Hopped-Up Gaming

What happens on Draenor stays on Draenor. This week the HUG crew get all up in the guts of fantasy/sci-fi universes, spending more time than is physician recommended discussing the latest news in the Warcraft, Star Wars, and Halo Universes. We also drink beer and make fun of each-other's respective favourites. It's an old-fashioned nerd slapfight this week, with some additional talk on Fallout 4, our monthly Battlefield 4 field update (and subsequent Battlefield: Hardline punchline), and the catacylsmic storyof Batman: Arkham Knight's second PC Coming. Beer of the Week: Four Winds Pale Ale Hosts: Chris Norris, Mike, Kelly, Vince

Who would've thought putting six people in a room full of beer and asking them to all decide on the 'Best' video game of the year would lead to contention. It's out Hopped-Up Gaming Game of the Year deliberations, which is a fancy way of saying a bunch of nerds drank beer and yelled at each other! Beer of the Week: The Phillip's Brewing Holiday Advent Calendar Hosts: Chris Norris, Kelly, Mike, Dave, Bill, Vince

We equally celebrate our mutual antagonism and our love for video games this episode, with our favourite individual games of 2015! The full HUG family sits down by the virtual fire, drinks a lot of different beers, and talks for far too long about video games. Beer of the Week: The Phillip's Brewing Holiday Advent Calendar Hosts: Chris Norris, Kelly, Mike, Dave, Bill, Vince, Matt

If you don't like Star Wars, then we apologize in advance. This week, we celebrate the last day of the year by endlessly discussing The Force Awakens. Our likes, dislikes, questions, quibbles, and everything in-between. If you've somehow not seen the film yet and managed to avoid any spoilers we do talk about spoilers in the film, so be prepared! Also we discuss Star Wars Battlefront and a bit of Fallout 4, because this is technically still a podcast about video games I guess. Beer of the Week: Yellow Dog Brewing Play Dead IPA Hosts: Chris Norris, Kelly, Mike, Vince

In a match against Superman and Solid Snake, the true losers are the people arguing. Kelly and Norris have somehow managed to survive last week's Metal Gear Marathon, and so with the holiday season fast approaching and most of our regulars screwing off to be with 'family', or 'friends,' we have not one but TWO special guests this week! With the talks ranging from how tired we are, to how much we now hate video games, to vague ramblings about our 2016 plans, it truly is a holiday season sleeptacular! Beer of the Week: Bridge Brewing Uganda Sipi Coffee Brown Ale Hosts: Chris Norris, Kelly Special Guests: Tammy Tsang, Video Production Star & Miranda Eagleson, Magic: The Gathering Guru

Don't fool yourself Timmy, if a zipper could it would kill you and everyone you cared about. This week is all about our game of the month, Undertale! With opinions ranging from gushingly positive to outright dismissal, we have a full range of reactions and emotions. It's almost like a real discussion! Beer of the Week: Homebrewed HUG Beer! Hosts: Chris Norris, Dave, Emery, Kelly, Mike

This week, the gang determines that if the chips were down, they could probably individually take Palmer Luckey in a fight. And by that I mean we discuss the latest and greatest events from The Game Awards, The Playstation Experience, and the Capcom Cup! We also taste Mike's latest batch of homebrew, Norris gushes about Psychonauts, everyone makes fun of Norris, everyone discusses how games awards are silly, and we take bets on whether or not Final Fantasy 7 Remake will actually come out. Beer of the Week: Homebrewed HUG Beer! Hosts: Chris Norris, Dave, Emery, Kelly, Mike

This week the gang argues about children's cartoons, discuss their undiagnosed medical maladies, and the existence of steam-powered computers. There's also discussion on the new Bloodborne DLC, discuss where we're at in Fallout, Kelly realizes he doesn't know where Boston is, and we put together our ideas for a gritty reboot of 'The Magic Schoolbus.' Beer of the Week: Philips Blue Buck Hosts: Chris Norris, Dave, Kelly, Mike

We're all up in this podcast like Mr. Bean's up in his turkey. We hear some dissenting points on Undertale from Matt, discuss the pros and cons of putting a bayonet on a rocket launcher, and ask where the cast of Friends must be now. There's a lot of Fallout talk as well this week, while Kelly and Norris float some horrible ideas for new podcasts, we all find out about creepy fansites for fast food mascots. Finally, of course, we discuss the latest details in teledildonics. Beer of the Week: Okanagan Brewing Chili Porter Hosts: Chris Norris, Dave, Kelly, Emery

If dreams are the window to the soul, everyone on this podcast has some serious, serious issues. The gang isn't sure if they're nonplussed this week about all the beer and video game happenings, though they are sure they have some words for Fallout 4. There's also talk about the overlap between porn and Fallout use, our apathy towards the Bond franchise, and some dumb arguments about word definitions. Norris and Matt give a stern cinematic critic of 'We Are Your Friends,' that film where Zak Efron wants to be a shitty California DJ. Or something. We didn't like it, but no one else did either. Kelly also pitches a bad movie day idea, and we plan how to defeat terrorists who use Mario Maker to send their secret messages. Beer of the Week: Off The Rail Brewing's Crazy Train IPA Hosts: Chris Norris, Mike, Kelly, Emery

You know it was a good Halloween when you're considered a public nuisance. On this episode of HUG the gang talks about surviving their All Hallows Eve, has a childish argument about Mario games, and discusses their plan to take Matt on a spiritual gaming awakening. We also gush about blind speed runs, discuss the beautiful housing in Ex Machina, and get incensed about the Scary Movie franchise. When we decide to finally talk about games, we discuss Halo's byzantine plot, the storyline behind Destiny's lack of a storyline, and argue how the literature for Shower With Your Dad Simulator 2015 was better than the game. Beer of the Week: Lighthouse Brewing's Roadtrip Dark Ale Hosts: Chris Norris, Emery, Kelly

We're winding down the spookiest Rocktober you've ever seen this week, coming in live with talk on Ray J's current whereabouts, Mike's home brewing tips, and our plan to get into the moonshining business. Other topics include the proper definition of a divekick, how crazy video game archivists must be, favourite spooky tv shows from our childhood, and how the flinchy should under no circumstances go into haunted houses. As for film and gaming stuff, we talk on Street Fighter 5, The Beginner's Guide, more Undertale, and a whole ghostload of spooky spookeries. Beer of the Week: Canuck Empire Brewing Lost Pumpkin Patch Ale Hosts: Chris Norris, Dave, Mike, Emery, Kelly

Last month all we talked about was Metal Gear, this month it's flat earth memes. Who said people can't change. This week we talk about Undertale, cool hip hop lingo, Destiny's siren call, tentative Halo 5 excitement, how cross-generational games somehow still exist, how nobody cares about Assassin's Creed Syndicate and SPACE ALIENS. We also determine what Frog Fractions 2 is. It's Half Life 3. Or Halo 5. Probably. Beer of the Week: Parallel 49's 187 On An Undercover Hop Imperial IPA Hosts: Chris Norris, Dave, Mike, Emery

On this episode, we argue the top ten types of pies! You *won't believe* what the number one is! Also we learn that Patrick O'Pumpkin is a corrupt ne'er-do-well, we discuss ham poisoning, and how our future involves eating potatoes on Mars. Speaking of Mars, there's talk on The Martian this episode, alongside some game talk on Grow Home, Diablo 2 speed runs, and getting bad at video games as you age. We give our opinions on the Star Wars Battlefront beta, our Fallout 4 anticipations, and our newest app idea: SpeedDick. Beer of the Week: Central City Brewers Patrick O'Pumpkin Imperial Pumpkin Ale Hosts: Chris Norris, Kelly, Mike, Emery

We survive centipede attacks this week to get you the final, exhausted word on Metal Gear Solid 5: Phantom Pain. But first, we discuss the phantom beauty of Channing Tatum in Magic Mike XXL, and just how great in general movies involving nude dudes are. Be warned, from the 21:30 point to the end of the podcast, we dive deep into Metal Gear Solid 5: Phantom Pain spoilers. Beer of the Week: Strange Fellows Jongleur Belgian Wit Beer Hosts: Chris Norris, Kelly, Mike, Dave

Chris, Dave, and Emery come together to rap about Batman: Arkham Knight in this spoilerific podcast about everyone's favourite caped crusader. Caution: If you haven't played Batman: Arkham Knight and don't want to be spoiled, this may not be for you.

This week, to try and confuse anyone brave enough to listen, we decided that this podcast needed seven people on at once. Topics of discussion include post-modern music, post-modern art, post-modern metal gear, bad Mario Maker design, rom hacking video games, and ponies fighting ponies. Beer of the Week: Parallel 49 Craft Lager Hosts: Chris Norris, Emery, Kelly, Mike, Dave, Vince Special Guest: Engineer and Rom-Hackist Alex

Only on Hopped-Up Gaming can the topic change from the British head of state having sex with livestock to a definition of bioinformatics. We're like a thinking man's idiot here on Hopped-Up Gaming. This week, we discuss - shocker of shockers - more Metal Gear Solid Phantom Pain. Norris also question's Emery's dedication to Pixar films, and then insults Mike's Mario Maker abilities. Finally, we lay bare our suspicions that Shower With Your Dad Simulator 2015 is, in fact, Frog Fractions 2. Shower With Your Dad Simulator 2015 Spoilers from 49:20 to 51:00. Beer of the Week: Driftwood New Growth Pale Ale Hosts: Chris Norris, Emery, Kelly, Mike

This week, we bring to the table some revolutionary new reality television ideas, including puppets, snow, bikinis, and murder. Afterwards we discuss the initial planning stages for our burgeoning space program, how standing robots are clearly better designed than crouching robots, and then barf out just a whole mess about Metal Gear Solid Phantom Pain. There's also a new Street Fighter character! And some talk about both etiquette as well as *etiquette*, and to top it all off we even determine which of us best knows our new metal! Beer of the Week: Spinnakers Cerveza Reposado Hosts: Chris Norris, Emery, Kelly, Dave

Check your temperature and your nanomachines because this week the gang's got Metal Gear Fever! Whether its discussing horses pooping on faces or your helicopter's preferred intro music, we get down to the true heart of The Phantom Pain. We also discuss our group outing escaping from a broken submarine, how spooky scary the city of Vancouver is, and our plans to scare ourselves for Halloween. Not to mention (more) terrifying anime love games, the do's and don'ts for murdering sexy movie teenagers, and how Emery just *can't get enough* Metal Gear facts. Beer of the Week: Bridge Brewing Dark Rye Sour Saison Hosts: Chris Norris, Emery, Kelly Special Guest: Amateur Paranormal Investigator Tammy Tsang

We debate this week the pros and cons of going to a Metal Gear Solid V midnight release, discuss Norris's experience at PAX, and how we may be too old for PAX these days. Matt also describes his descent into Icewind Dale 2, which devolves into us just gushing about old RPGs for a while. Dave goes off on the ecstasy and agony of his recent Mortal Kombating, and Kelly expounds on his love of watching sexy teens get murdered. Hosts: Chris Norris, Emery, Kelly, Dave, Mike

We open up this week with what the people have been clamouring for: newgrounds hentai flash game stories. We also discuss live-streaming game development, and awful personal impediments to workplace productivity. We also talk a whole bunch about Her Story, our game of the month! Starting at 19:50 on the audio we go through our spoilerific take on this interesting new take on FMV gaming. First spoiler: we really liked it. Hosts: Chris Norris, Emery, Kelly, Dave, Vince, Mike Beer of the Week: Russell Brewing's White Rabbit Hoppy Hefeweizen

This week we bring on local casual games all-star Jenna to tell us all the hottest new strats for pretending to be a Disney pop princess. Before that though we talk about lavender beer, Batman addictions, and the definition of Horse. Emery finds us the worst fan fiction of all time, and we all learn an important lesson about the anime slave trade. Hosts: Chris Norris, Emery, Kelly Special Guest: Casual Gaming Ombudsman Jenna Beer of the Week: Postmark Raspberry Lemon Zest Hefeweizen

We start this week's episode reading a letter from the criminally insane, only to realize that the truly crazy was us all along. We then discuss Lego video games' nonsense lore, Resident Evil's nonsense lore, and the Republican Primary debate's nonsense lore. There's some questions on who the hell still buys strategy guides, we fulfil our mandated Batman discussion quotient, and find out which of us best knows about defunct game companies. All of which apparently powered by Soylent. Soylent - It's just like food. Hosts: Chris Norris, Dave, Kelly, Emery Beer of the Week: Parallel 49's Lil Red'Emption Cherry Sour

We all rolled out of bed this week and decided to record a podcast about video games, in particular about Rising Thunder, Her Story, and our horrible decision to bring back Game of the Month. We must've been tired, because we also ended up talking about the new Hearthstone expansion, Konami treating their employees like war criminals, and for some reason Scientology. Hosts: Chris Norris, Mike, Kelly, Emery Beer of the Week: A bunch of leftover camping beers

We watched all seven Fast and Furious films in one day. And documented it. Witness our modern-day 'Heart of Darkness' as grown men are broken and reshaped into American muscle cars, going one quarter-mile at a time.

EVO is hype! Video games are hype! Podcasting is hype! Get hype with us too as we discuss the EVO 2015 Street Fighter Finals, Soylent energy replacement, and how Norris needs to stop asking about fighting game stories. We also bid our fond farewell to the Paul Blart(s) of Jurassic World, get weary about the Witcher 3, and celebrate the triumphant introduction of everyone's favourite new fighting game character: Grease Wilder. Hosts: Chris Norris, Vince, Kelly, Emery, Dave Beer of the Week: Parallel 49 Apricotopus Sour Saison

Episode 137: Normal, DOA, or Extreme Podcasting This episode of Pumped-Up Gaming contains neither aspartame nor macros, but what it does contain is a lot of sweet sweet EVO talk! Within that, we discuss Street Fighter 4's last hurrah, Mad Catz's traitorous sponsorship practices, and where we we think the high-stakes cash games would be in Vegas. We also somehow end up discussing Dead or Alive's gravity-defying...chest physics. Also there's talk about a game in which we got to play the alpha for, but are legally obliged not to name. Let's call it Space...Conflicts. We also throw some shade on pre-ordering games, discuss the new DC trailers from Comicon, and pay our respects to the passing of one of our childhood gaming heroes. Hosts: Chris Norris, Vince, Dave Beer of the Week: Off The Rail Brewing's Hoppinated IPA

On this week of Hopped-Up Gaming we've got - you guessed it - sexy video games! With special guest Jalyn Euteneier we discuss the horrors of laugh tracks, science fiction super sports, and Second Life's Housing Bubble. And because we can't help but discuss our favourite topic, we discuss sexuality in video games. From Custer's Revenge to Dragon Age: Inquisition, Duke Nukem 3D to Nintendo's Puritanical laws, we get all about video game sex. Hosts: Chris Norris, Vince, Mike, Dave Special Guest: Jalyn Euteneir, Game Developer/Programmer/Artist Drink of the Week: Category 12 Brewing Unsanctioned Saison

This week, with our special guest Kelly Wright, Unity programmer extraordinaire, we talk about everyone's favourite hot-button issue: sexy video games. We also expound on our love for bad Resident Evil writing, get all in-depth with Batman: Arkham Knight, and talk about how, really, someone should probably be executing Gotham's Rogues Gallery. Hosts: Chris Norris, Vince, Mike, Dave Special Guest: Kelly Wright, Programmer/Unity Czar Drink of the Week: Four Winds Nectarous Dry Hopped Sour Ale

This week our very own Dr. Bill resurfaces, with stories to tell about our technological hell-future, before getting into what truly matters: non-canon Dragon Ball Z storylines. We also catch up with what everyone's been playing, end up talking about E3, and then discuss the same damn games we've been talking about since 2012. Some things never change. Hosts: Chris Norris, Emery, Mike, Bill Drink of the Week: Czechvar Czech Beer

We're downright RAMBUNCTIOUS for E3 this week, with a throw-down on everything we saw from the Bethesda, Microsoft, EA, Ubisoft, and Sony conferences. We discuss also gaming's burgeoning gore renaissance, Microsoft's techy future goggles, EA's insufferable boredom, Ubisoft's outright insanity, and Sony's other brand of outright insanity. Hosts: Chris Norris, Emery, Dave Drink of the Week: Red Racer ISA and Howe Sound Devil's Elbow

We drink bad beer this episode. We talk about exciting video games this episode. We discuss more comic books this episode. And we cross the boundaries of good taste in this episode. Listen to this episode. Hosts: Chris Norris, Emery, Dave, Vince, Mike Drink of the Week: Red Racer Maple Bacon Ale (is Garbage do not drink it)

It's another installment of your favourite weekly 90's electronica podcast! We've got all your favourite Intelligent Dance Music hits, including some hot new Cybergoth and Deep House bangers. Wait, those two might be the same thing? Screw it. This week discuss the deception that is non-alcoholic beer, gush about gangster movies, and also fight movies, and then Dave gets us up to date on his road to EVO 2016. Then we discuss our honest excitement for E3, and finish off with a one-two punch of unpopular movie opinions and our love of fast trains. Hosts: Chris Norris, Emery, Dave Drink of the Week: Hey Y'all Georgia Peach Hard Ice Tea

Welcome to another episode of four white guys talking in a room! Where we bring you the latest and greatest on: our misspent university education, our pilfering of liquidating book stores, our opinions on media studies, and how our love of craft beer can only be defeated by our lack of will to buy said craft beer. We even talk about Dostoevsky, Russian literature's crazy uncle. We're pretty much insufferable. There's some video game stuff too I guess. Eventually. Hosts: Chris Norris, Mike, Emery, Dave Beer of the Week: Assorted Energy Drinks

Welcome to the best video game podcast that hates video games, where this week we discuss tactical fashion, fruity-tasting beer, and self-depreciating superhero names. We also go into some depth about this week's topic, of our changing attitude towards video games as we grow into quasi-adults, what is we all seek from games, and how that's evolving over time. We realize we can never go home again this week on HUG. Hosts: Chris Norris, Vince, Emery, Dave Beer of the Week: Russell Brewing Punchbowl IPA

We take a stand against the tyranny of the bathroom on this episode of HUG, by all pledging our allegiance to the Shake Life. We also discuss our feelings on the new Avengers movie, our excitement for Mad Max, and our anticipation for Fallout 4's almost certain E3 announcement. Norris also admits he loves Digimon, Matt explains his failed attempt to get his girlfriend to watch anime, and we all talk about rare spooky video games. Hosts: Chris Norris, Vince, Emery, Mike Beer of the Week: Farmhand Saison

Episode 127: Some Rando Thoughts About Marvel We discover the potential economic impacts of reaching peak-Pratt this week on HUG, and also give our insightful opinion on Youtube eating challenge videos, and decide that going to see Avengers 2 is more important than recording a full episode. So we've got a short one today! Thirty action-packed minutes of inciteful Marvel commentary, descriptions on what MTV exec's think Spiderman should do, and petty arguments if Star Wars D-Canon beats Star Wars G-canon. Hosts: Chris Norris, Vince, Emery

Rated a solid 81 by esteemed podcast vintners, it's your favourite internet radio show about things that are and are not sports, high school football films, and internet anger. This week we delve into the relationship between football films and cult indoctrination, we discuss Valve's future plans of using their mod funds to hire jack-booted thugs intent on murdering your family, and how sadly Silent Hills will not be coming to murder your family any time soon. Hosts: Chris Norris, Vince, Emery, Dave Beer of the Week: Timothy Taylor's Landlord, A Championship Beer

Episode 124: Making Dunking an Olympic Sport We press 'F' this week to pay respects to the truest American artform: basketball dunks. With special guest Keir Miron, programmer for The Darkest Dungeon and noted basketball historian, we continue our path into sports madness by giving the NBA playoffs its due. And by its due I mean Keir teaches us everything because we know absolutely nothing. Except for slow motion dunking. We know a suspicious amount on slow motion dunking. Hosts: Chris Norris, Mike, Emery, Dave Guest: Keir Miron, Red Hook Studios Programmer and Basketball Historian

We all come down with a bad case of hockey fever this week, as we turn our ever-open gaze onto the beautiful game of ice puck. With the 2015 season at a close, and the playoffs starting the day of this release, we take some time to break down and discuss this years' playoffs: the teams, the stories, the handsome goalies, the ownership illuminati, even your subconscious bandwagon preferences, it's all in this episode! Hosts: Chris Norris, Mike, Emery, Dave Beer: Fernie Brewing Company Project Nine Pils

We had to throw something together at the last minute this week, so we sit down and talk about the Bill's interaction with public school high school sex ed. Man I hope that sounds less weird to you than it does to me. We also go back to talking about video games, because we had nothing else planned at the last minute, so we talk on Clicker Heroes, Dragonball Xenoverse, Hotline Miami 2, and how depressing 2015's lineup looks to be. Hosts: Chris Norris, Vince, Bill

We conclude our depraved spiral into shoddily-painted fantasy madness this week, as our stalwart heroes beat up people who look kind of like goblins, set themselves on fire, kill each other repeatedly (both accidentally and on purpose), and as a general rule make everything they touch just a little bit worse. This is Part Two of our two-part series, as we play through our own take on a cult tabletop favourite. And we play it the only way we know how. Hosts: Chris Norris, Emery, Mike, Vince, Dave Beer of the Week: Unibroue's Ephemere Apple

This week we put on a show! Stay awhile and listen while we spin you a tale of adventure, deceit, and indefensible murder as we play Paranoia, the tabletop game where everyone's out to get you including yourself. This is Part One of our two-part series, as we play through our own take on a cult tabletop favourite. And we play it the only way we know how. Hosts: Chris Norris, Emery, Mike, Vince, Dave Beer of the Week: Unibroue's Ephemere Apple

In keeping with our evolution, transitioning away from silly video games and into discussion topics far out of our breadth and scope, today dear readers we're going to be shedding some light on the history of ISIS. If we're not all killed first. We discuss their origins within the Middle East, the events that led to their current status as a household name, and also how they can be related to anime if you really want to try hard enough. As we all certainly do. We talk about ISIS' twitter presence, their psychological effect on the international community, how the Middle East is now the Wild West, and that the origins of ISIS and even Al Qaeda can be traced back to a drunk 20-something from New York. For real. On the Show: Chris Norris, Dave, Emery, Mike Special Guest: Morgan, our Subject Matter Expert Beer of the Week: Luck of the Irish Red Ale

I was also debating the title 'How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Robot Dong' for this episode. We're talking about robots today! From using the Voight-Kampff test to determine which of us is an android, to the numerous robot-controlled dystopias, to our sexy, sexy robot future. It gets a little dark, honestly. We also talk teledildonics. Which is such a great word. Teledildonics. Tele. Dildonics. On the Show: Chris Norris, Dave, Emery, Vince Beer of the Week: Dageraad 10 Degrees Belgian Quadruple

We start this week in already live and in action, and dive right into how social media has created a daily hell from which we can never escape. And then we talk about hockey. I mean I guess video games come up *eventually* but who even plays video games anymore, right? How 90's. On the Show: Chris Norris, Dave, Mike Beer of the Week (Redux): 33 Acres of Darkness Schwarzbier

This week, the gang realizes they're all still children who hate fancy food and love poop jokes. We find out how Dave's body rejects fancy food, how Matt is unsuitable for command, and how downloading a tool to automatically play cookie clicker is the saddest of all performance art. We also discuss untapped sex toy markets, inappropriate questions video game characters ask children, and determine who among us knows the most about internet erotica. Whoever wins we lose this week on Hopped-Up Gaming! On the Show: Chris Norris, Dave, Vince, Emery Beer of the Week: Dead Frog and Fuggles & Warlock Hyper Combo Red Rye IPA

This week, we analyze with our keen minds the year's greatest television spectacle - when Law and Order SVU met Gamergate. Also, we argue over which of us has worse taste in books, the pros and cons of giving video games as Valentine's Day gifts, and try to solve our utter bewilderment around the existence of hostess clubs. We also talk about the bottom falling out in Watchdogs, and test our extensive knowledge of Lifetime Original Movies. On the Show: Chris Norris, Dave, Vince, Emery Beer of the Weeks: 33 Acres of Darkness Schwarzbier

In the midst of making fun of Dave's embarrassing fighting game abilities, we discuss what everyone's talking about these days: YA. Or Young Adult fiction, for the plebs. We also somehow get mired in talking about Entourage, Wachowski films, and just end up talking about the eventual rights of robots. Also video games too, I guess. On the Show: Chris Norris, Dave, Vince, Mike Beer of the Weeks: Prohibition Brewing Bootlegger Amber Ale