Vic's Basement

The smoke is still clearing on the console launch, and Vic and Scott stumble out of their next-next-gen haze and try to say something coherent about their next-next-gen feelings. Then, just when you think you've seen it all, surprise! The Wii U. makes an appearance on the show. Then Vic and Scott squabble over Twitch and other user-generated gaming streams. Vic sees the bright side; Scott, naturally, sees the dark side. Finally, Vic and Scott talk about Need For Speed: Rivals, Super Mario 3D World, and spend some time speculating on who will get drunk at this year's holiday party. Give your brain an early Christmas present and LISTEN NOW.

Vic and Scott do a little premature post-mortem on the double console launch that we've endured/weathered over the last couple weeks. So, expect plenty of PS4 and Xbox One talk. Scott tells a story involving cats licking his feet. Finally, Vic and Scott go to war over the latest Hunger Games flick, Catching Fire. Vic had fun; Scott (a.k.a. Dr. Buzzkill) saw it as a way to grouse about the sad, sorry state of mass market entertainment. Anyway, give the show a listen. You're going to love it. We promise.

Vic and Scott are in NYC for the ah-mazing PS4 launch. Since they're traveling, they decided to do something a little strange. (Well, Scott's always doing little strange things, but that's a whole other story.) The Basement has decided to partner up with CNET's excellent The 404 Show (http://cnettv.cnet.com/the-404/) for some Wonder Twins-style podcast-show action. (SHAPE OF...JEFF BAKALAR!) (FORM OF...JUSTIN, WHO IS NEVER ON THE 404 WHEN SCOTT IS ON THE SHOW FOR SOME REASON! WHUT UP WITH THAT, BRO?) Anyway, after some getting-to-know-you chit chat, the showstravaganza tackles subjects like the new consoles, super hero movies, and The Future Of Entertainment As We Know It. Listen and learn, young padawans. Jeff BakalarJeff has been at CNET for more than five years covering games, tech, and pop culture. When he's not playing ice hockey or pinball, you can catch him live every day as the host of CNET's infamous daily show, The 404 Show and every Friday in CNET's first-ever tech comic, Low Latency. (Source: CNET.com) Follow @jeffbakalar Check out the 404 Podcast over at CNET

Vic waxes poetic about the new iPad Air, which he travelled all the way to New York City to meet. (Yes, the two of them met at the top of the Empire State Building, and they kissed with fireworks going off in the background.) Vic, naturally, is into it; Scott, not so much. In fact, Scott is crabbier than usual on today's episode. Just warning you ahead of time. The boys also discuss the PS4, the state of games in general, and the lukewarm critical reception that Batman: Arkham Origins has received. Then—holy irony, Batman—the guy who PLAYS Batman in the game shows up to talk—duh!—MORE BATMAN. Yes, it's veteran voice actor Roger Craig Smith, who always played another hooded assassin in a recent series of games. Which one? Find out by doing a little clicky-clicky on the triangle over there.

Zombies are coming! But, before they arrive, Vic and Scott describe how excited they are for the next consoles. Yes, there is some squealing. Then Jason Leigh from Capcom Vancouver, makers of Dead Rising 3, joins us in The Basement. He offers plenty of insight into the making of the game, including plenty of behind-the-scenes stories. Finally, Vic and Scott say so long. And someone makes it weird at the end. WHO WILL IT BE? Listen, and find out.

Vic confesses that he's been spending a lot of time in the basement lately, ever since the new Batman game came out. (BATMAN!) And it really smells bad down there, as Scott can attest. Anyway, the boys talk Batman: Arkham Origins: Vic and Scott both love it, but Scott has some grousing to do anyway, per usual. (What a grump.) Other topics du jour: the new iPad, Ridley Scott's latest movie The Counselor, and finally Vic does a live un-boxing of the collector's edition of Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag. Don't miss it! Warning: This Podcast May Contain NSFW (not safe for work) language.

Scott is back from New York Comic Con, so, naturally, Vic has lots of questions, like, "Was Batman there? Was Hulk there? Was Poison Ivy there?" (Scott: "Yes. Yes. And yes.") Scott also made new friends when he was in NYC: Drew and Rob from Project Triforce, makers of some of the finest videogame collectibles the world has ever seen (projecttriforce.com). Drew and Rob are guests on today's podcast, and they are Skyping in, all the way from New York City. Also: Vic professes his love for Gene Kelly's Singing In The Rain; Vic and Scott wax nostalgic over the TV Guide; Scott reveals the best place for pizza slices in all of New York City. In other words, this episode is bitchin'. Warning: This Podcast May Contain NSFW (not safe for work) language.

This week, down in The Basement: The boys discover and excellent Nintendo 3DS game in the eShop titled Steamworld Dig (which they discussed in Tokyo a few weeks back). Well, thanks to the Internet, the game's makers, Image & Form heard the 'cast and reached out to us. So, all of your Steamworld Dig questions? ANSWERED ON TODAY'S SHOW. Scott and Vic also discuss the new films Gravity and Machete Kills. Then Scott tries to understand why everyone loves Sons Of Anarchy, because he really isn't enjoying it very much at all. (Granted, he's only three episodes in to Season 1.) Anyway, hell, click the thing already and let Vic and Scott's melodic voices soothe your savage breast. Warning: This Podcast May Contain NSFW (not safe for work) language.

After three weeks of travel, Vic and Scott are actually back in The Basement this week. And, as that wise old soul Dorothy once said, "There's no place like home." The boys take a moment to reflect on their recent globetrotting adventures before diving headfirst into the world of Los Santos. Yes, GTA V gets plenty of love on today's show, as does the final episode of Breaking Bad. Vic loved it; Scott had some problems with it. (Scott has problems with everything. Jerk!) Finally, the boys talk The Legend of Zelda with Jason Michael Paul, who is currently producing the traveling symphonic roadshow titled The Legend Of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses. So, to re-cap: We've got GTA V, Breaking Bad, and Zelda in today's show. What more could you people possibly want? Actually, don't answer that. Just press the thing, and START LISTENING. We implore you. Get more info on the Zelda Symphony Shows SPOILERS WARNING: Lots of Breaking Bad Spoilers. Warning: This Podcast May Contain NSFW (not safe for work) language.

Vic and Scott are on the road again, this time in Tokyo, Japan (hey, what other Tokyo is there?). Now, while in Montreal two weeks back, they recorded the podcast in Scott's hotel room; this time, they do the 'cast in Vic's room—room 853 at the Hotel Nikko in Odaibo. Full disclosure: when they recorded this week's podcast, they were on day nine of a 10 day trip, so both Vic and Scott are more than a little bit punchy. The boys discuss the lack of Grand Theft Auto V in their lives (and how that lack will be addressed immediately upon their return home); the final days of Breaking Bad; and, finally, an obscure 3DS game that stars a robot turtle who inherits his uncle's diamond mine. (Yes, the game really exists.) Finally, Scott offers travel tips for listeners, and most of these tips—not surprisingly—are centered around soaps and underwear. Yes, you'll have to listen to the podcast for the full story. What are you still reading this for? Get listening! On further review, after the excitement of Tokyo wore off, the photograph of the Scott look alike does not happen to look that much like Scott after all. (Scott is the one on the right) Warning: This Podcast May Contain NSFW (not safe for work) language.

Vic and Scott return to Vancouver, BC, very briefly after their Montreal trip. And they leave for Tokyo in a few hours from now. STAY IN SCHOOL KIDS, AND YOU TOO CAN HAVE THIS KIND OF LIFE! Anyway, both Vic and Scott are a little jet-lagged, which means they are loopier than usual today. Which is good news for listeners! Topics discussed on today's show: Ouya, PlayStation Vita, Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, Batman: Arkham Origins, and why Scott should not be allowed to play a game in front of said game's director. Anyway, click the thing and get yourself entertained! Warning: This Podcast May Contain NSFW (not safe for work) language.

This week down in The Basement: Vic and Scott go mobile. They're in--halluciner!--Montreal. So, serving as "the basement" is Scott's room (#703, at Le Hotel). Le grande topic this week: Grand Theft Auto V. Will it make a hundred billion dollars in one second? Will it break any new ground in the open-world genre? Is there any new ground left to break in the open-world genre? Will Vic ever finally finish GTA III? All these questions, and more, will be answered by clicking that little thingy right over there. Warning: This Podcast May Contain NSFW (not safe for work) language.

IT'S OUR FIRST SHOW WITH OUR NEW SPONSOR, THE PLAYSTATION 4! Ahem. Sorry. Lost our heads for a moment. Vic and Scott answer listener mail. Hooray! And the mailbag is filled with compliments, queries, and strangeness. Then Scott tells Vic that he had a dream that featured Harrison Ford, and he describes that dream in detail. Vic and Scott also talk about their upcoming trips to Montreal and Tokyo. So, The Basement will be hitting the road over the next few weeks. But don't worry—we promise to deliver quality conversations, even if it's from Gate 47 at Narita International Airport. Anyway, listen to this week's show by clicking over there. OH, AND THANK YOU, PLAYSTATION 4! Warning: This Podcast May Contain NSFW (not safe for work) language.

Vic has returned from the always-fun Fan Expo (Toronto), so he's ready to talk about all the celebrity hobnobbing he did while gallivanting around town, smoking big cigars, drinking Courvoisier, and riding in the backseats of limos. This, of course, makes Scott feel terrible about himself (which is also Scott's natural state, in case you didn't already know). Then Scott and Vic talk about what games they played on the road (Scott nearly went blind from playing Kingdom Rush; Vic hugged and kissed his Vita all night long). Then the guys reveal what might be the very worst movie of 2013. Finally, game developer Mike Mika visits The Basment. He's the guy who famously hacked Donkey Kong so that his daughter could play the game as Pauline instead of Mario (Mario, of course, is the one who is being held captive by DK). It's a great, super-nerdy convo which features multiple references to Eugene Jarvis. Finally, Scott makes it weird at the end. And at the beginning. And, now that we think about it, in the middle, too. Check out Mike's Article about making the Pauline Edition. If you aren't familiar with the game Robotron, check out this video: Warning: This Podcast May Contain NSFW (not safe for work) language.

Vic and Scott have a guest down in The Basement. It's the incomparable Ryan Holowaty from Noodle Cake Games, makers of Super Stickman Golf and Super Stickman Golf 2. WARNING: DO NOT PLAY EITHER ONE OF THOSE GAMES! THEY ARE BOTH EXTREMELY ADDICTIVE. Then Vic and Scott talk about the games of August, including Saints Row IV, Splinter Cell Blacklist, and Disney Infinity. Finally, Scott confesses that he never quite got around to finishing The Last Of Us, but did last weekend. So the boys enjoy a quick look back at one of the greatest games of all time. Also: The Last Of Us discussion features a couple of pretty big spoilers. Don't say we didn't warn you. WARNING: Spoilers on The Last of Us Warning: May Contain NSFW (not safe for work) language.