Hello an welcome to the latest edition of the Giant Bomb Community Spotlight and I, @zombiepie, am once again honored to be your host as we look back at the best creative endeavors from the community! As was the case last week, I again wish to thank all of you for the influx of comments and support! Again, rest assured this feature is not going away. Likewise, it does appear the spambots are back and you see any just remember to flag them for deletion and do not actually respond to them. This applies here and everywhere on the site. With that in mind, let's jump into the site-related housekeeping!
- If you have noticed a bunch of mid-roll ads on Giant Bomb's YouTube videos, you are not alone. However, Mr. Rorie wants you to know the staff are trying to address this issue as best they can.
- In incredibly important news to the wiki database, Twitch's database is now powered by IGDB.com.
- Last week I mentioned how Twitch streamer GrandPOObear was added to the database as a result of a credit they received in Spelunky 2. In the last Spotlight, Giant Bomb user martyns linked me to their reaction to seeing their name in the credits for the first time and it is truly delightful.
Tweets
@giantbomb has been remote bombcasting for over half a year now >,< (🎶 @hamst3r ) pic.twitter.com/jTwtnVrda6
— Steve Kim (@Fobwashed) October 1, 2020
Turns out I’m currently the NUMBER TWO FUNDRAISER for this year’s Bike MS ride!
— Drew Scanlon (@drewscanlon) October 1, 2020
I summited a mountain; now it’s time for you to push me over! Get me to #1!!
Donate at https://t.co/vf6ItTacgR 🚴 https://t.co/0fVGyRLbL0 pic.twitter.com/HCSROXk0z4
Dear @giantbomb, My husband and I decided to rewatch the Babysitting Mama post for the first time in at least 4-ish years. Still delightful. Led to a ton of weird questions from my kid who was within earshot. pic.twitter.com/CGrQ3kjn2a
— sara 🐡 (@consciousdear88) September 27, 2020
How do you pronounce "croissant"? @giantbomb pic.twitter.com/YnUU4epVfe
— Liam Tasker, Swamp Friend (@LiamNTasker) September 28, 2020
President Reagan says 'fuck you'.
— Giant Bomb Out of Context (@giantbomb_ooc) October 1, 2020
- Jeff Gerstmann, 2009
Art
Giant Bomb x Mega Man (By: @fobwashed)
Friend of the site, Fobwashed (aka Steve Kim on Twitter), was going through some old files of theirs and remembered they mocked up all of the Whiskey Media-era Giant Bomb staff as Mega Man characters. For old-time users some of this may seem familiar, but it is fun nonetheless.
Community Activities
Spelunky 2 PS4 + PC Leaderboard Fun Fun Times (By: @gerbilsinspace)
The Giant Bomb community Spelunky 2 leaderboard has been updated to allow for PC AND PS4 friend requests! If you want to join the leaderboard madness use the link below!
Blogs
What The Heck Is Going On With Gran Turismo And Why Aren't People Talking About It? +
Mad Max Is A Game Whose Good Open World Can't Quite Compensate For Its Generic Design And Story (By: @bigsocrates)
bigsocrates was on a writing storm this week with two blogs about a variety of topics. First, they wondered loudly about the state of the Gran Turismo franchise and ask what happened to the previously venerated driving sim franchise? Next, bigsocrates decided to give Mad Max the video game a shot! Read why they thought it was a nice "take" on the open-world format plagued with storytelling and pacing issues.
Interview: Julian Glander, Creator of ART SQOOL (By: @gamer_152)
Moderator Gamer_152 covered the indie game Art Sqool a while back and this week was able to track down the game's developer and interview them about the game's themes and messages about the art establishment.
The Wheel of Dubious RPGs Episode 017-018: Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader and Divinity II: Ego Draconis (By: @arbitrarywater)
ArbitraryWater continues their "Wheel of Dubious RPGs" series on the site with a write-up about Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader and Divinity II: The Dragon Knight Saga! Read what they thought of both games using the link!
Life Time Fun: the 2020 Update (By: @daavpuke)
Daavpuke is always up for playing a "bad game" and this week details their slow descent into madness as they explore the world of Kazook on the OG PSP! 2020 has been a hell of a year for all of us!
VinnCo Hyperlight Stream Shipping (By: @thesquarepear)
In an exercise that would make Vinny proud, user thesquarepear wanted to see if it was actually possible to make a "Parsec stream machine." Read their blueprints for such a device using the link above!
The 2020 Check-In: What I Played in my Summer Quarantine +
Indie Game of the Week 190: Battle Chef Brigade (By: @mento)
First, Mento's latest "Indie Game of the Week" blog is all about Battle Chef Brigade! Read why they loved the game's mix of cooking with action and platforming! Second, Mento provides a "check-in" on the various games they played during their Summer quarantine! Read all about the games both big and small they loved and hated!
What's The Deal With Our Hobby And Sociopathy? (By: @bearhardt)
bearhardt tackles the heavy topic of the online gaming community and the toxicity that plagues almost every part of it. They attempt to try and discuss and identify what about gaming seems to attract sociopathy and toxicity.
Discussion Threads & Forums
Star Wars: Squadrons Discussion Thread (By: @kryplixx)
Have any of you given Star Wars: Squadrons a test flight? If you have, here's a link to the community discussion thread for the game! Share your thoughts about the game's Star Wars dogfighting action!
Genshin Impact Post-Launch Discussion Thread (By: @brittinius)
Genshin Impact has come up during Giant Bombcast discussions from time to time, but how would you describe the game's post-launch support or even it Switch release?
Final Fantasy, The New 3rd Person Story Based Beat 'em Up Franchise? (By: @schindigg)
Here's an interesting thread debating the merits and de-merits of Final Fantasy XVI using a real-time action-based combat system. Share your thoughts about the move away from turn-based combat!
Hades Ending And SPOILERS Discussion Thread (By: @clagnaught)
To everyone who has finished Hades, here's a link to the community ending and SPOILERS discussion thread! If you want to discuss any part of the game that would be considered a "SPOILER," then this is the thread for you!
Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time Discussion Thread (By: @csl316)
Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time came out recently and so far, members of the community seem to be enjoying it! If you picked up the game, feel free to share your thoughts about it!
Super Smash Brothers Is Adding Minecraft Steve (By: @bigsocrates)
It caught a lot of people off guard, but Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is adding Minecraft Steve! What's your reaction to the news? Have you tried out Steve and the other Minecraft characters in Smash?
What Would Nintendo's Actual Major Holiday Release Have Been, If Covid-19 Hadn't Caused Its Delay? (By: @bisonhero)
What do you think would have been the "marquee" game for Nintendo's 2020 holiday season if it hadn't been for COVID-19 delays? Vote for and discuss your pick with the rest of the community!
Best and Worst Collectables (By: @croznad)
As the title suggests, what are your favorite and least favorite examples of collectables in video games? Which games used collectibles to inspire you to explore and which ones made you want to walk away.
Spelunky 2 Journal Sharing Thread (By: @spiketail)
Calling all Spelunky 2 fans in the Giant Bomb community! What has the journal said about the way you play the game? Share pictures of your journal using the link above!
FarmVille Is Coming To An End (By: @finaldasa)
Breaking News! FarmVille is DEAD! Read all about to planned shuttering of FarmVille and join the rest of the community in sharing your memories of the Facebook game that took the world by storm.
Lists
Game of the (8th) Generation (By: @kanerobot)
KaneRobot returns to making lists on the site with a look at their favorite games from the 8th generation of consoles! See which Xbox One, Switch, and PS4 games made the cut on their list!
Games I Beat 2020 (By: @jeremyf)
After seeing the credits of Hades, jeremyf felt inspired to update their list of games they have beaten in the year of our Lord, 2020. Give it a read and discover which games they have enjoyed the most.
User Reviews
- @riostarwind's A Plague Tale: Innocencereview details why they thoroughly impressed by the game's unnerving themes and atmosphere despite a few stealth-based mechanical hiccups.
- @yyninja's Fire Emblem: Three Houses shares why they enjoyed the game and its suite of characters despite issues with its pacing and wackier storytelling pivots.
- @danryback returns to their "classic" fighting game review series with a look at SVC Chaos: SNK vs. Capcom! Read why they found the game to be both enlightening and an unapproachable relic of the past.
Wikis
Many thanks again to fellow Giant Bomb wiki moderator, @marino, for doing a bit of sleuthing this week! In response to a Giant Bombcast email asking about a sequel to Super Mario 64, Marino pointed out that Issue 104 of Nintendo Power confirmed its existence. And wouldn't ya know it, we've had a proof of that on the Giant Bomb