My Art Will Go On - Ep. 82

A man sits in the muck as rain pours down in gallons.  He weeps and shouts to the sky, letting out his anguish to the world.  Broken and hurt, the man cannot contain himself as he is on his knees in front of his dead parents.  He knows that it is dangerous to stay out in the open as looters are wandering about, but he does not care.  The outside world is no longer important to him.  In this moment, death and loss are the only concepts engulfing his mind.

His sword sits at his waist, sheathed in leather and waiting to be of use.  It continues to listen to the man sob uncontrollably for his loved ones laying in front of his body.  It hears footsteps approach, followed by a few chuckles.  It feels its master rustle, standing up to face the strangers.  A hand is placed on the sword, being drawn as the visitors and the man exchange words.  Water begins to fall upon its steel, and it sees a cloudy sky.  Carnage surrounds it, as buildings are caved in, burned, and smoking.  People lay dead in the streets.  It sees the parents of the man, eyes closed, yet frozen in expressions of anguish and misery.

The man steels himself, ready to fight the gargantuan looter with a hammer.  The looter charges at the man, pulling his arm back, ready to strike the shorter man.  A laser cuts through the right side of his chest, shooting out the other side.  The blow singes the flesh of the looter, as he drops his hammer and free falls to the ground.  No sound emanates from the gargantuan attacker as he lays face down in the mud.  The other four looters frantically look around in shock, attempting to find the source.  A mech appears from nowhere, punching one of the looters into the other.  The power of the blow explodes the two colliding looters, covering the area with viscera and blood.  The remaining two attempt to run away when a missile explodes in between them, thrusting them into buildings, breaking their bones.  They crumble into a heap, where they lay shattered and dying.

Three mechs appear close to the man with the sword.  One mech opens and appears a woman wearing futuristic clothing.  “You are safe now,” she assures the man.

This week on the Chompcast, we have our good buddy, Rich Meister, on to join the festivities of discussing Kingdom Come Deliverance, Into the Breach, and Monster Hunter World.  We tackled our most controversial topic to date after being prompted by multiple media outlets: can we separate the art from the artist?  Morgan discussed a few of his questionable polls off of social media, and we included listener responses.

Recorded March 9, 2018

Holey Diver - Ep. 81

Morgan and Fish bust out of their tree cabin, hopping to the earthly jungle floor. The sounds of birds squawking ring through the leafy giants, as the smell of fruit permeates the air. Bananas are not hanging from the trees or vines, but instead floating in midair. This perplexes the two, not understanding how yellow fruit could be suspended in the air.

“I don’t understand physics,” Morgan admits to Fish.
“You don’t understand much of anything,” Fish retorts through a stifled laugh.

Morgan slaps him in the back of the head, then begins to run through the jungle on all fours, fists clinched and landing on the ground in repetition with his feet. Fish fixes his red hat on his head and follows closely behind. Jumping into the bananas, they begin to collect the delicious fruit. It is unsure at this time where the bananas are stored, but that’s not a part of the story. Morgan and Fish leap onto a raised platform when they run into a crocodile pacing back and forth on its hind legs nefariously. The two panic and hop off of the platform. They look up and see a floating K medal above the middle of the platform.

“Seriously, what the hell is up with this jungle?” Morgan quizzically offers to Fish. Fish scoffs, and stares at the medal. Concocting a plan, Fish takes a banana out of his pocket and throws it at the medal, hoping it will fall down to hit the crocodile. Nothing happens. Fish takes another banana out of his (endless???) pocket and throws it at the crocodile. It hits the crocodile, which seems unfazed by the long, sweet fruit bouncing off of its exterior.

“Quit monkeying around!” Morgan yells at Fish. Fish rolls his eyes harder than the rotation of the round earth (the earth is round people; come on!!!).

This week, there was a surplus of subjects to discuss as Shea and Morgan discuss their short time thus far with Kingdom Come Deliverance. As a result of their time with it, it prompted this week’s gaming topic: glitches in video games and how they have impacted us, for better or worse. Morgan finally was able to convince Fish to spend some time playing Donkey Kong Country for his first time ever. Yeah. “How?” is what we thought as well. This week’s Bio Break article was arguably our most contentious, yet informative, as we discussed scientists creating a digital and model version of an existing sea slug. Lastly, we reflect on some polls off of social media and an email sent in from our listener! 

Recorded March 2, 2018

Gene Sequence - Ep. 80

There was a feeling of macabre this week as we came face to face with our own mortality... but not in a literal sense.  We looked within the depths of our souls and asked the ultimate question: how do we feel about death?  What is death?  Why does it occur the way it does?  Are we pleased with how people die?

Of course, we didn't mean real humans, but rather video game deaths!  Celeste was the main game we all played this week, discussing Madeline's summit to the top of a mountain as she wrangles with her own debilitating mental faculties.  Within that context, we decided to focus on the concept on death in video games, and how it is explored mechanically-speaking.  We drew upon many influences in the video gaming world, as we all had different facets of death to explore and explain.  From there, we spent time discussing a few social media polls, a weird and ludicrous interview, a Bio Break involving real-life chimeras, and some random video game adventures amongst the crew.  Be prepared to ask yourself at the end of the episode, "How do I feel about death?" In a video game only, of course.

Recorded February 23, 2018

Cuddle Fish - Ep. 79

A building stands tall, defiant of its ancient red bricks beginning to crumble under the stress of weather.  It stands three stories high, with columns and rows of windows littered on the walls.  The window at the bottom right is cracked in multiple places, but manages to stay attached to its wooden frame.  The stone staircase has been weathered by the elements, yet it stands, offering a way to the boarded-up door.  There is a sign hanging from the door, but the words are not visible from far away.  Off to the side, is a shed caved into itself, no longer of use to anyone. 
Surrounding the once-populated structure is a group of tall, dark trees, unaware of the secret they hide.  A single dove can be heard cooing in a nearby tree, yet cannot be seen.  The ground is overgrown with various species of plants, covering any exposed inch of dirt save one small, fresh trail where presumably a deer tromped through.  Bugs can be seen skittering across the unmarked path, darting from one side to the other to avoid being exposed and ultimately preyed upon.
A group of four people slowly come into view in front of the building, crouching as they walk to be on their guard and remain less exposed.  They form a line, and follow the leader through the foliage and on the trail to the stone stairs.  The back two stay at the bottom and look around, feeling on edge while wielding their makeshift wooden spears.  The leader keeps watch atop the stairs while another begins to pry apart the wood holding the door closed.  They hear a guttural growl off in the distance, forcing the four to look frantically for the potential and eventual danger.  The door is almost free of the wood blocking entrance into it, but one wood piece continues to elude them.  They pull and pull, but can not pry it free, no matter what they try.  The growl grows louder, as the sound draws closer.  The two at the bottom grip their spears tightly, steeling themselves for what will emerge from the copse of trees.  The fourth manages to finally pry the last board off of the door, and opens it.  They hurry into the marble hallway and slam the door shut.  The two with the spears begin to look for anything heavy to shove in front of the entrance door.  A strong blow hits the door, blowing it open.  The four stand frozen, staring at the doorway, and what walks through.
On this week’s episode of the Chompcast, we wrap up our final thoughts regarding Monster Hunter World and Shadow of the Colossus.  We discuss Nintendo and our current thoughts regarding thes re-releasing games from previous systems, bolstered by listener responses.  Morgan shares a few listener polls he ran on Instagram, and we share our opinions on a Bio Break article of scientists discovering the mechanism used by Cuttlefish and Octopi to protrude spikes from their skin.

Recorded February 16, 2018

Save the Princesses! - Ep. 78

Exiting the temple, you hop onto your horse.  You speed off into the landscape, wind sweeping your hair around.  You feel the anxiety hit you, overwhelming you as you rush into a canyon.  You feel claustrophobic as the rocky walls of the limestone and granite slowly close in on you. You push through, as there is no time to waste.  You come out and are surrounded by a rocky enclosure.  In the middle of a clearing, you see a monstrous entity, towering over you and blocking out the sun.  Your horse neighs in fear.  Your eyes widen, but you temper your fear.  You grip the sword at your waist tighter.  Steeling your nerves, you hop off of your horse, ready to slay the colossus.

What an episode this week became!  We discussed romance in video games, which included some listener polls.  The topic was inspired by our game that we played, Shadow of the Colossus.  Next, we discuss a Bio Break article touching on differences in passion between American and South Asian relationships.  We delve more into Monster Hunter World, and Shea briefly talks about the last of his time with Horizon Zero Dawn.  Come listen and thanks as always for being a part of the community.

Recorded February 9, 2018

Deviljho, King of the Definitely Not Just Dinosaurs - Ep. 77

Giant beasts roam the landscape, roaring their loud roars as they claim their territories.  Creatures fly overhead, with gusts of wind flowing from their massive wing spans.  Small creatures dart from bush to tree, looking to forage for food while avoiding the monstrous entities.  The overgrowth hides secrets of the forests.  Within them, there are monster hunters that slink through, hoping to achieve glory by slaying the creatures.

Another action-packed episode of the Chompcast is filled this week, as we first discuss our time together playing Fortnite.  We discuss game delays and how they impact the gaming landscape.  The first big game of the year has dropped: Monster Hunter World.  The crew is fully invested into playing it.  Shea talks about his week with playing more Horizon Zero Dawn.  Morgan shares some reader comments regarding a community question with Battlefront 2.  Lastly, the crew discusses a biology article regarding the axolotl and scientists discovering the axolotl genome.

Recorded February 2, 2018

All Life Bows - Ep. 76

Troubling. Troubling is the mind when one delves deep into the inner workings of the brain. Getting lost in thought can lead one to freefall, down…down…down… It feels like a never-ending chasm that can spiral endlessly. Despair can overtake the heartiest person. All it takes is one event to completely alter a person forever. One heartbreak, one death, one violation of the body, one violation of the soul. No one is safe from the devices that can imbue a person with a touch of madness.

Madness is what we feel this week as we have SO MANY TOPICS to cover ranging from what soundtracks mean to gaming and us, the Nintendo Labo, Fortnite with the crew, Morgan’s time with Inpatient, Josh’s laundry list of games he played over the week, and a Bio Break article guaranteed to make your skin crawl. Are you ready for the next episode? We surely hope so.

The Weakest of Things - Ep. 75

"Kissing is messy."
- Morgan Barnes

Join us this week as we discuss the rise of the battle royale genre, Shea's final thoughts on Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, an article about differences in musicians' brains, and why Morgan thinks girls are icky.

Recorded January 19, 2018

Bug Nuts - Ep. 74

BOOM!

Big explosions illuminate the night sky as a cavalcade of people are stopped in the middle of the street, awe etched onto their stony faces.  Their eyes reflect the dazzling array of colors as their ears are filled with a chorus of bursts.  The smell of gunpowder fills the air, tantalizing the viewers into a state of nostalgia, as emotions and memories flood them reminding them of a time of childlike innocence and wonder.

In a barren field, about a half of a mile away from the procession of people, there are heaps of artillery shell tubes.  They are towering and grand, offering balls of light to the night sky.  Laid out in uniformity of rows and columns, the mini cannons await with eager jubilation to be of use.  Whirling around them with lighted sticks, four people ignite the fireworks.  The movement of lighting and escaping to safety in choreographed repetition appears to be an interpretive dance, conveying deeper and complex feelings for the world.  Their faces gleam in the fading light of the fireworks.

This year starts out with a bang for Swordchomp!  We start off 2018 with a packed episode of the Chompcast, eager to make this year our year.  Joining us for the first Chompcast episode of 2018 is one of our dear friends, Rich Meister, a fun and intelligent fellow of destructoid.com.  We discuss eight of the games we are most excited for in 2018, and we briefly mention the Nintendo Direct released at the beginning of the year.  Prey and Nier: Automata are both games on our mind as we have finished them over our break, as we reflect on the positives and negatives of both.  We include a Bio Break article that discussed two separate studies that investigate male insects that lose legs become more sexually successful as they invest more resources into their testes.

Recorded January 12, 2018

Chompcast Game of the Year 2017 - Day 2 Part 2

You are all sitting in your velvet-colored seats, having just returned from intermission of the first half of the awards show. This is the moment you all have been waiting for: the Game of the Year announcements. Your hosts, Fish, Josh, Morgan, and Shea, prepare their personal top 5 lists of their games they loved this year. The big finale is their debate on what the Swordchomp top 5 Games of the Year should be. There are some expected choices, as well as some huge curveballs. Thank you for your unending support this past year. Enjoy the last Chompcast of the year, and have a great New Year’s!

Chompcast Game of the Year 2017 - Day 2 Part 1

You are all sitting in your velvet-colored seats, having just returned from intermission of the first half of the awards show. This is the moment you all have been waiting for: the Game of the Year announcements. Your hosts, Fish, Josh, Morgan, and Shea, prepare their personal top 5 lists of their games they loved this year. The big finale is their debate on what the Swordchomp top 5 Games of the Year should be. There are some expected choices, as well as some huge curveballs. Thank you for your unending support this past year. Enjoy the last Chompcast of the year, and have a great New Year’s!

Chompcast Game of the Year 2017 - Day 1 Part 2

Ladies and gentlemen, the time is here. Please don your beautiful, elegant dresses and your snazziest tuxedos. Wear your fanciest ties and put on your best make-up. Rent a limousine, bring your exclusive tickets, and walk down the red carpet to the Daggertooth Awards, Swordchomp’s Game of the Year event!

We run through many categories of the first day of two, such as favorite character haircut, favorite character of 2017 you’d like to have a drink with, game of 2017 that best describes your sex life, favorite ecology, favorite character, favorite art direction, favorite boss, best sound design, favorite narrative, favorite gameplay mechanic, favorite soundtrack, favorite game this year that wasn’t released in 2017, and favorite gaming moment of 2017. Afterwards, we decide which games or characters get the coveted Daggertooth awards!

Come join the longest show in Chompcast history in all of its edited and unedited splendor, and please return tomorrow for day two of the Daggertooth Awards!

Also, any music enclosed from video games, we do not own.

Chompcast Game of the Year 2017 - Day 1 Part 1

Ladies and gentlemen, the time is here. Please don your beautiful, elegant dresses and your snazziest tuxedos. Wear your fanciest ties and put on your best make-up. Rent a limousine, bring your exclusive tickets, and walk down the red carpet to the Daggertooth Awards, Swordchomp’s Game of the Year event!

We run through many categories of the first day of two, such as favorite character haircut, favorite character of 2017 you’d like to have a drink with, game of 2017 that best describes your sex life, favorite ecology, favorite character, favorite art direction, favorite boss, best sound design, favorite narrative, favorite gameplay mechanic, favorite soundtrack, favorite game this year that wasn’t released in 2017, and favorite gaming moment of 2017. Afterwards, we decide which games or characters get the coveted Daggertooth awards!

Come join the longest show in Chompcast history in all of its edited and unedited splendor, and please return tomorrow for day two of the Daggertooth Awards!

Also, any music enclosed from video games, we do not own.

100 Clones, A Magical Bastard, and a Fleshy Mole - Ep. 71

A very Merry Christmas to all of you! It has been a wonderful year here at the Chompcast. We wrap up the episodes of this year with talk of Wolfenstein 2, delving deep into our thoughts and opinions. Next on the agenda is our final Bio Break of the year, as we discuss fish orgies and their deafening effects on dolphins. Finally, we answer a host of listener questions. Thank you for taking a beautiful ride with us this past year. We look forward to coming back next year better than ever! Stay tuned next week for our Game of the Year extravaganza!

Morgan and the Golden Dunk - Ep. 70

"Timeout!!!"
The players trot to the bench, perspiring and exhausted, yet feeling determined and anxious.  A few of the players look up at the scoreboard.  It reads, 62-62 with 0:11 seconds left.  The coach pulls out a whiteboard with some colored magnets, and he places them into position.  He begins to whip them around the board, talking strategy of defense and offense.  The players crouch over the board, as sweat drips from their brows and rains down onto the hardwood floor of the court.  Holding their knees, they nod their heads as the coach fills their mind with a final play.
The coach gives them players a few short words of encouragement.  "One stop," he says.  Fatigue threatens to creep into the players' muscles, but the adrenaline of the close game keeps them alert and ready.  The referee blows his whistle, filling the gym with the piercing sound of the game continuing.  The players of both teams flood the floor.  Each one begins to concentrate on what they need to do, focusing all of their minds on this moment.
The opposing team's player receives the ball out-of-bounds from the referee.  The referee blows his whistle again.  The opposing players begin their practiced movement, performing a play to get their star player the ball.  It is successful, as the opposing star player grabs the ball.  The defender stays in front of the star, shuffling his feet and keeping his hands out wide with his butt low.  The star player fakes going left before tossing the ball to the right in a quick crossover move.  The defender goes for the fake, leaving the star player with a straight drive to the hoop.
The star player looks up.  4 seconds left!  He sprints to the basket as he dribbles, eyeing the rim with his peripheral vision.  He picks up his dribble just below the free throw line.  One defensive player, Morgan, steps away from his man to block the star player's drive to the hoop.  He shuffles over, gathers his footing, and jumps straight into the air as the star player himself begins to jump.  The star player soars above the defensive Morgan, catching him with his body.  Morgan goes flying to the side, face frozen in anguish.  The star player throws down a sick windmill dunk, shaking the rim and backboard.  The ball flies through the net and smashes Morgan in the head as he lies on the ground in pain.  The ball scares him and puts him further in pain.  The shock of the pounding of the ball causes Morgan to piss all over himself and the court as he is knocked unconscious.  The gym roars in cheers as the opposing team celebrates.  Morgan's team mates rush over to help him, but see the puddle of urine and leave him soaking himself.
This week is completely jam-packed with content, as the end of the year approaches.  First, we focus on the brief announcements of the PSX convention.  We somehow manage to fit in talk of Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, Resident Evil 7 DLC, Hollow Knight, Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and Nier: Automata.  We also cover Fish's Amiibo addiction, a bio break article involving chimpanzees and viruses, and a fantastic listener question.  Enjoy the newest episode of the Chompcast, and as always, thanks for being a part of our community.

Recorded December 15, 2017

Enormous Reedus - Ep. 69

Vidya Gamez!  Yay!

This week we discuss the Game of the Year Awards, Breath of the Wild, and Pyre.

Enjoy the show, and join us again next week when Josh will teach us how to sensually tie cherry stems into knots... with your hands... the way God intended.

Recorded December 8, 2017

Perturbing Animals - Ep. 68

You arrive at your camp, having traveled through forest and plains to reach it.  You are exhausted, but the thrill of a new adventure reinvigorates you, encouraging you. In the clearing, you see a creature with its back turned to you.  It seems to be busy, but with what, you do not know.  You stroll over to it, ever curious.  A yelp in fright greets you as the creature turns to face you.  A dog!
The dog, having realized who you are, begins to wag its tail.  This dog is peculiar, as it is standing on its two hind legs.  It walks over to you, very human-like, and says hello.  You are initially taken aback, having never met a talking animal before.  It extends its paw, offering a shake of friendship.  You grasp the paw in your own hand, shake it, and offer a warm hello in return.
The dog seems very happy to see you.  It begins to show you around the campsite, as your excitement is building and building.  It offers to help you with the formation of your camp, which you readily accept.  The dog recommends that you build couches.  Lots and lots of couches.  You think to yourself, why?  Why couches?  You decide to go with the dog’s advice, and you build 10 different couches.  The dog, ecstatic, lowers himself to all fours, and begins to run across the couches, hopping from one to another in frantic disarray.  You watch in confusion and amazement as the dog runs and jumps for 5 minutes.  Finally, it begins to settle down, as it falls asleep on a couch.  You chuckle to yourself, and  you set down your pack.
This week on the Chompcast, we have a fun and slightly contentious episode packed with talk of Animal Crossing mobile, Pyre, and Legend of Zelda: BotW.  Our topic of the week is the recent controversy and the aftermath of EA, and how it affects the gaming medium as a whole.  Lastly, we tie it off with a Bio Break of a fish that lives deep in the Mariana Trench.

Recorded December 1, 2017

Working Title - Ep. 67

Two of our heroes have taken on a mission of their own.  After consulting a town’s mission board, Fish and Shea decide to go forward in time to save some unfortunate souls from the one and only, the Devil himself.

Donning VR helmets, they venture into the 1930s United States, a time ravaged by drought and the Great Depression.  History was made during this era: the Empire State Building and Hoover Dam were constructed, the first World Cup occurred, multiple record-breaking flights were recorded by Amelia Earhart and Wiley Post, Donald Duck was introduced as a Disney character, and the beginning of World War 2.  Fish spots two anthropomorphic cups frolicking through the streets, discussing strategy to defeat some unknown assailant.

The two heroes dart off into a back alley, opening up to a field littered with farms.  They start to walk through the field, sensing something slightly nefarious.  Suddenly, the Root Pack pops out of the earth.  Moe Tato laughs, Weepy begins to sob uncontrollably in fear, and Psycarrot holds his orange head as he begins to concentrate with his eyes closed.  Our heroes look to each other and pull out their finger guns.

While Shea and Fish are out fighting for souls, Josh and Morgan decide to hit a lake rumored to be loaded with massive fish.  After looting some sturdy fishing poles from some fiends nearby (what?), they bait their hooks and cast them into the water.  Almost instantly, both Morgan and Josh look some beastly aquatic animals.  Morgan manages to yank his out first, hoisting it into the air with glee.  “Finally, what I’ve always wanted!”  Josh, mere seconds later, pulls with all of his might, nearly snapping the rod. A fish twice the size of both of them flops up onto shore.  Josh gives a sideways glance over to Morgan and snickers. “Mine’s bigger.”

This week on the Chompcast, we have plenty to discuss, such as Fish getting a Switch, Shea playing Cuphead as well as Fish finishing the game, Shea’s brief experience with PS VR in a video game bar in Japan, Morgan’s and Fish’s time with Star Wars: Battlefront 2, and Morgan’s Holy Grail of a game; Final Fantasy 15 Monsters of the Deep.  We also present the question of expectations versus reality in video gaming.

Recorded November 25, 2017

In the Hot Seat - Ep. 66

An alligator snapping turtle hops onto his fast, speeding motorcycle, grabbing Wumpa fruit as he passes them.  He sees a ramp, and increases his speed as he aims towards it.  He flies off through six rings floating in mid air.  Below him the coastline stretches out into the distance, a single lonely house piercing the horizon.  As he lands, his pockets feel a bit heavier; the rings have shrunk and magically transported there.  The turtle revs his engine and... well... we wouldn’t want to spoil the ending for you, now would we?

Hello lasses and chums!  Come join the chatter this week, as we discuss spoilers in gaming and our media.  We end up all over the spectrum with this challenging question.  From there, we discuss What Remains of Edith Finch, Shea finally manages to have his way with the Crash Bandicoot trilogy, we bait ourselves into a Sonic argument, and we have a Bio Break article about... you guessed it: an alligator snapping turtle!  So if you are a fan of fictitious fruit, gleaming rings, gun fights, and divisive conversations, you’ve come to the right place.

Recorded November 17, 2017

Shooting the Breeze - Ep. 65

This week we talk about how shooters are the worst.  And also Wolfenstein 2.

We also discuss Super Mario Odyssey.

And we listen to Fish explain how he plays Golf Clash because he loves it and not because he's trapped, and they really love each other, and those bruises are because he's just clumsy and falls down sometimes.

Sit back.  Relax.  Get yourself a nice cold glass of hot cocoa.  And enjoy the show!

Recorded November 10, 2017