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herooftime1000

Zero Punctuation

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First of all I would like to thanks Kristus for bringing this cartoon into light for me. I checked out the spore review and his style of reviewing games has intrigued me. I check out more of his reviews and then I feel a little empty inside. He reviews the games I liked, (SSBB, TWEWY, etc, etc.) and mashes them all down as bad. I like the cynicism in his reviews and I find his comments hysterical. Many a time, I found myself laughing out loud while he reviews my favorite games, but after the laughter dies, I found out that I'm destroying my own self-esteem. Sure, I'm an optimist while he is a pessimist and that goes together like oil and water, but at the same I find myself nodding at his points.
However, it kills the optimistic fanboy in me and I think he is more in tune with life than I am.

Here's my question:

Is all the stuff he is saying meant to be taken seriously or is it all one big joke we are supposed to laugh and point at?

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It's not like he's the ultimate authority on video games. Just because he doesn't like something doesn't mean you won't have fun playing it. I think he probably believes most of what he says, though.

One theory I subscribe to is that reviewers play so many damn games that it really takes something special to stick out. If you're more casual, you might not care/notice that certain parts are cliched or have been done better somewhere else.

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herooftime1000 said:

However, it kills the optimistic fanboy in me and I think he is more in tune with life than I am.

Is all the stuff he is saying meant to be taken seriously or is it all one big joke we are supposed to laugh and point at?


More in tune with life? I'm not sure what you mean here. If you're refering to the fact that he most likely doesn't live at home or buy giant master sword replicas you're probably right. Maybe he is more 'in tune', but this hardy affects your experience with video games or cheapens your opinions of them.

I'm also very sure that he means what he says, he puts a lot of his time and effort into these videos, that kind of dedication doesn't come from someone who's just full of shit. So what if he didn't like a few of your favorite games? You said you agreed with a few of his points..oh well, that could just mean you're allowing yourself to be more critical and less fanboylike, which is just a sign of maturity...however belated that has become.

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david_a said:
One theory I subscribe to is that reviewers play so many damn games that it really takes something special to stick out. If you're more casual, you might not care/notice that certain parts are cliched or have been done better somewhere else.

In other words, since people play games for the hell of it, they want something entertaining when reading, hearing or seeing reviews about them.

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Well I just watched a few of the videos, primarily games that I've played. There's quite certainly a lot of notes obviously meant as jokes and something to laugh at (however, it's repetitive and only the first video I watched, Spore, that I actually laughed at); mixed with down-to-earth observations.

Like most people in the world, he's got points I agree with and points I disagree with. I totally agree that Super Smash Bros. Brawl is a boring repetition of a genre/game that any idiot can play; whereas I never found any issue with Super Mario Galaxy's camera (I do wish it was on a regular controller, and even Shigeru Miyamoto says that), or that I disliked all of No More Heroes.

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I've been watching his stuff religiously every week. It's decent stuff and it's a nice way to burn the lunch break. Some points are obvious but I feel like these are on purpose. He does bring up issues though that are worth mentioning (like the AITD review).

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I personally love watching these reviews because they amuse me, not because I take them seriously. I like to play a game for myself to see if it's good or not, because when reviews are mixed, you never know what to think. For example, everyone revered Halo 3 as the game of all games. I played it and found it entirely uninteresting (ironically, I can still play spy hunter for hours on my MAME emulator)

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Use3D said:

More in tune with life? I'm not sure what you mean here. If you're refering to the fact that he most likely doesn't live at home or buy giant master sword replicas you're probably right. Maybe he is more 'in tune', but this hardy affects your experience with video games or cheapens your opinions of them.

I'm also very sure that he means what he says, he puts a lot of his time and effort into these videos, that kind of dedication doesn't come from someone who's just full of shit. So what if he didn't like a few of your favorite games? You said you agreed with a few of his points..oh well, that could just mean you're allowing yourself to be more critical and less fanboylike, which is just a sign of maturity...however belated that has become.


Ouch, man. *looking at the Master Sword in my bedroom.* A-anyway, what I meant to say he was in tune with the reality of how games are. He is right in one of his videos that if you expect shit and it turns out you're right, you don't lose anything. However, for me it's hard for me expect shit from the main great franchises because I usually expect greatness. But, now with Nintendo lose interest on core gamers and other problems around the video game market, it's best that I expect it to be less than what it should be.

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Patrick Pineda said:

For example, everyone revered Halo 3 as the game of all games. I played it and found it entirely uninteresting (ironically, I can still play spy hunter for hours on my MAME emulator)

I've never been able to see any Halo game as anything more than a above-mediocre FPS. It was a decent game, and probably the first console FPS that actually had any resemblance of fun, but the first Doom game is still waaaaaaaaaaay better than Halo ever could be. I just can't understand how anyone can equate Halo 1, 2, or 3 to being the "best game ever", and yes I've played them.

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Ok, here is my decision.

I think I shouldn't follow his every word because he and I have different opinions in games. I shall listen to his comments but if I disagree that's ok. I will instead agree to some of the points and put it to bed instead of fighting and defending the game to the ends of the earth like a 14-year-old.

There. I'm going to enjoy more of his witty banter. Thanks.

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herooftime1000 said:

Ok, here is my decision.

I think I shouldn't follow his every word because he and I have different opinions in games. I shall listen to his comments but if I disagree that's ok. I will instead agree to some of the points and put it to bed instead of fighting and defending the game to the ends of the earth like a 14-year-old.

There. I'm going to enjoy more of his witty banter. Thanks.


yeah, thats how it should be. you shouldn't let one guys rant on a video game determine whether it's a good or bad game. if it looks of interest to buy it or rent it and see how YOU like it.

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Patrick Pineda said:

Wait, what's a Nintendo? Does it taste good?

Nintendo stew

Ingredients:-
1 Nintendo, about 2 - 3lbs
2 sticks celery, cut into 2" lengths
2 carrots, peeled, halved and quartered
2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 4 pieces each
1t. salt
1/2t. pepper
2t. sugar
own choice of herbs [in a piece of cheesecloth]
1 cup oil
3 cups chicken stock [or cubes] or white wine
prepared turkey stuffing
1 axe-head

Method:-
Fill the cavity of Nintendo with the turkey stuffing. Put oil in dutch oven and brown Nintendo on all sides. Pour off the oil, and remove Nintendo. Place prepared vegetables on base of dutch oven, and replace Nintendo on top. Pour in chicken stock [or wine if used] herbs, salt, pepper and sugar. Put the axe-head in beside the Nintendo, cover and cook on high until it comes to a rolling boil. Turn down heat and simmer. To test for doneness, poke a skewer into the axe-head, if it is tender, the Nintendo is cooked.

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GreyGhost said:

Nintendo stew

Recipe...


You forgot the mushrooms. And the fire flower...which can only be added after the mushroom

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Well the way I figure it, his reviews are simply his opinions based on his personal tastes. There's very serious observations on the games, and then they're (sometimes) blown out of proportion for humorous effect. Mainly because it's funny to do so, and is his schtick. Still it's all personal opinions, but I do find myself agreeing with him on most games. My only real disagreement was on his Alone in the Dark review, yeah it wasn't as amazing as they made it out to be but I really enjoyed it. Until I got to the part with the giant satanic penis towers, destroyed them, then found out I had to take out 100 more. And much like Yazhtee I said "no", and stopped playing. Still, they're decent reviews and have good points, and as he pointed out at one point, not verbatim at all, if his comments give you a nagging feeling that the game you think is perfect isn't actually perfect, maybe you're wrong about it. Nothing wrong with being critical and finding faults with something, but if overall the pluses outweigh the minuses to you then who cares what someone on the internet thinks about the game?

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The reviews are serious, but they're expressed in a humorous fashion. Making them entertainment in themselves.

Now, Yahtzee is just a human like everyone else. And his opinion is just that. His opinion. You're entitled to your own, if you don't agree with something he sais then you don't agree. It's that simple. ;)

About the Smash Bros Brawl review, he did a responce vid to the negative feedback he got: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/37-Mailbag-Showdown

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I actually agree with most of his reviews with about a 90% crossover. His reviews of stuff I've played are pretty much completely what I thought of them.. There are a few exceptions, though. For instance, I actually really like SSBM, and I'm not by a long shot a Nintendo fanboy (I don't even know who the fuck half the characters are). I think he just approached the game from the wrong angle.

Also, I had way too much fun with EVE Online. I agree with him on about every point in his review, but for some reason I had retarded amounts of fun with it...until I got bored and dropped it. His review made me want to reinstall it and reactivate my account though, oddly enough.

He's also one of the few people, like me, who truly mourns the death of the adventure game genre. I need to play the ones he made some day.

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He pretty much says what anyone who's played video games over the last 20 years could tell you albeit with better dick jokes. You can't play games since the 80's and not get at least a little bit cynical and I say that believing we are currently experiencing a new golden age of video games. So yeah, give or take the odd comically exaggerated comment, he means what he says.

I like him because he's one of the few critics on the internet who doesn't believe multiplayer is the be all and end all and should excuse a shit house singleplayer game, but more importantly he's about the only critic, nay, human being on the face of the earth who criticizes Nintendo... Well... At all. That's a big deal. Anyone who's played a FPS on a PC ever will tell you Halo is a massively overrated meh-fest, but the NES must have secretly installed chips into the hands of every child who ever picked up it's controller because god help you if Super Mario isn't you favorite video game. I never heard a bad word about The Phantom Hourglass till his review and I thought I was the only person on the planet to take one look at Super Smash Brothers Brawl and decide 'Meh, not for me.'

But then I've always hated fighting games.

oh shoot, I posted about Zero Punctuation so I have to add some arbitrary points on things I disagree with him about otherwise I look like a smuck:

I liked Oblivion (after modding the fuck out of it) mostly because I actually did find it immerse, Call of Duty 4 might have been polished and well presented, but how are people not noticing it's linearity and that it's possibly even MORE mindless then Serious Sam. that game has NO replay value at all, and I have finished Half-Life 1 and 2 and Max Payne many times.

Edit: Shit. I've become one of those cunts who reads too much intp ZP reviews. I'll make it up to you guys by posting some of Charlie Brookers' Screenwhipe, one of the people the Yahtz' took inspiration from. if you've ever turned on a TV in your life time then this guy is bloody entertaining.

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I generally agree with him on his reviews. Though I don't really understand his fascination with Half Life.

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Half-Life"""""s a really good game series.

Seriously guys, It's nearly ten years old now. It hasn't been punk as fuck to hate it in years.

Edit:
Less prickish answer: Yahtzee has said on more then one occasion that he like's games where the story and the gameplay complement each other rather then completely separate elements, and that's something that Half-Life and more so it's sequel do really well. You work out Half-Life's story as you play the game through events that happen to and to you and in little clippings lying around that place, yet you never really stop playing the game. many critics and players argue that it's one of the best examples of story telling in a game (even if the story is a little simple). it's right up Yahtzee's ally

Remiel said:

Half-Life is a pretty cool guy, eh fights headcrabs and doesn't afraid of anything

shutup faggot

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Captain Red said:

Half-Life's a really good game series.

Half-Life is a pretty cool guy, eh fights headcrabs and doesn't afraid of anything

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I really enjoy Zero Punctuation. It's silly and witty and entertaining while being relevant and informational. If I'm going to truly care what a reviewer has to say about something, anything, then it's probably because I feel that I don't have enough information to form a firm judgment either way for myself yet. Reviews are simply informational opinions to aid in constructing your decision to spend the time and money on this or not.

Sometimes if I am still unsure about a product I'll go read previous reviews by the reviewer. You know, see what their past reviews have said about products that I've used to determine if their opinions were consistent with my own.

I'll admit that on a few occasions I was disappointed that a game I enjoyed didn't receive a more favorable review. Since people might not be so inclined to check it out and enjoy it as much as I did or even just spend enough money on it so I get to play an improved sequel one day.

I find more then most of Yahtzee's opinions are spot on to my own; either what I thought about a game I've played or what I think about a game I haven't played. Still, just because a game isn't perfect or even as good as it could have been doesn't mean it can't be fun. I knew when I heard there was going to be a Matrix-tie-in-game that it wasn't going to be all that great and reviews later confirmed it. Still, I thought it would be good enough and enjoyable and after I bought it and played it, it was indeed enjoyable despite all that made it an average game.

Then again with Zelda games I always like the 1st few hours but can't be bothered to go on after that. I beat Metal Gear Solid about 3 times the week I got it. Halo and Halo 2 were good alright. Call of Duty 1 and 4 are the FPS I judge all other current FPS against. Finally, of course Doom is so classic to me it's timeless.

I think X-Play gets it right enough... Most games are 3 out of 5. Good if you are into it. Some are better and some are more passable. In the end it's mostly about personal preferences with, hopefully, a fair bit of intelligent and well thought out game making decisions tossed in for better odds.

A good review to me is one where I am given enough relevant information to come to my own conclusion regardless of what the reviewer ultimately felt about the product as a whole. I've seen some reviews that told me nothing in detail about the product and only everything the reviewer felt about it (or it's price). Not helpful to me. I tend to care a bit more whether the review was informational then if it was positive or negative about the product. With enough information I can make that decision myself.

BTW here's what Adam from X-Play had to say about criticizing a reviewers opinions.

Sessler's Soapbox: Review to a Kill

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kristus said:

I generally agree with him on his reviews. Though I don't really understand his fascination with Half Life.

Oh, I thought it was kristus making the reviews...

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Captain Red said:

...

shutup faggot


Well, I never liked the first game. I tried to like it really hard because everyone was loving it so much. But I didn't like the game play and the story was basically just a more evolved Doom story.
I never did get through it. Either of the 3 attempts I gave it.

Half Life 2, I did play through really liked the War of the worlds inspiration. But I didn't find it awesome anywhere really. It was good, but not more. I've not played the other stuff, like the episodes or blue shift or opposing forces.

Played Portal, loved it. Only wished it could have been a bit harder. But there's community maps for that I suppose.

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Captain Red said:

He pretty much says what anyone who's played video games over the last 20 years could tell you albeit with better dick jokes.

Yeah, that pretty much sums it up nicely there. He tears on something I like, I take no offense given it's humerous approach at doing so. Then again I enjoy the dryest of British humor, so....

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kristus said:
Well, I never liked the first game. I tried to like it really hard because everyone was loving it so much. But I didn't like the game play and the story was basically just a more evolved Doom story.
I never did get through it. Either of the 3 attempts I gave it.

I experienced the same, pretty much.

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Yahtzee plays almost all the games I never played, in addition to games I couldn't care less about. Except for maybe Halo 3 and GTA 4 both of which are heavily overrated games.

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I love his reviews, most of the time he reviews the games THE WAY THEY ARE!

I mean his review of GTA 4 is the only review for that game that i have seen so far that does not say: OMG GTA 4 IS THE BEST GAME EVER OMG!!!!

The same thing apply's for Halo 3.

I love his reviews for that.

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