Episode 9: Ep. 18 – Spider-man: Homecoming & Tekken 7
Good Tuesday everyone! I know Tuesdays suck in general, but I figured why make it worse by acknowledging reality? There is nothing like a bit of self-delusion to ensure faux happiness to kick off our week. After all, being dad is tough enough without having to face reality. That’s a solid fathering tip for a new dad……when unsure just ignore reality and pretend everything is alright. Kind of like the designers of Tekken 7. I kid! I kid!But not really…..more on that in our podcast. I missed last week due to a fabulous vacation with the fam bam. My wife finally convinced me to become Clark Griswold, and we got our road trip on.
For reasons I will never comprehend my wife has dreamed of this vacation for a long time. But when my queen asks I shall deliver. Also, nothing screams relaxation like being in a car with a five month old for more than sixty hours, over seven days, traveling ~4,000 miles. Am I right?!! So we used travel miles to book numerous hotels in Nevada, Wyoming, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Montana. Though I couldn’t shake the thought I could be buying plane tickets to a beach in Cabo for the same price. Then I realized the stupidity of that thought, and it was quickly squashed. New husbands are thinking…..Why is that a stupid thought? Veteran husbands are thinking…….that is a very stupid thought abandon it now, and just book the hotels. For you new guys feel free to hit me up on twitter (@nerddadgabe), and I will explain why.
We outlined a road trip with an extended stay at my in-law’s family cabin in Minnesota. While at the cabin we planned to boat, ski, wake board and play on the water during the day. At night we planned to get our game on (especially League of Legends with my kiddos)!! We packed the PS4 and our lap tops. I may have gone a bit over board, and brought my PC monitor and keyboard. I would have brought my whole rig if I didn’t receive the “wife” look. So I just settled on my laptop. This was a great plan!! Until we arrived and realized the internet was slower than AOL 56k dial up. The kids were crushed, and that was heartbreaking to see. So in a last ditched effort I attempted to hotspot through my phone. It worked, and we managed to have some great evenings playing LoL together. Needless to say it felt good being a dad hero. The heroic deed was an ignorant, desperate, and a blind shot in the dark. But it felt great to rescue my kid’s hopes. We don’t get to be Spiderman, but nothing beats the feeling of being a dad hero.
My son and I managed to get some game time with Tekken 7 on PS4 as well. I have played fighters since their inception, and they hold a near and dear place in my heart. I remember playing Karate Champ in the arcade, Street Fighter II on the Super NES, and original Tekken Arcade/Playstation. I could destroy Bison with every character in Street Fighter II, and most importantly I could destroy my brother. So it was really interesting returning to a genre I haven’t played much recently, and to do so with my son. Not mention I could fight as a Panda! Yes you heard me right. Tekken 7 characters include a panda. Zech (@nerddadzech) also spent some time with the new Tekken game, and we will be discussing it on this week’s podcast. The fight game genre is kind of in funk, and die hard genre fans are hoping Tekken 7 can help revitalize the category. Can it rescue the genre? Is it worth spending our limited time on the game? Is the ability to fight as panda going to help or hurt their efforts? Also on tap for the podcast is the new Spiderman film review. Spiderman: Homecoming is the third attempt at the franchise, and will be starring Tom Holland. Despite his age this young man has an extensive filmography, which include The Impossible and The Heart of the Sea. However, it has been an up and down ride for Spidey in theatres. I would be lying if I wasn’t approaching this film with a bit of cynicism. Superhero movies have a hard time avoiding the cash grab feel. They know fanboys will show up no matter what. So do studios really care about fidelity to source material, and a plausible story line? Can the new iteration rescue the Spiderman film franchise? Where does Tom Holland fit in the pantheon (slight over exaggeration) of Spiderman actors? Should we spend the extra money bringing the whole family? I am big fan of the early Spiderman comics (Spectacular and Amazing). I binged on those comics and Uncanny X-men as a kid. So I genuinely hope they got it right this time. In the meantime, good luck squeezing a few hours of gaming this week, and hope to hear from you all soon!
Nerd Dad Gabe (aka Gabe Keenan)