Here in Episode 18  we talk about the games we added to our backlogs.  Jake added FarCry Primal thanks to some enticing YouTube videos he watched one night while high on cold medicine.  Jake also adds the Flame in the Flood while Trav tackles Geist (GC) and Adventures of Lolo 1 & 2 (NES).

From Episode 18 of the Polykill Podcast, Jake and Trav talk about what games from the early half of May are on their radars. This was recorded on April 27.

Jake and Trav continue to plunder the depths of the Sega Genesis Classics Collection. This time the land on the silly afterlife platformer, DeCap Attack. Despite valiant efforts and premier video game abilities, neither can get past the first boss.

Trav and Jake play Comix Zone, a classic Genesis game stylized like a comic book. Neither had played the game before and it shows

Jake and Trav play Sega's classic Alex Kidd and the Enchanted Castle for the first time. They're clearly the best at playing the game as they are most games. They continue the trend of mastering classic Genesis titles with little to no preparation.

Jake and Trav take their shirts off and pretend to be John Wick, it's so hot! Really, they just play the new time manipulation FPS by SUPERHOT TEAM. The game is available on Windows and XBox One! Definitely try it out!

Downwell gets played while Jake and Trav play anagrams and story prompt. Loser has to sing Drake's Hot Line Bling.

Trav and Jake brave the depths of the Sega Genesis collection and try out the classic game Altered Beast.  This game is straight up weird but awesome.

Jake and Trav try to stump each other with seeminly simple math and word problems while the other plays through Tribute's all new Ninja Senki DX. Occasional hilarity ensues!

Many years ago, I had a fairly regular routine of selling the games I was finished with in order to fund the purchase of the new games I wanted. It was a pretty efficient process. I could usually sell my games for about half of what I paid for them, which then funded half of the next game, and the cycle continued. But then I met Travis, and witnessed his glorious game collection, and everything changed.

SPOILER WARNING: This post spoils major parts of The Walking Dead: Season 1! If you haven't played it, don't read this post until you do.

In nearly every game, the death of your character is just a mechanic that conveys failure. Pac-man, Mario, Sonic, Solid Snake, Master Chief, Marcus Fenix; almost any character you can think of. They all die numerous times

Trav plays through the classic SNES game Donkey Kong Country and has some fun with the footage.

In Part 1, I discussed death caused by the player, and how some games try to make pulling the trigger feel like the grave, powerful and irreversible act it is. In this part, I'll be looking at the death of characters friendly to the player, and how these moments can illicit an emotional reaction in the player.

Death occurs in almost every video game that isn't a sports or puzzle game. Pac-man is unmade by the touch of a ghost. Mario is eaten by an angry plant. These aren't gruesome deaths, but they are death nonetheless. Death in video games is rarely the heart-crushing affair it is in real life

Jake contemplates a break from the new-and-shiny in favor of some hallmark games from the era of the original Playstation.  What are the landmark titles for the system and which ones will he play?

For collectors of classic video game consoles like the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), coming across affordable titles from the developer Taito has proven nearly impossible.  Why are Taito games so freaking pricey?  We find out.

The main quest vs side quest dilemma is something that I've encountered while playing games like Mass Effect, The Elder Scrolls, and most recently, Fallout 4.  The dilemma arises because of the level of immersion and freedom these games offer, but at the same time, it can tear away at that sense of immersion which the developers worked so hard to create.  Is it a necessary evil, or are there ways to get around it?

Jake plays a game while Trav offers up topical headlines for discush.  In this episode we discuss:
Assassin's Creed taking a year off?
Watch Dogs 2?
Oculus price
Atlus unannounced games
Take-Two unannounced games
Unannounced Games
Directors leaving major studios

"It's as if millions of people cried out, and were suddenly silenced."

That was sound that occurred in the seconds between Oculus opening up pre-orders on the consumer version of the Rift, and people seeing the $600 price tag. The VR hype train derailed just as it hit maximum speed, and the number of butts that got hurt was too great to count (my own included).

You've probably heard Travis and Jake mention me a few times in the podcast. Well, they graciously invited me to write some blog posts for the shiny new website and I'm happy to oblige.

So where do I fall in the Jake-Travis spectrum of gamers?