The Community Spotlight 2022.06.25

Welcome to the latest edition of the Giant Bomb Community Spotlight! I, @zombiepie, am once again honored to be your host as we look back at the best creative endeavors from the Giant Bomb Community! Well, I'm not beating around the bush this week, the overturning of Roe v. Wade has set back women's health and reproductive rights fifty years in the United States. With signs that this Supreme Court decision might signal the unpinning of marriage equality, contraception use, and more, it is understandable that the staff and community of this site are pissed. We all should be. I want to thank the hundreds of you that have commented in the community discussion thread for this topic that have remained non-insulting and proactive about what to do next. If, however, you were one of the half-dozen asshats that criticized Jan and Jess' decision to delay Run for the Hills until next week, then, as Jan put it, you can leave.

If you caught Friday's Game Mess Mornings, you might be aware that the site's staff are working with ActBlue's Abortion Fund to help provide women with healthcare and abortion resources. If you have even a small amount to donate, please consider doing so. Over on GameSpot, the site has an even more exhaustive and in-depth article about what everyone can do to fight for reproductive rights in the United States.

In terms of site-related housekeeping, Rorie posted a MASSIVE update on site technical issues, new merch, and the state of premium in the Fire Bomb Chat thread. I forgot to link to it before, but if you have yet to watch Dan's MinnMax interview on his experience with WWE and why he's returning to Giant Bomb, definitely give it a listen. With all of that in mind, let's jump into the latest edition of the Community Spotlight!

Tweets

Galleria

Giant Bomb's Games-Rating People (By:@jearum)

I'm going to warn you all right now, jearum was on a roll this week. This week they whipped up more fantastic works of art than I have ever seen a single person do in one week. With this, they decided to mix the new batch of staff with the old GamePro magazine review faces.

Cowabunga! (By:@jearum)

It appears a certain cadre of juvenile monster martial artists is at a new zenith of popularity! And in true form, jea_rum decided to have some fun with a staff member as a result.

Jan & Jess x Junji Ito (By:@jearum)

What better way to celebrate the upcoming end of the second season of Run for the Hills than to mix Jess and Jan with the art of Junji Ito?

Lucy Queen & John King Tarot Cards (By:@jearum)

As you might recall from last week's Spotlight, jea_rum has been making tarot cards themed to the art of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. This week, they have a card for John (i.e., EyePatch Wolf) and Lucy!

Gallery

Giant Bomb Anime Podcast Banner (By: @fobwashed)

Friend of the site, Fobwashed, has been enjoying the direction of Giant Bomb's anime podcast so much that they decided to make them an anime-themed banner!

I Jerk Off Too (By: @kone)

In response to the 06/17/22 UPF, Kone took the Giant Bomb logo and decided to make something very special for Rorie, Jeff Grubb, Jason, and Jan. I don't think we will be seeing this on a t-shirt design any time soon.

Activities

Neon White Giant Bomb Leaderboard Chasing (By: @slax)

How many of you are there that are playing Neon White? If you are, here's a link to the official Community Leaderboard! Post your Nintendo ID or Steam account and add others that have as well in the thread above!

Unsanctioned Unofficial Game Pass Game Club Voting Thread For Cycle Starting 6/27/2022 (By: @bigsocrates)

Hey Giant Bomb community, it's time to vote for the next subject of the Unofficial Game Pass Game Club! Telling Lies, Carrion, Paradise Killer, Olija, and Bugsnax are all voteable options this time!

Citizen Sleeper Is The 11th UUGPGC Game (And It's A Great One)! Finish By 6/27 To Participate! Mark All Spoilers! (By: @bigsocrates)

Speaking of the Community Game Pass Game Club, do not forget that Citizen Sleeper is the current game pick! If you have thoughts about the game, feel free to share them by clicking link!

Blogs

Game OVA Episode 1: City Hunter+

Indie Game of the Week 275: La-Mulana 2 (By: @mento)

I know what the community has been itching for is video game AND anime coverage on the site! Well, moderator Mento has you covered with a look at the City Hunter OVA AND PC Engine side-scrolling action-adventure game! Likewise, for this week's edition of their "Indie Game of the Week," Mento checked out La-Mulana 2! Read why they are hooked even if they suspect they have yet to see the "true" La-Mulana 2!

Finishing Final Fantasy VI - Episode 1: Is This The Greatest Video Game Introduction? (Also A VI Pixel Remaster Review) (By: @zombiepie)

To kick off summer, moderator ZombiePie is starting a retrospective of Final Fantasy VI and the highs and lows of one of the greatest video games ever made. Also, if you want to read a review of the FF6 Pixel Remaster, this is for you!

Not E3 2022: Summer Game Fest Opening, PC Gaming Show (By: @gamer_152)

There is more anti-E3 to mop up, and this time moderator Gamer_152 is looking at the Summer Game Fest opening and the PC Gaming Show. Now with 20% more Scorn!

Peace Out, Duders (By: @haychew21)

After last week's Spotlight, I was asked privately if the Spotlight would avoid showcasing blogs or threads in which community members say goodbye to the site. To their surprise, I said "no" and this blog to me is a perfect example of why. It's okay to see the change on this site and say "I wish you all the best, but I want to move on" without attacking new staff members or others that disagree. That is, for many, a natural reaction to recent events, and you will always have the ability to say as much on this site. Just know, the door is wide open for you to come back and chat with old friends.

Discussion Threads

Steam Summer Sale 2022 Discussion Thread (By: @zombiepie)

The 2022 Steam Summer Sale is here! So, what has everyone in the community bought thus far? Are there any discounted games you strongly recommend? Share and discuss your purchases or recommendations.

So What Do We Think Of This Year's Steam Sale Gimmick? (By: @el_blarfo)

Speaking of the Steam Summer sale, what is everyone's impressions of the 2022 Steam Summer gimmick/game? Did any of you end up looking up answers or clues? Did the game this year motivate you into buying games?

Neon White General Discussion And Level Helpline Thread (By: @zombiepie)

We now have a general discussion and level helpline for Neon White on the site! If you have thoughts about the game, or are stuck on a level, this is the thread for you! Also, expertise is appreciated!

Botchamania 455! (By: @slapghost)

Alright, FINE! Let's talk about Dan's "cameo" on Botchamania! Did you catch it? Where you surprised by the appearance? Join the discussion with the rest of the Giant Bomb wrestling community.

Hot Wheels Expansion Trailer Thoughts (By: @gtxforza)

There's an active discussion on the site about Forza Horizon 5's recently announced Hot Wheels expansion. What would you like to see as an improvement over previous HW expansions? Also, what do you think this means for Playground?

Which Third Person Survival Horror Game Are You Most Excited About? (By: @gameofadam)

The recent slurry of conferences brought to the forefront a handful of third person horror games. Which game are you the most excited to play? Vote for and discuss your pick!

The Best PC Indies Of The Last... 10 Years? (By: @sombre)

With the "Summer Game Drought" all but here, what are some smaller titles and games you plan to check out in the coming months? What are the best indie games released on PC in the past ten years?

What Sort Of Gaming Products That Are Currently On It's Dark Age? (By: @gtxforza)

Here's a fun discussion thread on the forums! What franchises, IPs, or genres do you think have entered a "Dark Age" recently? A lot of y'all are talking about the state of the RTS and pining for the return of Ridge Racer!

Lists

Games Where The Final Boss Is The Pope (By: @mooseymcman)

Friend of the site, MooseyMcMan is working on a list that chronicles every game where the final boss is the Pope or a Pope-like figure! If you can think of any examples they would greatly appreciate it!

My Console (By: @marino)

This is an old work, but it's brought back to relevancy thanks to a recent Voicemail Dumptruck. If you’re not familiar with Eiffel 65’s “My Console” that Jason spoke of, then check out this list that Marino made a list a few years ago to help you out.

Community Reviews

• @retrogimp's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge review discusses why they respected the game's attention to detail even if its length bothered them at times.
• @yyninja's Cris Tales review articulates why they think the game's interesting time based combat is ruined by what they found to be a lack of polish as well as an abrupt ending.

Wiki Page of the Week

Caper in the Castro

In honor of Pride Month, the Wiki Page of the Week is for Caper in the Castro, a 1989 point-and-click mystery about the gay community designed to bring attention to the AIDS epidemic. If you have never heard of this game click the link above for an enlightening history lesson!

Thanks for the mention, ZP!

The art here is always awesome. I've added so many pieces to my desktop wallpaper rotation.

Thank you for featuring the fanart. *yay* I'm finally catching up on the shows and expect more fanart! Cheers!

Rad roundup as usual! @jearum was indeed on fire this week, holy crap! I can't believe the consistently crazy levels of craft on display from that cat. Wild!

Thanks for sharing my stuff. Here's a gift from me to you:💣🍆✊💦

Bless you @zombiepie for being upfront about all this crazy political garbage!! It means a lot (to me, at least) that gaming outlets are vocal about the horrifying stuff that's happening in the U.S.

I've never believed that gaming and politics should be separate. Games are oftentimes improved in their impact due to being reflections of the world, just like movies are. The people that make games (and deliver the news and hot takes about them) are all affected by politics! It's a disservice to videogames as a whole to ignore the larger impact of governments on their citizens, who are the folks making the games we enjoy. Duh!

Anyway, I'm rambling, but thank you :) I appreciate all you do, and these weekly write-ups are always a joy, and you're such an incredibly talented writer <3 PEACE!!!!!

Thank you for featuring my two threads!

The dark age of gaming is always depressing for the fans of each specific product.

Hey, thanks for the thread mention, @zombiepie! Also thanks for not shying away from the awful shit happening in the US.

@voidburger: Hey, I forgot to thank you for this word of encouragement! It's been years since the last time a staff member dropped a comment in one of these let alone openly recognized it. So, I really appreciate it.