We at Destructoid are always receiving new videos and content from readers who want us to help get the word out about whatever it is that they happen send us at the moment. As you would expect, some of it stands out more than others as being something that gaming geeks, such as ourselves, might actually enjoy.
Such as the case of this beauty of a show that the producer himself, Brett Vanderbrook sent to our tip line. After viewing the first episode and finding myself mildly amused, I figured it was as good a time as ever to share it with the fellow Dtoids out there. I could wax all poetic about it, but I think I'll let Brett do all the talking for us. After all, he is the producer, you know. Did I already mention that?
It's a series that takes Saturday morning/after school programming from the early 90s and turns it into a conglomeration of gamer-sitcom awesomeness. Set against the backdrop of the Genesis/Nintendo consumer war of the 90s, the story follows Chad Belmont, an underachieving high school junior who has the power to enter Sega Genesis games and fight evil doers in Video Land.
His arch nemesis, NES, is the underling of a higher being known only as the Game Genie. As the series progresses, the relationship between the characters deepens, and we begin to learn more about Chad and NES's pasts, as well as the origins of Video Land. In the mix are Becky and Lunk, Chad's best friends; Stacey, the babe that Chad pines for; Darryl Popinski, the school bully; and Principal Blakemore, Chad's natural enemy at Martin Bromley High.
So there you have it. Take a video game inspired theme, throw in some nostalgia from previous consoles, mix in some decent acting for episodic content, add a hint of Saved By the Bell, and you have the ingredients for something worth watching on the web. Did I mention that it is Screech approved?
Now if you'll excuse me, I have a few more episodes to watch. I swear to God if they pull a Lost number on us and sprinkle reruns throughout the season, I'm going to drive to New York and deliver beatdowns to all involved. I'm not joking.
This has been on ScrewAttack for quite a while now. It's pretty effing awesome. I'll freely admit that I w00ted at the only-in-focus-for-a-second shot of the SNES controller. You'll know what I mean if you get the far in watching it.
Now this ... this I seriously enjoyed. It's like everything that these usual online episodic shows aren't - Well written, not stuffed with over the top, overacted jokes, decently performed and very well directed. Loved the Ed Wright style directing of the whole thing.
For example, you wouldn't get a joke as gloriously downplayed as the "<- Games / Cupcakes ->" visual gag in nearly any other show like this. I also love "Blue pigs get the kick. Everything gets the kick". The acting for Captain S and Nes are is really above average for this kind of stuff, too.
if you enjoyed this, make sure to hit up www.x-strikestudios.com as well.
Two of the main guys (Brett Vanderbrook and Chad Williams) have worked on many of the X-Strike movies. Chad is a main character in River City Rumble and Brett is the lead in Silent Horror and both have bit parts in others as well. Not to mention the fact that all X-Strike movies are video game based. Chad even directed and starred in his own movie, Nth Mile, a Parappa the Rapper movie!
Oh, and that Dale North guy who posts entries here on Destructoid? He did the soundtrack for Silent Horror. Check that shits out too.
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