red Robin book is ending. I have been a big fan of the 3rd Robin, Tim Drake, from the beginning. He isn’t quite going away though, he just won’t have his own book, I can still read him in Teen Titans #1.

Stepping back though, what things are changing?

First off, this is a great time for new readers to jump into the comic book world. If you have ever been on the fence about reading because these books have been around for generations and afraid you might be missing out, no need to feel that way anymore. There will be all new 52 issues, re-numbered to #1’s. Also if you don’t have a comic book store near you, or you prefer your fancy, expensive iPad, DC is making every issue available digitally day of (Yes, that is a BIG deal). And you know these stories will be good.

How can I say that, you might ask. My thought behind this is that if you are going to do something this huge, this drastic, you had better have the stories to back them up. They certainly have the right creative teams, some fabulous writers and artist like Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, and Jim Lee are all leading this change. I’m only worried certain things will be a little rushed to get these characters started up, like all the introductions needed for the Justice League.

The DC Relaunch- patrickhwillems

Click here to view the embedded video.

A few key changes in the DC Universe will be taking place. I will try to break these down as best as possible.

Batman – Not too much changes for Batman himself, but there are some tweaks in his entourage. Batman has been in operation for a few years already (before Superman makes a public debut). Batman Inc. still holds strong, although Dick Grayson and Damian Wayne are no longer partners. Bruce Wayne as Batman takes helm back in Gotham and his son Damian is now his Robin.

Dick Grayson seems to be leaving the cowl behind and going back to being Nightwing and gets his own series again! This is great as I was also upset that he lost his own series during the Battle for the Cowl story arc, but was relieved when he became Batman.

HOLY WHEELCHAIR, Batman! Err…Lack there-of I should say. Barbara Gordan is no longer Oracle and wheelchair bound as she regains her position as Batgirl! Take that Joker!

Superman – First major change is Clark Kent and Lois Lane are not married anymore. No, there wasn’t some crazy Kryptonian divorce, it just hasn’t happened yet. Maybe we will get to see another huge Superman wedding craze like in the 90’s.

He ditches the red underwear. Don’t worry though, his suit is relatively still the same, and don’t freak out if you are surfing the net and see one of the new reboot images of him in jeans and work boots, as that is just a transitional phase before he dawns the real deal.

Here is the biggest change for him in my opinion. I believe this go-around BOTH of his adoptive parents, Martha and Jonathan Kent, are long dead. This will certainly change and affect how Superman is this time around compared to last, we will just have to wait and see it.

Green Lantern – Welp…Sinestro is totally a Green Lantern again. So, there is that.

Wonder Woman, The Flash and Green Arrow – These all look to be staying similar to where they were, we will probably just get a new origin story for each. I’m sure there will be a few tweaks, iron out some things to suit them to today, but their basic timeline looks to stay the same.

Aquaman – Wait…They are keeping Aquaman? Shit… (I’m kidding, don’t hate me if you like Aquaman)

I am very excited about these changes and certainly hope this works out to DC’s favor. How does everyone else feel about the changes? Does this make you want to go out and start reading, or make you shift over to Marvel permanently? Leave us some comments and tells us how you really feel.

- Landon

GAME TIME! Well, if you like Madden that is. Madden 2012 hits stores this week and some retailers are trying to get it in your hands for a little less. Other than that, there are some pretty nice hardware bundles, as well as a few other notables.

See all the deals after the jump!

Hardware

• Nintendo Wii Mario Kart bundle is $129.99 at Target (savings of about $20)
• Nintendo Wii Mario Kart bundle is $134.96 at Walmart (savings of about $15)
• Xbox 360 250GB model comes with $75 gift card at Best Buy
• Xbox 360 4GB w/ Kinect bundle $249 at Walmart (savings of about $50)
• Xbox 360 4GB w/ Kinect bundle comes with $60 gift card at Target
• Xbox 360 4GB w/ Kinect bundle comes with ANY 360 game for free at Toys R Us
  The ad doesn’t mention anything about bundles or collector editions

XBOX 360

• Buy Madden 2012 and 2 bags of Doritos to get a $10 gift card at Walmart.
  (Because gamers like their controllers covered in Doritos cheese powder…)
• Buy Madden 2012 and get a free NFL Figure at Toys R Us ($15 value)
• FEAR 3 is $34.99 at Toys R Us (savings of $25)
• Mortal Kombat is $34.99 at Toys R Us (savings of $25)
• Mortal Kombat is $39.99 at Best Buy (savings of $20)
• Cars 2 is $34.99 at Toys R Us (savings of $25)

Playstation 3

• Buy Madden 2012 and 2 bags of Doritos to get a $10 gift card at Walmart.
  (Because gamers like their controllers covered in Doritos cheese powder…)
• Buy Madden 2012 and get two gaming coupons from K-Mart
  A $20 gaming coupon, valid from September 4 to October 15.
  A $5 gaming coupon only good for EA Sports games
• Fallout: New Vegas is $14.99 at Best Buy (savings of $5)
• SOCOM 4 is $39.99 at Best Buy (savings of $20)
• Mortal Kombat is $39.99 at Best Buy (savings of $20)
• Homefront is $39.99 at Best Buy (savings of $20)
• Select Playstation Move games $9.99 at K-Mart: High Velocity Bowling, Kung Fu Rider,
  TV Superstars, The Fight: Lights Out, Eye Pet, Start the Party, & The Shoot.

Nintendo Wii

• Buy any TWO Nintendo Selects (greatest hits) video games and get a $10 gift card at Toys R Us

Handhelds

• Buy any Nintendo 3DS title and get the 2nd half off at K-Mart

As always be sure to check out these retailers full adds for more details on the deals. If there is some great deal though that we left out, leave it in the comments and we will update out list! Thanks and cya next Monday for the next installment in Weekly Bargains!

- Landon

Gamestop is receiving a lot of heat over the removal of OnLive coupons from PC copies of Deus Ex: Human Revolution. Has Gamestop gone too far or is this just a case of stopping competition before it happens? Then in our main topic we’re hashing it out about video game prices. In light of the recession, is $60 too much for video games? Can this price be justified with the advent of digital downloads at a fraction of the price and what makes a video game worth $60?

This week has been jam-packed with great videos popping up, and in case you missed them we have you covered. Some are just plain entertaining and some so impressive my jaw dropped. Tron Guy is brilliant, that is all I can say. Check out all the videos on the jump.

Official Duck Tron- theduckbrand

I love advertising when it is good, and it rarely is. This one is so perfect, it is a wonder why we didn’t see it a few months ago when Tron was blowing everyone’s minds. Can’t complain, I get to enjoy it still. The only issue I find with this is that there is absolutely no way that Tron Guy would be able to snag that woman as his wife. Maybe she is his caretaker…I mean, he is wearing a helmet?

Click here to view the embedded video.

New Razor Blade True Gaming Laptop with i7 Processor - mazterFreeman

Holy Ridiculous Laptop, Batman! This video might be too epic for its own good. With the music, all the accents, the way they display the machine, the Asian Steve Jobs. Skip to around 2:15 in the video and check out that sweet trackpad/lcd display. Reminds me of the Optimus Maximus keyboard from a few years back. The biggest issue here is the price tag on the damn thing, nearly $3,000! Good luck Razor, you need to find a way to drop that quite a bit. Is there really that big of a demand for high quality portable gaming?

Click here to view the embedded video.

Jedi Kittens- finalcutking

These are the kittens you are looking for. I think the title speaks for itself, this is a brilliant only 16 second long video. This will make your day infinitely better.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Portal: No Escape (Live Action Short Film by Dan Trachtenberg)- dantrachtenberg1

Wow. Just Wow. Saving the best for last. This has got to be expanded further, I need to see more, you need to see more. Please, someone fund the brilliant people behind this to expand!

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Nintendo Wii is getting a fresh coat of paint with a brand new re-design. What is Nintendo thinking? Then in our main topic we’re talking about music based video games. What happened to the once mighty gaming behemoth and what’s the future for rhythm based games? The good, the bad, we cover it all!

Samus Aran, Nintendo’s original femme fatale, celebrates her 25th birthday. Though what’s with Nintendo doing jack squat to commemorate one of their biggest franchises, Metroid? Then the main event is the terrible plague of video game sequelitis! Are video game developers and publishers more keen on a guaranteed hit by pumping out sequel after sequel? Have sequels become excessive in the video game industry? Will this be the death of creativity and originality? How many licks DOES it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Pop?! These questions and more answered live on Boomzies!

As always, your comments and criticisms are welcome. We’re always looking for ways to make Boomzies more awesome.

BioWare has given the fairer sex a makeover for Mass Effect 3. Then we move onto the main topic for the night. In an ever changing world of portable devices, what does the future hold for handheld gaming? More importantly, what does this mean for both Nintendo and Sony’s portable offerings?

Our Spider sense is tingling as we start things off by talking about Spiderman’s new threads for his 2012 flick. Then in our main topic we’re talking about collectible video game crap. Does limited, special, or collector’s mean anything, or is is just another way for publishers to make a quick buck? Let the epic battle begin!

The rumor mill is buzzing with rumors of the PS4 in Issue #4 of Boomzies. Then it’s onto the crisis in Japanese gaming. Have Japanese developers lost thier touch or have they simply been surpassed by thier Western counterparts?

Capcom’s got some drama over the controversial permanent game save in Resident Evil Mercenaries for the 3DS. Then it’s onto our main discussion of co-op gaming. What happened to local co-op gaming and is it on its’ way out?

Can Sonic Team turn things around with the highly anticipated Sonic Generations? Then we take a look at Halo Combat Evolved. It’s been ten years since it was released on the original Xbox. With the release of Halo Anniversary Edition, has the original aged like a fine wine or is the infamous green armor rusting?

It’s been over 15 years and Duke Nukem Forever is finally out! Was it worth the wait or just an empty promise? Then for our main event we talk about the Nintendo’s foothold in the handheld market. Is the 3DS keeping the same standard or is Nintendo losing its’ grip on the portable market?

The very first episode of Boomzies were Landon and Brian cover all aspects of the 2011 E3 conference. From the things we loved, to the things we were surprised by, and even the things we hated. All the while we make sure to include plenty of awkward pauses, sexual innuendo, and other politically incorrect behavior.

After we were done recording the audio for the first Pixel Pill, I thought editing it would be a cinch. I mean just clip out a few things here or there, and it’s done right? Yea, not so much. I worked on it all week and it took me much longer then I would have ever expected. Once we got done with episode two, I got to editing again, thinking this time it would go quicker. A day into it at 2 A.M., I came to the realization that between a full time day job, family, my son, life, Substance TV, sleep, sleep, sleep, and all my other obligations, a weekly podcast just wouldn’t fit in.

I talked it over with the guys and they agreed we should go to a bi-weekly podcast for now. It may go back to a weekly podcast once we get into the swing of things, or if I find some free time down the road. One other reason this was done is for quality purposes. I imagine I could shove out an unedited podcast and it would be decent, but Nick, 2600, and myself all agree that we want this to be a quality show.

So think of it as we’re lowering your dosage per Dr. Mario’s request. Thanks again to everyone who has listened so far and look forward to our podcast on Sunsoft coming out next week!

BTW: Some good games of Outrun 2 with Jango and Nick! OG Xbox 4 life……yo.

Do you like mechs? No, well then you can kindly shove it. After some delays and audio problems, the boys at Pinekast are back this week as they cover the goodness that is mech games. They’ve even got a spiffy new intro that ties in perfectly.

Pinekast 12: Mech games

As promised, the games for review in Substance TV episode 7 are revealed. Yea, I know, there’s a picture that shows them all up there anyway, but here’s a list for kicks and giggles (in order of review even!).

Mega Turrican – Sega Genesis

Strider 2 – Sony Playstation

Power Stone – Sega Dreamcast

Thanks for all the suggestions so far, and I’ll be keeping many of them in mind for future episodes. As posted before, episode 7 will be out on October 1st, 2008. While I could wax eloquently, I think I’ll get back to work on episode 7.

P.S. – Thanks again to all the fans of Substance TV for all your support! You folks rock this world upon which I stand.

Have you ever been playing Mortal Kombat and thought to yourself, “I wonder what Mortal Kombat would be like if I could massage my foe with oil in an oddly perverted way that made me feel dirty inside”? Well, wish no more my children, because the folks over at www.GoPotato.tv have done just that.

I could go on explaining more, but it would make no difference. The clip says it all. Watch and enjoy.