Jan 302013
 
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Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in remembrance of the Nintendo Wii, a console that will live in the hearts of families and casual gamers for years to come. Join the Rag-NERD-rok Crew as we reminisce about the good points and the bad about gaming on the Wii, from the fun-as-hell party games to the piles of useless plastic Wii-mote attachments we’ve collected over the years. Then, we turn our eyes to the future: the Wii-U. What does Nintendo have in store for the next generation of console gaming, and how will it measure up? We’ll give you our opinions on the new system, along with our predictions and recommendations. Later, Erik has a brand-new, original sketch for us — or, at least, something he blatantly ripped off from Ed. Give it a listen!

(Show notes after the break.)

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Sep 272012
 
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There’s a stereotype of nerds being bad at sports. And for us here at Rag-NERD-rok, that’s mostly true. But if there’s one thing that nerds are great at, it’s games. And yet we still seem drawn to playing games that we just can’t win, no matter how hard we try. What’s up with that? Maybe we’re just a bunch of masochists. Those games that we just can’t win but love to play anyway are our topic for this episode. And after that, get ready for another thrilling episode of Dead of Winter. Seriously, it’s a good one.

(show notes after the jump) Continue reading »

Jun 202012
 
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We in the Rag-NERD-rok Crew have elected to participate in the massive play-test of the newest release of Dungeons and Dragons, D&D Next! Join us, along with special guest and veteran D&D player Derek, for an in-depth discussion of the new version of the classic role-playing game, its strengths, weaknesses and peculiarities. Later, we touch on this year’s E3 in another 10 in 10 segment, and Will stops by to read us his children’s story, Paul the Adventurer. It’s a fun-filled, orc-slaying, dungeon-looting episode, so grab your dice and pray to Pelor that you roll 20s!

(Show notes after the break.)

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Apr 242012
 
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Every spring, the indigenous nerd population of Long Island flocks to the Suffolk County campus of Stony Brook University for I-Con, a geeky gathering that has very little to do with endocrinology. Here, some engage in rituals known as “panels,” each with its own topic, in which panelists and audience members sometimes compete fiercely for dominance. Some take part in a display of plumage known as “cosplay,” in which they dress as characters from a movie, video game or TV show that they enjoy, possibly in order to attract a mate. Rare and exotic creatures known as “guests” move silently among the con-goers, sometimes pausing gracefully to sign autographs or give interviews. Finally, there is the dealer floor, a social gathering place where merchants build elaborate nests with the shiniest implements they can find. Join the guys in The Rag-NERD-rok Crew for an exciting glimpse at nerds in their natural habitat: I-Con!

(Get to the part of the show notes where I drop this ridiculous conceit after the break!)

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Feb 282012
 
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In the nail-biting conclusion to our four-part geek history retrospective, Meyer gives us the lowdown on Star Wars, Erik discusses the contributions of Shigeru Miyamoto to the world of video games, Ryan drones on and on about the works of horror novelist Stephen King, and Alex pontificates on Dungeons and Dragons. After the break, we try out a new segment in which we keep it brief by imposing a ten word limit on our barbed opinions. Then, a sketch! It’s one heck of a gosh-darn good time, trust me!

(Show notes after the break.)

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