Get in the Ring: (10/18/2017)

So quick, thanks!

This was such a great stream! Looking forward to more of these!

THE BLUDGEON BROTHERS

"Just a few questions for you" - Alex's interview with the Ultimate Warrior

Awesome stream! Great to hear the guys talk about some wrestling again.

Hell yeah.

I haven't cared to watch wrestling for many years, but I do miss the powerbombcast so am excited to check this video out. I enjoy listen to the guys rant and talk about whatever ridiculous thing is happening.

Dan definitely said that "Randy Orton is way into Breath of the Wild, and Cesaro got all 120 Shines", and a part of my soul shriveled up and died.

2k18 isnt terrible. Its certainly better than 2k17, and as someone who doesnt play every single wrestling game the second they come out i've been enjoying it. I mean its not great, the system is still meh, but its fun. Its no Fire Pro, but what is?

I have not played a wwe game since wwe 12 and for me 2k18 is alright. I think it might have something to do with my time away from the series. Theres lots of customization and the presentation is really good, the gameplay for sure has ups and downs. I do agree that the reversal system is bad, but i think there is a way to make it easier in the settings. There should be another wwe video game series that is more of an old wwf smackdown feel and 2k can also exist. Sort of like the Forza and Forza Horizon that exist side by side.

This is great. I still listen to old Powerbombcast episodes. I don't know why but something about listeing to the GB crew talk about wrestling is something I love.

@stordoff: Alex: The columbo of video game journalists.

Stoked! You're going to unintentionally inspire so many purchases of WWE 2K18 however...

I don't like wrestling, but I like Giant Bomb people talk about wrestling. I shall watch this.

RoH of pretty good as someone with a child... I can watch it on about an hour a week.

Wish there was more love for Fashion Police. Best thing about rasslin today.

I'm not big into wrestling, or wrestling games, so I think this is another pass for me.

Love this. Would love to see you guys do Wrestlemania 2000 and No Mercy. Thanks for the quick turn around.

More good/bad / bad/good wrestling content please.

no sms this week :(

Why does this end in the middle of Alex saying something?

This video just sort of cuts out at the end.

@danryckert Rick Flair is a terrible person. There have been many accusations if forceful sexual conduct throughout his career.

Fun video, good idea to do this to replace the Powerbombcast. Nice to hear that DDP was super nice to you guys.

Is there a problem with the upload though? The video abruptly ends for me in the middle of Alex bringing up the Velveteen Dream.

It might be known but didn't see anyone in the comments mention it but SterDust is Jim Sterling

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKrlvXZ44Vo

@ybbaaabby: There appears to be an issue with this upload - the last few minutes (5-10 if I remember correctly from the live version) are cut off.

Alex nailed it. They have the best roster they've had in over a decade yet seem incapable of doing anything interesting with it for more then five minutes.

I stopped watching this year by accident because there was nothing enticing me to watch.

@jeff: *nods* The Bludgeon Brothers.

Y AM I WATCHING THIS?!

Amazing idea! I haven't watched more than 30s of this yet but if it's like the wrestling podcast they did with a classic wrestling game being played in the background, then I'm in!

This is a great idea! Nice work, GBEAST!

Seeing how down even Dan is on current wrestling makes me glad I canceled my Network subscription when I did.

I kinda wish Abby would occasionally chime in to try to understand any of what they're talking about, and why any of it is interesting. Sort of like that time where Drew was on the Powerbombcast and was the outsider trying to understand all of what he was seeing.

But also trying to feign interest in wrestling storylines for a 2 hour video is a pretty big ask. I certainly couldn't do it (unless it's 2 hours of GLOW).

Dang it Dan stopped Alex from doing more characters in the gaming communty and made him do Bullet Club guys so idk if he used any of the characters I created which is really lame

I really hope this isn't a one off thing. I'd like to see this as a semi-regular series, maybe with the occasional guest. (Austin Walker to Austin Creed). More wrestling content on the site would be welcome.

Kinda bummed it cuts off at the end, though. This was great background listening while I'm cleaning up side quests in Nier: Automata.

Yeah, the ending of this just sorta cuts out mid sentence. Besides that, loved this.

@stordoff: hmm, very strange! I can't look at it now but I will reupload first thing tomorrow morning. Sorry about that folks! Thanks for your patience!!

I'm so glad we got this back in our lives.

Great stream, hope it becomes a regular thing....even if it still bugs me how your continued no grey area stance on certain games applies heavily on the Smackdown legacy series.

"WWE 2k18 is not a good game/it's a big steaming turd/it fucking sucks"

If you're not into simulation, and are looking for a decent story mode....it's understandable you wouldn't like it as it is a disappointing overall package. But for those that live and die by its creation aspects and enjoy the core wrestling gameplay which is the best its ever been (even in its current unpatched state), it's fine and I'm not regretting the $75 I dropped on it.

"If it controlled well"

It's no AKI engine, but it does. Outside the (still) shitty submission wheel mini-game and the lousy mechanics for gimmick matches, the core gameplay is tremendously fun and gives off a better presentation of actual wrestling than anything out there. And just because it's not the arcade experience you might be looking for, it doesn't mean it's a bad game. Like, you wouldn't cover Madden and complain it's not Blitz, would you? I seriously want a sequel to All Stars or the AKI titles, but I'm not gonna hold it against the 2K series because they're a different style of game within the genre.

The strength of the current gameplay is to pull off a realistic reversal heavy back and forth match, something you can't do if both players aren't in the same mindset, which neither of you have ever semed to be. I can't stress this enough, the reversal and transitional animations 2K has added is a tremendously important piece of the equation you guys don't seem to be encountering from the way you play, so it's understandable how Dan can't understand why people get so into this series. Also, I imagine your current view of the industry and how much you place on nostalgia factors heavily into the mix as well.

Simple things though, like the pin mechanic, are fine. You just need to be patient and time your button press. It reminds me of something Abby said during the Beastcast's SummerSlam demo recap in which the gameplay felt "button mashy." It probably does if you don't understand how the mechanic works. There's only one or two instances of button mashing in the game, and each are pretty lousy including the alternate submission method which Dan weirdly prefers considering you need turbo speed to successfully pull off.

"'15 sucked, '16 sucked..."

I didn't play '15 as it was a rebuilding year and the create mode wasn't up to par, '16 was a pretty well rounded package actually, its creation suite was a return to form, which on top of a lengthy Austin retrospective easily makes it the best installment this generation if you haven't experienced 2K17's improvements to gameplay.

"The filters on the retro arenas suck."

They do, yes!

"The backstage brawling is bad."

Also true!

"Warrior was a hell person (and all things said about him)"

Couldn't agree with you more. Fuck that guy.

Him going off on Alex was amusing though.

"Diamond Dallas Page..."

- DDP didn't appear in the Legends of Wrestling series until its third edition "Showdown".

- His "Accountability Crib" is actually outside Atlanta.

- His old finish, the Diamond Clash...which yes, is similar to the Styles Clash and not a Flapjack which is more of an inverted back body drop....which you later realized.

And now I leave you with the most amusing "glitch" I've encountered thus far in 2K18...

BUT WHAT ABOUT VELVETEEN DREAM?!?!

fun show. Got a lot of laughs from the backstage brawl

Any excuse to post one of the most feel good wrestling videos is good to me!

Kenta was diagnosed with cancer, and was out for 547 days, only to return to a massive ovation. He and Misawa, one of his opponents in the above match, are two of the all time greatest.

Well the Vinny's away the wrestlers will play.

Awesome :) great steam.

@ybbaaabby: awesome! Keep up the good work!

Video cuts off abruptly at the end. How much is missing?

"Bobby Roode's got the best theme in wrestling right now"

NUH UH.

Mochizuki sings his own theme. It's the theme from a 70s boxing anime. What more could you want.

@dog_mayor: While that's a great theme, Bobby Roode's is simply.... GLORIOUS

I liked this!