History Podcast / TheDPad

[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dplogo_5415.png]]
[[caption-width-right:300:"And this... is ''[[TitleDrop The D-Pad]]''." Cue music.]]

-->''The D-Pad (2011-2012) was discontinued in its original format, and later [[Radio/TheDPad rebooted on live web radio]]. Go there for The D-Pad on [=UNregular=] Radio (2012- ).''

''[[http://dpadup.com The D-Pad]]'' was a weekly hour-long video game {{Podcast}} (now [[Radio/TheDPad a radio show]]!) starring [[ChallengeGamer Rick]] [[FaceOfTheBand Desilets]], [[CoolTeacher John]] [[AbsenteeActor Selig]], and [[{{Hipster}} Nick]] [[CloudCuckoolander Bebel]], with recurring guests [[TheChick Holly Fletcher]], [[TheSixthRanger CJ Haley]], and [[TheMovieBuff Dan Suitor]]. It debuted in April 2011 as a spinoff of the ''[[http://openloungecast.com Open Lounge]]'' podcast. Turns out they were [[SimilarlyNamedWorks the fourth podcast called "The D-Pad"]], and hadn't noticed.

While the show was primarily geared toward video games, it also spent time on movies, television, music, and pop culture in general. The podcast got off to a good start, but suffered a failure to launch after a major special guest for the second episode[[labelnote:*]](later revealed to be [[GamerChick NintendoFanGirl]])[[/labelnote]] was suddenly unable to appear, leaving the show without much of a fanbase, whom the hosts referred to as "The Threes" (see FanCommunityNicknames below).

In the beginning, there were extra features on the website including ''R-Rated'' (uncensored movie reviews), ''Game Over'' (articles calling out individuals or groups), and ''Live from the Brown Carpet'' (awards show liveblog, also the only one still going in 2012). A staple of the show since the Summer 2011 has been [[LetsPlay Let's Plays]], which are arguably the biggest draw of the series in 2012. Originally just a series of specials for the 20th anniversary of the release of ''SonicTheHedgehog'', the series' popularity led to over 20 hours (and counting) of videos online.

Additions to the format included the segments ''Nick Bebel's Video Game Short List'' (Nick reviewing games new and old) and ''Putting Our Guests to the Test'' (having guests and hosts alike record a course time in the ''SuperMarioKart'' course Mario Circuit 2).

They're also on [[http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-D-Pad/ Facebook]], [[http://twitter.com/downrightdpad Twitter]], [[http://www.youtube.com/user/downrightdpad YouTube]], and are available for download on [[http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-d-pad/id430239568 iTunes]].

Now has a [[LetsPlay/TheDPad Let's Play]] page.

''You game?''



!!''[[http://dpadup.com The D-Pad]]'' provides examples of:

* AdBumpers: Nearly every episode opens with a brief bumper for older-sister program ''Open Lounge''.
* AllThereInTheManual: Well... [[http://dpadup.com/about/ sort of]]. [[labelnote:*]]It's an AffectionateParody of the DarthWiki/SoBadItsHorrible instruction manual for KungFu.[[/labelnote]]
* AsYouKnow: Turns up anytime the hosts want to convey news to the audience which they already know themselves.
* BeginnersLuck: Rick had never put together a March Madness bracket before 2011, then proceeds to beat the rest of the pack ''by a mile''. Naturally, when it came time for Fantasy Football, he took dead last.
* BerserkButton: The {{Wii}} is '''''not''''' two [[NintendoGamecube GameCubes]] taped together.
* {{Billboard}}: The top of the website has a rotating banner, usually showing the latest podcast episode, any [[LetsPlay Let's Plays]] in progress, and the premiere episode.
* BonusEpisode: Early on, an extra episode was marked as a "Bonus Stage" which featured Rick and Nick enduring a [[MasochistsMeal one-hour cake race]].
* BonusMaterial: ''R-Rated'', ''Game Over'', and ''Live from the Brown Carpet''. Also ''The D-Pad Let's Play'', which seems to be [[MorePopularSpinoff taking on a life of its own]].
* BoozeBasedBuff: Somehow, Rick's [[DrunkDriver drunk lap]] of Mario Circuit 2 gave him the fastest times on the show thus far, even though he wasn't exclusively in first sober.
* ButtMonkey: Rick made the mistake of saying in an early episode that he used a Google spreadsheet to keep track of his progress in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite Pokémon Black Version]]''. John and Nick have reminded him about this in nearly ''[[RunningGag every episode since]]''.
** Rick finally responded by just putting a [[http://dpadup.com/p1/ visual representation]] of it online, deciding it's better just to own it and run with it rather than fight it.
* CityShoutOuts: To Worcester, Massachusetts, where the show is normally recorded. Also occasionally to Somerville, MA; Providence, RI; and New Haven, CT.
* CrossOver: Occasionally the hosts of ''Open Lounge'' appear on ''The D-Pad'', and vice versa.
** Cranks up to BatFamilyCrossover when five of the six hosts appeared in ''The D-Pad'''s debut episode.
* DocumentaryEpisode: [[http://dpadup.com/2011/08/safe-haven/ "Safe Haven"]] follows TwoBitPictures through the 48 Hour Film Project in New Haven, CT.
* DrinkingGame: Every tenth episode features a drinking game [[AudienceParticipation you can play with the hosts]]. The hosts usually have a drink or three while recording, but these specials usually crank it UpToEleven.
** Episode 10: [[http://dpadup.com/2011/06/highway-to-the-danger-zone/ "Highway to the Danger Zone"]] invites the audience to join the hosts in a [[SchmuckBait Power Hour]].
** Episode 20: [[http://dpadup.com/2011/08/volume-up/ "Volume Up"]] has the hosts volume-chugging from two-liter fishbowls.
** Episode 30: [[http://dpadup.com/2011/10/waddle-dre/ "Waddle Dre"]] was played a bit looser, as the group had been drinking heavily already (see MissingEpisode below).
** Episode 40: [[http://dpadup.com/2012/05/thors-hammered/ "Thor's Hammered"]] features a game of Edward Fortyhands. Followed by [[DrunkDriver a drunk lap]] in ''SuperMarioKart''.
* DrunkenMaster: Rick claims to be good at video games sober, but substantially better when drunk. Recent feats include setting the lap/course records for Mario Circuit 2 and performing "Master Exploder" on expert guitar and vocals flawlessly.
* FanCommunityNicknames: The hosts referred to their (questionably existent) fanbase originally as their "threes upon threes of fans", now better known as simply "The Threes".
* GagCensor: In the (increasingly rare) event that something needs to be censored, it's often replaced by a sound effect from a classic 8-bit game.
* HeterosexualLifePartners: All three hosts, most prominently Rick and Nick.
* HeyItsThatSound: When an episode goes to its [[{{Intermission}} Pause Break]], a [[SuperMarioBros Mario coin]] sound effect is heard.
* IconicLogo: Justified in that the podcast's logo is based on the [[NintendoEntertainmentSystem NES's]] own [[ShapedLikeItself D-Pad]]. It is, however, the only Podsmiths product that uses a logo in place of a font.
* {{Intermission}}: Every episode features a few-minute "pause break" with musical interlude.
* LetsPlay: Originally just a bonus while the podcast celebrated [[Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog Sonic Week]] in June 2011, it soon became a staple of the website experience.
* LiveEpisode: [[http://dpadup.com/2011/05/were-doing-it-live/ "We're Doing It Live!"]], a live half-hour episode recorded with an audience at [=ImprovBoston=]'s Geek Week Festival.
* {{Mascot}}: For a brief time Nick's chinchilla, Zooey, was an unofficial mascot of the podcast.
* MultiPartEpisode: ''Sonic Week'' consists of [[http://dpadup.com/2011/06/sonic-week-act-1/ Act 1]], [[http://dpadup.com/2011/06/sonic-week-act-2/ Act 2]], and six Let's Plays in-between.
* NeverTrustATrailer: The loudly touted ''[[AddedAlliterativeAppeal R-Rated Retro]]'' (or ''RRR''), a review series celebrating games' and systems' 20th anniversaries, never materialized (though WordOfGod states there is a replacement series being prepared for 21sts instead.)
* OnTheNext: Played straight in early episodes, but after a few too many big episodes fell through before they could be recorded it became a frequent lampshade. It made a comeback at the end of their first year.
* OurSloganIsTerrible: Somehow, the show always seems to end with one of the hosts suggesting it's time to "[[Literature/OldYeller shoot the dog]]".[[labelnote:*]]Not to be confused with [[ShootTheDog Shooting the Dog]].[[/labelnote]]
** Thankfully, their actual ad slogan is the much more appropriate "[[Series/CashCab You game?]]"
* PleaseSubscribeToOurChannel: At the start and end of most episodes.
-->'''Nick:''' ''[[Film/{{Aliens}} It's game over, man! Game over!]] Now go level up at Podsmiths.com."
* {{Podcast}}: At its heart, it's still basically this.
* PowerTrio: The hosts, in various forms:
** BigThinShortTrio: Rick is Big, John is Thin, Nick is Short.
** ChromaticArrangement: Rick is green, John is red, Nick[[labelnote:*]]or C/J[[/labelnote]] is blue. A subtle ShoutOut to ''Something Remote'', a movie/[[{{Prequel}} webseries]] featuring Rick, John, and C/J as a chromatically-arranged ComicTrio. Speaking of which...
** ComicTrio: Rick is the navigator, John is the OnlySaneMan, and Nick is the driver.
** FreudianTrio: Rick is TheSuperego, John is TheEgo, and Nick is TheId
** [[ThreePlusTwo Frequently joined]] by C/J Haley and [[GamerChick Holly Fletcher]].
* RightOnTheTick: Every new episode comes out at exactly 12 noon. Even when it didn't.
* RunningGag: Plenty.
** Most episodes begin with Rick giving the audience a tired "Heyyyyy, everybody." [[LampshadeHanging The others noticed.]]
** Likewise, episodes usually end with someone saying it's time to [[Literature/OldYeller "shoot the dog"]].
** [[ButtMonkey Rick and his spreadsheets]], just about OncePerEpisode.
* SequelEpisode: [[http://dpadup.com/2011/04/retcon-and-cats/ "Retcon + Cats"]] featured guest Christopher Osborn talking about the book he was working on. A few months later, he returned in [[http://dpadup.com/2011/08/a-gran-grimoire/ "A Gran Grimoire"]] to plug the now-completed ''[[http://chrisoverzero.com/book/ Easily-Distracted Tales]]''.
* TheShill: Averted. Usually the hosts waste no time ripping into the Podsmiths when the subject comes up.
** Though every episode starts with them [[EnforcedPlug proudly affiliating themselves]] with Podsmiths and TwoBitPictures.
* ShoutOut: Quite a few, including about a ''month'' of references to WebVideo/BenDrowned after Rick showed it to the others.
** The show's ad bumper on ''Open Lounge'' ends with Rick asking [[Series/CashCab "You game?"]]
** The show's intro always ends with "and [[Series/TheColbertReport this... is The D-Pad]]".
** Most episodes end with the hosts [[Film/OldYeller "shooting the dog"]].
** At the start of the show's second season, Rick mentioned that the podcast is in the same spirit as (and in many ways inspired by) ''TopGear''.
*** The new "Putting Our Guest to the Test" segment is an homage to "Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car".
* SignificantReferenceDate: The podcast began the day after Rick's 24th birthday.
** The following year, the show "rebooted" with a more structured format, and the addition of ''Good News, Bad News'', ''Bebel's Short List'', and ''Putting Our Guests to the Test'' as official segments of the show.
* SoundToScreenAdaptation: WordOfGod states this is the ultimate goal of the show. The D-Pad Let's Play is a checkpoint.
* StealthPun: The D-Pad's website is dpad'''up'''.com. Every other account? '''downright'''dpad.
** The site's logo (both the full and short versions) uses a stylized [[NintendoEntertainmentSystem NES]] [[ShapedLikeItself D-Pad]].
* SuperBowlSpecial: Subverted in the podcast...
** At barely half an hour, the podcast episode "Superb Owl" is the shortest episode in the show's history by nearly a factor of three.
* SuspiciouslySpecificDenial: Obviously Rick and Nick were chugging 40s during the 40th episode special and not just an equivalent volume and alcohol content. [[SoundDefect What do you mean, a forty doesn't sound like that?]]
* TitleDrop: Inverted. Most episodes take their titles from a particularly funny quote from the audio itself.
* TwoActStructure: Early on, the first act was more structured and the second act was played more loosely.
* WeDontSuckAnymore: A pretty frequent suggestion by the hosts, especially Rick. And then the show went on an unexpected three-month hiatus.

----
'''''[[{{Stinger}} I AM JOHN MOTHERFUCKING GODDAMN SELIG]]'''''
----

* OurSloganIsTerrible: Somehow, the show always seems to end with one of the hosts suggesting it's time to "[[OldYeller shoot the dog]]".[[labelnote:*]]Not to be confused with [[ShootTheDog Shooting the Dog]].[[/labelnote]]

** Likewise, episodes usually end with someone saying it's time to [[OldYeller "shoot the dog"]].

** Most episodes end with the hosts [[OldYeller "shooting the dog"]].

* TheShill: Averted hard. Usually the hosts waste no time ripping into the Podsmiths when the subject comes up.

** The show's intro always ends with "and [[TheColbertReport this... is The D-Pad]]".

-->'''Nick:''' ''[[{{Aliens}} It's game over, man! Game over!]] Now go level up at Podsmiths.com."

-->''The D-Pad (2011-2012) has been discontinued in its original format. It has, however, [[Radio/TheDPad rebooted on live web radio]]! Go there for The D-Pad on [=UNregular=] Radio (2012- ).''

** The show's ad bumper on ''Open Lounge'' ends with Rick asking [[CashCab "You game?"]]

** Thankfully, their actual ad slogan is the much more appropriate "[[CashCab You game?]]"

* WeDontSuckAnymore: A pretty frequent suggestion by the hosts, especially Rick. [[ItGotWorse And then the show went on an unexpected three-month hiatus.]]

* DocumentaryEpisode: [[http://dpadup.com/2011/08/safe-haven/ "Safe Haven"]] follows Two-Bit Pictures through the 48 Hour Film Project in New Haven, CT.

** Though every episode starts with them [[EnforcedPlug proudly affiliating themselves]] with Podsmiths and Two-Bit Pictures.

!!''[[http://www.youtube.com/user/downrightdpad The D-Pad Let's Play]]'' has featured the following video games:
* ''[[ChzoMythos 5 Days a Stranger]]''
* ''KirbySuperStar'' ([[MissingEpisode sort of]])
** ''KirbysReturnToDreamLand'' (on hold)
* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'' (on hold)
* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}: [[SelfImposedChallenge Hard]] [[NuzlockeComics Mode]]''
** ''[[VideoGame/PokemonFireRedAndLeafGreen Pokémon FireRed Version]]'' (in-progress, with defunct [[http://letsplaywithfire.blog.com in-character blog]])
* ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog''
** ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogCD''
** ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2''
** ''[[VideoGame/Sonic3AndKnuckles Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles]]''
** ''KnucklesChaotix''
** ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog4: Episode I'' ([[EpicFail sort of]])
** ''VideoGame/SonicGenerations''
* ''Super VideoGame/{{Metroid}}'' [[labelnote:*]][[ScrewThisImOuttaHere given up]] after spending ''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMlLJc112o4 an entire episode]]'' struggling with the game's ScrappyMechanic[[/labelnote]]
* ''[[TecmoBowl Tecmo Super Bowl 2012]]'' [[spoiler: Tecmo got it wrong.]]

* Upcoming Let's Plays (according to [[WordOfGod the podcast's second season premiere]]) include:
** ''[[ChzoMythos 7 Days a Skeptic]]''
** ''DarkSouls''
** ''KirbySuperStar'' (to be re-recorded)
*** ''KirbysReturnToDreamLand'' (to be continued)
** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'' (to be continued)
** ''VideoGame/{{Mari0}}''
** ''{{Pokemon}}: [[SelfImposedChallenge Hard]] [[NuzlockeComics Mode]]''
*** ''[[VideoGame/PokemonFireRedAndLeafGreen Pokémon LeafGreen Version]]''
** ''VideoGame/{{Quest64}}''
** ''VideoGame/RaymanOrigins''
** ''Sonic Week [=II=]''
*** ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'' (8-bit)
*** ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2'' (8-bit)
*** ''SonicTheHedgehogChaos''
*** ''SonicTheHedgehogTripleTrouble''
*** ''VideoGame/SonicBlast''
*** ''SonicTheHedgehogPocketAdventure''
** ''VideoGame/SuperSmashLand''
** ''VideoGame/WonderBoyInMonsterWorld''

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder: The D-Pad]]

[[/folder]]

[[folder: The D-Pad Let's Play]]
* AffectionateParody: The start of several Let's Plays features an edited or remade intro from the game itself.
* BatFamilyCrossover: Three of the four ''Open Lounge'' presenters appear along with the three ''The D-Pad'' hosts in ''[[ChzoMythos 5 Day a Stranger]]''.
* BerserkButton: Using the Walk command in ''[[ChzoMythos 5 Days a Stranger]]'':
-->'''Rick:''' DON'T USE THE FEET! Don't use the [[PrecisionFStrike FUCKING]] FEET!
** Immediately lampshaded by John in the only area where you ''have'' to use the feet to leave.
* ButtMonkey: '''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2 Tails.]]'''
* CompletelyMissingThePoint: During ''[[ChzoMythos 5 Days a Stranger]]'', John looks at the [=DeFoe=] Manor map to see what's there that he hadn't encountered before...
-->'''John:''' So, front yard, [[HiddenInPlainSight tomb]]... first floor, second floor... this little path right here?
* EpicFail: During ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog4'', Rick repeatedly insists he tested his video recording software ahead of time. So naturally, when they try to record... [[CriticalFailure they find themselves trying to play at roughly]] ''[[CriticalFailure one frame per second]]''. [[ReplacementScrappy Bring on]] ''KnucklesChaotix''!
** And when the video was finally uploaded? [[KickThemWhileTheyAreDown It plays exactly the way it was supposed to.]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMu63hDItPY See for yourself.]]
* FriendlyRivalry: [[TheHero Rick]] and [[TheRival C/J]] are both [[TrustMeImAnX self-proclaimed]] fan-experts on the ''VideoGame/MegaMan'', ''[[Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog Sonic]]'', and ''[[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Zelda]]'' series, but will argue over ''anything''. Let's Plays of any of these games crank it over to RivalsTeamUp.
* InterfaceScrew: During ''[[ChzoMythos 5 Days a Stranger]]'' the laptop cursor is stuck in the center of the screen for the duration, and the game cursor tweaks out at random.
* LetsPlay: One of the newer, jankier Let's Play groups. At the end of March 2012, there are 12 [=LPs=] and over 100 individual videos totaling 22 hours of video.
* MissingEpisode: The group recorded roughly half of a LetsPlay of ''KirbySuperStar'' (while drinking heavily). Sadly, because the emulator recorded only the button presses and not the video itself, the exact playthrough could not be replicated and recorded.
* MoodWhiplash: The first four episodes of ''[[ChzoMythos 5 Days a Stranger]]'' feature the hosts joking around about the camp nature of the game. Until [[spoiler:Day Three]]. John starts taking it a bit more seriously after getting properly creeped out by an 8-bit game.
** An even faster example occurs ''in the middle of a sentence'' in [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErjdpZ6bX2M&t=2m22s this video]].
-->'''John (reading [[spoiler:Matthew [=DeFoe=]'s diary]]):''' I found a new friend. He is behind the [[OhCrap door in the kitchen and he doesn't have a name.]]
* MultiPartEpisode: Every Let's Play is split between anywhere from two to twenty-two parts.
* NeverTrustATrailer: ''[[ChzoMythos 7 Days a Skeptic]]'' (advertised at the end of ''VideoGame/SonicGenerations'') has been shelved to make way for Rick and John's competitive playthroughs of ''[[VideoGame/PokemonFireRedAndLeafGreen Pokémon FireRed]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/PokemonFireRedAndLeafGreen LeafGreen]]''.
* NewMeat: When possible, the hosts make sure a given game's [[LetsPlay Let's Player]] has never played it before. PlayedForLaughs in situations like ''[[ChzoMythos 5 Days a Stranger]]'' where John has trouble controlling it at all.
* PleaseSubscribeToOurChannel: The end of most videos features reminders of the group's presence on various social networking sites.
* SchmuckBait: [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxU5i-axKd0 "Touch the fire!"]]
* ShoutOut: Even more here than in the podcast itself.
** Rick is a big TheAdventuresOfDuaneAndBrandO fan, singing lyrics along with the [[SonicTheHedgehog Final Zone]] theme.
** At the start of ''[[ChzoMythos 5 Days a Stranger]]'', John and Rick talk about the various things Australia has to offer. [[RockosModernLife Like Rocko.]][[labelnote:*]]Also [[BenCroshaw Yahtzee]].[[/labelnote]]
*** Later on, Rick refers to Sir Roderick as [[SuperTroopers "Sir RamRod"]].
*** When [[SpellMyNameWithAThe The Waitress]] shows up, John notes ''The D-Pad'' and ''Open Lounge'' are [[Film/{{Ghostbusters}} crossing streams]].
*** Rick refers to Matthew [=DeFoe=]'s diary as TheSecretWorldOfAlexMack.
* SignificantReferenceDate: ''Sonic Week'' was made to include the 20th anniversary of the [[SonicTheHedgehog first game's]] release.
** ''[[ChzoMythos 5 Days a Stranger]]'' started on [[ArcDate July 28th]].
* SoundToScreenAdaptation: In a manner of speaking.
* SuperBowlSpecial: ...but played straight in the Let's Play.
** ''Let's Predict Super Bowl XLVI!'' replaced the usual ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword Skyward Sword]]'' uploads for two weeks. It helps that the show is recorded in Patriot Nation. [[TakeThat It didn't, however, help the Pats win the Super Bowl.]]
* TemptingFate: Rick says pretty early on in ''[[ChzoMythos 5 Days a Stranger]]'' that there is no point where the game doesn't in some way direct you to the solution. Cue twenty minutes trying to figure out that the game wouldn't let John continue because [[GuideDangIt he didn't read the newspaper]].
* WhatTheHellIsThatAccent: John has trouble with his AustralianAccent.
[[/folder]]