I usually write these opening spiels after finding some kind of link between my three answers. In today's case, in this series of Doctor Who, otaku, and video game challenges, I just couldn't fine one beyond an excessive use of popular culture. So, that turned into a pun - "popped culture" - and then I found an image of popcorn to cash in on that painful joke. I am a petty, petty man. Regardless; enjoy.
Whatever tickles your fancy.
Believe it or not, I read PC Gamer. I know, it's uncanny. Anyway, one of the best things about PC Gamer (their website, anyway), is a little segment called "Saturday Crapshoot," by one Richard Cobbett, who reminds me if David Mitchell were smushed together with Ben Crosshaw. He is as such a cynical, angry, yet coldly logical person, who dissects old, shit PC games in a Let's Play-style manner. It's quite a fun read, really.
One of his articles focuses on an old Doctor Who game called Destiny of the Doctors, and you should all read the article right now. However, if you're not in the market for clicking links, here's a small example of his cold-hearted, logical humour: "Say what you like about the Master – he’s a good sport in this game. Beat him in a challenge and he releases the Doctor’s incarnation just as promised, even if he does make a point of trying to pretend that he’s only letting you win for his own amusement. Get them all back and his tone somewhat changes, as his allies realise that he’s been playing them in order to conquer the universe and go after him. As the ancient Galifreyan proverb says, 'Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me 56,756,234 times in assorted universes, seriously, just kill me and get it over with.'" Now, that's gold.
Otaku Challenge, Day 12
Silliest filler.
I must digress - I have not seen a lot of anime that even has the need for "filler". It's usually one-season, 26-episode story-driven stuff, and barely any filler is in those. But, I have seen some silly fillers in these series. The silliest of which... probably episode 13 of To Aru Majustu no Index's spin-off, Toaru Kagaku no Railgun, in which all the main characters (all attractive, moe, college-aged schoolgirls) enter a holodeck-style photoshoot-lab thing and basically just dress up in bikinis and... cook each other gourmet lunches. Huh.
It's fan-service, but that doesn't excuse the idiocy of it all - or why it is laden with in-jokes and pop culture references. For example, I'm sure the target audience of Toara Kagaku no Railgun know nothing of Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, so in makes little sense that, when the girls find themselves stuck on the moon inside the holodeck-thingy, they find the freaking monolith. Oh, how very, very silly. I did enjoy it, mind. It was just oh so very very, insultingly even, silly.
Video Game Challenge, Day 12
A game everyone should play.
I bet you think I'm going to say something like Portal, aren't you? You think I'm going to suggest everyone should play Half-Life 2 or something. Crysis. Psychonauts, maybe? Well, don't be so stupid, sir or ma'am; as much as there are the games I love, they certainly aren't the games I'd recommend to "everyone". No, of course not.
Audiosurf. Yes, Audiosurf. Why? Because everyone loves their own taste in music. Audiosurf is a game built around your own music collection, and though the gameplay itself - that is to say, a sort of Tetris-like block-matching game - is sort of simple, it's the experience of being able to "ride" your music that is the core substance found within Audiosurf. It's incredibly user-friendly, with several difficulty modes, and the enjoyability of the game really coming from what sort of mp3s you have on your computer. It's a game everyone can play, and it's a game every should play, because it really is just one hell of an accessible, enthralling experience. ...also everyone should play Portal. Okay I'll shut up now.
Be sure to come in tomorrow for my favourite Doctor Who villain, a wacky ship that I would love (...huh?), and a game that I've played more than five times. Bye!
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