Welcome back to another requested edition of my Superhero Podcast review where I take a listen to a superhero-centric podcast and let you know what I think about it. This edition’s podcast is a very fresh one so if you’re interested it won’t take too long to catch up, but there’s always a learning curve going into podcasting so keep that in mind as well. Also, this one will be breaking my format even more than the last time where this podcast doesn’t discuss superhero movies at all, but I’ll get into that more in the main review. As usual, if you run or listen to a superhero-themed podcast that you think I might enjoy taking a look at, be sure to leave a comment, write me an e-mail at Bubbawheat@msn.com or hit me up on Twitter @Bubbawheat.

Chimpions

The Basics

Website: Chimpions.co.uk
Episode count (as of 8-20-16): 7
Episodes listened to: 6
Release schedule: ideally every two weeks, last two have been monthly.
Episode Length: 1:00-1:30
Audio Quality: A little muted, and stereo for the first real episode, but improves by episode 4.
Language rating: R for the occasional swear
Spoilers: Not applicable
Production format: A tabletop RPG playthrough with a GM and three players going through a superhero-themed game complete with super powers and colorful villains. Later episodes also introduce some sound effects to enhance the story.

The Format

Every episode we get to join in on a gaming session as the team plays through the Hero System RPG. The Game Master is Mark, Matt plays his character Bullet, Paul plays his character Shockwave, and Scott plays his character Stratus. It’s basically what you would expect from a superhero themed Dungeons and Dragons session, though the group rarely goes off on random tangents. There was one odd case during an early episode where we got to spend a large amount of time discussing what they were doing on basically a month off, but for the most part it focuses on their actual superheroic adventures. There’s also plenty of colorful villains to go along with the superhero theme, like their first big adventure is a very colorful game slash trap instigated by a Santa Claus themed villain and his elven henchmen. Starting with episode 4 or so, they even add occasional sound effects and a heroic score to help add ambiance to the sessions to good effect.

Superheroes vs Movies

It’s difficult to rate this podcast on how much it discusses film, because it doesn’t. This is entirely an RPG session playthrough. But it does take plenty of inspiration from superhero movies obviously. The Christmas themed villains harken back to the colorful Batman villains that wouldn’t be out of place in an Adam West era or a Schumacher film, but the group does take things relatively seriously. Calling out overly campy villains as such, but also having fun with it at the same time.

The Verdict

I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect when I started listening to this podcast. I have played my share of D&D, though not since around college where I found a great group that would play long sessions that were a mix of 1st & 2nd edition rules in a time where 3rd edition was just a few months old. It reminded me quite a bit of that, the group here has great chemistry with each other, and while rules talk does come in every once in a while, it’s kept to a minimum in favor of what’s actually happening to the characters and the story. And you can tell that they’ve learned a lot, it’s incredible how much the podcast has improved from episode 2 to episode 6. There are bits here and there where it could improve, but for the most part it sounds like they’ve gotten into their groove and will only get better as time goes on.

Chimpions Subscribed