We asked, you answered, and we’re pleased to welcome everyone to Brew Hoop, Etc, where we ask that everybody hang up your coats and please don’t feed the pugs from the table, thanks. Today, we take a quick break from the Milwaukee Bucks coverage to talk about something non-basketball. After much deliberation and dart-throwing, the staff chose video games!
What’s your favorite video game?
Eric B: I don’t play many video games, so I’m sticking with a classic and saying Mario Kart on the N64. Never, EVER gets old.
Mitchell: This is a really tough one. Part of me says Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, part of me agrees with Eric B. on Mario Kart 64, part of me remembers how obsessive I was with the original Pokémon, and part of me is embarrassed to admit how many hours I sank into Call of Duty 4 (before the series got lame). How do you choose?!
Riley: Off the wall, but it has to go to Rise of Nations. I can remember playing it for the first time at an uncle’s, and then watching with bated breath as my father attempted to jury rig our PC graphics card in order to run it at home. So many hours burned, and not even a single ounce of regret for a moment.
Rachael: Don’t do this to me! This is so difficult, but I’m going with The Last of Us. As for series, some of my favorites are Uncharted, Fallout, Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, Battlefield, Dishonored, 2K, Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto... shall I go on?
Brett: Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess for the Wii was incredible and will always hold a place in my heart.
Adam: I’m all about Twilight Princess, many fond memories of not leaving bed for 8-plus hours at a time with that one. Fez is up there too, with some of the most engaging and bizarre puzzles I’ve ever seen in a game. For multiplayer fare, Mario Kart: Double Dash is my muse and Halo 3 consumed my friends and I.
Dylan: The original Bioshock. It was the first truly immersive game I remember playing that totally consumed and enveloped me in the stirring and unsettling environment, themes, gameplay and storyline. Probably the only game I’ve gone back and replayed the story. “No gods or kings. Only Man.” Half-Life 2 is also outstanding.
Gabe: This is a tough one. If I had to go with the video game that I spent the most time playing as a kid, I’d have to say Backyard Baseball. Nothing beats that. Nothing. To this day, I say it’s the reason I’m such a big baseball nut. I think I’d always play as the Crazy Melonheads. My teams always featured a lineup that would average over 20+ runs per game. Pete Wheeler, the Khan brothers (Achmed and Amir) and the GOAT Pablo Sanchez were a few of the players I’d always pick. Opponents never stood a chance. Such a fun game.
What was the first video game you ever played?
Mitchell: Super Mario Bros! Yes, it was released in 1985, what are you trying to say?
Riley: Tough to recall, but I’d guess it was Crash Team Racing from the Crash Bandicoot universe. I was raised on the PlayStation, and thus too late to fully appreciate Mario Kart, and when you can’t experience that magic, you have to settle for the essentially bootlegged version with a red rodent as the protagonist instead of an Italian plumber. So many great memories, regardless!
Eric B: It was some version of Madden where you could do some sort of call-and-response/memory drill in “training camp.” Clearly it was very memorable.
Rachael: The first one I can remember playing is the mulitplayer portion of GoldenEye 007 back in 1997. I was awful and I always cheated and looked at my brother’s side of the screen to see where he was hiding. However, the first game I played alone and really got the complete gaming experience of was The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
Brett: Probably something like the first Crash Bandicoot on the PS1 around 1999. I was raised on Crash.
Adam: First game I remember playing was this Rugrats: Search for Reptar game at my buddy’s house. It was this weird 3D adventure starring the whole Rugrats crew and I was pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn’t torn to shred by review outlets back then!
Dylan: It was probably some horrible racing game my parents bought us for PS1 or Crash Bandicoot, but Pokémon Silver for the gameboy color was the first truly life-changing game I played and sunk my soul into. 007 Nightfire was the first memorable multiplayer game that I played more hours than I’m proud to admit.
Gabe: I think it was Backyard Baseball. If it wasn’t that, it was FIFA 2000 (Gianfranco Zola was unstoppable on Chelsea in that game).
What was the last video game you’ve played?
Mitchell: NBA 2k15. It’s been a while.
Eric B: Rory McIlroy PGA Tour on Xbox One. I shot -32 for 18 holes and enjoyed a life where golf is easy for me.
Riley: Battlefield 1 is the current flavor of the past month (and beyond). Sure, there isn’t much in the way of historical accuracy to it, but as an avowed fanatic when it comes to the study of every aspect of the First World War, it warms my heart in a way I can’t describe to see such a relatively unknown subject brought to life.
Rachael: Horizon Zero Dawn! It reminds me a bit of Far Cry Primal mixed with Fall Out, along with a dash of The Witcher. I just finished playing Dishonored 2 for the second time — I beat it as Emily first and then as Corvo. Before that, I played The Last Guardian which I highly recommend. Please play it.
Brett: I hopped on Overwatch last week. That game is still awesome.
Adam: Just purchased the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild last weekend and can’t put it down. Very impressed how intuitively its open-world systems flow together and it’s downright gorgeous. Before that I was finally playing through the second half of Broken Age, a beautiful adventure game created by the guy behind Full Throttle and Grim Fandango.
Dylan: A few weeks ago I didn’t want to write my history paper so I played this adorable Google doodle game they made for Valentine’s Day. Before that I put Bioshock back into the ole’ Xbox 360, and it’s still incredible.
Gabe: I have a PS4, but I haven’t played it a lot recently. I think the last time I fired it up was to play NBA 2K17. Although, I’m going to be getting MLB The Show 17 in a few weeks!
Here’s a curveball: what non-video game game do you enjoy?
Eric B: Ticket to Ride is a fun board game I’ve played. It involves taking some risks and collecting assets, so it’s basically SPORTS!
Mitchell: I’ve partaken (partook?) in a number of board games in my day, and am a particular fan of Carcassonne, Pandemic, and Five Tribes (even if I’m rubbish at the last one). But I have to be honest and double-down on the admission I made in our staff post a while back: Dungeons & Dragons is my jam.
Riley: I don’t like to admit it, but I actually play quite a bit of Diplomacy (the board game) online. It has only been a semi-recent discovery, but it is essentially the perfect answer for someone looking for Risk without the constant dice rolling. My go to nation? Austria-Hungary, because I’m a masochist.
Rachael: I’m currently addicted to playing 8-Ball on my phone. It’s becoming a real problem. Besides that, does playing with my adorable and perfect cat count?
Adam: I am lame and don’t play a whole lot of board games or other experiences outside of video games :’(. Maybe bag toss, I like bag toss! That’s one!
Dylan: I really love Settlers of Catan, but I haven’t played in a long time. I’ve also dabbled in Dungeons & Dragons, but never to the extent I would like to or with people who know what’s actually going on (me included).
Gabe: As a college student, does beer pong count?
Mitchell: Yes, it does, Gabe. Yes, it does.
Feel free to answer the same questions, or ask your own, in the comments! The SB Nation Community Guidelines still apply, even if basketball isn't the topic at hand. Have at it!