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Episode 88: Bells' Hook

by Justin Baker, Andy Goergen, Daan Koopman, Zachary Miller, and Scott Thompson - May 31, 2013, 9:22 pm EDT
Total comments: 7

An in-depth look at Animal Crossing: New Leaf, another round of NWR Jeopardy, and more playoff hockey.

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Episode 88 of Connectivity is here, but we can't simply give it away for nothing. So while you enjoy this week's episode, be sure to run some errands around town for us. Also, buy stuff from us with the money we pay you.

Kicking the show off, Andy, Daan, and Justin sit down to talk about Animal Crossing: New Leaf. The trio discuss the new responsibilities of being mayor and where the series can go in the future. To hear the full segment, you'll need to go collect some seashells for us.

After that, we have our first ever round of NWR Jeopardy featuring three listeners! Scott and Zach host an epic match between listeners BJ, Daniel, and Chris, who fight tooth and nail for the crown of "best Connectivity listener." Zach is losing his touch, though, as there are zero questions about Primal Rage. Zero!

After the show, stick around for another NHL playoffs bonus segment, featuring Scott and Donald. The duo glosses over the boring Eastern Conference series and sink their teeth in to the much more compelling Western Conference. Oh, and scroll to the bottom of this post to see Donald's amazing comparison between Nintendo and Maple Leafs fans.

That's it for this week. Be sure to click here to send us your listener mail. How about some predictions for E3? We'll read them next week when we preview the upcoming event. Until then!

***

Now, Donald's comparison between Nintendo and Maple Leafs fans:

As I watched the Toronto Maple Leafs actually make the postseason for the first time since Metroid could crawl, I began to notice a lot of similarities between my hockey team of choice and Nintendo. And not just in the amount of heartbreak they presented on the week of May 13, but in their history and even elements of how they operate today.

Don't believe me? Let's break it down. (Stick tap to Sean McIndoe of Grantland, aka @DownGoesBrown, for the inspiration.)

Maple Leafs: Originally started as the Arenas, dabbled in being Irish.

Nintendo: Originally started in toys, dabbled in love hotels.

Maple Leafs: Were dominant in an era where the competition was artificially limited known as the "Original Six".

Nintendo: Were dominant in an era where the competition was artificially limited known as the "NES Era".

Maple Leafs: For many years were owned by a capricious, evil crotchety old man named Harold Ballard, who saw fit to destroy priceless relics such as the gondola where the first hockey broadcasts occurred. When he died, many Leafs fans were prepared to dig a hole deep enough to hand him over to Satan personally.

Nintendo: For many years were owned by a capricious, evil crotchety old man named Hiroshi Yamauchi, who saw fit to destroy priceless relics such as the goodwill of third party developers. When he dies, many Nintendo fans will be prepared to dig a hole yadda yadda yadda

Note: As far as we know, Yamauchi never allowed child abuse at the Kyoto headquarters. So he's got that going for him.

Maple Leafs: The longtime public face of the team is former GM Brian Burke, a large, boisterous Northeasterner. At his introductory press conference, he endeared himself to fans by promising to bring "pugnaciousness, tenacity, testosterone, and truculence" to the team.

Nintendo: The longtime public face of the team is soon-to-be-former NOA president Reggie Fils-Aime, a large boisterous Northeasterner. At his introductory press conference, he endeared himself to fans by promising to "kick ass and take names".

Maple Leafs: Burke caused a riot when at an NHL Entry Draft, where young players are selected, he was caught on camera in the following exchange before drafting current top scorer Nazem Kadri:

Burke: "That's the kid you want?"

Bryan Murray (general manager, Ottawa Senators, had the next pick): "Yeah."

Burke: "Cool. We're taking him."

Needless to say, Senators fans (who already have reason to hate Toronto) were... displeased. Colorful language followed.

Nintendo: Much of that same language was used when Bayonetta 2 was announced as a WiiU exclusive.

Maple Leafs: Fans can usually be enraged when taunted with three words: "Plan the parade". (Recently applicable: "Thank you, Kessel.")

Nintendo: Fans can usually be enraged when taunted with three words: "Nintendo is kiddy." (Recently applicable: "Please understand.")

Maple Leafs: Controversy erupted this season when beloved defenseman Jake Gardiner was confined to the bench for several games, his agent going so far as to start the #FreeJakeGardiner hashtag on various social networks.

Nintendo: Controversy erupted this generation when beloved RPG Xenoblade Chronicles was confined to Japan and Europe, one developer going so far as to support the Operation Rainfall fan campaign on various social networks.

Maple Leafs: In 1993, players would gleefully spinkick opposing goalies in the head during games.

Nintendo: In 1993, players would gleefully spinkick the schlub with controller 2 in the head during games.

Maple Leafs: Had a run of success - but not too much, not winning a Stanley Cup - in the last decade with a style of play that led to multiple articles calling them the dirtiest team in hockey.

Nintendo: Had a run of success - but not too much, not able to dominate like the PS2 - in the last decade with a style of play that led to multiple articles calling them the worst thing to happen to video games.

Maple Leafs: Thanks to a botched high sticking call in a key 1993 playoff game, Kerry Fraser's name is still mud in Toronto.

Nintendo: Thanks to a botched "unprecedented partnership" after E3 2011, EA's name is mud in the eyes of Nintendo fans.

Maple Leafs: Have an outlet for team news on a regular basis with LeafsTV.

Nintendo: Have an outlet for team news on a regular basis with Nintendo Direct.

Maple Leafs: Everything was looking so good for the team, up 4-1 with just under 10 minutes to play in a game 7, then came four unanswered goals. The big question is, how will the team respond this summer?

Nintendo: Everything was looking so good for the WiiU, tracking ahead of PS360 sales pace, then came four months of increasingly farcial sales. The big question is, how will the company respond this summer?

(Donald Theriault is the host of Nintedo Free Radio - the unofficial podcast of the NWR forums - and can be heard on Connectivity episodes 84, 86, 87, and 88. His Twitter is @DonaldMick, and he amazingly managed to stay out of Twitter jail that fateful Monday night.)

This episode edited by Scott Thompson.

Talkback

Jeopardy was great fun, but yeah, I wasn't on top of my game with the questions. Can't wait to hear whether or not the Wind Waker category was strategically cut during editing! And folks, Scott pulled a Leahy on this show: he lost power at the VERY END of the show, so his audio was lost. Like a trooper, he actually listened to our voices and tried to recall what he said during blank spots and SAID IT.

He's the man. He's Connectivity's Greg Leahy, but less British and more addicted to hockey.

oksodaScott Thompson, Associate EditorJune 01, 2013

Quote from: Halbred

Jeopardy was great fun, but yeah, I wasn't on top of my game with the questions. Can't wait to hear whether or not the Wind Waker category was strategically cut during editing! And folks, Scott pulled a Leahy on this show: he lost power at the VERY END of the show, so his audio was lost. Like a trooper, he actually listened to our voices and tried to recall what he said during blank spots and SAID IT.

He's the man. He's Connectivity's Greg Leahy, but less British and more addicted to hockey.

Oh it was cut. If I hadn't lost my audio, I would have left it for fun, but I wasn't about to re-record me asking questions no one got a single answer to! :p

MagiteknightsJune 01, 2013

Had a lot of fun during the recording. You're editing for it is masterful Scott. You're like an audio wizard. Go Sports!

TheXenocideJune 02, 2013

The new enemy type in revelations is called a wall blister!

ejamerJune 03, 2013

Great show guys.

Another Animal Crossing hadn't left me very excited - my wife and I have dumped hundreds of hours into previous versions of the game already, and differences between the DS/Wii releases were slim at best.  Yet listening to some of the changes makes it sound like the tweaks provided on 3DS might be just enough to get me to buy in again.

Talking about cloud saves for Animal Crossing is very interesting, but seems a bit risky.  While the 3DS is a console that has the potential for excellent online connectivity, being portable means that there often isn't an online connection available. For better or worse, youth also makes up a huge portion of Nintendo's market share which might limit how much use this feature gets for some people. But if possible syncing and usage issues are overcome then I agree that it makes a lot of sense: being able to visit your friends' town at any time really would be the ideal scenario for this game.

Also, Jeopardy rocks.  I know it takes a good deal of effort to put questions together... but really appreciate getting the chance to listen to another game show segment. Well done guys.


What is Space Station Silicon Valley, again? LOL

VickiLJune 03, 2013

It seems like a bit of a pain to me, to have my Animal Crossing game saved in the cloud.  While I have internet at home, the game is on a portable system, and nearly half the time that I'm playing, I'm on the road.  There would be so many times that I want to play but couldn't because there's no wifi.  If they made it optional, I wonder how much it would really get used given those limitations.  I do look forward to going to my sister's town and us working together on flowers, orchards and pathways.  Under the mayor's guidance, of course.

Vicki, I'm the one who made those comments on the podcast, and the more I play this game away from home, the more I'm coming to the same conclusion.

That said, I think there's a compromise, and I think that on the next console iteration of the game, there's no excuse not to offer some sort of a "visit my town whenever you like" functionality to the game.  It's past due.

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