Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Hopped-Up Gaming: East

Summer has taken us hostage, this is our proof-of-life recording.

After several weeks probing the depths of other tropey trek episodes, the HUGE Crew have returned to settle their unfinished business from our season opener. How many of these two parters will stick the landing? Will this prove a worthwhile endeavour, or would we all be better off if these episodes got blasted by a Krenim timeship? And most importantly, how many lights will they see?

Episodes Discussed:

TNG - Chain of Command, Part 2
DS9 - By Inferno's Light
VOY - Year of Hell, Part 2

Ben, Tim, and the rest of the crew hop in our time machines and travel to 1968, 2022, and 2024 to follow the temporal hijinx of various Starfleet officers that just so happen to find themselves sent back in time to the exact time and place that the episodes themselves are being filmed, what a fortuitous coincidence!

So grab some street meat, head to #10 Forward St, and watch out for sentient space cats that might actually be devious women in disguise, and prepare to discuss this week's episodes:
TOS - Assignment Earth
SNW - Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow
PIC - The Watcher


Next week we conclude this second season of Trek Tropes by wrapping up the two parters that we started with:
TNG - Chain of Command (Pt 2)
DS9 - By Inferno's Light
VOY - Year of Hell (Pt 2)

Lots of TV shows have their horny episodes, but Trek has got that special brand of WEIRDLY HORNY that involves reading particulary erotic sections of your grandmother's diary and getting friendzoned by your holographic crush who fell for your therapist instead. Oh, and don't forget about getting so outrageously horny you decide to murder your boss in blind rage.

This weeks episodes:

TOS - Amok Time
TNG - Sub Rosa
VOY - Alter Ego


Next week we tackle episodes that send our heroes catapulting back into the distant past...that just so happens to be the present day that the episode was being recorded in, and wouldn't you know it, they're on Earth too!

TOS - Assignment: Earth
SNW - Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow
PIC - The Watcher

Kept you waiting, huh?
Yeah, sorry about that! The good news is that these Trek Tropes episodes are all recorded, edited, and scheduled, so your next four episodes will for sure come out on time and on schedule. Or, if Ben screws up, they might ALL be available right now!


In this first episode of our second round of Trek Tropes, Ben, Tim, and the crew discuss the first parts of several major Trek two parters, discuss some pros and cons of two part structures, and wonder if this whole Trek tropes thing was a good idea after all.

This Week's Episodes:
TNG - Chain of Command (Pt 1)
DS9 - In Purgatory's Shadow
VOY - Year of Hell (Pt 1)

In a surprise twist however, next weeks episodes are NOT the conclusions to our two parters, instead we'll use those to bookend this series, and next week will be THE WEIRDLY HORNY episodes:
TOS - Amok Time
TNG - Sub Rosa
VOY - Alter Ego

Co-Captains Ben and Tim are here to chat about what they played, watched, and read this week, but more importantly, to announce Season 2 of Trek Tropes!

They did it once, and by god they're going to do it again! If you want to watch along at home, the assigned trope for next episode is "TWO PARTERS: PART 1", and your episodes to watch are:

1. Chain of Command  Pt 1 (TNG-S6E10)
2. In Purgatory's Shadow (DS9 - S5E14)
3. Year of Hell Pt 1 (VOY - S4E08)

RED ALERT! THIS IS NOT A DRILL! BEN HAS FALLEN OF THE DESTINY 2 SOBRIETY WAGON AGAIN!

In lieu of flowers, please send a Buried Bloodline exotic sidearm to MadMaritimer#4486.


Beer Discussed:
Banished Brewing's Space Puffin NEIPA
Propeller Brewing's Southbound IPA

We're operating on a skeleton crew this week as only Ben and Tim have answered the call to record.

They start strong with a dangerously large pour and a stupendously strong IPA, and end perhaps inevitably, on a full blown rant about the 3 Body Problem books. If a host isn't using his podcast as pseudo therapy, is he even podcasting?

In this definitely not delayed (we're sorry) episode, Evan, Tim, and Ben gather around the microphones for a laid back Regular Show (TM). Evan talks some more about his addiction to clearing open world objectives in FFVII Rebirth, Ben sells the gang on Dragon's Dogma 2, and Tim pitches an absolute acid trip of a movie called Destroy All Neighbors!

Buckle up, it's time for another HUGE BOYS BOOK CLUB!

It took a couple of weeks, but we finally managed to get everyone to finish Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, so now we're gonna talk about the whole dang game this week!

It's a new episode of the podcast that is out on the day it's supposed to come out! This one is still hot from the podcasting oven, so enjoy it while it's fresh!

Next week we'll REALLY be back with our first Book Club of the year, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice!

After a brief and not-entirely-intended hiatus, the HUGE Crew returns (with Evan in tow!) to talk about what they've been playing and watching and doing and drinking this week.

There's a whole bunch of catching up to do on this one, so what are you reading this for? Dive right in!

Next week we'll be back with our first Book Club of the year, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice!

I think we need to reset Google. Sometimes when you use the search function, unexpected things show up in the results...

Anyhoo! Come join Ben, Tim, Matt, and Evan for another lively podcast about beer, video games, flesh pits, Halloween drinks, and more!

I'm not late, you're late!
It's just Ben and Tim against the hordes of unclean bugs and facist robots this week, as Ben does his best Helldivers 2 recruitment pitch.

Tim also waxes nostalgic for a game that both has and hasn't happened yet as the guys discuss their hopes and dreams for FFFVII Rebirth when it launches next week.

Beer Discussed:

Crafty Radler, from Pumphouse
Martock IPA, from Schoolhouse

Feral Fox, Wild Ale w/Apricot, from Two Crows

Galaxy IPA, Propeller

This week on the podcast, Matt tests the gang's video game trivia knowledge in order to find out once and for all who are the REAL GAMERS, and who are the NORMIES.

Come listen to find out how Ben, Tim, and Dylan fare in this earth shattering challenge!

Whew, we're done with that Game of the Year stuff for at least... another year? Yeah, that makes sense! 

Come join Ben, Tim, and Matt as they get back into the groove of things with some regular old talking about video games and beer! There's some Baldur's Gate 3, some Alan Wake 2, and there's even a card games or two!

It's time to order the list. Wish us luck.

Beer Featured: Ain't nobody got time for that! It's GOTY season!

It's time to gather the best games of 2023, and ruthlessly judge them.

Beer Featured: Ain't nobody got time for that! It's GOTY season!

December is Game of the Year homework month!
In an effort to try and mix up our GOTY formula a bit, we're addressing an issue we've been feeling with the process, which is that we never actually get to talk about the games on the GOTY double header, we're too busy arguing with each other and plotting coups (and getting drunk).

So to help fix that, we're spotlighting 2 games each week in December, giving us time to just chill and shoot the breeze about some of our favourite games of the year, without the pressure of trying to force a vote before one of us passes out at our desks or run the risk of going so long that we cant post the episode on Spotify (yes, its possible, we've done it).

This week, the games on the docket are Baldur's Gate 3 and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom... or maybe Doctor Who... or Magic The Gathering? Tune in and find out what we thought, and why we think they were something special this year.

A podcast is never late, nor is it early, it arrives precisely when the editor remembers to upload it!"

December is Game of the Year homework month!
In an effort to try and mix up our GOTY formula a bit, we're addressing an issue we've been feeling with the process, which is that we never actually get to talk about the games on the GOTY double header, we're too busy arguing with each other and plotting coups (and getting drunk).

So to help fix that, we're spotlighting 2 games each week in December, giving us time to just chill and shoot the breeze about some of our favourite games of the year, without the pressure of trying to force a vote before one of us passes out at our desks or run the risk of going so long that we cant post the episode on Spotify (yes, its possible, we've done it).

This week, the games on the docket are Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Lies of P. Tune in and find out what we thought, and why we think they were something special this year.

December is Game of the Year homework month!
In an effort to try and mix up our GOTY formula a bit, we're addressing an issue we've been feeling with the process, which is that we never actually get to talk about the games on the GOTY double header, we're too busy arguing with each other and plotting coups (and getting drunk).

So to help fix that, we're spotlighting 2 games each week in December, giving us time to just chill and shoot the breeze about some of our favourite games of the year, without the pressure of trying to force a vote before one of us passes out at our desks or run the risk of going so long that we cant post the episode on Spotify (yes, its possible, we've done it).

This week, the games on the docket are Dave The Diver and RoboCop: Rogue City. Tune in and find out what we thought, and why we think they were something special this year.

"A podcast is never late, nor is it early, it arrives precisely when the editor remembers to upload it!"

December is Game of the Year homework month!
In an effort to try and mix up our GOTY formula a bit, we're addressing an issue we've been feeling with the process, which is that we never actually get to talk about the games on the GOTY double header, we're too busy arguing with each other and plotting coups (and getting drunk).

So to help fix that, we're spotlighting 2 games each week in December, giving us time to just chill and shoot the breeze about some of our favourite games of the year, without the pressure of trying to force a vote before one of us passes out at our desks or run the risk of going so long that we cant post the episode on Spotify (yes, its possible, we've done it).

This week, the games on the docket are Cocoon and Chants of Sennaar. Tune in and find out what we thought, and why we think they were something special this year.

The gang has clearly learned nothing from last week, because they left Ben and Tim unsupervised, AGAIN.

At this point they really can't be held responsible for what happens.

Beer Discussed:

Biere De Garde - Boxing Rock

Winter Beard Double Chocolate Cranberry Stout - Muskoka Brewing

Leviathan Triple IPA - Propeller Brewing Co

Someone left Ben and Tim unsupervised around the mics again, and wouldn't you know it those scamps have gone and recorded a podcast episode.

They also somehow managed a conversational leap from the Game Awards to signing a pact to watch two of the saddest movies on the planet together. They're still not sure how that happened exactly so you'll just have to listen and find out so you can tell them over at bit.ly/hoppedupdiscord!

Beer This Week:
Galaxy - Propeller Brewing Co. (GEE WHAT A SHOCKER, TIM)

Lindemans Raspberry/Cherry Lambics

Ben finally snapped and kidnapped all of his friends and forced them to play Baldur's Gate 3 with him.

He's not a total monster though, he allowed them to take a break... and then forced them to use that break to record this week's podcast episode!

They all told him they had a real fun time though so I'm sure it's fine.

Now officially graduated from Slasher School, the gang collectively takes a beat to put their feet up and shoot the breeze with a Regular Show about all of the things they've been playing.

Evan finally puts Starfield to bed, Ben and Tim talk Star Trek games both new and old, and the whole gang has gone to a deep dark place with Alan Wake 2.

Featured Beer:
Space Puffin - Banished Brewing

Tim's IPA - Big Spruce

In the blood curdling final session of Slasher School, Tim serves up a double header of Wes Craven meta-slashers with New Nightmare and Scream. It's a mind bending ride that's full of ups and downs and unexpected twists, including a surprise appearance from... Chad Kreuger? 
You may need to see it to believe it, so go ahed and hop on into our discord at bit.ly/hoppedupdiscord, we have such sights to show you!

Match of the Batch Theme: "What's Wes Cravin'?"

Classes are back in session as Professor Tim serves up another killer selection of required viewings, this time it's Friday The 13th Part VI: Jason Lives followed by Wes Craven's A Nightmare on Elm Street.

Will Ben, Dylan, and Evan survive another session of Slasher School? You'll have to tune in to find out!

For next week, Slasher School goes meta! Our homework for the final episode will be a Wes Craven double header, Wes Craven's New Nightmare, and Scream!

Professor Tim takes the gang to Slasher School and teaches the gang what makes slasher movies tick and why he likes them so much.
On the syllabus this week, Halloween (1978) and Friday the 13th, two of the most seminal flicks to the genre.
We're also doing special Match of the Batch contests for each Slasher School, this week's prompt was "Behind the Mask".
If you wanna follow along, next week's readings are A Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives! 

Now that our vacation in Silent Hill is over, the gang gets back together for a good old fashioned Regular Show (TM) and shoots the breeze about what they've been playing and watching over last month or so. We also have surprise guest appear just in time for Tim to tell us what dastardly plans he has for us this month.

Topics Discussed (roughly in order of appearance):

Ahsoka

Talk To Me

Gen V

Mortal Kombat 1

Cocoon

Chants of Sennaar

Blasphemous 2

Lies of P

Sea of Stars

Starfield

Goodbye Volcano High

Alan Wake

Our journey through Silent Hill 2 ends this week, as we have finally run out of holes/graves/sideways hallways to jump down.

Join Evan, Tim, and Ben as they comiserate, gush over, and speculate on the stunning conclusion to this 2001 classic and how Bloober Team might adapt it in the upcoming remake.

The gang are hunkered down in the dirtiest hospital around and shepherding their terminally stupid patient into a spooky... afterlife? Purgatory? Mental breakdown? All of the above?

Evan gathers Ben and Tim around the microphones for Part 2 into our book club of Silent Hill 2!

Spooky season starts a little early for the HUGE Crew, as Evan leads the gang in a seance to commune with the long dead game of Silent Hill 2!

Tim has played it before, but its a whole new nightmare for Ben, who's visiting the town of Silent Hill for the first time.

Does the game hold up? Will our heroes be forever lost in a dense, render-obscuring fog? Crank up your radios and watch out for static as our guided tour of perhaps the most haunted town in video games begins!

It's time for your regularly scheduled “normal” episode of the Hopped-Up Gaming: East podcast! Evan, Tim, Ben, and Matt gather around the microphones to update you about what they've been playing and watching since the last they met.

Also, get ready for next month's show theme: It's another HUGE BBC! The gang is going to be playing Silent Hill 2 in the lead up to the spookiest month of the year! If you want to follow along at home, grab yourself a copy of the game and play up to the hospital section. Once you get there, save and quit! 

Good luck with this one, I hear it's a pretty scary game!

Match of the Batch Theme: Best Musical Performance

Tim, Evan, and Matthew are back with the final entry of this month's "Retro Games/Hidden Gems/Old men talk about old video games/whatever we're calling this" series!

On this week's episode of the podcast, the gang talks about hidden gems from the "Fifth Generation" (releases from 1993-2001) of video games. Make sure to write down some of the games mentioned this week, you're going to want to go check them out for yourself!

Come back next week for a regular episode of the podcast which should hopefully feature beer, video games, and everything in between.

It's another week of the podcast, and more of The HUGE Crew show up for this recording to talk about OLD VIDEO GAMES!

On this week's episode of the podcast, Tim, Evan, and Matt talk about the hidden gems from the "Fourth Generation" (releases from 1988-1999) of video games. There's some pretty good ones discussed on this episode, so you should make sure to play them sometime!

Come back next week for the final episode of our retro game hidden gems discussions where we'll be covering the "Fifth Generation" of video games (releases from 1993-2001).

Despite the entire HUGE Crew being in the room less than 24 hours ago, we only have TWO people on the podcast this week! Whoopsies! Tim and Evan will do their best to keep you company this week!

On this week's episode of the podcast the boys will be talking about old video games and some hidden gems from the "Third Generation" (releases from 1983 to 1990).

Come back next week when hopefully more people show up to talk about their hidden gems from the "Fourth Generation" of video games (releases from 1988-1999).

With the Trek-troping wrapped up, it's time for your scheduled dose of Regular Show!
Tim, Matt and Evan gather around the microphones and regale you with their tales of what they've been playing, reading, and watching since the last they met.

If rumors are to be believed, Tim ACTUALLY FINISHED ZELDA?! Could it possibly be true?? You'll have to tune in and find out!

Also discussed is the show theme for the next month, but that will have to be a surprise because I didn't appear on our edit this one, I'm just posting it! I'll find out when you do!

Match of the Batch Theme: Buckle Up!

It's been a long road, getting from there to here.

The HUGE Crew has come to the end of their Star Trek journey with one final episode of Trek Tropes.

On this week’s episode of the podcast The HUGE Crew discusses “Transporter Accident” Trope and decides which episode did it best! The episodes being judged this week are:

Come back next week for a regular episode of the podcast! 

Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of Hopped-Up Gaming: East. Their continuing mission: to watch old episodes of Star Trek; to talk about the weekly trope that ties the episodes together; to boldly complain like no one else has done before! 

It's another instalment of Trek Tropes.That’s right! We’re still watching Star Trek and then talkn’ about Star Trek! On this week’s episode of the podcast The HUGE Crew discusses “The Holodeck” Trope and decides which episode did it best! The episodes being judged this week are:

Come back in one week for the next “Trek Trope”: Transporter Accident

Watch the following episodes for next week's discussion:

The HUGE Crew continues their journey throughout the cosmos with another interstellar instalment of Trek Tropes.That’s right! We’re still watching Star Trek and then talkn’ about Star Trek! On this week’s episode of the podcast The HUGE Crew discusses the “Time Travel” Trope and decides which episode did it best! The episodes being judged this week are:

TNG  - Cause and Effect (S5 E15)

DS9 - Trials and Tribble-ations (S5 E6)

VOY - Relativity (S5 E24)

Bonus Credit: SNW - Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow (S2 E3)

Come back in one week for the next “Trek Trope”: The Holodeck

Watch the following episodes for next week's discussion:

The HUGE Crew braves the unknown and tackles a topic that they have only seldom come up against: Star Trek. That’s right! We’re watching Star Trek and then talkn’ about Star Trek! On this week’s episode of the podcast The HUGE Crew discusses the “Court Room” Trope and decides which episode did it best! The episodes being judged this week are: 

TOS - Court Martial (S1 E14) 

TNG - Measure of a Man (S2 E9) 

VOY - Death Wish (S2 E18)

Bonus credit: SNW - Ad Astra Per Aspera (S2 E2)

Come back in one week for the next “Trek Trope”: Time Travel

Watch the following episodes for next week's discussion:

TNG  - Cause and Effect (S5 E15)

DS9 - Trials and Tribble-ations (S5 E6)

VOY - Relativity (S5 E24)

Bonus Credit: SNW - Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow (S2 E3)

It's time to get back to the basics! Come join Ben, Tim, Matt, and Evan as they talk about beer and video games! And some movies too! And I guess a tv show? Look, there's a lot stuff they talk about. Some of which includes:

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, The Legend of Zelda TotK, Final Fantasy XVI, Dave The Diver, The Mandalorian, Star Trek Resurgance, and more!

Come back next week when we'll be starting our next project: Trek Tropes! The gang will be watching a number of Star Trek episodes centred around a partcilar "Trek Trope" and then discussing which episode did it best! The first trope up for examination is "Court Room". Make sure to watch the following episodes for next week:

TOS - Court Martial

TNG - Measure of Man

VOY - Death Wish

SNW - Ad Astra per Aspera

Match of the Batch theme: "Vault Beer"

It's time for our final foray as freelance finders of fickle clues! Come join Matt, Dyan, and Tim as they play their last case of Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective. Will we beat The HUGE Crew's current high score? Or will we fundamentally misunderstand the case and be given the boot by Sherlock?

Come back next week for a regular Beer and Video Games podcast! See ya then!

Oi! The HUGE Crew 'er at it again' as they continue their careers as Baker Street Irregulars! On this week's episode the gang plays the next case in the game "Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective". Can Ben, Matt, and Evan figure out who's behind the mysterious disaperance of their fellow co-hosts? Come find out!

Blimly! It's a new episode of Hopped-Up Gaming: East! Come join The HUGE Crew as they begin their new careers as Baker Street Irregulars! On this week's episode the gang plays game "Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective". Can Ben, Matt, Evan, and Dylan solve the murder of General Armstead faster than the world famous dectective himself? Come find out!

Another series of suffering is over as we see Worst of the Best come to a close! It's back to our regularly scheduled programming this week as Ben, Tim, and Evan beat the heat by talking about movies, videos games, and everything in between! 

I (Matthew) wasn’t on the show this week, but according to the notes I have in front of me it seems that the boys talked about: Fast X, Spider-Man Across the Spider Verse, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, maybe Hearthstone? Tim might talk about some Star Trek? I’m pretty sure there’s a bunch of Diablo 4 in there too.

Anyways, enjoy! Next week we’ve got a new project to fool around with! Make sure to bring your detective cap and pipe!

Match of the Batch theme: "Save Yourself, Not The World"

The deluge of detritus doesn't deter our dashing delegation of dudes, as Evan, Ben, and Tim don their suspiciously ski-googles like visors and deep dive into the world of Crysis.

(Sorry we're late on this one, go watch Across the Spiderverse!)

It is unclear if the The HUGE Crew are capable of playing good video games anymore...

This week on the podcast we have another Worst of the Best for you! The gang has played and will be discussing Mass Effect: Andromeda. Is it as bad as people say it is? Is it worse than people think? Is it the worst Mass Effect game? Listen to find out!

Illness, bad weather, moving, birthday parties, and pretty much anything else you can think of have tried to stop this week's podcast! But nothing can stop Tim and Evan from talking about all the junk that got them through the week! 

This week on the podcast you can expect to hear about: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, The Super Mario Bros. movie, and more!

Come back next week and join us for the continuation of our month long project: The Worst of the Best! Next week we'll be playing and discussing the "worst" Mass Effect game: Mass Effect Andromeda. It'll hopefully be an interesting discussion!

Match of the Batch theme: None this week!