What's up Swordchomp community? So this is a little segment created from the normal podcast. We have many discussions outside of the podcast, and many of them are hilarious. We wanted to give you a little taste of what many of our conversations are like. We also included some of the hilarious audio clips that we made for the show over the past year as a sort of remembrance. We hope you enjoy, and we thank you for taking the ride with us over the past year as we continue to be ever-inspired.
Pogonophobia - Ep. 57
Earth is in a state of flux, being attacked by the armies of the Red Legion. Throngs of humans have been obliterated from the face of the planet. The armies descend in hordes, ready to massacre the rest of humanity. They want to capture the Traveler’s light. The Traveler will not oblige their request, and begins to fight back. Fish looks into the sky and wets himself in sheer horror as the sphere dons a massive bushel of face hair.
The crew this week fully unloads their love for Destiny 2, being fully entrenched in the game. It has taken over Fish’s and Morgan’s life (surprise surprise). Josh is waiting for the computer game, and Shea is waiting for his PS4. We also discuss the topic of a sequel that changed our minds on a game series that we were not previously keen on. We wrap up with some listener questions and comments. Game on!
Recorded September 15, 2017
The Doors - Ep. 56
Hey guys! This week, we welcome our special and last guest to the Chompcast in our few months of guest hosts. Ryan did an awesome job with us as we discussed our prevailing thoughts regarding nostalgia in gaming. We pondered why nostalgia is such a massive proponent in gaming culture, as well as culture in general. We posed the question to ourselves: is it a trick our mind plays on us, or is there a level of validity within the nostalgia that speaks to something deeper? We also briefly mentioned games that harken back to an earlier time for us, and why they matter so much. Is it the artwork? The music? The dialogue? The characters? What senses, emotions, and memories do these games invoke within us?
Next, we barrel-rolled on into discussion of what is clearly going to be one of this year’s hottest and most talked about games, Destiny 2. The hype is real with some members of the crew as they discuss their experiences thus far with the single- and multi-player. We pay homage to the following that this game has garnered over the years, highlighting the reasons we think that Destiny has continued to be the juggernaut it is since its first release.
We catch up with the crew, as is tradition around here, and hear tales regarding very old guns, cliff jumping, truck driving, and a question posed to us by one of our wonderful listeners. Come join in on the fun, and happy gaming!
Recorded September 8, 2017
4K Cauliflower - Ep. 55
What year is this, 1990? As autumn rolls in, the gaming community has been gifted a great Sonic and a great Mario game. This week, we discuss our thoughts regarding the Sonic game that acts as a remaster, a remix, and a new game all balled into one. We have our infamous D&D bartender Rich Meister around to offer his in-depth analysis of Mario and Rabbids with Josh. Rich also brings along the topic of most disappointing anticipated game after a recent harrowing experience with Agents of Mayhem. Shea rejoins the podcast this week and details his recent travels. Come join us for some fun and lengthy conversation on the Chompcast!
Recorded September 1, 2017
A Relaxing Cruise - Ep. 54
While Shea is away this week learning how to use his new gills, we are joined by guest Jackie Shock. We discuss the games we have missed from our favorite series. As far as game tacos, we also hit Destiny 2, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, Uncharted: Lost Legacy, and briefly touch Sonic Mania (which will be discussed in depth next week). Enjoy the show!
Recorded August 25, 2017
Chompcast Anniversary Special - Ep. 53 - 24/7, 350 Days a Year
Our merry band of adventurers take a break this week to reflect on their journey thus far and to celebrate one year questing in search of the legendary Sword Chomp. It has been a rough road so far, and ahead shows no sign of easing; but tonight is a night for looking back. As the roaring flames of their bonfire give way to glowing embers, each hero looks back in his own way.
Fish gently fingers the filigree on a small silver locket. He carefully unfastens the latch and opens it. Inside is a lock of hair and faded picture of a loved one. He tenderly kisses the etching, and lingers deeply breathing in what little scent remains in those golden strands. Fish clasps the locket closed as carefully as he opened it, and quickly returns it to its place by his heart.
Shea prays for the souls of those the heroes couldn't save... mostly just that they'll haunt someone else in the party. As he opens his eyes a pair of flickering coals meet his gaze and seem to acquiesce. From the pit a final flame leaps up, crackling, and its sparks fly away on a wind not felt.
On the other side of the fire Josh empties his pack to clean and inventory his poisons. He is unsure how so many skulls got in there, but that's what the name tags were for. He opens a bottle with more warning labels than most, and he takes a sip. One of smaller skulls seems to laugh at him knowingly, and he tosses it in the fire.
Sat too close to the fire for safety, but not close enough for warmth, Morgan stuffs a pile of envelopes with IOUs. He uses the same pet name in all the accompanying letters, but makes sure to sign each with the correct alias.
This week we discuss year one of the Chompcast, No Man's Sky, What Remains of Edith Finch, and answer lots of listener questions.
Recorded August 16, 2017
Chompcast 52 - Mr. Mime Ink
The adventurers spot the den on the other side of the lake, surrounded by reeds and other various plants. Smears of blood on the ground lead the way to the den. The band dismounts, and ties their horses to a nearby tree. The four, weapons drawn and ready, round the lake towards the den. They inch closer, hearing insects chirp in the water and wetland area. A cool breeze blows through the flora, brushing past the adventurers. As they grow close to the cave, they witness a woman making her way to the entrance on the opposite side of the water.
Perplexed, Shea quickly walks towards her, attempting to discern her intent.
“You must leave this area. There is a strong creature here, and we are going to destroy it,” he informs her.
The woman replies quietly, “This creature killed my husband, among others, in my village. I will have my revenge.”
The creature roars in defiance. A giant stream of greenish fluid jets towards Shea and the woman. Morgan tackles them both in the nick of time. Behind them, some plants singe and disappear as acid eats away at their cellulose. The two cease their arguing, and prepare to battle the fiend.
It steps out into the light. It stands 10 feet tall. Four giant eyes stare at the adventurers and widow, with yellow teeth gleaming at them. Stubbly whiskers protrude from the sides of the mouth. Scaly ears lift from the top of the head. With a greenish-yellow body with bright blue patches on the side, the creature’s front legs are clawed, while the back legs are cocked, ready to hop. The fiend appears to be a hybrid of a frog and a jaguar.
Josh begins to sling spells, some to protect the adventurers and the woman, while others are damaging the creature. Fish shoots enchanted arrows, attempting to pick apart weaknesses in the creature’s skin. Morgan swings his axe, hacking at the muscled front legs. Shea draws the attention of the creature, blocking the lightning-fast claws of the creature with his shield and sword. The woman begins to also hack at the legs of the creature with her two long daggers, ducking in and out of reach of the creature. The creature knocks Shea down and quickly descends upon him, jaw open. Fish quickly knocks an arrow, firing at the right-most eye. Direct hit! The creature howls in agony as blueish-grey blood drips from its ocular cavity. Capitalizing on the moment, the woman throws one of her daggers at another eye, puncturing her target. The creature is now enraged. Josh uses all of his remaining magic to cast a giant blaze right underneath the creature, frightening it and causing it to fall on its back. Morgan and the woman quickly follow the creature, hacking at its softer interior and looking for a weak point. Morgan slashes the crease between the creature’s front right leg and body, cutting deep. The woman begins to stab the same area on the back left leg. Fish drags Shea away from the immediate area while the two work, disabling the creature. Blood overflows the den as the creature quickly bleeds out.
After the battle is won, the woman retrieves her dagger from the creature’s eye. “Thank you.” She simply replies. She begins to walk back the way she came.
“Wait! Hold up! What is your name?” Morgan asks, as she continues to walk off.
“Melanie,” the woman states, as she walks until she disappears over the crest of a hill.
This week on the Chompcast, we are joined by the lovely Melanie Dunn, the host of the Rare Candy Podcast. The crew, sans Shea, discusses story vs mechanics, gaming with kids, and Pyre. Join us as we round up the Summer of Guests here at Swordchomp!
Recorded August 11, 2017
Chompcast 51 - Sea Snails: The Snails of the Sea
Our four adventurers set off the next morning, having been told of the malevolent creature by the surprisingly generous bartender. Buzzing with excitement, they head northwest, where lies a den by the edge of a once-beautiful lake. Since being claimed by the creature, the area near the water sees no wildlife. The majestic, plump Ebibird has moved on.
Along the road that leads to the lake, the adventurers spot five guards posted up on the road. Three of them are lying on the side of the road, clutching various wounds. The other two are on the lookout. Our adventurers spot another man observing the wounds of the injured guards, tending to them and using magic to temporarily heal them.
"What happened here?" Josh inquires with concern.
Without looking up the healer replies, "The creature of the lake attacked the guards while they were patrolling this morning." He rises, wiping the sweat from his brow, and continues, "It ran back to the lake."
"We are on our way now to exterminate the very same" offers Fish.
"Zacharias is the name," says the healer, thrusting his hand into Fish's. "Let me join you to defeat the vile creature! I have-"
"Please tend to the guards," Morgan interrupts. "We will handle the creature."
The four adventurers ride off swiftly, looking to waste no more time in defeating the creature of the lake. Pushing their horses, they make short time of the remainder of their trek.
Keeping up the Summer of Guests here at Swordchomp, we have special guest Zachary Helms join us for some talk of video game endings, and how much they mean to us individually as well as overall. From there we move on to Pyre, the new Elder Scrolls: Legends card game, and The End is Nigh. Packed with engaging discussions and air horns, you won’t want to miss this hilarious episode of the Chompcast!
Recorded August 4, 2017
Chompcast 50 - Why Am I Collecting All These Bananas?
After a few long months of journeying with the Slayer of Minotaurs, our paths together finally diverge. Our companion takes her leave. She strides off into the West, pursuing her own voyage. We look on and wave atop our mounts, wistful at the disappearing sight. "Let us travel on," says the mighty Fish.
We gallop to the next town, and we spot a quirky inn at its center. Trollops drape over the rails on second floor balcony, the tavern on the first floor is painted a mixture of red and purple, and there is a wooden carving of a fox with a straw hat holding a fishing pole with a goose at the end.
Intrigued, we enter the bar, looking to imbibe and wind down. Morgan immediately bee-lines for the second floor staircase, the rest of us chuckling at the depraved man. We sit down at a free table, and begin to look around. Some of the patrons are hooting and hollering, having a grand time. Others are intensely focused on a game of cards and dice. The sounds of customers bumping uglies on the second floor find their way through the cracks in the floor and cause the chandelier to gently sway overhead. The barmen and barwomen hard at work, sling mugs of beer and glasses of hard liquor across the bar and from table to table.
We order our beers and begin to speak of our next adventure. Should we complete a contract? Go to a new town? Sail to some new land? Suddenly, Morgan comes rolling down the stairs, with his pants around his ankles. He lands at the bottom on his back, sprawled out at the minstrel's feet. The bar suddenly goes quiet as they observe the spectacle. From the top of the stairs one of the floozies, clutching her bosom, yells "Get that man!"
Out of nowhere, six brutish men stand up from a table and began to make their way towards the pantsless adventurer. We stand up and rush in front of the six men, blockading Morgan. "We will get him out of here," we offer. The men attempt to push past without a word. Josh throws a lightning-fast punch, knocking one guard in the throat, instantly killing him. The men, shocked at Josh’s skills, step back in fright. Fish and Shea pick up Morgan, and he pulls his pants back up onto his hips.
A man from behind the bar yells over the commotion, "Hey! You’re going to have to pay for your friend's time upstairs and that guard of mine you just killed!" The guards move, revealing a man with glasses.
"No problem," Shea replies. "We apologize for the commotion. What is your name?"
The man grunts back, "Rich."
Shea waves for the other three to go outside while he handles the money exchange, fervently apologizing for the hullabaloo.
Rich, calming down after receiving his coin, asks Shea what the travelers were doing here anyway.
Shea calmly states that they were looking for their next adventure.
Rich asks him to sit for a minute as he tells him a tale of a foul creature plaguing the village.
The Chompcast is graced with a second guest this week in our Summer of Guests: Rich Meister, a writer for Destructoid. The five of us discuss what games we would include on a hypothetical N64 Classic, prompted by rumors of Nintendo putting a patent out for the controller. The crew also discuss the new game sweeping the world, Pyre, as well as Battlegrounds, Splatoon 2, Phantasy Star 2, and various VR talk. Come join us for another awesome episode, and our 50th episode at that!
Recorded July 28, 2017
Chompcast 49 - Fus Rah Dodrio
We exit the shadowy, bottomless cave having staved off the throngs of creatures that lurked in the deep. Having been such a lengthy amount of time without seeing natural light, we are blinded by the moon and the stars in the sky. After a few seconds of adjustment, we observe our immediate surroundings and see that we are back in the forest where we began this subterranean adventure.
"We have succeeded!" we think to ourselves.
Suddenly, three giant minotaurs come bumbling out of a thicket of trees, bee lining towards us. Drawing our swords, we brace ourselves for the unavoidable and seemingly hopeless conflict. One that will certainly end in our deaths. The minotaurs' horns tower above their heads, threatening to pierce the sky. Their hooves decimate the earth with each step. Each of their thick arms screams at us, veins bulging beneath glistening skin, all over having to brandish massive axes. Their eyes are wide open and staring at us, seeming as though they only comprehend that we exist and that we are food. The beasts have almost descended on us when a massive spear strikes the temple of the lead minotaur. It dies instantly. The other two stop to observe their leader's crumpled body, then its murderer. There stands... a woman? She raises the tips of her fingers and strikes the remaining two with ferocious bolts of lightning. It's super effective! The woman strolls over to us, changing her scowl to a smile before excitedly saying, "Hello! My name is –"
This week on the Chompcast, we kick off our Summer of Guests with Angela Li, also known as Firekeeper. The cosplayer, gamer, and social media personality drops by to discuss the Destiny 2 beta and Overwatch with the crew. After an enriching discussion of the two games, the crew plays What If, deciding if we could combine two game worlds, what would they be and why. We top the show off with a goodbye to Chester Bennington, as he had a profound effect on each one of our lives. Rest in peace, Chester. Come join us this week. Enjoy the show, and happy gaming!
Recorded July 21, 2017
Chompcast 48 - Laughter in the Dark
We discuss a topic that has been hot in the gaming industry this week: game critics and scores handed out to games upon release. Having started another podcast years ago where we all rated video games, it was a topic that was divisive among the crew. We discussed the feeling of being left behind in a world of ever-increasing technology, with Twitch being the poster child for us in the gaming industry. We moved on to some remake and remaster video games, talk of Netflix series, and more adventures within the crew. Game on!
Recorded July 14, 2017
Chompcast 47 - Our Four Heroes
Our four heroes ride across the land on chocobos, scouring the plains for any sign of an enemy. The sun beads down on our foreheads, glimmering off of the beads of sweat. The chocobos feel energized in the revitalizing rays, pushing to appease their masters. Off in the distance, our heroes see a couple of Chimaeras. The first hero wields a buster sword. The second unsheathes his gun blade. The third hero pulls out his dagger and swallow sword. The fourth and final hero laughs his incessant, hideous laugh. The other three heroes fall off of their perished chocobos at the feet of the dead chimaeras. The heroes all have died except for our fourth hero. The hero uses three Phoenix Downs on the fallen heroes, reviving them. He laughs again, enjoying the hilarity of the situation. The shrill, god-awful laugh pierces the remaining three heroes’ ears, causing their brains to implode. The heroes die once again. The remaining hero revives them yet again. Before the hero can say anything, the other three perform seppuku, as hearing the laugh of the fourth hero is a worse fate.
Chompcast listeners. We bring you some goodies today. We start with the question, “If we could put the other hosts into a video game world to live for a week, which world and why?” We reveal the results of the Final Fantasy faceoff. We round up the show with catching up with the crew. Happy gaming!
Chompcast 46 - Donkio Meatroid
A battle of the ages. Three teams are in the ring. In one corner, we have the world's most famous plumber. He wears a shining red hat and dons a brushy mustache. Welcome to the ring Mario and his manager, Fish! In the second ring, we have a wad. A meat wad. He is out to rescue his beautiful and equally squishy girlfriend, Bandage Girl. Heeeeeeeeeeere's Super Meatboy. Accompanying him are his managers Josh and Shea. In the third corner, we have a beige brute that loves to eat bananas. He's a lovable ape. Make way for Donkey Kong! He is advised by none other than Morgan. It is going to be a heated match. Three opponents with different skill sets. Let's begin!
This week on the Chompcast, we discuss our favorite SNES memories in the wake of the news of the SNES/Super Famicom Mini. We also discuss our thoughts regarding Nintendo's newest product. Morgan reveals the results of the "Best Platform" throwdown. We catch up with the crew, revealing some stories of a move within the crew, an update on the brand new baby, another brief gaming addiction, and a video game bar experience. Dive right into this week's episode!
Chompcast 45 - There Are...Three Lights
The Romulans have constructed a secret base in the Demilitarized Zone. You, Crusher, and Worf have been tasked with secret training to infiltrate and destroy the base before they can launch an attack on Starfleet. After weeks of grueling, arduous training, you book transport with a shady alien to bring you to the location. From there, you descend into the caverns and locate the source of the signal that has shown the existence of the Romulan Base. Wait...there is no base. It's a trap! As you and the other two attempt to flee, you are ambushed. The other two manage to escape, but you are captured. You endure days upon days of physical and mental torture. The Romulan officer continues to punish you and exercise his power as your body is abused. You walk over to his desk. He asks you to look up. You see...you see...that...THERE...ARE...
On this week's episode, the crew discuss the question, "What game felt like the hardest and longest wait?" We get into some tangential VR and 3DS discussion as well. We catch up with the crew, and Morgan discusses his time with some old games. Shea lays down a brand new segment, and Fish lays some pipe...for us to build the foundation of episode 45! ...FOUR LIGHTS!
Chompcast 44 - The Hermaphroditic Fish
Sitting around the proverbial couch by the fireplace, we sip on some chilled wine as the scent of burning wood and warm cinnamon fills the air. Josh wears his pinstripe suit and hat with an emu feather sticking out of it. Fish wears a kimono with Hawaiian shorts on underneath. Morgan wears a metal band hoodie with some jeans, tent pitched and ready to go. Shea is in the buff, causing the rest of the guys to keep their gaze at chest level.
It has come and gone, leaving us in jubilation, anxiousness, frustration, and indifference. In the wake of announcements of many games and a new hardware system, E3 has left us to ponder the immediate future of gaming. We are here to tell you now that the future looks bright. There were many games that generated hype, some that left many people scratching their heads, and a system that may be arriving a bit too late. We explore and navigate through the various announcements by working through each conference. After we purge ourselves of all of the gaming revelations, we give our personal top 5 from E3. Thanks to some wonderful listeners, we answer a few inspired fan questions.
Chompcast 43 - Wax On Wax Off (E3 predictions)
We're baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack! The four of us are all in one place again to bring you our wild, zany, and insightful predictions on E3. Josh predicts death and carnage, Fish predicts some news for his gaming loves, Morgan predicts some long grinding of RPGs in our future, and Shea predicts some indie news. After a laughter-induced segment, we delve into some Pokemon news and catching up with each other. Speaking of catching, when life throws you a curve ball, catch it with a Rawlings brand glove... Rawlings... grab life with a well-gloved hand.
Recorded June 9, 2017
Nathan McCree Interview
Join us for an interview with the legendary composer of the original Tomb Raider games. We talk about a variety of things including his current Kickstarter for the Tomb Raider Suite. If you would like to support the Kickstarter follow the link below. Thanks for listening, and enjoy.
Recorded June 5, 2017
Chompcast 42 - Virtual Sherpa (Fish Day)
Donning his favorite cowboy hat and pair of bright pink assless chaps, Fish and family rolls into Great Falls in a horse drawn carriage. He steps down off the coach and narrows his eyes in the sun. Morgan (in the same yellow, polka-dot summer dress that he wore the first time he met him) greets Fish with a wave of his lacy handkerchief (the Sunday one, with the roses embroidered round the edges). Still damp from drying the dewy drops of joy streaming down his leg, er face, it flutters in the breeze, salt glittering in the sunlight. They gallavant off to the town's computer, where they play The Oregon Trail, attempt to use a VR headset on dialup internet, and fend off another raid on their encampment by those durned bandits. Let us bait you in this week as we hook you with the latest episode of the Chompcast. Fish Day is upon us at High Noon.
Recorded June 2, 2017
Chompcast 41 - The Penultimate Supper
Yea, though the mechanic of games change through the ages. Verily shall we cling to our nostalgic remembrances of them. He who hath given, taketh away in the same. Neither a borrower nor a lender be. uhhhhhhhhhhhh. Yabba dabba doo.
Fish is on the road this week, but the rest of the Chompcast crew press on without him. We discuss the Far Cry 5 reveal, we talk about the mechanics of past games we'd like to see return, and Morgan lets us know how PSVR changes the Resident Evil 7 experience.
Join us next week when Fish will return with tales of his adventures and lists of prescriptions required to recover.
Recorded May 26, 2017
Chompcast 40 - The Tragic Moustache
In those moments of free time, you pull your phone out of your pocket. You scroll through your apps, looking for some inspiration of what to do. Do you look through the post feed on your social media apps? Do you look up sports scores? World news? Instead, you have a hankering for a few minutes of gameplay. What kind of game do you want instant access to on your phone?
That is the question that we started out with on the Chompcast this week: which game series do we want to see on mobile? In the wake of Destiny 2's press conference, we dig into our thoughts and feelings on what was revealed. Morgan is elated to share his first experiences with his brand-new Playstation VR headset. We finish this episode with a few great listener questions!
Recorded May 19, 2017