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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast Summer Game Fest and a broad assortment of other showcases happened over the past week, unveiling hours of new trailers, gameplay footage, and announcements - so we're breaking format this week to focus on the news, pulling highlights from the deluge to talk about the reveals we found most interesting. We'll still cap it off with a look at new releases, including the Final Fantasy XVI and Lies of P demos, but there's a lot to discuss before we get there, so strap in!
Jun 17, 2023•3 hr 58 min•Transcript available on Metacast Street Fighter 6 is out, and we're celebrating by inviting Emmett Watkins Jr. for a chat about five of the franchise's most off-kilter weirdos that we hope make a comeback in the very near future. Then we'll delve into Diablo IV, Killer Frequency, Bowser's canonical age, Apple's $3500 headset, and your favorite Street Fighter characters.
Jun 09, 2023•3 hr 38 min•Ep 527•Transcript available on Metacast In 1992, Alone in the Dark pioneered the genre that would become known as "survival horror," with polygonal zombies and fixed camera angles similar to those that propelled Resident Evil to massive success a few years later. With a new Alone in the Dark on the horizon to remind us, we're dedicating this week's Top 5 to genre-defining games that got knocked aside by imitators who did it better. Then we'll talk about Street Fighter 6, the System Shock remake, a little Metal Gear Solid Delta news, a...
Jun 02, 2023•3 hr 43 min•Ep 526•Transcript available on Metacast Sidekicks? Tag teams? Amateur stuff. This week, Greg Moore and Dave Rudden rejoin us for a look at five games that push you to move and be aware of two characters at the same time, with no help from another player. Then we'll put the pedal to the plastic in Lego 2K Drive, move fast and wreck stuff in Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun and Shinobi Non Grata, get into the raft of announcements from PlayStation Showcase 2023, and hear which Links are your favorite Links.
May 26, 2023•2 hr 27 min•Transcript available on Metacast In Tears of the Kingdom, Link loses an arm but gains a shinier new one that lets him manipulate and fuse matter like a boss, enabling players to create everything from stick-and-rock hammers to functional mechs. That inspired this week's Top 5 about other heroes with cool prosthetic-arm superpowers, for which we're joined by TL Foster. Then we'll get deeper into TotK talk, plus Humanity, Mortal Kombat 1, the scaling-back of Overwatch 2's PVE plans, and your favorite videogame sequels of all time...
May 20, 2023•2 hr 19 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is out this week, and it's one of only a few Zelda entries that could really be called sequels, continuing a story started in an earlier game. So this week, Ryan Harig of Zanzeezee podcast joins us to talk about five of our other favorite follow-up Zeldas, after which we'll get into Darkest Dungeon II, Ravenlok, Phil Spencer's Redfall mea culpa, and the most obscure Star Wars facts you know....
May 12, 2023•3 hr 44 min•Transcript available on Metacast The ice planet Hoth was once one of the most ubiquitous levels in Star Wars games, and with more than 50 examples to choose from, some are bound to be kinda weird - so with Chris Baker on board to talk about his upcoming book, "X-Wings, Lightsabers, and Scorpion Vader," we'll take a look at five of the more unusual implementations of Hoth from across videogame history. Then we'll bite into Redfall and get further into Star Wars: Jedi Survivor, talk a bit about the real story behind the Gran Turi...
May 05, 2023•2 hr 27 min•Transcript available on Metacast What if you could wade into a mob of the undead and, rather than being eaten, punch their lights out with your superior brawn? Last week's launch of Dead Island 2 got us thinking, so we re-invited Alex Faciane of Chilluminati and Super Beard Bros back for another appearance so we could talk about games that let you beat up zombies bare-knuckle style. Then we'll get into Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Dead Island 2, Advance Wars 1+2 Re-Boot Camp, Cassette Beasts, the Street Fighter 6 demo, more Micros...
Apr 28, 2023•3 hr 35 min•Transcript available on Metacast What if all our stories of gods and magic weren't mythology, but sufficiently advanced technology? What if the world, nay, galaxy was seeded full of ancient future tech with a cool mystery to discover? Huh? What then? This week, Alex Faciane of Chilluminati and Super Beard Bros rejoins us to talk about five of our favorite long-dead but highly advanced alien precursors in games, after which we'll get into Minecraft Legends, Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster, reveals from the Nintendo Indies Showcase,...
Apr 21, 2023•3 hr 39 min•Ep 520•Transcript available on Metacast This week sees the long-overdue return of erstwhile host Dave "Diamond Dog" Rudden to the show, to talk about five villains who rose from being secondary antagonists to the final boss in later games. Then we'll get into the remake of Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened, Kabaret, Tron: Identity, Ghostwire Tokyo, the Mario movie's huge box-office returns, and the dead gaming trends you'd like to see make a comeback.
Apr 14, 2023•3 hr 38 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
