Line #36 Series/GamingInTheClintonYears


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3	%% Wood is a polarizing sort, and something of an easy target. Please observe the Rule of Cautious Editing Judgment while contributing.
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6	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/gamininthclintyrs.png]]
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8	->''We have a challenge to EIDOS. In VideoGame/TombRaiderIII, create a storyline in which Lara gets breast cancer. Imagine the drama of a vulnerable Lara Croft still persisting on her worldly adventures despite her illness. It needs fleshing out, no pun intended, but we guarantee the gaming world would be shocked, stunned, and moved by the effort to make Lara's character more meaningful.''
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10	In the mid-1990s, a man named George Wood created a TV show initially dedicated to collectible arts such as comic books on a Maryland public-access channel, called ''Flights of Fantasy''. But at a certain point, they decided to focus on video games instead, much to the uproar of the gaming community. The show gained quite a few detractors; Wood was not known for his playing skills, research or good taste, was something of a poor man's [[Series/XPlay Adam Sessler]], and the production was rather cheap. He would also tend to go off-topic, sometimes markedly so, in a very fervent manner.
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12	It had a small following, being a local public-access show, but would have been [[MissingEpisode lost]], had Wood not joined a video gaming association called [=NAViGaTR=],[[note]]The National Association of Video Game Testers and Reviewers[[/note]] who archived the entire series, edited each episode and put it onto Website/YouTube, as ''Gaming in the Clinton Years''. This is how most people know of Wood.
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14	It can be seen either [[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL56642954C53CB79D here]], or in its original unedited format [[https://www.youtube.com/user/flightsoffantasy here]]. Some of his videos have also been the targets of {{WebVideo/Retsupurae}} as well.
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16	In December 2019, the [=NAViGaTR=] channel went ahead and removed all of the show's episodes, replacing them with short and random clips of them, much to the chagrin of many fans. As it later turned out, this was [[https://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1sr3ufp done as a stunt]] promoting an AlternateRealityGame that will eventually lead into the releases of HD restorations of the show. As of March 2020, the HD versions [[DevelopmentHell have yet to surface]], but the old episodes have since been restored back onto the channel. Nevertheless, archives of the episodes can still be found [[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzBa_3BhPSfL4FsXlF4i1qKtv68B3gcda here]] and [[https://archive.org/search.php?query=subject%3A%22Gaming+in+the+Clinton+years%22 here]].
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18	Much to the surprise of everyone, however, a successor was made to the series called ''Gaming in the Trump Years'', featuring the return of George Wood. One of the reviews can be found [[https://youtu.be/d8IlmaIceNI here]] (Beware, as said review contains massive spoilers for ''VisualNovel/ZeroTimeDilemma'')
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21	%% Wood is a polarizing sort, and something of an easy target. Please observe the Rule Of Cautious Editing Judgment while contributing.
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25	!!This cable show has examples of:
26	* AdamWesting: His later reviews on ''Gaming in the Trump Years'' appear to possibly be playing up his reviewing style and presentation for laughs. This [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZrl9xYXbkY snippet]], where he reviews ''[[VideoGame/SpongeBobSquarePantsBattleForBikiniBottom Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated]]'', is almost taken wholesale from [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ1vmwX8h2c an infamous review of the same game]] from [=GameSpot=]. Knowing him, however, it's unknown if this was his intention or not.
27	* ArtisticLicenseLaw: One of Wood's trademark "great game ideas" - having to drive your pregnant wife to the hospital while she's in labor, but obeying traffic laws and the speed limit because if the cops catch you it's game over. In reality, if a cop pulls you over for speeding and sees a woman in labor in the car, they'll escort you to the hospital themselves.
28	* AuthorAppeal:
29	** George has an unashamed bias for Nintendo products. During the fourth generation he exclusively covered games for the [[Platform/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem SNES]] and never touched the Platform/SegaGenesis (and it's telling that the only other console he looked at this generation was, of all things, the Platform/VirtualBoy), and in the fifth generation it's pretty obvious that he has a much more critical eye for Platform/PlayStation games than those released for the the Platform/Nintendo64. Expect any non-Nintendo game to get unfavorably compared to a Nintendo product for any reason he can come up with.
30	** ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry''. Read half this page and you'll catch on pretty quick. Special note goes to the Silicon Graphics visuals, which he makes obvious quite quickly that it's half the reason he adores the game so much, and it becomes even more apparent if you watch his ''Toy Story'' review.
31	** He makes it ''extremely'' obvious that he enjoyed the boss fights in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld2YoshisIsland'' [[JustHereForGodzilla more than the actual game]][[invoked]]. Almost the entire review is spent on the bosses and every time he brings it up in any of the other reviews, he always mentions the boss fights and never the actual gameplay (admittedly, they ''were'' pretty impressive for their time, but it's peculiar that it seems to be the only thing he tends to ever bring up about the game).
32	* CaptainObvious: Wood sometimes gives very obvious tips, like telling you to attack a boss while dodging its attacks or to reload in-between shooting.
33	* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: George Wood seems to live in his own universe, making random remarks and jokes that come out of left field.
34	* ComplainingAboutPeopleNotLikingTheShow: [[invoked]] Wood believes that if you don't like ''Donkey Kong Country'', then you are '''STUPID!'''
35	* DamnedByFaintPraise: The fact that this show compares ''VideoGame/{{Plok}}'' to ''VideoGame/{{Bubsy}}'' would be saying something, if not for the fact that the writers ''absolutely loved Bubsy''.
36	* DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment: In his ''VideoGame/SuperMetroid'' review.
37	--> ''"The station is completely deserted. No one is in the building."''
38	* DoubleEntendre:
39	** "I'm your morning Wood, with an overactive Wii."
40	** Pretty much the entirety of the Platform/VirtualBoy [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wn59uDlvmCo hardware review.]]
41	* DrivenToSuicide: George infamously said he'd kill himself if ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'' didn't have voice acting.
42	* DullSurprise: Wood's not exactly known for his emotional range.
43	* DumbassHasAPoint: George's thought process usually ranges from nonsensically stupid to downright bizarre. That being said, he's able to give off meaningful words or advice every once in a while, even if those words aren't going to reach anyone. Below is a good example of how he can come up with good analyses every now and then.
44	-->'''George:''' ''VideoGame/MegaManX4'' may not even ''be'' released at all for the Platform/PlayStation. Creator/{{Sony\|InteractiveEntertainment}} is once again being a real jerk by refusing to allow 2D games to be manufactured. Sony ''definitely'' has a bug up its [[{{Bowdlerise}} you-know-what]], and they've got some major balls ticking off Creator/{{Capcom}}, the makers of the first [=PlayStation=] game to sell 1 million copies. That game being, of course, ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil''. Capcom should threaten not to release ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil2'' on the [=PlayStation=], and watch Sony buckle.[[note]]There's an urban legend that this is exactly what Capcom did to get Sony to let them release more 2D ''Mega Man'' games.[[/note]]
45	** There was also [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yApQi0yRpqc his interpretation]] of the then-upcoming fifth generation of consoles, where he predicted how well each console would do compared to one another - and, other than the Virtual Boy in the top slot, his predictions ended up perfectly accurate, with the [=PlayStation=] as the winner and the Panasonic M2 never even releasing.
46	* FakingTheDead: According to [=NAVIGaTR=], Wood allegedly died between 2006 and 2008. However, in 2009, a video showed up on Website/YouTube showing [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLsGEKas11A George Wood on a local talk show talking about President Obama.]] Not to mention that [=NAViGaTR=] had been making a huge fuss about George Wood in anticipation for their big Halloween cruise party, in such a way that if he isn't alive then [[DudeNotFunny it's pretty disrespectful]] - not to mention how [=NAVIGaTR=] publicly and loudly claim his cause of death was a drug overdose, which is something you wouldn't really want to publicize regardless of whether someone were dead or alive. For the longest time, [=NAVIGatR=] had been very "nudge nudge wink wink" about his supposed death and it was difficult to get the actual truth of the matter out of them. However, in April 2015, they released [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ba6B_I5Wapo multiple]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbVkSuurgBI videos]] proving Wood is still alive.
47	* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: It began as a public access show titled ''Flights of Fantasy'', and was focused on the collectible arts, as creator and host George Wood is a massive comic book fan and collector. They originally introduced segments focused on video games as time-filler, since they shared the same "geek" audience the show was aimed at. But as the series progressed, the games grew more prominent and elaborate until they were the primary focus, even getting briefly renamed to ''The Video Game Show''. Indeed, when clips from it were officially re-released online as ''Gaming in The Clinton Years'', only the video game segments were featured, and fans have had to rely on bootleg tapes for the rest of the show as it first aired.
48	* {{Filler}}: Wood frequently shows clips from games he's reviewing with no commentary or editing.
49	* GainaxEnding: The review of ''Contender'' (''Dynamite Boxing'') is actually pretty straightforward for this series, which makes the way it ends - where it randomly cuts to [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII Tifa Lockhart]] [[VideoGame/{{Ehrgeiz}} on a train]] and then stops - all the more out of left-field.
50	* [[invoked]]SugarWiki/GushingAboutShowsYouLike: There is absolutely no attempt at providing an unbiased review of ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry1''.
51	-->'''George''': If you do not get this amazing new generation of ''Donkey Kong'' madness, ''you are'' '''''STUPID!''''' Yes, I know, that's insulting, but it's also the truth!
52	* IfIHadANickel: In the ''VideoGame/RushHour'' review, he wishes to have a nickel for every time he said "yet another racing game".
53	* InsaneTrollLogic:
54	** This is a man who can claim ItsHardSoItSucks and ItsEasySoItSucks ''about the same game.'' [[invoked]]
55	-->'''George''': You can't beat ''VideoGame/ToyStory'' without cheating, and this cheating brings victory much too quickly to warrant spending your money. People don't spend sixty bucks on a game they know they can beat.
56	** He's complained about a game being too easy when he's ''turned the difficulty all the way down''.
57	** He also complained about a game [[ItsShortSoItSucks being too short]] after using passwords to ''skip the levels''. [[invoked]]
58	** His review of ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaSymphonyOfTheNight'' is infamous for this; the Retsupurae of the review is titled "Symphony of the Night was disappointingly enjoyable" because the duo can't make heads or tails of his opinion on the game.
59	** His review of a ''Formula One'' has him complaining about the game being realistic without any crazy track gimmicks, and then suggesting a game where the player has to drive his pregnant wife to the hospital while obeying the speed limit.
60	* InsistentTerminology: There is an entire aside in his ''All-Star Baseball 99'' review lamenting the fact that only one baseball video game uses the official name of the Baltimore stadium (Oriole Park at Camden Yards), and he questions why this game and many others only call it "Baltimore Stadium".
61	* ItWillNeverCatchOn: From his ''VideoGame/GoldenEye1997'' review: "No one buys a game specifically for multiplayer options." [[LittleDidIKnow Little did he know]] then that the game would become a [[GenreTurningPoint turning point]] for the FirstPersonShooter genre, ''especially'' multiplayer [=FPSes=].
62	* ItsHardSoItSucks: A common criticism for a lot of games, where the host complains that the only way to beat certain games is by using cheat codes... [[invoked]]
63	-->"Beating [''[=GoldenEye=]''] is impossible on the higher difficulty levels. Do yourself a favor: Don't even try them!"
64	** ItsEasySoItSucks: ...followed by complaints that the game is thus too easy. [[invoked]]
65	-->"You can't beat Toy Story without cheating, and this cheating brings victory much too quickly to warrant spending your money."
66	* JustEatGilligan: In his review of ''A Bug's Life'', he complains about the seed planting mechanic, and points out that ants can crawl anywhere and don't need to jump.
67	-->'''George''': Hello?! Ants can crawl anywhere! They don't need mushroom trampolines!
68	--> '''WebVideo/{{Caddicarus}}''': Yes! ''You're'' right! And you know what? (Beat) [[VideoGame/CrashBandicoot Bandicoots don't wear trousers!]]
69	* MoodWhiplash: Wood concludes his gush-a-thon of a ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry1'' review by showing the ''GameOver screen.'' Even better, it's after showing footage of Diddy defeating [[BossBattle Very Gnawty]].
70	** Though much more brief, he would again show the game-over screen at the end of the Donkey Kong Country 2 review.
71	* NiceGuy: For all his questionable faults as a reviewer, George Wood seems to be a very nice man. He doesn't swear in his reviews like many other gamers, and he always seems calm. The people who have met him in real life have nothing bad to say about him as a person, and people were very angry to learn his channel lied about him being dead.
72	* NoEnding: The ''Lemmings'' review ends in the middle of a sentence before George finishes the thought.
73	--> '''George''': Adults will like this brain teaser,- (Cue ending screen)
74	* NominalImportance: During the ''[[VideoGame/{{Pinocchio}} Pinochio]]'' review, the Coachman was only referred to as a boss and not by his title from the movie.
75	* NonIndicativeName: The video titled "Bloody Roar 2", naturally, isn't about ''Bloody Roar 2''. It's about ''Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter'' with a ''single sentence'' given to [=BR2=].
76	* OpinionFlipFlop: He is notorious for this. He's particularly most noteworthy for not being able to make up his mind about games being too hard or too easy, and his constant stance shifts on how much realism he's looking for.
77	-->'''LetsPlay/{{Slowbeef}}:''' So wait, did he like [[VideoGame/{{Xenogears}} this game]] or not? I kinda missed it.
78	* RepeatCut: Wood is utterly baffled when one of these shows up in a ''VideoGame/{{GoldenEye\|1997}}'' cutscene.
79	-->'''George Wood:''' The camera is all screwed up! He jumps! He jumps ''again'', from a different angle! What the heck?! Is this some new funky directing style, or what?
80	* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: The end of his ''[=GoldenEye=]'' review.
81	-->"Okay, enough of Bond."
82	* SkewedPriorities: Unintentionally, but in the ''Toy Story'' review, Wood claims that the first thing you notice as soon as you pop in the game...is "the poor edging on Woody." Nothing about the gameplay itself, or even the fact that the graphics are reminiscent of the movie, or the fact that it's a platformer, no, it's the fact that Woody's character model looks ever-so-slightly off.
83	* StockFootage: Many of his four-minute reviews end with the intro cinematic of the game he's reviewing, with no commentary.
84	* StoryToGameplayRatio: One of Wood's complaints about ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' is that the game had ''too much'' gameplay to story. One wonders what he'd think of ''VideoGame/{{Metal Gear Solid 4\|GunsOfThePatriots}}''.
85	* TakeThat: The ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFjz3ll3rdQ&feature=fvwrel Tail of the Sun]]'' review uses the back-of-the-box recommendation from PSX Power as conclusive evidence to not read said magazine.
86	* ThisIsGoingToBeHuge: Wood [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yApQi0yRpqc apparently believed]] that the ''Platform/VirtualBoy'' would be ''more successful than the Platform/PlayStation''. Hilariously, if you remove the Virtual Boy from the top spot of the equation, he otherwise accurately predicted how well the consoles in question would do for that generation.
87	* TotallyRadical: (on ''Donkey Kong Country's'' soundtrack) "'''Play it loud in stereo, DUUUUUUUUUUUDE!'''"
88	* UnusualEuphemism:
89	** "Front-loaded anvils."
90	** "Angle of the dangle."
91	* VideoGame3DLeap: Wood criticized ''Final Fantasy VII'' for being a presentation upgrade rather than a total upgrade, in contrast to his expectations.
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94	-> ''TV Tropes is truly perfect. If you do not browse this amazing new generation of wiki madness, then you are '''stupid.''' Yes, I know it's insulting, but that's also the truth. If you're a [[NoTrueScotsman true trope fan]], you will not hesitate in the slightest bit to [[JustForFun/TVTropesWillRuinYourLife binge on]] this piece of entertainment history.''

Context Series / GamingInTheClintonYears