Humor

Ok, there may need to be some explaining here before viewing the video.

QWOP is a rag-doll based Flash game where you control an Olympic runner doing the 100-meter dash. While it may look like a Track n' Field romp, QWOP is far more sadistic than the NES classic. Players use four buttons to control the lower limbs of the runner. "Q" and "W" control his thighs and "O" and "P" control his calves. That's pretty much it. It may sound simple but it is anything but. YouTube is full of videos of people who were foolish enough to attempt this game although there are some who have actually achieved the game's goal—although you would hardly call them winners if you watched the videos.

Now that we got that out of the way, the Dorkly guys asked the question that many of us asked after playing a bit of QWOP: how is that guy in the bedroom? You only have to watch the video to find out.

Saw the promotional trailer for this mash-up called Fistful of Rupees and I thought that while it looked interesting, it would be as forgettable as The Legend of Zelda fan-made video tribute things tend to be. However, having seen all three parts to the "film" I have to say this effort is surprisingly good on many levels—the acting is surprisingly good, the action is surprisingly good and the production quality is surprisingly good as well. Never thought I'd want a Zelda game based on a Spaghetti Western until now.

The Extra Credits guys tackle how gamers can affect political change. They even get a game-playing Congressman—didn't know any actually existed—to offer some advice.

Hiroshi Yamauchi (former President of Nintendo of Japan) once famously said that "gamers like to sit alone at home playing dark, depressing games?" Yamauchi was criticizing the industry and even gamers at the time for embracing dark, gritty, CGI-heavy, and mature-oriented games over the more cheerful, family-oriented titles. He felt that it was making games less inclusive and too much like movies. But his words were largely dismissed as the ravings of an old exec upset that fewer people were buying games on his platform. Extra Credits is taking a similar tack, only it makes a better argument than Yamauchi.

The Dorkly guys look at the tough position the Dark Knight would find himself in should he have run into Occupy Wall Street.

The guys at Extra Credits look at something that you've probably never heard about: we are running out of bandwidth. All of those videos of cats being adorable and marathon sessions of Angry Birds and Call of Duty are taxing the current bandwidth sources leaving us in need of more sources or risk running out in a couple of years. It may not seem applicable to gamers, but just watch the video and you'll see that this could be an issue especially with newer game consoles and game-playing media devices coming online at about the same time.

You probably never thought about it this way, but while playing The Legend of Zelda, you were going into boss fights at a severe disadvantage. Not only were you probably low on health, but you had to deal with that incessant chiming. Dorkly shows us how Link should have used it to turn the tables.

Mario and Luigi have been busy the last couple of years. The 3DS has been crammed with all sorts of Mario-themed adventures from Mario Kart 7 to Super Mario 3D Land to Mario Tennis: Open—Luigi has even gotten his own sequel this year. Needless to say, the Mario Brothers are busy. But even so, does that make it okay to leave their other less-talented brother behind to man the shop. Doesn't he deserve some of the glory?

With so many platforms and the influx of new funding sources, Indie game development is looking like a surer bet than it ever has. However, as the guys at Extra Credits repeatedly point out in this video, once you actually attempt it, you might have to temper your expectations.

Tonight (or today, depending on when you choose to listen) we join Richard, Kristin, and guests Aaron and Anna for a very special Avatar-themed podcast. No, not the stupid M. Night Shyamalan adaptation or James Cameron film, we're talking about the real meat of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra. We talk about our favorite episodes and characters, followed by rampant gushing about everything related to bending, sky bisons, and more. Plus, we engage in rampant speculation as to the identity of Amon, all of which turns out to be spectacularly wrong. Enjoy!

Please send feedback and mailbag questions to podcast (at) gamecritics (dot) com.