Unprofessional Fridays: 12/16/2016

Jason, please, please, never use the slash splitscreen again. Going to have to get my neck adjusted now...

1:39:47 - 1:41:10 That's some dirty ass Dan playing Hitman right thurr...

I'll miss having Dan on UPF and the Bombcast... I think I'll use this as an opportunity to tune in to the Beastcast regularly in addition to the Bombcast. Been meaning to do that for a while.

@thomascro: FFX is really good! Spira is a cool place and I really enjoyed the combat. The sphere grid was really neat as well but I wish there were more choices to it.

The only good thing about FFX is the mellow piano theme song.

Great UPF guys! Thanks Dan! I'll miss your stuff on the West Coast, but I'm looking forward to the stuff you'll do with GBeast.

@drewbert, if you like cooking, check out Kappabashi Dori (Kappabashi Street) in Tokyo. There are a lot of restaurant supply stores there, including entire shops that sell plastic display food. You can pick up some good chopsticks, dishes and cooking utensils there too. Oh! and since you're playing FFVI, the imp spell in that game turns you into something called a kappa - a mythical creature that they have a few statues of in the area. As for Kabukicho... read up on it first, if you're going to go. Just walk fast and don't linger anywhere too long (there are lots of pushy "salespeople" around).

@drewbert

As far as random encounters go, FFVI is among the most re-playable JRPGs because it has an item for Mog that effectively disables random encounters when he is the lead/1st character and wearing that item. Using it you can freely explore areas without worry and if you ever feel under leveled, just unequip the item and grind a bit.

Mog is an optional character though, so you might want to check and see how to get him.

Mog Hint: in Narshe after Magitek Factory.

Item Hint: same place as Mog, but much later in the game (WoR).

Oh my god, am I watching Final Fantasy 6 on a giant bomb video?

What timeline is this?

Splicing in a goodbye video from months back in a half-assed manner, that features completely different hair and clothes, seems like an appropriate way to bid Dan farewell.

I wish they'd recorded a new goodbye for Dan.

@solidus_zero: All sound effects in are voiced in that film, not just the dream scenes.

"The short version in case I've told it before..." On his last day in the office, Dan learns a lesson.

Rorie: "If you just stand there when they spot you trespassing, they'll escort you out of the area."

Dan: "Oh really?"

Best way to end a year of Hitman coverage.

Did Brad ruin the emperor thing for Drew? I haven't played FFVI but the look drew gave the camera made it seem like he didnt know that.

@solarfx: maybe a cardboard box with a podcast about wrestling on repeat?

How did I not notice the <br/>room before?

weow brad suggests eating watermelon with salt! 99% of people think my family is weird for doing this - but I grew up with it and thought it was normal haha

I really like Final Fantasy X. I had never beat a FF game all the way through and I bought the remastered version for PC that released on Steam a few months ago The voice acting is a little rough in parts but the sphere grid is a cool skill tree concept, I actually enjoyed the story, and the music is amazing (so much that I bought the OST on CD, its the only video game soundtrack that I own on real physical media). Also people always complain about Tidus being whiny but that's kind of the point of his character. He was taken from his home against his will into a strange world that he thought he could never escape from and return back to Zanarkand. Of course he'd be upset, anyone would be if the same thing happened to them. His character arc is he moves from whining about it to accepting his destiny. Lastly, everyone makes fun of the Tidus laugh but it was supposed to be stupid sounding. It was forced because Yuna was trying to help cheer Tidus up about his situation. She asked him just to laugh even though he was feeling despondent about being stuck in Spira. The actual result was a little cringey but if you take in context it makes total sense.

ffx is a bad game and I want my 30 hours back

also Dan is terrible at Hitman in probably the most hilarious way possible

Mary Kish

@wemibelle: I'll always want more Hitman coverage, but you know... Played well.

@assinass said:

Oh god I hope so.

The game boy audio sucks so bad, I played 6 on my iPad Pro 12.9 and loved it because you can skip the grinding. I know people moan about the graphics, to me they just look like ff6 running at a high resolution, they look super clean and not all fussy.

Dan has a really weird way of playing Hitman but somehow it works (if you don't care about score).

Also, the challenge to hit one of the targets with bricks is totally a reference to this scene:

@danryckert Best of luck in NYC Dan. It's my beloved home, and it will treat you well.

To me this very much feels like the end of an era, both personally and for the site. I got back into GB around GOTY 2014, when I was recovering from a toxic lifestyle finally ending, and Dan's good humor honestly did a lot to pull me out of that, as well as his candidness about anxiety. It was a great run. Change is good though, and I look forward to seeing what will happen with Vinny and Dan together. It's going to be beautiful madness.

I remember my mom paying $100 for a copy of Phantasy Star IV at the local KB Toys. It was the only place in town we could find it.

I've been out of touch but I don't really see the difference that Dan would be experiencing moving from Minnesota to SF a few years back than him going to NY from SF now.

I ended up turning down a job in Hong Kong recently and that experience though really shut me down from purchases or really putting weight on what I owned/needed.

As someone trying to play Hitman for score, Dan's way of playing it was maddening to me. Then again, he only died once!

I played the Holiday Hoarders map earlier this week a few times. It was the quickest I've successfully completed a mission (started in the kitchen my first time, and Marv was right there a couple rooms away), and it was also my highest score. Didn't know the thing about Santa though.

Also, I anticipate seeing Dirty Dan on the bill for some New York/New Jersey independent wrestling shows. I'd love to see him try to get on EVOLVE.

I need some fucking stats on Giant Bomb Hitman coverage. Like total hours, hours per player, number of coins thrown, number of Helmets Krugered etc

I highly doubt that will happen, but it would be so perfect.

The best thing about Dan leaving is that they wont play Hitman every single week now.

Woooow Dan is horrible at Hitman.

EDIT: OF COURSE he beat it. Only Dan...

"It has a pipe."

"The one he threw thru Bennett?"

Pertinent subscriber information needed: Is that weasel still there?

@johnymyko: yeah considering she already has a job in the same damn building. talk about your lateral moves. it was silly when people did it about danny and it's silly now.

It's too bad Jason and Drew didn't film a new outro of Dan packing his stuff up to leave with him in his Waluigi outfit.

See you on the other side Daniel...

Fucking awesome, good luck with FF6 Drew. You did really well on that fight!

oh god please

Nah. Not a spoiler.

No, Papa Ryckert is coming to town.

Wouldn't be surprised if the GOTY is based around his move. Maybe. We'll see.

It's cool if you like it, but people have a beef with the graphics because they're bad. I study pixel art and it's one of very few games (largely because I know the originals so well, they're a perfect study in many regards) that makes me physically recoil when I see it--not because "well, that's not my taste", which the sprites aren't (but they're not terrible when you see them raw), but because the game treats all of its art assets like total dirt.

People who are interested in this sort of game and the art behind it should check out Fortress of Doors' (the Defender's Quest guys) breakdown of the mobile FF6 port. They demonstrate pretty much straight away how even the re-done graphics could look good and yet spit the bit.

Rest In Peace Dan Ryckert

1984 - 1816

for real tho, can't wait to hear and see Dan, Vinny, and Alex's group antics

Ha-ha I always get so jealous of your jobs -- I really am envious = making enough to go to Japan and move to Manhattan; getting 10 days off for the holidays (I get zero) on top of your vacation weeks; drinking beer at work; wearing what clothes you want; and of course playing video games.

I guess at least I didn't have to play Mario Party this year....

Well, at least the guys admit the site search is terrible. That makes me feel a little bit better about how bad it's always been.

@afashionablehat: it just looks better to me, you can make out what stuff is, not just a mess of pixels which look crap.

Aww man, this ending was too heart felt... We'll miss ya on the West Dan.

Sad to see you leave this office for sure, Dan. In all honesty, I think you really did bring an energy in to this crew that no one could have foreseen, and at a time when it would have been really easy to become kind of jaded. That early quicklook you did with Jeff for the Ninja Turtles Kinect game is a perfect example. You created the perfect fun loving straight man to Jeff's ultra wise and learned cynicism. But you guys really did create a new dynamic that I think has supercharged both offices in a profound way. A lot of the best content the site has ever made has erupted from this new dynamic.

On top of that, you and Drew bonding over games has been another angle that has cracked this website wide open. The Metal Gear series you both shot was a another new dynamic that has really pulsed new energy in to the office.

And finally, you once again created a new dynamic with Brad and the Hitman games. There is a theme here, where a person who knows a lot about a game acts as sort of a benevolent guide to the series. But done as only the Giant Bomb crew can.

Let's not kid ourselves. The way GB riffs with eachother and effortlessly floats between real and fake conversations is one of the best aspects of the site. Everyone enters the office not really knowing how to do it smoothly, and your initial podcast was really rough (Terminator 2 being better than 1, no no no...) But now I feel like you are leaving as a master. You kept your angle, but you found a way to mesh it perfectly with these guys, and it has been super fun to see you all develop. Those last couple mario party videos had me laughing when there was no punchline which is the true sign of comedy in my opinion. The East crew will be lucky to have you, and I look forward to seeing new dynamics born once again.

Best of luck in New York, dude!

Just couple corrections. Spirited Away is a better Movie than Mononoke and Mango is a better fruit than pineapple. ;D

A good show. I'm glad they got the audiences GOTY voting system up for people to vote.

I really liked seeing Drew's FFVI game play on the micro...looks impossible to see on that tiny screen. Yet, the fact you can play it on this tiny device is fun.