It's another lightning round this month as we've (or at least I've) been scrambling with travel and Starfield and a bunch of other stuff. As always, this is your chance to make your voice heard as we decide what to play on this month's patron's choice stream, happening this Friday. Vote well, and most importantly, vote quickly!
This week, the rambling agenda includes screens large and small and bright and dim, our love of thunderstorms, surge protectors that don't surge-protect, pleading for your roommate's (academic) life, time-traveling back to adolescence, hot hot silicon, and more.
CHAPTERS
(00:00:00) Start of show
(00:00:19) Don't fly in the summer
(00:03:12) Don't use old surge protectors!
(00:06:46) Brad has become OLED-pilled
(00:15:50) We're a bunch of PC...
2023-08-30 01:23:49 +0000 UTC View Post
This week, the rambling agenda includes screens large and small and bright and dim, our love of thunderstorms, surge protectors that don't surge-protect, pleading for your roommate's (academic) life, time-traveling back to adolescence, hot hot silicon, and more.
CHAPTERS
(00:00:00) Start of show
(00:00:19) Don't fly in the summer
(00:03:12) Don't use old surge protectors!
(00:06:46) Brad has become OLED-pilled
(00:15:50) We're a bunch of PC gamers (aga...
Every layer of Serial Experiments Lain has now been explored by our intrepid Watchcasting team, and now all that's left is to put the remaining pieces together, attack and dethrone Internet God, and if that doesn't work out, we can always hit the factory reset button.
CHAPTERS:
(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate for versions other than the ad-free Patreon...
2023-08-28 22:11:43 +0000 UTC View PostHey everyone! Alex here. Now that we've wrapped our watch-through of Serial Experiments Lain, it's time to announce our plans for the month of September. As we are planning on taking one week off in the second week of September, there will be no show that week. The last two weeks of the month will be occupied by a pair of Hong Kong action films which will be announced when the full schedule goes live. Brad had expressed interest in doing some more of those, so what better time than n...
2023-08-28 21:52:22 +0000 UTC View PostHey everybody! We’ve got a bit of a funky schedule this week as we try to work the Starfield embargo and holiday and vacation times. To kick things off, I’m extremely excited as Abby will be joining us on Monday as we return to Baldur’s Gate 3! On Tuesday we’ll be doing our Discord Q&A in the afternoon, so don’t forget to drop your questions in before that. Then on Wednesday we’ll be recording the podcast but holding onto it until Thursday at 12PM Eastern so we can talk about ...
2023-08-28 16:52:15 +0000 UTC View Post
Games! Bomb Rush Cyberfunk, Like a Dragon Gaiden, Persona 5 Tactica and the Persona 3 remake, the new Madden, Fort Solis, and more. News! The Xbox 360 Marketplace closure, remakes of 7th Guest, Star Wars: Dark Forces, and ray-traced Half-Life 2, the PlayStation Portal, and Charles Martinet's retirement. That's a lot of podcast!
CHAPTERS
(00:00:00) NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate for versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertion...
2023-08-23 23:09:18 +0000 UTC View Post
*Note - This video currently being blocked on YouTube in certain territories because of about 20 seconds of music from one of the trailers. While that dispute is processing, please enjoy it here. --Vinny
Gamescom Opening Night Live is in the books, but if you want to see what we had to say about it, you can watch this video, which is us saying things while it's happening!
CHAPTERS:
00:00:00 Start
00:01:23 Opening Night Live Start
00:02:...
2023-08-23 19:08:28 +0000 UTC View Post
The summer heat has us rambling about questionable theme parks and even more questionable county fairs, brainstorming ways to eat as much as we want, and casting a side eye at some very expensive, very cheap t-shirts.
CHAPTERS
(00:00:00) Start of show
(00:00:38) Live network test!
(00:03:23) Fairs and amusement parks are not to be approached lightly
(00:11:22) The best food is outside
(00:14:14) Food quiz! No pressure or anything
(00:...
2023-08-22 21:20:55 +0000 UTC View Post
The summer heat has us rambling about questionable theme parks and even more questionable county fairs, brainstorming ways to eat as much as we want, and casting a side eye at some very expensive, very cheap t-shirts.
CHAPTERS
(00:00:00) Start of show
(00:00:38) Live network test!
(00:03:23) Fairs and amusement parks are not to be approached lightly
(00:11:22) The best food is outside
(00:14:14) Food quiz! No pressure or anything
(00:...
2023-08-22 21:20:43 +0000 UTC View Post
We've got layers upon layers to peel back this week on the Watchcast, as we cruise through some of Serial Experiments Lain's most surreal imagery and dense infodumping yet.
CHAPTERS:
(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate for versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. ...
2023-08-21 22:13:48 +0000 UTC View PostWe’re nearing the end of the summer and that means it’s time for Gamescom! What will be shown or announced during the Opening Night Live? We’re not sure, but we can all find out together on Tuesday! We’ll be swapping the recording of the Ramblecast and Watchcast to Monday, so no streams that day, but then we’re back on Tuesday for two hours of Gamescom goodness. On Thursday we’ve got our Grab Bag and for Friday we’re still floating some things around, though Armored Core does dr...
2023-08-21 17:11:48 +0000 UTC View Post
This week, somehow we're all spending a lot of time with 2023's hottest game, Vampire Survivors (except together this time!?), Baldur's Gate 3 with friends is a high old time, the identity of the $2 billion Embracer partnership has been revealed, Bungie names a new Zavala, and plenty of other stuff!
CHAPTERS
(00:00:00) NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate for versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skip...
2023-08-16 23:52:20 +0000 UTC View Post
Brad again lands on the coast of dire humidity and voluntary lawn-mowing, the extremely wealthy keep threatening to fight each other (or just posturing like they will), air travel is still air travel, and Chuck Green makes a surprise appearance in this latest ramble.
CHAPTERS
(00:00:00) Start of show
(00:01:09) Who decided water should be allowed in the air?
(00:04:11) Lawn-mowing as nostalgia
(00:09:45) Big shout out to Chuck Green
(00:11:...
2023-08-15 20:28:05 +0000 UTC View Post
Brad again lands on the coast of dire humidity and voluntary lawn-mowing, the extremely wealthy keep threatening to fight each other (or just posturing like they will), air travel is still air travel, and Chuck Green makes a surprise appearance in this latest ramble.
CHAPTERS
(00:00:00) Start of show
(00:01:09) Who decided water should be allowed in the air?
(00:04:11) Lawn-mowing as nostalgia
(00:09:45) Big shout out to Chuck Green
(00:11:...
2023-08-15 20:27:40 +0000 UTC View Post
We continue our journey through Serial Experiments Lain with Layers four through six this week, and if anything's for certain, it's this: we absolutely understand everything going on.
CHAPTERS:
(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate for versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid...
2023-08-14 22:14:58 +0000 UTC View PostHello hello! While I’m still playing Baldur’s Gate 3 (I just hit ACT II at about 40+ hours) and I'm loving it, I’m also pretty excited for Moving Out 2 this week! Hopefully, we can get the crew together since it has online co-op now and play it this week, maybe on the Grab Bag for Thursday. Speaking of co-op, Vampire Survivors is getting some co-op so of course we’re going to jump in and try it out on Monday! On Friday, we’re thinking about that Texas Chain Saw Massacre game, so may...
2023-08-14 17:38:38 +0000 UTC View Post
It was hard to resist the dark urge to keep playing Baldur's Gate 3 long enough to go on this podcast and talk about Baldur's Gate 3, but we pulled it off, plus WrestleQuest, a long-overdue Red Dead Redemption rerelease, Final Fantasy XVI sales numbers, EVO impressions and a Killer Instinct blast from the past, and more.
CHAPTERS
(00:00:00) NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate for versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Plea...
2023-08-09 23:34:36 +0000 UTC View Post
On this week's ramble: power bricks just keep getting smaller, we're all way into trains, Clash Royale exhibits surprising all-ages appeal, the computer heat needs to get expunged, and it seems that SOME superconductors just aren't so super.
CHAPTERS
(00:00:00) Start of show
(00:00:33) Beating the (PC) heat in the summer isn't easy
(00:06:47) LK-99 more like LK-WHATEVER (got 'em)
(00:15:20) Can I get a superconducting laptop charger?
(00:21:24) We shou...
On this week's ramble: power bricks just keep getting smaller, we're all way into trains, Clash Royale exhibits surprising all-ages appeal, the computer heat needs to get expunged, and it seems that SOME superconductors just aren't so super.
CHAPTERS
(00:00:00) Start of show
(00:00:33) Beating the (PC) heat in the summer isn't easy
(00:06:47) LK-99 more like LK-WHATEVER (got 'em)
(00:15:20) Can I get a superconducting laptop charger?
(00:21:24) We shou...
For the first time the Watchcast moves into the wide and wild world of anime! We're christening our first anime watch with the 1998 series Serial Experiments Lain, both because it's great, and it gives us an excuse to talk about old computers.
CHAPTERS:
(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate for versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ...
2023-08-07 21:25:01 +0000 UTC View PostWell, yes. I have been going deep on Baldur’s Gate 3 and have been loving it so far. The DM is a real jerk, but the world has been so much fun to explore so I can look past it. It’s the game I want to be playing during any downtime at this point. The other game I’m really enjoying is Remnant 2 and we’re going to be trying to beat that next boss on Monday’s stream, so I'm pretty excited about that. We’ll have a Grab Bag on Thursday (might be a good time for that Roleplaying Musical...
2023-08-07 17:11:41 +0000 UTC View PostHey everyone! Chances are if you've been following along with us for the last couple of weeks, you've already heard what we've got coming up on the Watchcast, but just in case you haven't, this month marks our first expedition into the world of anime! As the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes go on, they've advised folks who do rewatch podcasts that they'd like us to avoid doing anything that qualifies as struck work, and that more or less includes and current and past Hollywood productions. So we're ...
2023-08-07 15:28:10 +0000 UTC View Post
Starfield may be missing August by mere hours, but Baldur's Gate 3 has roared into this month's RPG spot anyway, so--wait, it's WrestleQuest off the top rope! Listen in as we plan around these games, plus Armored Core VI, a fifth (!) Trine, a new Samba de Amigo (!!), and more.
CHAPTERS
(00:00:06) Intro
(00:01:34) Baldur's Gate 3 [PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac] on Aug 03, 2023
(00:07:02) WrestleQuest [Nintendo Switch, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 4, Play...
Starfield may be missing August by mere hours, but Baldur's Gate 3 has roared into this month's RPG spot anyway, so--wait, it's WrestleQuest off the top rope! Listen in as we plan around these games, plus Armored Core VI, a fifth (!) Trine, a new Samba de Amigo (!!), and more.
CHAPTERS
(00:00:06) Intro
(00:01:34) Baldur's Gate 3 [PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac] on Aug 03, 2023
(00:07:02) WrestleQuest [Nintendo Switch, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 4, Play...
Jeff Bakalar and Dan Ryckert share their summer experiences, their horrifying stories, and their 2028 presidential aspirations!
CHAPTERS:
00:00:06 Intro?
00:00:15 Intro
00:01:53 What's in the box?
00:04:21 Eating can be difficult sometimes
00:06:40 Dan's Travels
00:09:08 Social survival skills of various people
00:12:11 How is life in Bakalar-ville?
00:23:17 Chiggers or berry bugs. It's all gross.
00:26:47 Tick che...
2023-08-04 15:51:13 +0000 UTC View Post
Author Jordan Minor joins us this week to talk about charting the last 45 years of video game history in his new book Video Game of the Year, plus a bunch of other stuff including Disney Illusion Island, Venba, Telltale's new Expanse game, the case of the missing Transformers games, and finally (finally!!) some concrete details about the next Nintendo console.
CHAPTERS
(00:00:00) NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate for versions other than the ad-free Patreon ve...
2023-08-03 00:11:58 +0000 UTC View Post
One offhand mention of Mass Effect somehow took over like half of this week's ramble, but there was still time for us to fit in some chat about the fate of Vinny's trade show lanyards and the toilet party at Alex's house as well.
CHAPTERS
(00:01:31) Keep your old badges, those are history!
(00:06:35) The same goes for old manuals
(00:12:41) Alex's modest PC game collection makes an appearance
(00:19:04) Maybe holding on to old stuff isn't so worthwhile
One offhand mention of Mass Effect somehow took over like half of this week's ramble, but there was still time for us to fit in some chat about the fate of Vinny's trade show lanyards and the toilet party at Alex's house as well.
CHAPTERS
(00:01:31) Keep your old badges, those are history!
(00:06:35) The same goes for old manuals
(00:12:41) Alex's modest PC game collection makes an appearance
(00:19:04) Maybe holding on to old stuff isn't so worthwhile
The season one finale of Twin Peaks is upon us, so it's time to play the game of Alive, Dead, or Arrested, and address the many, many cliffhangers we've been left to reckon with.
NOTE: There's about a nine minute chunk toward the end of the show where you may notice a slight dip in audio quality. One of our tracks got messed up, so that section is taken from a backup. Nothing was lost, just wanted to give the heads-up in case you noticed the change in quality.