Monday, April 25, 2011

EPISODE 50: "War of The Thinkers" (UPDATED!)

UPDATE: As of 9/13/11 this video is now at THIS LINK

The AntiThinker Saga comes to an end. I hope people enjoyed this as much as we enjoyed making it.



More stuff after the jump...


So... there it is, have at it. In addition to further episodes of the regular series, I'm planning to have some making-of, retrospective stuff up in the near future to elaborate on certain points; but just a few things real quick while we're all here:

If some of the post-transformation looks oddly-sped-up, there is nothing wrong with your computer or ScrewAttack's player (at least not in regards to this.) What you're seeing is mostly an attempt to artficially replicate a high shutter-speed with video, coupled with some "OMG a whole fucking day of shooting captured all wiggy for some reason!!!"

My favorite joke in the whole bloody enterprise is at 10:21.

Credit where credit is due: My best friend Tim Luz and my brother Chris did not only 99% of the cinematography on this, but they've done 99% of the "when you see me" shooting on the entire series up to this point - the unsung heroes of The Game OverThinker. In addition, that's Chris in the AntiThinker "true form" costume, and doubling me in the over-the-shoulder "Fake Shemp" shots.

The fake blood you see in the "splatter" shots is store-brand vegetable juice, and the "chest-punch" torrent is a mix of tomato soup, water and cherry gelatin-mix - every single drop of "prop gore" spilled was not only nontoxic and biodegradable, but edible. The "chopped" tree limb was an unrelated (to the tree) piece of debris being held up offscreen. NO portion of all that beautiful forest land that provided such a nice backdrop for this whole production was polluted, despoiled or otherwise harmed by our filmming; a commitment we all made and stuck to.

Looking back now, I kinda want to go back and stick the "Rise From Your Grave!!!" sound from Altered Beast over the "ressurection;" but nah - I'm DONE editing this bloody thing ;)

The "origin story" alluded to be The OverThinker is more-or-less "true," and will probably be elaborated upon in the future. (I'm only making MOST of this up as we go along.)

"Cloaked Figure" aka "Monster-Voice Guy" DOES already have an identity, I already know who/what he is, what his "deal" is, etc; and you'll hopefully find out exactly what that is in the near(ish) future.

Yes, that last bit is referencing Rev Rants' video. NO, I'm not "calling him out," looking to start shit, or even outright wholesale disagreeing with him; my position is more on the lines of "except when it is." I see the "Fun is Not Enough" thing quoted around a lot, often used (incorrectly, unless I misunderstood Rev's initial point) as a "takedown" of smaller titles and casual/retro stuff... and yeah, I'm on the other side of that. But otherwise? Rev is alright with me ;)

100 comments:

Unknown said...

freedom

TheDVDGrouch said...

That good sir was freaking epic, it really makes me want to go out and make a film of my very own.

Plus the references you managed to work in just blew my mind(Castlevania,Mario,Dragon Ball Z,Captain N) And those are just the ones I got.

Unknown said...

Nice MST3K reference in the credits there.

Display Name said...

In before the haters. Hopefully.

I haven't finished the video, but it's incredibly cheesy-awesome.

Congrats on making it to 50. :D

nullhypothesis said...

Aww, I was hoping you'd go with the clipshow thing.

It's great how you rationalized the Deus Ex Machina with something from your second video, though.

And I like how you put an actual counterpoint at the end rather than just the strawman guy.

Anadian said...

This is some pretty good work, Bob. My only real complaint was that the editing good have used a lot of tightening up (it's pretty easy to tell that this was a bit rushed to make the deadline) but other than that, good stuff.

Arturo said...

It's pretty damn satisfying watching all of this kinda come together.
With any luck, this could've been used for an episode of MST3K.

I haven't seen the 4th wall being broken as such in a while.
Nice work, Bob.

Unknown said...

I loved the Saga of the Overthinker, and enjoyed it right up through it's thrilling conclusion.

As a 29 year-old lifelong gamer it brought a smile to my face and a nostalgic song to my heart.

The mummified Captain N reference wasn't even the best part.

Anyways, you're a hero Bob. Keep up the good work. ^_^

KaiKasparek said...

Just because you post popular insults that your former fans made about you in your videos doesn't make them clever.

Arturo said...

Fire Overthinker = Fat Tony Montana

Smashmatt202 said...

If you only read one thing from me, read this: you're the Game Overthinker. You're job should be to overthinker. To think outside the box. To give people food for thought. To create topics and discussions for gamers. To have people think more broadly about things they normally don't think about. That's what got you here in the first place. That's why people started watching you. That's why they voted for you in the ScrewAttack's My Vids Don't Suck contest! I've heard you say that you "knew" you had to up your game when you officially joined ScrewAttack. But in that since, just improve what you already have. Think of bigger, better things to talk about in relationship to video games! Kind of like what Extra Credits does! In fact, Extra Credits is pretty much what you started out as and what you should have been; a show talking about how awesome games are, celebrating them, and thinking about how they can be improved. With some intellectual stuff mixed in, of course. But this? How is this "uping your game?" How is improving the overall quality of your videos? This is all just distractions, an aside, something that doesn't deserve to be the center of attention in a show that's all about overthinking. Please, for the love of God, hear me out on this! Don't think that including storylines and characters will improve your videos or get your new viewers or anything like that. Just do what you've always been doing! It's what you're best at! It's what you excel at! It's what makes you, you! Use you're vast knowledge and information for good, and for making us see things in a different light, instead of just inserting it between fights, action scenes, dialogue between two characters, etc. Let's see the TRUE return of the Overthinker.

Display Name said...

"My favorite joke in the whole bloody enterprise is at 10:21."

That's "I will bend like a reed in the wind," for those of you keeping score. Google says that it has to do with the Dune movie, of which I have yet to see.

Smashmatt202 said...

If you actually bothered to read this and take what I said to heart, thank you very much. I really do respect your ideals, Bob.

...So please forgive the following rants I'm about to give you.

Smashmatt202 said...

"I hope people enjoyed this as much as we enjoyed making it."

You know, it's alright to ignore the negative comments people have made, but don't try to pretend that most of us actually liked this. Anyway, I'm just watching this one time to get it over with, then I, along with the rest of your fanbase, am going to pretend it never happened (for the most part). So, let's see what we got...

"They let me pick..." Okay, so this is the hidden Big Bad, right? I wonder who's this "they" he's referring to.. I get it, "hint hint, deeper backstory". Yeah, I bet you plan to have another storyline to explain that. Fan-fucking-tastic.

"I did my research". That's more than I can say about MovieBob. No really, in one of his Intermission columns on The Escapist, he openly admitted that he (usually) doesn't to research for his videos. And it shows, sometimes.

Wow, so the Antithinker works for this guy just because he was the only one at home when he called him? ...Okay, whatever. :/

I STILL don't understand WHY the Antithinker's in his look-alike form when the deep-voiced guy specifically told him to fight the Overthinker in his true form, so that the Overthinker won't know it's him! CONSISTENCY, ANYONE?!

Okay, now I actually think it's a nice touch how the Antithinker's fighting from a first-person perspective. Like, he's constantly holding out the gun right in front of his face. It's actually quite amusing.

"Come out and die, fatty". ...OH, I get it, he's the antithinker, he's supposed to be a hypocrite.

Oh wait... Yeah. I guess being a hypocrite is something they both have in common. THANKS FOR REMINDING ME, BOB!

I don't get it, why is the Antithinker swaying back and forth? And how come he rapidly switches from holding the gun sideways to holding it normally? CONSISTENCY, PLEASE!

Actually, I wouldn't mind seeing a crummy-ass clipshow. It'd be better than this stupid, pointless, unnecessary storyline. Let's face it, clipshows are the one thing that's best suited for a show with you're kind of format. It's pretty much already a clipshow, for Heaven's Gate, just with voice-overs!

Wow... So you're not only the Game Overthinker, you're also the new GAY MASTER! A-hyuck! XP

Yeah, the Antithinker's eye beams still look crappy. I guess now it's kept just for consistency... For once.

How does badly placed Triforce on your hand mean you're his equal?

Okay, I get the Overthinker's Symphony of the Night reference, but why does the Antithinker use Dracula's quote? Has he played Castlevania: Symphony of the Night? Doesn't that kind of go against what the Antithinker's supposed to be?

OKAY, from one good split screen effect to a really bad one. Why's it that at first, you could make the two thinker appear in the same frame look good, then do a crummy one? I sense you did the crummy one earlier, before you had access to the better one. Still, CONSISTENCY, PLEASE!!

lol, the Nerd comparison is good, because that's what the whole story feels like, a Nerd episode where he's reviewing a game, then all of a sudden, something happens that forces the Nerd to go into action mode and fight and stuff... But it seems more like Spoony, like the Antithinker said, since his storylines are more convoluted and ultimately pointless. Thankfully, Spoony makes up for it by actually being a pretty hilarious and over-the-top actor. Bob, on the other hand...

((To be continued...))

Smashmatt202 said...

lol, I like how the Overthinker runs! XD

...Uh, sudden Road Runner & Wile E. Coyote reference? ...Why?

It's one thing to use a Wii Remote lightsabor that's been done a million times. It's another thing to actually make it LOOK GOOD. :/

So, I'd like a little more explanation as to who's the true ruler of the antiverse, the Antithinker or the deep-voiced guy? I can assume the Antithinker is just spewing BS about being ruler since it fits his character and trying to wrap my brain around how this one guy could somehow rule that entire universe, that's supposed to be opposite everything in this universe.

Wow... The fight scenes with the lightsabor are TERRIBLE! I thought there was something wrong with my computer, but is that REALLY what it looks like? Geez, man. Look, I know you don't have a lot of money, but don't you think that, when you were planning this storyline out, couldn't you have waited until you had better tech to create better special effects? Otherwise, that's all people are going to complain about! And since this is an action-oriented episode with little to no overthinking, there's nothing to distract us from you're subpar computer effects.

OH! Now it all makes sense! That lame excuse for a lightsabor that had terrible effects was all a trick by Wario! Thank God that was explained, that pissed me off more than you could believe!

I'm surprised the Overthinker managed to hold his own against a guy with hooks for hands... I'm also surprised he wore a shirt underneath his T-shirt. And all that over a coat! I guess it's a good think, considering he was stuck in the woods *a-he-he-HEM* for the Winter and it kept him warm.

So wait, are the fight scenes SUPPOSED to be choppy? Are you being artsy or something? Eh...

That was funny how he just did that lame "AHHHHHH" while flashing to his hand cut off. It was so terrible it made me laugh out loud! ...HOPEFULLY that wasn't supposed to be taken seriously, otherwise it would go under a Narm effect.

lol, Welcome... TO DIE!!!

Why's he crawling? It's like he stopped, just to get onto his knees and start crawling! I know he had his hand cut off, but it looked like he could walk just fine, so why start crawling?

I got to say, that is some bad-looking blood. Ketchup would have been a better substitute... Although, I doubt you would want to waste that much for something like that...

So the Overthinker's dead. But he'll be back. There's no suspense, since it's his show, and we were told at the beginning of the Quest of the Overthinker that he wouldn't die. So all that's left to do is to wait and see when he gets revived...

Wait a minute, shouldn't there be a hole in his back as well? Or did the Antithinker just shove his hook into his stomach an nothing else?

((To be continued...))

Smashmatt202 said...

((To be continued...))
And here comes the deus ex machina in the form of Rosalina, sending down... A Mushroom? Not even a 1-up Murhsoom or a Life Mushroom, just a regular Super Mushroom. That's not going to do much good if the Overthinker's DEAD.

Wait, he isn't dead? Even though he had, like a gallon of blood emptied out of him and hes been lying on the dirty ground for a minute of so? Geez...

I suppose Mushroom do have healing qualities to them, but... What was with that guy flashing on the screen for a second? Is that a reference to something I'm missing?

Oh, I see... You're still under the assumption that Rosalina is the God of the Mushroom Universe... Even though you've called Shigeru Miyamoto God on far more occasions... Still, is she going to play a more active part in you're videos? I don't know what to make of that...

That's interesting you managed to find a real flower that looks close enough to the Fire Flower. Not to mention, you're Fire Overthinker closes are snazzy! ;D

Okay, you're a pretty bad editor, because Fire Overthinker's description was only onscreen for a nanosecond before it immediately disappeared.

I have a feeling, the Antithinker's bling will be a stupid plot point in another storyline later on... There's going to have to be another storyline, actually, if we're ever going to find out just who is that deep-voiced guy...

"Back to the Antiverse"? I thought you killed him, WTF?! I see where you're going with this, not killing him off so you can put him in Straw man's place as the worst possible representation of people who don't agree with you. Great, just great...

Also, I was under the impression that Wario's Woods was IN the Antiverse... Since it's not in Minnesota. I've looked.

...Is Chris going to be a regular character? I already like him more than Bob. Let's see how quickly that'll change...

Actually, if he's been recording him the whole time, then what was up with Bob recording himself at the end of episode 48? CONSISTENCY, PLEASE!!

That's going to be my new tagline whenever Bob does a storyline from now on. At least until he improves on his work.

Nah, screw the MST3K mantra, I want DETAILS! I want consistency! I want you to stop wasting my time with this crap! You're the OVERTHINKER! You're whole shtick is to over-analysis things! And now you're asking us not to think too much about something? Just so you can indulge yourself in some worse then usual internet storyline that two-thirds the people on YouTube can pull off better than this? Seriously, what the Hell?!

...So yeah, I get it, you tried something different. It didn't work out. Lesson learned. Seriously, don't act like we're the ones who can't take the heat. We all watched you're stuff and didn't like it. Whiles this video had its mildly amusing points, I still didn't care for it. I looked terrible, the fight scenes are choppy at the very best (and being generous at that), there's a lot of inconsistencies, and it overall just felt like a waste of time. Still, at least you had fun making it, so one of us is happy.

...ANYWAY! Glad to see the Antithinker saga is finally over. I also like the new layout of the Overthinker Blog. Looks great! I am SO looking forward to the next Overthinker episode! Seriously, after months of this BS, I am DEFINITELY looking forward to an insightful discussion/rant about gaming. Perhaps another "Who's your daddy?" Or maybe a video explaining to everyone how exactly "VIDEO GAME COME FROM JAPAN"? Just some ideas to think about! Good luck, and happy overthinking!

Tim said...

Jesus. Fucking. Christ. Where do I even begin Bob?

I would simply say this video was half boring, poorly choreographed action movie and half painfully unfunny fifth rate Scott Pilgrim wannabe but that would be high praise.

As far as the action went, was there really any reason why it had to go on for so damn long? I mean we all knew that you were going to win so right off the bat there was no suspense. The fight choreography was ass too. 75% of it looked like it was improvised on the spot (and that isn’t a good thing). I understand that it’s a “silly comedy” but its never a good thing to have an uncompelling action scene, regardless of genre. Also, if you aren’t very good with Adobe After Effects, don’t stick these awful special effects in where they aren’t necessary. I mean A LOT of them needed to have been cut out. I’d also like to point out the irony in the fact that a man who hates it when directors don’t use a tripod, made a film shakier than Nintendo’s business model.

Tim said...

I don’t really think I need to explain how it was a fifth rate Scott Pilgrim wannabe with the way it poked fun at video game tropes (to the point where he even ripped off the whole extra life gag), but there is no excuse for how bad the comedy was. Awkwardly sticking video game (or movie) references in your video isn’t funny at all. It’s annoying. Look at Scott Pilgrim. All of the references there fit with what was going on, never felt out of place or forced, were subtle and never beat you over the head with what it was referencing. This video is more akin to fucking Disaster Movie. It’s that bad Bob. There were times that I literally groaned because some of the references were so painfully forced. I know I’m using the word painful a lot, but I’d just like to drive the point home.

I know I’m seen as the “troll” of this blog so no one will take me seriously , but I STRONGLY stand behind everything I just said. I know the drones are going to love it no matter what but hopefully, some more of your fans who you see as fans who like you will come out and give their honest opinion.

Oh and since you referenced the “Fun isn’t enough” video (a video I strongly agree with by the way) I recommend watching a video by the same guy called “Indie Mercy” because I can already hear the main argument that will be spewed against my post by unoriginal fanboys. My response is pretty much what’s in that video.

MovieBob said...

@SmashMatt

First off, I want you to know I've intentionally avoided responding to you or any of the other "constant" critics of this until right now because I wanted the whole thing to speak for itself - not because I wasn't listening.

In any case...

I LOVE that you're so passionate about what you think the "true" form or "true" purpose of this show is. I disagree, obviously, but that's largely immaterial. I hated the ending of "Lost," but I'm still more or less a "Lost" fan. That said, I'd like you to consider the following:

THIS IS A SPOOF.

I know how much of an "emergency escape" that sounds like, but I'm quite sincere: From the first frame, I intended this "Saga" to be a send-up of gaming-style (retrogames, specifically) kitchen-sink storytelling and the Bizarro/doppleganger formula in particular; right down to the use of the portentous term "Saga" to describe a goofy side-story in a video game commentary show. Maybe you didn't find the joke particularly funny or well-told, and that'd be my fault - but, maybe consider that, is all...

In regard to at least ONE consistency issue, however: I imagine AntiThinker starts-off in his "human" form for the same reason most transforming game-bosses do - a rope-a-dope manuver, i.e. for the same reason Inigo Montoya starts a swordfight with his left hand. Let the other guy tire himself out fighting you at half-effort, THEN bust out the secret weapon. (Notice also that OverThinker has the same basic strategy, as he waits until after it's clear hand-to-hand and guns equal a stalemate to bother using the Generic-Non-Copyright-Infringing-Laser-Sword.)

Andrew said...

@Smashmatt202
wow, that was a completely unnecessary rant.

I haven't been entirely for or against this whole "saga of the Anti-thinker" thing, Bob, but as an artist I can respect the desire to grow and change things up a little.

I mean if you had done this when you were the only gaming commentator I listened to, yeah, I might have been a little peeved. But you know what, we get weekly stuff from Extra Credits, who do fantastic work. Also, you're now doing weekly movie reviews/colums with ETTM as well as weekly topical videos with The Big Picture. So yeah, I get my fill.

Don't get the wrong idea, though, this whole saga is far from perfect in any aspect. There's problems with pacing, editing, cinematography, etc. But that doesn't mean you should quit while you're ahead. You learn from mistakes and from critique. So hopefully that long rant from Smashmatt isn't completely useless.

ScrewAttackSamus said...

It took awhile for me to remember where "Weak, pathetic fool" came from (Mortal Kombat Movie). I think my favorite has to be either "Welcome to die" or the Captain N reference (also, the Looney Tunes stuff was funny). I would I'm glad this is finished since people can finally SHUT THE HELL UP...but that's not going to happen because the internet is a pretty crappy place anyway. Keep on doin' what'cha do

Vladimirsan said...

I'm kind of sad though I really liked the antithinker episodes o.o...it was fun :) and fun...is enough ;)

Furore said...

Yes indeed the nitpicking and the point-missing. Even when you SPELL OUT THE POINT(is) right there in words of less than four syllables.

Oh, man. Sometimes I envy you, sometimes I pity you.

AFAIAC, even though I can nitpick your camerwork or editing or whatnots, I don't care. You're alright by me, Mr Thinker (or may I call you The Over?).

Carry on, and keep experimenting to your heart's content.

Smashmatt202 said...

Wow, to think MovieBob actually responded to me. Geez, now I feel all nervous and guilty. Like, maybe I should have been nicer. I think I feel sick... Oh wait, I am sick, I should probably get some sleep. But anyway.

I do feel passionate about these sorts of things, because... Well, I personally blame my Aspergers, but the thing is, every since I started watching your videos, I thought you were the coolest guy ever, and you had similar interests and beliefs (Sort of...) to me. Therefore, I sort of, in a way, devoted myself to watching your videos, following everything you say, and taking everything at face value... Which in retrospect seems like a dumb idea and goes against everything your series is supposed to stand for. Again, I blame my Aspergers, since this is something that usually happens to stuff I'm genuinely passionate about. Nowadays I have a sense to disagree with what you have to say. I mean, before, I wasn't too sure about some things you've said, but I still listened because I didn't have any real reason to doubt what you said. But now... I think you're show help teach me that I really shouldn't get so hung up on things, or blindly follow what someone says, or to hear both sides of an argument and decide for yourself what you think is right.

Oh wait, this whole thing was a Lost spoof? I never watched Lost... I really need to get around to watching that...

I had a feeling this whole thing was a spoof. I wasn't too sure because I tend to take everything at face value at first before trying to dig deeper into things (once again, I blame my Aspergers, which I probably shouldn't do, but it helps me accept just what kind of person I am). I didn't find it funny, in fact most of the just just annoyed me more than anything, but some were rather clever and made me chuckle, so yeah.

I see... Interesting reasoning for the true form deal. I loved The Princess Bride, it had a lot of funny scenes!

One last thing: I GET that this must have taken a lot of work. Filming something is never easy, and there's a huge process to go through. Sometimes, though, it's hard for viewers to see all that hard work you put into the video, and I think that's partly why I did that angry rant. It was kind of pointless, yeah. I tend to have a knee-jerk reaction to things before I calm down and think about the situation. Again, personal fault, I'll try and improve on that.

Thanks for being patient with me and explaining yourself for me. I've been acting like a brat and that's not cool. From now on, I'll take some time to think about your videos before commenting on them. Most of what I write is what I immediately think of while I watch the video. I should probably stop doing that, and just make an outline of what I thought of it... Yeah, that'll work.

One last thing that I thought of after watching the video. You said that part of the storyline was just to have fun and not have a specific purpose. In your review of Machete, you said something along the lines of "isn't having fun better when there's a point to it all? Like, isn't throwing a party better when you're celebrating something?" Paraphrasing yeah, but it's kind of true. I'm not saying anything more than that, but it's just something that came to mind.

Thanks again, Bob, and keep up the good work.

((...Okay, that's awkward. I went from ranting like a 12-year-old to being a moderately mild-mannered twenty-something year old. I hate how inconsistent my emotions can be.))

Sam said...

@moviebob interesting to hear that take on things. Sort of wish you'd post a similar explanation of the ideas you were hoping to convey over on the main blog, (I actually clicked through to this one to read more comments, now that the 'saga' is done with).

In any case, I wasn't a huge fan of this project, but it certainly had it's moments; a net positive, I think. Especially when you factor in how it probably eases up on the monotony for you a bit.

Sam said...

Oh but also! Because I forgot to mention it, my favorite part was definitely the collision explosion and subsequent "lets not do that again" and "huh, I thought it'd be more destructive."

reminds me of when 2 guys in Mission Impossible 2 accelerate motorcycles at each other, jump off the bikes in unison to collide in midair. A move which, strangely, started the fighting, and did not end it in a gigantic pile of broken bodies.

Anyhoodles, keep up the good work :)

MovieBob said...

@smashmatt,

Stop appologizing ;)

My "explanation" wasn't meant to "correct" you, just offer something else to consider. Opinions, so long as they are honest and informed, cannot be "wrong," after all.

Regardless of my "intent," if it didn't work for you for whatever reason it didn't work for you. No worries ;)

ConanThe3rd said...

Fun is enough?

Yeah, sure, when you're having fun.

Which I wasn't.

Oh and you responded to the "Being Spoony/Linkara" line, how bloody cute.

This was all talk and no underpants; it was an oreo without the stuff in the middle, it was a big mac with the burgers replaced by gherkins it was Jim Sterling without the biting wit and casual swearing.

It is a waste of internet.

And that's keeping in mind the Internet is full of Virus, Porn and Twilight Fans.

Display Name said...

@ConanThe3rd

Cool story, bro

Juan said...

The hillarious bit about all this (to me, anyway) is that I see so many people trying to tell Moviebob what the point of HIS show is. Frankly, friends, if you didn't like this episode's concept, all you had to do was NOT WATCH it. Personally, the whole storyline thing isn't that interesting to me, but it's Bob's show and he can damn well do what he pleases with it.

Anonymous said...

While I applaud you for trying new things on your own blog, and having fun with it, as a member of the human race I feel obliged to say that it was terrible.

I thought we've outgrown that "hurr durr a horribly edited bunch of footage of me and my buddies being super wacky in a forest + lots of random vidyagame references and chiptune music = comedy gold!" mentality. Or maybe just I have. Anyway.
This being "spoof" changes nothing. It doesn't fall into the "so bad it's good" category. It's just bad. And I hope that "fun is enough" bit at the end meant your fun, not the viewers'.

I wish you further joy in whatever you do. Just next time maybe conciser not starring yourself? Don't take it as an insult, but you're not photogenic at all, AND you have no acting skills.

ZombieGenesis said...

Good amount of references, some cheesey jokes, and even cheesier effects :)
Hoping for some more Otherthinker topics before we get up with Chapter 2! Good work Bob, you may be over-opinionated, but you make a good show.

Anonymous said...

holy shit...
people seriously need to chill out.
i haven't commented thus far just because i never felt i had to but seriously guys, troll much?
the overthinker stuff? i dug it. i did. i liked it more than linkara's stuff for sure. spoony's too when i think about it. i'm not usually too into the storyline stuff so much but ya, bob did good i thought.
those are just my opinions of course, and the fact he's "returning" to his roots is no skin off my back since that's the reason i started watching in the first place.

do what you want man, every episode i've seen i've enjoyed, whether i got something useful out of it, or if it was just silly/goofy fun.

Anonymous said...

**antithinker stuff. not overthinker. sorry.

Rob said...

Smashmatt202: Post on both the blogs? Do you really need that much attention? You could have done dishes and laundry in that time. Go tell your significant other that you wasted all this time. Go, now!

Ezenwa Anyanwu said...

My thoughts?

I enjoyed it. 'Nuff Said.

I'm also interested in seeing where the whole "Fun is enough" idea is going. Sounds good to me.

That said, it's over, everyone. Normalcy will return. Now, should I take an over/under on how many of the people who did have a problem with the "Anti-Thinker" will have a problem with his next regular video, because of whatever reason?

Ravenkeeper said...

hah ^^ That was quite a well done conclusion to this story arc.
well done with the many references and tributes.
The 10:21 was a neat little detail, but not my favorit of the bunch.

Ravenkeeper said...

hah ^^ That was quite a well done conclusion to this story arc.
well done with the many references and tributes.
The 10:21 was a neat little detail, but not my favorit of the bunch.

Smashmatt202 said...

@ MovieBob

That's yet another fault of mine, I'm always apologetic. And keep in mind, when I say I'm sorry, I really mean it. It also kind of leads back to how I take everything seriously. I take every little thing a blow it out of proportion, including my own mistakes... But whatever.

I'm glad we've reached an understanding. That's really what I was going for, actually. I hate debates and arguments, mostly because I'm never any good at them because I have a hard time articulating my thoughts, but also because, I hate disagreements, which is why I usually tend to avoid them, if possible...

I usually am honest with my opinions, but sometimes, my opinions tend to change depending on what information I have, so I'm worried that it looks like I'm flip-flopping or I'm indecisive, which sometimes I am. Above all else, though, I want to avoid conflict, which is why I sometimes go with the popular opinion... Which probably isn't a good thing.

If anything, I guess this little trip has shown me that I've got a lot of learning and growing up to do. So in that regard, thanks Bob.

Smashmatt202 said...

@ Rob

I'm not trying to get attention. I'm trying to make sure Bob gets my messages...

Actually, I guess that is trying to get attention, but I didn't mean to get attention in the bad way, just trying to get how I felt across...

Also, I don't have a significant other... Yet... I don't think...

£«» said...

@Smashmatt202

“How does badly placed Triforce on your hand mean you're his equal?”

Legend of Zelda? Hello? Its what allowed Link and Zelda to be on par with Ganondorf.

“So, I'd like a little more explanation as to who's the true ruler of the antiverse, the Antithinker or the deep-voiced guy?”

“Just do what you've always been doing!”

So how is he going to give more explanation and backstory when you don’t want him to even continue these things?

“CONSISTENCY, ANYONE?!”

“Geez, man. Look, I know you don't have a lot of money, but don't you think that, when you were planning this storyline out, couldn't you have waited until you had better tech to create better special effects?”

Firstly, the crummy special effects are part of the magic. Its like watching an old 80’s scifi action movie. It’s a wonderful blast of nostalgia and hilarity when something which is suppose to be a serious fight is just goofy and funny. Its irony my friend.

“HOPEFULLY that wasn't supposed to be taken seriously, otherwise it would go under a Narm effect.”

Dude none of this is suppose to be taken seriously..

“Not even a 1-up Murhsoom or a Life Mushroom, just a regular Super Mushroom.”

I… I concur.. It should have been a 1-up Mushroom.. How did you screw that one up Bob? You are THE Nitendo Fanboy..

“What was with that guy flashing on the screen for a second? Is that a reference to something I'm missing?”

Looked like the guy from Watchmen to me. The blue one who never wore clothes.. What was his name….

“Okay, you're a pretty bad editor, because Fire Overthinker's description was only onscreen for a nanosecond before it immediately disappeared.”

Okay now your just bitching.. I had fun pausing and playing as fast as I could for 20 seconds to get the name.

“I want DETAILS! I want consistency! I want you to stop wasting my time with this crap”

Consistency please?

“It didn't work out.”

Just because some people didn’t like it doesn’t mean everyone hated it. A lot of us (Scroll up and you will see I am not the only one.) Enjoyed this cheesy, self parody of a movie. It wasn’t suppose to be insightful or thought provoking. “Sometimes fun is just enough.” And it was fun. Maybe you didn’t like it, that’s ok that’s your opinion. Hell I didn’t like it at first either, but I am glad Movie Bob is stretching his legs and I will continue to watch his videos and I hope he makes another one of these sagas sometime down the road. So don’t assume that his entire fanbase hated this because that is untrue. A lot of us enjoyed it and hope for more.

Smashmatt202 said...

@ £«»

"Legend of Zelda? Hello? Its what allowed Link and Zelda to be on par with Ganondorf. "

And what does any of THAT have to do with the Game Overthinker? It's completely pointless! The Antithiker doesn't have a Triforce. Besides, aren't there only 3 Triforces? And don't they belong to Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf? Why does the Overthinker have one?

"So how is he going to give more explanation and backstory when you don’t want him to even continue these things?"

I'd prefer that he tie up all the loose ends before he gets back to what he's been doing.

"Firstly, the crummy special effects are part of the magic. Its like watching an old 80’s scifi action movie. It’s a wonderful blast of nostalgia and hilarity when something which is suppose to be a serious fight is just goofy and funny. Its irony my friend."

So wait, it was MEANT to look crummy, as an artistic statement? Yeah, sure, whatever, I've heard that one before. Personally, I find there are few places where that actually works. And this isn't really nostalgic because this is all new and relatively recent. I think James Rolfe does a better job at capturing the choppy fist fights from the Batman TV series and Star Trek in his videos.

"Dude none of this is suppose to be taken seriously.."

Well I know that now, thanks.

"Looked like the guy from Watchmen to me. The blue one who never wore clothes.. What was his name…."

Doctor Manhattan? Yeah, it might have been...

"Okay now your just bitching.. I had fun pausing and playing as fast as I could for 20 seconds to get the name."

You had FUN doing that? ...Umm, okay, to each his own I guess, but still, I hated have to repeatedly time my pauses just to read a silly description that probably wasn't worth the minute I consumed trying to find out.

"Just because some people didn’t like it doesn’t mean everyone hated it. A lot of us (Scroll up and you will see I am not the only one.) Enjoyed this cheesy, self parody of a movie. It wasn’t suppose to be insightful or thought provoking. “Sometimes fun is just enough.” And it was fun. Maybe you didn’t like it, that’s ok that’s your opinion. Hell I didn’t like it at first either, but I am glad Movie Bob is stretching his legs and I will continue to watch his videos and I hope he makes another one of these sagas sometime down the road. So don’t assume that his entire fanbase hated this because that is untrue. A lot of us enjoyed it and hope for more."

I guess it's just a divided fanbase, then. Obviously, most of the people I've met hated the storyline, but then again, I think I've met just as many who either enjoyed it or were indifferent to it. I guess I just said everyone hated it because the haters are more vocal and numerous about it then everyone else.

Smashmatt202 said...

@ Nick

Oh CRAP! How could I have made such an amateur mistake like that! That's first grade stuff. I usually try my best to make sure I don't do that sort of thing, what was I thinking!

@ motyr

See, that's what I try to do! I try to make sure my typing is just fine so that people can take me seriously. I mean, I can't even BEGIN to tell you how many people I run into have mean-spirited and/or stupid opinions but are terrible typists. I'm usually a stickler for typing, but sometimes I slip up when I type really fast. I don't even remember that one, actually... Either way, I feel like a hypocrite all the same.

Timzor said...

Wow. So the ENTIRE thing was a spoof? That's... just terrible. It reminds me of the recent episode of another video game show, Weird Video Games.
http://www.blisteredthumbs.net/2011/04/wvg-dustydiamond/

He tried pretty much the exact same thing, right down to the "evil doppelganger parody," and it fell completely flat. The difference is, it only wasted one episode. :\

To be fair, the Anti-Thinker episodes in which you actually managed to fit in some overthinking are still worth watching, so I guess it was only this last episode that I felt was a waste of time. I'm glad you had fun with it, but I'd just rather listen to you monologue about video games than watch you play-fight in the woods.

I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, and got the chance to try something different, but...

In the future, if you're ever doing a big project like this that just doesn't seem to be going well, and you're not sure it's going to pay off... I wouldn't think any less of you if you just pulled the plug and went back to the drawing board. You don't have to see through every single thing you start, you know.

counterpoint said...

bob,

congrats on finishing it and making it to 50 episodes! great work.

And for the record, i love the white suit.

Personally wish there had been SOME overthinking in this, but I enjoyed it and I an tell you did too.

I think, though, one thing you should realize about a lot the criticism you've received for this plotline is, well, complimentary. I explain:

You are pretty much the best there is when it comes to the overthinking and the commentary. many disagree with you, fine, but i think you're certainly among the most entertaining and informative of the webgeekvideoguys. i think many think that the action-b-movie stuff isn't quite on that level. i mean, people have scott pilgrim to compare the zany story stuff to. But honestly, who overthinks better?

nullhypothesis said...

@Smashmatt202: I swear I'm not trying to pick on you, but you posted your reply to me in the wrong comment thread.

awwnuts07 said...

Where's the episode? Did it get taken down?

Arnold Anonymous said...

Of all the episodes, this is the one that won't play on my computer. I don't know what's wrong. Has this happened to anyone else?

Smashmatt202 said...

@ Nick

I did? Well, I guess it gets confusing, what with commenting on two different blogs with the same name...

toosoo said...

personally i like bobs stuff tho i kinda didnt like that this episode had a lack of ranting

i love a good rant

and to the people complaing about the special effects wtf were you exspecting ths is a homemade movie mad for fun by bob not some AAA movie you see in theaters with a ton of money thrown behind it


i really dont understand where this hate is coming from

Anders Moberg said...

Yeah, I like how you guys are defending MovieBob with the obnoxious "WELL IF YOU DON'T LIKE DON'T WATCH IT" bullshit, which means that because it's uploaded to the internet makes it immune to critism. Of course I will stop watching theses videos when they're stop giving me entertainment or thoughtful arguments, and if I'm getting tired of the lack of both I should comment it on the same very same platform it's put up on.

This whole saga thing is so borderline awful. The few insightful thoughts are put down with the fucking awful effects, obvious lazy editing, and obnoxious references. (because scott pilgrim BEST MOVIE EVR OMG did it its kewl guise xddd)

Really? A Coyote / Roadrunner reference? Yeah, good thing you introduced us to the characters in the fucking finale.

I can appreciate some of the work put into this, and I liked some of the conversation between both you and the Underthinker, but when it's wasted with this bad presentation, sub-par script and screenwriting with more holes then cheddar cheese (yeah they're close to each other in this fight but now THEY'RE RUNNING TOWARDS EACHOTHER FROM FAR AWAY), I'm having a bloddy hard time appreciating it. At least Spoony knows his limits.

Good job trying to hype shit up. I was kinda interested in how you would end this mediocre series, but HEY quality didn't change for shit.

I hope you revert to the style of videos I still think you're good at.

JodeciDeion:TheWon said...

In the words of Galvatron,
"This is bad Comedy!"
Good Work OG glad to see your having fun with your series.

Lee said...

That was fairly interesting, the special effects were so cheesy as to be funny, and though the pacing was brutalizingly slow, it was still enjoyable to see how this all turned out. Can we go back to the deep, insightful, and cerebrally stimulating looks into games, their culture, and the business that makes them please? You do those really really well.

Unknown said...

I've been a silent fan since the first episode made its way onto Submission Sunday. I figured this would be a good enough time to voice my appreciation.

Great stuff, Bob! Aside from the small graphical or sound oddities I'm sure you're aware of, this was a near-flawless episode. I particularly loved the "We're not doing a clip show/origin story" lines as my head was hoping the same thing as they started up. Good humor, good fun, good ending.

Thanks for all the overthinking; I can't wait for more!

Axl said...

So... that was super silly and had tons of lampshading. Can't say I'm not satisfied. Nicely done.

Also, looking pretty snazzy in the firethinker suit.

Eshwin said...

I'm a longtime fan who disagrees with a lot of stuff you've said, but we agree on a few things, like how great Mario is, etc. Also, thank (I mean really thank you) for that Dune reference. It was one of my favorite weird movies growing up and it made me all warm and fuzzy when it was referenced in the video.

Basically, I think you're great, and I liked a lot of this whole Saga, but let me tell you exactly why, so I can also make clear what I think it needed more of (for sequels).

The best parts to me about the Antithinker saga had nothing to do with Overthinker and Antithinker fighting, it was when Antithinker would talk about the history of video games, or something like that. There were times when Antithinker epitomized and satirized currents trends in gaming in really funny and pointed ways, and I wish that when he confronted the Overthinker, there was more of that type vs. type. As it is, there were more fisticuffs and little references than any back and forth bantering, the high point of which was during the Doom movie Mexican stand-off discussion, which was funny, but ended too quickly.

Basically, it would have been cool to have seen these two figures, who each represent a different side of gaming culture, to have it out intellectually, or perhaps embody their ideals in how they fought, etc. which I did not see here at all. It was a bit of a letdown, to be honest.

Think about it, even when the Antithinker is, well, antithinking, he is still making his own points, sharing his own misinformed, shallow, douchebag opinions. The Overthinker can work with that, their opinions and their perspectives on not just the Doom movie, but Halo, Madden, etc. could clash in endlessly amusing ways while finding common ground on other topics, like Mortal Kombat possibly or even casual games. Who knows? It could have been interesting.

Anyways, that's all I'm saying. I appreciate the effort, the geeky references and the entertainment value of the saga, but I would be remiss if I did not, as your loyal fan, offer my two cents on what I think might have made it better. All in all though, I thank you for the contribution you've made to gaming culture as a commentator.

Joobaloob56 said...

OK, this is going to be a bit long.

First off, I'm a big fan of your shows, Moviebob. I watch both your Escapist shows and I just caught up on the Game Overthinker. And I have to say that the War of the Thinkers saga could have been better than it was.
I'm not going to critique the effects, which were actually pretty good considering that your budget is probably a bit constrained. The acting was average, the story was pretty good, and the cinematography, especially during the final fight, was quite clever and well done. My main complaint was how you characterized the Antithinker.
I think you had him dwell too much on Madden. In fact, that's really the only game he acknowledged as good. He should have extolled the virtues of Call of Duty, Halo, Gears of War, and all the other bland "realistic" shooters as well. Hell, you could have had him expand into movies, praising crappy action movies (like The Expendables or Ghost Rider) while hating on movies that were "different", "weird", or "confusing" (Scott Pilgrim, Inception, etc.). Granted, talking about movies couldn't have been made into a full episode, but he could have mentioned them like he did with Transformers. He could have talked about how he loved to teabag and shit-talk on multiplayer. He could have praised the story in one of the aforementioned bland games, while condemning the fact that video games have stories, thus making him a hypocrite. That would have made him much more interesting as a character. I also thought that he'd have some daddy issues since, in the first episode he's in, he mentions that his father beat him. Nope, I guess not.

TL;DR The series was good, but the Antithinker could have been characterized better.

As a side note--I liked how, occasionally during the fist fight, either the Overthinker or the Antithinker, whoever had his back to the camera at the time, all of a sudden posessed bald spots that magically disappeared later.

ScrewAttackSamus said...

Actually, I take it Bob couldn't find a green version of that Mario candy so that's why it's red.

Smashmatt202 said...

@ ZAENGO

Don't call me a idiot! I get that it was a reference! I DON'T get why he even bothered with the Triforce at all! It adds nothing to the whole experience! The Antithinker didn't even know what it was, so why Bob included it at all is beyond me!

Gabriel said...

I am so glad that is over, please never do it again. I know you think it was just for fun, and even though I got most of the references, it still just sucked.

Anonymous said...

er... Moviebob, you say this is a spoof.

I just want to know... OF WHAT? and I hope it's not some cockamamie generic response like

"oh it's a spoof of all the bad reviewers out there".

I mean this sucked. It sucked so hard it can retroactively be blamed for the earthquake in Japan earlier this year.

Unknown said...

I had to rewatch that Anthony Burch video you referenced at the end there, and it got me thinking about how strangely one-sided it really was. Burch had a lot of really interesting videos, but a few of them just came off so black-and-white to me.

Anyway, I really prefer your talks to this whole deal, but I can see how other people can like it.

Anonymous said...

sure, Clayton. Whatever you say.

Way to divert the issue from the actual argument, which is the terrible quality of this video.

I'm sure THAT's tasteful, huh?

ScrewAttackSamus said...

ummmm, NO. You didn't see comedians or late-night talk show hosts making jokes about the tsunami in India or the disasters in Haiti as a comparison to something RIGHT AFTER THEY FUCKING HAPPENED! Here is the line, you do not cross it.

Kyle said...

I'm glad you had fun.

50 episodes... its been a long journey. Here's to 50 more!

*applause*

Sean Aaron said...

Fun stuff, but is it just me or did you not credit Rastan at the end. I'm pretty sure the battle with hook-hand was using music from the Rastan video game...

Smashmatt202 said...

@ asalieri

Seriously, man, not cool. Even if you didn't like the video, like me, leave Japan's suffering out of it.

Ian said...

I can't remember who said it, but someone said something along the lines of 'it's his show, he can do what he wants with it, you can't dictate what he does with his show.' Nobody is saying that they can, but when you're providing entertainment, you have an obligation to give the fans what they want.

Someone at Pixar said it best: 'think of something you want to see, and make it so others will want to see it, too.' This 'saga' would have been much better received had it seamlessly integrated what made the series popular with the story. I can think of an example right now: instead of making the Antithinker a stereotyped retread of what Bob thinks is a hardcore gamer, instead make him someone with legitimate complaints against old school gaming or Nintendo. It would have been way more interesting to hear the opposite of what you usually hear, especially if it's unbiased and well thought out. (I may have made this same comment on an earlier video, but I can't remember)

Regardless, fans are complaining now for the same reason people are complaining about Other M. Instead of getting what they wanted, they got something completely different, and it's not 'Resident Evil 4' different, if you will; it's different in that it's in no way better, or even as good, as the original. Fans complain because they don't want what they like to go away in favor of something that just simply isn't as good. (Speaking of, Bob, I'm pretty sure many are still waiting for a follow up to your Heavens to Metroid episode; I know I am)

In the end, I really hope the series just goes back to simply talking about games and the industry. I know that it's sometimes a good idea to change things up, mix up the tried and true, but when it doesn't work, it's time to back off.

Steven said...

Since you like colourful side scrollers may I recommend Outland for the 360.

KaiKasparek said...

@ Juan

Shut the fuck up you apologetic sycophant. Bob has said many times that we are the reason he does this for a living. To quote a great American, "We brought him into this world, and we will take him out of it."

Smashmatt202 said...

@ Ian

That was really good. I wish I can express myself as good as you did there.

Unknown said...

Yes, one of my favourite parts was the Deaz Ex Machina. Still liked the end most when you and your brother where having a conversation. When pointing out that sometimes fun is enough.Wich gave me a good idea for my webcomic.

Ryan Keys said...

Yeah, the whole thing kind of underwhelmed me. I'm looking forward to the more traditional commentary style episodes.

Part of why I love watching your stuff Bob is because you're so passionate, I mean, I can overlook your lack of research and I can respect the opinions you hold that differ from mine, because you're so passionate about it.

And that you a) decided to let this stand for itself before commenting on it, and b) did this because you're a giant movie buff and it's one of your passions further cements that.

But I really wish you wouldn't do it again. That's just my opinion, but everyone I watch on the internet has SOME kind of Narrative going on in their show nowadays. It's so irritating.

That all said. The Dune reference was fucking awesome.

Steven said...

Having only recently started watching your game overthinker video's after finding you on the escapist, I've noticed that you blame Sony and the playstation for the end of the golden age of gaming and I don't think that's fair.

If someone's to blame it's me and other europeans who didn't have Nintendo or Sega consoles because we had home computers.

The sony playstation released in europe in late 1995 was just in time for the end of the home computer movement. PC style computers were still far to expensive and so we went from our amiga's and atari's and moved to our first console the playstation.

Daud Alzayer said...

I'm done, Bob. I'm not going to give a big obnoxious rant like everyone else, but I've followed your show since day one and everything I used to like about it is gone. I hereby unsubscribe.

WM said...

I said a few harsh things in the past and I'm sorry. Of course you can take your show in any direction you want and you should never be judged for expressing your own opinion. It's not like you're forcing anyone to listen. That said, I thought a bigger lesson was coming from this saga. After both thinkers having had their own episodes to express their views and the anti-thinker hinting at a difficult past, I was kind of expecting a fight of arguments, rather than a somewhat embarrasing action scene (no wonder you had so much fun filming it).
Maybe it would have made sense for them to agree to disagree or something, which would have made for quite a turning point considered how heavily biased your more recent videos came out like.
As it stands, it feels like a rather infantile way to give all the stereotypes you hate so much a physical form for you to beat up, making this landmark episode just another one of the bunch.

Anonymous said...

I'll just make this quick since there are so many long comments. While the execution needed work in a number of areas I like the concept and the final result did entertain me and occasionally brought up some good points. I kind of wish the Quest arc was a bit longer.

Overall I enjoyed the result if not parts of the execution (AntiThinker needed more fleshing out behind and in front of the scenes, for example) but I had fun. I wouldn't want to see the entire series go this route, but an occasional shift to keep things interesting I can handle.

Mavrickindigo said...

Don't quit your day reviewing job, please. You're becoming Linkara and that's not good. I have hope with what you were saying in the credits, but I'll guess we'll have to see episode 51 to be sure what direction this show is going to go

Smashmatt202 said...

So... Wait, does Bob actually LIKE Captain N? I can understand if it's because of nostalgia, but... Geez, that show sucked...

Matthew said...

Every Angry Nerd-style personality goes through this. Being an amateur filmmaker is something you need to make good internet videos, but it also makes you want to make a video like THIS one.

This is the first time you've done an Angry Nerd-style sketch, and it shows. It's horrible. It's just as horrible as the first time any other internet critic branched out into fiction. You'll get better if you keep doing them, but you will produce many, many shitty episodes until then. ScrewAttack isn't a real publisher, so you can get away with it. Just make sure you work enough Overthinking in there to keep us around until then.

You claim this is satire? I could not tell. It is identical in style and tone to every other shitty Angry Nerd-style sketch I've seen.

Unknown said...

Hey, boss! Nice new logo!

Anywho, that ending was neat! It looked like a lot of effort and thought was put into it. I'll be glad to see things back to normal, though. I didn't hate the change and you made a valid point about experimentation and whatnot. I like seeing stuff like this every so often from the Nerd, the Critic, Team Four Star, and everyone else I watch online. Just like with them, too, I'm glad it was temporary because I love your usual format that you use in all of your shows.

Great job! Glad to see you're back in the command chair again.

AniMerrill said...

I just wanna say that despite the fact I really didn't care for the "Quest of the Overthinker" arc.... this was delightfully cheesy and I could tell you did it for the right reasons: for fun and to entertain your true fans. Not much different than TGWTG's Kickassia which... really sucked balls as a movie, but rocked my socks as a piece of fanservice.

My only gripe about this really is the editing, but you did well with what you had and I know, very personally, that if you dont have the $900+ software and cameras, you really cant be too professional about it.

I have to admit I've complained a lot about these videos lately, but it's not because I hate you or really what you're trying to do. Its because I was such a big fan of your videos before- I admit I had to go back and watch your first 40 videos just to remember how good you were so I wouldn't talk myself out of watching this or your future videos.

But somebody made a good point: you said you were gonna step up your game. In some ways, you have. Your ranty videos over the past year have become better quality, and you manage to stay topical a lot more on current events, despite having two other shows you do: both of which I LOVE. But on the otherhand... I feel as far as "Overthinking"... you've done a lot of underachieving in that area lately (see what I did there), and in the meantime Extra Credits has taken the place in my heart I used to have for your show as the people I can watch for unbiased, reasonable, educational commentary on video games, an otherwise under appreciated hobby.

Just seeing the difference between your Other M video and theirs... I don't know, it sort of shows where you've abandoned your roots as it seems like you took a position which was unpopular just to get attention, and probably a little out of a defense against the gameplay which, according to you, could overrule the story. Whereas they actually took the unpopular argument and /justified it with reasoning and valid logic/.

... You used to be that guy. I miss the videos where you made sense out of the Mushroom Kingdom's mythology and structured it into a goddamn quasi-religion. That was awesome. Where'd that guy go.

I don't mean to troll or leave an obnoxiously long post just because I'm that self important. I've read some of the above comments... most of them are hateful and come completely out of left field to attack you personally. But I think you're an okay guy, I rather enjoy the fact you're still a loyal Nintendo fanboy (hell, I'm still a Sega fanboy despite the fact their only worthwhile 90s franchise is DEAD), and I don't think this is the worst tripe ever put on the internet.

I just hope there were enough other posts like this from your longtime fans and you'll just take this as honest feedback. We really miss the days when you talked about gaming being an art form. When you wrenched out the Jungian archetypes hidden in the brush of our favorite franchises. When you made analogies about the comic industry every five minutes.

That's the Overthinker we still come back for, hoping he'll be here again. Peace. :3

Popcorn Dave said...

Hehe... didn't watch this one, for reasons that are probably obvious from the comments above. See you next month Bob! ;)

Shane said...

Hmmm... I can't say that I liked it, but it looks like you sure had fun doing it, so whatever. I did like all the fake-outs, I really thought you might end up making it a clip-show, or an origins story.

Overall... An A for effort?

Unknown said...

Yay, I can start watching the show again next month!

Smashmatt202 said...

Okay, I'm sorry, but who exactly IS a "true fan"? A person who is a total suck-up to Bob and will go along with anything he does? Or a person who enjoys his videos who are smart enough to call him out when something's wrong?

imsmart said...

James Rolfe loved making movies since he was a kid. He even went to film school and was well regarded as an actor there, hence why he stars in his own videos. There's nothing raw about what he does; it all flows from true understanding of the realities of filmmaking. In other words, he only makes it look easy. That's something I always liked about Spoony; although his ambition often exceeds his reach, he doesn't presume to give his audience something he doesn't have.

Lippincott said...

I'm not going to quibble in the details as to why this was painful to watch, others have gone into detail and explained it well enough for it to be clear. Put simply: you aren't a director, a special effects master, a script writer, or even a very skilled actor. You are pretty good at coming up with interesting points on the medium you understand, video games.

You could attempt to branch out of this medium if you want but if you don't at least take the time to learn what you are doing it will always be an absolute chore to watch you dick around with a camera and try to pull off things you don't really understand.

If you do this again I can assure you I won't bother to watch it. Your rants can give new perspectives but this is an utter waste of your time. I won't make it one of mine.

Twilight said...

Glad to see we've reached episode 50, supposedly the end of this mess of a "story arc," except wait, even without watching the actual video I can see in the commentary that Bob is hinting at continuing this. Can't you just admit this was a bad idea and stop already Bob?

And as for the whole "you can't tell me what my show is about," thing, true, we cannot physically force you to stop doing things like this is this is what you want, but keep this in mind.

You stared out doing basic, if humorous, discussions of thoughtful videogame topics. People loved that, they got behind you on that, so you continued doing that, and people liked it enough that you got signed up into Screw Attack over the "My Vids Don't Suck" contest, and we all rejoiced.

After you got onto Screw Attack though, the quality of your videos has gone downhill fast, ending in this whole Antithinker arc, and yet when you see people complaining all you can think to say is "Well you can't tell me what to do so there."

I guarantee you, if this was the kind of stuff you were putting out back in the "my vid's don't suck" contest, the votes would have overwhelmingly declared that your vids do in fact suck.

We rose you to the position you're in today because we liked what you used to do. Keep that in mind the next time you think to just dismiss someone who doesn't like the direction you're going in now.

Chazosulls said...

That was just a God-awful trainwreck and one of the most painful things I've ever forced myself to watch. -_-

I hope the small fraction of Bob's fans that are praising this junk don't give Bob the signal to do more of them, though it's pretty clear that Bob does not give half a crap about what his fans want...

P.S. I'm not a huge AVGN fan, but those comparisons between AVGN and this garbage are just insane. AVGN is incredibly consistent with his review content and doesn't devote several months worth of episodes to painfully shoddy home movies. He has those sucky moments but at least they're over before you know it.

Valium said...

I'm disappointed by the lack of a, "Wait, then who's filming you?" joke after your brother came on-screen.

Anonymous said...

The only thing that really bothers me is what you inferred to the origin story. But that's mainly because of
http://www.captainsnes.com/ and how well done it is.

Matthew Black said...

Already high expectations surpassed. For all the no-budget scenery and self-deprecation, you know how to make a great long fight- shifts in advantage, moral arguments, a sense of danger, proud speeches, stylish combat, introspection, power-ups...

Like a quality anime or action movie, but with game overthinking as the theme no one else has used half as deeply. The dialogue at the end satisfies the whole premise. This episode may be a classic if not a refreshingly unique case of "actor fighting with himself."

Ian Longiaru said...

I don't really get why everyon'es bashing on this, at such great a length. Sure I don't appreciate the constant Halo bashing or puns but I found it really enjoyable.

Blake said...

Not too bad sir....

But I'm glad to be back to regular episodes for a while. : )

fox said...

I'm gonna miss the AntiThinker, he was such a fun guy to watch :(

Bob, you should add him as a guest star in your shows from now on.

Anonymous said...

I'd just like to chip in and say that I thought that the Anti Thinker was fairly funny in his own right.

The final fight was also pretty fun.

I'm glad its over before it got old but seriously, people need to chill the fuck out.

Glad you had fun with it, and I did too.

David said...

Yay, now back to overthinking :D

Please, PLEASE don't EVER bring back the antithinker.

Ditto the criticisms about pacing, choreographing, filming, etc. I get the whole spoof thing but this was sooooo bad.

Unknown said...

I thought this was going to suck while watching the Antithinker specific episodes, but I actually enjoyed this last one. The fire flower bit is my favorite.

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