Heyyy, welcome to the GNAPcast: your source of geekly entertainment! Tune in every Thursday as we talk about everything from LEGOs to Brit Lit and beyond!
Episodes
Thursday Jun 13, 2019
Thursday Jun 13, 2019
Heyyy, welcome to the GNAPcast--your source of geekly entertainment!
As we start to get towards the end of Season 2, here's another thing we haven't done since Season 1--an "explains" episode!
Join us this week as David turns the clock back and talks about some of the old LEGO games from before they really got going (and in some cases, before he was alive!). We'll journey to an island of LEGOs, race around a crazy racetrack doing time trials, and find out how bad LEGO used to be at naming characters! #VeronicaVoltage
Fun Facts & Extra Stuff! - David
I've done not one but TWO speedruns for LEGO Racers 2 since we recorded this episode. I'm actually ranked 3rd in the world for Any% and 2nd in the world for 100%.
As it turns out, Galidor was LEGO's worst theme, nearly causing them to go bankrupt in 2002. The TV show didn't get good ratings, the sets didn't sell very well, and this particular game wasn't even finished. The GBA version was finished in 2002, but the versions for PC and PlayStation were abandoned when the game studio (Asylum Entertainment) had to cancel its release due to financial instability. The PC version of the game was later published (unfinished) in LEGO game bundles, which is how I came across it in the first place. From my research, the PC version is generally regarded as an absolutely terrible game, with horrible graphics, repetitive music loops, weird controls, and various glitches and bugs. Even so, I don't care--in fact, it's still one of my favorite games. (Isn't nostalgia great?) I even the current Any% world record, beating the previous world record by nearly 8 minutes!
If you'd like to see me playing some of these games, check out my YouTube channel, MyTMorty Gaming!
Thursday Apr 25, 2019
Thursday Apr 25, 2019
Heyyy, welcome to the GNAPcast--your source of geekly entertainment!
Welcome to a very philosophical, literary-heavy episode of the GNAPcast! Pull out your bubble pipes and settle down in that armchair in front of the fire, because today we're talking about one of the most prevalent story devices in pop culture--time travel.
It's an idea that's been around for a few hundred years by now, meaning that time travel has infiltrated almost every single storytelling medium that exists--and we're gonna tackle most of them. Along the way, we'll also talk about some amusing (and confusing) paradoxes, learn why filial relationships can get really complicated when time travel is involved, and that Seth seems to be missing something... quite a few somethings, actually.
Seth's Fun Fact:
I had several other paradoxes to talk about that we didn't quite have time for in the episode, but if you want a fun mental exercise, google the "bootstrap paradox" and try to puzzle that one out. It's quite fascinating! *blows bubbles from bubble pipe*
Thursday Jan 31, 2019
Thursday Jan 31, 2019
Heyyy, welcome to the GNAPcast--your source of geekly entertainment!
Here we go again with another Google Autofill game, this time centered on the much-beloved puzzle series Portal! (As such, this episode contains heavy spoilers for both Portal and Portal 2. You have been warned.)
Join Seth and David as they ask Google (and each other) insightful questions about gaming's dumbest robot, gaming's most cake-loving robot, and possibly the worst company CEO of all time--looking at you, Cave Johnson.
Fact Checks & Extra Stuff! - David
"Does Wheatley Love Chell?" -- Isaac Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics
"Is GLaDOS Evil?" -- All we had to do was pull that lever
"Is Cave Johnson a Real Person?" -- More of J.K. Simmons' memorable voice roles
"Is Cave Johnson a Real Person?" -- The famous lemons rant
David's Fun Fact: In the Portal games, abusing the camera is one of my favorite pasttimes! I used detached cameras to speedrun two different test chambers in Portal 1--Chamber 17 (using only two portals and a camera stacked on the Companion Cube), and Chamber 18 (cleared in 47 seconds using a detached camera to prop open the door).
Thursday Aug 16, 2018
Thursday Aug 16, 2018
Heyyy, welcome to the GNAPcast! Last time, we listened as Seth attempted the monumental task of summarizing the entirety of the Mass Effect Trilogy in a 30-minute podcast. All was well (and more or less successful), but then David delved into the internet--only to discover a multitude of questions that were left unanswered.
Join Seth and David again this week for a follow-up to our Mass Effect episode, where we try another dumb internet game and play "Google Autofill" based around the Mass Effect universe! From Andromeda to zombies, Interrupts to the Systems Alliance, you'll learn more about the world of Mass Effect than you ever wanted to know! (And just for fun, drink a shot of ginger ale every time Seth says the word "interesting.")
Fact Checks and Extra Stuff! -Seth
H - I was unable to find anything solid on Shepard's in-game height. Ironically, however, David's pronouncement of 6'2" is exactly the height of Shepard's body model, Mark Vanderloo!
I - Is Commander Shepard Indoctrinated? (Game Theory)
L - The Commander Shepard Song (by Miracle of Sound)
O - In actual fact, Shepard's birth year is 2154--five years earlier than my stated year in the episode. Oops. His birthdate, April 11th, also coincides with the Apollo 13 launch in 1970.
T - The training simulator in Mass Effect 3 is called the "Armax Arsenal Arena," and is available in the Citadel DLC pack. I highly recommend it both for its story and its unique rewards!
U - "und dast ist mein" is actually the middle of a line from the German version of Mass Effect 2! The full line in German is, "Ich bin Commander Shepard und das ist mein Lieblingsgeschäft auf der Citadel!" In English, this line is, "I'm Commander Shepard, and this is my favorite store on the Citadel!" The line has become quite a meme, as might be expected.
V - Just to clarify (because I never did in the episode), I actually really like Mark Meer's portrayal of Commander Shepard! He does a fantastic job, as does Jennifer Hale. My own personal preference is to play a female Shepard, simply because I think it makes the game more interesting.
Y.5 - The Andromeda galaxy is approximately 2.5 million light years away, meaning David is actually closer in his estimate than I am. Oops again.
Z - Is Commander Shepard a Zombie? (The Game Theorists)
Thursday Aug 09, 2018
Thursday Aug 09, 2018
Heyyy, welcome to the GNAPcast! In this special, experimental episode, Seth cracks his metaphorical knuckles and tries to explain a particular topic to David (and all of you guys)! Today, that topic is: the Mass Effect trilogy! (That being said, BEWARE TRILOGY-SPANNING SPOILERS during this entire episode. You have been warned.)
As Seth and David journey into the distant future, they are met with strange and nagging questions--did ancient space machines really decide to exterminate all life in the galaxy? Are role-playing games only a fun way to do math problems? And most important, what the heck does a German Shepherd have to do with any of it?!?
Join us for an epic adventure through space and time, complete with fiddly vehicles, dumb jokes, and more sidetracks than Grand Central Station!
Thursday Jul 19, 2018
Thursday Jul 19, 2018
Heyyy, welcome to the GNAPcast! Here we go again--it's time once again to debate our way through the Internet throug the predictably wacky Would You Rather!
Join David, Seth, and our new friend Anna as we answer those questions absolutely no one is asking, discovering new things about each other in the process! After freeing our inner carpenter, we find out that Anna enjoys drinking shots of maple syrup, that in addition to being a monkey, Seth apparently also really, really wants superpowers; and that David thinks responsibility is the worst superpower anyone can have. Hey, wait a minute...
This episode features Anna, a theater afficionado from Iowa who doesn't want to be experimented on by the government and likes walking...even at the expense of an arm.
You can play along at home, too! Ask yourself only the most important question: Would You Rather?
Thursday Jul 12, 2018
Thursday Jul 12, 2018
Heyyy, welcome to the GNAPcast! After a very bizarre intro (following our very first recording fail ever!), we jump feet-first into a genre of video games that has become very popular in recent years: sandbox games! Join us (and returning guest Jesse) for a whirlwind conversation about everything from Minecraft to Garry's Mod and back!
This episode features Jesse, our resident indie games expert who prefers his steak shaken, not stirred. Hey, wait a minute...
Here are some of the games we talked about during the episode. Go check 'em out!
Thursday Jul 05, 2018
Thursday Jul 05, 2018
Heyyy, welcome to the GNAPcast! It's that time again--time to spin the Wheel of Mor...uh, that is, to play Would You Rather!
Join David, Seth, and new guest Jesse as we once again try to logic our way through the Internet, with some life-altering questions and bizarrely thought-provoking conundrums (to absolutely no one's surprise). As Jesse points out, some of these are simply terrible, but we do find out that Seth wishes he was a genius, we all prefer the Beatles over the Rolling Stones, and that despite our best efforts, none of us can do the Epic Trailer Guy's voice.
This episode features Jesse, a computer engineer from Missouri who thinks Dawn of Justice would've been better with Nicholas Cage in it and hates sleep. (But really, don't we all at some point?)
You can play along at home, too! Ask yourself only the most important question: Would You Rather?
Thursday Jun 21, 2018
Thursday Jun 21, 2018
Heyyy, welcome to the GNAPcast! Here we go again--we're about to tackle another lively attempt to logic through some bizarre and totally relevant hypothetical situations--it's Would You Rather!
Join David, Seth, and brand-new guest Abi on an adventure through the Internet, where we discover that after 15 episodes we've managed to finally go mainstream!...according to this game, at least. We also learn that David wishes he had a Batcave, Seth wants to be an Ewok, and that some of us (not naming any names) really, really hate spiders.
This episode features Abi, a broadcasting tech-in-training from Ohio who has no sense of balance and thinks Superman is overpowered. (You can decide for yourselves if she's right, we refuse to comment.)
You can play along at home, too! Ask yourself only the most important question: Would You Rather?
Friday Jun 15, 2018
Friday Jun 15, 2018
Heyyy, welcome to the GNAPcast! After a spectacular intro fail (and some odd technical issues), we once again take part in dissecting strange questions and finding out about ourselves--also known as the popular internet game Would You Rather! Come along with Seth and David as they debate each other over extremely relevant topics such as eating food from a dumpster, who they'd rather have narrate their lives, and how the world should end! (David's money is on the zombie apocalypse.)
You can play along at home, too! Ask yourself only the most important question: Would You Rather?