PPR Presents The Golden Zonkies: Class of 2014

014; whether it was a year you cherished or hated, there’s no denying just how eventful the past twelve months have been—especially for video games.

From budding next-generation consoles that are gradually gaining ground after being on store shelves for nearly a year, to the challenges and questions that have shaken the industrial and culture foundations that drive the medium of video games and it’s direction; the 365^thchapter we’re about  to close on has sure had a lot of shit happen in it.

And just what kind of year would it be without the annual Press Pause Radio’s Golden Zonkies awards to get their last word in?

Everything from games to events that saw the light of day in 2014, across fifteen different categories, and we have that very list for you here now. We’ll be plowing through a prestigious catalog of choices, debating with one another from beginning to end in this epic podcast, each voicing our vote for the winner of its respective category.

The only stipulation in the Golden Zonkies is that any point, a wild card can be suggested by one of the hosts if majority vote dictates that another nomination is more deserving of the award instead of the choices presently casted, but weirdly enough—it didn't happen this year....imagine that.

If you’ve got an issue with the Golden Zonkies and how it was conducted then just remember the only other rule; it’s our God Damn show and opinion anyway, so keep that in mind when you send us whatever discourse you have with our decisions after the show by doing the following:

Mail us at our new email Mailbag@presspauseradio.com, leave a voicemail at 469-PPR-TALK, and be sure to stop by at our Forums if you haven’t already registered and post your thoughts about the show. Finally, make sure to rate and subscribe to us on iTunes and YouTube, follow us on Twitch page and Twitter, and finally take part in our Facebook and Steam group!

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QCF: The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth

t’s strange just how infrequent this particular passing trend has fluctuated within the last two decades of modern pop-culture—the fad I’m talking about here is the vulgar, off-color, wildly gross and trashy gore-porn art style that’s swept the new age of cartoons and animation. Whether it was John K’s Ren and Stimpy or MTV’s The Head, the 90’s pioneered an interest into all things crass and disgusting, and even though the direction has been hit or miss as the years have gone by, one particular video game visionary has taken this niche and ran with it.

Off the heels of Super Meat Boy, revered indie darling Edmund McMillen unleased his liberal adaption of one of the most infamous passing’s from ancient biblical scripture, and much to the same vein, it was grueling spin on the rogue-like formula. While it possessed a degree of his trademark charm and style, The Binding of Isaac was ultimately, a rough mess that was held back from too many issues that kept it from going the same kind of distance that its platforming counterpart did.

Three years later though, and it would appear that Headup Games has given its controversial property a second wind, and whether or not this may potentially be your second field trip to the unholy depths of Isaac’s basement—The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth does everything a rerelease should do. In fact, it’s easily the most definitive means of experiencing the strange madness it has to that this top-down dungeon crawler has to offer.

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PPR 90

neaking up on whatever you have to do can have its own little reward, and sometimes, it’s probably a big pain in the ass; The art of Stealth is truly a divided camp.

Join Andrew, George, and newcomer Gil, as they go on to discuss the duality that comes with espionage-focused titles, whether it’s the empowering sense of control, or the crippling anxiety from losing said control—the topic gets hit pretty hard and deep.

In addition, the gang goes on to talk about Bayonetta 2, Skylanders: Trap Team, Vegan Bacon, Shadows of Mordor, how gross Ann Geddes is, Sunset Overdrive, Alien Isolation, Ass to Mouth, The Uncle Who Works For Nintendo, household cats, Captain Toad’s Treasure Tracker, and much, much more.

Mail us at our new email Mailbag@presspauseradio.com, leave a voicemail at 469-PPR-TALK, and be sure to stop by at our Forums if you haven’t already registered and post your thoughts about the show. Finally, make sure to rate and subscribe to us on iTunes and YouTube, follow us on Twitch page and Twitter, and finally take part in our Facebook and Steam group!

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QCF: Neverending Nightmares

reating a scary video game that's able to not only strike fear into the heart of its players, but subsequently dose them with the adrenaline needed to carry on, can be summed up into being one of the hardest no-brainer endeavors ever attempted within the media, to this very day.

The token element of the package any self-respecting thriller and horror schemed system strives to deliver, is the relationship of interaction with the player themselves.

Every role, from the blood curdling scenery, down to the unsettling instances of terror that haunt you every step of the way, are just a few of the several dealings fueled by the moment-to-moment  bread and butter frenzy, and what to expect out of the ordeal.

Although most developers are ostensibly aware of the importance behind these factors and the respective dynamics of gameplay involved, what sets the memorably traumatic games apart from the cheesy snore-fests, or frustratingly cheap gore-porn, is the calculation regarding the finer points of the scary essentials to the experience itself. The all hinging on the immaculate sense of pacing responsible for the perpetual balancing act in charge of the infrequent, yet engaging moments of agency, and the exchange of horrifying downfalls into helplessness in between them.

Infinitap's Neverending Nightmare is one of the few games of this generation, that manages to effectively nail down every nuance of the immersive horror dogma, developed with a sense of passion for the craft that's capable of leaving behind a few trembles in your hand-even after the screen has moved on to something else.

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PPR Presents Play Play: Crypt of Necrodancer

onestly, I have to admit, it’s been too long since I unfolded the crinkley, vinyl mess of dance pad that I use to kick and stomp on during the pre-Guitar Hero days that Dance Dance Revolution ruled the block. I just couldn’t say no to the idea of crawling through dozens of dungeon floors through the sole use of sweet footwork on the mat—I have Brace Yourself Games to thank for that, with the their up and coming title, Crypt of The Necrodancer.

This Play Play is a little different, I decided what better way to showcase just how ridiculously awesome this whole thing really is, than to giving you all an inside-look on the slick moves being done by yours truly, via split screen. Check it out, and if you like what you see, you can buy the game on Steam Early Access!

Mail us at our new email Mailbag@presspauseradio.com, leave a voicemail at 469-PPR-TALK, and be sure to stop by at our Forums if you haven’t already registered and post your thoughts about the show. Finally, make sure to rate and subscribe to us on iTunes and YouTube, follow us on Twitch page and Twitter, and finally take part in our Facebook and Steam group!

QCF: Freedom Planet

ey there, I'm sure I can ask you all a question right—do you like Sonic the Hedgehog? Me too, and apparently so do the developers over at GalaxyTrail. Unlike most games that take influence from other IP's, Freedom Planet doesn't do anything to try to hide it, in fact, it displays it's love for the sonic franchise loudly and proudly.

The game really feels like a spiritual successor of sorts, which is great considering Sega managed to drive their own franchise into the ground. Although this game borrows a lot from classic Sonic's gameplay, it has its own unique flare and tone.

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PPR 89

ell wouldn’t you know it—Press Pause Radio has done the one thing they haven’t done in pretty long while; record an actual podcast…

Yup, aside from all of the reviews, and features, and Play Plays, we were all able to hop back into the studio after a month long break; so as you can imagine, we’re playing a whole lot of catch-up in this episode. Andrew, Ser, and George pick things right up with Mountain Lions, Fatherhood, Hyrule Warriors, Destiny, Craigslist, Mortal Kombat X, infamous First Light, Crypt of The Necrodancer, Neo Geo CD, terrible relationship advice, Twin Tiger Shark, the definition of an indie game, and more!

Try to keep up, hell, who’re we kidding, we get sort of lost on this ride ourselves, but what else should we have we expected? We’re just happy to be back!

Mail us at our new email Mailbag@presspauseradio.com, leave a voicemail at 469-PPR-TALK, and be sure to stop by at our Forums if you haven’t already registered and post your thoughts about the show. Finally, make sure to rate and subscribe to us on iTunes and YouTube, follow us on Twitch page and Twitter, and finally take part in our Facebook and Steam group!

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QCF: Five Nights at Freddy's

n the vein of Stephen King’s It or Chucky, Five Nights at Freddy’s takes on one of the creepiest characters from our collective childhood ­ the animatronic robots dressed as cuddly stuffed animals that perform at amusement parks and fun centers. Their dead eyes and jerky movements place them firmly in the Uncanny Valley ­ a bit too life­like for comfort. Why did these things exist?

Whoever thought they were appropriate for children? Even as a little girl I remember shrinking away whenever they “looked” at me (also, people who dress up as statues). These robots are creepy as hell, making them the perfect villains for this atmospheric nightmare game.

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