Episode 48: Welcome to 2019 : New Horizons, Stranger Things & Tattoos in Games

January 7, 2019

Happy new year, welcome to the first episode of the year; we hope everyone is safe and enjoying themselves. This week we are bringing you stories about the new horizon project with pictures of MU69 or as it has been dubbed, the Ultimate Thule. This could be the perfect piece of real estate for those wanting to avoid those door to door sales people. We discuss the distances to it, the distance the New Horizons travels near the Ultimate Thule, the fact it travels in what is low earth orbit, also the lunar distance just for a laugh.

Next up is a discussion about the new season of Stranger Things, and we don’t mean the crazy movie named Mad Max Fury Road either. Which Buck says was an ok movie but not a ‘Mad Max’ movie by any stretch of the imagination. We have a laugh of at the poster and the atomic wedgie of one of the kids, ah the eighties and bad fashion, thank goodness it is over. Also once again it appears that Hollywood is copying Australia instead of creating origional IP. It appears that ‘Stranger Things’ is copying the movie and series ‘Puberty Blues’ folks; that’s right you heard it here first.

Then we talk about tattoos and gaming with the recent lawsuit regarding LeBron James and his appearance in various video games. We then wonder about who owns the artwork on your body. Also the levels of insanity, with people selling advertising on themselves by getting tattoos for organisations such as Golden Palace. Some of these people are all kinds of crazy with where they get these tattoos. Once again, happy new year and keep listening as we approach our first birthday in a few weeks.

Episode 47 - Icy Martian Crater, 2019 Box Office Movies & 2018 Year Review

December 31, 2018

So for this last episode of the year we have a special guest, Tahlya, from General Queeries, another amazing podcast from Thats Not Cannon productions. If you have the time check them out, they are cool and discuss some really important topics. Unfortunately the Professor was not able to join us, he was away on holidays, we wish him well and safe travels.

We also just wish to say here that we wish Stan Lee a happy Birthday and honour his memory and legacy.

First up we look at an article about a giant frozen lake on Mars that is 82 kilometers across. Buck wants to do snow angels on it with Voltron. We discuss who would be better to do that with Voltron (the origional – with the vehicles) or Optimus Prime. This leads to a discussion of the similarity between the Power Rangers and Voltron Lion force. Hey you know us we follow the train of thought and have a laugh.

We then discuss the upcoming movies of 2019, what we are looking for and which we are dreading. Surprisingly (NOT) no one is excited to see the new Aladdin movie with Will Smith. This is shaping up to be the biggest blunder ever from Disney. John Wick 3 is looking promising and exciting; let’s hope it continues to be an amazing franchise.

So we hope you all keep safe and have an amazing New Year, may the wind be at your back, the sun shine gently on your face and the road rise to meet your every step. Take care, look out for each other and drink lots of water. Nerds Rule, that is all.

Episode 46 - Day Z, Dark Crystal & Cars

December 25, 2018

OK, so it appears that the hopes and dreams of many were dashed this week with the release of the picture from the new Disney Aladdin on a magazine cover. All I can say is the questions and comments are seriously bad. With some saying it looks like a bad porn parody and others saying it looks as camp as a float at the Sydney Mardi Gras. Oh Disney, don’t kill another movie, please, if anything, just stop before you traumatise the children. Oh the humanity.

Wow, the fur starts flying early this week as the Professor tells us how disappointing Day Z 1.0 is after the one year, oops sorry FIVE years of waiting. It appears we have a contender with Star Citizen for biggest flop, or is that Fallout 76? Dang, games are just starting to get worse, not better, what ever happened to the games we were promised in cartoons and anime? Trust me when I say that this is one to listen to as the Professor is really upset about this, even becoming a grumpy old man and wanting to fix the blessed thing.

DJ brings us information about the cast of voice actors for the new Dark Crystal series being developed by Netflix. Buck is reserving the right to be fully grumpy and indignant about the epic failure if they get it wrong. Hopefully it will be good.

Buck brings us news about musical and sound engineering for cars. That’s right, to help people know that an electric car is coming manufacturers are employing specialists from the music industry to deliver the perfect noise for the cars of the future. Of course this raises questions of “Tuning” cars in the future, will the American Presidential tank play the Imperial Death march as it drives down the road or the Star Spangled Banner.

Episode 45: Amy Adams, China & Two Compounds

December 17, 2018

It is almost time for the Christmas music to stop playing in the shops, and the return of the normal drone of unintelligent selection of dribble. Yes, I like Christmas music and Christmas it is a fun time of year when we all try to be nicer for a change. Also that time of year we watch John Maclean run around Nakatomi Plaza welcoming us to the game pal, and for watching the Muppets Christmas Carol. So to one and all, Merry Christmas and a safe and happy new year, we thank you for listening and hope we see you all next year.

This week’s episode the DJ tells us that Amy Adams might be finished with playing Louis Lane for the Superman franchise. Which starts a debate over who was the best Louis and who should replace her; Buck loves Margot Kidder still, but believes Elizabeth Henstridge would be a great replacement for any reboots. What do you think?

The second topic for discussion is China banning games, some of which are from China. The laughs you will get from this are fantastic, particularly the reasons for why the games are banned. Want to know which games will be the biggest surprises for being banned? You will have to listen, but trust us, it is epicly awesome.

Buck brings us news about two compounds found in coffee that show interesting promise in preventing and fighting Parkinsons disease and Dementia. Talk about an awesome show, right? The science behind this is solid and has many other possibilities, and Buck is excited. Things like this is why he likes science, also science-fiction, breaking down the barriers and limitations and boldly searching for new and better ways to do everything.

Episode 44: Minecraft, Henry Sutton & Bond 25

December 11, 2018

We hope everyone is staying safe as Christmas approaches and life becomes hectic, chaotic and clouded with the insanity of shopping car park over-crowding in hot weather and high humidity. We recommend that you drink lots of water, rest in a cool shady spot and listen to something fun and entertaining, so in light of that here is our latest episode from the Nerds we all love. Please sit back, relax and enjoy that cold drink and let us entertain you.

First up the Professor has news about Netflix getting involved with the Minecraft story mode. This is potentially the greatest news since Anthony Mundine was knocked out, and was silent for more than 30 seconds, not that we condone violence, but it was a teacher who took him down. Viva la Nerds!!!

The DJ brings us news about the latest Bond movie changing director and a discussion about a number of things Bond related ensues. Buck the ancient Nerd is a Bond fan and has some trivia for us that is pretty cool. For example in which film did a camera man suffer an accident in which he nearly lost his life, but did lose a foot? DJ asks ‘who is everyone’s favourite Bond,’ so please send us a message and let us know, we will run a poll on Facebook also, we will let you know the results.

Buck is excited about the story of Henry Sutton, a man referred to as Australia’s own Thomas Edison. The recent release of a book researched for a decade by his Great Granddaughter and recently published has him all bothered and aquiver. Trust us, this guy was a seriously cool inventor and scientist with some amazing work to his name. Also he met another of Bucks great heroes, Nikola Tesla and invented a telephone, a precursor to the television. Wow, I mean this bloke wrote a paper on heavier than air flight at the age of 14 which was later published Royal Aeronautical Journal of Britain. So grab your socks and hold on tight for the latest thrilling adventures from our Nerds.

Episode 43: No Propellers, Nintendo & Neon Genesis

December 4, 2018

So, I was going to be clever and lead in with a Kermit the frog intro and a Fuzzy B Bear joke, but we would probably get in trouble with Henson productions and Disney. So instead, Like sands in the… nope, that’s been taken too. Like a case of athlete’s foot, it is Nerds Amalgamated, here with the latest episode for you all. We hope everyone is safe, with massive fires in Queensland and devastating storms down south, Australia is reminding us of how unpredictable it is. We wish to say thank you to all the people of the various emergency services that are out saving lives in horrendous conditions.

This episode we start with Buck and a plane without propellers, in fact it is Star Trek inspired as it utilises an ion drive. That’s right folks, a plane that is taking a page out of science-fiction. So, my fellow Nerds, once again a piece of fiction is moving to the non-fiction section of the library, whoop whoop! Buck and the Professor are both excited about this one, and at some point the DJ gets beamed up by Scotty because he fries the Dilithium Crystals. Aww, for goodness sake man, we canna take much more of this…

While the DJ disappears Buck and the Professor talk about Nintendo closing the Nintendo Creators Program. That’s right, people who show video’s containing images of any games etc have had to submit it to the NCP for authorisation. Out of curiosity am I the only one thinking NCP sounds like OCP from Robocop? My goodness, Nintendo are going to give us Robocop in the future!!! I’ll buy that for a dollar.

The DJ returns to tell us about how Neon Genesis is coming to Netflix, and some other items that are going to be live action remakes. Let’s hope they don’t screw these up like they did with Deathnote and Full Metal Alchemist. Rest assured though, if they do screw it up we will tell you about it and make more terrible puns. At this time we wish to say thank you to our listeners who have been with us each week, you are why we do this.

Episode 42: Sailor Moon, Black Mesa, Cat's tongues and the answer to life, the universe and everything

November 25, 2018

So, here we are again, that’s right the latest episode from the goofballs at Nerds Amalgamated is here. This week we have the DJ impersonating Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh, and no the only jackass is Buck. The first topic is the upcoming release of a new series of Sailor Moon, such an awesome series. Also it is interesting that anime has so many series and movies with a strong female lead and yet Hollywood struggles to do the same.

The Professor has news about the new Half-life game which has been 14 years in the making. It is looking sweet, so I guess we might be hearing more about it. We also talk about the fact that there were different variations of Half-life released origionally due to the violent nature of the game. Except Singapore where it was apparently banned due to excessive violence (So many lines I could use here to). This leads into one our trademark tangential conversation about different games and various factors that we interesting.

For the cat lovers Buck has news about a new brush for grooming your moggy or tabby and the science behind it. That’s right, science has been employed to help groom cats, and Buck found it interesting. You will be hanging on the edge of your seats either with excitement or fear that cats are taking over the world. Buck says don’t worry on that score as the Penguins won’t allow it.

Episode 41: Supanova 2018 Review

November 19, 2018

So, we went to Supanova – yep and we didn’t get booted. This episode we talk about what we saw, who we met and what were the highlights. First up though is Super Tee, the amazing people bringing special hero shirts for children in hospital, please help if you can. Buck was excited about Rick Meads, author of a children’s book on quantum physics, titled Speckles Search for Friends. This is about the big bang theory and the creation of the universe. Also Buck wanted a helmet from Blue Fox Props, a drawing from Jamie Johnson and many other things. He was like a kid in a toy shop.

The DJ tells of his adventures wandering the convention meeting awesome artists and buying some fine examples to take home. One of his stand outs was meeting the team from Comics2Movies, particularly Shaun Keenan, and the amazing artwork they produce. He also got to meet Trent and Julia from The Fortress (an awesome YouTube channel). Julia was stunning in her Cosplay as Black Cat; the pictures are on our Facebook page. Along with loads of really cool people that you will just have to listen to find out about.

The Professor LOVED the life size Dalek that was driving around, as well as the lady cosplaying the new Dr.Who. Check the photos on Facebook, unfortunately we were all too busy watching the Dalek to get a picture. He also had fun meeting the New Melbourne Browncoats who had a booth next to ours, shiny. Getting to meet some of the other podcasters from That’s Not Canon productions was fantastic.

A special shout out to the legendary Stanley Martin Lieber (Stan Lee) who passed this week, along with Douglas Rain (Hal 9000 from 2001, A Space Odyssey). We also take a moment to remember the 11th of November, a century since the armistice in World War One.

Episode 40: Tencent games, Deadwood Movie & Tractor Beams

November 12, 2018

Welcome to what is yet another episode full of fun and laughter from those nut job nerds you all hate to love or love to hate? First up we have the Professor telling us about how Tencent Games is planning to use police databases to restrict access to video games; which angers Buck due to breach of privacy issues and the reality that information will be flowing both ways. Professor is excited to see who is going to be the first criminal located by the police using video games to track him down. Ahhh, China, wanting to be the world’s number 1 in everything is now tackling the obstacle of behaving with extreme stupidity on an international level.

This week the DJ brings us a story about the Deadwood tele-movie. Then the discussion delves into the range of movies and does Netflix and other streaming services spell the end of cinemas? Trust me, this is when you want to sit back with a cup of tea and watch the sparks fly. Best news is that apparently most of the original cast is back for this, including Ian McShane. Also some other movies in the works are Braking Bad, a new Super Mario movie (please, please, please don’t be a crappy as the last one) and also Steven Universe. So we will get to enjoy more from Dakota, check in on the crystal meth scene and hope the DJ stops doing weird accents.

Buck brings us news of a real life working tractor beam that has been developed in Oz! A team working at the University of Adelaide has made science-fiction a reality for us, although on a reduced scale. But it is a start and now we have lasers and a tractor beam, now we need force fields and shields, please. Buck and the Professor geek out about the possibilities that this tractor beam represents for the future; which in reality is pretty darn sweet, right?

Also we hope everyone who attended Supanova Brisabne had as much fun as we did. It was awesome meeting so many fantastic people, check the Facebook page to see some of them, and that is only a tiny sample of how incredible it was. Until next time stay safe, stay nerdy and we hope you enjoy.

Episode 38: Del Toro's Pinocchio on Netflix, Steam supporting Australian Dollars & Future Mars landing

October 30, 2018

Welcome, welcome, come on up to the slab and let us see what mischief and havoc your favourite ne’er do wells have been up to this week. First up the DJ fiendishly illuminates us on the latest plans of Guillermo del Toro, apparently Pinocchio is set to be re-envisioned by this sorcerer and his mystic arts.

Then the mad professor brings us tales of Steam announcing it is finally intending to accept the currency of the land of criminals and exiles (otherwise referred to as Australia). Although given the latest insanity from some twisted mind, Australia is all a hoax perpetrated on the unsuspecting world…mmmm, yes some people are decidedly stupid aren’t they.

Next up Buck the mad scientist carries news that there is talk of landing sites for the next Mars Rover mission. Such is how the darkness of humanity shall spread across the verse…. Beware the reapers…

Such a ghoulishly fun filled episode that will give you paroxysms of laughter and mirth… remember you have been informed of the dangers involved in listening to this dark chaos….

Episode 37: Red Dead Redemption 2, Subterranean drones & Live Action Aladdin

October 22, 2018

In the latest episode the Professor talks to us about the Crunch time the developers put into finishing Red Dead 2, and we discuss the realities of 100 hour work weeks. The discussion evolves to including 4 day work weeks and the world’s demands for everyone to work harder. It may sound like a heavy topic but it is important to be aware of what is happening and take care of your health; also there are some funny points when Buck starts to ramble and carry on (the old fart).

Next topic is how an Australian team is developing drones for use in mapping subterranean areas for exploration and rescue. This is so cool and Buck is excited about the entire concept, particularly the fact it employs LIDAR technology as opposed to RADAR to avoid the complications inherent in sound wave technology.

DJ brings us news about the live action Aladdin remake from Disney, and gives us the trailer and the cast list also. It won’t be the same without Robin Williams as the Genie, but hopefully it will be great. The Professor and Buck are sceptical about the movie, particularly with who is playing the Genie. Buck is hoping the music won’t be changed. Let us know what you think about it and what your favourite Robin Williams movie was.

Once again thank you for listening and we hope you enjoy what we do, if there is a particular topic you would like us to discuss drop us a line and we will see what we can do. If you have any requests of any kind or suggestions we are always glad to hear from you, we are on Twitter and a range of social media, otherwise, catch you later on the next exciting episode.

Episode 36 : Influenza, Star Citizen, Dr Who & Attack On Titan

October 14, 2018

So those crazy blokes are back and bringing you some news, some fun and something to laugh at. This week we take a look at how cities affect influenza (the flu for those envisioning some major plague outbreak). With research discussing how the size, lay out and other variables affect the severity. Strangely enough it appears being a Nerd who likes to spend time inside on a computer etcetera helps to protect you from the flu.

We hear the latest on the saga of Star Citizen, and yep, Buck still thinks it might be a Ponzi scheme. But he is getting old and cranky so who knows, maybe he just needs to get more fibre in his diet. We hear about the talent line up used in voice actors for Squadron 42 and that they apparently do have some playable content, not just artwork.

The Professor and Buck get excited about Dr Who, although the Professor decides he is sold that the lady dr. is in fact a lady. Well, you listen to it and you will be just as confused as I was, but guarantee you will laugh.

The DJ tries to tell us about the latest news from Attack on Titan, which is apparently on hiatus at the moment, although he couldn’t tell us why, but he dropped out for a bit, but heads up, the word is that it will continue.

In Games the Professor has been playing with Zombies in an anime looking world, and it is very cool for as it is an RTS. This is a game that is definitely recommended as a fun way to spend some time. After all, everyone loves to kill Zombies right? Buck is still running around Skyrim and tackling the Gecko infestation, we might lose him if we aren’t careful, that game is way too much fun. The DJ has been playing Path of Exile again and loves the game but is scared of the massive skill tree.

Episode 35 - Nobel Prize, Infinitroid, Venom, X-men Dark Phoenix & Totoro beer

October 7, 2018

In another episode from those kooky clowns at Nerds Amalgamated you will get to have a laugh listening to some news about the Nobel prizes for medicine among others. Then a look at Infinitroid – the game that never sold any copies, and looks like a lot of fun. If you are looking for a fun game to play try and find it and let us know what you think. Then the DJ talks to us about Venom, Buck calls it hippie non-sense, the professor tries to stay awake. Then because he is making up for lost time the DJ tells us about another delay for Dark Phoenix which is also delaying other movie releases. Then the best news from the DJ, Totoro beer is now a thing, so next time you want to sit down and watch some anime and eat ramen you can also drink Totoro beer. Life is getting better every day.

In games this week Buck goes old school with Vikings: Battle for Asgard, which is actually a fun game worth taking a look at. The professor is playing Rainbow Six Siege, and loves every second of it, anyone else out there playing this? Let us know and tell us about you most epic battles. Finally the DJ is playing games again, this week he has been playing Path of Exile, a MMORPG free on steam. This takes the direction that Diablo should have gone and is an amazing experience, highly recommended by both Buck and the DJ.

Also we are now available on Spotify for those looking for more ways to listen to us and keep up to date with the boys. As always feel free to hit us up and give us suggestions, make requests or whatever, we enjoy hearing from you all.

Episode 34: Telltale, AI, Prince Charles and E-Sports

September 30, 2018

The DJ has returned to the show. Yay?!

Glad to see he is alive and talking still. Buck scares everyone by being polite and friendly, not sure what happened there. Maybe someone spiked his coffee.

At the start we get an update from the Professor about Nintendo’s save policy (still no sign of Ginger or Mary-anne but DJ looks and acts like Gilligan). We did it, yep, we started the show with two good pieces of news, and Buck was friendly, what is happening?

Then Buck brings up the saga of Telltale games closing down, with the absurd behaviour of management. Such a shame and our thoughts are with all the employees who have lost their jobs, hope everything works out well for you all.

The Professor tells us about how an AI has created a couple of games, so if we can combine that with all the other AI’s out there can we expect Skynet? The DJ is worried about being replaced with all the automation, there is a valid point that we can combine all the AI’s and build a new member for the show.

Prince Charles is opposing cyborgs, he mustn’t have watched Robocop or Star Trek, so he is off the guest list, not a Nerd. Although why he was in GQ talking about the subject is beyond us, like, literally, he is not cool, fashionable and he is older the Buck, and he went to school with Noah.

The DJ gives us a story about a bunch of wack jobs at a football game throwing game controllers and tennis balls onto the pitch in a protest against E-Sports. So please, no one help them with any tech service et cetera if they want to attack Nerds lets show them we make the world better and not to mess with us.

On the games front the Professor has been playing Legend of Zelda on the Switch, and Buck has been slaying dragons in Skyrim. The DJ has been slack yet again and not played any games, we are unsure about if he truly is a nerd.

We have all the regular shout outs at the end of the show, and Buck deliveries some breaking news about a crazy drunk woman from Adelaide, South Australia, who attacked KFC. She needs to just let the nugget go. We also made an important announcement and that is the show will no longer be called Top Shelf Nerds, it will be called Nerds Amalgamated.

Episode 33

September 23, 2018

ALERT!!! The DJ is missing, he is not in this week’s episode, we missed him and hope he will be back soon. This week we start off with the Professor telling us about how Nintendo are being complete idiots of monumental proportions in a number of ways. We also talk about some developments at Playstation and some old games including one with Bruce Willis, which was more fun. It is totally crazy how stupid some people can be, listen in to hear what Nintendo has done that has Buck so annoyed.

We take a look at what is shaping up to be a great game, Just Cause 4, with a huge map and excellent graphics. If you want to know some of the exciting details we discuss things such as flying using rockets, fighting on nuclear missiles and compare map sizes from various games. Definitely a game to look out for, if you do play it let us know what you think, we would like to hear your thoughts on the franchise.

We discuss Elon Musk sending a Japanese business man to the moon, along with some as yet to be decided friends. Buck and the Professor decide they need to start painting in response, we apologise for what that may produce. But it is seriously looking cool, a holiday in space and a quick trip around the moon, who wouldn’t want to do that? We also find out how ancient Buck is, we think or is he just teasing us? He does the grumpy old man thing pretty well, so maybe.

The Professor tells us about playing Crash Bandicoot on the Nintendo Switch and how there are some new levels to be enjoyed. Also discusses about the making of the game by the origional developers for the aspiring listeners wanting to make their own games.

Buck talks about playing Tomb Raider and how he enjoyed running around an island full of homicidal maniacs from a crazed cult. Building weapons and solving puzzles. Maybe he really is ancient, next we know he’ll be doing Sudoku at the cafes and falling asleep watching the news.

Episode 32

September 16, 2018

This week the DJ reports on Sony’s Tokyo Game Show Conference teasers. But does he go to Tokyo or is he destined to remain within range of an Australian powerpoint because Professor left the battery out, just like Dr Henry Wu stopping dinosaurs producing Lysine so they couldn’t leave the island? While no animal activists complain about exploiting robots, Buck has one to talk about.

Buck wants to talk about a Destiny 2 exploit that lets players access expansion content before the release date. Some players lost the chance to get equipment because of a bug. Did Robin Hood steal from the glitch to give to the poor?

The Professor has some worrying news about his favourite flightless bird, the Penguin, or Pengwing as Benny Dictation Crumper Catch pronounces it. If the greatest flightless bird on Earth can’t survive climate change, what hope do puny humans have?

Once again the DJ forgot to play a game. No marks have been awarded. The Professor played Bad North, the Viking themed RTS Rouge-Like. And Buck’s hoarding obsession has turned to bottlecaps because he’s been playing a bit too much Fallout 4.

Episode 31: Star Citizen Paywall, Killer Robot Ban & Violent ESports

September 9, 2018

So is this a Ponzi scheme or is Star Citizen just plain lost it and gotten lazy? This is how we start this week, with a debate on the fact that $200 million has been raised and nothing other than concept art has been delivered. Now there is the backlash on “charging” to access the live stream of the citizen convention. Buck gets heated and starts to rant, we all love those.

Then we look at automated killer robots and the combined call from the Human Rights Watch and Harvard Law Schools International Human Rights Clinic. The realities of automated warfare are much more demoralising than we expected. But on the bright side, war will become more like a video game and spectator sport. Now if we could only get the politicians to lead the charge onto the battle field the world would be a better place.

A hack from the Olympic committee has declared video games are too violent for inclusion at the Olympic Games despite the growing trend in eSports. Someone claims it is the presence of blood. We ask about the violence of boxing, football, wrestling and even gymnastics. Yep, gymnastics had a sickening display of physical harm and it is still there. If this doesn’t make you chuckle a little you need to check your pulse.

In games of the week the DJ has dropped the ball and leaves us high and dry. The professor has been playing Vermintide II and it is sounding Fan-FREAKING-tastic!!! Definitely a game to look into for your games rotation, so much fun set in awesome graphics. Buck played a classic in Warhammer 40k, Spacemarine and is still having fun even after all these years.

There is the usual mention of various events from history that happened this week, plus the birthday shout outs, including the legendary Freddy Mercury. Also, a thank you to Chery Gladman for mentioning us as a great Australian podcast.