January is the time for new-year's resolutions - and what resolution is more popular, more strenuous, and more quickly abandoned than the one to get in shape? This week, we grab PNB's Robert Beach for a look at five games that make exercise more fun, after which we'll jump into Gar Cry 6's Pagan: Control DLC, Take-Two's Zynga acquisition, in-person E3's cancellation (again), and the games you're looking forward to most this year.
Jan 14, 2022•2 hr 24 min•Ep. 454
Another new year begins, as we shake off the holiday cobwebs and get back up to speed with a look ahead at five games we're especially excited to get our hands on in the next 12 months. Will all of them see the light of day? Finding out is part of the fun! With that done, we'll pay tribute to departed icon John Madden, speculate about PSVR2, and hear which 2021 games were your personal GOTYs.
Jan 07, 2022•1 hr 58 min•Ep. 453
Our two-part countdown of 2021's best games concludes this week with our five favorite games of the year, with help from special guests Micah Seff; Steve Guntli and Woody Ciskowski of Wii Universe; Kat Bailey of IGN and Axe of the Blood God; Leif Johnson; Jorge Albor of Experience Points; Tony Wilson of Framework; and Greg Moore. Which games captivated us enough to merit almost two hours of chatter? Start listening and find out!
Dec 31, 2021•1 hr 55 min•Ep. 452
It's time once again to look back on another great year for games and pick our favorites, and this year we're breaking from tradition: Instead of one gargantuan show to mark the end of the year, we're splitting our top 10 across a more digestible two episodes, with this week's show covering entries 10 through 6. But don't fret - we're still going big on these, with a rotating lineup of guest hosts including Brendan Hesse, Steve Guntli, Woody Ciskowski, John Brandon, Anthony Abatte, Jorge Albor, ...
Dec 24, 2021•1 hr 53 min•Ep. 451
2021 is drawing to a close(!), and all things considered it's been a pretty great year for videogames. Before we begin our annual GOTY countdown next week, let's invite Tony Wilson of Framework for a look at five of our favorite downloadable expansions this year, after which we'll dig into the Game Awards, some big Assassin's Creed news, and the most expensive gaming accessories you've ever bought.
Dec 18, 2021•2 hr 10 min•Ep. 450
December is here and the snow is upon (some of) us, so this week, we're taking a look at games that let us step back from the action, take a deep breath, and nail someone real good with a snowball. Then we'll get into early impressions of Halo Infinite, jump belatedly into Solar Ash, get excited for Dr. Dre in GTA Online, and hear your thoughts on whether PlayStation Plus and Games with Gold should stick around.
Dec 10, 2021•1 hr 48 min•Ep. 449
When is the end not the end? When a hinky-looking credits sequence is interrupted to let you know the game's not over yet. This week, PNB's TL Foster rejoins us to talk about five times games faked us out with false endings, after which we'll (finally!) talk about Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, get excited for an anti-scalper-bot bill, and hear who you'd want to purchase Sega (were it ever for sale).
Dec 03, 2021•2 hr 10 min•Ep. 448
Happy Black Friday, everybody! With Thanksgiving on our minds this week, we dedicated this week's Top 5 to cooking minigames in bigger, non-cooking-themed games, after which we'll wonder at the possibilities of WB's MultiVersus, delve into a few highly topical game deals, and look at the villains you'd like to play as.
Nov 26, 2021•1 hr 50 min•Ep. 447
With this week's release of the Vaas: Insanity DLC for Far Cry 6, we welcome first-time guest Doug Trein of Basileus Games for a look at five other sequels and expansions that let us embody one of a game's villains, even if just for a little while. Then we'll move on to Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy, Halo: Infinite multiplayer, the last batch of backwards-compatible Xbox games, and your favorite videogame liars.
Nov 19, 2021•2 hr 26 min•Ep. 446
An "unreliable narrator" can mean that a character is withholding information or deceiving you, or it can, in a very literal sense, mean a narrator who just doesn't have their shit together. Leif Johnson joins us for a look at the latter this week, as we delve into five games that shift and bend to the whims of their narrators' disembodied voices, after which we'll get into Call of Duty: Vanguard, Forza Horizon 5, the promise of double-digit game reveals in this year's Game Awards, and the IP yo...
Nov 12, 2021•2 hr 12 min•Ep. 445
Delivering a good, solid kick in a game feels great, especially when it sends your enemies flying helplessly into spikes or off cliffs. This week, the regular VGA crew pays tribute to five of the greatest, meatiest kick attacks ever to grace first-person games, after which we'll start to unpack Unpacking, try not to say too much about Inscryption, see Seth Rogen get his own Donkey Kong movie, and hear which games you think deserve Halloween-themed missions.
Nov 06, 2021•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 444
Halloween is almost here, so Anthony Abatte joins us for a look at five times games set aside a chunk of their (non-seasonal) storylines to celebrate Halloween with themed levels or missions! Then we'll wrap up our final show of Spooptober '21 with Resident Evil 4 VR, Riders Republic, Guardians of the Galaxy, reactions to the Uncharted trailer and PlayStation State of Play, and your favorite in-game animal companions.
Oct 29, 2021•2 hr 20 min•Ep. 443
Ready to face what lurks in the shadows? No? What if you had... A DOG? Greg Moore rejoins us this week for a look at five horror games that pit you and a canine partner against unspeakable terrors, after which we'll get into The Good Life, be surprised about God of War coming to PC, and look at the settings you'd like to see in more horror games.
Oct 22, 2021•2 hr•Ep. 442
Metroid Dread has launched the series in a suspenseful new direction, and given us an excuse to spend this week talking about some of our favorite horror games set in space, with special guest Alex Faciane of Chilluminati and Super Beard Bros! Then it's on to (of course) Metroid Dread, Back 4 Blood, the official announcement of the Grand Theft Auto trilogy, and the childhood toys you think deserve great videogame adaptations.
Oct 15, 2021•2 hr 20 min•Ep. 441
There's something inherently eerie about an empty or abandoned hotel - especially if it's only been abandoned by the living. With Framework's Tony Wilson on board for our second week of Spooptober '21, let's look at five highly memorable haunted hotels, after which we'll talk Far Cry 6, Metroid Dread, Hot Wheels Unleashed, the Twitch hack, and your dream Mario-movie casting.
Oct 08, 2021•2 hr 38 min•Ep. 440
Today marks the return of Spooptober, when all of our shows are Halloween-themed for a whole month — but since it's just getting started, let's ease in with guest Greg Moore and five games that let you play as a psychopomp, someone who guides the dead into the afterlife (or, y'know, just punches their ticket, one way or another). Then we'll pivot to ActRaiser Renaissance, Death Stranding Director's Cut, Outer Wilds: Echoes of the Eye, last week's Nintendo Direct (including THAT casting news), an...
Oct 01, 2021•2 hr 35 min•Ep. 439
Grand Theft Auto V just turned eight last week, just months shy of its launch on a third console generation - so let's grab PNB's TL Foster for a look at five other games that just keep coming back, with endless re-releases, remasters, and remakes on new hardware. Then we'll investigate Lost Judgement, Kena: Bridge of Spirits, the fallout from Epic v. Apple, and the game-ds trends you'd like to see more (or less) of.
Sep 24, 2021•2 hr 29 min•Ep. 438
Deathloop is out this week, and we're excited to talk about it - but first, let's ease in with some a look at five other top-tier time-loop games that came along since we last covered the topic in episode 250. Then it's on to Deathloop, The Artful Escape, WarioWare: Get It Together, last week's PlayStation Showcase, and the game characters you'd want to see kaiju-sized.
Sep 17, 2021•2 hr 11 min•Ep. 437
Being normal-sized is cool and all, but what if you could - just for a little bit - get really, enormously huge and just stomp all the monsters or whatever who thought they could push you around? This week, Leif Johnson joins us for a look at five games that (temporarily!) grow their heroes to giant size, after which we'll get into FIST: Forged in Shadow Torch, Sonic Colors Ultimate, Lake, chip-supply shortages, and your best camp stories.
Sep 10, 2021•1 hr 52 min•Ep. 436
With another summer more or less over, this week's show takes a look at five games that used summer camp - a place alternately associated with freedom, fun, or terror, depending on the context - as a backdrop for adventure (or muuuurder )! Then we'll dig into No More Heroes III, Maneater: Truth Quest, Yakuza's creator reportedly leaving Sega, and the games you'd love to see get an expanded director's cut.
Sep 03, 2021•1 hr 57 min•Ep. 435
This week marks 30 years(!) since the North American launch of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System - by our measure, one of the best consoles ever. To celebrate, we invited Tony Wilson of Framework back on to talk about five of our favorite characters that debuted on Nintendo's 16-bit monster, after which we shift to Psychonauts 2, Twelve Minutes, Gamescom news, and the game worlds you'd love to take a road trip through.
Aug 27, 2021•2 hr 32 min•Ep. 434
When it comes to crucibles that test the bonds of friendship or family, few burn hotter than the one where you lock yourselves into a moving vehicle for hours and hours and hours. As summer winds down, we've invited Tony Wilson of Framework for a look at some of the best games built around long road trips, letting us experience the fun and camaraderie of the road without the tedium and frustration (usually). Then it's on to Marvel's Avengers: War for Wakanda, Road 96, Boyfriend Dungeon, and the ...
Aug 20, 2021•2 hr 50 min•Ep. 433
This week has seen an unusual surge in rodent-related media, with star turns for rat swarms in both The Suicide Squad and Assassin's Creed Valhalla. So this week, PNB's TL Foster joins us for a look at five games that featured unstoppable gnawing rat hordes, after which we'll jump into Axiom Verge 2, AC Valhalla's rat-infested The Siege of Paris expansion, Nintendo's Indie World Showcase, and your favorite videogame auteurs.
Aug 13, 2021•1 hr 58 min•Ep. 432
Only a few big-name game developers are generally seen as "auteurs" — creators with authorial control over (and who get most of the credit for) the games they make. Every so often, one of them strikes out on their own with a bold new project that gets a lot of people excited... and then falls flat on launch. This week, Steve Guntli of Ultra 64 and Wii Universe for a look at five such beautiful disasters, after which we'll dig into The Ascent, Here Comes Niko!, Street Fighter V's final character,...
Aug 07, 2021•2 hr 4 min•Ep. 431
Neo: The World Ends With You is out this week, giving us the first completely new TWEWY since the DS original, as well as an excuse to revisit Shibuya, one of Tokyo's coolest neighborhoods. Let's celebrate with a look at five other games that let us explore the streets around the Scramble Crossing, after which we'll dig into Death's Door, The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, and Bloodroots; get overwhelmed by Microsoft Flight Simulator's Xbox debut; and hear your thoughts about whether Steam Deck ...
Jul 30, 2021•1 hr 42 min•Ep. 430
With Steam Deck and the OLED Switch vying for preorders last week, now seems like an opportune time to grab Greg Moore for a look back at five handhelds that tried and failed to take on Nintendo, but made us love them just the same. Then we get swept away by Cris Tales, Cotton Reboot, and Death's Door; muse about Netflix entering the game industry; and look at the genres you think Donkey Kong should tackle next.
Jul 23, 2021•2 hr 31 min•Ep. 429
Donkey Kong, just like the plumber who debuted alongside him in 1981, has expanded far beyond his arcade roots to appear in everything from racers to rhythm games over the years. To celebrate Kong's 40th anniversary, let's take a look at five different genres covered by the ape's impressive oeuvre of games, after which we'll get into Chris' impressions of Zelda: Skyward Sword, scratch our heads over the $1.5 million Mario 64 cart, and hear the historical periods you think Assassin's Creed Infini...
Jul 16, 2021•1 hr 53 min•Ep. 428
Wise old men who lurk in caves to dispense advice and magical weapons are a trope as old as time – but as far as games go, their heyday was firmly in the '80s. So this week, three cave-dwelling old men named Mikel, Chris, and Matt impart the wisdom of bearded 8-bit hermits to young hero Robert Beach, on loan from PNB. Once that's over, we'll dive into Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin, Space Jam: A New Legacy – The Game, Nintendo's OLED Switch announcement, and your personal games of the (...
Jul 09, 2021•1 hr 59 min•Ep. 427
We've passed the midpoint of the year, so with help from Alex Faciane of Chilluminati and Super Beard Bros, it's time to look back at five games that did the most to light up our first six months of 2021. Then we'll dig into Scarlet Nexus, Cruelty Squad, some interesting Sony rumors and acquisitions, and the long-neglected EA properties you hope to see make an overdue comeback.
Jul 02, 2021•2 hr 12 min•Ep. 426
Any fictional feud that goes on long enough is bound, sooner or later, to be put on hold for an episode where the hero and villain team up to survive or fight a greater enemy. And this week, PNB's TL Foster joins us for a look at five games where long-established archnemeses (briefly) put aside their differences and worked together. Then we'll dive into Mario Golf: Super Rush, Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance, the return of a live PAX West, and your favorite announcements from E3 2021....
Jun 25, 2021•2 hr 37 min•Ep. 425
