Chaos and Control in 'Mario Kart 8'

Luigi: always looking up to Mario.

While everyone has been hanging on every goal in the World Cup, I’ve been experiencing the agony and the ecstasy of another sporting event that happens only once every few years. That’s right: Mario Kart is back.

If you heard our podcast this week, you know that both Jorge and I think Mario Kart 8 is pretty great. Maybe it’s just hitting at the right time, but the game’s mixture of randomness and skill is even more entertaining than I expected. That combination inspired the PopMatters column, as I feel like Mario Kart 8 proves that Nintendo has perfected the precarious seesaw between rewarding skillful players while giving the newcomers a fighting chance. The combination of items and counter items rewards reflects, but also long term strategy. I’m glad they stuck with the coins that give you small, but crucial speed boosts on tracks that are just varied enough to provide depth for people looking for it.

I’m increasingly convinced that Mario Kart is best compared to a game like poker: there is an element of chance that can lead to upsets, but the best players will win consistently over a long enough time frame. Jumping into the online matches provides some quantifiable evidence: you’re rewarded with points for placing well and docked points for placing poorly. Playing against anyone with a mountain of points means you’ll be breathing their exhaust 9 times out of 10, which make that win all the sweeter.

Interestingly enough, it seems like the general consensus is that the randomness of the wacky items is a core part of the game. Jorge and I tried to jump into custom item-less matches and had to back out for lack of competitors. We literally couldn’t find someone to play with whereas are full item games were full 12-person races. Unlike competitive Smash Bros., which takes place on flat arenas devoid of items, it seems like the best players embrace the chaos. I’m not quite sure what that means, but it’s refreshing that the most serious players also seem to be embracing the sillier nature of the game.

Finally, I think the social and clip sharing features in Mario Kart are an immense step in the right direction for Nintendo. The replays show off how beautiful the game looks and easy YouTube integration means you’re sharing triumphs and tragedies in a way that’s comparable (if not better) than Sony and Microsoft’s efforts. There are still some dopey limitations around clip length and the lack of voice over, but it’s a great proof of concept for how to foster a community and build usable tools into a game.

I said it on the podcast and I’ll say it again: this is an almost obligatory game for a Wii U owner. Thankfully, it turned out to be a delightful one as well.

EXP Podcast #282: Mario Kart 8 Debrief

The granddaddy of kart racing is back! Mario Kart 8 just made its triumphant return to the Wii U recently, and Scott and I got a chance to blast our way through a variety of tracks. Suffice it to say it made enough of an impression to fuel an entire podcast episode, which you can check out below.

And of course we want to hear from you. What do you think of Mario Kart 8? Does it replace your old favorite in the series?

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Show notes:

- Runtime: 38 mins 58 secs
- Music by Brad Sucks

Titanfall: Battle for Endor

Scott is basically a military commando in Titanfall. Check out his mech-shooter skills below in some of the game's latest DLC.

How Fantasy LCS is Changing League of Legends

My LemonCityState roster

If you are not paying attention to the changing landscape of eSports, especially as it related to League of Legends, DotA 2, and Twitch streaming for competitive game devs, you're missing out on a fascinating transformation.

Six weeks into Fantasy LCS and I am loving the eSports fantasy experience. There are a lot of improvements Riot can implement into the system to make it more user friendly, but the strategy and thought I put into it is almost as satisfying as fantasy football. And like someone with a gambling habit might say, the games are a little sweeter if you've got stakes riding on the outcome.

Of course I've written before about the ways Riot has moved closer to creating an eSports culture that borrows heavily from existing sports culture, a potentially troubling maneuver. Fantasy sports deserves a heaping amount of criticism itself, something Scott has actually discussed on the podcast before. In fact, so do collegiate sports, which seems especially relevant considering Riot announced today one university is actually offering a scholarship to pro-League players. Now more than ever we should pay attention to all the pros and cons that come with the changing realm of eSports.

That being said, I'm hopeful Fantasy LCS is one positive step towards increasing the visibility and appreciation of the amazing skill on display.

EXP Podcast #281: E3 2014 Extravaganza

The E3 logo in front of a ghostly apparition.

The summer doesn't truly start until pounding music, flashing lights, and the collective funk of thousands of sweaty video game enthusiasts assault your senses. That is, unless you're like me, who watched E3 2014 from the safety and comfort of the cyberspace. Jorge went down to Los Angeles while I held down the fort back home. Now that the booths have been dismantled and the food court cuisine are distant memories, it's time to reconvene and try to make sense of what we saw. We chat about our highs and lows from the show and probably start a feud with everyone's favorite Pixar movie score composer.

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Show notes:

- Runtime: 1 hr 18 seconds
- Music: "I Love L.A.," by Randy Newman

The Binding of Isaac: Poop Rooms

We take a trip down to the basement. Along the way we discuss fake Pokemon and the ramifications 8 foot tongues.

 

E3 Excuses

Image from PopMatters

I’ve been traveling this week, which means I’m just now getting caught up on E3 news. Before I left, I wrote a little bit about why I still bother following the show.

Glancing through the highlights (or perhaps we should lowlights?) I see that my assumptions that E3 will continue to be gross were well founded. Polygon’s coverage on the high amount of violence and the low amount of diversity suggests that the big companies (or at least their marketing departments) haven’t heard or don’t care about people’s calls for variety.

I’m also increasingly uncomfortable with the amount of money spent on the event. I find it weird that many of the games that get splashy reveals seem to be the ones that don’t need the press. Activision is going to spend ridiculous amounts of money promoting Call of Duty, so what’s the point of a huge E3 booth? Is the momentary hype all that important? In a world where Kickstarter and independent games are increasingly successful with little-to-no marketing campaign, should the way companies spend money change? When I look at a huge booth for a well-known game, I can’t help but see the a small game that never was.

Despite all this, I can’t help but get excited about the unknown. It’s probably just downright hypocritical, but the big reveals still draw me in. Thanks to today’s constant news cycle and steady stream of premature content leaks, surprises are infrequent. This rarity makes them even more alluring, which means I’ll probably keep paying attention to E3 for the foreseeable future as a guilty pleasure that I indulge once a year.

EXP Podcast #280: Portable Power

The 80s were strange...

Twenty-five years ago, Nintendo gifted upon us mere mortals the Game Boy, defining handheld gaming for years to come. Today on the EXP Podcast, Scott and I go into our histories with the portable device, what we've been playing now, and what has us most excited for the future. As always, we're curious to know your thoughts on the handheld. What's your collection like and what games should we play?

- Subscribe to the EXP Podcast via iTunes
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- Here's the show's stand-alone feed
- Listen to the podcast in your browser by left-clicking here. Or, right-click and select "save as link" to download the show in MP3 format.
- Subscribe to this podcast and EXP's written content with the RSS link on the right.

Show notes:

- Runtime: 32 mins 05 secs
- “A Jaded Gamer: Searching for Wonder in Games,” by Bryan Rumsey, via Gamer Jockies

Heroes of the Storm: Approaching MOBAs

Everyone is getting into MOBAs, even Blizzard! Check out Scott and I's first foray into this "baby game for babies."

Masculinity in The Walking Dead: In Harm's Way

Gender is complex, and even more so at the end of the world.

This week on PopMatters, I hopped into Telltale's The Walking Dead yet again. Each episode this season is better than the last, and I am continually impressed at care and consideration they put in the story and the thematic consistency. Their willingness to explore complicated issues, particularly gender and masculinity, is nowhere more clear than in the latest episode.

For more on the game, I would actually recommend listening to our debrief on the game here. Scott and I discuss some of these same narrative turns in even more detail, as there's plenty more to explore. In both cases I actually failed to mention Jane in the episode, who offers one of episodes final nails in the coffin that is presumptions faith in gender roles. Troy, one of Carver's lackeys, has the group hostage while a massive horde of walkers approaches. 

Jane, presumably having a previous history with Troy (the game seems to imply she's been stringing him along as a means of survival), convinces him the two should run away together. Troy, trusting in his own masculinity and Jane's "womanly seduction" lowers in gun and Jane shoots him. Right. In. The. Groin. There is no better metaphor for the failure of masculinity in the world of The Walking Dead.

None of this is to say women in The Walking Dead are innocent of projecting societal roles onto others, in fact, that's exactly the point. Everyone, save for Clementine I suppose, rely in some way on their understanding of society before the infection. Common and comforting notions may or may not apply at the end of the world. What makes The Walking Dead so compelling is that its willing to explore these ideas and extrapolate lessons from them that apply to our the crazy end-of-days world we live in today.

EXP Podcast #279: Where is the Wonder?

I've always wondered whether that sword is heavy.
Image from SuperGiant Games

Many of us have been playing games for decades now, which means we’ve seen a lot. Huge advances in computing technology, the evolution of controller schemes, the rise and fall of Gex the Gecko: there’s been a lot at which to marvel. Bryan Rumsey from Gamer Jockies wonders whether we’ve reached the point where the capability of games to inspire a sense of wonder has diminished. Have all the years of exploring virtual words and memorizing the Pokedex made the average game experience blasé? Whether you’re a jaded veteran or perpetual enthusiast, we’re looking forward to hearing your thoughts in the comments.

- Subscribe to the EXP Podcast via iTunes
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- Here's the show's stand-alone feed
- Listen to the podcast in your browser by left-clicking here. Or, right-click and select "save as link" to download the show in MP3 format.
- Subscribe to this podcast and EXP's written content with the RSS link on the right.

Show notes:

- Runtime: 32 mins 05 secs
- “A Jaded Gamer: Searching for Wonder in Games,” by Bryan Rumsey, via Gamer Jockies

What is This: Vessel

This week: Scott embraces better living through hydrodynamics, Jorge contemplates the ramifications of an incontinent society, and Vessel reaffirms the magic of magnets.