NOP finally tackles one of the largest media franchises of all time, along with it's very controversial author. Of course, we are talking about Harry Potter. Joining me for all things Hogwarts are Thom Brown, Nick Toussaint, and Victoria Montalbano. We travel back to 1997, and discuss the humble beginnings of the Potter franchise. We examine not the just heroic trio of Harry, Ron, and Hermione, but also our favorite adults in the Wizarding World (we're looking at you, Snape.) We discuss why Pott...
Jun 30, 2021•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 78
We gather around the Bonfire and discuss the Darkness that is Dark Souls! Joining me for our discussion of Hallowed and Ashen are T Scott Ross and Mason Kale. This time around, I have special guest Matt Young (Usidore) from the Hello From the Magic Tavern Podcast step in as our Outcast. Matt is an accomplished gamer, but is on the fence about this renowned series of games. Is Dark Souls appropriately hard, or is it unfair? Which game in the series is the best, and which is the worst? How do othe...
May 05, 2021•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 77
It's time to GET TO THE CHOPPER as we discuss all things Predator! Joining NOP for this fantastic film series discussion are the minds behind the License to Watch Podcast (Matt McGregor, Colin Shaw, and Harris McCabe.) In Chicago we have the host of Body Counts and Beer Podcast (Mark Rosenthal) along with guest Robert Shumate. Rounding out our discussion is friend Peter Foos....who is definitely the outcast for our chat and has fallen out of love with the creature feature. We spend time discussi...
Mar 24, 2021•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 76
It's been a few months since the ending of Season 2, so now it's time for our Mandalorian deep dive! Joining me to discuss all things Star Wars are experts Chris Lloyd, Kitten McCreary, DJ Fink, and Ryan Bond. My outcast for this episode is the wonderful Smyra Rady...a deeply knowledgeable Star Trek fan whom hasn't dabbled much in Star Wars. We spend some time trying to identify what it means to be a Dave Filoni show. Then we examine the various characters and episodes, and whether there might b...
Feb 24, 2021•1 hr 48 min•Ep. 75
Late last year, Nintendo decided it was time to pull the plug on it's stalwart gaming handheld...the Nintendo 3DS. Therefore, we decided it was a great time to look back and do a deep dive on all things Nintendo DS and 3DS. Joining me for this retro discussion are Mason Kale, Christian Missonak, Dan Schiffmacher, and Bill Nielson. Mark Soloff returns as our outcast, having never really given the system a proper chance. We discuss the humble origins of the handheld as a "Third Pillar" to Nintendo...
Jan 27, 2021•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 74
We end 2020 the way it began...with an obsession over the fantasy series, The Witcher. Joining me for all things Geralt are Pete Navis, Jake Ynzunza, Mark Soloff, and Sean Okerberg. We discuss the origins of the hit series, with an examination of the books and how they stack against other major franchises. Then we discuss the games, with great focus on the groundbreaking third entry. Finally, we dovetail into the Netflix show...and Henry Cavill. It's a massive discussion, which seems quite appro...
Dec 17, 2020•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 73
After a bit of a hiatus, we are back and chatting perhaps one of the nerdiest inventions in a long time...Magic The Gathering. A pastime SO nerdy, it was intended to be played between DnD Sessions. Joining me to discuss all things about this magical card game are T Scott Ross, Pete Navis, and Bill Nielsen (of So Many Bits). We review the history of Magic The Gathering, and it's interactions with DnD. We chat about how the game has changed over the years, and it's growth in popularity. More impor...
Nov 19, 2020•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 72
This year marks Super Mario's 35th anniversary, and Christian Missonak, T Scott Ross, Dan Schiffmacher, and myself do a deep dive into the OG gaming mascot that saved an industry and forged a path ahead. We take a look back at the original Super Mario Bros, and discuss whether the plucky plumber mascot was truly needed. We discuss his most influential games, his hardest levels, and his best power ups. We examine his jaunts into other types of gaming, from kart racing to tactical shooters. And ev...
Aug 04, 2020•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 71
It's a big discussion on NOP today as we discuss George Lucas's much maligned Star Wars Prequels. For this discussion, we change things up a bit and attempt to discuss what the Prequels do well. And surprisingly enough, Ricky Galore, David Hernandez, Mark Rosenthal, and myself talk for an hour and a half about all things Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Midichlorians. Which movie has the best story? Is Dexter Jettster the best new character? Which lightsaber is the coolest? And what, if anything, would we c...
Jun 17, 2020•1 hr 42 min•Ep. 70
We tackle the entirety of the Legend of Zelda franchise in this deep dive episode! Zelda is a mainstay of the gaming industry, and joining me for the discussion on all things Hyrule are John Loos, Dan Schiffmacher, Jeremy Kanne, and Christian Missonak. We answer the big questions...who's the best character NOT named Link, Ganon, or Zelda? What weapon is the best? (NOT counting the Master Sword) Does the series work better in 2D or 3D? Which dungeons are the best...and which are the worst? And wh...
May 12, 2020•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 69
In this time of pandemic, we take a break and fly away to a relaxing discussion about all things Animal Crossing. Joining me for this discussion are Christian Missonak and Justin Harner. I serve double duty as both Host and Outcast since I've never played this series before. We chat about Animal Crossing's humble beginnings, and compare it to other "Living Life" games like the Sims, Harvest Moon, and Rune Factory. Which game in the series is the best? What was so special about the 3DS entry, New...
Apr 01, 2020•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 68
We tackle not one but two major Star Wars shows in this great episode....Clone Wars and Rebels. Joining me for this deep television dive are Pete Navis, Ryan Bond, and Patrick Sweetman. We discuss the evolution of both shows, and how they compare and contrast with each other. We talk Dave Filoni and what makes a show of his distinct. Is Ahsoka the best character, or are we more interested in Ezra and Kanan? Are we excited for the upcoming return of Clone Wars, or is The Mandalorian more our cup ...
Mar 18, 2020•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 67
It's a massive episode today as we finally tackle the latest, and perhaps greatest Zelda game of them all...Breath of the Wild. All hands are on deck as T Scott Ross, Christian Missonak, Matt Young, Gavin Donnellan, Jeremy Kanne, Bill Nielsen, and John Loos join me in this discussion. We look at the merits and flaws of Nintendo's latest Zelda game. We chat characters, favorite shrines, best moments, favorite monsters, best music....SO much to unpack! Did the game live up to expectations? Is ther...
Feb 04, 2020•1 hr 34 min•Ep. 66
Now that a few weeks have passed, its time for NOP to discuss our thoughts and feelings and finally examine the final chapter of the Star Wars Saga...Episode IX, The Rise of Skywalker. Joining me for this big, beautiful, messy discussion are Jake Ynzunza, DJ Fink, and Crispy (Chris Lloyd.) What's starts as a review of the film, however, easily spins out into a bigger discussion about the state of Star Wars and its' fans, the future of the series, and the biggest mistakes and successes. We chat a...
Jan 07, 2020•1 hr 35 min•Ep. 65
On this episode of NOP, we chat about the most recent addition to the Star Trek TV Universe...Star Trek Discovery. My experts this time around are Ryan Bond and Dylan Schaefer, whom are joined by outcasts Dominic Cianciolo and myself! We chat about the rights and wrongs of this newest version of Star Trek...and whether or not it carries on Gene Roddenberry's legacy. We talk about Star Trek conventions...and whether Trek itself is slowly dying. We discuss where should the series go....and what ch...
Dec 12, 2019•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 64
We finally tackle the collaborative effort of Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman...Good Omens. My guests this time include Byron Hatfield, Rob Shumate, Zach Muhn, and Peter Foos. We have two outcasts for this discussion....myself (whom has never read the book) and Pete Navis....whom doesn't think very highly of it. Needless to say, our discussion turns into passionate defensive of the novel and its writers as we dissect this benchmark book. We discuss which parts of the story best represent each wr...
Nov 11, 2019•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 63
Final Fantasy VIII just got a recent remaster, and next year we get the glorious looking Final Fantasy VII Remake...so we decided it was a great time to chat about Final Fantasy IX! My RPG lovers this time around are Gavin Donnellan, Andrew Babcock, John Loos, Jeremy Kanne, and T Scott Ross. The last entry in the original Playstation trilogy, Final Fantasy IX was heralded as a "return to form" for the famous franchise. But is the game really as good as we remember? Does it hold up, or are one of...
Sep 18, 2019•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 62
It's always a lengthy discussion when chatting about The Legend of Zelda, and on today's episode we discuss Skyward Sword. My guests this time around include Dan Schiffmacher, Christian Missonak, and Jeremy Kanne. Seen as the game that both proved the use of the Wiimote, and also served as the Wii's swan song, we take a deep dive into this most divisive of Zelda games. Does Skyward Sword hold up in a post Breath of the Wild world? Where does the game succeed, and where does it fall short? Was th...
Jul 29, 2019•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 61
Winter has come and gone, and the war for the Iron Throne has ended...so it's time to discuss the massive show that captured TV for a generation...Game of Thrones. My experts (and outcasts) for this one are Kitten McCreery, Thom Brown, John Loos, Danielle Lebens, and Andrew Babcock. We discuss the final season of the show, and where everything landed. We discuss character turns, character deaths, dragon deaths, and production schedules. Then we take a step back, and look at both the show and the...
Jun 19, 2019•1 hr 32 min•Ep. 60
It's a massive discussion today on NOP as we chat about the state of the recently finished Infinity Saga and where the MCU goes from here. Joining me for this huge discussion are Chris Lloyd, DJ Fink, Ricky Galore, Rob Shumate, and Briggs Hatton. We look back at the original Iron Man, and try to determine what critical decision led to the success of this shared multi-verse. We look at the highs and the lows of the 22 movie Infinity Saga. We chat about problematic casting choices, and which films...
May 29, 2019•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 59
