SWITCH 2 vs. STEAM DECK! This week we're joined by Patrick Knisely and Brian Bonnet to discuss the myriad features Nintendo borrowed from Valve's own hybrid console for the Switch 2, and the features they could still lift from the Steam Deck for a better user experience. While both systems stand on their own, there's a lot both companies could learn from each other. We also cover all the Nintendo and gaming news such as a controversial update to Mario Kart World, price increases on Switch games ...
Jul 02, 2025•1 hr 49 min•Ep. 312
We're joined by Alex Von Kurkendall (AVK) this week to discuss in greater detail the $80 launch title Mario Kart World and the updates we'd like to see added to the game going forward. Can we get a single player campaign? A Donkey Kong island? How about we simply fix the online partying system? We also cover all the Nintendo and gaming news such as our glowing review of the Donkey Kong Bananza Direct, Sakurai's comments about Generative AI, and much more. As always, we close with the games we’ve...
Jun 25, 2025•1 hr 36 min•Ep. 311
This week we're joined by developer Chris Wade from Luckshot Games to discuss his upcoming 3D platformer Big Hops! This game currently has a Kickstarter campaign and demo on Steam that has completely captivated us so we sat down with Chris to discuss what makes a 3D platformer so good, and why fluidity of movement, player expression, and free climbing are so important to the genre. We also cover all the Nintendo and gaming news such as the announcement of Splatoon Raiders, Disney and Universal s...
Jun 18, 2025•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 310
HOLY MOTORS! The Switch 2 has been out for nearly one whole week and we give you our unabashed thoughts: the good, the bad, and the Welcome Tour. We also give our initial impressions on Mario Kart World, and discuss how magically it evolves the series. We also cover all the Nintendo and gaming news such as our highlights from Summer Game Fest, record-breaking Switch 2 day one sales numbers, The Legend of Zelda movie getting delayed, and much more. As always, we close with the games we’ve been pl...
Jun 11, 2025•2 hr•Ep. 309
Our old friend Patrick Knisely (Pdyx) joins the podcast this week to discuss the Switch 2's imminent release and also to look back on 8 years of the original model of Nintendo's hybrid console. Come ride the hype train with us one last time before launch!! We also cover all the Nintendo and gaming news such as video game industry unionization efforts coming to a head, updates to N64 games on Nintendo Classics, a new mobile app and much more. As always, we close with the games we’ve been playing....
Jun 04, 2025•1 hr 36 min•Ep. 308
GVG's Jon Cartwright joins us again this week to go through all of Nintendo's home console launch lineups (including the Switch 2!) and rank them in a definitive list of best to worst. How does the Switch 2 stack up against Nintendo's outings historically? We also cover all the Nintendo and gaming news such as a Nintendo Direct rumored for a week after the new system's launch, new Game Boy titles added to Nintendo Classics and much more. As always, we close with the games we’ve been playing. Lis...
May 28, 2025•1 hr 45 min•Ep. 307
This week we talk with Ben Bertoli (Polygon, Kotaku, IGN) about the current state of gaming journalism following the sale of Polygon and the layoff of the majority of their staff. With sites like Giant Bomb going independent, how feasible are smaller scale operations in the media space? We also cover all the Nintendo and gaming news and rumors such as Nintendo attending Gamescom, Nintendo's ability to brick your Switch 2, and much more. As always, we close with the games we’ve been playing. List...
May 21, 2025•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 306
This week, in a long awaited follow-up to our previous episode in the series, we play a round of Nintendo trivia. David and Summer go head to head while Jordan asks the questions. Who will come out on top? Feel free to play along with us and test your Nintendo trivia knowledge!! Listen to Super Switch Headz on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you enjoy podcasts. Discord: https://discord.com/invite/CWbF4gb Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/switchheadz Patreon: https://www.patr...
May 14, 2025•45 min
We are only ONE MONTH AWAY from the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 and Kyle Baker joins the podcast this week to ask all the unanswered questions we still have about the upcoming system. What will the release cadence be for the new console? How is Game Share going to work? How good is that microphone, really? We get down to brass tacks and discuss all we know. We also cover all the Nintendo and gaming news and rumors such as the Switch's 20.0.0 firmware update, GTA VI getting delayed, Nintendo'...
May 07, 2025•1 hr 49 min•Ep. 305
Comedian Garrett Buss joins the podcast this week to talk all about water in video games. From level 2-2 in Super Mario Bros. to realistic water physics in Red Dead Redemption 2, we break down how water is a fundamental part of game design. We also cover the Nintendo news and rumors like our experience with the Switch 2 preorder system (it was madness), a new addition to Game Boy Advance NSO, lawsuits against Epic Games and much more. As always, we close with the games we’ve been playing. Listen...
Apr 30, 2025•1 hr 37 min•Ep. 304
We're joined by Jared Stults of Devolver Digital this week to talk about the PR rollout for the Nintendo Switch 2. Between fans chanting "drop the price," tariff woes, and Shuhei Yoshida claiming Nintendo's lost the sauce, we break down their announcement strategy and if it will have any effect on console sales. We also cover the Nintendo news and rumors such as the Mario Kart Direct and much more. As always, we close with the games we’ve been playing. Listen to Super Switch Headz on Apple Podca...
Apr 23, 2025•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 303
This week Sydney (aka allsee) from CMY2K joins to talk about her solo indie game qualia. Covering themes on artificial intelligence, existentialism, and yearning, we break down the writing process and what it's like to ship your first game. We also cover the Nintendo and gaming news such as the Switch 2's ongoing tariff situation, pricing controversies, and much more. As always, we close with the games we’ve all been playing. Listen to Super Switch Headz on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wh...
Apr 16, 2025•1 hr 45 min•Ep. 302
This week we are joined by economics professor Dustin Rumbaugh to get to the bottom of the Trump Tariffs and how they will potentially affect Nintendo following the delay of pre-orders in the US for the Nintendo Switch 2. Will we see a delay in release or a bump in the already controversial price? We also cover the gaming and Nintendo news, including a bevy of Switch 2 updates following the Nintendo Treehouse and hands-on events, some missing features from Nintendo's next console, and a Switch d...
Apr 09, 2025•1 hr 44 min•Ep. 301
This week the whole gang (INCLUDING MATT!) is back to celebrate 300 episodes of the Super Switch Headz Podcast and break down the TWO recent directs for both the original Nintendo Switch and the Switch 2. Originally streamed as a live show on April 2nd, this special episode finds us breaking down everything we loved about the Switch 2 reveal, the controversial revelations about the pricing, our thoughts on Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza, Kirby Air Riders, and much much more. We also take ...
Apr 03, 2025•2 hr 55 min•Ep. 300
We’re joined by Jay Rios this week to talk about both the upcoming Switch 2 Nintendo Direct on April 2 AND the Switch 1 Direct happening THIS WEEK. What format will the presentations take? What surprises might Nintendo have in store? Which games will they show off? Of course we cover the rest of the gaming and Nintendo news, too, including the new industry-wide video game union, the Switch 2 logo on Seattle Mariners uniforms, and more. As always, we close with the games we’ve all been playing. L...
Mar 26, 2025•1 hr 35 min•Ep. 299
We’re joined by Molly Phoenix (AKA Numbra) this week to bring back our "Now That's What I Call Video Game Music" series, which debuted all the way back in episode 36! We discuss music’s interaction with tone and gameplay, some of our own personal experiences with video game music, and of course share some of our favorite music from games in a special multimedia extravaganza. We also talk about all the gaming and Nintendo news, including Scopley acquiring Niantic, Switch 2 shipment rumors, and mo...
Mar 19, 2025•1 hr 59 min•Ep. 298
With Metroid Prime: Beyond just around the corner, this week we’re reviewing the 2D Metroid games and putting them in the official Super Switch Headz ranking from worst to best. Will your favorite come out on top? We also cover the gaming and Nintendo news, including more Switch 2 details from FCC filings, game publisher Acclaim coming back from the dead, new rumors of an Xbox handheld, and much more. As always, we close with the games we’ve all been playing. Listen to Super Switch Headz on Appl...
Mar 12, 2025•1 hr 48 min•Ep. 297
In honor of Women's History Month, Summer ditched the boys and invited a panel of the ladies of Super Switch Headz (Vanessa Fernandez, Emma Brockway, Rachel Kane, and games writer Adanna) to talk about historically girly gamer things like friendship, fashion, and who they'd like to kiss the most in Final Fantasy VII. Additionally, we discuss the gaming space as a woman today, and how women fit in to what has been a predominantly male-dominated industry. We didn’t forget the gaming news, either, ...
Mar 05, 2025•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 296
We’re joined by Brandon Miracle of Good Vibes Gaming this week to talk about Nintendo’s development studios outside of Japan. We review the studios owned by Nintendo, as well as the ones that regularly work for them, in the USA, Canada, Europe and Australia. We also cover the gaming and Nintendo news, including the removal of gold points, changes to the voucher system, layoffs at Netflix, Microsoft’s new generative AI project for games, and much more. As always, we close with the games we’ve all...
Feb 26, 2025•1 hr 49 min•Ep. 295
Our guest this week is professor Stephen O’Bent who shares with us all about his experience teaching at Digipen, the game development university. We talk about pursuing an education in game design and what that entails, the general Digipen experience, teaching music courses at a specialized academy, and the reasons one might enroll. We also cover all the gaming and Nintendo news, including the recent Sony State of Play, the DICE Awards, Switch 2 patents and pricing, and more. As always, we close...
Feb 19, 2025•1 hr 43 min•Ep. 294
This week game designer Jeff Fillion joins and we discuss the relationship and interplay between board games and video games. How have tabletop games influenced video games? What are some of the best board games based on video games? We also cover all the gaming and Nintendo news, including the latest Nintendo financial report, patents verifying mouse mode for Switch 2, Wario Land 4 coming to NSO, the ESA’s newest event (RIP E3), and much more. As always, we close with the games we’ve all been p...
Feb 12, 2025•1 hr 49 min•Ep. 293
We’re joined by Rob from Rule of 2 Review this week to talk about the future of Xbox and Microsoft’s gaming division. Forza Horizon 5 was recently announced to be heading to Sony’s PlayStation which leaves everyone wondering if there will be any Xbox exclusives in the future, and if their hardware plans are changing. Is an entirely third party future in the cards for Microsoft? We of course cover the gaming and Nintendo news, too, including more industry layoffs, research on the benefits of vide...
Feb 05, 2025•1 hr 46 min•Ep. 292
We’re joined by Remy Siu from sunset visitor 斜陽過客 to discuss 1000xRESIST. We cover the inspirations, development, the space between story and gameplay, and the amazing word-of-mouth success of the game. We also discuss the gaming and Nintendo news, including an update to the SNES app on NSO, Xbox supporting Switch 2, the Celeste developer canceling their newest game, and more. As always, we close with the games we’ve all been playing. Listen to Super Switch Headz on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouT...
Jan 29, 2025•1 hr 54 min•Ep. 291
We finally got the official Switch 2 reveal! On the same day Donkey Kong Country Returns HD released. This week we give our thoughts and break down the announcement of the Switch 2, but we also share how we’re feeling about the Donkey Kong Country remaster. And that’s not all because we cover the gaming and Nintendo news, too, including Sony canceling live service games in development, Genshin Impact settling a lawsuit with the FTC on loot boxes, Marvel Snap going down with the TikTok ban, and m...
Jan 22, 2025•1 hr 45 min•Ep. 290
We’re joined by Katie Shesko to talk about speedrunning and Games Done Quick! We discuss her experience in learning to speed run Zelda games, attending GDQ, and how the event has evolved and ways it might continue to. We also review all the gaming and Nintendo news, including Switch 2 leaks and rumors, leaked emails showing Nintendo’s thoughts on Virtual Console and NSO, the D.I.C.E. Awards nominees, and more. As always, we close with the games we’ve all been playing. Listen to Super Switch Head...
Jan 15, 2025•1 hr 42 min•Ep. 289
Our guest this week is Josh Levin, and our topic is the Star Fox franchise. We discuss what we love about Star Fox, our experiences with the games, and speculate about what Nintendo might do with it in the future. We also cover all the gaming and Nintendo news, including the abundance of Switch 2 leaks and rumors, rumors about Retro Studios recent projects, an anecdote suggesting the Punch-Out!! series may be dead, and more. As always, we close with the games we’ve all been playing. Listen to Su...
Jan 08, 2025•1 hr 32 min•Ep. 288
In this week’s special episode we discuss Nintendo’s 2025. What games do we know are coming this year? What rumored games will turn out to be true? When will the Switch 2 drop? What games will release as exclusives for the Switch 2? How much support will the original Switch continue to get? We go over these questions and more in our comprehensive episode. Listen to Super Switch Headz on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you enjoy podcasts. Discord: https://discord.com/invite/CWbF4gb F...
Jan 01, 2025•1 hr 22 min
In this week’s episode we give out our annual awards for our favorite games in various genres and more. Plus we give out the coveted Golden Headz awards for various and unique categories like “NIntendo's Weirdest NSO Move,” and "Biggest AAA Flop." We’ve also got all the Nintendo and gaming news for the week, like the Switch sales in the US surpassing the PS2, Sony investing more in FromSoftware parent Kadokawa,and a new Star Wars Battlefront 3 build that has leaked. Plus we close with the games ...
Dec 25, 2024•1 hr 57 min•Ep. 287
IGN co-founder Peer Schneider joins the podcast this week to gush with David about Picross. We discuss what makes Jupiter’s Picross games so special, how the series has changed over time, and the best entry point for new players. We also cover all the Nintendo and video game news, including the flurry of Switch 2 rumors and leaks, our impressions of The Game Awards, the current state of the industry with recent layoffs as well as unionization efforts, and much, much more. As always, we close wit...
Dec 18, 2024•1 hr 43 min•Ep. 286
We’re joined by Valarie Gold to discuss the release of Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Complete. How does this strategy of closing down the online and releasing a full version of the game for a one-time purchase sit with fans? We also cover all the Nintendo and video game news, including a rumor about Kirby: Planet Robobot coming to Switch, alleged Switch 2 accessories being sold, Nintendo’s stock hitting an all time high, rumors of Valve making a Steam home console, and much more. As always, we cl...
Dec 11, 2024•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 285
