The Tech-Gaming Podcast, World 3-1

Photo of Robert Allen Robert AllenMay 21, 2010
61 844 Less than a minute

The week the Tech-Gaming crew fights for survival in Split/Second, the Shepherd’s Crossing series, and Bloomies before debating the necessity for story in the Mushroom Kingdom. Before things drift too far into the arcane, we offer impressions on Super Mario Galaxy 2, Rocket Knight, and getting trounced at WarHammer 40K. As always, we offer a dose of trivia, as well as answer the consistently engaging reader mail.

Don’t forget to send your questions for ournext mailbag, and subscribe to the Tech-Gaming Podcast on iTunes.

Photo of Robert Allen Robert AllenMay 21, 2010
61 844 Less than a minute
Photo of Robert Allen

Robert Allen

Since being a toddler, Robert Allen has been immersed in video games, anime, and tokusatsu. Currently, his days are spent teaching at two southern California colleges. But his evenings and weekends are filled with STGs, RPGs, and action titles and well at writing for Tech-Gaming since 2007.

61 Comments

  6. The guy on Joystiq raved on how incredible Rocket Night was. You seem cold on it.

  9. I like Deagle’s solution- “toss the table”

    BTW- Whose laugh at the 17:25 mark? Sounds crazy!

  11. That’s kind of a poor sport thing to do? I doubt if you really did that anyone would want to play you again.

  15. The feud continues, huh? You guys should settle it once and for all…

    …with a gaming showdown.

  19. NOLA, you donta lika the Mario gama?

    I isa so displeased witha you right now.

  21. Yep, one minute in and he starts the fight! But how much of it is real? That’s what I want to know.

  22. Because the Skype sound effect is so loud that’s why! It always scares me.

  25. You know I just realized you can listen to the show here by hitting the button. I just assumed it was a graphic before.

  26. Oh Luigi, you know I’ll always love you.

    I may have misrepresented myself a little bit. I don’t dislike the Mario games, I just don’t know that the nostalgia-tickling aspect of them should be what carries the core series. I had a Genesis and Saturn during instead of a SNES and 64, and although I did play SMWorld an SM64 and enjoyed them, I don’t have the nostalgic longing for Mario as a character as a lot of others seem to have.

    That being said, I think the games are solid and well crafted, but I wish that Mario, as a character was more than an hollow shell with a mustache.

    Actually, it’s appropriate that Luigi responded, because I think he is an example of what Mario could be, which is great. We know a lot more about Luigi as a character – he’s cowardly, he has a jealous admiration of his brother and he is a constant worrier. Over the past 20 years, he’s really become a lovable character with a very recognizable personality. Mario, on the other hand is just a generic hero guy who saves the princess and always gets the girl on the virtue of the fact that he is the one who saved her. I feel like he could be replaced with a robot or a knight and I wouldn’t really feel any different toward the character.

    That’s why I like the ancillary games, like “Mario & Luigi” or “Luigi’s Mansion” so much: because Nintendo uses them to explore the characters’ personality, and although Mario still has less personality than anyone in the Mushroom Kingdom, he has a lot more depth than he has in Galaxy.

    Also also, I finished the first Galaxy this week, and I have to retcon some of my argument: I would rather have a soulless, empty shell of a Mario than see the games injected with renegade anime/JRPG psycho-babble. Seriously, what the hell was up with the whole crying baby star thing?

  28. I agree with most of your points. I’m thinking (and I heard in interviews) that Nintendo wants their Mario games to be timeless.

    The more personality you give a character, the more of a change of dating the character. Look at Sonic’s attitude- seems kind of 90’ish now.

    I guess it’s the same thing Disney does with Mickey, he’s more of an icon that anything else. No real personality.

  29. Mario could easily be placed with a bobcat, hedgehog or opossum. and he has.

    Only the quality of each of those games depends on how good the platforming was and less of the character of each game. The character only gets you to notice the game.

  31. Funny, the show I listen to before yours raved about Rocket Knight. Go figure.

  33. this show was full of win. It was one turn-based, giant Monster Hunting, exploding game with plenty of lens flare.

  35. My favorite part of every podcast is where Desert talks about blowing up or destroying something and Tide and Sean just ignore him.

  39. “escorting lady frogs back to your love hole” just had me laughing like a crazy man as I walked down the street.

  43. Yea, it’s The Adventures of Duane and Brando again. I’ll be honest, I’m quickly running out of material to end the show with – I need to reload my nerd music.

  58. Question send for the next show!

    How come you guys dont talk about game news?!?

  59. Questions, answer them.

    What are the game you guys are most looking forward to playing at E3?

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