Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more
Sometimes I have dreams about a fruit you have to peel before you eat. It's this bright yellow color, it almost looks unnatural. Use code AETHER20 at checkout for 20% off your first year of Pika! "The Need for GTA 6's Success Is A Symptom Of A Broken Industry" by Joshua Rivera Discussed: Summer Game Fest on the horizon, GTA 6 on the horizon, Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, the ambition of the Lego games, different eras of Batman, video game comedies, Rugrats, Mario, Xenogears, the haunte...
Octodaaaad, really loves his RPGs. Teachers Lounge's new EP Home Entertainment is available now on Bandcamp! - https://teacherslounge.bandcamp.com/album/home-entertainment The PS1 Playlist Polygon interview with Tomoya Asano and Naofumi Matsushita Discussed: Malört, show predictions, PS1 playlist update, PS1 sampler platter, Bust A Groove, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2, Crash Team Racing, Final Fantasy VII, FFIX & Howl’s Moving Castle, Spyro vs Crash, The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tale...
Dinosorry to hear you expected Fox McCloud instead of Conker! Discussed: Star Fox and its upcoming remake, the various eras of Star Fox, the return of the 3DS, Alabaster Dawn (Early Access), Ultra Nintendo, Cross Code, Pragmata, Project Hail Mary, Saros, telling a story through a roguelike Find us everywhere: https://intothecast.online Buy some merch, if you'd like: https://shop.intothecast.online Join the Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/intothecast --- Follow Stephen Hilger: https://bsky.app/p...
Joey's head pierces the veil of the chained apartment door as blinding sunlight pours in behind him. His eyes are wrong — they're the color of jewels, reds and blues all mixed up and coating every millimeter. His expression is contorted, almost beyond recognition. "THE CEASELESS FEAST OF WANT," he yells into the room, "A GLEAMING BEACON SHIMMERING ON THE HORIZON." He tries to force his way into the room again, but the chain holds. "WE ARE WANTED. WE ARE HERE TO SERVE AND REST OUR BONES UPON A GO...
Name one hundred grandfathers. Fastest to name one hundred grandfathers wins. You will be disqualified if you name someone who is not a grandfather or if you remove your headphones which will be naming one hundred grandmothers at a high volume. Your time starts when you put your headphones on. Discussed: Taskmaster, huge thanks to our patrons, the Vita episode is out, handheld games, revisiting Rogue Legacy 2 on a smaller screen, future consoles, daydreaming about UFO 50, Monster Hunter Stories ...
It's Henry's court now. Discussed: Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream, the joy of making OCs, Vampire Crawlers, Titanium Court, Hatsworthy games, hits that didn’t click Find us everywhere: https://intothecast.online Buy some merch, if you'd like: https://shop.intothecast.online Join the Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/intothecast --- Follow Stephen Hilger: https://bsky.app/profile/stephenhilger.bsky.social Follow Brendon Bigley: https://bsky.app/profile/bb.wavelengths.online Produced by AJ Fillar...
The AI running this moonbase hasn't responded for a few days, which is weird. I'm being sent up there on a mission to investigate the possible cause, but before I go I have one last thing on my agenda: Play a kickass rock song with the crew. Discussed: the p4g episode and the vita episode, Pragmata, the street sweeper, fighting games, Guilty Gear Strive 2.0, Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, the Persona spin-offs, Pokémon Champions Find us everywhere: https://intothecast.online Buy some merch, if you'd l...
Stephen and Brendon discuss the entirety of Persona 4 Golden and answer questions about friendship, social psychology, and what it's like to be a maligned cartoon bear in the human world. Discussed: Persona 4 Golden ITA's PS1 Playlist Matt Horton's video essay on P4G for Flow State "It's Time to Talk About it: Atlus, Naoto, and Transphobia" by Mattie Brice "Atlus, We Haven't Forgotten Your Mishandling of LGBTQ Characters" by Carol Grant "Persona 4's Identity Crisis Invalidates its Themes" by Luc...
Stephen and Brendon discuss the latest rumors surrounding an Ocarina of Time remake for Switch 2, prompting a broader conversation about the evolution of the Zelda series and the divided fan base. They also share experiences with the notoriously difficult Advance Wars, examining its remake's aesthetic choices. The episode concludes with first impressions of the acclaimed climbing game Cairn, highlighting its unique narrative and immersive mechanics.
When the calendar is bare, and a game can fit in there? That's Fire Emblem: Three Houses! When you don't know what to play, but you gotta kill the day? That's Fire Emblem: Three Houses! Discussed: PAX East, C2E2, new patreon episodes, the 2010 era of roguelikes, Spelunky, FTL, different styles of motivation, Fire Emblem Three Houses, the beauty of barks, Mega Man Star Force, the worst dressage music Find us everywhere: https://intothecast.online Buy some merch, if you'd like: https://shop.intoth...
Oh god, Wally's up on stage at the open mic again. Get ready for ten more minutes of "Oh! Susanna" unless he finally learned how to play something new this month… Discussed: Upcoming P4G bonus, Persona 5 Royal, the loop of Persona, our expectations for Persona 6, Resident Evil Requiem, the hunk of gaming, the history and the future of Resident Evil, Soul Calibur III, Marathon Find us everywhere: https://intothecast.online Buy some merch, if you'd like: https://shop.intothecast.online Join the Pa...
Travel outside of any major metropolitan area. Escape the light pollution. Hike out to the middle of the woods. Climb the highest peak you can. On exceptionally clear nights, surrounded by your friends, look into the sky and you just might see him peering back. Discussed: Our hero with a pizza, an impromptu Square Enix discussion, the strength of Team Asano, the future of Final Fantasy, Paranormasight: The Mermaid’s Curse, final puzzles and true endings, the future of Paranormasight, the importa...
"Yo, Ditto, I gotta admit -- splitting the rent is almost as fun as gathering lumber!" If anyone else said this to me, I would assume they were being passive aggressive. But not Scyther, my roommate. He's the coolest guy in all of Pokopia. Discussed: Pokémon Pokopia, the DQ Builders 2 influence, Pokémon personalities, roommate Scyther, the future of Animal Crossing, the latter half of Resident Evil Requiem, the Jekyll and Hyde restaurant, why Claire Redfield should be in more games, Slay the Spi...
If I do this squat, it'll be the most squats I've ever done outside of The Shire. Discussed: Resident Evil Requiem, Capcom’s modern hits, Off-Broadway Skyrim, our experience with Resident Evil, Leon and Grace, camp, Ys X: Proud Nordics, modern Ys gameplay, Buff Sam, Trails of Cold Steel, Falcom Corner, Marathon Server Slam, battle royales and Destiny-likes, BB’s time with Destiny, extraction shooters, Super Monsanto, Big Defect Find us everywhere: https://intothecast.online Buy some merch, if yo...
Sakurai steps up to the podium, looking troubled. He's not his confident self this time around — and it's doubly weird that he's making this announcement live and in person instead of through some kind of Nintendo Direct. There's even regular press here, not just games media people. "We are removing Matthew McConaughey as Mud from Super Smash Bros. We are aware of rumors circulating regarding a licensing agreement lapsing or some kind of issue with having a real person present in the video game,...
Sometimes life leads you down a certain path where you know exactly where, when, how, and why things should fall into their natural order. Other times, you need to dice of fate to give you a helping hand. And that's what life is all about. Discussed: rolling a d10, Windblown, Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, the vibe of the Vita library, BB’s P4G update, rolling a 4, Culdcept, Smash Bros. for 3DS, Tabuu, Under the Island, the influence of Zelda, Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpe...
Linguists are baffled. “There seems to be a new subcommunity in a niche online video game developing a totally new manner of speech by fusing what’s known as the ‘Valorant accent’ with idioms from medieval English,” writes a joint statement from The Linguistic Society of East and West. Discussed: BB realizes he’s offline, Highguard, early impressions of Deadlock, Yoda in Soul Calibur, Dragon Quest VII Reimagined, the pros and cons of remakes, the history of DQVII, Nioh 3, Monster Hunter Stories ...
The makings of a Joeylike are pretty simple, all things considered: The player character needs to ask "how you doin'?" as often as possible. This generally makes Joeylikes easy to spot from a mile away, but it also means they come off as derivative. Attempts to change the Joeylike catchphrase are often disasterous. Discussed: Code Vein II, Nioh 3's demo, Elden Ring: Nightreign, soulslikes, Joey from Friends, Fire Emblem Awakening, CAIRN Check out Pixels and Polygons! - https://pixelsandpolygons....
Jareth skulks through the castle and out the front gates while listening to their favorite podcast , hair somehow bopping to and fro while also locked into its gravity-defying shape. As he makes his way towards the lillies, a new song idea slams its way into his frontal lobe. It's a riff on another song he sang long ago. He croaks it into existence. Discussed: strange recording arrangements, Persona 4 Golden, the final bosses of Persona, Tokyo Xanadu Ex+, the potential of a sequel, DnD with Bren...
I don't mean to hy my own tale about this, but I have some theories about Persona 6 that I'm feeling pretty confident about. Discussed: Malort, steam heat radiators responding to negative temperature weather, Tekken 3, informed button mashing, Vital Shell, Cannon Spike-Likes, a reminder about the ps1 poll and goty giveaway, Escape From Ever After, next bonus ep, Persona 6 theories, Hytale Cameron’s piece on Hytale Find us everywhere: https://intothecast.online Buy some merch, if you'd like: http...
What do Dragon Quest games and 90s Nickelodeon game shows have in common? Discussed: What is five dollars, Blue Prince, Dragon Quest VII Reimagined, Unbeatable, Mario Tennis: Power Tour Use code AETHER20 at checkout for 20% off your first year of Pika! Find us everywhere: https://intothecast.online Buy some merch, if you'd like: https://shop.intothecast.online Join the Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/intothecast --- Follow Stephen Hilger: https://bsky.app/profile/stephenhilger.bsky.social Follo...
Thank you to Theater of the Mindset for sponsoring this episode! Hey is this thing on? Had an idea for a Persona game but instead of "The Midnight Channel" there's "The 7:18 Bowl of Chili." What do we think, gang? Discussed: Post-GOTY, what we had for dinner, Antiques Roadshow, GOTY 2016, the next season premiere, The Jersey Devil, Brendon Vaguely, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, the appeal of the Warriors spin-offs, Zelda’s past and future, the Zelda movie, Persona 4 Golden, the upcoming ...
Hear ye, hear ye!! Don your warmest winter gear and settle in for another recounting of our favorite video games from this most recent year. And by "our" we of course also mean "your." It's everyone's GOTY. And that's why it's called a "Spectacular." Discussed: Our ten favorite games of 2025, and a lot more. (Spoilers for our 2026 Season Premiere:) Google Form for your input. Details mentioned in the episode! Find us everywhere: https://intothecast.online Buy some merch, if you'd like: https://s...
The return of bump-slash combat is here, but what we’re positing is: What if it’s time for throw up and explode combat? Disclaimer: We recorded this before the recent news about Larian’s use of generative AI for creative work. It’s very disappointing. Discussed: the Vita is here, Persona 4 Golden, the upcoming remake of P4, our experience getting into Persona, our S-Link arcana, Vita games we’re most excited for, a caveat from the future, the Divinity trailer, BG3, Divinity Original Sin 2, the p...
We're joined this week by Brandon Sheffield — creative director at Necrosoft Games and cohost of the fantastic Insert Credit podcast — for a conversation about making games, and making Demonschool specifically. Afterwards, we have a conversation about the highs and lows of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and making a version of Rorschach who is somehow even worse than the original. Discussed: Brandon Sheffield is here, the pitfalls of men’s fashion, the release of Demonschool, the beauty and importance ...
We're bringing a whole new meaning to the idea of "cousin games." Follow Jack Kentala and check out his debut novel Meet Me In The Gameroom at https://www.jackkentala.com ! Discussed: Changing up the intro, the Discord GOTY poll, Detective Instinct: Farewell, My Beloved, the structure of visual novels and adventure games, Sektori, the overlap between roguelikes and the arcade, Spike-Likes, the Vita, Dragon Quest II, silent protagonists who want to talk, the appeal of the Erdrick Trilogy remakes,...
Bib Fortuna takes the stage — calm, composed, he's been practicing for this moment — and takes a deep breath before revealing the next era of video game conferences. "We all know E3 has come and gone, but it's time for something truly new. I present: Steve-B." Check out Skull and Scones at https://skullandscones.com! Discussed: Steve B, Bib Fortuna and Ben Quadinaros, Kirby Air Riders, the genius of Sakurai’s design, Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake, the emotions evoked by older RPGs, the in...
You kill time, I kill demons. We are not the same. Discussed: Memories from four weeks ago, Demon School, the influence of Persona and SMT, Lumines Arise, another A2 Scenario, Octopath Traveler 0 (Demo), the new era of retro RPGs, the best year for Pokémon ROM Hacks, what is happening with Metroid Prime 4, GOTY prep Find us everywhere: https://intothecast.online Buy some merch, if you'd like: https://shop.intothecast.online Join the Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/intothecast --- Follow Stephen...
Flip a coin and it lands on heads or tails. Release a Dragon Quest and it lands on every platform. Makes you think. Matt Horton's video essay and interview about coin flipping games on Flow State Q-Up soundtrack on bandcamp Discussed: New stuff on Patreon, Stephen on Wavelengths, games about flipping coins, Q-Up, e-sports, Unfair Flips, recent history of Warriors spin-off games, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, the Zelda timeline, Zelda games starring Zelda, DRAGON QUEST I & II HD-2D Re...
I was heading towards Quelaag's Domain but had to pass through Foul Rift to get there... and I gotta say, I think this is the kind of place I could very easily call "home." Matt Horton's video essay and interview about coin flipping games on Flow State Discussed: A new November segment, Foul Rift, clowns, Powerline, Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake, Pokémon Hearth, Pokémon Heart & Soul, Pokémon Yume, Pokémon Odyssey, Pokémon, Tales of Xillia Remastered, and games we’re excited for! Find ...
