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Nerdcore Revisited: Penny Arcade Expo

PAX, the Penny Arcade Expo, happens this weekend in Seattle to counterbalance DragonCon on the East Coast. PAX is a major Gamer Con and festival put together by Penny Arcade (the WebComic), but more than that it is the premiere Nerdcore event each year. Nerdcore artists from all over North America converge on this event, and put on a show that has to be seen to be believed. I need to be there next year.

What is Nerdcore? Just like Steampunk is what happens when Goths discover Brown and the technology to develop it, Nerdcore is what happens when Computer Programmers discover Rap and record a video. These are a few good Nerdcore examples. But first, the explanation; which of Us are Nerds?

Pac-Man Paranoia is the name of the first song, by the Swedish band Bondage Fairies. This Giant Robot Kills follows it, the new MC Lars tune, from a Tweet by MC Frontalot. The next song is Galvanize the Empire; I got the link for that one in a tweet from @_mcchris. And then comes the theme song: Penny Arcade itself, where the lyrics give you the password. If you are a true classic gamer, you will have no problems recognizing the original MMO game, Zork, in the following song (You Might Get Eaten By A Gru).

Catherine preview

If this was an Anime I would be so there; the style in this preview slips back and forth between dimensions, and it looks like there are murders to solve (or at least avoid becoming another victim). But this is the game Catherine, being released soon for the PS3 and XBox360. Either way, it looks like a fun world to hang out in.

Metroid History

When did you first start playing the game Metroid, and when did you last play? This one has been around for 25 years or so, and has been ported through a number of platforms (all Nintendo flavored). But if you are planning to go for the upcoming Metroid: Other M, you will probably need to refresh yourself on the back story. In the first video, Samus Aran (the heroine) brings you up to speed on the history, while in the second you get a trailer of the new game. Thanks to Kotaku for the heads up on this one.

Library Spice

There are times when the world hands you a new twist on an old favorite. In this instance, it was caused by the mashup between Libraries and the Old Spice adds. One of the variations came into existence because someone read about the Old Spice add campaign response to fans, and created a meme that got retweeted often enough to catch their attention so a response was created. The second instance is even more fun; someone else uses the basic style of the commercial to create a direct appeal for libraries (thanks, Scott). While watching these I kept hearing the chorus to that song; The futures so bright, I gotta wear shades.