Mr.Showtime

Just gone for the first 10 off the top of my head...

10 points: Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018)

The reason I bought a PS4. I hadn't been doing much gaming for a few years, and seeing this blew my balls off. The attention to detail alone makes it special, but the story is also full of entertaining twists and turns and incredible characters.

9 points: Streets of Rage 2 (1992)

The music, the sound effects, eating roasted chickens sitting on the floor of telephone boxes - it's all there. I've probably completed this game more than any other, it's a great little title to pick up and play with a friend.

8 points: Sonic 3 & Knuckles (1994)

I was firmly in the Sonic camp in the Sonic/Mario debate (although I would come to appreciate the dirty plumber later in life), and I think Sonic 3 with the Sonic & Knuckles expansion was peak Sonic the Hedgehog. Sandopolis Act 2 can feck off though.

7 points: Grand Theft Auto V (2013)

Returning to the story doesn't really do much for me on additional playthroughs, but that first time I was in awe. Superb characters, great music selection as always, and funny dialogue, with a bit of mystery here and there too. For the first year or so of GTA online I had a blast with some friends before moving on, but I'm glad I didn't get sucked into that for a bloody decade.

6 points: Rocket Knight Adventures (1993)

One of my favourite platformers from the Mega Drive or anywhere really. Your guy Sparkster has some neat moves, the enemy models are all really fun, but the bosses and mini-bosses along with the soundtrack pushes it even further ahead. I must not be great at games because I've played this so many times, and even now on a Miyoo Mini+ with an autosave function, I still can't complete it. There's some bullshit happens at the end (or I think it's the end) and I'm not good enough to survive it. Must go try again now...

5 points: Hitman: World of Assassination (2016, 2018, 2021)

I guess the most recent Hitman trilogy is now classed as a full game in its own right. Online, many players seem to prefer the opening levels of Hitman 1 but there are amazingly complex maps spread all over these games and the bazillion ways you can tackle them is just astonishing. I still don't know how they crafted them. And while it's very satisfying to complete a mission without anyone ever knowing you were there, it's also hours of fun to walk around a map and shoot everyone in the head. Or smack them all with a fish.

4 points: Horizon Zero Dawn (2017)

The sequel Forbidden West was obviously bigger and perhaps better, but the initial entrance into this world and learning about its history made more of an overall impact.

3 points: Ghost of Tsushima (2020)

The atmosphere and the gripping combat sold this game for me, it's just so darn stylish.

2 points: SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain (2003)

I think this was the best in the series mostly because of the roster, which was massive and included quite a few first-timers and legends. Season mode was also replayable as hell.

1 point: Assassin's Creed Odyssey (2018)

Yep, it's far too big, but I can forgive it because it looks so damn pretty. Playing as Kassandra worked for me, the naval battles are well done, some of the side characters are funny, combat for me is satisfying, and as @Loki said about Origins and Egypt, the game really shows off some of the history of the Greek world, and makes you just wanna visit and explore. I did visit Zante in 2006, but that was just a 2-week bender so that doesn't count.

Honourable mentions: The first three Contra games, the first three Mega Man games, Pitfall! (the first game I ever remember playing), Dynamite Headdy, Ratchet & Clank, Jak & Daxter, Cities: Skylines, Cool Spot, Sensible World of Soccer, Cannon Fodder, and Road Rash II. Oh, and Elden Ring and Grand Theft Auto VI, even though I haven't played them yet. I'm pretty confident they'll be in the top 10 soon enough...

I haven't watched a full UFC show in a long, long time but sat through every fight and had a grand ol' time. @wandshogun09 your previews are priceless for someone like me who knows the names but not the backgrounds, and forgets results of fights almost as soon as they've happened, so thank you! 😂 But reading them meant I enjoyed fights such as the main event, Holm/Harrison, and Miller/Green a lot more than I would have otherwise. My jaw dropped at the ending stretch of both Holloway/Gaethje and Pereira/Hill, entertaining stuff!

I have not enjoyed the announcer's work much at all - until this weekend. I just think her calls are too over the top for the weekly shows, but it worked here. The choking over an announcement or two though, ach I don't know if I'm a fan. If something is genuine and doesn't distract from a key moment, it should be fine. But I was kinda distracted with the main event victory call. For a second or two, at least.. There was a lot going on!

As said a couple of times above, magic! Night 1 mostly bored the pants off me, but I enjoyed every match of night 2. I've already watched the climax to the main event three times, that's how much it made me smile.

Other highlights: Drew hilariously taking his CM Punk trolling too far, Snoop Dogg talking about Yogi Bear, the RKO on the announce desk, Io Sky and Bayley on top form, and Michael Cole's "Holy christ!" when the Undertaker appeared.

Just sat through the whole show and I'm mostly in agreement with Statto - nothing offensive but it was fine overall. I really enjoyed Sami and Gunther but everything else before that was pretty average for me. I want my WrestleManias to have bouts or segments that I'll watch again someday, and that ain't happening with this show.

The main event felt big time but, for the first time in the show, I had to skip forward when Rollins was taking the extended beating. I mostly watch AEW these days and so the match was just too darn slow for me, although I did try and just get over it and immerse myself in it. I enjoyed the commentary for the most part and thought their chemistry picked up in the main event, from the entrances onwards they had me chuckling quite a few times. However, the last 3/4 minutes I was not a fan of - I don't think we needed to be told what they think the outcome of Cody/Roman is going to be 84 times.

I'm pretty confident Part 2 will be much more entertaining overall 👍

Adding to the discussion on the TV content, yeah I've kinda gone numb to the number of great match-ups that are just thrown away weekly on AEW with hardly any notice. A slightly younger me would be blown away that I get to see Edge v Pentagon next week, but instead of an intriguing and nasty little feud to build to a match, it will be very likely one-and-done with an obvious result. Boooo!

Just saw a video of AJ Styles and L.A. Knight having a scrap at a media event (not sure if the Threads link works here, but I'm sure you'll see it). Risking injury with the throws and being in among the chairs; the grabbing instead of pro wrestling punches; the awkward stalemate in the middle that most normal fights probably have; the blood at the end - I don't know what to make of it!

https://www.threads.net/@prowrestlingfeed/post/C5YjvvJrXGT

I think some love should be given to the Chad Gable / Sami Zayn Rocky tribute, which I still think was missing something from being an all-time classic segment (some tongue-in-cheek comedy? More emotional music? Not sure), but I was entertained nonetheless and it got me more invested in the IC Title match this weekend. Good stuff.

Och aye the nooooo! I was pondering heading home for summer and this may push me there a little bit harder. There will be wild pitching for a Grado appearance as we speak

I only watched the CM Punk segment and the final segment and they were both really entertaining, worth catching. The Punk segment in particular had me laughing quite a few times, I'm sure you can guess who made it that way 😀

38 minutes ago, RedRooster said:

I didn't hate the episode, don't get me wrong. I'm just finding AEW a bit boring right now. The wrestling is excellent, and there are some brilliant individual performances from a character perspective, but something is missing. You have - arguably - the best heel in wrestling in Christian Cage, yet he isn't in a storyline of consequence. You have a tremendous World Champion in Samoa Joe, feuding with two fantastic characters in Swerve and Hangman. You have Toni Storm emerging as one of the most entertaining characters in all of wrestling. I feel like AEW should be red hot right now, but it's hard to argue that it is.

This is my feeling right now too. For the first time since Dynamite began, I've only read reviews of the show for the past few 4 weeks instead of watching the whole show. I'm not even bothering with Rampage or Collision unless a particular match gets rave reviews. It's great to see Samoa Joe as the top dog, however I think I miss MJF. But (and it shouldn't), the small/quiet crowds that some episodes get upsets me a little, too.

For me, it's the DOOMSDAY CAGE MATCH at WCW Uncensored 1996. If only for (spoilers) The Booty Man to try and save the day with a couple of frying pans. That's precisely what Hulk Hogan and Macho Man needed to overcome their EIGHT opponents. The whole thing is confusing carnage and I love it.

Here's Wrestle Me's take on it.
 

I've picked the same numbers 3 or 4 years in a row - I really should have learned my lesson by now. Terrible! 😂

4, 6, 8, 9, 22

Swerve, Jay White, and Mox all beat each other, but Kingston beat Andrade so that is how the tie is settled. I think.

I just watched Danielson v Andrade and while I'm enjoying matches like these, I'm not sure how much not having a clear face/heel dynamic is bothering me personally. In this example, earlier in the show Miro is being a total dick to his wife and saying he's gonna come after Andrade. Later in the show Andrade is making heelish moves to viciously do what he has to in order to beat Danielson, who himself has been a total scumbag in recent weeks, but is also getting cheered and gaining sympathy for what he is having to endure here. Then Claudio and Yuta show up afterwards, back to being pompous arseholes when it seemed in recent times like they were turning. Maybe I get more on board with matches when I am firmly rooting for someone to win, I'm not sure.

As for the rest of the show, as always Daddy Magic was a delight, I was impressed with Wardlow catching Willie Mack's huricanranna attempt, and talking about rooting for someone, I really enjoyed the opener with Claudio and Kingston! I didn't really pay attention to Ethan Page and Kenny Omega. Happily skipping Kenny Omega matches and feeling like you're not missing anything shouldn't be a thing really, right?

I came here just to post about that article, super interesting. I lived in Hamburg for a couple of years and now finally know why the shelves are filled with paprika flavour! And the lack of non-fishy style crisps in Hanoi is quite upsetting. It's great when people I know come back from home with suitcases stuffed with Wotsits, Hula Hoops, and anything salt and vinegar!

I can't get the phrase "lethal dose of poison" out of my head after watching Punker pop back out and seeing vids of Seth Rollins flipping him off and shouting "fuck you!" at him, and reading that McIntyre stormed out of the building afterwards for some reason. This should be wild!

MJF's amazing I agree, but (I don't think) nobody here has said anything about him rushing to find the Acclaimed at the end of Dynamite. Was his acting not terrible at that point? It's like he was faking that he was upset the Acclaimed got battered. And I can't tell if he just didn't nail it, or it was supposed to look like that. I'm enjoying the layers and the mystery etc., but I'm still not budging on the idea that MJF is some sort of mastermind behind everything. Somehow.

8 hours ago, air_raid said:

I always had a lot of time for (fake video game-name klaxon) The Maivia Hurricane. Yes, it was sloppy sometimes. But when he nailed it, it made him look like one of the best wrestlers on the planet.

On WWF Attitude on the PS1 the move was called Laying the Smackdown, and I'd make it a finisher for my go-to created wrestler Mr. Showtime (who was born in that very game!) I've also seen it listed as "jump-swinging DDT" but can't remember where. I loved it but yep, it could look real sloppy.

Was also a fan of X-Pac leg drop but I probably preferred D'Lo's standing leg drop! Added arm signals and head wiggles and stuff.

That Sean O' Haire tune was exactly the theme I would have put in here. That's what I would use for my CAWs if it was available (Here Comes the Pain, I think?)

Next to come to mind for me was the Nation of Domination theme that the likes of Owen Hart and the Rock had unique versions of. But here's the straight-up instrumental.

Ooh, how about an Iron Man match, but every 20 minutes there's a new stipulation? So mashing it up with a Three Stages of Hell match, kinda. Also, the ring is floating on an exploding swimming pool.

I haven't read anything in here the last few days in case there were potential spoilers about appearances etc., but just wanted to say I'm insanely jealous of everyone going to the show (including one of my best mates), I hope you all soak up the atmosphere and make the most of one of the biggest things to happen to wrestling in forever, and I can't wait to watch it all when I wake up tomorrow.

To be honest, the only thing I'm slightly worried about is production. We all know it's been a little bit shoddy in places and we have many multi-person matches on this card, along with the massive stadium. I'm rooting for them anyway! Enjoy, folks 😀

I tuned in for Gable v Gunther and loved it. Also was fine with the finish, because I was still surprised with it. As it wasn't the main event, I thought it was 100% a Gunther win. So for him to lose in any fashion was interesting to see. I don't watch often but I thought Gable has been portrayed as an over-the-top chump for ages anyway, so I was fine with his celebrating. He knows he's getting another shot and wasn't out of his depth in this one.

Also loved Nakamura's video package. Let him speak Japanese and throw in a few menacing English lines, that's all you need. As probably said in this thread already, just a shame it's years too late.

How did such a promotion get on a Jericho podcast? Has he been doing this with other obscure destinations (I haven't listened in a long time)?

I don't know about in Ho Chi Minh City but up in the capital of Hanoi wrestling is non-existent. Well, not that I've been looking. There's definitely been more buzz over the last couple of years about MMA and setting up smaller events in various locations, but I've seen zero wrestling, so this was fascinating to read, thanks!

If anything was organised in Hanoi, I would absolutely want to learn how to be a referee or manager 😂