Xenogears? Xenosaga? Xenoblade? Just what is the deal with all of these Xeno-games? In honor of the recent release of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 for the Switch, Jason walks Kirk and Maddy through the long-running JRPG pseudo-series, from giant robots to anime swords. One More Thing: Kirk: Stray Maddy: Misery (1990) Jason: Live A Live Links: Jason’s Kotaku review of Xenoblade Chronicles 2: https://kotaku.com/xenoblade-chronicles-2-the-kotaku-review-1820903229 Autumn Wright’s Polygon review of Xenobla...
Aug 04, 2022•58 min•Ep. 115
The Triple Click triad takes on Battle Royale - which means they’re spilling the beans on the notorious 2000 film, as well as The Hunger Games, Danganronpa, and Netflix’s recent series Squid Game. CW: More murder than usual, brief discussion of suicide. Note: This bonus episode originally ran in early December 2021. An interesting Inverse feature on some of the film’s stars 20 years later: https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/battle-royale-20-year-anniversary Join the Triple Click Discord: http...
Jul 28, 2022•1 hr 5 min
(Rockapella voice) Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego? This week, the Triple Click gang straps on their magnifying glasses and tries to track down the infamous criminal as well as other "edutainment" games, from Oregon Trail to Number Munchers. What made those old games so special? Can "educational" games ever really work? And what's up with all that dysentery? One More Thing: Kirk: Social Media Maddy: Dante’s Inferno (2010) Jason: The West Wing Links: Excerpts From: “Isle Thing” by Weird Al ...
Jul 21, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 114
What exactly is "Monkey Island" and why is it so popular? This week, the Triple Click gang revisits the old point-and-click adventure series in preparation for the newly announced Return to Monkey Island, which will be out later this year. They talk about the ups and downs of Monkey Island, the incredible music, and how it reinvigorated the genre by showing the world that adventure games do not, in fact, need to kill you. One More Thing: Kirk: Michael Clayton Maddy: Steam Deck Jason: Steve Jacks...
Jul 14, 2022•58 min•Ep. 113
Kirk, Jason, and Maddy dig into Citizen Sleeper, one of this year's, uh, sleeper hits. Set in a dystopian future full of corporations and depression, Citizen Sleeper is sort of a cross between a visual novel and a life simulation game. The gang talks about escaping digital poverty, the game's unique aesthetic style, and what it'd really be like to have your consciousness implanted into a robot body. One More Thing: Kirk: The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman Maddy: Patricia Wants To Cuddle b...
Jul 07, 2022•59 min•Ep. 112
This week, the Triple Click gang opens up the mailbag and takes some of YOUR questions about all sorts of fun things. Wouldn't it be nice if games let you turn off all the microtransactions? What's it like revisiting old games with a modern eye? And what are our favorite board games (aside from Candyland)??? One More Thing: Kirk: Players Maddy: Neon White Jason: Craps Links: BitCulture’s remix of Maddy’s song “Bad Feeling” (feat. Kirk on sax) - https://maddymyers.bandcamp.com/track/bad-feeling-b...
Jun 30, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 111
Story or gameplay... WHO WINS? This week, the Triple Click gang dives into an age-old debate and discusses the tension between action and narrative in video games. What does a "video game story" actually mean? What's more important, story or gameplay? And does it even really matter? One More Thing: Kirk: Vampire Survivors Maddy: First Kill Jason: AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES - nirvanA Initiative Links: Clint Hocking’s “Ludonarrative Dissonance in BioShock” - https://clicknothing.typepad.com/click_nothi...
Jun 23, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 110
E3 is here... or at least it would be, if it hadn't been canceled in January. So instead we have this: a smattering of haphazard events all loosely taking place in June, except for the ones coming later. This week, Jason, Kirk, and Maddy try to untangle Not E3 2022 and talk about the highlights (and lowlights) so far, from Starfield to Silksong. One More Thing: Kirk: Josh Strife Hays’ Diablo loot video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o17lBUZgjTs Maddy: Venom: Let There Be Carnage Jason: How I B...
Jun 16, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 109
Maddy, Kirk, and Jason are playing Blizzard's new game Diablo Immortal and wondering... what about this is fun? Is it really all that appealing to keep collecting shiny things and watching our bars go up? From there they start wondering about loot in video games. What is it about items that get players so excited? What makes a good loot system? A bad one? And is Diablo inherently corrupt? One More Thing: Kirk : Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Maddy: Moon Knight Jason: The Quarry Links: Maddy’s art...
Jun 09, 2022•1 hr•Ep. 108
How did Overwatch become such a phenomenon? Why have hardcore players stuck with it (or failed to) over the last few years? And what's up with Overwatch 2? The Triple Click gang brings on Overwatch expert Nico Deyo to help guide us through Blizzard's wonderful world of costumed vigilantes and super-intelligent gorillas. One More Thing: Kirk: Tango Maddy: Misery by Stephen King Jason: The Flight Attendant Links: Nico Deyo and Tyler Colp’s Overwatch feature for Vice Games: https://www.vice.com/en/...
Jun 02, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 107
Maddy, Jason, and Kirk get themselves a castle, go on missions abroad, and finally face down the vicious Luca Blight. In the second part of this Suikoden II playthrough, the gang talks about how their feelings have changed since the first chunk of the game, how the game's awful localization impacts the story, and how that epic fight played out. One More Thing: Kirk: D&D - Eberron: Rising from the Last War Maddy: Heartstopper Jason: The G-Word with Adam Conover Links: Support Triple Click: ht...
May 26, 2022•1 hr•Ep. 106
BOO! To celebrate Spooky Spring, Jason, Maddy, and Kirk dive into some of their favorite horror games and talk about what makes a video game scary. How does interactivity enhance horror? What's the difference between "dread" and "panic"? And are controls sometimes meant to be terrible? One More Thing: Kirk: Persona 4 Golden/Persona 5 Royal Maddy: Elden Ring Jason: Eternal Threads Links: Maddy talks with Dead Space 2 director Wright Bagwell about the infamous eyeball scene: https://www.polygon.co...
May 19, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 105
It's time for another episode of BURNING QUESTIONS!!! Jason, Kirk, and Maddy open up the mailbag and take some listener questions on all sorts of things. Why do video games leak? What are some one-of-a-kind video games we'd like to see more of? And what's the deal with video game strategy guides? One More Thing: Kirk: Stanley Parable Ultra Deluxe (Venom) Maddy: What’s Up, Doc? (1972) Jason: Disrupting the Game (Reggie Fils-Aime) Links: Jason interviews a strategy guide writer: https://kotaku.com...
May 12, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 104
Jason, Kirk, and Maddy talk about the most important tool in any video game player's arsenal: the controller! From fight sticks to Wiimotes to the Steam Deck, controllers have a lot to offer. This week, the gang goes back in time to talk about the best, the worst, and the just plain weird. One More Thing: Kirk: Switch Sports Maddy: Better Call Saul Jason: Barry Links: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy a Triple Click t-shirt: https://topatoco.com/collections/maximum-fun/product...
May 05, 2022•59 min•Ep. 103
Ever throw a controller at the wall? Kick your computer in half? This week the Triple Click gang talks rage-quitting -- bailing from a video game in a state of heightened irritation. From competitive multiplayer to Souls to good old poker, Kirk, Maddy, and Jason talk about what brings out the anger and even share some of their own experiences rage-quitting games. One More Thing: Kirk: Divinity Original Sin 2 Maddy: My Dress-Up Darling Jason: Abbott Elementary Links: Support Triple Click: http://...
Apr 28, 2022•58 min•Ep. 102
Maddy, Jason, and Kirk talk about one of this year's hit indie games, Tunic, a Zelda-like adventure filled with mystery and cute foxes. But does it live up to the hype? Or is the bouncy combat too frustrating to make Tunic quite the gem that Triple Click hoped it would be? One More Thing: Kirk: Advanced Steam Deck (or, more like StReam Deck) Maddy: Kirby and the Forgotten Land Jason: Better Call Saul Links: Excerpt from the Tunic soundtrack by Lifeformed x Janice Kwan: https://lifeformed.bandcam...
Apr 21, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 101
It's the 100th episode! Kirk, Maddy, and Jason celebrate the big milestone with some talk about the past and future of video games, then play some fun games, revisiting two years worth of Triple Plays and competing in some glorious One More Thing trivia! Thank you to all the listeners who have allowed us to make so many episodes of this wonderful show. One More Thing: Kirk: Steam Deck Maddy: Norco Jason: Nobody Saves The World Links: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy a Triple ...
Apr 14, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 100
Few video game series have a musical tradition as rich as The Legend of Zelda . This bonus cross-post from Kirk's music podcast Strong Songs takes a deep dive into the musical legacy of Nintendo's legendary adventure series. From Zelda's Lullabye to Epona's Song to the Great Fairy Fountain and Dragon Roost Island, Kirk unravels some of his favorite Zelda music and explores how Nintendo's composers keep weaving them back together into beautiful new patterns. Written by: Main themes by Koji Kondo,...
Apr 11, 2022•57 min
Whip out your metal detector and start combing the desert — it's time to talk about secrets. Jason, Kirk, and Maddy talk about the hunt for secrets in two recent video games, Elden Ring and Tunic, and some of their favorite secrets in modern times. And in true Triple Click fashion, they can't help but come up with some taxonomical categories. One More Thing: Kirk: Our Flag Means Death Maddy: Tunic Jason: The Dropout Links: Jason and Kirk’s old podcast about the Secret Hunters of Destiny: https:/...
Apr 07, 2022•57 min•Ep. 99
What's your favorite video game boss fight? Kirk, Maddy, and Jason break down all the options with a brand new taxonomy of bosses, from The Preview to The Gimmick to The Final Exam. They talk about some of the most memorable boss fights in gaming history, like Metal Gear Solid 3's The End and Metroid's Ridley, then dissect what makes each one unique. One More Thing: Kirk: Elden Ring’s Story Maddy: The Afterparty Jason: Triangle Strategy Links: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy...
Mar 31, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 98
Kirk, Jason, and Maddy open up the mailbag and answer some of YOUR questions about why they stopped playing Destiny, what games they use to relax, and whether it's a good idea to buy the stocks of video game companies. As always, these are real questions from our listeners. You can reach us with your own questions at tripleclick@maximumfun.org One More Thing: Kirk: Elden Ring Maddy: Kimi (2022) Jason: Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin Links: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/j...
Mar 24, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 97
Grand Theft Auto V is one of the most lucrative games of all time. Why??? Kirk, Jason, and Maddy aren't really sure, but at least they can tell you all about Rockstar's hit action shooting game. The gang talks about 2013 nihilism, the innovations that GTA V brought to the open-world party, and how crime doesn't pay... except when it does. One More Thing: Kirk: Turning Red Maddy: Horizon Forbidden West Jason: Triangle Strategy Links: Ukraine support: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/03/02...
Mar 17, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 96
You may have heard: Elden Ring is out. And the Triple Click crew has been playing it — for a combined 200+ hours. Kirk, Jason, and Maddy put on their Burger King wizard hats and take a trip to The Lands Between, where they're collecting Great Runes and trying not to fall off cliffs. They talk about the vast scope of the game, the brilliance of player notes, how to avoid burnout, the rewards of exploration, and oh so much more. One More Thing: Kirk: Carrie & Salem’s Lot Maddy: Alias Jason: In...
Mar 10, 2022•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 95
This year has seen the release of three great open-world games: Dying Light 2, Horizon Forbidden West, and Elden Ring. What do they all have in common? And what do they all do differently? This week, Kirk shares his new taxonomy for open worlds in video games and the Triple Click crew figures out what they like most in an open world. One More Thing: Kirk: Public Defenders Maddy: Elden Ring Jason: Steam Deck Links: Steven Lumpkin's Twitter thread: https://twitter.com/Silent0siris/status/149840841...
Mar 03, 2022•57 min•Ep. 94
Robot... dinosaurs!!! Kirk, Jason, and Maddy take out their best bows and prepare to go on a hunt for big machines in Horizon Forbidden West, a new open-world game for the PlayStation that rules. They talk about how things have (and haven't) changed from the first game, the big, beautiful world, and the good and bad of Forbidden West's story. One More Thing: Kirk: ELDEN RING Maddy: Peacemaker Jason: ELDEN RING Links: Horizon Forbidden West score by Joris de Man, Niels van der Leest & Oleksa ...
Feb 24, 2022•1 hr•Ep. 93
And now, for Jason's dream episode: the gang plays Suikoden II! Kirk and Maddy give their impressions of the first 25% of the classic JRPG, from the very beginning through getting your very own castle. Do they love it as much as Jason? (No.) The three of them talk about the relationship between Riou and Jowy, the parts of the game that feel clunky in 2022, and what it's like to recruit all those characters. Plus: Dracula! One More Thing: Kirk: Horizon Forbidden West Maddy: Murderville Jason: Als...
Feb 17, 2022•59 min•Ep. 92
From silent protagonists to badass students, there are all sorts of protagonists in the world of video games. Let's talk about them! Jason, Maddy, and Kirk list their favorite heroes, then break down all of the archetypes, from the Chosen One to the Determined Daughter (subcategory: Queer Millennial Edition). From Mario to Kratos, we've got'em all. One More Thing: Kirk: Station Eleven Maddy: The official Dark Souls TTRPG Jason: Arrested Development Links: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun....
Feb 10, 2022•1 hr•Ep. 91
Light: it's dying! This week, the Triple Click gang plays through Dying Light 2: Stay Human, a new game in which you jump between buildings and smash zombies in the head. They talk about the game's slick parkour system, the silly writing, and the drab visuals. Plus: the one and only... Aiden. One More Thing: Kirk: Roasting Coffee Maddy: West Side Story (2021) Jason: The Thursday Murder Club (Richard Osman) Links: That Iconic 2011 Dead Island Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfhtiG66SQc S...
Feb 03, 2022•58 min•Ep. 90
Maddy, Kirk, and Jason take a few minutes to react to last week's megaton announcement that Microsoft is buying Activision Blizzard, then prepare for the new Uncharted collection on PS5 by diving into the iconic adventure series. What's the deal with Nathan Drake falling on every platform he sees? Are the first two games better than the next two? And are Uncharted 4 and Lost Legacy worth playing today? One More Thing: Kirk: Dan Olson’s video on NFTs Maddy: First Reformed Jason: The craziest foot...
Jan 27, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 89
Will the metaverse of Ready Player One ever exist in our world? Has a bad ending ever ruined a video game? And just how does one get into Monster Hunter? This week, Jason, Kirk, and Maddy open up the listener mailbag and answer some of YOUR questions on all sorts of things. (Note: We recorded this episode BEFORE Tuesday's bombshell news that Microsoft is buying Activision!) One More Thing: Kirk: Free Guy Maddy: Death Note Jason: Don’t Look Up Links: Tips for Suikoden II: https://kotaku.com/tips-...
Jan 20, 2022•1 hr•Ep. 88
