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Chicago Foodcast

Episode 2: “Baconius Festivus Maximus”

Special coverage of Baconfest 2011

Running Time: 60:10

Chicago Foodcast

Episode Description: The follow up to the greatest debut in podcast history (according to undisclosed sources), the second episode of Chicago Foodcast delves into one of the most wonderful festivals known to man, Baconfest. Bill and Archie run down interviews with the event’s organizers, as well as chefs from Signature Room, Wow Bao, Nana, Quince, Park Grill, Meatyballs Mobile, RB Grill, Paddy Longs, Chizakaya and The Bristol, not to mention the proprietors of Bacon fragrance, Salted Caramel Company and Nonna Santi’s Biscotti. Bill and Archie also discuss their extensive sampling at the event, adding La Madia, Naha and Red Canary to the mix. They also talk about recent meals at Caffe Baci, Chicken Planet and Lumes Pancake House. They also delve into the recent Goose Island purchase. The “Snack Break!” segment debuts with Pop Chips, as well as “Hey, Fatty! Whatcha been eatin?”

Music on this episode – Scomber’s “Poke in the Eye (Pig Flu That Way)” via ccmixter. (more…)

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Fear Itself

Interview with Writer Matt Fraction

Interview by: Bill Jones, Matt Peters, Archie Easter

Introduction and Transcription by: Bill Jones

There is nothing comics publishers and fans seem to love quite as much as a big summer event. And this year, Marvel’s camp has tapped Matt Fraction to take the lead writing duties on Fear Itself. Issue #1 of the mini-series hits shelves today, Wednesday, April 6, promising plenty of Marvel favorites, an epic storyline and plenty of spin-offs. We caught up with Fraction Sunday, March 20, at the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo in Chicago, and figured there’s no point in us telling readers all about the series when we can have the writer himself do it. Fraction also discusses the Iron Man films, his involvement with the second video game, what it’s like to be chosen for a comics event, going from the comic shop to the con floor and a Spider-Man “thing” he’s had in mind. (more…)

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Title: Bragging Rights 2010

Format: DVD

Studio: WWE Home Video

Review by: Bill Jones

Bragging Rights – another chance for a big tag battle squandered by World Wrestling Entertainment. The company’s annual event features a 7-on-7 tag team elimination bout between the rosters of Raw and Smackdown. But there are no great team ups, or interesting situations presented by the eliminations – only poorly handled storylines and bad wrestling. Meanwhile, Kane and Undertaker end the current incarnation of their brotherly battle in a disappointing Buried Alive match, and John Cena is forced to stand in Wade Barrett’s corner during a title match with Randy Orton. But when the announcers spend the last few minutes of the broadcast trying to explain what went down, the in-ring storytelling clearly isn’t getting the job done. (more…)

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Infamous was one of 2009’s best games. Developed by Sucker Punch, it turned out to be a huge departure from their Sly Cooper series released on the PlayStation 2. The game starred Cole MacGrath as he awoke to find a crater of devastation surrounding him and new-found electricity-based powers. Now Cole is back in the sequel to last year’s game, Infamous 2. Archie got a chance to go hands-on with the game at PAX and see what new tricks Cole will have up his sleeves when the game launches sometime next year. (more…)

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Capcom had a fairly large booth showing at Penny Arcade Expo 2010, and Archie got a chance to go hands on with two of the publisher’s most hotly anticipated titles – Dead Rising 2 and Marvel vs Capcom 3. Archie reports…

Dead Rising 2

Dead Rising 2 looks to be ready to give fans of the first game everything they liked about the original title and more. One of the most new and talked about features is the weapon customization that has been added to the game. Although Capcom promises a bevy of possible combinations in the full retail game, the PAX demo on display only featured a subset of them. Trying to find new possible combinations is already very addicting, and will do wonders for the game’s replayability. (more…)

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While at the Penny Arcade Expo, Archie got a chance to check out some of SouthPeak Games’ offerings at the publisher’s booth, and go hands-on with two of their major upcoming titles, Two Worlds II and Nail’d. (more…)

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Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Hands-On Impressions

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Archie’s Take

EA’s Need for Speed series has gone through many changes and iterations over the past few years. The series has delved into both sim and arcade play styles a few times, gone “Underground” into the world of street racing, and most recently has undergone changes to put players directly in the driver’s seat with Need for Speed: Shift.

The upcoming title, the Criterion developed Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit isn’t so much another revolution as it is a reimagining of one of the most popular iterations of the series. Bill and I got a chance to check out the new title at a special preview event held at Debonair Social Club in Chicago in August. (more…)

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Telltale holds wake for Guybrush Threepwood

By Chris Park

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Heading out to San Francisco from Berkeley, Ca is always a bit of a daunting task. Braving the ever-so-annoying BART system and walking through the massive climate change that is “The City” usually pushes me towards the “not too often” category for visitation.

However, on December 2, Telltale Games hosted a nice little event they called the “Wake of Guybrush Threepwood,” which translates to, “Check out a demo of Tales of Monkey Island: The Rise of the Pirate God.” (more…)

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