For complete show notes, visit http://rulezero.org.

Show Notes

00:00 — Amerykahn Promise by Erykah Badu

7:59 — No, we won’t link it. How would you even link that?

8:00 — I’m linking it right now. That’s how, bub.

10:45 — Check it out here at Sarcastic Gamer to recreate my experience. You don’t have to read that chart in your bathroom if you don’t want to recreate it fully.

14:40 — Is Paul the new Lee? We report, you decide.

15:30 — Paul is retarded. Soul Calibur IV is not coming out for the Wii.

19:44 — More Sonafield!

* Why did the review of God of War: Chains of Olympus have more to do with Madden NFL games than God of War?
* If you’re playing a videogame simulation of a collectible card game, are you still legally even alive?
* Was it totally obvious that these mystery-themed notes were inspired by Professor Layton and the Curious Village?

For complete show notes, visit http://rulezero.org.

Show Notes

0:00 — Sick on Sunday by The Dillinger Escape Plan.

8:55 — The bit about the mysterious PSP 3000 is here in all its vague and unsubstantiated glory. Also, the special Darth Vader PSP is indeed part of an exclusive Star Wars: Battlefront package.

13:28 — I don’t know how you’re listening to this podcast without having obsessively read Penny Arcade, but here’s their take on Professor Layton.

18:38 — Doesn’t all this physical gesturing make for some GREAT radio? (err, podcasting)

19:50 — You could only hope to be a quarter this cool when you’re playing Guitar Hero: On Tour.

20:00 — Paranoid Android by Radiohead. (Yes, again. SUCH A GOOD SONG).

(But deep down inside, you’ll always feel just a little bit like a quitter, won’t you?)

For complete show notes, visit http://rulezero.org.

Show Notes

00:00 — Paranoid Android by Radiohead

05:20 — Skub, as in “skubmachine vs skubhammer” is a 4chan /tg/ meme based on this Perry Bible Fellowship comic.

10:40 — The game’s official tagline, which I was not really trying to quote, is: “In the Grim Darkness of the Far Future, there is only War.”

13:30 — Another of Lee’s nearly unending string of inside jokes. Our friend Rich perpetually builds armies which he claims will fare poorly against his opponents, but which in practice are virtually indestructible. It turns out that in the Grim Darkness of the Far Future, there is also False Modesty.

15:00 — Organix by Optimus Rhyme

We have decided to play around with the format of our podcast, and so we’re presently running an experiment which may become permanent. Instead of posting one single hour-long episode, we’ve broken it down into smaller bits by conversation, which tend to run about 15 minutes long. Here’s our first attempt at this new format; if you’ve got any feedback please feel free to send it to podcast@rulezero.org.

For complete show notes, visit http://rulezero.org.

Show Notes

Only three notes this time, I’m afraid.

0:00 — The Rescue by Common Heroes

07:00 — I was slightly mistaken about this one; the argument blaming piracy for the demise of Iron Lore Entertainment was actually from THQ Creative Director Michael Fitch (THQ published Iron Lore’s titles). The response from the Sins of a Solar Empire developer can be found here.

15:25 — Player One by Machinae Supremacy

Is Super Smash Brothers Brawl the most timely topic we’ve ever discussed?
How angry will you be to hear us drop a Lost spoiler?
How is Lee able to even maintain fake enthusiasm for his dumb TV show idea?

For complete show notes, visit http://rulezero.org.

Show Notes

00:00 — The usual show intro: Reboot by Optimus Rhyme

13:35 — The Smash Ball is an item that, when broken open, allows whoever got it to unleash their Final Smash.

17:14 — I certainly made one.

23:38 — Anyone who’s actually played Smash Brothers knows this one.

39:37 — Fuck! I am referring here to Sins of a Solar Empire NOT Sword of the Stars. Although it’s easy to see where I got confused, because SotS is also a space-based 4x game. I happen to like Sins better, though.

41:00 — Tyrian 2000 on Abandonia.

45:07 — Paul elided Lee teaching us about X-Com: UFO Defense. Because you are better people than Paul and I, you’ve certainly played it.

46:35 — Check out the “Bloody mess” trait over on No Mutants Allowed.

49:39 — Maniac Mansion, yo!

1:01:25 — Credit where credit is due: I stole the line from my friend Erik Caponi. I expect to be murdered shortly.

1:03:49 — Our usual outro, as well: Breathe by Sonafield.

1:04:13 — It’s a little hard to hear, but Lee and Paul are trying to re-create the famous Dead Alewives skit from my kitchen.

Is it poor form to discuss the format of our show at length just to kill time?
Just what does Paul have against 72 gallons of blood, anyway?
Could we possibly find anything more boring for you to listen to than a drunken round of Operation?

For complete show notes, visit http://rulezero.org.

Show Notes

12:57 — Here’s the No More Heroes blood comparison video.

13:35 — It’s basically a set of little Nerf attachments that make your Wiimote look more like the sports utensils from Wii Sports. I can’t imagine why I can’t get rid of it.

15:22 — Here’s a Ninja Gaiden 2 preview. Indeed, lots of blood.

28:12 — John Gabriel’s Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory

31:20 — How U Feelin’ - Peeping Tom

32:10 — Dungeon Explorerer

40:42 — Here’s the YouTube video of the climax from the South Park Guitar Hero episode. Incidentally, I also stick my tongue out like that when I play games.

45:40 — The link I found, or rather, which Google found for me was over on the Evil Avatar forums. In this new digital age, Google has made being vain easier than ever.

1:01:22 — Breathe by Sonafield. (Nominated for best R&B Performance)

Just what is this “intellectual property” I keep hearing about, and is downloading MP3s actually stealing?
How long can four geeks reminisce about their favorite sci-fi films?
Will Paul’s lung-rattling cough actually kill him outright before the next podcast?

For complete show notes, visit http://rulezero.org.

Show Notes

Only a few show notes this time around:

00:00 — Death March from Faith no More’s second album, Introduce Yourself.

00:20 — Reboot by Optimus Rhyme.

00:58 — Murmadier by Dethklok. It’s about mermaid murder.

18:10 — Ancient Steps Retraced by LousySpy at OverClocked ReMix (www.ocremix.org)

31:18 — Mike is saying “sui genera,” but later realized he had actually meant to say “ex nihilo.” It’s pretty embarassing. What first grader DOESN’T know that?

38:18 — “What’s bugging you, Murph?” is a Robocop 2 reference. I couldn’t find the clip online, but here’s a YouTube clip where they adapted the line for their anti-drug PSA. Man, thank God for that. I don’t think anybody’s smoked a joint since then.

41:20 — After recording the show, Mike says he feels bad about this bit of sexism. I maintain that a hot First Lady with a tongue stud would have been a good thing. In the interest of gender equality, however, I’d also accept Bill Clinton getting a barbell piercing.

41:39 — Hangarmageddon by Evil Horde at The Dark Side of Phobos

42:06 — Brawndo The Thirst Mutilator. It’s like shaving your chest. WITH A LAWNMOWER!

1:12:41 — Send Paul five dollars for clues on how you can score tickets to the big Sonafield reunion show!

Why is Paul’s opinion so worthless? (Hint: Level 64 Tauren Shaman.)
Does Lee actually know what year it is?
Why is Jon’s list so freaking boring?

For complete show notes, visit http://rulezero.org.

Show Notes

00:00 — Reboot by Optimus Rhyme.

05:26 — This is the liveblogging reference, which I guess is funny if you were there. (I sure wasn’t.)

13:08 — You had to be there.

13:20 — Paul is referring once again to the Super Paper Mario copy that I still haven’t returned to Blockbuster.

16:00 — Paul’s List of Board Games:

• Die Macher

• Saint Petersburg
• Ca$h ‘n Gun$
• Werewolf

20:25 — This is the Amber game mentioned. Apparently, it’s quite popular.

22:22 — I tried really hard to find this interview, but I couldn’t. I don’t THINK I imagined it, but who knows.

27:03 — No, it didn’t. The DVD came out in 2004. Paul, like Lee, is horribly behind the times.

30:35 — EARTH HAS 4 CORNER SIMULTANEOUS 4-DAY TIME CUBE WITHIN SINGLE ROTATION.

31:35 — Here’s that 2D Flash version of Portal. I suppose it’s not bad, if you’re too cheap to buy the full version.

44:45 — The game is called Cursor*10 and it’s weird, but fun once you figure it out.

48:28 — Tristram Rock by Matt Pollard at OverClocked ReMix (www.ocremix.org)

58:11 — Yeah, I guess we should. Here it is.

62:44 — Breathe by Sonafield. (Nope, they still don’t exist. But the song makes a cool outro.)

63:52 — Well… he does.

Which video game has Paul feeling like a pretty, pretty princess?
How many times can Jon’s Xbox 360 experience painful Red Ring death before he gives up and reads a book or something?
What is Truth?
Is it still considered a social faux pau to purchase a Playstation 3?

For complete show notes, visit http://rulezero.org.

Show Notes
0:18 — Reboot by Optimus Rhyme.

1:00 — Why were we practicing the 3D surround audio test noise? Nobody knows.

13:30 — Justin is Jon’s roommate. He is the butt of many jokes, mostly due to inferior genetic material and his gently sloping forehead.

13:44 — Here is Chain Factor, the web-based puzzle game.

17: 45 — Quickman by Project X

18:17 — I am referring here to the trailer that appeared at the Spike VGAs. As it turns out, there was only one “bet on six” play on words, but it still sucked.

19:53 — Here’s the infamous Towel Trick, as demonstrated by CheapyD.

20:32 — The Escapist article in question paints a significantly bleaker picture than my experience so far. I’ll provide an update once I finally get my 360 back.

27:40 — It occurred to me later that I have never been able to play downloaded XBLA games if my Internet connection was unavailable, which previously merely seemed like really poor design. But now I’m wondering if this isn’t the result of having put my hard drive in several refurbished machines. Booooo!

30:06 — Having successfully spent at least 5 hours cruising around in a Halo 3 Warthog with Lee and my friend Chris, we decided that was a sufficient period of time to warrant a team name and a shitty MySpace page.

30:48 — Dr. Mario - Funky Pills by Virt.

33:15 — Turns out, we were right, and Activision’s real stance could be summarized as “We gots ta get PAID, son!”

34:18 — Here’s the interview where Miyamoto claims he’s never seen Ratchet & Clank. I can’t blame him; neither have I.

41:18 — How much would you like to bet that Lee reads Slashdot?

44:27 — We have discovered that podcasting in the morning sucks. We promise to never subject ourselves (or you) to it ever again.

46:35 — Here’s the link for Lmnopuz, that weird AJAX crossword puzzle game.

49:14 — Breathe by Sonafield. (Why no link? They no longer exist.)

How hard would a Rock Band rock if a Rock Band could rock hard?
Why isn’t Paul playing with his Wii anymore?
Why is making Wii-as-penis jokes so inherently lame?
And what’s up with this D&D Fourth Edition that all the kids are talking about, anyway?

For complete show notes, visit http://rulezero.org.

Show Notes
1:25 — We did eventually obtain their permission.Listen to them! LOVE them.

11:25 — The post where he mentions the name is below this comic.

23:30 — Ducktales: The Amazon Session by Gux at OverClocked ReMix (www.ocremix.org).

24:24 — Dick’s Drive In Restaurant: Truly a Seattle staple.

28:30 — Jon had a 1-year subscription to a game rental service from
Blockbuster, and it expired when he had Super Paper Mario in his
possession. He was fined $50, but has thus far been too lazy to find
out whether or not that means he owns the game now.

42:04 — Here’s the table. It’s also featured in the banner above.

46:13 — Bionic Commando: Advance With Caution by Star Salzman at OverClocked ReMix (www.ocremix.org).

57:56 — Paul was painting Warhammer minis during D&D, because
apparently he didn’t feel dorky enough. It was only four years
ago, but no, we never will let him forget it.

1:02:12 — That’s Pies as in meat pies, and Pints as in delicious beer.

1:02:49 — This is funny because Paul was in Sonafield, a band which no longer exists.