Welcome to the latest edition of the Giant Bomb Community Spotlight! I, @zombiepie, am once again honored to be your host as we look back at the best community creations and site-related news from the previous week!
I greatly appreciate those of you taking the time to read these even it means taking a break from fawning over Final Fantasy VII Rebirth's Tifa. Also, this week saw an almost record-breaking number of blogs in the span of one week! It would be fantastic if everyone who read this showed their support for some of these blogs with a supportive comment! Spread some love and do a kind thing when you have the time!
The Giant Bomb staff and friends really made the rounds this week.
Dan guested on the MinnMax show to talk about Helldivers II and Balatro and you can catch the VOD over on their YouTube account.
Lucy helmed a new retrospective on Final Fantasy VII on GameSpot that is worth a watch if you are excited about the release of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.
Tam did an interview with Sports Illustrated's video game division where he discussed growing up on a council estate, battling depression, and struggling to get into games media.
Last week, I mentioned the staff's PAX East plans have been officially announced via the PAX schedule and it looks like a back-to-back PAX panel on Friday night, March 22nd, at PAX East! The staff will be hosting a live in-person VMDT and then follow it up with Dandoko Dare live! This will be streamed live on https://twitch.tv/pax2
However, there's one more new addition to the PAX East schedule you might want to be aware about. There's going to be a Giant Beastcast Reunion! That's right! Alex, Vinny, Dan, Abby, AND Jeff Bakalar are getting back together to host a one-hour panel about one of the greatest podcasts to ever hit the internet! Unfortunately, the Condor Theatre is not set up for live streams.
Galleria
Dan's Blight Club Fate WWE Edition (By: @kone)
Dan has all but confirmed that the next time he is a victim to the whims of Blight Club, the game he will be playing will be Superman for the Nintendo 64. Seeing a chance to turn this into something "special," Kone made this work of Photoshop goodness.
Techno Syndrome (Minotti Mix) (By: DMonk52)
With Mike's Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero edition of Blight Club being one of the early highlights of 2024, maybe what you need in your life right now is the Mortal Kombat theme with the words MIKE MINOTTI chanting over and over again!
Tweets
Nine years ago, I put @patrickklepek through hell with a trilogy of nightmare Mario Maker levels. With the Wii U servers shutting down soon, it's time for @JeffGrubb to give them a shot.
— Dan Ryckert (@DanRyckert) February 23, 2024
1pm Eastern at https://t.co/WQSYkGid2Zhttps://t.co/HY3jW5oDF7pic.twitter.com/8gSMQwYMvz
Ten years... pic.twitter.com/bNQFDn6KOw
— Moosey. (@MooseyMcMan) February 22, 2024
@GBDudersFeed my cat is really into @DanRyckertpic.twitter.com/pA1tm1EqB2
— Frankenberry🎃 (@Ultrawham) February 21, 2024
I am grateful for this ridiculous life. Thank you, Joy Z! https://t.co/D1nspCM1pJ
— Mike Minotti (@Tolkoto) February 21, 2024
We have a ton of awesome videos leading into the launch of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth that we’ve been planning for a long time.
— Tom Caswell (@GreatBriTom) February 20, 2024
It kicks off today with @lucyjamesgames and the History of FF VII, from the original game, to spinoffs, movies, and remakes. https://t.co/1HoaJevIXy
Giant Bomb's @danryckert joins @leovader and @yacobg42 for some fun in Helldivers 2... but they just can't stop thinking about @BalatroGame. https://t.co/PgCH51bzohpic.twitter.com/hhZUWqUPf4
— MinnMax (@MinnMaxShow) February 22, 2024
Activities
Rollerdrome Is The 4th Game Of Year 3 Of The Game Pass Game Club! Finish by February 26!
Don't forget that Rollerdrome is the latest pick for the Game Pass Game Club! If you put Rollerdrome on your 2023 GOTY lists, now is your time to shine! Just click the link below.
Unsanctioned Unofficial Game Pass Game Club Voting Thread For Cycle Starting February 26 2024 (By: @bigsocrates)
It is time to send in your votes for the next pick for the community-run Game Pass Game Club! Here's a list of the nominees and remember you can VOTE FOR TWO from the list!
The GB Album Club 053 - Sanguivore by Creeper (By: @unclejam23)
The latest edition of the Giant Bomb Album of the Week Club is here and this time the group is listening and reviewing Sanguivore by English rock band, Creeper! Are you familiar with this group? Regardless, join the fun NOW!
Blogs
Why Does Superman [64, Which Isn't Really In The Title] Have Such An Enduring Legacy?
With the growing popularity of Blight Club, why is Superman (aka Superman 64) one of the most commonly suggested games? Why is it so many people's go to example of a bad game? bigsocrates attempts to figure it out.
Both Microsoft And Sony Are Starting To Talk New Hardware And It Just Seems Profoundly Unnecessary (By: @bigsocrates)
bigsocrates has been following the gaming news cycle about the possibility of new video game consoles and they relay on a blog on why they have zero enthusiasm for new tech in the gaming sphere.
ZombiePie returns to blogging with an essay on why they were overall disappointed with Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty and why that disappointment clouds their ability to get excited for Team Ninja's next project, Rise of the Ronin.
A Review Of Demos From The February 2024 Steam Next Fest Event I Played [Part 1]: Yes, This Blog Talks About Balatro (By: @zombiepie)
It's late, but ZombiePie also published the first part to a two-part series talking about the February Next Fest event and if any of the demos they played have them excited! Also, yes, this blog talks about Balatro.
Moderator Mento is back with a new episode of their "64 in 64" feature on the site! This time, they played Gauntlet Legends and Midway's Greatest Arcade Hits Volume I in a very Midway-based edition of their blog!
Indie Game of the Week 358: Costume Quest 2 (By: @mento)
Likewise, Mento has a new episode of their "Indie Game of the Week" feature and this one is all about Double Fine's Costume Quest 2! Read why they found the game perfectly "fine," just like the first.
What's the Greatest Video Game: MDK 2 (By: @imunbeatable80)
For the latest edition of their "What's the Greatest Video Game" series, imunbeatable80 looks at MDK 2! What do they make of this forgotten title from BioWare's catalog? Were they a fan of its well-known difficulty? Read on!
I Finished Trails of Cold Steel IV (By: @bowl-of-lentils)
After burning out on the series a few years back, Bowl-of-Lentils writes about their long journey finishing The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV and what they think about the final PS4 installment of the Trails of Cold Steel story arc.
Suicide Squad, And Why I Love DC's Weirdos And Losers So Much. (By: @mooseymcman)
On a whim, MooseyMcMan decided to give Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League a shot and they penned a massive blog on why they ended up enjoying it thanks to the lovable cast of misfits you follow in the game's story.
Navigator: Potion Craft and Information Spaces (By: @gamer_152)
Moderator Gamer_152 recently penned an essay about Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator and discusses how Potion Craft and other games use "Information Spaces" to process visual information and data. Learn more on their blog!
Persona 3 Reload Review In Progress Chapter 4: Night Herself (By: @infantpipoc)
infantpipoc finally completed Persona 3 Reload and their playtime came in at around 62 hours! Read who they ended up romancing, why they still hate the Nyx battle, and what they thought about the game's ending OBVIOUS SPOILERS!
Discussion Threads
Helldivers 2 - Are You Doing YOUR Part? (By: @glots)
Helldivers II is one of the biggest gaming success stories of 2024, but have you tried it out? What are your impressions of the game and its story thus far? Any issues with the servers? Favorite stratagems?
Balatro Seed, Tips, & Tricks Sharing Thread (By: @zombiepie)
People are still struggling to beat Balatro or finding certain rare cards, so I created a thread where people can drop comments to add to a permanent guide table! Send me suggestions and I will update the table!
Do Most Live Service Games (Especially Those That Are Not PvP Focused) Actually Provide Much In The Way Of Service? (By: @bigsocrates)
Inspired by the release of Skull & Bones, there's an interesting discussion on the forums about what people expect as a "service" with live service games? Can you think of examples that have done the live service model well?
Vice Media and Vice.com Are Essentially Dead (By: @zombiepie)
In a blow to quality journalism, it appears that Vice Media and Vice.com are dead. Do any of you know of places to go as alternatives? Is anyone matching Vice's quality of reporting about the rise of extremism?
Switch 2 Seems Delayed. Nintendo Doesn't Have Much Coming For Switch. What Remasters Or Remakes Would You Like To See? (By: @bigsocrates)
With the recent Nintendo Direct putting an emphasis on them, remasters are growing part of the OG Nintendo Switch's portfolio. What are the remasters you still are hoping for on the platform? Give me a port of Strange Journey, you cowards!
User Review
@infantpipoc finally published their overall review of Persona 3 Reload after cover the game on the site in the form of several in-progress blogs! Check out why they think the game is for Persona 3 veterans and newcomers!
Lists
My “Flask” Collection: A Look Back On Handhelds Of The Last 2 Decade (By: @infantpipoc)
With the Steam Deck and its many clones reviving portable gaming, infantpipoc decided to review and rank every single portable gaming device they have ever owned. Read their handheld highs and lows over here!
Favorite Metroidvanias (By: @edsone)
Some new games in the genre have come out since they last published their list of all-time favorite Metroidvanias, so edsone had a go at updating their list! Which recent titles cracked their top ten? Give it a read and feel free to make your own list when you have the time!
Wiki Of The Week
Do you remember the rare SNES games that would release in large cardboard boxes with an officially sanctioned game guide? Well, we now have a concept page documenting this very phenomenon! The list looks pretty complete right now, but feel free to add examples that might be missing.
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