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 latest works and creative endeavors of the Giant Bomb Community!
News
Jeff Bakalar and Austin Walker were both guests on Nextlander's sixth "Never Been a Better Podcast." Be aware, this podcast is locked behind Nextlander's $10 Patreon tier.
As we will review shortly, archives of Extra Life 2022 streams are delayed but will be coming to the site. With those two notes away, let's review the real meat and potatoes of this edition of the Community Spotlight, PHASE TWO OF GIANT BOMB'S EXTRA LIFE 2022 CONTENT!
Extra Life 2022 Plans & Information!
First, if you are wondering about the archive or VOD for Giant Bomb's main events for Extra Life from 11/04 to 11/6, Jan announced on Twitter that the encoder is having issues processing the streams due to their length. However, rest assured, the Giant Bomb hosted VODs will be on the site eventually. For the guest streams that were hosted by the likes of Dave Lang or Abby, you can check the links below or in the tracker.
Now, let's talk about this weekend and future plans involving Extra Life! Unfortunately, while Danny was originally scheduled to stream for the site's Extra Life team from 11/11 to 11/12, due to technical issues he had to cancel his stream and delay it by a week. On the upside, Gextra Life with Jess and her partner is still on for Saturday, and Will Crosby from GameSpot as well as the SubPixel Team will carry the torch after that and into Sunday! Likewise, the Giant Bomb Discord will be hosting non-stop coverage from 11/11 to 11/13! If you want more information about what to expect, click the updated Extra Life article provided by Rorie below!
- Let's Gear Up For Another Fun Weekend of Extra Life! (By: @rorie)
- Jess's Donation Page (i.e., Gextra Life)
- Giant Bomb Discord Donation Page
- Subpixel Films Donation Page
- Danny O'Dwyer's Donation Page
- The Giant Bomb Team Page - We still have a few team members at $0 raised for Extra Life and if you can even spare a single $2, it would be appreciated.
Tweets
Author's Note: For a while now I have considered cutting the "Tweets" section of the Community Spotlight even before the recent news and developments surrounding the social media platform. First and foremost, the site no longer displays Tweets with media correctly which makes certain Tweets all but unreadable. However, with what is happening with Twitter, I am erring close towards axing this section but wanted to solicit input from the community before following through with my feelings. If you have any thoughts, feel free to chime in.
Sweet note I left for Jeff during Extra Life. @JeffGrubb @jeffbakalar @giantbomb pic.twitter.com/2nxTJAKTnw
— Kone (@KoneBomb) November 8, 2022
Gextra Life is back raising money for Hurley Children's Hospital in Flint, Michigan! Join us on November 12th at 11am eastern, 10 central, 9 pacific as we play through games based on the worlds of Gex 1. Donate at https://t.co/12mE2P9ItI and watch at https://t.co/4o8EElK96l pic.twitter.com/q7ZDb3nOqL
— Chip Cheezum (@ChipCheezum) November 7, 2022
Made this one just in case. https://t.co/ZvG6SZj8BQ However, rest assured I will see this to the bitter end. I watched the Matrix Online die. I watched Playstation Home die... I can watch Twitter die.
— Giant Bomb Nonsense (@GB_Nonsense) November 11, 2022
Hey @giantbomb community! You might have heard that the Giant Bomb Discord will be streaming STARTING TODAY to raise money for @ExtraLife4Kids! Here's the schedule of their streaming plans as well as their donation page!
— GB Duders Feed (@GBDudersFeed) November 11, 2022
Donation Page: https://t.co/86Ulxsa53l pic.twitter.com/h6YG3mEJLg
Yo, I played THE CHANT on stream before I did the Quick Look on Giant Bomb, if you wanted to see my first impressions of it (also, the beginning of the game) https://t.co/IWqsYPcxZr
— VoidBurger (AKA Jess) 🍔🎮 (@VoidBurger) November 9, 2022
Join us for our #extralife2022 stream tomorrow at noon ET! pic.twitter.com/672unGaqCt
— Subpixel Team (@SubpixelTeam) November 11, 2022
Galleria
Mario Kart 64 Master: Jess (By: @cosmicrhapsodie)
If you caught the Giant Bomb Extra Life stream with Jess, Grubb, Bakalar, and Dan you might recall the four of them playing Mario Kart 64 and Jess miraculously performing the hop glitch in Wario Stadium. Over on Twitter, cosmicrhapsodie made a work of art showcasing Jess as an unstoppable karting wizard.
Grubbsy Character Model (By: @kone)
It sounds like a lot of people, myself included, have been enjoying Grubb's new Bubsy feature on the site but also impressed by how much progress he has made in the few episodes he has recorded thus far. Especially compared to a different video game series hosted by a Giant Bomb staff member playing a "bad" game. Regardless, Kone performed some black magic and imagined Grubb as Bubsy himself and the results are... horrifying.
Activities
Scorn Is The 20th Selection Of The UUGPGC! Completion Date Is 10/31/2022. Spoilers Open +
Unsanctioned Unofficial Game Pass Game Club Voting Thread For Cycle Starting 11/14/2022 (By: @bigsocrates)
For those of you that have played Scorn, don't forget that the Game Pass Game Club has opened its community roundtable discussion about the game to SPOILERS! Talk about the game's ending and story in lurid detail! Additionally, the next round of voting for the Community Game Pass Game Club is up! Review your choices and remember to vote for two games you'd be interested playing. To the right you'll even find a list of nominees you can vote for.
The GB Album Club 014 - For Your Pleasure by Roxy Music (By: @unclejam23)
The latest edition of the Album Club is about For Your Pleasure by Roxy Music! If you have any thoughts about this much-beloved English rock group or album, or want to learn how to join the fun in the future, click the link!
Blogs
The History of Leaf: Pioneer of the Visual Novel Genre (By: @bowl-of-lentils)
Bowl-of-Lentils recently posted an AMAZING video about the history of visual novel developer, Leaf! On Giant Bomb proper, you can read an annotated list of their MYRIAD of primary and secondary sources and it is simply a sight to see!
The Xbox Series Consoles Are 2 Years Old. My Series X Is Perhaps The Least Distinctive Console I Have Ever Owned. (By: @bigsocrates)
bigsocrates has had an Xbox Series X for over two years and discusses why it will likely go down as "the least distinctive console" they have every owned. Read why they feel that way and why they do not think things will change any time soon.
All Saturn Games In Order: Launch Day (By: @borgmaster)
borgmaster reviewed every single PS1 game released in 1995 and this week they start a new retrospective for the Saturn on the site! Click the link above to read how they think its release compares to the competition! Also... 299.
64 in 64: Episode 22 + Indie Game of the Week 295: Shieldmaiden (By: @mento)
Moderator Mento's latest "64 in 64" blog is getting "edgy" with Conker's Bad Fur Day and Transformers: Beast Wars Transmetals as the talking points this time! Check out how about an hour with both games treated them. Likewise, their "Indie Game of the Week" blog feature for this week looks at Shieldmaiden! Read why they think its breezy structure, short length, and great looks led to a game they think they will grown on over time, but not now.
Discussion Threads
RIP Kevin Conroy (By: @av_gamer)
To many in the Giant Bomb community, Kevin Conroy was the voice of Batman they grew up with and identified with the strongest. Join the rest of the community in mourning his passing in the following thread.
Your Favorite Game Over Screen Of All Time? (By: @gtxforza)
What are your favorite "Game Over" screens? Which game over screens had a lasting impression on you? Common community picks include Chrono Trigger, Sega Rally Championship, and The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask! Share your picks in the thread!
What's Your Perfect Dream Match Up Of A Game Done By Different Studios, Companies, Or Creators? (By: @topcyclist)
What's your "dream match" between a game studio and franchise you know will never happen? Big props to the association football fan in the thread that said "Please, can anyone that's NOT Konami get the Pro Evolution Soccer franchise?"
Anyone Have Any Recommendations On Weird Android Handhelds Or Tablets? (By: @brian_)
Have any of you attempted to use an Android or Chromium-based tablet or handheld to play games? Do you have any recommendations? Share your advice or suggestions for others by clicking the link above!
PS5 Slim Rumors. Do You Buy Them? Will You Wait? (By: @spacemanspiff00)
What do you make of all of these PlayStation 5 Slim rumors? How inevitable is a newer slimmer SKU for the PS5? Also, when do you expect to see newer versions of the current batch of consoles soon-ish rather than later-ish?
The Project CARS Franchise Is Dead (By: @gtxforza)
Slightly Mad Studios have announced they are "halting development" on the next entry in the Project CARS franchise, effectively spelling the end of the series. What's your reaction to the news?
Freelancer Mode Gets A Release Date - January 23, 2023 (By: @atheistpreacher)
Hitman 3’s roguelike Freelancer mode finally has a release date after a series of delays: January 23, 2023. Anyone excited to give the new mode a whirl? Is this enough to motivate you to return to Hitman 3?
Your Favorite Interaction With A Stranger At A Concert? (By: @stealydan)
Inspired by Albummer, we have a discussion thread to discuss and share favorite interactions with strangers at concerts. Has a random person ever massively helped you out while rocking out?
Do You Think The Bayonetta Devs Or Someone Else Could Make A Good Chainsaw Man Game? (By: @topcyclist)
Chainsaw Man has become one of the most popular shows and manga in a while, but who would you tap to make a video game adaptation of the Chainsaw Man universe? Is Platinum a good fit for can you think of another studio?
Lists
Video Games With Painting Canines (By: @mooseymcman)
Friend of the site, MooseyMcMan, has a fun list on the site that needs YOUR INPUT regarding more examples! The theme for this list is: "Games about canines who paint." Others have already added two more examples to the list, so, if you can think of others, feel free to chime in!
Games With Amazing Musical Moments (By: @stiborge)
Stiborge whipped up a list of games that have their favorite and most memorable scenes that utilize music! There are some real BANGERS to check out over on their list and you shouldn't forget to consider making a list of your own!
User Reviews
- @infantpipoc started their review of Kirby and the Forgotten Land with "better a quarter century late than never," and you can read why they feel confident about that statement.
Wiki Of The Week
If you want a list of every video game Kevin Conroy provided a voice credit in, Giant Bomb's wiki has you covered. Give it a review and see which games are out there for you to play to recall the voice acting legend.