CO-OP 0207 -- Mother Mission's Desserts -- Ghostbusters, Monkey Island(s), Space Invaders Infinity Gene
matt chandronaitThe Mission District in San Francisco is a holy place to its residents. Not merely due to the ready availability of cheap booze and burritos, but also in large part thanks to its delectible delights of deliciousness! Jason, never one to pace himself, insists on visiting each and every one in a single day. More after the show:
Ask, and ye shall receive. While we have not the power to grant boons and favors of the supernatural, we can, indeed, cover the games you wish us to cover. Ghostbusters has been a request directed at us ever since it’s release, and we’ve finally found the power-house guests necessary to give it proper due: Phil Theobald from PlayerOne Podcast along with GameSpy’s Will Tuttle and Arthur Gies of Eat. Sleep. Game. fame.
Every show seems to have a theme, whether or not we consciously intend one and with the classics being reborn around every corner, this week’s show is perhaps better themed than most. The Secret of Monkey Island Special Edition is double-featured with Tales of Monkey Island Chapter 1 One: Launch of the Screaming Narwhal in a blast-from-the-past especiál. Insidiously long names aside, we’re always grateful to Tiff Chow for dropping by and we’re especiál-ly glad for 1UP’s Justin Haywald making his CO-OP debut!
The final, classic-resurfaced game in this week’s show is a testament to one of the most venerable genres of software-gaming: the shooter. Yes, Space Invaders is back, in the iPhone, with an intensely aural and action-ridden experience best seen (and heard) to be believed. Space Invaders Infinity Gene may be a classic reborn, but it’s thoroughly modern in its execution and should not be overlooked!
Reader Comments (62)
Guys, I'm a HUGE fan of CO-OP. But watching this episode made me feel like you guys were doing a show for the Food Network. What the heck?!?
CO-OP, bringer of games, provider of food reviews and breaker of Xbox 360's. Great show but it broke my 360.
Great episode, Matt and company! Whenever I come back to San Fran, other than hit you guys up, I'll be sure to look out for those food places. Normally I only get Subway when I travel to the U.S so any tips on good food work for me.
I really enjoyed both Monkey Island games, just got a tipbit to talk about each. Secret of Monkey Island's tips got broken on my playthrough half way through, so I was in Monkey Island already and the game was still telling me to use the key on the capitain's cabinet in the ship. It was really weird, but thankfully for me I managed to remember most of the steps from there. As for Tales, I really liked it, even though I had to play it on the Wii with crappy muddy graphics and mono sound. Not sure you guys picked up the reference, but Tales references Telltale games as well, for instance when Guybrush's almost leaving Floatsam, he comments how he'd like to eat cheese, and even goes as far as do the manneurism that is characteristic to Wallace from Wallace & Gromit!
As for Ghostbusters, I had a blast playing it, and I'll give you all a tip - play the multiplayer. Even though it's still broken awards wise at the moment, it's so fun. It's a mix of cooperation and competition that makes use of everything you learned during single player as far as strategies and weapons go, expanding their use, like slime thetering for example, something that can be used as a tool to instantly trap practically any ghost.
A donut with bacon? My mind is blown! And finally a sequel to Mother Mission! Awesome episode... I like the food talk... Ryan talks exactly the same way about food as games...funnily enough!
*so hungry*
I recently moved out of San Francisco and man it makes me happy to see you guys visit the places that I know and love in SF.
Great episode, though I hadn't really anticipated these reviews. I thought WipEout HD would be in this for sure, guess I was wrong.
Oh man I want a donut so much right now.
Sadly, at Krispy Kreme, no bacon.
I was hoping that Wipeout Fury would be in this episode, still a great show show.
ice coffee better than blue bottle? i have to try this place out.
@will cao Blue Bottle is great too. They are technically not in our neighborhood, and thus not in this particular competition. :)
I've only been to Blue Bottle once and I've only tried one of their two variations of iced coffee. Thus, I can't properly compare theirs to Dynamo's. We almost shot there once... my guess is that you'll see us there in a future episode of CO-OP.
@T Jenkins & solomon Keep hope alive! ;)
guys! i was just in san fran for 3 days on holiday and i had my EYES wide open for you but i never saw you and i was sad. i well wanted a picture
Episodic content hasn't failed, it's been transmuted into DLC. Fallout 3 monthly releases of 2-3 hours worth of new content is the prime example of that trend.
suggestion: You guys should consider changing the tile and subtile when you submit it to digg. The ones that have been used are just really generic.
If I were to do it. I'd just title the names of the games (no coop or episode number) and subtitle it with "Coop guys eat around in SF and talk about new games"
hope that's helpful
I gotta say that I'm slowly getting more and more disappointed with these episodes. Maybe it's because it is the slow summer, but your narrative pieces are sooo far from what I think most of us want to see. I mean I love "artsy" stuff and off beat comedy, but your narratives have nothing to do with gaming sometime. I liked the Matt's Brother skit and the old 1Up show ones, but half your show is ad's and then stuff about coffee/Rob getting his car towed/etc.
I mean you guys spent a good 3 mins talking about how "amazing" the donuts were lol. I'm never going to San Fran, and I bet most other people arent either so why push it on us? You guys were built on a gaming foundation with gaming fans, so why not come up with more narratives that revolve around that?
I mean if I want to watch something artsy and off beat then I'll pop in Garden State or go to the movies and watch 500 Days of Summer.
You guys are really talented, but I don't want you to push a good thing. Ya know the 1Up show was my favorite podcast because it felt like gamers in a gaming community talking about something they love in a creative way. Now it's like gaming with comedy with artsy stuff. Don't try to change a good thing.
Also like I said a few weeks back in a comment can you guys bring back Jane and Che for one epsiode? It would be pretty sweet to see them after a couple year hiatus.
Also any chance we see BlazBlue? Some are saying it is the best fighter this gen.
Which one of you guys is Anthony Bourdain? Which is Rachel Ray? As long as none of you are Bobby Flay...that guy is a douche.
This was an odd episode, to say the least. Not bad by any means, of course. I do enjoy the sporadic venture into things non-gaming related, and your skits are funny.
The personalities are what set this show apart from the stuff on Gametrailers or even 1up's Game Night. Keep it, refine it.
you guys make my tuesday nights happy :)
i like how the show is evolving into more of a "life of a twenty-something gamer show" than always strictly adhering to the old format from the 1up show. i really feel like you guys are showing your loyal watchers and hopefully some new faces to the gaming landscape that our gaming culture truly has developed into a unique lifestyle in which people can have intelligent conversations about the games we play while at the same time enjoying other aspects of life like "normal" people do. as more and more people become involved with games, i hope naysayers can look to quality shows like yours to hopefully make them realize that games aren't just enjoyed by snot-nosed kids and violence obsessed teenagers.
thanks for the quality episode and please continue evolving for the better. for every person who dislikes any new direction there are, i'm sure, five more like me who enjoy it. after all, without some change how can great things improve?
@Parkingtigers
Wow you managed to be stalker creepy, ignorant and offensive all in one post.
guys! i was just in san fran for 3 days on holiday and i had my EYES wide open for you but i never saw you and i was sad. i well wanted a picture...
Is there any possibility of getting Donohoe on the show, he makes me laugh?
or Karen
I adore the restaurant segments, but in all honesty, I cannot bear to stand Tiff Chow. She simply disrupts the flow of the gentlemen's conversation that would otherwise be going on. She seems as though she's full of herself -- so much so, that's she's willing to interrupt poor Justin Haywald and Matt. Her commentary is at times, nonsensical, and throw-away. She's not a valuable part to the cast.
@ Icarus II
Hey! I wasn't ignorant.
Matt - I commented on the last episode because my question pertained to the music in that episode. I reference it here as I doubt you spend much time looking at posts from older episodes. My question was about the music playing at the end of the battlefield discussion. I wanted to know which of the music credits at the end of the episode the song came from. While waiting for a response, I went ahead and looked at the first one you mentioned - SGX. I post again to mention what this led to...
HOLY CRAP! This site, or should I say musical group, is amazing. I've listened to what's available in stream and will now be buying all of the albums. I just wanted to say thanks for passively spotlighting this site, otherwise I'm quite sure I'd never of found it.
thanks
I like Tiff Chow, but what I'm wondering which one of the Co-Op or ex-1Up guys tried to date her? There is no way a girl that cute and cool can hang out with all these dudes and none of you guys try to make a move lol. She is a pretty good correspondent though.
I agree with the other people that I like how you show the lifestyle of a gamer in SanFran, but considering that it's only a 30 min show I really don't want 3 restaurant reviews. I mean you take the restaurant stuff and ads then compare it with the "content" and they are probably around the same.
I just feel the narrative should somehow fit into gaming and if not that then something fun. I mean no offense but restaurant reviews, Rob getting his car towed, Jason staying home sick, and your trip down to E3 that you are trying to turn into a JC Film Project isn't what the show needs IMO.
Personally I think you need to combine what you are doing now in skits with what you used to do at 1UpShow. It would be a perfect balance
@ Eduardo ... unfortunately I still haven't played the Sam & Max games *gasp!*, but that's exactly the kind of reference I would expect them to make. Bummer on your bugged hint system, apparently you were still moving along pretty well on your own, though :)
@dan ... that is really helpful! I'll do that in the future, thanks! Though, of course, whomever submits it to Digg has the option to change it, but I'll set it up that way in the submit link.
@Parkingtigers ... Your comment has been removed for all the reasons stated in Icarus' post.
@solomon ... Donohoe kicks ass and is hilarious--so yes! If we can get him out of his backyard wrestling circuit for a few hours and have him play a game we're gonna cover, then hopefully he'll deign to grace us with his presence! That goes for Karen, too--thoug she's even more into backyard wrestling circuits than Donahoe is
@aenea's shrike ... You're right! On both counts! One, I don't look at past shows comments much--sorry :(--and two, SGX rules! It's just one guy, but his music is fantastic and we've been eternally grateful for his contributions to the show! He's given us a huge library of his stuff to work from and I can't compliment him enough on his music. Everyone should go to his site right now and buy everything he's ever made! Of course that goes for all our music!
@MattG (and others) ... We really do take all of this feedback seriously and there's really no way to quantify here where the right answer is. While I agree that much of what we do needs to be video game focused, the lifestyle stuff seems to hit a really great note with segments of our audience that aren't necessarily as hard core as the rest. We've also heard many a story from people about how the narrative segments allow their non-gaming friends/family to join in while they're watching, so we feel it's in our best interest to branch out from what one would normally expect from a "video game show" in these segments. The funny thing is, we usually get as many compliments as negatives when we do a show like this week's. I'll agree that some of these type of narratives are more successful than others, however, so we appreciate any and all constructive criticism like this.
Last request, are you guys going to release the soundtrack for co-op because the track you play at the end of this, reminiscent of an ambient cool song it's very soothing, well that track is to die for and if that need be the case I can donate my heart or any body piece to acquire it, one condition though I'll need my ears to listen to it :), I can beg.
Michael, I don't see tiff interrupting, but stimulating the conversation. The discussion flow is set by the video editing, so what you get is what the CO-OPs considered the best parts of the discussion. Maybe this hasn't been the easiest discussion (talking about 3 games at the same time) but I think she's been really valuable to the cast, it's always been good to see her in CO-OP, not just because she's charismatic and funny, but her opinions and taste are worthy to put out there, and she knows how to express them in a non hurtful, encouraging way for game developers struggling to bring us good games. Maybe you should learn that from her.
Also, CO-OPs, it's really good to see good adventure gaming making a come back into the present days! Thanks for covering that.
Hey Matt thanks for the reply and insight on the show. I may sound harsh, but I overall do enjoy the show and come back weekly so you guys obviously do a lot of great stuff.
I am wondering if you could tell us though what you and the other guys feel like the mission of the show is. I think the 1UpShow reflected a video podcast on upcoming games and behind the scenes of the 1Up Offices/Events. With Co-Op I feel you guys tried to start off like this but move in a different direction as I've noted above. Do you want the show to be more than a "gaming podcast"? Maybe almost like a lifestyle podcast of gamers. A podcast showcasing the gaming industry from your prespective in San Fran? What's like the mission of the show?
I'm just curious because behind the scenes stuff always interests me, and I think up to this point I've been considering Co-Op, the 1Up Show with a new name, but that may not be the best way to judge the show because it is becoming more obvious it is a new show with a new image.
Please respond to this message if you ever respond to any of my other comments.
Keep up the good work
Also I've noticed the focus on things like the iphone games, casual games, retro games, and like I've said the casual "scripted stuff" seems to be hitting an entirely different audience than most podcasts. It's almost like you want to hit the 20-30 year old demographic that is kind of in this modern hipster/bohemian/urban outfitter lifestyle. I think it's a interesting approach. The way you guys are trying to hit a auidence in a artistic way that isnt being hit anywhere else. Do you guys consciously do this because you want to appeal to a certain audience or does it just reflect who you are in the show? I mean from the way you film some things I can't help but think you guys take some inspiration from movies like Amelie and Garden State, and the games you talk about with a large focus on iphone/retro games seems to hit this non-hardcore gamer but rather casual gamer who used to be hardcore but is now rediscovering gaming with XBLA and the iphone.
Thoughts on this?
This is an excellent episode, it's one of my favs now. And you guys have the potential to do a food-based show too ;)
If there's one thing I admire about you guys and the show, it's how you guys aren't "reviewing" so much as you are discussing & sharing tidbits of enjoyable/nostalgic memories. Plus, the "food&funny" moments add a new side to a show on games.
Btw, would you recommend buying a game like Ghostbusters? Me and the people I know usually have the general impression that games based on movies and such are bad games, but the way I see it now, they're getting better. What do you guys think?
Another fantastic episode. I liked that this one was less "gag narrative" and more "you guys getting food narrative". Solid and entertaining. Again, it felt like going out with my gaming buds for some food even if I wasn't there with you. Keep this style plox! Also, good food reviews, I was quite interested!
I've been hooked on 1up show since over a year ago at time. I think I would be more favorable to the foody stuff if it didn't come at the cost of the game content. I really enjoy the casual/informal chats you guys do around a game and the various locales you visit. I think the food/san fran stuff would be better if was kind of included while you talked about the games.
That revisited thing you did on Motorstorm: Pacific Rift was tres awesome, more revisited stuff please from things that were lost in the shuffle on all platforms, I'd personally love one on Banjo Kazooie Nuts and Bolts (That game got hated on bad but it's excellent and only $20). And iphone things all the time? Kinda meh, I understand it... it's cool and maybe you are trying to build to a new audience, but the majority of coverage should be PSP and DS.
I have to say I'm a bit tired of episodes that are all about how great the Mission District is. I don't mind the variety of non-gaming topics but this just seemed like a repeat of the Mother Mission's Fruits episode.
@solomon ... we really can't release a soundtrack. Well, not without securing the rights to the songs we use in the show. The music was donated by several artists and we have permission to only use them in the show, not to sell them in any other format. That being said, if we decided to put one together, I'd think we could reasonably start making some deals so that the artists could be compensated for the sales, but that's a pretty big task. Not impossible, but not likely soon.
@MattG ... Behind the scenes wasn't always what The 1UP Show did, but I see your point. Still, our narrative ideas mostly come from real-life happenings that we've adapted into something absurd/interesting, so in that sense it's the same. The only REAL "mission" of the show is to highlight what we think needs highlighting as far as games are concerned. Little stuff, big stuff, whatever is out there that seems to be moving the art form/industry/sport forward. I know "forward" is a vague term, but everything can be boiled down to a series of advancement in ideas; the evolution thereof or a wholly original introduction. We don't really have that spelled out in a mission statement or anything like that, but that's more or less how we choose which games to cover. Some of it is simply circumstance: what are we playing right now/will be playing soon, and can we get any guests to come on and talk with us about it? The narratives are really an opportunity for us to stretch our legs creatively as well as add a little personality to the cast and crew so we actively try NOT to define them as this-or-that. Also, when you have to put out a show almost every week of the year, it's very much a necessity that you not pigeonhole yourself creatively. TV Shows only have to produce for one season out of the year, we're year-round. Not sure if that answers your question, but there you have it :)
@Sune ... if you're a fan of Ghostbusters it's probably a worthwhile purchase (at least according to my friends--I haven't played it). Movie-licensed games are still, by-and-large, schlock that isn't worth your money, but it's good to pay attention to them as sometimes there is wheat amongst the chaff. Wolverine is another example of a pretty decent movie-licensed game and The Chronicles of Riddick is probably the best movie-licensed property I've yet played. I would agree that they're "getting better," but I'd also say that it's pretty easy to get better when you start from the bottom.
@Oson ... Thanks man! Glad you liked it. Narratives like this are a bit harder to do than they probably seem, but it's our hope that we can convey a little bit of lifestyle stuff so that people can feel as much as possible, like you said, as though they're hangin' with us and not just having us talk at them all the time ;)
@Sune I think Ghostbusters is better than most movie based games. I would only recommend buying it if you and your friends are big Ghostbuster fans, if not then I would say rent it/Gamefly it.
@matt chandronait ... I see your point concerning the narratives when you answered @Oson. But I've followed you guys since the beginning and this episode's narrative is just not creating the "hang with us" feeling we've had since the beginning. It seemed like an advertising for those restaurants. I get advertising through an episode, it's essential and you guys already make great ads during the show (GoDaddy, Squarespace or Gamefly are awesome and creative). But the narrative to me is not supposed to make you feel like you're looking at a big food advertisement or any other form of sponsorship ad. It's supposed to make you feel like you're hanging with the guys. You were successful at that and did it amazingly, but this week, you didn't.
Matt,
If you take feedback from people like MattG seriously "you will FAIL" Go with your gut. I love this show, the funny stuff, the food stuff and even the stuff that might not work is great because we're all watching people doing what the love and getting paid for it. Man, what a country. Keep livin' the dream. You guys are an inspiration to anyone who wants to make a living doing what they love. Like making bourbon flavored ice cream or donuts with bacon on them. Yea!
@MozartFX Thank you kindly for officially "getting it." :)
Great Episode guys. Totally didn't know about the new space invaders game on iPhone, best 5 bucks I spent this week.
Totally dug the food segments too, definitely have some place to try the next time I make it out to the mission. mmm bacon..
You guys should do some bio videos sometime so we can know more about your gaming history, maybe some cribs style tours of gaming collections. Break that 4th wall.
I can't believe how many people are complaining about the food stuff, In all honesty it was a nice spin especially in weeks as sparce gaming wise as they've been, it tends to lend it this compromising edge, I loved the food reviews and more importantly I loved your passion for food. What is dissapointing about the backlash is that, everyone is talking as if CO-OP's food reviews are a weekly occurence, which if they generate some perspective will realise that in the grand scheme of things, is still only a temporary departure from the usual stuff. Anyways keep up the good work.
Enjoyed the Mission District Eats moments, but I was kinda surprised about the Ghostbusters portion of the show... am I the only one who thought it felt truncated? Somehow, it just felt like it abruptly ended. I know Matt said he didn't play the game (being a licensed title alone would be enough to make me skittish), so maybe it was a lack of the core "cast" having played it that made it hard to really talk about it? I'm also curious how your independent status (unattached to any major game media outlet) may have affected your coverage/featured titles? I'm all for the independent focus (I think covering iPhone/iPod games is really cool), but I also miss seeing coverage on upcoming mainstream games (Alpha Protocol comes to mind off the top of my head). Is it simply choice, or are you guys having a harder time getting access to stuff since the 1Up era?
Regardless, keep up the good work. I'm not always eager to watch the show based on the titles you review, but I almost always finish an episode with a smile on my face... Jet Fresh Radio. heh heh heh =D
dudes, mission is good and all but branch out!!! i just went over to dynamo today and got the bacon doughnut, and it was delicious...
but seriously, san fan has such an amazing choice of eateries in it. i would mention the haight, but honestly nobody needs a homeless dude pissing on there hand...
however, ninth & irving has some of the best places to go to in frisco. park chow, the beanery, and the best comic book shop in san fran, AMAZING FANTASY!!!
i realized i left that comment without actually finishing it, which is really dumb. but i took the time to read some of the above comments and realized how many people are haters. specifically one about comparing the 1up show to what is now CO-OP. which is as audacious as it is stupid. the 1up show was a company backed show (whether what company "backed" the show is irrelevant, it had many contributors to tie it all together) what i see in CO-OP is a more solid, a more centered version of what the 1up show was. copying and pasting the 1up show and putting over CO-OP is kind of ridiculous, but i guess i can see why someone might make that mistake...
as too the addition of the extra stuff, it's wicked good. i live and work in san francisco (two blocks from haight...) and i haven't heard of some of the stuff these guys showing us. as someone who enjoys exploring different parts of the city he is currently living in, it's certainly nice to get some perspective on some of the local shops, especially from someone's opinion i respect.
keep up what you guys are doing, it's working!!
Good episode guys. I love it when you do the food vignettes between shows, you're obviously guys who love a good meal!
Also, that Space Invaders game looks a right worthwhile purchase. Cheers again, and more food + games episodes please.
Hi there Area5 guys, really love this episode, I like the humor, and the everyday like events, that you have, it makes me laugh.
And you also gets to talk about games, so it's not the same goddamm formular that other game sites have, you make your own style.
It's almost like a little sitcom, but without audience laugh thank god!
And oh don't get any funny ideas about doing a friends like intro 8-)
About this episode
Tales of monkey Island, Im sorry to say I really don't like the art style, especially Guybrush, In The Curse of Monkey Island he was perfect, but that was at a diffrent time, things have changes I know. It helped a big deal that Dominic Armato is onboard again though.
And Im so excited to hear that Denny Delk will be returning as Murray the demonic Skull (my farvorite side charater besides Glottis) acording to a twitter update.
Have a great week! Bwahahahaaa!
8-)
Kenneth from Denmark
Re: "Lifestyle" pieces
Keep them coming.
Signed,
Raynor
(Seriously, they add depth to the show. We already know you are well-versed in gaming, but many of us twenty-somethings can find something in the lifestyle pieces to relate with.)
Great show guys!
BUt don't over do it with the food!
If you want to talk about food just make another show altogether called area5's food eating extravaganza extraordinaire in 3-D on ice (it will make people think the show is special if you add the extra stuff) :)
Also please talk about fat princess next week!
Thank you
Oh and Batman: Arkham Asylum demo, sure it's a demo but I would really like to hear your openions about it.
personally I can't stop playing it on my PS3 8-)