Plenty of sequels improve on a formula or reinvent it entirely, but how many really perfect it? This week, Tony Wilson of Framework joins us for a debate about which five sequels nailed what their predecessors were goinf for, turning classics into masterpieces. Then we'll get into Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, Sand Land, Tales of Kenzera: Zau, a little Stellar Blade, and the in-development(-hell) game movies you most want to see. Question of the Week: What games did we miss in our top 5? Wh...
Apr 26, 2024•2 hr 30 min•Ep. 572
The Fallout TV series is out, it's great, and it's making us think of other, less-fortunate game-to-movie/TV adaptations - the ones languishing for decades in development hell, continually changing hands only to fade into obscurity. We'll look at five of the most striking examples this week, after which we'll get into Harold Halibut, Children of the Sun, the Fallout series (no spoilers), Nintendo skipping Gamescom, and your favorite Metroidvanias (that we didn't talk about last week). Question o...
Apr 20, 2024•2 hr 26 min•Ep. 571
Super Metroid turns 30 in the US on April 18, so we're celebrating the genre it kick-started by inviting Brendan Hesse for a debate-style Top 5 about the best Metroidvanias. Then we'll get into Season 1 of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Star Wars Outlaws, The Rogue Prince of Persia, and your favorite videogame x brand cross-promotions. Question of the Week: What's your favorite Metroidvania that we didn't talk about in the Top 5? Tell us what we missed. Break song is Regretroid by Starb...
Apr 12, 2024•2 hr 6 min•Ep. 570
Localizing games from Japanese to English (or vice versa) can be a delicate process, and sometimes yields results that are strange enough to become cultural phenomena on their own. This week, Greg Moore joins us to look at five famously weird localization decisions, after which we'll get into Freedom Planet 2's console release, (still more) Dragon's Dogma 2, a report that older games are taking up the bulk of everyone's game time, and the home console repairs or hacks you're proudest of. Questio...
Apr 05, 2024•2 hr 39 min•Ep. 569
"Janky" can mean a lot of things in the context of games, but this week - hot on the heels of Dragon's Dogma 2 - it means weird, faintly shoddy-feeling fun, and Jarrett Green joins us this week to talk about five games that are arguably beloved because of their jank. We'll also talk (a lot) more about Dragon's Dogma 2, plus Alone in the Dark, Marvel Rivals, Gearbox's sale by Embracer, and the overlooked/cult games you think deserve a sequel. Question of the Week: Tell us about a time you hacked ...
Mar 29, 2024•3 hr 2 min•Ep. 568
The right music can make an already memorable moment unforgettable, and this week Tony Wilson of Framework joins us for a look at five games that expertly surprised us with unexpected musical moments, elevating their stories in the process. Then we'll get into Rise of the Ronin, Alone in the Dark, the newly greenlit Sims movie, State of Unreal 2024 news, and the franchises you'd like to see WayForward reinvent next. Question of the Week: Now that we have Dragon's Dogma 2, what criminally overloo...
Mar 22, 2024•2 hr 23 min•Ep. 568
Akira Toriyama passed away at 68 on March 1, leaving behind a rich legacy of iconic manga, anime, and (largely dragon-themed) videogames. To mark his passing, we're joined by TL Foster of Welcome to the Thing for a look at five game franchises to which he lent his talents, after which we'll get into Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story, Contra: Operation Galuga, Nintendo's Mar10 Day announcements, and the dormant EA franchises you'd like to see them refocus on. Question of the Week: In the vein of C...
Mar 15, 2024•2 hr 50 min•Ep. 566
This week is bookended by Ufouria The Saga 2 and WWE 2k24, both of which let you switch characters on the fly by tagging in partners - so with help from Emmett Watkins Jr. , we'll count down five games that had some of the coolest character-swapping mechanics. Then we'll dig into Unicorn Overlord, Balatro, announcements from the Xbox Partner Preview, and your favorite second entries in game series. Question of the Week: What dormant EA franchise shoulld the company refocus on? Break song is I Wa...
Mar 08, 2024•2 hr 19 min•Ep. 565
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is out, and being that it's the middle entry in a trilogy, we've invited Brendan "The Crawl" Hesse to talk not only about the game (he finished it), but for a a debate-format Top 5 about other trilogies with fantastic middle entries. We'll also get into Pacific Drive, the Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster, news from the Pokémon Presents, and your favorite franchises that haven't put out a new entry in at least a decade. Question of the Week: What's your favorite second ga...
Mar 01, 2024•2 hr 9 min•Ep. 564
2014 was a big year for series swan songs, when a number of once-huge videogame franchises launched what would end up being their last installments (as of this writing 10 years later, anyway) - so this week, we pay tribute to five of our favorite series that have now been dead (or at least dormant) for a decade. Then it's on to Mario vs. Donkey Kong, (more) Helldivers II, Penny's Big Breakaway, the Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase, Elden Ring DLC news, and the biggest asshole moves you've pulled...
Feb 23, 2024•2 hr 16 min•Ep. 563
Skull and Bones is out this week, so we're reinventing one of our earliest Top 5 topics and debating the best-ever pirate games! Will your favorites find swashbuckling glory or be keel-hauled into ignominy? Then we'll get into Helldivers 2, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden, Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore, Tomb Raider I-III Remastered, and the villains you think should get their own games. Thanks to this week's sponsor, NordVPN. Visit nordvpn.com/lasertime to get an exclusive deal and try it risk fr...
Feb 16, 2024•2 hr 7 min•Ep. 562
Beloved actor Carl Weathers passed away last week, and TL Foster joins us to help pay tribute with a look at five games Weathers either appeared in, or that included the characters he brought to life. Then we'll get into Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Foamstars, the Final Fantasy VII Rebirth demo, Disney buying a stake in Epic, and the fighting-game characters you think deserve their own spinoffs. Thanks to this week's sponsor, NordVPN. Visit nordvpn.com/lasertime to get an exclusive de...
Feb 09, 2024•2 hr 50 min•Ep. 561
Tekken 8's launch has us captivated this week, so Anthony "BruceWayneBrady" Abatte joins us to talk about it — and about five of the fighting-game series' most noteworthy spinoffs. Then we'll get into the PlayStation State of Play news, the simultaneous reveal and cancellation of an unproduced Deus Ex, and your favorite games that rip off other games. Thanks to this week's sponsor, NordVPN. Visit nordvpn.com/lasertime to get an exclusive deal and try it risk free with Nord's 30-day money-back gu...
Feb 02, 2024•2 hr 32 min•Ep. 560
We're continuing to play with format this week, starting with a non-traditional Top 5 about sequels that went by completely different names. Why's it non-traditional? We don't even start with a set list, and debate to decide it right there on the show! Then we'll delve into a slew of new releases including Palworld and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, the reveals from the Xbox Developer Direct, and the franchises you think should be re-rebooted. Question of the Week: What's your favorite game tha...
Jan 26, 2024•2 hr 9 min•Ep. 559
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is out this week, and we're all big fans! Before we dig into it on the show, though, it also inspired this episode's (traditionally formatted) Top 5, about series that have gotten more than one reboot over the years. Then we'll talk about Billy Mitchell settling with Twin Galaxies, GameStop backing off NFTs, and the series-outlier games whose gameplay you wish they'd revisit. Question of the Week: What once-rebooted franchise do you think could benefit from anoth...
Jan 19, 2024•2 hr 26 min•Ep. 558
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 ...
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•2 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•2 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•2 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•2 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
