The Clan Of The Gray Wolf is a group of people (a "clan") who produce video review shows and blogs that focus on both Video Games and Tabletop Games, as well as other "geek-related media". They were also formerly a part of Channel Awesome, RetrowareTV and Reviewtopia.
The project seems to have retired, as their website is now inactive and their Twitter feed has not updated since 2016.
The members of the group are (left to right):
- Boomer: the resident Tabletop Games geek. Though he has no specific video review segment, he does occasionally do vlogs of various conventions such as GenCon with Roo, as well as interviews with creators of various tools (such as iPhone apps) that help with tabletop gaming. As you might have guessed, he has his own blog on the website.
- Commodore128 aka "The Commodore" (ding-ding!): hosts the "Echo Screen" Podcast along with the other members, as well as starring in the "Painful Memories in Gaming" video segments. He has his own blog on the website.
- Roo: is the host of "The Way Games Work" and "16-Bit Gems" video shows and co-stars in the "Painful Memories in Gaming" videos. He also has his own blog on the website.
This website provides examples of:
- Accentuate the Negative: Averted. Many of the blogs and video reviews, especially "16-Bit Gems", tend to focus primarily on the positive aspects of a work.
- All Animeis Naughty Tentacles: Roo seems to associate this in his E.V.O.:Search for Eden and The Legend of the Mystical Ninja reviews.
- April Fools' Day: Roo does April Fool's videos which are based on acting as though 16-Bit Gems is, and always has been, based around some other bittage instead ("8-Bit Gem", "64-Bit Gems", etc.) However this is just an excuse for him to instead review a game from those console generations, and he does so as seriously as he does the 16-bit games usually.
- Awesome Music: In-Universe, holding up Final Fantasy VI and Chrono Trigger (complete with angelic choir) as the best music on the SNES.
- Catchphrase: "There is no reset button." Said by both the Commodore (ding-ding!) and Roo at the end of the Podcasts and "16-Bit Gems" videos.
- Crossover: Roo swapped shows with Heisanevilgenius of Weird Video Games for one episode.
- Documentary: Roo's occasional "The Way Games Work" videos on how console hardware (such as controllers) work.
- Hypocritical Humor: Whenever piracy is mentioned in any "16-bit Gems" review. Roo has a tendency to say he doesn't encourage piracy, while indirectly showing that it may be helpful or even completely necessary to pirate the reviewed game in order to play it.
- Informed Flaw: Roo constantly emphasizes how bad he is at pronouncing Japanese names. He seems to be doing it on purpose though.
- Jump Scare: Roo does two during his review of Clock Tower.
- Metaphorgotten: In his NES Back to the Future review, he does this:Roo: Now, look, I'm not saying this is a great game, just that the hate's been kept a bit too high, and that there's a gem here somewhere in the rough. The rough, rough-y, roughness of Roughertonville, PA, home of Mc Rough The Crime Dog, King Of The Anvils and the fir-
- Non-Indicative Name: The Clan of the Gray Wolf is only a clan in the loosest sense, and doesn't have anything to do with actual wolves (gray or otherwise).
- Once per Episode: See Catchphrase above.
- Once a Season: The site has an annual Rock Band marathon for Child's Play every November.
- Sanity Slippage: Roo has a massive case after viewing We Are the Strange for his cameo on Brows Held High.
- Shown Their Work: Roo does lots of research for every game featured in 16-bit gems.
- Take That!: Roo takes a few at The Irate Gamer when reviewing Aladdin for the SNES on "16-bit Gems," like saying that irate gamers shouldn't pick on movie-based games for simply being based on a movie and pointing out an easily workable platforming puzzle that the Irate Gamer pretended to goof up on.
