I know episode 50 is supposed to be a significant achievement, but let’s face it, episode 69 is where it’s at.  We could have avoided making all the expected jokes, but why work that hard?

We’ve got a bit of a games episode this time around, plus some cleanup and other stuff.  It’s kind of a grab bag episode.

Alex talks about his experiences with Brink.  He’s also got Tiger Woods ’12, but hasn’t played it, as he’s favoring Brink instead.

Sam talks about beating Portal 2, and finally gets access to some fast cars in a Forza 3, a game ostensibly about fast cars.

Jonathan’s just wrapped up finals week, and so has no actual video games to talk about.  However, he’s got a new prize possession, and he got an A- on a critical rhetorical analysis of power relations within Portal.

In the cleanup section, we finally pick a winner in our almost-forgotten features contest.  Also, Jonathan’s got an idea for a new game to play in between rounds of Name That Game, but he has trouble figuring out how to get it running.

Finally, in Name That Game, Jonathan’s got a collection of games inspired by the obvious.  Aw yeah.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

This week, we talk about game features we want to see more of.  (If Churchill can end his sentences in prepositions, so can I!)

Alex’s banter is quick this week.  He’s picked up Blur (Bizarre Creations, you will be missed), and has established a rotation.  He’s also out of wall space for all his gaming decorations.

Sam’s also quick, with a discussion of the Da Vinci’s Disappearance DLC for AssBro, and isn’t sure he’ll finish another playthrough of Dragon Age II or Mass Effect.  He’s also been playing Halo 3 co-op with a listener.

Jonathan tries to be quick, but Alex decides to pick a fight over Tiger Woods ’12.  He’s also finally hooked up his OnLive console, and approves, mostly.

Then we move into our topic of the week: Features every game should have, but doesn’t.  We talk about camera controls, loading screen distractions, skippable cutscenes, and more.  We also spontaneously decide to run a contest based on the topic.  Head over to the forums to see what’s up.

Finally, Sam brings us a kinder, gentler Name That Game.  Somehow Alex and Jonathan still only manage to score a point a piece.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download