We’re 20 now — and all grown up. Well, not really. We’ll never grow up. Listen to episode 20 to hear just how juvenile we really are. We talk about video games, too!

I’m not always right. Contrariwise, I’m not always wrong either.
For those of us who just want the short version, I’m right roughly 90% of the time, according to my calculations. This is due to my acute obsession with stopping/thinking/researching before speaking.
However, this ability to be right and/or wrong has nothing to do with my having breasts.
Now that that’s cleared up, let’s move on to other matters.

I wanted to take a moment to deal with some of the more interesting insults/situations I’ve encountered in my life, as a gamer, as a girl, and more directly as a combination of the two. After a vague introduction, I thought this might be a nice way for you to really see how my inner workings tick. Most of these issues are the direct result of exposure to online communities of the FPS nature, but as an effort to keep the loyal/rabid fans from rioting, I shan’t name names. But the balance of things a girl will endure, versus her male counterpart, is very interesting…

First off, when did one’s sexual orientation ever directly effect their gaming performance? I was unaware that my preference for men or women could entirely disorient my gaming reflexes. I’ve done a good deal of research on the topic, but I can find no connection. Maybe one of my less mature comrades can explain this in meticulous detail to me. I find this insults especially curious as it applies to both male and female gamers, whereas most of my other quips seem limited to those lacking a Y chromosome.

However talented I am at making sandwiches, given three years of Deli experience, what would possess me to make one for you, a complete stranger? And for free? For those of you who are curious, I have a standard minimum $5 sandwich fee, plus cost of overnight shipping. Oh, and tips. Anything less just results in a dangerous monstrosity at your doorstep instead of a tasty treat. So no thanks guys, I actually won’t be making you a sandwich, how about you make me something instead? I don’t know, a garden salad, a decent stew, hell I’ll take a cookie if it’s done right.

I know my shots are point perfect and my kill to death ratio is the reason being so high in the positive digits you’re so frustrated, so obviously, I must be fat. Being awesome and being fat go hand in hand, don’t you know. Again, I could not seem to locate the research to back this up, but it must be out there. It seems to be an irrefutable fact on XBox Live that girls who kick ass only do so because they spend so much time on theirs. I don’t see how larger fingers on the buttons would make my reflexes sharper, but so be it.

Now come the more serious issues. The threats of all manner and kind, I’m sure many of you know what I’m talking about. Ladies and gentlemen, I’m going to say this once, and only once. Let it be. Breathe in. Say it with me, calmly, slowly – It. Is. Just. A. Game. Breathe out. Feel better now? Life is too short, as are in game rounds, for such attacks. Not only do these comments carry real world consequences, but they are entirely unnecessary. Shooting your imaginary avatar with my imaginary gun from 3000 miles away is hardly anything worth threatening my life over. Anyone care to offer a theory why some people online are so verbally violent? I say “verbally violent” because the guy threatening to rape me digitally is the same one I’ll bump into at PAX looking for a hug and a handshake. With all my research, all my pondering, all I can come up with is that some folks are just plain crazypants.

Now, now fellas, I’m not saying the ladies get all the hate, but correct me if I’m wrong, but it’s a different sort of criticism than the guys get. Despite the growing numbers, the overwhelming statistics, the world of gaming, and inherently, online gaming, is still very much a “man’s” world. And don’t think I’m one of those crazy ultra-feminists out to change the use of the world “history” because it begins with “his” – I could care less about minor details. But the point is that out of the 40% plus of girl gamers out there, most of them are still silently coasting by, keeping themselves protected against silly/stupid/immature/irresponsible/unprovoked/unnecessary attack. And yeah, bucking up and growing a stronger skin is part of life…however, and I emphasize – HOWEVER, there’s a limit.

I guess what I’m saying is this: It’s a scary world out there, especially when there’s so much going against you, despite your gender. The ladies have a few more chips on their shoulder to hold up, and a few more weaknesses to take advantage of. The point I’m trying to get at here is simple – We’re all in this together, it ought to be enjoyable for everybody, not just the four 12 year old boys calling each other “noob”.

Myself personally, I’ve been called every name in the book, and then some I didn’t know existed. I’ve laughed about it, I’ve cried about it, I’ve gotten revenge over it, and I’ve signed off over it. It’s all part of the process. In my mind, forging an identity online was much like doing so in High School. You have to go into the fire and come out, slightly singed but otherwise still breathing, in order to discover the person you’re meant to be.

For right now, that person is PMS Epidemic. It could be someone else tomorrow. Thankfully, the only thing holding me back from the next great idea…is $10.

Special guest Jeff AKA Quality Beats joins the show this week and goes in depth with the ladies on such topics as Limbo, the addition of multiplayer in games that don’t seem right for it, and how he drew his inspiration for the Pink and Deadly intro music.

My name is Kristen Maloney, and I’m a gamer.

And I’d like to take this time to introduce myself as the newest writer on the Pink & Deadly staff. First, the basics:

I’m 23, I assistant manage a store with a large gaming specific retailer, and I’m a University of Oregon student majoring in Journalism. I’ve been gaming since I could walk, and I’ve got experience as an MLG competitor when Rainbow Six: Vegas was on the circuit.

Now that the boring details are out of the way, let’s get down to business.

I love gaming. And I don’t mean in some sort of way that a tourist loves the Caribbean. I love gaming with every fiber of my being. I work with games, I talk games, I play games…it’s sort of the common denominator in my life. So with my time here, it shouldn’t be a shock that we’re going to discuss gaming from time to time.

So as a girl in the gaming world and the retail one, there’s going to be some interesting discussions afoot around these parts, or so I hope. And that’s the idea. Gaming isn’t just playing anymore. There’s artistry, storytelling, a great many gears all operating at once and creating something interactive and fresh. But without players, there is no point or purpose – the game itself merely becomes another cog.

So I figure I’ll let the world sort of soak in my involvement here before I roll up my sleeves and get into some real conversation points. For a taste of some things I’m hoping to grasp here sortly are: changes in the gaming world (3D/Motion), the abundance of sequels vs the decline of fresh IPs, and the rise of Geek/Gaming Culture.

So sit back, relax, and buckle up friends – it’s going to be an interesting journey.

Donna’s tipsy and Chelle is her enabler. That’s all you really need to know.

I have an issue with Microsoft’s Kinect, as some of you may know I have had trouble walking or standing for long periods of time without a physical aid, such as a crutch. Due to this, Kinect, a platform in which it is a necessity to stand for the majority of games, is rendered useless to me. I understand that Microsoft have seen the potential, largely thanks to the hugely successful Nintendo Wii, for more family and party based games. It goes without saying, that Microsoft wants their grubby paws on some of that proverbial “Fat cash”. But in doing so, is Microsoft simply spending a lot of time, money and energy on what will essentially be a pink elephant? Aside from the obvious fears that this will be as ‘successful’ as the Playstation Eye Toy, it would appear the large numbers of disabled gamers are being ignored once again.

A similar issue had been raised during the release of Modern Warfare 2 and Bioshock 2. Red and green are extremely difficult, if not impossible, to be distinguished by the colour blind. Petitions have been created to change the red to an orange, and seemingly ignored. It may only be a small percentage of gamers with these problems, but I truly believe it is something that should always be addressed before the games are published.

Back to Kinect, a lot of gamers will not have the space to play it unless it is put into a large living area. The intention is simple; Kinect is one for the families to play together. Unfortunately, most families with young children who want to play party games already have a Nintendo Wii – Why shell out £130 for something most people already have? Six years ago, in 2004, the U.S. Bureau of the Census reported there are around 32 million registered disabled adults (Over the age of 18) and 5 million under the age of 18. A total of 37 million people are going to be unable to take full advantage of Kinect. Obviously, a smaller number of those 37 million people will be gamers, however Kinect which is to reach out to the “non-gamer” seems to be completely alienating a fairly large demographic.

Obviously, nobody knows how much of a success Kinect will be, and I never want new technology to fail. I do fear, however, that 9 out of 10 games released for Kinect will be typical “party” games with little to no thought. If this has seemed angry in any way, it’s not so much anger, more disappointment that a new gaming ‘system’ is coming out which I am going to be unable to use.

Chelle is stuck in Limbo and Donna has a Shadow Complex! Not literally, of course, but the ladies do talk about both games. They also talk about their favorite movies and things that annoy them in games. Check it out!

We should all know what a Guitar Hero game is about by now, and this is the second game in the Guitar Hero franchise centred around a specific band, the first being Guitar Hero Metallica. The biggest problem I find with Guitar Hero focusing on one band in a game is they add random crap from other bands. If you’re a huge Van Halen fan, do you really want to play Dope Nose by Weezer or Stacy’s Mom by Fountains Of Wayne? Probably not.

The Guitar Hero franchise, in my honest opinion, took a nose dive the moment Harmonix were not involved. Overcharted songs on Expert and a ridiculously loose timing window, meaning you can miss a not on the chart by a clear whole second, yet it still registers as successful. While this is good for people new to a rhythm game, it can detract from the actual gameplay. It certainly aims for the ‘fun’ factor more than a Rock Band game, which aims for being as realistic as possible.

Waiter, there’s a Spanish Fly in my soup
Some of the Van Halen songs are, predictably, extremely hard on guitar. Eddie’s “finger tapping” solos are there in all their glory/annoyance. However, the career mode is typically linear for a Guitar Hero game. You get given a list of songs, and you work your way through. There are no special targets to hit during a song, it’s simply “Gain enough stars to unlock the next venue” making the entire career mode a mundane experience.

Should you venture online, whether it be in a band or in a one on one battle, the game is still rife with quitters. There is nothing more annoying than nailing a perfect solo, only to see your opponent quit out.

One thing that Guitar Hero has got right is the addition of a sixth ‘open note’ on bass. At first, I’d imagine for a lot of rhythm game enthusiasts who’ve never picked up a real instrument, this would be a very difficult addition. As a bassist, I love this addition as it just makes the normally tedious charts of Bass Guitar on a rhythm game seem more authentic and a little more challenging.

I like smashing drums
The drums are, for the most part, charted very well on Expert. The addition of Expert+ modes on drums is completely unforgiving however. You will need a second bass pedal unless you have a ridiculously quick kicking foot. One thing I think I prefer in Guitar Hero drums over Rock Band drums is the ability to set off Star Power whenever you want. With Rock Band, you have to wait for a specific time to make a drum fill and hit the cymbal at the end. With the Guitar Hero drums, you simply hit both cymbals (Or blue and yellow on a Rock Band kit) whenever you want to set off your accumulated Star Power.

Summary
Guitar Hero: Van Halen is obviously going to be aimed at hardcore fans of the band, yet I feel a big slip-up has been made with the addition of other bands. Who are they trying to appeal to? Fans of Van Halen or a casual gamer? It has to be one or the other, trying to tread a line between both doesn’t work.

Scoring
Gameplay 7-10 – A typical Guitar Hero game, I don’t know what more can be said about it
Presentation 9/10 – Again typical from Guitar Hero. During the songs, they’ve taken careful consideration into the band movements and lip-synching
Audio 8/10 – It’s a music game, however when playing single player bass, it’s difficult to hear what you’re actually playing
Accessibility 6/10 – The addition of “beginner” modes is good for new players, yet the jump to the harder levels is extreme
Replay Value 4/10 – Once you’ve gone through the linear career mode there’s not much to bring you back
Overall (Not An Average) – 7/10

We have a very special episode this week everyone! You’ll get to hear all about Donna’s adventures at Comic Con 2010 with special guests Pink and Deadly moderators Escoblades and Leenygma. But before that enjoy the mad rantings of Frugal Gaming’s Legendary Team Bromance (well two of them anyway….) as they do their best to break the Pink and Deadly podcast.

Ever heard of IO Interactive? You know, the guys who made the brilliant Hitman series? Well they also made Mini Ninjas. It’s certainly a bold step in direction, but does it pay off?

Miniiiiiiiiiiiii Ninjaaaaaaaaaaaa
The basic premise of Mini Ninjas is simple. You are, as the title would suggest, a Mini Ninja saving the village. On your quest you find your friends who all have different abilities. One can fire from a bow and arrow, one is a big lump with a massive wooden mallet, but your main character is typically ninja with his sword.

Let’s get a few good points out of the way first, the scenery is breathtaking. It is very easy to get lost amongst the beautiful backdrops and colours used. For a game where there is so little to do, this is most definitely a good thing. I find myself clutching at straws, but the way your Mini Ninjas run when you go into sprint, is nothing short of cute. The World is fairly open and certainly encourages exploration, which I can only deem as good for the younger gamer, something this game is clearly catered for.

I think, Therefore, I am Ninja
The main gameplay focuses around you controlling whichever Mini Ninja you like the look of and running towards the end of the level, should you avoid exploration. On your way, random foes will appear or be situated in typical areas for you to dispatch. There is a slight element of strategy in the sense it’s often a good idea to use your Bow and Arrow Ninja to take out the archers before cleaning house with a melee weapon. Once through, you will eventually find a boss battle. Every boss battle reacts in the same way. Find a way to stun the boss, and follow the on-screen Quick Time Events. Rinse and repeat. For some reason, this is exactly the same for every boss battle in the game. After one or two, I found little to no reason to carry on with such linear gameplay; I was pretty much on auto-pilot.

The game isn’t terrible, not by a long stretch of the imagination; it’s just not particularly good. In the best way possible, this is a great little game to get the younger ones into something with a bit of depth. There’s the ability to cast spells such as Fireballs and take over bodies of animals for very basic stealth, along with regular well set checkpoints.

Summary
Mini Ninjas is not going to break any standards in gaming, it will, however, appeal to the very casual gamer or gamers of a younger age. With reason to explore levels and a basic combat system, this is a great “learning” game.

Scoring
Gameplay 6/10 – Nothing groundbreaking, but very solid with little to no glitches.
Presentation 8/10 – Stunning backdrops with no frame-rate issues.
Audio 4/10 – Very cheesy dialogue with terribly played accents.
Accessibility 7/10 – Great for newcomers to pick up and play, however the camera can be a bit fiddly.
Replay Value 5/10 – If you enjoyed it the first time round, you’ll come back. Otherwise there is little to no replay value.
Overall (Not an Average) – 6/10