Line #81 WebVideo/LazyGameReviews


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/images_10_07.jpeg]]
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3	->''"''This'' is a floppy disk. If seeing one of ''these'' gets you excited, then have I got a treat for you! LGR: commentary, history and snark on retro computer games and more! Floppy disks, big box PC games, odd hardware and software, ''VideoGame/TheSims'' series, stories of tech history, first-person thrift-shopping, and [[LetsPlay Let's Plays]] on games that make no sense!"''
4	-->-- Old channel trailer
5
6	'''Lazy Game Reviews''', most commonly known by its abbreviation '''LGR''', is an [[VideoReviewShow online video game review show]] by Clint Basinger (no relation to Creator/KimBasinger) reviewing games mostly for [[Platform/IBMPersonalComputer PC]], Platform/{{Amiga}}, Platform/{{Commodore 64}}, Platform/ZXSpectrum and Platform/AppleMacintosh, as well as reviews of ''VideoGame/TheSims'' series. [[NonIndicativeName Despite the title]], reviews are actually extremely extensive and detailed.
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8	The channel is divided into several shows:
9	* The normal {{review}}s, where he goes over some game or hardware. He gives an [[ShownTheirWork in-depth history]] of the product being reviewed, going over good and bad points before giving his recommendation.
10	** A spin-off is Review Quickie, which is a shorter version and the content is more about his experiences with the game rather than an in-depth review.
11	* LGR Plays: A 20 minute or so video of him playing some game. Usually doesn't play the game for another episode, except in some cases.
12	* Oddware: As he puts it, reviewing "hardware and software that is odd, forgotten, or obsolete".
13	* LGR Thrifts: Footage and commentary on his shopping sprees at thrift stores.
14	* Tech Tales: A few minutes on the history of a company that was around back in the early days of personal computers.
15	* LGR Blerbs: As he puts it, "It's just a spot for unscripted updates and random things...that don't merit a full video on LGR but are too large for Twitter."
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17	You can watch his reviews [[https://www.youtube.com/lazygamereviews on YouTube.]] He also has [[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz9uUFDhsPYii-ZihoKsbPg a food channel known as LGR Foods]], and [[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCw_Sxdt27ASqErScT4Rlj8A a channel for extra, miscellaneous videos known as LGR Blerbs]].
18	----
19	!!Greetings! And welcome to a TV Tropes thing…
20	* AccentuateTheNegative: He is a snarky reviewer, so it's bound to happen. Aside from that, he does a good job of weighing the pros and cons of games he reviews. Though towards the latter half of the 2010s, the snarkiness starts to tone down quite a bit unless something about the thing he's covering annoys him.
21	* AddedAlliterativeAppeal: Happens quite often, with a LampshadeHanging in the ''VideoGame/ChexQuest'' review.
22	* {{Angrish}}: In the ''Pharaoh's Tomb'' video, he progressively breaks down into anger as he recalls loving the game as a kid, but hating it now because of the level's MalevolentArchitecture and poor hit detection.
23	* ArcNumber: 17. Why 17? [[RunningGag Because it's an odd number. Very odd.]]
24	* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking: In his review of ''VideoGame/TheSims3: Master Suite'' Stuff:
25	-->"I've grouped the items from this stuff pack into four groups: crap, more crap, useless crap, and pajamas."
26	* ArtifactTitle: As acknowledged several times, over the last few years the title "Lazy Game Reviews" is no longer accurate in any way -- his videos are highly comprehensive and not lazy, he covers topics other than games, and a large portion of his videos aren't even reviews.
27	--> ''"'I know, I'll do [[https://www.patreon.com/posts/lgr-sega-pc-14406891 a quick, simple little video about Sega PC ports]].' Annnnnd now it's half an hour long, even after editing. I cannot lazy."''
28	** Further discussed in the 2018 recap video, after which the channel's full title was dropped in favor of just calling it [=LGR=], complete with a new intro. The sole exception are the December videos, which uses the classic holiday intro that uses the original title.
29	* AuthorAppeal:
30	** He's a huge ''Duke Nukem'' fan, and tends to reference the series in his videos. He also uses games from the series, mainly ''3D'', to benchmark computer systems and accessories.
31	** Wood grain. Anything with a vintage wood grain veneer will quickly win his design approval.
32	* AuthorAvatar: His ''VideoGame/TheSims'' reviews will often feature himself as a sim, toting his self-made Lazy Game Reviews T-Shirt.
33	* AwesomeButImpractical: You can expect a good majority of the things featured on Oddware to be this.
34	* BaitAndSwitch: Done twice with the #1 spot on the "Top 17 List" videos:
35	** In the "Top 17 Games of the 2000's" video, he initially crowns ''VideoGame/BigRigsOverTheRoadRacing'' (his #1 game in the "Worst Games of All Time" video) for the #1 spot, before realizing he has the "wrong Top 17 list" and quickly giving the real title to ''VideoGame/HalfLife2''.
36	** In the "Top 17 Games of 2013" video, ''VideoGame/CookieClicker'' is proclaimed to be the #1 game at first. Clint then jokes that he probably could make a genuine case for giving the spot to ''Cookie Clicker'', before giving it to ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV''.
37	* BreadEggsMilkSquick: In "LGR Plays: ''VideoGame/TheSims2 University''"
38	-->"So if your Sims had certain points, or whatever... or no parents, or 'previously abducted by aliens', you'd get scholarships."
39	* BrokeTheRatingScale: After playing ''{{VideoGame/Doom}}'' with the Thrustmaster Pinball Wizard controller, [[http://youtu.be/-UHVFohpCqU?t=13m12s he gives it 10 stars out of five.]]
40	* ButWaitTheresMore: Inverted in his review of ''VideoGame/TheSims3'''s expansion pack ''Master Suite Stuff''.
41	* CallBack:
42	** The "Top 17 Games of the 2000s" video has him jokingly giving the #1 spot to VideoGame/BigRigsOverTheRoadRacing[[note]]The #1 game on his "17 Worst Games of All Time" video.[[/note]], before quickly realizing he had the "wrong Top 17 list" and moving on to the actual #1 game.
43	** The boxed edition of ''VideoGame/GrimFandango'' he mentions getting during his March/April 2013 wrap-up video makes an appearance at the beginning of his review of ''VideoGame/TheIncredibleMachine''.
44	** The [[ItMakesSenseInContext "Katy Perry Sweet Treats House of Pain"]] from his review of "VideoGame/TheSims3: Music/KatyPerry Sweet Treats" makes a reappearance during his reviews of ''VideoGame/TheSims3'' Expansions ''Diesel Stuff'' and ''Supernatural''.
45	*** The utopian future in the ''Into the Future'' expansion reminded him of ''Sweet Treats'' in theme. So what does he do? Set everything on fire.
46	** His ''VideoGame/CitiesSkylines'' review opens up with him saying the exact same thing he said in the opening of his ''VideoGame/SimCity2013'' review.
47	** In his review of ''The Sims 4 Backyard Stuff'', he happily notes that "you can actually drink the lemonade [from the pitcher] this time and it's not just good for farting on", a reference to his ''The Sims 3 Outdoor Living Stuff'' where he complained that the lemonade pitcher was a purely decorative item and Sims "may as well just stand there and direct their farts towards it".
48	* CatchPhrase:
49	** "NOPE!"
50	** He starts off most videos with a hearty "Greetings!" ("And welcome to an LGR thing!")
51	** The "Tech Tales" begin with him giving a brief summary of the history he's going to cover, followed by "What happened? This is LGR Tech Tales, where we take a look at noteworthy stories of technological inspiration, failure, and everything in between."
52	** The "LGR Thrifts" videos begin with him saying something random, then he says "Let's go thrifting!"
53	** [[MadLibsCatchphrase “X of the Y variety.”]]
54	** He tends to use "daggone" and "daggonit" to express frustration and/or place emphasis on something.
55	* DeadpanSnarker: Pervasively so; he'll be sure to point out any absurd on-screen happenings with the same mildly-whimsical tone of voice he uses for the drier, more informative parts of the video. This is more common in his scripted reviews; for videos he does live commentary on (such as LGR Plays), he's prone to breaking into fits of laughter instead.
56	** While reviewing ''Mario Teaches Typing'', when gameplay finally began, he gave an extremely technical explanation of how keyboard input works over what he called very dull gameplay.
57	* DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment: This is one of his main things, along with being the SnarkKnight.
58	* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: "Lazy Game World", the world he created for his review of ''The Sims 3: Town Life Stuff'', consists of nothing more than a single road in a rather phallic shape.
59	-->"So I went ahead an founded Lazy Game World, and placed my new lots randomly around a lovely curved road [[SarcasmMode that's absolutely not insinuating anything at all]]."
60	* DoubleEntendre: He will drop one whenever he can get away with it.
61	** From his NCR-386 review:
62	-->''"It's just particular in how it likes its disks inserted. I suppose if I had big black disks stuck in me all day I would be particular as well."''
63	** His review of the ''Master Suite Stuff'' pack for ''The Sims 3'' is loaded with these, due to the questionable names of the items included, i.e. a toilet called "The Seat of Romance" and a wall lamp called a "Delicate Dangling Participle". This leads to him calling out the developers for being [[SelfDeprecation as immature as he is]].
64	* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: Aside from his first[[note]]currently available as of 2023[[/note]] video that doesn't involve gaming (which involves Clint threatening to kill a doppelganger of himself), he made quite a few console reviews before mainly settling on computer gaming. In addition, he also copied ''WebVideo/TheAngryVideoGameNerd'' in terms of style, demeanor and even appearance, changing his shtick from "being constantly angry" to "being too lazy to do proper review" (hence the ArtifactTitle).
65	* EdutainmentShow: "Oddware" and "Tech Tales". The former series discusses obsolete and obscure computer peripherals and software, while the latter series goes in depth on the history of once-influential tech companies.
66	* FoodPorn: On his official Twitter, Clint started posting photos of his '[=LGRwiches=]', his very delicious-looking sandwiches. After his followers exhibited interest in Clint starting a food channel, he obliged, and [[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz9uUFDhsPYii-ZihoKsbPg LGR Foods]] was born. So far, he's made sandwiches and noodles, complete with sensual jazz saxophone music, longing shots of the finished product, and a sign-off that says what everyone has been thinking the whole time.
67	--> "I hope you're hungry now, because I am." (fade to black, chomp/slurp) "Mmm..."
68	* FunnyBackgroundEvent:
69	** At the beginning of his ''Sims 3 University'' review, he shows a few other games in the background as he holds the cover up, as a typical opening to his videos. One of them is the 2013 ''[[VideoGame/SimCity2013 SimCity]]'' reboot, with [[TakeThat "DRM"]] written in Sharpie over "City." It later shows up in the review of ''[=SimCity=]'' itself.
70	** At one point during his ''Town Life Stuff'' review for ''The Sims 3'', while listing some of the objects included in the pack, his Sim walks by in nothing but pink underwear.
71	** Given the nature of ''[[MindScrew The Adventures of Ninja Nanny]]'', it's fitting that the Windows 95 system clock on the lower right corner is at [[FourTwentyBlazeIt 4:20 PM]] for the entire video.
72	* GenderFlip: The Female Lazy Game Reviewer, a text-to-speech program with a female voice that shows up to take over reviewing duties for Clint whenever he's sick, as well as showing up randomly at other times.
73	* GloveSnap: Clint gleefully does this in his review of ''VideoGame/LifeAndDeath'', thanks to the mask and gloves [[{{Feelies}} included in the box]].
74	--> (snap!) "Beard not required, but totally recommended."
75	* GoshDangItToHeck: The strongest words he will usually use in his videos are "crap" and "frick". That doesn't mean that there aren't any exceptions.
76	%%* InsaneTrollLogic: PlayedForLaughs in the ''Depth Dwellers'' review.
77	* HellIsThatNoise:
78	** Invoked in LGR Plays ''Skyscraper Simulator'', where starting a game provides an obnoxiously loud screech. Naturally, it's brought up multiple times as the main reason that ThisIsGonnaSuck.
79	** In his Creative Game Blaster review, he found playing ''Test Drive 3'' wasn't exactly the best choice of game to play with the sound card.
80	** He had to turn off the sound when reviewing ''Vette!'' because the PC speaker handled the sound of the engine revving, which he describes as "instant ear rape".
81	** In a semi-behind-the-scenes video he made while filming a review using an IBM [=PCjr=], the fluorescent light bulbs he uses reacted with the infrared wireless keyboard, making the computer think keys were being pressed rapidly, causing a never-ending stream of beeping noises.
82	** The gameplay music in the long lost shareware title ''Batter Up'' freaks LGR out, as it's nothing but two high pitched notes being played in succession. Unlike the other examples, he purposely kept the sound on to show it off.
83	* HiroshimaAsAUnitOfMeasure: In earlier hardware reviews, he compared the size of what he reviewed to completely random items that most people wouldn't have just lying around. These included:
84	** When reviewing the Compaq Contura Aero, it was the same width as a PSP candy case and the length of a set of ''huge'' prop old-timey keys
85	** In the Zenith Z-171 review "It's about the same size as two oversized clothespins. So if you have one of these, that says about how big it is."
86	** The Bernoulli Box, at least the model he has, is about same size as a few half-chewed Garfield chew toys.
87	** Clint compared the [=AverMedia=] Live Gamer Pro recording device with several nonsensical items, until finally settling on showing it had about the same footprint as an Xbox 360 controller.
88	* HomeschooledKids: In his ''Batter Up!'' review, LGR says that he was home-schooled for part of his childhood. During this time, he would get many {{Edutainment Game}}s from book fairs and shareware sources as part of his education, which is why he always has "Edutainment Month" each year and more generally has such nostalgia for PC edutainment.
89	* TheInternetIsForPorn: For... ''whatever reason'', during his Monorail review he finds '''''a giant PornStash''''' that he claims to be half a gig worth, he calls it a "wank bank".
90	* LamePunReaction:
91	** He groans about the Platform/ThreeDOInteractiveMultiplayer's name, which is a pun on "audio" and "video".
92	** A reaction to the back of the "Sims 3 Katy Perry Sweet Treats" box:
93	-->"'In Katy Perry Sweet Treats discover a sweet new hangout' [[SarcasmMode hur-durr, how clever and punny]]."
94	* LetsPlay: His "LGR Plays" series, where he plays through both old and new games for about 20 minutes or so. Unlike standard Let's Plays, he doesn't continue any series past one episode, the only exceptions being his ''VideoGame/DukeNukem3D'' playthrough and a three-part playthrough of ''VideoGame/{{Wasteland}}'', if only because his party died on the third episode.
95	* NonSequitur: Likes to play this for laughs.
96	-->"Yes I'm sun burnt. I went outside for two minutes and that's what happens. So... Let's go thrifting!"
97	* NoPlotNoProblem: If there's a game that has this or any other unexplained aspect, Clint will create something to varying levels of absurdity and yet it'll still make some amount of sense.
98	* NotTheIntendedUse: Every time he gets a niche controller for Oddware, he plays a game that the controller was not supposed to be used with. So far he's done:
99	** ''[[{{Videogame/Doom}} Doom II]]'' with the Thrustmaster Wizard pinball controller
100	** ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV'' with the Philips Virtual Pinball controller
101	** ''Videogame/Doom2016'' with the [=InterAct=] Pool controller.
102	** ''VideoGame/DukeNukem3D'' with the Altara Felix Pointing Device (to showcase issues using it for games) and the Big Keys "ABC" Keyboard (in that the keyboard uses an alphabetical order layout, screwing with the controls)
103	** He used the Saitek Farming Simulator Controller (basically a steering wheel, pedals, and a control panel) on ''{{VideoGame/Doom}}'' and ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3''.
104	** Though not a controller, he uses the view finder of an old camcorder (which was a 1/2" CRT display) to play ''VideoGame/Fallout4'' on.
105	** Similar to the previous example; he's played ''Fallout 4'' and ''{{VideoGame/Cuphead}}'' on an old black-and-white TV set.
106	* OverlyNarrowSuperlative: Claimed that ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild Breath of the Wild]]'' was the best Zelda game he had played, after admitting that it was the first one he had played since the [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaI original]].
107	* PopUpVideoGames: He is quickly disappointed when he finds out Disney's ''Coaster'' isn't one of these even though the main menu make it look otherwise.
108	* PrecisionFStrike: Profanity is almost never used outside of Duke Nukem videos, but in the review of ''Zoo Tycoon'', he names the bathrooms a variety of juvenile names, but the last one is named "Take A Giant Shit". It's only in text, so it's also a FunnyBackgroundEvent.
109	** His ''Extreme Boards and Blades'' review has a bleeped PrecisionFStrike moment, to express his shock at the end upon his discovery of the game's sequel.
110	*** [[CallBack His review of Extreme Wintersports (made by the same developer no less) ends in the exact same way.]]
111	** A typed PrecisionFStrike occurs in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNYJpMQnW3o&list=PL3BC2ECCF73B81434&index=21 his Golden Oldies review]], at the end of a session with Eliza.
112	** An ''accidental'' PrecisionFStrike happens in his ''VideoGame/SonicsSchoolhouse'' review, when the bouncing letters from the game conveniently just happened to spell "FUK"; he highlights this as his overall opinion of the game.
113	* ProductPlacement: Discussed by Clint himself in the "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wd_gE9ryj5k Red Baron Pizza Adventure]]", in which he discovers a copy of a ''VideoGame/RedBaron II'' that included a coupon for 75 cents off a 12-inch Red Baron pizza; since the coupon had no expiration date, this prompted him to go to a local Food Lion and use the coupon to buy the pizza. He then cooks the pizza in a stove before playing the game while the pizza is cooking. The result: the pizza turns out to be pretty good and tasty.
114	* {{Retraux}}: Though more enforced if anything in videos from 2009 to about 2011, due to the only video recorder he had at the time was a JVC VHS one. Clint mentions in the 1 year anniversary video that he did like the retro-styling it gave to his videos, or at least that's what he kept telling himself.
115	* RunningGag:
116	** Practice MOOOOOOOODE...
117	** Appearances from the Female Lazy Game Reviewer.
118	** The "[[ItMakesSenseInContext Katy Perry Sweet Treats House of Pain]]".
119	** Clint's joking love of chairs.[[note]]This dates back to a time where he did a joke review of the Sims 3 in response to comments that his content is ignorant and overly negative, saying that the Sims 3 is actually a game about chairs because why else would there be so many of them?[[/note]]
120	** One of the Christmas clones reminding Clint it's December and he needs to do Christmas-based game reviews.
121	** In his reviews of ''The Sims'' games and expansion packs, he always makes sure to say his (usually negative) thoughts on the loading screen.
122	** In more recent videos, his love of woodgrain has become one of these. He mentions it repeatedly throughout his videos and on social media. This eventually led to him selling limited-edition [[TheMerch woodgrain socks]] as a nod to his love.
123	** Packing Peanuts.
124	** Clint's spot-on impression of VideoGame/DukeNukem. He does it even in videos that aren't directly related to Duke Nukem. For example, he does it [[https://youtu.be/aZC2k4BHpEs&t=458 in the playthrough of]] ''VideoGame/TheAdventuresOfWillyBeamish'' by WebVideo/PushingUpRoses when he sees a blonde kid wearing sunglasses in the game, and compares him to Duke.
125	*** Lampshaded on the LGR Foods channel, where he acknowledges it took him several videos of using Duke's Mayonnaise until he broke out the Duke voice.
126	** Naming a system file "FARTS" while building or restoring a retro computer.
127	* SelfDeprecation: Every once in a while Clint will make fun of his focus on old computer hardware as well as his habit of [[NostalgiaGoggles getting incredibly nostalgic over strange, obscure, and sometimes sub-par things.]]
128	* ShapedLikeItself:
129	** When he reviews the ''After Dark'' screensavers:
130	--> '''Clint:''' And then there's "Doodles," which simulates random doodles.
131	** In one game review he mentions the game's "disk-shaped disk" and "manual-shaped manual."
132	** In the ''Mario Teaches Typing'' review he explains that inside the box you'll find...box insides.
133	* ShoutOut:
134	** The Female Lazy Game Reviewer is represented by a picture of Kitty from ''Series/ArrestedDevelopment''.
135	** In his review of the Christmas game ''Rudolph's Magical Sleigh Ride'', he points out that his copy of the game came in a jewel case for a program called ''Too Many Typefonts'', and quickly makes the connection to ''Film/TooManyCooks''.
136	** His review of ''The Sims: Movie Stuff'' notes some of the raunchier outfits included in the horror category, including one where "[[Film/TheRockyHorrorPictureShow you're just a sweet transvestite from Transsexual, Transylvania.]]"
137	** In his review of ''VideoGame/ZooTycoon'', he states that the goal of the ''Marine Mania'' expansion is to successfully run a water park and avoid becoming the subject of an [[Film/BlackFish expository documentary]].
138	** During his review of the ''VideoGame/CitiesSkylines'' expansion ''Green Cities'', he notes the variety of new buildings in the game that float in the water, saying "[[Film/It2017 Oh yes, Georgie, they all float]]."
139	** One of the features Clint shows off in his review of ''The Sims 2 Holiday Edition'' is the New Year's Bash, where Father Time shows up to your house and transforms into Toddler New Year at midnight. While showing off the dancing baby, a single "ooga chaka" can be heard in the background, referencing the "dancing baby" meme from ''Series/AllyMcBeal''.
140	* ShownTheirWork: Most of the LGR videos are 7+ minutes long. He goes the extra mile talking about the development of the game, the people behind it, and the history of ALL its releases and ports.
141	* SickEpisode: The ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry1'' episode, where Clint had to use a [[MachineMonotone text-to-speech system]] to provide narration.
142	** This had a sequel and appropriately it was to review ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry2DiddysKongQuest''
143	* SlasherSmile: Starts off [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlPJcWf1DeA&index=1&list=PLB9FA1979AB986522 one video]] this way...
144	--> '''Clint:''' OK, enough of the [[Music/AphexTwin Richard D. James]] face.
145	* SoBadItsGood: [[InvokedTrope Invokes]] this trope on occasion. Said nearly word for word in his video on ''[[VideoGame/SimCity Streets of SimCity]]''.
146	* StylisticCallback: His [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbjYkPKRm-8 7th anniversary video]] features a remake of his second opening sequence, with a metal remix of Vaxeen 4U, a shot-for-shot remake of the opening scenes in HD with all the same typefaces, and the [[CouchGag usual game footage leading it out]] replaced with him using an HTC Vive in time-lapse.
147	* TakeThat: In his review of [[VideoGame/TheSims4 the Bowling Stuff pack]], he comments that it's a pack no-one asked for, alongside the fictional "Broom Stuff" and "Deflated Football Stuff" packs. The latter has the [[UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeague New England Patriots]] logo on the fake cover art, as a nod to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deflategate Deflategate]].
148	%%* SweetnessAversion[[invoked]]: Leveled this criticism against "Sims 3: Katy Perry Sweet Treats", culminating in literally eating the box art.
149	* ThemeTune:
150	** Very early videos used a clip from the EDM song [[https://youtu.be/0_eyIXf8TMk?t=227 Chainsaw Fellatio]] by Venetian Snares
151	** He used a cut version of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ueh9bNe4shI Vaxeen 4U]] for several years before stopping with intros altogether.
152	** The Christmas episodes use a remix of a popular classic Christmas song, such as ''[[VideoGame/JazzJackrabbit Jazz Jackrabbit Holiday Hare's]]'' Little Drummer Boy.
153
154	----
155
156	-->''"…and as always, thank you for reading!"''
157

Context WebVideo / LazyGameReviews