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-created works from the previous week.
It's hard to imagine, but we are in the homestretch of 2022! Where did the time go? If you are wondering about the site's 2022 GOTY plans, give the most recent Bombcast a listen, or hop on over to the News section for a quick summary. That said, if you plan on posting any 2022 GOTY blogs or lists on the site, please remember to drop a link to them in the comments of the latest edition of the Spotlight. I promise to get them on the next episode! With that note aside, let's jump into the news!
News
As stated during the 766th episode of the Bombcast, episode 66 of Albummer will be the last episode of the show here for the foreseeable future. If you enjoyed Albummer and the fun crew at Two Minutes To Late Night, use the comments section of their last episode to thank them for their time and hard work over the last year. You can also follow the group on Twitter @2M2LN.
As stated last week, the status of Friday Night Forking is that the fourth episode is the "Season 1 Finale." The feature was contracted to be a four episode first season. If you enjoyed The_Windbag, follow The_Windbag on Twitch. From the sounds of it, some "hints" have been dropped there regarding what the future might hold.
Episode 766 of the Bombcast also reaffirmed the site's 2022 GOTY plans. Unfortunately, due to scheduling issues, while Giant Bomb will have plenty of streams and video coverage during 2022 GOTY season, it will not be done in-person. That said, you can still expect a deluge of guest lists and livestreams as always.
In terms of an update on the spam situation in the forums, we have an engineer dedicated to the problem and right now the site is collecting and identifying spam behavior before deleting it to reconfigure the anti-spam algorithm on the site. This may result in some spam threads and comments existing on the site longer than normal, but will eventually help the situation considerably. We thank you for your patience.
And finally, Giant Bomb is now on the following platforms beyond Twitter:
- Cohost (https://cohost.org/giantbomb)
- Mastodon (https://mastodon.social/@therealgiantbomb…)
- Hive (@giantbomb)
- Tiktok (https://tiktok.com/@therealgiantbomb…)
- Instagram (https://instagram.com/giantbombdotcom)
Tweets
What *is* Giant Bomb? (A short Primer vid for folks unfamiliar with us!) pic.twitter.com/g4VFOMFgJX
— Giant Bomb (@giantbomb) November 28, 2022
Welcome to December. pic.twitter.com/v7Njl299tN
— Brad Lynch (@MarinoV1) December 1, 2022
— Dan Ryckert (@DanRyckert) November 28, 2022
@giantbomb got a reveal for you guys! @DanRyckert himself will be the final boss in my tribute game “Ryckert’s Island”! Don’t worry, I’ll be ramping up the difficulty for the final release 😉 Huge thanks to @jea_rum for drawing the graphics! Such an incredible artist 😊 pic.twitter.com/AXHuo733BH
— SmashNcrab (@SmashNcrab) November 29, 2022
Here's the title screen! I've been working on this game for almost 2 years now. It's my love letter to Mario and a thank you for all the content Dan (and so many others) have provided me over the years. I'll definitely be sending Dan a custom SNES cartridge when it's ready! 😄 pic.twitter.com/s3VaOCm1lP
— SmashNcrab (@SmashNcrab) November 29, 2022
Activities
GB Community Game Night (By: @looterjennings)
Is there anyone out there that are interested in starting a monthly "Community Game Night" program going? If you are, what sorts of online or multiplayer games would you like to play or check out? Drop a comment in the thread.
Norco Is The 23rd Selection Of The UUGPGC! Completion Date Is 12/12/2022 (By: @bigsocrates)
Norco is the latest pick for the Community Game Pass Game Club! If you have any NON-SPOILER impressions of this retro-styled point-and-click adventure game, feel free to share them in the thread linked above.
The GB Album Club 017 - effloresce by Covet (By: @unclejam23)
We have a new edition of the weekly Album of the Week Club and this one is for effloresce by Covet! If you are interested in talking about math rock, this is the thread for you!
Galleria
Super Mario World - Ryckert's Island (By: @SmashNcrab)
This might require a little bit of an explanation, but it's worth it. On Twitter, SmashNcrab revealed that they have been working on a ROM Hack for Super Mario World that pays tribute to the man, the myth, and the legend, Dan Ryckert. This week, they provided two videos of their progress on that ROM Hack and even the "boxart" for the project. If you want to see a Waluigi-clad Dan as a Mario boss, check out the Tweets section!
Jeff Grubb Bubsy Sweater & Christmas Ornament (By: @kone)
Jeff Grubb Bubsy Sweater & Grubb Bubsy TV Interview (By: @tobeagiraffe)
Memes, how can you hate them when they involve cyberbullying one of the hardest working Bubsy streamers on the internet? Many thanks to Kone and tobeagiraffe for reminding Jeff Grubb of his status as the official authority figure of all Bubsy knowledge.
You Just Got Minnotti'd & Kayak Coffee (By: @kone)
Many thanks to Kone for providing MORE Mike Minotti meme images! Before you ask, I'm NOT reposting their photoshop of Mike planting his foot on the Tifa Jack O pose figurine, but I will link to it. For the Luigi image, all I can say is "Gooigi Me Daddy Ass."
Blogs
Scorn and the Second-Born: A Surreal Experience (Spoilers) (By: @allthedinos)
ALLTheDinos talks about Scorn and its visceral adventure as someone who recently lived through a childbirth that required neonatal intensive care. Did the game and its images enact a strong reaction?
Stranger Days-------Parquet, The Visual Novel “Review” (By: @infantpipoc)
With trash arriving to the marketplace all the time, it is hard to find quality visual novels on Steam these days. Is PARQUET a buried treasure worth checking out? Click the link to read infantpipoc's blog and deep look at the game to find out!
HuCARTography: The Higher Energy Project (By: @jeffrud)
borgmaster is covering the Saturn and Mento is reviewing the Genesis/MegaDrive. So, in comes jeffrud to review every single game released on NEC’s TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine in chronological release date order!
I Like Myst And Riven And Have Thoughts About Scorn. (i.e., Stop Comparing Every Atmospheric Puzzle Game To Myst) (By: @zombiepie)
Moderator ZombiePie is a self-identified fan of Myst and Riven: The Sequel to Myst and finally got around to playing Scorn. Read why they are totally tired of every atmospheric adventure or puzzle game being compared to Myst and Riven.
Indie Game of the Week 298: Unpacking +
64 in 64: Episode 25 (By: @mento)
For their latest "Indie Game of the Week" post, Mento took to Giant Bomb to pen a blog about Unpacking. Read why they loved how it conveys a relatable story without words. Likewise, it is time to talk about a platform heavy-hitter with Mento's latest "64 in 64" blog on the site with Super Smash Bros.! Does the series' first outing still have legs? Click the link to see what they think!
Oh, and they played Dark Rift!
Extra Life And The Questionable Video Games I've Played For Charity (By: @arbitrarywater)
ArbitraryWater is done streaming for Giant Bomb's 2022 Extra Life team, but they decided to look back and review the last three years they have streamed for Extra Life and what has worked and not worked in their experience.
Discussion Threads
Marvel's Midnight Suns Discussion Thread (By: @constantk)
What does everyone make of the early reviews and buzz for Marvel's Midnight Suns? Do you think the game is looking like a late-arriver to the GOTY debate? How many of you in the community are thinking about giving it a try?
Second Mario Movie Trailer Discussion Thread (By: @chamurai)
What are YOUR thoughts about the newest trailer for The Super Mario Bros. Movie and the Mario references people are pulling from it? What do you think of the voice performances thus far? JUSTICE FOR LANKY KONG!
Will There Be A Gap Between Film Critics And General Audiences With The Super Mario Bros. Movie? (By: @topcyclist)
Speaking of the Mario movie, here's an interesting debate topic on the forums: do you think there will be a disconnect between fans and movie reviewers with The Super Mario Bros. Movie? Video game humor rarely does well, but will things be different?
Will Advance Wars 1+2 Re-Boot Camp Release By 2024? (By: @mindbullet)
Best Buy thinks the date is 2026, but do you think Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp will come out before the end of 2024? Some of us think 2023 is a very realistic timeframe for the game, but you should vote for and discuss your perspective in the thread!
If You Get Banned In Warzone 2 You're Blocked From Playing The Singleplayer Campaign (By: @sweep)
There's a controversy regarding Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0. If you get banned in Warzone 2.0, you're blocked from playing the single player campaign. Is this appropriate to curb cheating/trolling or a step too far?
Polyphony Digital Is Consider Bringing This Franchise To The PC Gaming Platform (By: @gtxforza)
Polyphony Digital has stated they are "open" to bringing Gran Turismo to PC. Are there any Giant Bomb community members out there that would pounce on the ability to play GT on Steam or Epic? Share why or why not with the rest of the community!
Lists
Characters Named After the Weapon They Wield (By: @franzlska)
FRANZlSKA is working on a new list on Giant Bomb and they want YOUR HELP! The concept involves "Characters Named After the Weapon They Wield" and here's a screencap of some examples they have come up with so far! Share more examples!
User Reviews
@infantpipoc's Signalis review relays in their review on why they consider it a delightful window into 1990s era survival horror games, but with appropriate modernized sensibilities to keep things enjoyable.
@vookatos gave Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise over two years to address its technical issues and after giving it a go this year, they pen why glitches are the least of its issues.
Wiki of the Week
Jeffrud's upcoming retrospective of the platform reminded me that we have an AMAZING platform page for theTurboGrafx-16, or PC Engine! If you want to read about what went into this underrated console and what gems are on it, give it a read!
Wiki Page Of The Week Recommendations
Hey, everyone! I'm starting to have a hard time finding new or recently updated wiki pages on the site that deserve some love and attention. As such, I'd like to do two things. First, I'd like to remind everyone that I take suggestions in the thread above. Second, I want to start using this portion of the spotlight to direct people to pages that desperately need more love and attention. Otherwise, Marino is going to put random EverQuest pages here and there's nothing I can do to stop him.
Marino's EverQuest Wiki of the Week
EverQuest
Well, you've all forced my hand. So, we might as well start with the big one. Humble brag warning, but the wiki page for the original EverQuest is the largest, most comprehensive wiki page on the entire site. It's so large, in fact, that it was functionally broken for several years and became uneditable!
On this page, you will find information related to how the pioneering MMORPG existed 23 years ago, which is prior to any expansions. That means full breakdowns on fourteen classes, twelve playable races, sixteen deities, fifteen cities, over fifty dungeons and outdoor adventuring zones, and links to each of the game's twenty-nine expansions. Yes, 29!
This game page is also linked to 593 character pages, 139 location pages, 614 concept pages, and 412 object pages. It also features nearly 1000 screenshots and images plus a comprehensive credits page including over 400 people.