With Tekken 8 launching in a matter of weeks, this week's Top 5 pays homage to other series that managed to hit at least eight games (and kept the number somewhere in their titles) - but with a twist, as we continue to experiment with new Top 5 formats. This week, we combine a trivia contest and a debate over which games should be included... to, uh, uneven results. Then we'll get into HBO's The Last of Us casting its Abby, SAG-AFTRA striking a game-voiceover deal with an AI studio, and your mos...
Jan 12, 2024•2 hr 1 min•Ep. 667
Let's start off 2024 right: With a look at five games we're especially looking forward to in the next 12 months! Then we'll get into the Polymega retro console (and Mikel's nearly four-year wait to get one), the 14,000 games Steam added in 2023, the first human being to "beat" NES Tetris, and your personal Games of the Year for 2023. Question of the Week: Which game are you most looking forward to in 2024? Break song is New Year's Resolution Song by Rhett & Link . Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by M...
Jan 05, 2024•2 hr 17 min•Ep. 556
If you've been following along the last few weeks you should know our top 10 games of 2023. What you probably don't know (unless you're a Patreon subscriber) is how we arrived at the final order for our list. Every year we record a Patreon-exclusive episode where Mikel, Matt, and Chris duke it out to decide on the order of our top 10. Patrons have had access to this episode for an entire week, but since it's the holidays and we're feeling generous, we wanted to give all of you a little taste of ...
Dec 29, 2023•28 min
The wait is over! We continue with the second half of the GOTY countdown we started last week, and reveal our Top 5 Games of 2023! We've once again invited a rotating panel of guests to help out, including Jesse Cox , TL Foster , Tony Wilson , Brendan Hesse , Ryan Harig , Steve Guntli , and Jorge Albor . Did your favorite game make the cut? Listen and find out! Question of the Week (Month?): What's your personal Game of the Year for 2023? There's a lot of chat this week, so here's a quick timest...
Dec 22, 2023•3 hr 36 min•Ep. 555
A fantastic year for games is nearing its end, which means it's time for us to look back at the past 12 months and anoint our top 10 games of the year in a discussion so big, we had to split it into two shows. This week, we're joined by a rotating panel of guests including Tony Wilson , Brendan Hesse , Chris Baker , Steve Guntli , Woody Ciskowski , Jorga Albor , and Johnny Brandon . Check out our picks for 10 through 6 this week, and stay tuned for next week, when we'll kick it off with #5 and c...
Dec 15, 2023•2 hr 17 min•Ep. 554
The game industry thrives on remaking and reviving classic hits from the past, and as another year winds down, Tony Wilson of Framework joins us to talk about five of our favorite attempts to resurrect and repackage old games this year. Then we'll get into the Grand Theft Auto VI trailer, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, and your favorite DLC of 2023. Question of the Week: What's your personal Game of the Year for 2023? Break song is The Bullet or the Blade by Sam Drysdale (from Resident Evil 4 Rem...
Dec 08, 2023•2 hr 25 min•Ep. 553
We're in the last weeks of 2023, which means it's time for us to look back and talk about the best experiences from the year that was. This week, TL Foster rejoins us to kick things off with a chat about our five favorite pieces of DLC this year, after which we'll get into Batman Arkham Trilogy's arrival on Switch, the first glimpse at Amazon's Fallout series, and your favorite videogame soundtracks. Question of the Week: What's your favorite DLC of 2023? Break song is Phantom Liberty by Dawid P...
Dec 01, 2023•2 hr 25 min•Ep. 552
Happy (American) Thanksgiving/Black Friday weekend! This week, we invite Anthony "BruceWayneBrady" Abatte on to talk about action games with chef protagonists, after which we'll get into Super Mario RPG Remake, Small Saga, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, a roundup of Black Friday game deals, and the games that defined the PS4/Xbox One generation for you. Question of the Week: Do you have a favorite game soundtrack? Like, one you’ll actually sit and listen to? Tell us about it. Break song is Too Many Co...
Nov 24, 2023•2 hr 25 min•Ep. 551
PS4 turned 10 this week, and Xbox One is about to do the same in a few days, so we devoted this week's Top 5 to the games that - for us - defined the console generation that spanned 2013-2020. Then we'll dig into The Game Awards nominations, Assassin's Creed Nexus VR, Backpack Hero, Remnant 2: The Awakened King, and your picks for the Triforce of actors who should play Link, Ganon, and Zelda. Question of the Week: What game most defines the PS4 and/or Xbox One for you, and why?...
Nov 17, 2023•3 hr 37 min•Ep. 550
The announcement of a live-action Zelda movie inspired us to return to the ever-giving well of videogame movie and TV adaptations - specifically five that don't have a whole lot to do with their source material. We'll then explore Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name and Spirittea, hcelebrate the long-overdue official announcement of Grand Theft Auto VI, and hear about the Spider-Verse characters you think deserve their own games. Question of the Week: Which triforce of actors would...
Nov 10, 2023•2 hr 22 min•Ep. 549
Alan Wake 2 is out, and because both it and Spider-Man 2 feature two heroes you can swap between, we decided to dedicate this week's top 5 to dynamic duos you can switch out on a whim. Then we'll dig deeper into Alan Wake 2 (of course!), the Five Nights at Freddy's film, Jusant, Thirsty Suitors, Call of Duty Modern Warfare III's campaign, Atari buying Digital Eclipse, and your go-to games for spooky season. Question of the Week: Which Spider-Verse character needs a spinoff game? Break song is Fr...
Nov 04, 2023•3 hr 37 min•Ep. 548
As another Spooptober nears its end, we close things out with five games that will drive you mad, MAD... like, as a gameplay mechanic, with sanity meters and in-game hallucinations. Then we'll dig into the past week's bumper crop of new releases, including Mario Wonder, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, and Slay the Princess; look at the reveals from Xbox's Partner Preview, and the otherwise benign games that scared you as a kid. Question of the Week: Do you have a go-to game or series you like to play dur...
Oct 28, 2023•3 hr 37 min•Ep. 547
We're still in the middle of spooky season, but with Mario Wonder and Sonic Superstars filling this week with color and cheer, we combined cute with creepy and got a top 5 about some of the biggest scares that Mario ever dragged us through. Then we'll get into Wizard With A Gun, Hellboy Web of Wyrd, Skull Island: The Rise of Kong, Best Buy phasing out physical media, and the real-world places you love to see in games. QOTW: What seemingly benign videogame used to scare you as a kid?...
Oct 20, 2023•2 hr 12 min•Ep. 546
We enter our second week of Spooptober™ with a look at how the happy haunts of Disneyland's Haunted Mansion have been portrayed in five different games — one of which turns 20 in a few days. Then we'll marvel at Forza Motorsport and the Robocop: Rogue City demo, scratch our heads at the PS5's strange new modular makeover. and hear about the abandoned game servers you've haunted in the past. QOTW: Obviously, Matt and Chris geek out about Disney park appearances in games. What real-world location ...
Oct 13, 2023•2 hr 24 min•Ep. 545
Another spooky season is upon us, and this one arrives alongside a new Castlevania series! To mark the occasion, we've invited Mike Williams back on to revisit five of the worst-reviewed Castlevania games to see whether they really deserve their bad reputations. Then we'll get into Assassin's Creed Mirage, The Lamplighters League, the "official" pronunciation of Cait Sith, and the times you switched console allegiances. QOTW: Have you ever “haunted” an old game server well past its prime? Tell u...
Oct 06, 2023•2 hr 22 min•Ep. 544
The one-two punch of Cyberpunk 2077 rolling out version 2.0 and Phantom Liberty inspired us to grab Brendan "The Crawl" Hesse for a look at five games that managed to win back hearts and minds after especially rocky launches. Then we'll dive into Resident Evil 4 Remake's Separate Ways DLC, Phantom Liberty, and El Paso, Elsewhere before talking about Jim Ryan leaving PlayStation and your favorite Mortal Kombat Fatalities. QOTW: How many times have you switched allegiances and changed your primary...
Sep 29, 2023•3 hr 43 min•Ep. 543
Mortal Kombat 1 hit this week, so we're starting this week's show with a look at five games that sought to recapture its blood-spraying, digitized-actor magic back in the '90s. Joining us are Steve Guntli and Woody Ciskowski, formerly of Wii Universe and Ultra 64, and presently (in Steve's case) of CinemArcade and Puppet Masters / Castle Freaks. Then we'll dig into MK1 and LIes of P, talk about some of the big stories from the Xbox leak, and hear about your favorite racing games. QOTW: What's yo...
Sep 23, 2023•3 hr 35 min•Ep. 542
Not too long ago, any publisher worth its salt had to have at least one major racing franchise - but somewhere along the line that changed, leaving us with a relative handful of big-deal arcade racers and sims for dedicated speed freaks. WIth this week's release of The Crew Motorfest and the first new F-Zero game in 20 years, let's take a look at five once-huge racers that retired long ago, after which we'll get way too deep into Thursday's Nintendo Direct and Sony State of Play, more Starfield ...
Sep 16, 2023•4 hr 31 min•Ep. 541
This is a massive week for RPG fans, with Starfield and Baldur's Gate III both hitting consoles - but before we get into that, Chris "cbake" Baker joins us to talk about five games that - despite being licensed from American comics, cartoons, and movies - never saw the light of day in the US! (He also plugs his new book, X-Wings, Lightsabers, and Scorpion Vader, available now on Amazon.) Then we'll dig into the aforementioned RPGs, a smattering of Nintendo news, and the games or series you think...
Sep 08, 2023•3 hr 33 min•Ep. 540
Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon marks the landmark mecha series' return after a 10-year absence - so this week, Greg Moore joins us to talk about five other mecha series that are overdue for a return. Then we'll get into Armored Core VI (of course), The Making of Karateka, Goodbye Volcano High, Samba De Amigo: Party Central, Sea of Stars, the Switch outselling the Wii, and who you think the new voice of Mario should be. Question of the Week: What game deserves The Making of Karateka/Digital Ec...
Sep 01, 2023•3 hr 59 min•Ep. 539
Charles Martinet, iconic voice of Mario, is stepping down from the role - and whie it's difficult to imagine the character without him, he's far from the first actor to embody the plucky Brooklyn plumber. This week, Dave Rudden and Anthony Abatte join Chris and Mikel for a look at five other actors' takes on Mario, after which we'll get into Bomb Rush Cyberfunk, Immortals of Aveum, a smattering of news from Gamescom and Opening Night Live, and the games you'd like to see get a Quake II-style glo...
Aug 26, 2023•2 hr 20 min•Ep. 538
When Mikel's away, Chris and Matt (and TL) will play - and we're not just talking about how much fun Chris had playing with the soundboard this week. In this episode, we stretch the limits of our format - and possibly your patience - to its utmost, as we forego individual game entries and talk about game design tropes that just won't die. Then it's back to business as usual as we break down the new Madden game, the surprise rerelease of Quake II, all the news from the THQ Nordic Digital Showcase...
Aug 18, 2023•2 hr 54 min•Ep. 537
This week, the incomparable Greg Moore joins us to talk about his experiences shadowing pro players at this year's EVO fighting-game tournament - and to keep the theme going, we'll talk about five characters from non-fighting games who somehow ended up as mainstays in fighting series. Then we'll go deeper into Baldur's Gate 3, EVO announcements, Nintendo patenting systems in Tears of the Kingdom, and your favorite mainstream actors who crossed into games. QOTW: What famous character should be in...
Aug 11, 2023•2 hr 28 min•Ep. 536
This week, we said goodbye to a legend - Paul Reubens, aka Pee-Wee Herman - and as has become habit when celebrities we like pass away, we're paying tribute with a look at five of his videogame roles. Then we'll get into Remnant II, Venba, Switch successor rumors, Glorbo, and the first game stories you remember getting invested in.
Aug 05, 2023•2 hr 27 min•Ep. 535
Digital Eclipse 's legendary Chris Kohler joins us this week to talk about his upcoming The Making of Karateka interactive documentary, which delves into Jordan Mechner's groundbreaking classic of cinematic videogame storytelling like never before. It's also got a really annoying bird in it, so we'll also chat about five of the most frustrating bird enemies in videogame history, after which we'll get into Remnant II, Pikmin 4, and your favorite Xbox Live gaming memories....
Jul 28, 2023•3 hr 37 min•Ep. 534
Barbie and Oppenheimer turned movie counter-programming into a cultural event, so let's seize on that by inviting Ryan Harig of Zanzeezee Podcast for a look at five dates when two huge and/or weirdly dissonant videogames debuted at the same time. Then we'll get into Exoprimal, My Friendly Neighborhood, Gravity Circuit, more Microsoft/Activision drama and Game Pass news, and the long-lost games you'd love to see re-released.
Jul 21, 2023•3 hr 40 min•Ep. 533
Nintendo has generally done a great job of making classic Mario games widely available; no matter the system, you'll be able to play Super Mario Bros. and its sequels in some form. But not all Mario games get that kind of support, and in fact, there are a few that have been all but forgotten since their original release. This week, Jim Stormdancer (of Frog Fractions and Topic Lords fame) joins us for a look at five Mario games that never got a second chance at life, after which we'll get into Li...
Jul 14, 2023•3 hr 54 min•Ep. 532
A new Indiana Jones movie has hit theaters, and that's all the excuse we need to grab Framework's Tony Wilson and devote a show to five of Dr. Jones' best starring roles in videogames. Then we'll talk about Six Days in Fallujah hitting early access, Blumhouse looking to make more videogame adaptations after Five Nights at Freddy's, and the games you're most looking forward to in the next six months.
Jul 07, 2023•2 hr 19 min•Ep. 531
The midpoint of the year means it’s time to decide what our five favorite games of the past six months are, and this week we’re joined by Jesse Cox of Chilluminati (among other projects) to help us count ’em down. Then we’ll dig into Sludge Life 2, unravel the latest knot of Activision-Microsoft news, and hear about your favorite games of the year so far.
Jun 30, 2023•3 hr 43 min•Ep. 530
The OUYA turned 10 this week, having fallen well short of its mission to reset the games industry as we knew it - so this week, we'll take a look at what went wrong, along with what happened to four other platforms that limped along or blazed out in the face of overwhelming competition over the past 10 years. Then we'll dig into Sonic Origins Plus, Aliens: Dark Descent, the wealth of Nintendo Direct announcements, and the pop-culture characters whose canonical ages make you feel old.
Jun 23, 2023•3 hr 39 min•Ep. 529
