Rocco Botte

''Mega64'' is an American satirical comedy troupe and independent production company created by Rocco Botte, Derrick Acosta, and Shawn Chatfield. Founded in San Diego in 2003, Mega64 is responsible for producing an eponymous web series, various sketches, and a podcast. The core group consists of Rocco Botte, Derrick Acosta, and Shawn Chatfield with additional members Garrett Hunter, Meg Turner, Johnny Weiss, and Kevin Bushong. Rooster Teeth member Eric Baudour was also a member of the group. They organize an annual informal fan convention at Disneyland titled Gamedays.

''Variety'' magazine named Mega64 as one of its "10 Comics to Watch for 2015".

Web series

Premise

In the not too distant future, a sinister scientist named Dr. Poque (Botte) creates the most powerful video game console ever assembled. Known as the 'Mega64', this device has the power to download classic and contemporary video games into the user's brain, causing them to take on a whole new reality.

While and are hooked to the Mega64, the viewer sees them acting as characters in the corresponding game, interacting with ordinary people in San Diego. Another character, named Sean, is initially hired by Dr. Poque as Rocko and Derek's "e-mail delivery man" but also starts taking part in the Mega64 experiments.

Two additional characters are later introduced: a puppet named Marcus (voiced by Chatfield), who is presumably working for Poque; and Horatio (Acosta), Poque's eccentric Mexican roommate.

History

Mega64 was originally produced to air on public-access television as a weekly TV show; However, the original five episodes were not deemed to be suitable for broadcast. Later, creator Rocco Botte pitched the show to G4 but was rejected. Through the suggestion of Tommy Tallarico, Botte decided to publish the material online.

Eventually, the show was released on DVD, published through Awful Video, the publishing arm of Something Awful.

The group received early exposure through video gaming magazines such as ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' and ''Nintendo Power''.
''Mega64: Version 2,'' the show's second season, was released on DVD on July 20, 2006. ''Mega64: Version 3'' was originally meant to be released in 2008, but at their PAX 2008 panel, the team stated ''Version 3'' would most likely not be finished until early 2009. ''Mega64: Version 3'' went on sale May 28, 2010.

According to Mega64.com, British Sky Broadcasting was to air ''Mega64'' Version 1 and Version 2 on one of their channels during their gaming block. However, in Mega64's Podcast: Episode 77, it was revealed Sky would not be airing ''Mega64'', due to a misunderstanding between the two companies. In said podcast it was explained that British Sky Broadcasting had come under new management, and that ''Mega64s episodes being aired had been "lost in the shuffle". After contacting the company for the reasoning behind this, Sky representatives replied to Mega64 saying they "had asked too much money", however the ''Mega64'' crew claims they did not ask for any amount of money.

The ''Mega64'' cast and crew members are included in the game ''Super Scribblenauts'' as playable characters.

Rocco Botte was involved with the 2012 DVD release of the original '' Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers'' series. He was given a Special Thanks credit.

Episodes

Version 1 (first season)

#Life Inside a Console
#I Feel Asleep
#Poque
#The Gangs Returned to Class and Became Honor Students
#Eyes of Skull Has a Secret

Version 2 (second season)

#This Story is Happy End
#Ode to Sue
#And Suddenly, Ezra Didn't Feel So Alone Anymore
#What the Hell Happened to Mega64?
#Summer Semester
#Stranger

Version 3 (third season)

#Frankie
#Bigger Boat
#The Wizard 2
#Mega64! (Musical episode)
#Project Woosh
#Delaware

Promotional skits

Ubisoft

For Ubisoft, the ''Mega64'' team has produced skits featuring '' Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory'', ''Cold Fear'', ''187 Ride or Die'', '' Myst V: End of Ages'', '' Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones'', ''Dark Messiah of Might and Magic'', '' Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent'', and ''Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2'', all of which have been available for download on their respective websites.

Skits featuring ''Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter'' are available for download not only on the game's official website, but also via Xbox Live to Microsoft's Xbox 360, in full high-definition and Dolby 5.1 Surround, both firsts for ''Mega64''. Both videos are now available, listed as "GRAW: Cross-Com 1" and "GRAW: Cross-Com 2".

Game Developers Conference

The ''Mega64'' group have created several promotional skits for the Game Developers Conference, including advertisements for the conference and its Independent Games Festival, as well as comedic skits played during the conference's Game Developers Choice Awards. In 2008, the team released a series of advertisements for IGF, entitled "Intro", "I am Independent", and "Independent Inspirations". In 2010, they released another series of advertisements.

For the conference's Game Developers Choice Awards, the group regularly create comedic skits focusing on award recipients, which are premiered during the award ceremony. These include satirical accounts of Lifetime Achievement Award winners' careers, such as those of Ken Kutaragi in "Kutaragi's Way" and Hironobu Sakaguchi in "Sakaguchi's Final Fantasy".

Konami

In 2011, the ''Mega64'' crew supplied a skit to Konami's E3 show, debuting the "transfarring" system in their upcoming ''Metal Gear Solid HD Collection''. The system, which enables saved game data transfer between the PlayStation 3 and the PlayStation Vita, was presented as a solution to the problem of continuing game progress 'on the go', with Botte shown traversing public areas with a large, moving television and home console setup. The skit also revealed that the ''Metal Gear Solid HD Collection'' and the ''Zone of the Enders'' HD Collection would be released on the Xbox 360, in addition to the PlayStation 3.

On May 31 of 2012, ''Mega64'' supplied a skit to Konami's Pre-E3 show as promotional material for their upcoming title '' Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance''. The skit had the game's protagonist Raiden seeking jobs at an unemployment office after being fired due to an implied terrible economy, before eventually settling for Cybernetic Private Military Contractor, with ''Zone of the Enders'' Jehuty also trying to find a job in the last minutes of the skit.

For Konami's Pre-E3 show in 2013, the group supplied a skit advertising the game Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2. The skit featured Botte performing a satirical take on the game's protagonist, Dracula.

Other promotional work

The group have also done promotional videos for the 2006 and 2007 Spike Video Game Awards that have aired on Spike TV.

The ''Mega64'' team produced the music video for the Freezepop song "Brainpower".

In 2009, the group produced four commercials for GameTap, which aired on Adult Swim.

In 2012, ''Mega64'' also produced faux commercials that appeared in ''The Aquabats! Super Show!'' on The Hub.

Nintendo enlisted ''Mega64'' to produce promotional skits to reveal the company's E3 plans for 2014 and 2015.

In 2015, the ''Mega64'' team created a promotional skit featuring Koji "IGA" Igarashi for his upcoming game and Kickstarter crowdfunding project, '' Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night''. The skit is entitled "WORLD'S GREATEST VAMPIRE HUNTER".

In 2022, Botte and Chatfield reprised their Todd and Aaron characters for cameo appearances in the film '' Not Okay''.

Acosta appeared in the 2023 film ''Hemet, or the Landlady Don't Drink Tea'' and the 2025 film ''Fireflies in the Dusk'' by Jonathan Hammond. He was also cast to star in the upcoming film ''A Corpse in Kensington'' with Michael Madsen.

Cast

* Rocco Botte – Dr. Poque, 'Rocko Boaty', Additional Characters
* Derrick Acosta – Derek Ackawzdha, Horatio, Additional Characters
* Shawn Chatfield – Sean Chatfeild, Marcus (voice)/Human Marcus, Chip Grip, Additional Characters

Additional cast

* Garrett Hunter – Garret: Leader of FALZ, Lobo Fuerte, Jessse The Man-Snake, DOWN Guardian, Blacks Guild Member, Additional Characters
* Chaz Baltezore Jr. – tr1gg3r s3r1ou5!!!!1 (Trigger Serious)
* Corey Springett – Vase Holder
* Craig Chatfield – Sombrero Guy
* Dallas McLaughlin – Boat Protector
* Dominic Botte – Dr.Jambo, Tourist, Church2 User, Additional Characters
* Duncan Roberts – The Specter (Version 1)
* Eric Baudour – Horatio pornography enthusiast, Dr. Poque's old coworker, Wizard seeker, King Burger King, unnamed FALZ Member
* Evan Morrison – Thug
* Fernando Jay Huerto – FALZ Enforcer
* Frank Howley – Wizard Seeker, HAT Trooper, Audience Member
* Hawley Laterza – Gruntilda
* Jennifer Jensen – Herself
* Jennie Gates – Amber (aka, ''"Amber from High School"'')
* Jenny Luckey – Sue
* John Wanser – Jon, Terminator2 Watcher
* Jon Allen – Kain (voice only, Version 1)
* Jonathan Rohrbacher – Benny, Tony, Shu From China
* Josh Brashars - Kain, FALZ Recruiter (Version 2)
* Josh Elwell – Teddy Beans
* Josh Jones – Dr. Poque's old colleague
* Kevin Bowen – Dr. Poque's old boss
* Kevin "Sparky" Bushong - Unnamed FALZ member
* Kevin Castaneda – Rick
* Kevin Smith – Himself
* Krista Chatfield – The "True Form" of the Virus
* Kyle Hebert – Wanser (voice)
* Laura Loza – The "Romantic Interest"/The Blacks' Hostage
* Leroy Patterson – Salt Guy
* Luke Chatfield – Thark the Man-Possum, Blacks Guild Leader, The Specter (Version 2), unnamed FALZ member, Additional Characters
* Margie Acosta – Horatio's Mom
* Mark Atkinson – Steve Vacation
* Matthew Lopez – Future Dude
* Michael J. Nelson – Frankie (Human Form)
* Nicole Crakes – Happy Program Girl, Gorilla, Yorda, Nicole
* Paul Schrier – Paul Farkas
* Richard Botte – Danny America, Drug-Addicted Dad, Video Game Executive
* Ricky Fitness – Ricky "Thumbs" Jackson
* Ryan Sinn – Test subject
* Sean Legerton – "Sean" (he's nameless in the dialogue)
* Rocco Matusic – FIRED
* Tommy Tallarico – Hairy Gary the Feral Child, Himself
* Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim – as ''The Mega64 Ragtime Jug Brotherz''

Famous guest stars

* Cliff Bleszinski – Himself, Additional Characters
: Mega64: Metal Gear Solid 4 (HD)
: HOW SHENMUE WAS MEANT TO END
: SAVE GAMESTOP
: Warren Spector Tribute
: KUTARAGI'S WAY
: SAKAGUCHI'S FINAL FANTASY
: THE NEW UNREAL ENGINE
* Brandon DiCamillo – John Madden
: Mega64: MADDEN RAP 2012 (ft. Brandon DiCamillo)
* Dan Paladin – Himself, Falz member
: Mega64: GDC 2008 IGF Awards Intro
: IF YOU'RE NOT INDIE, F**K YOU
* Hideo Kojima – Himself
: Mega64: Metal Gear Solid 4 (HD)
: Sequence Erase
: Mega64: Death Stranding Behind The Scenes
* Shigeru Miyamoto – Himself
: Mega64: New Super Mario Bros.
* Gabe Newell – Himself, Ringo Starr
: Mega64: The Beatles Rock Band
* Yu Suzuki – Himself
: HOW SHENMUE WAS MEANT TO END
* Ken Kutaragi – Himself/Nintendo exec
: KUTARAGI'S WAY
* Reggie Fils-Aimé – Himself/The Reggie Fils-A-Mech
: MEGA64 INFILTRATES NINTENDO
: REGGIE GOES FOR THE GOLD
* Hironobu Sakaguchi – Himself
: SAKAGUCHI'S FINAL FANTASY
* IGA – Vampire hunter
: WORLD'S GREATEST VAMPIRE HUNTER
* Fumito Ueda - Himself
: Fumito Ueda's MADDEN 2018
* Tim Sweeney - Himself
: THE NEW UNREAL ENGINE
* Toshihiro Nagoshi - Himself
: Judgment (OFFICIAL)
* Hideki Kamiya - Himself
: Mega64 Was BLOCKED By Hideki Kamiya

Crew

* Rocco Botte – Co-creator, Writer, Producer, Glasses
* Derrick Acosta – Co-creator, Writer, Moustache
* Shawn Chatfield – Writer, Chip Grip, Beard
* Garrett Hunter – Makeup, Effects (Version 2 & 3), Writer (Version 3), Dreads
* Ian Luckey – Composer (Version 1)
* Josh Jones – Composer (Version 2, 3, and 4.1)
* Richard Kyanka – Producer (Version 1 & 2)
* The Aquabats – Additional Music (Version 1, 2, & 3)
* Freezepop – Additional Music (Version 2 & 3)
* Vanessa Luckey – Link Costume (Version 1: "Eyes of Skull Has a Secret")
* Shmorky – Version 2 Opening Animation, Gnome Animation (Ghost Recon Ad #2)
* Mariel Cartwright – Version 2 Menu Artwork, Version 3 DVD Cover Art
* Iain Stasukevich – Director of Photography, "What the Hell Happened to Mega 64?"
* Evan Morrison – Grip, "What The Hell Happened to Mega 64?"

Podcast

Currently available through Twitch and YouTube, a podcast consisting of the Mega64 crew and various guests is released every Tuesday. The podcast premiered September 25, 2006. At first, it was only available in audio format, but since December 24, 2007, it has also been in video format. Since its launch, the video podcast has been featured as Mega64's main podcast, while the audio podcasts are audio extractions of the video counterparts. This is often referred to in the video podcast, with hosts or guests sometimes describing things that are happening for those who are listening to the audio-only version. As of January 11, 2009, the video podcast has been live streamed, first on Ustream and then on Twitch, every Sunday at 6pm PST.

The podcast is usually recorded at the ''Mega64'' studio, but the ''Mega64'' crew has also been known to record podcasts in different locations. For example, the February 12, 2008 podcast was filmed at Disneyland, with much of the discussion taking place on Disneyland attractions. Subsequent podcasts have been filmed in San Francisco, Las Vegas, Toronto, and the home of Tommy Tallarico.

On September 26, 2011, animator Hotdiggedydemon (Max Gilardi) and ''Mega64'' teamed up to make animated cartoons of the podcast for 6 weeks called ''Mega64nimation''.

References

External links

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{{authority control

Fictional video games
American comedy web series
Video podcasts
Video game podcasts
Comedy podcasts
American comedy troupes
Sketch comedy troupes
Black comedy web series
2006 podcast debuts
Parodies of video games
Performing groups established in 2003