I'm A Nerdy Rich

We Like It Nerdy host. Posts are my opinion and of the site. So go ahead and hate me, I dare you!

[imanerdyrich]

Pet Peeves: How I tell if actors can ACTUALLY act ...

I'm a bonafide couch potato. Alright, I'm not watching mid-day TV, but my list of TV shows is longer than the average persons weekend grocery list.

But one thing I find distracting is an actor's (lack of) skills when playing video games? 

Prime example: 

The above is a short gif, but a closer look of the actor on the left shows him mashing nearly every shoulder button on that PlayStation controller like his life (or I guess this gig) depended on it. Either he's about to pull off some mega combo (maybe thus creating the other guys 'Oh' face, for some reason) or more likely this is a prime example of what bothers me.

Look I'll admit, it's a silly pet peeve. But this is just something that can actually pull me out of a show for a split second and take me out of the whole experience. It's excessive, seems like too much for such a simple task. Why must your erratic seizure with a controller be used to show energy?

Why can't it be something more subtle and believable like:

Kudos on that, by the way. We've all found ourselves way too into a game to even try civilized stuff like spoons.

Or hell, I'll even take a quirky attempt like this:

Sure that last one is goofy, but my attention stays on what's happening in the show/movie without detracting me from the plot.

Of course, there are some bad on-screen video game playing I forgive in the right situations ... mainly because they are just too damn funny:

Ah Grandma's Boy. Can you do no wrong?

[imanerdyrich]

This is actually a great song I heard at the end of @IGN Podcast Beyond. It's very catchy.

Description: A girl looks for her Mr. Right in this song about love, geekery, and 43 nerd-culture references which will have you listening through at least a few times in order to “catch ‘em all.”

[wlinpodcast]

We Like It Nerdy 73: Teenage Mutant Ninja Nerds

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is such a success they ordered seconds. Batman vs Superman gives Captain America 3 the finger. Jason Momoa finally our King of Atlantis? Marvel, please listen to Terry Crews … and more. 

Brand new Podcast episode!

[imanerdyrich]

The latest show about news from this past week.

[imanerdyrich]

I've committed myself to watching that 90s Double Dragon movie because I hate myself. #doubledragon

[imanerdyrich]

Who needs #PS4 when you on Bow Hunt. Look at all that fun!

[imanerdyrich]

Morning hangovers are the worst. #dogs #turnoffthesun

[imanerdyrich]

3 reasons Shang-Chi should be ABC/Marvel's next show

Disney announced today ABC is working on another series to run alongside Agents of SHIELD. Some believe it may be that Agent Carter series following Captain America's past girlfriend. But what if ABC went a different path? Maybe embraced a more grounded character in a wild Marvel Universe. Say Shang-Chi. Here's why I think Shang-Chi could make a fun series: 1. Relatable, yet amazing character: It took a couple episodes of Agents of SHIELD for the writers to realize what makes it a great show -- the people. Shang-Chi's story relies on a strong story about the son of an international crime lord that follows an order to assassinate someone, only to find out it was just to test Shang-Chi's loyalty. Distressed by taking someone's life just to prove his loyalty, Shang-Chi leaves his father, joins MI-6 and begins a war to stop his father. 2. Marvel needs a good Martial Arts show: SHIELD's Agent May tends to be overshadowed by acne-ridden younger cast members, so her action prowess is rarely focused on. Shang-Chi could be that action-packed fight show that showcases awesome choreography -- see The Transporter -- each week. Plus you can easily incorporate other Marvel villains that Shang-Chi's faced like Midnight. 3. Cheap and simple: Sure there will be episodes that will need high-end effects and wire works, but in all Shang-Chi can be a simple martial arts crime solving show. That could be relatively cheap for ABC and help bring more B-List character into revenue-generating properties. Disney has yet to announce what the next show is and it could be something entirely different. But there's a bunch of options in the Marvel library to choose from Shang-Chi being one of them.

[popcultkid-blog]

Woot! I’m in the Hearthstone beta. Which is great and also a surprise seeing as I kind of forgot I even signed up. So I’ve been playing for about a week and I have to say I’m loving it. I’ve never gotten into card games before but this one just grabs me. It’s fast paced and each players turn moves quick, which is something my A.D.D brain loves. There are bugs, but seeing as it’s a beta that’s more than expected and not to mention that all my hard work is kind of for nothing seeing as it will all be reset when the full release comes out. But till then this will do just fine.

[imanerdyrich]

Life really is a game ... a series of them.

Legendary Comedian George Carlin once said, "Life is a series of dogs." The same case can be made for video games to the typical nerd. If I asked you what was your first console, can you remember what it was? How about one game you played while in high school that summer of [year here] with your buddies? I can recall moments of my life through games: - Being amazed by some game called Legend of Zelda while visiting family overseas as a wee boy. - Hours of Mortal Kombat and NBA Jam with another buddy in the 5th grade. - Weeks of being amazed by game tech like the SNES Super Scope or Virtual Boy and not realizing how short the lifespans would be for those products. - That first adventure through Pokemon Blue. Me and Bulbasaur kicking ass and taking names. - Me and two friends taking shift for 18 hours trying to breed a Gold Chocobo in Final Fantasy VII during one high school summer vacation. - College being defined by a series of multi-floor battles in Halo 2. Third Floor FTW! - And now casual gaming on mobile devices and the next-gen stuff (Looking at you Oculus Rift) It's amazing to think how games have become not just entertainment, but a constant marker for where we were in life and the things that mattered then yet don't now. We were making/losing friends, falling in love and getting our hearts broken, feeling unimaginable joy and experiencing utter depression, but the constant escape in our lives remained there waiting for us to play. And I think many nerds would agree, they wouldn't give any of that back. It defined us. Grew up with us. It made us who we are and will forever be a part of our lives. And through it all it's become a part of our culture, a part of our identity, a part of who we consider ourselves to be ... Gamers.

[imanerdyrich]

Give a dog table scraps once and they become Crotch Dog forever. #dogs

[imanerdyrich]

This is bad. I need to walk into this movie expecting mediocrity so I am impressed. This score only excites me more. Not good.

[imanerdyrich]

To say Diane is just a fan of Plants vs Zombie is an understatement. -- Richie #birthdaycake #pvz2

[imanerdyrich]

Even a nerd can appreciate a weekend by the pool. #PvZ2

[imanerdyrich]

Laid FillerCast 28 to bed

"I said: 'Wasn't that joke ... Humerus!' Get it? Like the humerus bone? Come on, it wasn't that bad." So we just finished recording this week's FillerCast episode. We talk about a silly, yet surprisingly spooky old horror film and the latest awesome episode from Avatar: Legend of Korra. Episode releases tomorrow morning here ---> http://jafcast.libsyn.com

[imanerdyrich]

What do we want? More Wan! When do we want it? NOW!

Let me start by saying this is not a review of Avatar: Legend of Korra’s “Beginnings” episodes. You can find that at my buddy The Pop Cult Kid’s feed. What I’m going to tell you is the writer’s of Avatar have found a real gem in this episode’s central character, Wan. In 40-or-so minutes Wan made himself my favorite character in the entire Korra series (sorry, it’ll take more to dethrone Sokka).

Alas, this show is not called the Legend of Wan, so we had to see his thrilling story end and return us back to angsty, oblivious-to-everything Korra. But this shouldn’t be the last time we see Wan. In fact, it would be a huge fail if the writers let Wan become nothing more than a double-episode character.

Which is why I think Korra found her Roku. Look, they are not going to give us a lot of Aang/Korra interaction. Aang’s story ended and to bring him more into Korra’s world risk ruining our image of him as a boy. So why not make Korra’s Avatar guide be none other then the first Avatar who understands the importance of spiritual balance.

That way we get the best of both world — more Wan in the story and Korra actually becoming likable (I kid, I kid).

In addition, I’m totally digging the dark spirit that should now play a key role in this entire season. Hell, why would the writers show that the good spirit’s merging with a human made the Avatar if they weren’t going to try the same with the dark spirit.

Dark Avatar, anyone? DarVatar? AvaDark?

Either way, Wan is too good of a character to leave behind. He may not get his own series (as we know the results of his origin, journey and end), but he could easily play a major role in Korra’s journey.

This series just turned a corner. I can’t wait to see more.

[imanerdyrich]

Richie's Top 10 Comic Book Video Games

Video games based on comic books have had a troubled past. The library of actually enjoyable games is buried under piles and piles of horrendous games the CIA uses to torture and extract information...