Features
Nerds Without Pants Episode 110.5: Gamer Group Think
Nerds Without Pants Episode 110.5: Gamer Group Think
11
Podcast
Published on April 12, 2017 5:00 PM - 1 minute read
Such a great episode, we needed two!

Hey there! No, your eyes do not deceive you; this is the second episode of Nerds Without Pants to be released today. Welcome to part two of episode 110, where we are still joined by John Brandon of the Square Roots Podcast to talk some Consumption Junction and Chrono Crossing.

Nerds Without Pants Episode 110: It Takes a Village (Theme)
Nerds Without Pants Episode 110: It Takes a Village (Theme)
5
Podcast
Published on April 12, 2017 4:00 PM - 2 minute read
Plenty of tunes to accompany you on your journey.

Welcome to a musical masterpiece edition of Nerds Without Pants! We are joined by John Brandon of the Square Roots Podcast, and this episode is so epic we had to split it into two parts. Let’s jump into this one, shall we?

Nerds Without Pants Episode 109: Can't Hardly Wait For '98
Nerds Without Pants Episode 109: Can't Hardly Wait For '98
13
Podcast
Published on March 29, 2017 4:00 PM - 2 minute read
Chrono Cross: graduation day edition!

Welcome to a very special edition of Nerds Without Pants! We are joined by PixlBit Site Director Nick as we spend the entire episode on Chrono Crossing. That’s because we’re looking back at 1998. Is this really the greatest year for gaming? The Pantsless Ones hash it out. Spoiler alert: it totally is!

Nerds Without Pants Episode 108: California Dreamin'
Nerds Without Pants Episode 108: California Dreamin'
10
Podcast
Published on March 15, 2017 4:00 PM - 2 minute read
We suffer for you!

Welcome to a new episode of the Dumpster Fire, er, I mean, Nerds Without Pants! Yes, we had some serious issues getting this episode to you, but it should be somewhat entertaining. We’ve got the best of the games that never were, epic road trips, questionable MMO addictions, and an eclectic mix of games for Chrono Crossing. Let’s jump in!

The Nintendo Switch Chicago Preview Event
The Nintendo Switch Chicago Preview Event
18
Special
Published on March 2, 2017 1:00 PM - 34 minute read
Friend of the site, Greg Meyer, had a chance to go hands on with the Switch at one of the exclusive events. In anticipation of tomorrow's release, he's put together a bunch of impressions to get you excited for what's coming next for Nintendo.

On Friday, February 17th, I had the opportunity to travel to Chicago and check out Nintendo’s upcoming new system—The Switch, as well as fifteen different titles releasing within the Switch’s first year. As a longtime fan of video games, I’d read about events like E3 and press preview events and dream about going to one of these one day. Since I’m not involved in games journalism and live in the Midwest, I never imagined I’d have a chance to attend a preview event. The only time I went to something of this level was Nintendo’s E3 Best Buy event in 2013, where I spent three hours in line so I could play one Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze level. When Nintendo emailed me an invitation to preview the Switch, I immediately snagged two tickets. When I left for the event with my friend Marcus, I expected something similar to that Best Buy preview.

Nerds Without Pants Episode 107: Beginner's Guide to Console Wars
Nerds Without Pants Episode 107: Beginner's Guide to Console Wars
21
Podcast
Published on March 1, 2017 4:00 PM - 1 minute read
The best thing regarding the year 2000 since Chris Jericho's WWE debut.

Welcome to one of the best damn episodes of Nerds Without Pants ever! Yeah, it’s a long one, but that’s only because we packed it with so much goodness. Let’s dig in!

Nerds Without Pants Special: Switched On
Nerds Without Pants Special: Switched On
8
Podcast
Published on February 20, 2017 11:45 PM - 2 minute read
In which Patrick becomes a mouthpiece for Nintendo.

With the Nintendo Switch right around the corner, the Nerds Without Pants bring you hands on impressions of the next big thing from the house of Mario! JD sits in with us, and we are joined by David Welch from Experimental Gamer. He is the man behind the Western-themed RPG Boot Hill Heroes, so go check them out!

Nerds Without Pants Episode 106: Allow Myself to Introduce...Myself
Nerds Without Pants Episode 106: Allow Myself to Introduce...Myself
23
Podcast
Published on February 15, 2017 4:00 PM - 1 minute read
2001: Bad year for the world, fantastic year for video games.

We hope you had a nice Valentine’s Day, because we have a lot of love to give you with this new episode of Nerds Without Pants. It’s the return to our standard show format, which means we’ve got Stage Select, Consumption Junction, and Chrono Crossing all set up for you. Enjoy!

Nerds Without Pants Episode 105: The Best of the Worst Year
Nerds Without Pants Episode 105: The Best of the Worst Year
34
Podcast
Published on February 1, 2017 4:00 PM - 2 minute read
2016: bad for mankind, great for video games.

The Nerds Without Pants return from their (overlong) holiday break to talk about a lot of damn games! No Stage Select or Chrono Crossing this time, because we’re about Consumption Junction and our favorite games of 2016. Let’s get to it!

Nerds Without Pants Special: The Cutting Room Floor
Nerds Without Pants Special: The Cutting Room Floor
28
Podcast
Published on January 15, 2017 4:00 PM - 2 minute read
Or: Seanbaby's Rest of the Crap

Welcome to a special edition of Nerds Without Pants almost a year in the making! Julian has been saving bits and pieces from the last year's worth of episodes that you've never heard before, and cobbled them together into something halfway decent!

Nerds Without Pants Episode 104: The State of the Generation 2016
Nerds Without Pants Episode 104: The State of the Generation 2016
52
Podcast
Published on December 27, 2016 9:35 PM - 2 minute read
F**k 2016.

It’s the last Nerds Without Pants of the year, and in one last screw you from 2016, we’re a man down. Worry not, because we recruited Mike Fallek from the Go to Hell Podcast to chime in on the state of the gaming generation for 2016. So let’s jump right in!

Nerds Without Pants Episode 103: Road Trippin'
Nerds Without Pants Episode 103: Road Trippin'
53
Podcast
Published on December 12, 2016 6:08 PM - 1 minute read
Or: The Great Final Fantasy XV Debate.

It’s a jam-packed edition of Nerds Without Pants this time. We have Stage Select, we’re Chrono Crossing to 2002, and Patrick and Julian bring out every weapon of kings they can bear to do battle over the quality of Final Fantasy XV. So let’s jump right in!

Nerds Without Pants Episode 102: Level Lords
Nerds Without Pants Episode 102: Level Lords
61
Podcast
Published on November 27, 2016 4:00 PM - 1 minute read
Put the turkey down and put your design caps on!

We hope you’re not too full of turkey and shopping deals, because we have a full plate of Nerds Without Pants for you this week! It’s just Julian and Patrick this time, but that doesn’t stop us from delivering a delicious meal of podcasting goodness. So dig in!

Nerds Without Pants Episode 101: Switching Things Up
Nerds Without Pants Episode 101: Switching Things Up
53
Podcast
Published on November 13, 2016 6:45 PM - 2 minute read
Call me queen!

Welcome back to Nerds Without Pants! This week, we are joined by Danny, a former Gamefellas coworker of Julian’s, and a very knowledgeable classic game collector. We have a packed show for you this time, so let’s get to it!

Backloggers Anonymous Super Castlevania 4
Backloggers Anonymous Super Castlevania 4
37
Podcast
Published on October 31, 2016 1:00 PM - 1 minute read
The Backloggers return for more Castlevania.

Backloggers Anonymous returns for a special Halloween episode featuring Super Castlevania IV. Join us as Casey and Catherine create a theory tying everything to wall meat, while Blake explains his beef with this game. 

Nerds Without Pants Episode 100: The Halloween Havoc
Nerds Without Pants Episode 100: The Halloween Havoc
28
Podcast
Published on October 30, 2016 4:00 PM - 2 minute read
The dark, gritty reboot of Halloween Havoc!

Holy pumpkins, Batman! It’s the 100th episode of Nerds Without Pants! How the hell did that happen? How are we still doing this? How are people still listening to us? That is one of those unanswered questions, like how candy corn is still a thing. Join us for…well, a pretty standard edition of Nerds Without Pants, if we’re being honest!

Nerds Without Pants Special: Night Time Nerds
Nerds Without Pants Special: Night Time Nerds
20
Podcast
Published on October 24, 2016 7:15 PM - 2 minute read
Take a walk on the fringe!

Welcome to a spooooky special edition of Nerds Without Pants! Okay, actually not that spooky, but Julian is joined by Jordan Bonaparte, the creator and host of The Night Time Podcast. Jordan produces an incredible show that deals with the fringe, the weird, true crime, and more, and Julian has a great time talking to him about a ton of different topics.

A New Handheld War Begins
A New Handheld War Begins
12
Special
Published on October 24, 2016 1:00 PM - 13 minute read
Switch vs. Smach

So it's a pretty safe assumption that you've heard about the Nintendo Switch by now. Nintendo is finally combining their handheld and console hardware into one risky gamble for their next platform. With this comes discussions on how it will compete with the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and mobile platforms to carve its own niche, but did you know there is also another dedicated handheld releasing in Spring 2017? Yes, even though Sony may or may not release another handheld, there is a new contender to take their place with the Smach Z, a handheld dedicated to playing Steam games, as well as other PC titles with some troubleshooting. So why not see what new ventures gaming on-the-go will bring us this next year?

Five Things Mass Effect Could Improve On
Five Things Mass Effect Could Improve On
23
Editorial
Published on October 20, 2016 4:00 PM - 24 minute read
The key to the future of Mass Effect is in its past.

We are fast approaching November 7, which in recent years has been marked as “N7 Day” by EA and BioWare, and is usually a celebration of all thing Mass Effect. We’ve done things for N7 Day in the past, and I’m sure we will this year, as BioWare is set to finally show off the upcoming Mass Effect: Andromeda in a big way. Considering that the game is expected early next year it’s a little worrisome that we have seen so little of it by now. With that being the case, I thought it would be fun to take a look back at my favorite game in the series: the first Mass Effect. That game had some serious issues, but instead of fixing those issues for Mass Effect 2, BioWare’s solution was to throw most of them right out the window. So let’s take a look at some of those problems with the original Mass Effect. I will identify the major issues, explain what BioWare’s solution was, and provide an alternative fix that I hope makes its way into Andromeda.

What's With All the Sonic Hate?
What's With All the Sonic Hate?
21
Editorial
Published on October 18, 2016 2:32 PM - 11 minute read
I channel my inner '90s mascot attitude and explore a recent troubling trend.

At last year’s PAX East I attended a panel hosted by one of the marketing magicians for Sega of America in the '90s, Al Nilson. At that panel I got up to ask a question about the NEMO project he worked on in the late '80s, but before I did I told this quick story about the time I borrowed the first Sonic the Hedgehog game off my friend when it was first released:  While I was at home being blown away by the technical achievement of Sonic Team’s new baby, my friend called me and said his mother was mad he lent out his new game and was making him come by in a couple hours to pick it up. Since my time was now limited to how much of this amazing new game I was going to be able to play,  I decided to hunker down and try to beat the game before he came to get it. I focused and played as carefully as I could. I ended up beating the game without continuing and with all the Chaos Emeralds. I had the honor of telling Al Nilson it was one of the best "Gaming Zen" moments of my life. He appreciated my story and my love for Sonic.

Halloween Treats: PixlBit's Favorite Games of the Season
Halloween Treats: PixlBit's Favorite Games of the Season
9
Special
Published on October 17, 2016 1:00 PM - 13 minute read
The staff sounds off on their favorite Halloween games - what's your go-to Halloween gaming experience?

Halloween is here! A time of all kinds of scary things like werewolves, zombies, and diabetes! Not to mention plenty of great games. Whether you want something fun and lighthearted, something that will scare the pants off you*, or something in the middle, the Pixlbit staff has you covered as we talk about our favorite Halloween video games! 

Nerds Without Pants Episode 99: The Return of Angelo Grant
Nerds Without Pants Episode 99: The Return of Angelo Grant
6
Podcast
Published on October 16, 2016 4:00 PM - 2 minute read
The band is back together!

Hey folks, it’s Julian. Man, it really sucks that Angelo has been out and we didn’t have Patrick on our last episode. We’re about to hit episode 100, but where is—OH DAMN, SON! ALL THE NERDS WITHOUT PANTS ARE HERE! That’s right! We’re finally all back together for a short and sweet Consumption Junction edition of NWP.

Nerds Without Pants Episode 98: Sentient Carpets From Outer Space
Nerds Without Pants Episode 98: Sentient Carpets From Outer Space
16
Podcast
Published on October 9, 2016 4:00 PM - 1 minute read
Or: Mike and Julian Save the World

We’re two men down this time, but luckily we have a very special guest in the form of one Mike Fallek. He is the host of 30 Podcasts I’m Not Doing, along with a bunch of other projects, and he’s a super funny and passionate dude. So even though it’s only a two-man show, Julian and Mike end up talking for a very long time about a lot of interesting things. Let’s get to it!

Backloggers Anonymous Castlevania
Backloggers Anonymous Castlevania
12
Podcast
Published on October 4, 2016 1:00 PM - 1 minute read

After almost a year long hiatus Backloggers Anonymous returns with a game to get you back into the Halloween spirit: Castlevania. Casey, Catherine, and Blake all tried to finish off Dracula before they got 25 Game Overs. Did they succeed? Did they fail? Check in to find out then try the challenge yourself! Then give Super Castlevania 4 a try for when the three of them return next time!

Nerds Without Pants Episode 97: NWP x TnB
Nerds Without Pants Episode 97: NWP x TnB
18
Podcast
Published on September 25, 2016 4:00 PM - 2 minute read
Don't let the cute article image fool you; this one is filthy!

Welcome to what is easily the craziest episode of Nerds Without Pants of ALL TIME. That’s because we have Tyler and Bob from the TnB Podcast on this week, and Patrick is running the Stage Select segment. Seriously, you don’t stand a chance against this episode. Just surrender now. All your attention is belong to us.