Hello and welcome to the latest edition of the Giant Bomb Community Spotlight and I, @zombiepie, am once again honored to be your host this week! Well, I don't know about you, but this was a doozy of a week. For those unaware, I live in the California Bay Area, much like the rest of the Giant Bomb West team, and getting through last week was certainly draining. As many of you are aware, the forest fires and global pandemic resulted in some programming changes last week. However, the overall plan of transitioning the site from solo streams to Quick Looks and premium content remain unchanged. While there will still be plenty of "free" content for everyone to enjoy, rest assured the staff have big plans for the coming weeks as things start to settle down.
- Jeff was out last week because of the California Wildfires.
- Vinny will be out on vacation from 8/31 through 9/4.
- fanbyte did a charity stream this weekend that featured multiple Giant Bomb staff. If you missed the event I'll keep you posted on any archives, but feel free to use the link to donate to their cause, The Bail Project.
- Jan was a guest on the Underpowered Podcast, which is a podcast all about getting through games on your backlog.
- Speaking of staff podcast guest appearances, Abby joined the Talk Chef podcast, which is a podcast that goes through every episode of Top Chef.
- Alex's drumming streams are on a hiatus as he nurses a shoulder injury. He does not suspect it is a serious injury, but will keep everyone posted when he feels up to return to Rock Band.
- conmulligan, the author of the iOS Giant Bomb fan app, Bomb Cyclone, for iPhone and iPad has released a new update! Read all about it, and share which updates you'd like to see in the future, using the link!
Tweets
5 years ago tonight, we began the 3-day process of shutting down this downtown Seattle comedy club forever.@giantbomb pic.twitter.com/dgpnuEY6ct
— Brad Lynch (@MarinoV1) August 27, 2020
And 5 years ago today, we did cursed things in there. Some may still be locked in that room even now. pic.twitter.com/3KHmqv9I2e
— Brad Lynch (@MarinoV1) August 28, 2020
I got a 5.9 inch pale chub!
— Giant Bomb Out of Context (@giantbomb_ooc) August 24, 2020
- Dan Ryckert, 2015
I just hit 7000 created pages on the @giantbomb wiki. I pick obscure EverQuest things for the milestones, so this time it's Sirran the Lunatic. He's a halfling, worships a dragon god, speaks in riddles, and doesn't like it when you make bunnies mad.
— Brad Lynch (@MarinoV1) August 24, 2020
List: https://t.co/GtGNA280Me pic.twitter.com/ySCRTjPzrc
A meal fit for a king. pic.twitter.com/uhSZ6rhOYT
— Jeff Gerstmann (@jeffgerstmann) August 27, 2020
Seems like a good time to dig up this old Giant Bomb bit for #WizardWednesday pic.twitter.com/gZYVqvyxES
— E-Bag Jones (@jonmichaelnoise) August 26, 2020
Clips
Majora's Bomb (By: Dan Auer)
Here's a fun one! Site design lead Dan Auer made this backdrop during the Giant Bomb's Live In Person and Fully Clothed event at PAX Prime 2015. After finding it on their hard drive, they decided to post it on YouTube so you can enjoy "the sense of slow, impending doom in the comfort of your own home."
Art
Euro Truck Simulator 2 Giant Bomb Paint Job (By: @japanimation)
japanimation has fallen in love with Alex's trucking video series and as a result, made this Giant Bomb themed paint job in Euro Truck Simulator 2! Use the link to find out how you can do some trucking with this skin!
Jeff Dinning Room Table Meme (By: @MarinoV1, @GB_Nonsense, @skull_millione, @Kreuzader, @Jonah_Im_High, and @ThatMattMurray)
Alright, as mentioned in the Tweets section, a Tweet by Jeff about his status during the California wildfires went viral by various Giant Bomb users in the best way possible. Here are some of the best works of photoshop I was able to find on Twitter.
Community Activities
Fantasy Football English Premier League 2020/21 Thread (By: @flstyle)
The community 2020/2021 Premier League Fantasy Football thread is LIVE! Drop a comment using the link below if you are interested in playing fantasy association football with other Giant Bomb users!
Blogs
Granblue Fantasy Versus Deserves Better (By: @purpleshyguy)
PurpleShyGuy is a fan of the Granblue Fantasy IP and shares why Granblue Fantasy Versus' continual netcode issues and high price tag, including its DLC, continue to bum them out.
The Wheel of Dubious RPGs Episode 013-014: Sudeki and GreedFall (By: @arbitrarywater)
ArbitraryWater continues their blog series on "Dubious RPGs" with a look at Greedfall and Sudeki! Yup... they played Sudeki... everyone's favorite OG Xbox RPG! Give their blog a read to discover why they were pleasantly surprised by the console RPG.
Gaming Memories: XCOM Enemy Unknown (By: @majormitch)
MajorMitch decided to revisit XCOM Enemy Unknown and see if it holds up in light of the turn-based strategy game "boom" in recent years! Read what they thought on the site.
Indie Game of the Week 185: Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom +
IGotW Special: Indie Bundle of the Century: Part 4 (By: @mento)
First, they have a new episode of their "Indie Game of the Week" blog! This time around, they played Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom! Read why they strongly recommend the charming "explormer" to everyone! Second, Mento continues their blog series on the myriad of games a part of Itch's Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality! This time they review Affinity, Crystal Towers 2 XL, and Stowaway!
Discussions & Threads
Which Of Your Favorite Roguelites/Run-Based Games Are Too Dang Long Or Too Dang Short? (By: @bisonhero)
Here's a fun activity on the Giant Bomb forums: take your favorite roguelites and categorize them as being either "too short" or "too long." Check out the screencap on the right to get your metacognition rolling.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League Trailer (By: @insomniak08)
Rocksteady released a teaser for Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League! What do you think of the premise and how do you think it will play? Share your "theories" with the rest of the community by using the link above!
Marvel's Avengers Beta Discussion Thread (By: @nodima)
The Marvel's Avengers beta has been drawing an interesting reaction on the forums. If you have any impressions of the game, including some of the videos circulating on the internet, join our discussion using the link!
Gotham Knights Reveal And Discussion Thread (By: @humanity)
The community is still BUZZING about Gotham Knights! If that includes you, feel free to share your initial impressions of the game's world premiere and general premise RIGHT NOW!
Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 Coming December 8th (By: @isomeri)
Puyo Puyo Tetris returns in 2020! Are you excited! Give the announcement trailer a watch and join the community hype thread for the recently announced crossover puzzle game!
Thoughts About Peloton Products & Customer Service? (By: @quasiconundrum)
Inspired by Jan's recent comments, are there any users who own or use a Peloton stationary bike or treadmill? What have your experience been? Do you feel satisfied with what you paid for?
Gifts of an Ice Cream Maker - What's Your Flavor (By: @monkeyking1969)
Here's a link to a DELICIOUS thread where users share which flavors of ice cream they would make if they had an ice cream maker. Sometimes it nice to have a "fun" conversation on the forums!
Anyone Still Playing Fortnite? Marvel Season Just Started! (By: @maxx2029)
Are there any users out there playing Fortnite? If so, here's a link to the community discussion thread for the new Marvel season! Share if you have enjoyed or hated it using the link below!
Epic Store Exclusivity For PC (By: @stantongrouse)
Here's a link to the Giant Bomb community discussion thread about Hitman 3's Epic Store exclusivity on PC. Feel free to share how the news impacts you or makes you feel!
TENET Spoiler Discussion Thread (By: @insomniak08)
We have a new SPOILER discussion thread on Giant Bomb for those of you wanting to talk about Tenet, the new Christopher Nolan film! Again, this is a SPOILER DISCUSSION THREAD and everything is permitted!
The Batman Trailer (2021) - Don't Look If You Don't Want To Know (By: @monkeyking1969)
If you are in the mood to discuss movie trailers, here's the community discussion for the new Batman trailer! Currently, it looks like the community is split in terms of how it feels about what was shown in the trailer!
Eve: Echoes Discussion Thread (By: @chadj)
Have any of you tried out Eve: Echoes, the mobile version of Eve Online? Here's a link to the community discussion about the application and you should feel free to share if it represents the MMO well!
Lists
Games of the Year, 2003 + 2004 + 2005 (By: @frontman12)
After a bit of a hiatus, frontman12 returns to their list series wherein they look back at every year they have been gaming and create a GOTY list for that year.
Space Marine Shooters (By: @kablammo)
kablammo is working on a list of every game to feature "Space Marines" as playable characters! Help them out by sharing more examples by using the link above!
User Reviews
- @absentmumble got around to playing and finishing the PS4 port of Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age! Read why they consider the game a "giant beautiful mess."
- @alwaysbeclothing felt inspired to review Totally Accurate Battle Simulator and shares why it's some of the best "dumb fun" they have had with a video game in a long time!
- @capt_blakhelm gave Strange Brigade a shot and shares why they were impressed by the game's presentation, but disappointed by its single-player options and modes.
- @darnocris felt like taking a trip down memory lane by playing Halo: Combat Evolved! Check out the review on the site to find out why they think the game holds up marvelously!
- @jeremyf recently completed Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2 and shares on the site why they enjoyed their time with it even if they came away from it not totally fulfilled.
Wikis
Every blue moon, the database gets a new concept page that really "gets it." This time around we have "coyote time," the "extra time given to the player after running off a ledge and before actually falling." If you can think of more examples, feel free to add them to the wiki page!