History WebAnimation / ZeroPunctuation

* {{GIFT}}: Yahtzee actually cites the [[PennyArcade original formula]] then alters it by subtracting 'Anonymity' and 'Audience'. Or in other words, [[HumansAreBastards Normal Person = Total Fuckwad.]]

* HumansAreBastards: Yahtzee states in {{Prototype 2}} that despite the fact the game developers tried to focus more on the fact that Heller is more sympathetic than Mercer, they are still both controlled by a player who would still slaughter everyone for fun.

** NolanNorth's presence in a game tends to be a sour point for him (especially if he voices the [[AssassinsCreed main]] [[{{Uncharted}} character]]). However, he's stated that it's nothing against the man himself, though even cases of PlayingAgainstType will make him hate the character as long as he knows it's him.

** He also has a great love for anything that does things differently like ''VideoGame/{{Portal}}'' and ''NoMoreHeroes''; he complimented ''MirrorsEdge'' for trying something new even after tearing the actual gameplay apart, and AssassinsCreed got praise for being original even though it was let down by highly repetitive gameplay. Similarly, he praised ''DarkVoid'' for being an ambitious failure, and as such, better than "committee-designed sludge". He also liked ''SilentHillShatteredMemories'', despite hating ''SilentHill'' spinoffs and saying that the monsters and chase scenes weren't scary and the psych test gimmicks weren't enough, for trying something new. He raves about ''ShadowOfTheColossus'' for [[TropeMaker creating]], [[TropeNamer naming]] and [[TropeCodifier codifying]] the ColossusClimb, and ''{{Ico}}'' got a love note from him for making him ''[[VideoGameCaringPotential care]]'' about a CuteMute LoveInterest.

** He mentioned a particular fondness for Shaun of the ''AssassinsCreed'' series, partly because he reminds him of himself and partly because he often insults [[NolanNorth Desmond]] [[TheScrappy Miles]].

** "I don't see AliceMadnessReturns making mad returns, [[AWorldwidePunomenon meheh myeh]].

* CryingIndian: The ''{{Fallout}} 3'' featured a deer crying over the landscape being littered with rubble.

** "''FalloutNewVegas'' is really just an expansion pack for ''{{Fallout}} 3'', and I said everything I need to say about ''{{Fallout}} 3'' in my ''{{Fallout}} 3'' review of ''{{Fallout}} 3''."

** "''{{Fallout}} 3'', that is!"

* MuggingTheMonster: In his ''FalloutNewVegas'' review, he mentions that it occured to him that it might be a good idea to stop stealing things. After getting attacked by bandits and taking their stuff, he mentions it is not stealing because they attacked him, which makes it his by the international law of "Go Fuck Yourselves."

* NoodleIncident: The end of the ''{{Fallout}}: New Vegas'' video says "I hope the war in Las Vegas destroyed that ice machine I threw up in".

** "[{{Singularity}}] rips off the cutesy, '50's style ads from VideoGame/{{BioShock|1}}, which VideoGame/{{BioShock|1}} ripped off from {{Fallout}}. It's like a magnificent [[TheHumanCentipede Human Centipede]] stretching back through gaming history."

*** In his pants![[hottip:*: "In his underwear" for us non-Brits.]]

** Also seems to link back a few times to DoesNotLikeWomen; he'll make a joke about not being able to get laid, comfort himself with the excuse that women are terrible anyway, and then cap off the joke with "But I'm still not gay." Perhaps the gentleman doth protest too much? [[hottip:*: In the same review, he compares pushing the buttons on the fret bar to fingering a female lover. Yes, he had mentioned that he was heterosexual.]]

** He has accused the Zelda series of all its entries being the same game. However, he has also shown he actually hasn't played the series that thoroughly. By the time the show started, he only had played two games ([[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker The Wind Waker]] and [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess Twilight Princess]], which he claims to like) and yet, he made that accusation right from his first Zelda review (PhantomHourglass). In other words, he only knew 3 out of 14 games. He also admited in his review of the Nintendo3DS version of OcarinaOfTime that he barely played the original game, and in his SkywardSword review, he shows those five are the only games in the series he has played and finished. That means he still only knows one third of the series. See ItsTheSameNowItSucks below.

* HelloInsertNameHere: Yahtzee loves to abuse this whenever possible, with such examples as "[[MassEffect Titty Shepard]]" to "[[PhantomHourglass Fagballs]]", "[[OcarinaOfTime Fuck Me]]", "[[{{Nier}} Twattycakes]]" or "[[TabulaRasa Gareth Gobulcoque]]".

** He has accused the Zelda series of all its entries being the same game. However, he has also shown he actually hasn't played the series that thoroughly. By the time the show started, he only had played two games ([[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker The Wind Waker]] and TwilightPrincess, which he claims to like) and yet, he made that accusation right from his first Zelda review (PhantomHourglass). In other words, he only knew 3 out of 14 games. He also admited in his review of the Nintendo3DS version of OcarinaOfTime that he barely played the original game, and in his SkywardSword review, he shows those five are the only games in the series he has played and finished. That means he still only knows one third of the series. See ItsTheSameNowItSucks below.

** Comparing ''Driver: San Francisco's'' {{Body Surf}}ing antics to those of ''QuantumLeap''. Cue Tanner donning a Scott Bakula mask, along with the caption "[[StarTrekEnterprise I RUINED STAR TREK]]".

** Faith of ''[[MirrorsEdge Mirror's Edge]]'' could "easily have been a terrorist" without changing the game much.

** In ''[[BatmanArkhamAsylum Batman: Arkham Asylum]]'':

** In his Resistance 3 review, he accuses the game of copying {{VALVe}}'s Half-Life 2. Amongst his accusations are identical mechanics, a straight Expy of the Ravenholm level, and "the scientist has a beard." Because, you know, Gordon Freeman has a beard.

** He has accused the Zelda series of all its entries being the same game. However, he has also shown he actually hasn't played the series that thoroughly. By the time the show started, he only had played two games (TheWindWaker and TwilightPrincess, which he claims to like) and yet, he made that accusation right from his first Zelda review (PhantomHourglass). In other words, he only knew 3 out of 14 games. He also admited in his review of the Nintendo3DS version of OcarinaOfTime that he barely played the original game, and in his SkywardSword review, he shows those five are the only games in the series he has played and finished. That means he still only knows one third of the series. See ItsTheSameNowItSucks below.

* CrossOver: With the ''{{MST3K}}''-esque series ''{{Unskippable}}''. Yahtzee appeared in their ''StarOceanTheLastHope'' riff and [[LoadingReadyRun Graham Stark]] of ''Unskippable'' appeared in the first section of the ''{{Halo}} Wars'' review to review ''X-Blades'' before running out of things to say and getting kicked out by Yahtzee.

** The ''ZP'' review of ''[[MirrorsEdge Mirror's Edge]]'' also suggests this: we only have the plot's say-so that the police chasing you are the bad guys, and as far as we know, the packages could be bombs to blow up someone's grandma.

* [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything Does This Remind You of Anything?]]: Subverted/Lampshaded in the video where Yahtzee takes a tour of Washington D.C. He makes a few mentions that certain buildings or monuments remind him of something, but goes on to mention something mundane and non-sexual. He then double subverts it while looking at the Washington Monument:

* EnsembleDarkhorse: In-universe example: In his review of ''[[VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiBowsersInsideStory Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story]]'', he notes that he's always preferred Luigi to Mario, since he at the least isn't Peach's personal gopher. He also wonders why Tails gets so much more hate than Sonic despite the fact that he's basically Sonic with flight.

** "I don't see [[AliceMadnessReturns Alice: Madness Returns]] making mad returns, [[AWorldwidePunomenon meheh myeh]].

** Yes, we're [[http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/1321-Demons-Souls looking at you]], ''[[DemonsSouls Demon's Souls]]''.

* OneOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers: In his ''[[BatmanArkhamAsylum Batman: Arkham Asylum]]'' review: "I could go on about how the combat flows, or how the atmosphere is solid, [[OverlyLongGag and how the highlights for me were the Scarecrow sections where Batman's perceptions of reality are skewed in favour of a nightmarish and delusional glimpse into the darkest recesses of Batman's soul]], and how jumping on people is cool...

** In ''ThiefTheDarkProject'', one of the badly done guard sprites goes [[TheEnigmaOfAmigaraFault DRR DRR DRR]].

** ''MaxPayne'' is actually actively looking for trouble.
** Mccall from ''CallOfJaurez:TheCartel'' is over-reacting.

** In ''DeadToRights Retribution'' he imagines that [[SociopathicHero Jack Slate]] worships "some mad ocelot god only he can see". Years later, in ''MaxPayne3'', another tortured ex-cop murder spree game, the head of an ocelot appears on screen when Yahtzee says the phrase "the face of God".

** He also stated that he found MaxPayne's constant self-loathing and pessimism to be tiring and off-putting.

* BlandNameProduct: In order to avoid mentioning any real gaming webcomics in his review of the genre, he used ''[[PennyArcade Benny Barcade]]'' and ''[[CtrlAltDel Bontrol Bolt Belete]]'' as names instead. This was a ShoutOut to ''MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'', with its [[ThoseWackyNazis National Bocialist Party]] and their boncentration bamps.

* TwentyBearAsses: One of his reasons for hating {{MMORPG}}s is because most quests are variants of this. A sight gag from his ''RedDeadRedemption'' video is him running from a cougar holding a pile of [[LifeOfBrian otter noses]] while the caption "7/8 OTTER NOSES" floats over him.

** The protagonists of the ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' games have [[{{Syndicate}} chips in their mind]] and are actually in a CreepyBasement.

* SchrödingersCat: In his "Console Rundown", he compares his Xbox360 to a Schrodinger's Console, constantly swinging between a broken and unbroken state.

** He stated in his ''VideoGame/{{inFamous}}'' review that he views his job as tearing the bad and the mediocre games to shreds so that the rare game that could be called great can shine all the brighter.

* BrokenRecord: "You couldn't get away with releasing a buggy game in the cartridge and cassette days; you'd be trampled under the company Brontosaurus. But I'll tell you the worst part- worst part- worst part- worst part- [[WeAreExperiencingTechnicalDifficulties *system error*]] [[{{OrphanedPunchline}} ...and whistled for a baboon!]]

** Good writing impresses him as well; the ''MassEffect'' series has led him to give {{BioWare}} a dirt-cheap [[DealWithTheDevil offer of his soul]].
-->"When the bottom falls out of the game criticism market and I have to start prostituting myself to developers, {{BioWare}} will be one of my first ports of call, because there are few enough developers in the world who treat writing as an integral part of the game rather than an optional set of colorful tassels to put on the handlebars."

---> "Thanks {{deviantART}}!"

* EvenEvilHasStandards: While Yahtzee isn't too keen on kids, he mentioned in [[http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/columns/extra-punctuation/9246-Extra-Punctuation-What-Is-the-Matter-with-You-People this article]] that he was disturbed by a comment on his ''[[ModernWarfare Modern Warfare 3]]'' review by someone expressing a desire for the BigBad to torture children "{{HoloCaust}} style". As an "ironic statement".

** The series itself has started to become one of these. At first it was a simple case of FollowTheLeader as imitators sprang up on {{YouTube}}, but now that [[WebVideo/ExtraCredits three]] [[MovieBob series]] on the ''Escapist'' itself have followed suit, two of which are not review shows, it's safe to say this is a legit genre now.

-->"On the whole though it's just not as good as tonguing another man's balls. ''[Both figures stop playing and stare at the {{fourth wall}}]'' I mean... as it used to be. [{{Beat}}] ''I'm not gay''."

** "A good [[WideOpenSandbox sandbox]] is one where you can mess about for hours after making the hollow promise to yourself that you'll stop any minute now, and ''VideoGame/{{inFamous}} 2'' certainly has that."

* LetUsNeverSpeakOfThisAgain: The crossdressing contest between [[VideoGame/{{inFAMOUS}} Cole]] and [[VideoGame/{{Prototype}} Alex]].

* MarthDebutedInSmashBros: He never even heard of Marth before playing ''Brawl'', and based on his other reviews, shouting "{{Fire Emblem}}" loud enough near him [[BrownNote will cause his brain to explode.]]

-->"I'm not to proud to admit that I was welling up at ''VideoGame/{{inFamous}} 2'''s good ending, a little bit. Well, not much at all really. It most more like stoically nodding my head while doing squat-thrusts and grunting."

** [[http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/columns/extra-punctuation/8892-Extra-Punctuation-Action-Is-Not-Finisher-Porn This]] ''Extra Punctuation'' takes the metaphor of "{{too many cooks}} spoil the broth" and keeps stretching it until he reckons "I think this is already the best metaphor I've ever written."

** However he did enjoy ''IWannaBeTheGuy'', though he states that no person, unless it's for charity should ever try [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Impossible difficulty]].

** In his review of ''{{EpicMickey}}'', he brings up a Mickey Mouse comic where he ''[[http://ridz.sg/blog/2008/04/mickey-mouse-loses-minnie-attempts-suicide/ tries to kill himself]]'' after Minnie breaks up with him.

* SandInMyEyes: "I'm not too proud to admit that I was welling up a bit at ''VideoGame/{{inFamous}} 2'''s good ending. ..A lil' bit. ..Well, not much at all really. It was more like just [[BritishStuffiness stoically nodding my head]] while [[RealMenHateAffection doing some pelvic thrusts and grunting]]."

* SelfDeprecation: While his ''Zero Punctuation'' persona is obviously an arrogant {{Caustic Critic}}, Yahtzee is known for making blunt, humourous digs at himself from time to time, such as acknowledging the nerdiness inherent in reviewing video games for a living and mocking his own abilities in the practice of social and sexual intercourse (or lack thereof).

** Yahtzee is a fan of {{Eddie Izzard}}, phrases like "small yappy dog", "running, jumping, climbing" and "buttocks for a hat" have all been used in Izzard's sketches. Confirmed on one of the podcasts for Australian Gamer, when Matt calls him out on saying that everyone in Britain has a country manor.

* SubliminalSeduction: In his [[http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/616-50-Cent-Blood-on-the-Sand 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand review]], [[http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/yzblackfriend.jpg this]] {{image macro}} quickly pops up several times during the video.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: In-Universe: For a number of games he reviews, his viewpoint tends to cast the protagonist in an extremely negative light.

* AnalogyBackfire:
** His reason for suspending judgment on the Kinect. "Pope Urban VIII probably thought ''he'' was very clever when he condemned Galileo, but who got the last laugh there? Well, he did when Galileo died alone and in poverty but what I'm saying is [[AGodAmI I'm basically like the Pope]]."

SWINDON

* {{Asexuality}}: Has self-confessed issues with sex and/or kids, so games that rely on either for appeal get marked down severely.

* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: A surprising amount of people write in with requests and then get offended when he rips into the game.

** In the ''TransformersWarForCybertron'' review, the mention of ShiaLaBeouf sent him into a barely-restrained seething rage.

* BrickJoke:

** "[[HelloInsertNameHere Senor Koquonfaes and Gareth Gobelcoque]] are cousins by marriage."

* CreatorThumbprint: Platformers and games that don't use bloom and [[RealIsBrown brown gritty graphics]] earn a somewhat higher note in his book.

** He also has a great love for anything that does things differently like ''VideoGame/{{Portal}}'' and ''NoMoreHeroes''; he complimented ''MirrorsEdge'' for trying something new even after tearing the actual gameplay apart, and AssassinsCreed got praise for being original even though it was let down by highly repetitive gameplay. Similarly, he praised ''DarkVoid'' for being an ambitious failure, and as such, better than "committee-designed sludge". He also liked ''SilentHillShatteredMemories'', despite hating ''SilentHill'' spinoffs and saying that the monsters and chase scenes weren't scary and the psych test gimmicks weren't enough, for trying something new. He raves about ''ShadowOfTheColossus'' for [[TropeMaker creating]], [[TropeNamer naming]] and [[TropeCodifier codifying]] the ColossusClimb, and ''{{Ico}}'' got a love note from him for making him ''[[VideoGameCaringPotential care]]'' about a CuteMute LoveInterest.

-->"When the bottom falls out of the game criticism market and I have to start prostituting myself to developers, {{BioWare}} will be one of my first ports of call, because there are few enough developers in the world who treat writing as an integral part of the game rather than an optional set of colorful tassels to put on the handlebars."

* DisposableVagrant: Yahtzee keeps a spare vagrant chained in his basement -- in case he needs to review a co-op game.

* GratuitousGerman: Yahtzee apparently studied German and it frequently comes up in series.

** He is also aware of tropes, and knows that TropesAreNotBad. He may or may not be aware of this site, but at the very least he understands the principles of this wiki.

* GoshDarnItToHeck: Whenever he swears in the narration, the animation will replace it with something far more innocuous.

** Tried "Tiddles" in VideoGame/DeusEx but was slapped down by the game's system of using "JC Denton" as a "[[HandWave codename]].

* ILoveNuclearPower:

** "I don't see [[AliceMadnessReturns Alice: Madness Returns]] making mad returns, [[AWorldwidePunomenon meheh myeh]].

** [[http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/columns/extra-punctuation/8892-Extra-Punctuation-Action-Is-Not-Finisher-Porn This]] ''Extra Punctuation'' takes the metaphor of "{{too many cooks}} spoil the broth" and keeps stretching it until he reckons "I think this is already the best metaphor I've ever written."

** Yes, we're [[http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/1321-Demons-Souls looking at you]], ''[[DemonsSouls Demon's Souls]]''.

* PetTheDog: In an ''Extra Punctuation'', although he couldn't sympathize with gamers who cried at Aerith's death in ''FFVII'', he said that the emotions they felt were real and no one could call them fake or wrong.

** One of the dungeons in ''{{Nier}}'' takes the form of a text adventure game, illustrated with "This dungeon has been replaced by a series of [[ColossalCave twisty text screens, all alike]]."

** Even the very first video for the Escapist features a reference to Halfbrick Studios, an independent game developer based in Brisbane.

* StorybookOpening: ''RedFaction Guerrilla''.

** Yahtzee's review of ''Wii Sports Resort'' was a TakeThat to the fans who stop watching his videos because he pans the NintendoWii. He later [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] the InternetBackdraft that will inevitably occur by bidding his Wii-owning fans a fond farewell. Yahtzee has a longstanding animus toward all things Wii (and some other things about Nintendo), and while he has praised a small handful of Wii games, he gladly indulges in that animus.

** "Will [''SymphonyOfTheNight''] be one of those old classics that still hold up from a fresh modern perspective -- like ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld'' and PatrickStewart -- or will it be like one of those embarrassing older relatives that survive on nostalgia and self-effacement, like ''{{Myst}}'' or WilliamShatner?"

** Regarding the miserably scowling hero of ''{{Darksiders}}'':

** Also, from his review of ''SimCity Societies'':

* WhatTheHellHero: Rebecca Mayes' love song to him, calling him out on the lowest-common-denominator parts of his humour then asking him out for a drink...[[{{Yandere}} and threatening to stab him with a screwdriver]].

** Ruby of ''{{Wet}}'' is an unlikeable and murderous bitch.

*** In his pance![[hottip:*: "In his underwear" for us non-Brits.]]