Favourite Dan Ryckert West Coast "Content"?

I am an unashamed Dan Ryckert fan - I love what he has brought to GB.

I am looking forward to his work out East because the Beastcasts he's been on and the Shenmue Endurance Run are already promising things.

But, I thought some reflection might be good on what Dan has brought out West. I didn't make this a poll because I knew I would forget something that he'd done, spearheaded or contributed to.

There's a lot of good choices - Metal Gear Scanlon, Mario Party Party, Dan + Jeff playing Mario on a Rollercoaster, Dan vs Tyson, his regular contributions to the Bombcast - crazy food stories, Danswers, etc.

For me, my highlight is probably Metal Gear Scanlon - especially games 1 - 3. The Dan/Drew dynamic was great - there were highs and lows but the highlights of that series were really really great.

The live Mario Party, where Dan realises he is the heel of Mario Party, then fully embraces it.

Metal Gear Scanlon is single handedly the reason I played my first MGS (Ground Zeroes, then Phantom Pain) since the 1st one.

Dan has been a breath of fresh air in GB that was sorely needed after Ryans passing.

All of Metal Gear Scanlon.

It's a late entrant in an admittedly robust set of choices, but I'm going to have to say HitDan. Dan as the devil on Brad's shoulder just worked so well.

Maaaaaan, there's honestly so many to choose from. All of the Mario Maker stuff, from the GB levels to his rivalry with Scoooooooo- "Patrick Klepek" -ooooooops, was tons of fun. He and Drew never failed to entertain on MGScalon. Same with Demo Derby and the Bombcast. Hell, he was always a ton of fun, so I could go on and on.

If I had to choose only one thing though, I think I gotta go with Mario Party Party, specifically 1 and 5. Dan was just fucking hilarious in both of those. Those two are probably two of the videos I've watched the most on this site.

Mario Party Party, MGS and Mario Maker.

@redhotchilimist: Man, i miss Danswers.

My favourite thing that he instigated is Demo Derby, especially since Jeff joined the regular panel for it. It's just a great, fun delve into gaming history (and dumb marketing) from the last few generations. It's also one of the series where Dan isn't usually being antagonistic or deliberately dumb, both of which are traits of his that I find a bit wearing from time to time.

Having said that, I don't think Demo Derby is something that he's as integral to as e.g. MGS or Mario Party Party (so I can see it carrying on without him), so it doesn't seem like a choice that's within the spirit of @captain_insano's question. For that, it'd probably have to be MGS, which was consistently hilarious and entertaining.

The live Mario Party was absolute gold. Man he really has done a lot of cool stuff for the site, he came in perfectly to reenergize the podcast from what was kind of a slump and it's kept quality up ever since, even when he isn't on it. Good job Dan!

Metal Gear Scanlon 1-4. Mario Party Party 5 (they are so good live and it's a shame this is the only live one). Demo Derby (I hope they get Dan in remote on Demo Derby in the future. Dan, Drew, Jeff are such a good team for that series).

Dan has brought so much creative energy to GB since he came, which was missing after Ryan. Big shoes to fill in that regard and the East side of the site is getting a big shot in the arm. A 3 man team is a big step up from 2 plus Dan's energy. Shenmue 2 ER!

Anytime he told a ridiculous story from his past and the other guys reacting to it.

Danswers was really good. The first three Mario Party Parties. The Super Mario Maker streams and the whole feud with Patrick. The quick looks for Stardew Valley, Kirby: Planet Robobot, and Hitman. The Hitman streams. Oh, and the Ryckert family podcasts.

Him “channeling” ‘90s ‘tude by bookending all of his impressions with uhhh.

Also, here’s a truck.

The Quicklook for Westerado: Double Barreled. Been along time since ive seen (heard) any combination of the guys just having a good time and enjoying the pure stupid and awesomeness that video games are supposed to represent. Probably the most fun ive felt the guys were having since some of the great quick looks before Ryan left us (Sleeping dogs series, Hotline Miami, etc)

Dan really began his Giant Bomb West career with a bang.

I love Dan. My favorite pieces of content have to be the Mario Party Partys (specifically 1, 2, and 5) and probably Metal Gear Scanlon 2. I also really love him on podcasts from Danswers to the regular podcasts.

This clip in particular both makes we wish there was more Austin and Dan content on the site and excited to see what else Dan gets into with the GBeast

I feel like Dan is someone who kind of begs you to hate him, but you can't really because hes so good at his job. He's been very good at coming up with some of the most creative interesting recurring segments on this site. Demo Derby is super great (although largely because I love the dynamic between Dan, Jeff, and Drew), Mario Party Party as been a bit of a case of diminishing returns but the first handful were honestly hilarious and wonderful. Danswers was interesting, if for no other reason than as a platform for Danny O Dwyer to talk about his life. Dumb fun heel turn stuff like the UPF where Dan lost a streetfighter bet to Jason and had to "leave town". He sometimes drives me nuts, but Dan was exactly what the site needed when they needed it. I'm very curious as to how the east coast office will change with him around. I find it kind of bizarre/ironic that Austin Walker (super intellectual and analytical almost to a fault) is being replaced with Dan (the exact opposite). We'll see how it goes!

dan and jason's friendhateship is both hilarious and endearing to behold. i'm going to miss that muchly. have to say personal faves are the happy home designer and forza horizon 2 quick looks. any dan/jeff combo is gold.

looking forward to his easterly shenanigans!

Metal Gear Scanlon 1 to 4 and Mario Party Party 5 are tops for me. Dan and Drew have developed such a great rapport over the last couple of years. It's a shame to lose that, but I'm looking forward to what he'll do with Alex and Vinny in New York.

Also, every time he says something dumb on the Bombcast, and I can't help but say out loud "Goddammit Dan." I look forward to continuing this tradition with the Beastcast.

Probably his various Kansas stories. I live in the area he grew up in so I'm biased. Strip clubs in a corn field are a real thing

@cornfed40: Man, I thought I was going to be the first one to post about the Westerado Quick Look. Cool to see that someone else enjoyed it too. Just the shout Dan does when he's goofing off in that Quick Look is so funny to me.

A few weeks ago when Dan goes on this long-winded description about how he obsessively folded french fries when he was a kid and then Jeff pays it off 1000% by telling him he should seek help. I was outside raking leaves when I was listening to it and I think the whole neighborhood could here me laugh at it.

Honestly, just Ryckert himself is my favorite. He has provided so many new series and videos to the site and seems like the kick in the nuts the team needed to finally start making content on a regular basis again.

I fear for what might happen when he moves East and they make tons of new content and the West guys kinda play with their thumbs and just release quick looks once a week. I hope I'm wrong though.

Not west coast only but:

Also:

And Jeff's "does the piano stop when you shoot the playwr?"

*gunshot*

"it does! this game is fantastic!"

Pure joy is hard to come by anymore in this world and its so infectious, just like Ryan's yelling "YESSSSSSS!" during particularly violent scenes in Hotline Miami or Jeff's "that's the slickest shit I've ever seen!" in Max Payne 3

Late entry - due to the recent video version of the Bombcast, the nonplussed expressions on Brad and Drew's faces when Dan says something Dan-like. Is that considered Dan content? Oh well, it is now.

@cornfed40: oh yes, one of my favorite recentish quick looks.

HYAAAHH!!

@ripelivejam: It was Mrs. Tress! I seen it!

Metal Gear Scanlon and Mario Party Party are both classics, but GB vs a Roller Coaster wins out.

And if you have premium I encourage you to watch the behind the scenes video.

I loved a lot of stuff that he did on the West coast, but Metal Gear Scanlon was what made me get a premium membership and start to follow the site closely (that and Giant Bomb vs a Rollercoaster), so my pick has to be Metal Gear Scanlon.

But there's definitely a lot of other content I could pick. Demo Derby with Dan, Jeff and Drew is easily one of my favorite Premium Features and all the Hitman stuff with Dan and Brad has been great as well. I'm looking forward to what he will bring to the East office, but I'll miss his brotherly love-hate relationship with Jason and him and Drew geeking out about old action movies.

Metal Gear Scanlon in general is amazing. Season 2 is number 1 though, mostly because I love that game. The Mario Party Party's are great. Especially the first one

@ripelivejam: hyaaah!

I had forgotten how great that was

Oh man, how could I have forgotten. It's definitely this for me, without question.

Metal Gear Scanlon 1 and 2 were what made me become a premium subscriber so I have to say that. Second place would have to go to Mario Party Party 5.

One of the first bombcasts that he appeared on, the crew was discussing princess peach. For some reason Dan quoted nick cage by saying "I could eat a peach for hours." Brad's reaction was hilarious. I think he was genuinely mad. Dan is the best.

Dan's comment was in response to them talking about Yoshi's tounge. Also in that conversation, Jeff called Yoshi something like "T. Yoshi Koopalingus," which might have made me laugh harder than I ever have at anything on this website

This pretty much sums it up for me.

Anything with Dan and Paul Ryckert together. Underlying all of the insane weird outrageous and occasionally dumb stories is the genuine love the two of them have for each other. It's great.

Metal Gear Scanlon

It was just full of amazing moments and great conversations. And I think Dan did a ton to bring in more of Drew's personality to the site. Drew was always a cool dude, but we got to learn a lot about him during that series. I suppose if you weren't familiar with Dan's GI stuff, there was no better way to learn about Mr. Ryckert.

And Demo Derby was probably his best contribution to a new content idea. Looking forward to his GBeast adventures, because even during that brief trip he started bringing that Vinny madness out that had been a bit more dormant in recent years. Lord, help Alex.

This is also great.

I expect this to continue - I can see a Paul and Dan in the Big Apple special.

@redhotchilimist: Oh my god, I had forgotten about THAT.

@redhotchilimist: I also really like Drew's blonde reaction.

@artisanbreads: Dan's voice when saying "ohhhh Ketchum" is so great.

I have to say there is only one hire I have never liked as a giant bomb personality, and out of respect I will keep that name unsaid. I say this to make it clear what I am about to say I don't mean as anything against any other people who have been hired at Giant Bomb as I love them all [but the one I won't say of course]. So... Dan Ryckert has to be the best hire Giant Bomb has ever had. He just has added honestly the majority of amazing content to this website. Oh sometimes he gets on my nerves for some silly things but that stuff is no big deal.

My point is, it is just so hard to say! That dude is a content machine! Probably Demo Derby or Mario Party Party are my favorite things he [as far as it seems] inspired giant bomb to produce. Demo Derby is not only downright hilarious, but also rather fascinating at times. Mario Party Party.... Man those videos are what make me feel I am a bad person. I take so much pleasure in just watching the anguish of everyone playing those games. Even better is when Dan tries to resist but even he gets mad at it. Special note to Animal Crossing Party thing or whatever it was called, some of my favorite moments in a "mario party party" style game [I kinda consider it as part of the series]. Especially when they realize the insane thing about how some players don't get the bonus happiness..... and all you do is land on squares and read a few sentences.

What also is great is that month on the east coast was actually spectacular. I will miss him doing stuff with jeff and tormenting Brad, but man he just jives so well there. I love how Alex is already becoming the new Brad in the frustration over Dan haha. But for real he actually is pretty great and I have to say probably works over on the east coast even better than the west coast.