How ‘The Big-Bang Theory ‘Saved the Nerd in Me

Initially planned for vaultmix, I am posting this here since that website is under some re-work. Anyways should be a nice break from all the video-game crap I have been posting. Time for some Big-Bang.

So Basically It All Started With this

With the big-bang theory hitting the American TV earlier this month for its 6th season, I thought I would put in a bit of love myself for the show that put nerds on the map. Before the Big-Bang ever happened (see the pun!), nerds were always a part of comedy series (and movies and YouTube gags, and college bullying, and the brunt of every sad joke a little I know), but this show; the show where 4 very intelligent people take on the big bad world, living life on their terms and enjoying it immensely; changed the dynamics.

An manga version of the cast

I have watched a host of serials in my lifetime, and I would watch a few more before my time is up, but The Big Bang has to be the closest thing to my kind of humor. So what is my kind of humor; let me explain:  I am from India (where academics is third to parents and gods), I came from a school where the lower strata used to score 83% in tests, and then I did engineering in computer science (which is nothing special, spent 70% of that time sleeping). During that time I watched a lot cartoons, read a lot of comic books, and played a lot of counter-strike. If you haven't guessed it yet, I am a nerd, I am 6 feet tall, 92 kg and can hold my own in almost every physical sport out there (on a completely different note, I was never bullied), but deep-down inside I am a nerd. I enjoy the humorous application of Einstein’s theory of relativity ('If you run around a tree naked with the speed of light'), I feel offended when someone says he is the biggest Batman fan ever (and doesn't know there were 4 Batman movies that Nolan never made), and I find it real vindication on killing someone in Modern Warfare (more so if it’s a head-shot, though MW has nothing over Counter-Strike). So that ladies and gentlemen is my kind of humor.

Humor has come a long way from the black and white antiques of Charlie Chaplin. Today one-liners are the conversation-starters, everyone talks in references, and your sense of humor is an intangible pointer to your knowledge. By those standards, Big-Bang is a gold-mine. For the American pop-culture it is full of references to what a typical child of the 90s would have grown up with. For the engineering enthusiast, there are physics, chemistry, math jokes galore (at some point it’s like TV version of XKCD.com). If you are a comic book fan, just watch the show. And for any fantasy based lovers, just observe how coolly they discuss Vampires (see below) and wizards over lunch. The truth is you don't have to be an over-educated snob to like Big-Bang, but if you are one, you would enjoy it immensely. Big bang is global in its appeal, but it’s not dumbed down to achieve that. The show assures you: no longer feel bad when someone doesn't get your jokes, it’s their problem.


The best thing about the show is that they live on their own terms. They know what they like, and they are not afraid to show it. Howard has a pair of light-sabers on his bedroom walls, Sheldon regularly wears DC inspired T-shirts, Leonard has a miniature bat-signal in his room and Raj is proud of his bro-mance. They can act as overgrown kids if they want to, they can spend their weekend playing Star Wars RPG, they actually have a Halo night(they had all the famous consoles too, but they were stolen, see below) every week, and they make money doing what they do best: studying. As the show demonstrates, they had a hard time because of what they are, and they still do from time to time, but these are the guys who didn't change their definition of cool because of peer pressure, on the contrary if you weren't down with them, you were not cool enough. These guys show that's its possible, that's it’s not strange being skinny and smart, in reality its actually quite fun.



Leonard, perhaps the most socially adept of the four, proves that you don't have to give up on your Star-Trek costume to score women. Howard is a NASA engineer/astronaut (how cool is that!) who in some strange ways is still 'Mommy's Little Kid'. Raj is living the Indian academic dream, away from his parents, in the land of opportunity and looking at stars for a job(though his selective mutism is a social handicap). The coup de grace however, has to be Sheldon, as the socially awkward, immune to sarcasm and irony, intelligent to a fault, room-mate to Leonard, Jim Parsons shows one how to be happy. He is un-compromising with his life-style, puts his own happiness before others, completely backs what he believes in and can take you down a peg when he wants to. When Sheldon is good at it, he is great and when he is not, he dismisses it as un-important. The fact that Sheldon is a geek, makes that conviction even more so important and commendable but Nerd, jock, emo, catholic, republican, or ethnic; no matter what you are and what you believe in that's how you believe in you and your principles.

The cast in their well Flashy self

The Big Bang Theory is a comic series, and it does a great job at being one. But for me, it’s also an inspiration. I no longer have second thoughts when I want to buy a light-saber from e-bay. I proudly flaunt my knowledge and appreciation of the DC universe to anyone who gets the cannon wrong. And I have satisfactorily replaced weekend outings with X-Box gaming sessions. I am still good at sports, at my job, and with girls (if you can believe that). I haven't become withdrawn or alienated or think of others as my inferiors. But this post Big Bang times allow me to express myself better, and to feel a little better too. Maybe I am looking to deep into a petty TV show, but then again that's what a nerd will do.

Signing Off,

Ayush "Kabel" Chauhan

Borderlands 2: Shoot Loot and Squinting

So once I was finished with Witcher 2 (killed the dragon thrice, and earned every achievement before I was done with it), I turned my attention to the latest version of the "Shooter R.P.G" game, Borderlands 2. This was my first tryst with the Borderlands series, but I was intrigued by the concept of a Diablo like weapon system, and an R.P.G. like leveling system only this time the weapons are guns, and you are actually in a F.P.S.. The fact that the game provided a local co-op option made it a much more tempting buy, and the rest (doubts if any) were taken care of by the anticipation and the excitement built around the game by the gaming industry. This is probably the first game, that I have owned right from its release date, and thus this review is probably the most relevant one ever. So with further ado, lets drill down to Pandora(that by the way is the name of the planet where the action happens).
Check out the reveal trailer before reading the review:


So the first thing Borderlands is that its BIG. Now I haven't played Skyrim, so I don't know if it matches those scales, but the game has huge sprawling environments. Most of them are are icy glaciers or barren wastelands agreed, but they act as big expansive battlefields which give you ample clear space to run and shoot. The both of which you would end up doing a lot. After about every 15 min or so, you will run into a hectic set-piece, which will have waves of enemies, a lot of swearing, and a lot of healing you co-op mate, so he can do the same later. The look and feel of the game is that comicy shade that you see now and then in animations. So I can't really say how amazing the game looks, but it looks okay for the most part.

The menu text however, is something I have a problem with. The menu is akin to what you have in Dead Space but the text is so skewed that you have to squint and read them inches from your TV screen. Especially when you are in Co-op, the menu becomes vertically scrollable and more often than not the more important info is not the first thing you see (happened more than once that my partner picked up a gun before I was able to properly evaluate it). As you go along you learn to compare you weapon by the arrows rather than the numbers, otherwise avoiding the menu in most cases (just pick up a mission and follow the square on your mini-map is what I did for most part). I do believe this makes you miss out on a lot of extra fun information which would not have been the case if the text was much more readable. Apart from that no real complaints, textures, framing and all other things run just fine. You can find yourself in a graphically tight corner (like in-midst of some icicles which you have jumped into and are not able to get out) sometimes, but overall it works for me.

Graphics And Sound- 8/10

The game is a shoot and loot. As is obvious, there is a lot of shooting involved. There is something awkward however, in watching yourself shoot and hit-points bleeding out of your opponent, especially when its in a F.P.S situation. What this leads to is you spamming your shoot button heavily (which by the way is a solid strategy), which again is a deviation from regular shooters in which the onus many a times is on how you use your ammo. Ammo is something though, which you will frequently run out of, but worry not, the loot is plentiful in this land, and everything from enemies to their frozen poo pile will spring you guns, money and ammo bountiful. You would hardly start a mission with low ammo, and you are sure to end one with a high count. This brings me to the guns, of which there are basically 5 categories: Shotgun, Sniper, Assault Rifle, and S.M.G. This in no way means that you have a limited arsenal, instead different random combinations of ammo size, damage, status effect (yes bullets have status effects, this game is awesome or what?), accuracy and the like present you with a gazillion options to choose from (remember how I said the weapon system is like Diablo). Thus, you can never have the ultimate weapon, and you are always on the look-out of that next big thing.

From the guns, lets move to set-pieces, which for me are the highlight of the game (yes even the plethora of guns to choose from pales before it), after every 15 minutes or so, you will run into an ambush, and as goes the rule ('NEW is always BETTER'), each ambush is bigger, badder and awesomer in every way.  While in the battle, you have little time to relax, as the enemies come from all directions, and because the enemies are diverse, you never find yourself using the same gun, even in the same battle. Apart from that the R.P.G. elements will not exactly engross you (thanks to the difficult to decipher menus) but they provide you with strategical relief from the frantic action. The game even rewards you in two ways, not only do you level up your playing character by killing enemies, but you also strengthen fields(like health re-generation, and shield capacity) which you can carry over to any of your character by finishing challenges. All in all the game doesn't meddle too much with any genre and concentrates on keeping the game shallow and fun, which in the end works out just fine.

Gameplay-9/10

Story wise, its no Halo to be sure. I am told that the story this time is an improvement on the earlier game, so that's that. There is Handsome Jack (he wants to kill you), then there is Sanctuary(a city where other people Handsome Jack wants to kill lives), and then there is a race for a vault(which currently hold an old ancient Alien warrior who is controlled by the one who opens it). The rest are just smaller sub-lots with a splattering of humor, which is nice. The game at no point takes itself too seriously, and even the most serious situations are presented in a tongue in cheek manner.

Story- 5/10

The game is as fun as it could be to run headlong into an army of henchmen, difficult but definitely not impossible. I remember having 3 guns equipped and 2 in my inventory with full ammo for all of them, and by the time I was finished defending a beacon (a mission from the game) I was almost out of ammo in all of them (I was down to my least favored weapon). That's how frantic the game can be, fast-paced, swearing filled, umpteen minutes of bullet pumping action. The only downside is that so-much adrenalin and the squinting that you have to do every time you open the menu (the menu is the only down side of the game), doesn't let you play the game for long hours (which I believe should be a facet for a R.P.G.). Anyhow, I can't fault Borderlands for the shooting, leveling up and the bad-ass moments it provides almost every 15 minutes

Mojo- 8/10

Kabelled Score- 8/10

Signing Off,

Ayush 'Kabel' Chauhan

Why WWE'13 is a step back

So The revolution is coming, but is it here to stay.

From the time I saw Shawn Michaels Vs. Bret Hart in an iron-man match in 1996, I fell in love with wrestling. As a kid I was mesmerized by these flashy gladiators(Hulk Hogan, Doink, Papa Shango, Undertaker) as a teenager I was smitten by the bold ladies(Lita, Trish and Torrie) and the brash gentlemen(DX, The Rock, Chris Jericho), and as a young adult its a sport that I enjoy not limited by the names but by the art itself (AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, CM Punk, Jeff Hardy). I didn't know it then, but what I watched growing up was the Attitude era, a timeline in the wrestling world punctuated by the spunky new grit that became the signature of my generation. Today as the WWE tries to garner to a totally new generation of kids with what they call the PG-era(John Cena, Rey Mysterio), it tries to relive that time (and potentially cash in on it) by bringing the Attitude Era to the latest iteration the WWE gaming franchise in WWE'13.

Check out the awesome Punk in the awesome release trailer below:


For those of you who don't know what I am talking about, each WWE game has a season mode or in recent years Road to Wrestle-Mania mode as it was called. This season mode was basically a story mode to play out using a given wrestler. Over the years, the story has had its background in the time of its creation, so if you played Smack-Down: Here Comes The Pain, Brock Lesnar and Kurt Angle would feature heavily because they dominated that particular time in the wrestling industry. This time however, WWE and THQ have decided to throw that chain of thought out the window and replace it with the settings of the 90's when Austin 3:16 was born, Mick Foley started putting bums on the seats, and The Rock became the people's champion. WWE '13 will allow you to control the superstars of those times (Austin, Rock, Mankind, Brothers Of Destruction, DX and Bret Hart have been announced so far) taking part in the greatest and iconic matches and events of that time. Its great right, for people like us (who grew up watching it) with the technology like today (Xbox-360 and PS-3), this is the best way to actually witness those legendary, epic, and awesome moments again, and again and again (and be a part of them), then why do I feel its a step back rather than forward.

By the way below is the Rock inspired WWE'13 trailer, tell me what you feel about this:


So while the whole world goes gaga (me included) over the attitude era coming back, I sit back and look at the big picture for once. I love everything about this (including the fact that CM Punk is on its cover, which is awesome), but for one small itsy-bitsy question. And that question is: "What after the Attitude Era Mode?". Sure the game will come out, and sell like hot cakes, everyone will buy it, play it and love it. It may even become the watershed that Here Comes The Pain once proved to be. But what happens when WWE'14 comes around. Would it be another Attitude era mode? Will the Road To Wrestle-Mania return? Or will they try to relieve another part of WWE history?

While you ponder over that, here is the DX inspired WWE'13 trailer:


The truth is Attitude Era mode is a stop-gap measure. WWE'12 was a huge improvement on its predecessor's game-play (if we ignore the collision-detection), but it took a lot of flack for its Road To Wrestle-Mania. A lot of people didn't like it, they wanted something better, something more interesting and realistic than Sheamus winning every single Championship that WWE has to offer simultaneously. THQ wanted something that could stick this year, and with their financial problems, a poorly received game is the last thing they want on their list. Ditto with WWE (though they are not under impending threats of being dissolved), CM Punk and his pipe-bomb apart, WWE is struggling with its ratings. Their PG appeal is not sitting down with most Wrestling lovers, and in today's connected world, these lovers make sure that they are heard. More than a few, are asking for the return of the Attitude times. This game is an attempt to satiate those appetites.

And to satisfy the hunger for trailers, below is the Austin 3:16 inspired WWE'13 trailer:


From WWE's point of view, the game provides novelty to the fans of that time(remember a lot of those kids who watched wrestling then, are young gamers today), and bases its game on the most popular names of its company rather than the popular names today. And if you don't believe that's a solid strategy, just play WWE'12 online. The community is filled with created classic wrestlers, and the lobby is full of Eddies, and Rockys and even Batistas. The fact is, that what WWE had yesterday still outshines what it has today, so it has decided to cash in on it while it can.While I don't hate the move, I realize the short-sightedness of this. How will the people back Drew McIntyre if WWE doesn't. How will Kofi Kingston get his place in the sun, if WWE doesn't give him the opportunity. Dolph Ziggler and Wade Barrett are knocking on the doors, the video game at-least could have acted as their catalyst. Even CM-Punk who is on the high tide of his career, would miss out being a central part of the game (an opportunity that might not ever come again, remember Goldberg was a part of just one installment) even when he is on its cover (gives more heat to CM Punk's view of being overshadowed every time doesn't it). What this is, is a feeble attempt to satisfy the hundreds out there who want a more 90s WWE, if you can't give them Television, at-least give them the video game.

Breaking The Ring. Another new and awesome thing you can do in the game

Coming to THQ, as I said they have problems of their own.With the company almost in ruins with their self-destruct investment in U-Draw, they have been having a hard time maintaining finances. Though times have improved with the encouraging sales of Saints Row 3 and Darksiders 2, THQ still need to run a tight ship. They can't afford another ill-reviewed game (in any aspect), and god-forbid a low selling game may put them back where they came from.So they pulled up their boots, buckled up and produced whats looking like the most improved wrestling game till now. While the game-play and other things would come under the scanner soon, its the Attitude mode that's under the spotlight currently. As I said earlier, this is a defense mechanism from THQ, pulling out the RTWM mode and replacing it with a sure thing, but in the long run this is more harmful than helpful. What THQ should have done is pay more attention to the season mode, make it more like Day Of Reckoning (probably the only wrestling game that was known for its story line), allow for players to carry forward their created characters and provide a smooth flowing storyline, which I assure you is more easier to implement in the WWE than in Mass Effect or Dragon Age. While this would have been a more subtle change, but it would have allowed for user loyalty over a longer period of time instead of this one shot of adrenaline.

Before I forget the Attitude mode is not the only highlight of the game. Don't believe me check out this video below:


If the WWE and THQ were so keen on building an Attitude inspired game, they could have made it as a one-off offering. Something like WWE ALL Stars, and the upcoming WWE Brawl. This would have allowed even more in-depth coverage of that iconic time. They wouldn't have had the pressure of adding all the current superstars, and thus have a little more muscle to flex budget-wise. They could have then fleshed out the current 1 year into the real Monday Night Wars that it was. Add to this the fact that WWE today owns the rights for WCW as well, just imagine how awesome it would be to play both sides of the fence. Iconic matches that made or broke both the promotions, Goldberg Vs. Hogan, Macho Man Vs. DDP alongside Austin Vs. McMahon and Rock Vs. Mankind. Yes that would be the true return of those dangerous times. At max this could have been a freak hit, and at minimum this would have been a history lesson to the young who still don't know why that time was so cool (sounding old at 25 am I?).

King Of The Ring returns

And So Does the I-Quit Match

THQ and WWE are still going to achieve those goals mind you, and I sincerely believe that this game would be a major improvement in the franchise. But alas, it would be overshadowed with the Attitude logo, rather than its technical advancement. Something that WWE has been all too familiar with. What is done is done however, and in a few weeks time we will see WWE '13 hit stores. With all that I have written about this game, I would be the first one to buy it (just like I have bought every installment since Here Comes The Pain), because even though its a dirty tactic, I won't get my principle get in the way of me having fun. I just hope that the kids watching wrestling today don't get treated to a PG Era mode in 20 years time from now.

Before we say bye, here is the latest release trailer, once again featuring our very own CM Punk:

The opening cover is from this awesome website that houses Wresting Wallpapers called kupyWrestlingWallpapers, check them out here.

All the other videos are from tha actual WWE'13 home page, where you can find even more videos, screenshots and news, once you click here.

Before I say goodbye, I would like to say:

"In Punk We Trust"

Signing off,

Ayush "Kabel" Chauhan