We are joined by Greg Moore, and officially added Emmit to the group! We look at 5 great, and 5 not so great games that mvoed from 2d to 3D. Then we talk about the price increase of the PS5 and more!

It's a new day, and a new Pod

In the secound half, we talk about what we want to see in gaming in 2026!

QOTW: What is a Metroid Memory that you have?

We also talk about Chris's facination with Fortnite, The Steam Box and more

The holiday release blitz continues, and we are having a ball – literally! With games like Ball X Pit, Pokémon Legends: Z-A, and Once Upon a Katamari all placing spherical shapes in prominent roles (or rolls, to be theme-appropriate), we wanted to take a look at the top games where you play as a ball.

After that, we give Ball X Pit some much-deserved praise, see what Double Fine has been up to with Keeper, and tell you about our time so far in Lumiose City with our initial takes on Pokémon Legends: Z-A.

Question of the Week: What is a gaming hardware brand, trend, or product that needs to be revived?

Break Song is "I'm Having a Ball" by Steve Lang

Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

The hits just keep on comin' with this week's big release, Pokémon Legends: Z-A. As noted several times on this show, Pokémon Legends: Arceus was many people's first official foray into the Pokémon universe (one of our hosts included), so this week we are taking a look at the best Pokémon spin-off games of all time, which may have gotten some of you listeners to try to catch 'em all.

After that, we let you know if Battlefield 6 is a return to form for the big EA shooter franchise, come clean about our latest addiction, Ball X Pit, then see what people are saying about the new ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X, and more!

Question of the Week: What was your first exposure to Pokémon?

Break Song is "The Pokémon Theme (Metal Cover Version)" by Skar Productions

Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

This week's big release is Ghost of Yotei, which brings back one of our favorite features from its predecessor, Ghost of Tsushima: the adorable foxes that lead you to Inari Shrines. These furry friends are essentially collectibles, which got us thinking about other games that let you collect animals.

After that, we give our impressions of Ghost of Yotei and other big new releases, including The Super Mario Galaxy Collection, Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles, and Digimon Story: Time Stranger. Then we talk about that Nintendo teaser animation and other news of the week.

Question of the Week: What is a spin-off game that got you into the main series?

Break Song is "Animal" by Pearl Jam

Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Oh, the ancient gods. What fickle sorts they were known to be. But if you managed to curry favor with these gods, they could also be quite generous with their gifts. This week, in celebration of the release of Hades II 1.0, special guest DocBrooke joins us to take a look at games where the gods bestow their blessings and gifts upon your hero to help them along their journey.

After that, we talk all about Hades II, the new Super Mario Galaxy Collection, some big shakeups at Nintendo and EA, and how expensive gaming is getting.

Question of the Week: How has the increased cost of gaming affected the way you game?

Break Song is "Zeus in the Architecture" by Art vs Science

Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

It's a big week for new game releases, and we have a whopper of a show to match. We start by taking a look back at game franchises where the first entry isn't necessarily a bad game on its own merits, but is probably the worst or least memorable of the bunch.

After that, we race into the second segment to talk all about Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, Baby Steps, Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor, and Silent Hill f. Then we cover the recent State of Play, news coming out of Tokyo Game Show 2025, Xbox price hikes, and more!

Question of the Week: What's your favorite "black sheep" entry in a game franchise?

Break Song is "Worst Comes to Worst" by Dilated Peoples ft. Guru

Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Borderlands 4 is here! Or, as we like to call it around these parts, FOURderlands. Or maybe Borderl4nds? We're still workshopping it. Regardless of what you want to call the latest entry in the long-running series, there's no denying its importance in the shlooter genre, where it made a name for itself combining best-in-class shooting mechanics with cool characters and, of course, LOOT! This week, we take a look at other loot games that leave you in constant pursuit of that legendary piece of gear you've been chasing, and the dopamine hit that comes with it.

After that, we give our impressions of Gearbox's latest, talk all about last week's Nintendo Direct, and more!

Question of the Week: What is the best piece of loot you've ever obtained in a game, and how did you get it?

Break Song is "Gimme the Loot" by The Notorious B.I.G.

Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

After a long six years, Hollow Knight: Silksong is finally here. Was it worth the wait? You'll have to listen to our New Releases segment to find out. But before that, we talk about some of our other most anticipated game releases that have kept us waiting for years.

After that, we offer up our Silksong impressions and talk about other new releases, Street Fighter movie casting news, and more!

Question of the Week: Inspired by Everybody's Golf Hot Shots, what mash-up of two franchises would you like to see?

Break Song is "The Waiting (Live)" by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers featuring Eddie Vedder

Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

We are very much still in a ninja type of mood around these parts, with the recent release of Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, the upcoming release of Ninja Gaiden 4, and the very ninja-like Hornet, star of this week's big new release, Hollow Knight: Silksong. So we decided to sneak up and surprise you with a top 5 all about our favorite ninja games.

After that, we talk about the recent Switch 2 upgrade pack for Kirby and the Forgotten Land, more Super Robot Wars Y, news about a new Rayman game in the works at Ubisoft, PlayStation 6 rumors, and more!

Question of the Week: What's your favorite game that took forever to be released but was worth the wait?

Break Song is "I Am Ninja" by The Neu Tickles

Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

It's his birthday, so we're letting TL take over the wheel -- or the cockpit, as it were -- to walk us through a retrospective of sorts about the various genres of mech video games, inspired by this week's release of Super Robot Wars Y. From fighters to tactical RPGs and everything in between, if you like games about giant robots you pilot and punch things with, this top 5 is for you.

After that, we cover the other new releases this week, Shinobi: Art of Vengeance and Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, then offer up a few more thoughts on things we've been playing like Sword of the Sea, Mafia: The Old Country, and Death Stranding 2.

Question of the Week: Which famous mech from pop culture would win in an ultimate mech battle royale and why?

Break Song is "When the Mechs Hit the Ground" by NerdOut

Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Summer movie blockbuster season may be winding down, but we still have movies on the brain around these parts. So much, in fact, that we wanted to talk about movie tie-in games. And who better to help us with that than special guest Steve Guntli from the excellent CinemArcade podcast? We are all familiar with the games that are generally regarded as the best movie tie-in games. So Steve is here to offer up some of his favorite movie games that you may not have heard of, in what we're calling the top 5 next best movie games.

After that, we talk about Sword of the Sea, the recent PlayStation 5 price increases, Kirby Air Riders, Pokémon, and all the big news from Gamescom.

Question of the Week: What previously unadapted movie needs its own game?

Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Let's face it, the games industry hasn't exactly been all sunshine and rainbows lately. As the late, great Dusty Rhodes would say, the industry has been facing hard tiiiiiimes, daddy. And yet, as a game player, there's a lot of really cool stuff to be excited about, including some recent trends and changes to the hobby that are just plain awesome. The VGA crew is here to help celebrate some of those recent changes in games.

After that, we give our impressions of Mafia: The Old Country and Madden NFL 26, talk about news from the recent Nintendo Indie World Showcase, and more!

Question of the Week: What was the first online experience you can remember having?

Break song is "Everything is Awesome (Tween Dream Remix)" by Garfunkel & Oates

Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

This week's release of the prequel game Mafia: The Old Country is as good an excuse as any for us to get nostalgic and take a trip back in time to discuss games that did exactly that, as the VGA crew and special guest Greg Moore pick the best prequel games of all time.

After that, we talk about Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles 2, the new Shinobi: Art of Vengeance demo, the Fortnite Power Rangers crossover, Nintendo price increase news, and more!

Question of the Week: What guest character or franchise do you want to see in Fortnite next?

Break song is "Back in Time" by Huey Lewis & The News

Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

After that, we talk more Donkey Kong Bananza, sneak in a little Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, break down this week's news, and more!

Question of the Week: What's your favorite four-player gaming experience?

Break song is "We Ain't Came to Lose" by Raekwon and Ghostface Killa

Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

The VGA crew is going bananas for Donkey Kong Bananza, and we wanted to celebrate the best Donkey Kong game in years with a top 5 retrospective taking you through the various eras of games starring Nintendo's big, lovable ape.

After that, we dig deep and leave no fossil unturned as we talk all things Donkey Kong Bananza, cover this week's news, and more!

Question of the Week: What's your favorite Donkey Kong memory or experience?

Break song is "Banana Man" by Tally Hall.

Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

The recent Donkey Kong redesign featured in Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza got us thinking about other video game character redesigns. When companies decide it's time for a character to get a new outfit, haircut, or entirely new look, you can always count on people having strong opinions, and we're no exception as we list our favorite game character redesigns of all time.

After that, we talk about Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4, more EA Sports College Football 26, some Nintendo news, and Uno, for some reason.

Question of the Week: What's your least favorite character redesign, games or otherwise?

Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

James Gunn's Superman flick just hit theaters, so the VGA Boyz grabbed not one but TWO super guests who happen to be comic book experts for this week's show. SUPERHEROdotVG's Chris Baker and DC's own Randy Ma join us this week to hash out the best video games featuring the Man of Steel.

Then it's on to way more sports talk than we're used to as TL breaks down the new EA Sports College Football 26, we discuss the state of the Forza franchise, and more!

Question of the Week: What comic book character needs better or more representation in video games?

Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

This weekend America celebrates its Independence Day, so we're paying tribute to our beloved homeland with a show about one of the most American things we can think of: GUNS! Specifically light gun games. We're joined by arcade expert Pastblaster of the Podouken podcast to discuss those glorious games of yore where the only thing standing between polite society and murderous clowns, invading aliens, or generic 80s bad guys was you, a plastic firearm, and a fistful of quarters.

Then we talk about the new Raidou remaster, break down Mecha Break, string you along with more Death Stranding talk, get changed by The Alters, parse out the week's news, and more.

Question of the Week: What's your favorite "gimmick" arcade game?

Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

With Matt away, and left to their own devices, Chris and T.L. decided to do a bit of a looser episode. The Florida Boyz are joined by Tony Wilson from Framework, as they talk about games where the heroes are inspired by heroes from previous games in the franchise.

After that, the guys talk a little about Death Stranding 2, the Capcom Showcase, and much more!

Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

We can't put our Nintendo Switch 2 systems down or get Mario Kart World out of our heads, so while doing laps around the tracks, the VGA boys started thinking about our top kart racing items from across the genre. Guest Jarrett Green joins us to list our favorites, from the most useful, to the wacky and weird, and everything in between.

Then we jump through a portal to discuss Splitgate 2, the Gex Trilogy collection, Tron Catalyst, FBC Firebreak, this week's news, and so much more.

Question of the Week: What's the most memorable game you've played on a new game system?

Break song is "Go Kart Racing" by Garfunkel and Oates.

Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

It's June, which used to mean E3 time, but now just means there are still a ton of huge announcements and places to see new games in Los Angeles, just not at the convention center or E3 itself. And that is why we are calling this our BIG NOT E3 2025 EPISODE! Oh, did we mention there was also the launch of a little thing called the Nintendo Switch 2? Special guest JR Ralls joins us to talk about our impressions of Nintendo's new system and its launch lineup, all the big announcements from State of Play, Summer Game Fest, the Xbox Games Showcase, and more.

Question of the Week: What's the weirdest way you've ever acquired a new game system?

Break song is "Switch" by Will Smith.

Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

The big Nintendo Switch 2 launch is already here, and guest Emmet Watkins Jr. and the VGA Boyz are celebrating the occasion by listing off the top Nintendo system launches of all time. Then we team up to discuss more Elden Ring Nightreign, some Symphonia, Xbox handheld news, and more.

Question of the Week: What's your favorite game system launch of all time and why?

Break song is "Playing with Power (TJ Perkins Entrance Theme)" by WWE Music.

Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Look, it's a short holiday week, so can you blame the VGA Boyz for taking things easy and a bit too literally by celebrating Memorial Day week with a top 5 about... memories? Join us as we look back and... er, remember... our favorite memory sequences and flashbacks in videogames. Then it's on to some Elden Ring Nightrein talk, some Elden Ring movie talk, and more.

Question of the Week: What's a piece of pop culture that had you hooked at first before quickly falling off?

Break song is "Memory (from the Musical Cats)" as performed by TRAGEDY.

Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Mikel's gone, but the show must go on -- with an all-new third chair and maybe just a tad more soundboard! TL Foster joins Matt and Chris on a more permanent basis, and this all-new VGA triumvirate reboots the show with a very appropriate Top 5: Modern Reboots. Then we duke it out over the Capcom Fighting Collection 2, rip and tear into more DOOM: The Dark Ages, wax nostalgic about Retro Classics on Game Pass, and break down the latest videogame news.

Question of the Week: Tell us one of the game ideas Hideo Kojima has hidden away on his USB drive.

Break song is "Boot to the Head" by The Frantics. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Mikel's farewell show kicks off with our most spoileriffic Top 5 EVER, focusing on games where the hero's death is an unavoidable part of the story - will you tough it out, or skip around with the spoiler-dodging timestamps we throw out before even speaking each entry's name? Once that's done, we'll get into more Doom: The Dark Ages, Revenge of the Savage Planet, Rift Riff, game-industry price-hike forecasts, and your favorite memories of Mikel's 12-year tenure on VGA.

Question of the Week: With the show under new direction going forward, what would you like to see from VGA in the future?

Break song is Price of Freedom -I Want to See You Smile- by The Death March and Brothers by Paul Williams. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Inspired by "100 men vs. a gorilla" memes, this week's show sees Tony Wilson of Framework joining us for a Top 5 about games that put the might of an entire swarm at your disposal! We'll also get into Doom: The Dark Ages, Skin Deep, the new GTA 6 trailer, Xbox raising console and game prices, and "antiquated" styles of games that you'd like to see make a comeback.

Question of the Week: Following this week's announcement, do you have a favorite memory of Mikel's 12 years as a host of VGA?

Break song is Ai no Uta by Strawberry Flower. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

We've been to the "play as a villain" well a bunch of times, but this week's theatrical release of Thunderbolts inspired TL Foster of Welcome to the Thing to join us for a look at games that let you play as whole teams of characters who don't typically play well with others. We'll also get into Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, a smattering of Switch and Switch 2 news, Epic's court win against Apple, and your views on remakes and remasters.

Question of the Week: Is there an "antiquated" style of gameplay (e.g. turn-based RPGs) that you think should return?

Break song is E.G.G.M.A.N. by Paul Shortino. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

The long-rumored Oblivion remaster was revealed and released on the same day this week, inspiring us to invite merritt k and Anthony Abatte for a chat about five other games that surprise-released on the same day they were revealed. Then we'll get into The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered (of course), Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, Nintendo maybe not having inventory to fulfill My Nintendo Store preorder requests, and your experiences with companion apps.

Question of the Week: What are your thoughts on game remakes and remasters? Do you like playing them? Do you finish them? Is the past better left in the past?

Break song is Instant Pleasure as performed by Rufus Wainwright. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Jay and Silent Bob recently arrived in Call of Duty as premium operator skins, but it's hardly the first time actors associated with Kevin Smith's View Askewniverse films have starred in games. Dave Rudden joins us this week to talk about five of 'em, after which we'll talk more about Blue Prince, the Minecraft movie, Switch 2 letting Zelda players repair their weapons with a mobile app, and the most money you've ever spent on a console at launch.

Question of the Week: Do you have fond memories of any "companion-app" gaming experience? Should these still be a thing?

Break song is Clerks by Love Among Freaks. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

This is a big week for strange and cryptic games, and TL Foster of Welcome to the Thing joins to celebrate the release of South of Midnight with a look at five games that explore the supernatural and seamy sides of the American South. We'll also delve into Blue Prince and Promise Mascot Agency, complain about tariffs, speculate about Donkey Kong Bananza, and hear your thoughts about the Switch 2 reveal.

Question of the Week: What's the most you have ever spent for a console at launch (via bundles, secondary market, etc)?

Break song is You've Got to Walk by Ben Babbitt and the Bedquilt Ramblers. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

In this era of multiplatform releases and more-or-less standardized hardware, it can be easy to forget that great games didn't always stay great once they'd made their way to different consoles and computers. In fact, ports that were rushed, incomplete, or just plain lousy used to be common, and this week, we'll look at five of the most infamously bad ones. Then we'll talk about Atomfall, InZoi, and - of course! - the Switch 2 reveal, plus your views on dressing characters for aesthetics vs. stats.

Question of the Week: What are your thoughts on Switch 2? Did it live up to your expectations? Are you excited? Disappointed? Let us know.

Break song is Rocket Man as performed by William Shatner. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Plenty of games let you change your character's clothes, but in how many does it really matter, from a gameplay standpoint? At least five, which we'll talk about this week with model/stylist/game brand strategist and former journo Aiden Strawhun, who also knows how to talk about Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land way better than the rest of us. We'll also get into The First Berserker: Khazan, new announcements for Monster Hunter Wilds, the return of Game Informer, and the game names you've habitually mispronounced.

Question of the Week: Do you dress your game characters purely for power and stats, or more for aesthetics?

Break song is Cover Girl by RuPaul. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Assassin's Creed Shadows is out, and we've got IGN's reviewer - friend of the show Jarrett Green - on to talk about Ubi's massive open-world shinobi-and-samurai adventure in feudal Japan! But first, we'll use this as an opportunity to talk about five other games made by western developers, but set in Japan. Once all that's done, we'll talk about the internet's reaction to Karl Urban's Johnny Cage, the SNES mysteriously getting faster with age, and your long-standing gaming regrets.

Question of the Week: Inspired by the Suikoden remaster, what's a game name you've habitually mispronounced, either by mistake or (for comedy's sake) on purpose? Were you ever embarrassingly corrected? Tell us about it.

Break song is We're the River City Girls by Megan McDuffee. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

We just passed Mar10 Day this week, and that got us thinking about all the times console makers have thought, "Hey! What if WE had a cute, highly marketable face to sell OUR hardware?" We'll take a look at five of the least successful attempts at machine-exclusive mascots this week, after which we'll get into WWE 2k25 and Wanderstop, share updated thoughts on Monster Hunter Wilds and Suikoden I & II HD Remaster, and hear which games you think should have a Nemesis System of their own.

Question of the Week: Do you have a persistent regret about a game (i.e., did you finish a game the "wrong" way, miss a piece of a story, make a bad decision, etc., that you've never gotten around to correcting)?

Break song is the credits music from Gex. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Ever wonder why so few games include features like, say, Shadow of Mordor's Nemesis system, or minigames you can play during loading events? It's because they are or were locked behind patents - and this week, Jesse "Street Cleaner" Bishop joins us to talk about five such features - as well as the launch of Street Cleaner 3. Then we'll get into Monster Hunter Wilds, Two Point Museum, Everhood 2, the reveal of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4, and your personal feelings about game demos.

Question of the Week: If it weren't patent-protected, what game or series do you think could benefit from something like the Nemesis system?

Break song is It Ain't Safe by Street Cleaner & NormallyRetro. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Landing a celebrity to star in your game is usually a huge deal - but like a lot of things, celebrities can go bad over time, turning their games into weird cultural artifacts with unpleasant associations. This week, Anthony Abatte joins us to talk about five games with stars who probablly seemed like a great idea at the time, after which we'll get into Street Cleaner 3, Steam Next Fest, Monolith's closure, and the games you'd like to see do a pirate-themed sequel.

Question of the Week: With Steam Next Fest launching a ton of demos onto the service, do you typically play demos to sample games, or do you just jump right in and buy ones you're interested in? (And did you have a favorite from Next Fest?)

Break song is Although the Sky by Dorkus64. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

With Avowed's launch casting a spotlight on Obsidian this week, we got to thinking about the studio's unique trajectory, and so Trone Dowd — who reviewed Avowed for Inverse — joins us to talk about about studios who got nudged off series they created (for whatever reason), and used their ideas to make something new (but familiar). We'll also get into Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza Pirate in Hawaii, the Street Fighter movie's new director, Nintendo discontinuing the Gold Points program, and the obscure games you'd like to see return via a streaming service.

Question of the Week: Zelda did it. Assassin's Creed did it. Yakuza did it. What game series should take to the high seas for a pirate adventure next?

Break song is Fly Me To The Moon (∞ Climax Mix) by Bart Howard and Helena Noguerra. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Mikel's away this week, so Matt and Chris (with accompanying soundboard) invited the Welcome to the Thing crew to break format a bit with a top 5 that doesn't focus so much on games, but rather game distribution services, technologies, and platforms old and new -- the cable companies of games, if you will. After that, we talk about Civilization VII, more Rift of the Necrodancer, and break down all the big news from this week's State of Play. It's a fun one, we promise! (Did we mention Chris is manning the soundboard this week?)

Question of the Week: What obscure or impossible-to-play game do you want to be playable on modern platforms?

Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Hero-ing can be a thankless business (apart from all the improbable material rewards for rescuing hapless villagers or whatever), so it's uplifting when games try to show you've made a difference by bringing back all the friends you've made and people you've helped to support you in the final hour. TL Foster of Welcome to the Thing joins us to talk about five of our favorite such moments, after which we'll get into Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, Rift of the NecroDancer, Sniper Elite: Resistance, news from the Capcom Spotlight, and the times you've gone full "dark side" in games.

Question of the Week: What's your least favorite gaming trend that wore out its welcome quickly?

Break song is MGMT - Kids But It's September By Earth, Wind & Fire by William Maranci Mashups. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Sometimes it's really empowering to embody a pissed-off rage junkie, the kind of human chainsaw who can charge wildly into every confrontation and savagely batter everything in their path. This week, Jesse Cox joins us for a look at five games that let you do exactly that. Then we'll get our hands bloody with Ninja Gaiden II Black and Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap, discover Shady Part of Me, Virtua Fighter 5 REVO, and Eternal Strands, and talk about GTA 6 news, the Microsoft Developer Direct, and your favorite videogame prequels.

Question of the Week: Have you ever enjoyed going full "dark side" in a game, whether because of a linear story, moral choices, or just free-form sadism (a la Sims)? Tell us about it.

Break song is Berserker by Love Among Freaks. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Last week's release of Dynasty Warriors Origins inspired us to spend this episode looking at five of the best games to bear one of the industry's most-overused words in their titles (Origins, of course). Then we'll get into Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders, reactions to the Switch 2 reveal, Marvel Snap getting temporarily swallowed by the TikTok ban, and the earliest games you remember adding to your backlog.

Question of the Week: What's your favorite prequel and/or origin-story game?

Break song is Black Betty/Castle Rock (as performed in Rayman Legends). Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Some release dates loom especially large in videogame history (mostly because they factored heavily into marketing), and this week Anthony Abatte joins us as our first guest of 2025 to talk about five of the most significant ones. Then we'll get into Dynasty Warriors Origins, Hyper Light Breaker, the DICE Awards nominees, and the gaming innovations you think are the most important,

Question of the Week: What's the first game you remember adding to your backlog?

Break song is Supersonics by The Presidents of the United States of America. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

The announcements at CES (and their heavy push toward AI) this week inspired us to resurrect the debate-format Top 5 to decide what the five most important technical innovations in gaming are. Did we get it right? Probably not, but you can tell us what we missed. Then we'll get into Sony's freshly announced slate of game adaptations, alleged Nintendo leaks, and the games you're most looking forward to in 2025.

Question of the Week: What do you think is the most important innovation in gaming?

Break song is Push a Little Button by Ninette. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

We're a quarter of the way into the 21st century, and kicking off a new year of shows the way we always do: with a look ahead to the five announced games we're looking forward to the most. Then we'll get into January's PS+ games, how Riot measures Arcane's success, and your personal Games of the Year for 2024.

Question of the Week: What upcoming game are you most looking forward to in 2025?

Break song is Love is a Long Road by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

It's time for our last show of 2024 - and the end of our Games of Year countdown! This week, we'll get into our top 5 favorites with a roster of guests including Trone Dowd, Steve Guntli, Brendan Hesse, Kevin Erhard and Phil Keeling of Pixel Lit, Emmett Watkins, Jorge Albor, and TL Foster! Did your favorite game(s) make the cut? Listen and find out!

Question of the Week: What's your personal Game of the Year for 2024?

Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

There's a lot of chat this week, so here's a quick timestamp cheat sheet if you'd like to skip ahead to unveil each entry:

0:02:32: #5 with Trone Dowd and Steve Guntli

0:30:16: #4 with Brendan Hesse

0:45:12: #3 with Kevin Erhard and Phil Keeling

1:11:03: #2 with Emmett Watkins and Jorge Albor

1:28:47: #1 with TL Foster and Brendan Hesse

2024 is almost over, so it's time to begin our annual Games of the Year countdown - split into two parts, because there's a lot to talk about. This week, we've invited a rotating panel of guests including TL Foster, Steve Guntli, Greg Moore, Tony Wilson, and Anthony Abatte to discuss our favorites; check out entries 10 through 6 this week, and stay tuned for next week, when we'll resume the countdown at #5 and drill down to our Game of the Year.

Question of the Week: What's your personal Game of the Year for 2024?

Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

There's a lot of chat this week, so here's a quick timestamp cheat sheet if you'd like to skip ahead to unveil each entry:

0:08:29: #10 with TL Foster

0:33:09: #9 with Tony Wilson

0:47:26: #8 with Anthony Abatte

1:11:30: #7 with Steve Guntli and Greg Moore

1:37:34: #6 with Anthony Abatte and TL Foster

This year has been brimming with quality retreads, from brilliant remakes of classic games to remasters of games from just a few years ago, and before we start on our year-end GOTY countdown next week, TL Foster of Welcome to the Thing joins us to talk about five of our favorite remasters and remakes of 2024. We'll also talk a whole lot about Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita's Rewind with Dan Amrich (who wrote its dialogue and voices the Blue Ranger), Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and your favorite DLC from this year.

Question of the Week: What's your personal Game of the Year for 2024?

Break song is Mass Destruction -Reload- by Lotus Juice. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

We've officially entered the final weeks of 2024, which means we get to start on our year-end best lists and tell you about all the stuff we liked the most this year! Let's kick this off with Tony Wilson of Framework and a look at our five favorite DLC expansions, after which we'll talk about Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, AntonBlast, PS5 getting 30th-anniversary themes, and your favorite spinoffs of established series.

Question of the Week: What's your favorite DLC of 2024?

Break song is Night Springs by Keira from Alan Wake II. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Once a game series reaches a certain level of success, spinoffs are inevitable; some of them spawn their own franchises, like Mega Man X, while others rapidly fizzle into obscurity, like Mega Man Soccer. This week, merritt k and TL Foster join us to celebrate five of the latter category, after which we'll get into Trombone Champ: Unflattened, Loco Motive, the Xbox Avatar app disappearing, and the games you felt the least fulfilled after beating.

Please help support this week's guest by wishlisting merritt k's awesome soon-to-be-released game, Fledgling Manor: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3238510/Fledgling_Manor/

Question of the Week: What's your favorite spinoff (the more obscure, the better) from an established series?

Break song is Nowhere Fast by Fire Inc. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Nov. 27 would be Bruce Lee's 84th birthday, and that's as good an excuse as any to get Anthony Abatte on for a howl-filled discussion of our favorite unauthorized Bruce Lee knockoffs in fighting games. Then we'll talk about STALKER 2, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, Great God Grove, The Game Awards 2024 nominations, and the songs you associate with specific videogames (that didn't include them).

Question of the Week: What's the least fulfilled you've ever felt after finishing a game?

Break song is Be Like Water by RZA. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

As much as videogames tend to be about wreaking havoc and wrecking stuff, there are relatively few that actually let you tear through and collapse the buildings that dot their landscapes. We're not sure why it took us 601 episodes to reach the topic of games where you can wreck buildings, but here we are, and after that we'll get into Tetris Forever, Rise of the Golden Idol, Slitterhead, Super Nintendo World news, and the game characters you wouldn't want to have over for Thanksgiving.

Question of the Week: Is there a song you associate strongly with a specific videogame - whether because of its themes or a specific memory of playing them together - even thought it isn't actually connected to that game?

Break song is Turn Down For What by DJ Snake and Lil Jon. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

We've somehow made it to 600 shows! To celebrate, TL Foster of Welcome to the Thing joins us for a laugh-filled Top 5 about previous Top 5s, and it's so big, it's a TOP 6! After that trip down memory lane, we'll talk more about Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Vampire Survivors: Ode to Castlevania, Nintendo confirming backwards compatibility for the Switch successor, and your favorite moments from our 599 previous shows.

Question of the Week: Who's a videogame character you'd hate to have Thanksgiving dinner with? (If outside the US, substitute any extremely stressful family holiday dinner of your choice.)

Break song is Top That by Larry Weir and the cast of Teen Witch. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

It's the day after Halloween, but we've got one last spooky show in us - this time about wandering ghosts you can find off the beaten path in games that aren't even about horror. With Tony Wilson of Framework along for the ride, we'll also talk about Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Clock Tower: Rewind, an Oregon Trail movie, and the games you wish other games would rip off more.

Question of the Week: In honor of our 600th episode next week, what's a favorite moment of yours from our show?

Break song is Ghostfire by Tiger Army. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

The early Resident Evil games were once popular enough to spawn a whole horde of zombie-killing imitators with fixed camera angles and tank controls, and erstwhile host Dave Rudden rejoins us this week to laugh at five of the more obscure ones. Then we'll get into Sonic X Shadow Generations, Mechwarrior 5: Clans, news from the Xbox Partner Preview, and your most favoritest zombie games.

Question of the Week: What's a game franchise you wish more competitors would rip off?

Break song is David Duchovny, Why Won't You Love Me? (The Reboot) by Bree Sharp. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

We're deep into spooky season, so let's take a look back at the strange wave of profane, silly, borderline sleazy zombie games the industry pumped out in the late-'00s/early-'10s, with help from TL Foster of Welcome to the Thing! Then we'll talk more about Metaphor: ReFantazio, Europa, the Game Freak data breach, and your most irrational habits when playing games.

Question of the Week: What's your favorite zombie game?

Break song is The Middle - Jimmy Eat World by Skatune Network. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Expecting a movie to be an entertaining adaptation of a videogame and be scary seems like asking too much, but gosh darn it if the horror-game movies we talk about in this week's Top 5 with Steve Guntli (of CinemArcade and Puppet Masters/Castle Freaks) didn't try. Then we'll talk about the Silent HIll 2 remake, Metaphor: ReFantazio, Dragon Ball Sparking! ZERO, Nintendo's timely new announcement, and your favorite mind-blowing twists in videogames.

Question of the Week: What's your most irrational habit when it comes to playing games?

Break song is The Sticky Sweethearts - Lost in the Corn Maze by Obscurest Vinyl. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

With spooky season upon us at last, TL Foster of Welcome to the Thing joins us for a Top 5 on games that gradually reveal themselves to be haunted traps set by malevolent entities lurking deep within the code (ample spoiler warnings and timestamps here, so keep those fast-forward fingers ready). Then we'll get into The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, Mortal Komba 1: Khaos Reigns, Katsuhiro Harada trying to get Colonel Sanders into Tekken, and the unexpected settings you'd like to see your favorite game characters in.

Question of the Week: Tell us about an unexpected twist in a game's story that kinda blew your mind.

Break song is Your Reality (Credits) by Dan Salvato. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

We're all busy, traveling, or directly in the path of a category 4 hurricane this week - but the show must go on, so please bear with our lack of a Top 5 as we jump straight into UFO 50, Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster, the State of Play and Sonic Central announcements, and the words you learned from vidjagames.

Question of the Week: What unexpected genre or setting do you want to see your favorite game characters in? (Example: Zelda IN SPAAAAACE!)

Break song is Konya Wa Hurricane (There's A Hurricane Tonight) by Kinuko Ohmori. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Astro Bot's trajectory from minor character in a tech demo to the face of the best-reviewed platformer on PS5 inspired this week's Top 5, about platformer mascots who went from secondary characters to headlining their own games. After that, we'll get into Funko Fusion, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown's Mask of Darkness DLC, The Plucky Squire,announcements from the EA investor event, and your favorite memories of the Dreamcast.

Question of the Week: What's a word you learned from a videogame? (Can be a word you just didn't know before, or a gaming term that you learned by playing a specific game.)

Break song is I'm Your GPU by Kenneth C M Young. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

We just passed the 25th anniversary of the Dreamcast's 9/9/99 US launch, and are marking the occasion with a look at five of the strangest and best controllers and accessories for Sega's ill-fated console. Then we'll dive straight into Astro Bot, PS5 Pro, Warhammer 40k Space Marine II, Yars Rising, the Minecraft movie trailer, and your favorite games that got so-so reviews.

Question of the Week: What's your favorite Dreamcast game, or favorite memory of the Dreamcast?

Break song is My Sweet Passion (Chris Vrenna & Mark Blasques Remix) by Fumie Kumatani, Chris Vrenna, and Mark Blasques. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

All three hosts of Welcome to the Thing - TL Foster, Emmett Watkins, and Jarrett Green - join us this week for a special crossover episode and take charge of our Top 5 to focus on "value versions" of popular big-deal games. We'll also get into Tactical Breach Wizards, Bakeru, Squirrel with a Gun, Concord's rapid demise, the best Zeldas being declared non-canon, and your favorite Star Wars NPCs.

Question of the Week: What's a game that got so-so reviews but is a 10/10 in your heart?

Break song is Fucked Up In The Crib by POPSTARBILLS. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Star Wars Outlaws is out (and fun as hell) this week, inviting players to meet Canto Bight street thief-turned-interstellar scoundrel Kay Vess - so we're inviting Chris Baker back to talk about Kay and five other Star Wars heroes who were created especially for videogames. We'll also get into Castlevania Domunus Collection, Nintendo Direct news, and your thoughts on politicians and their likely favorite games.

Question of the Week: Who's your favorite Star Wars NPC?

Break song is Nar Shaddaa Party (feat. Kym'zi) by The Kyberpunks. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Black Myth: Wukong is out, and Tony Wilson of Framework has been playing it - but also, Sun Wukong's defiance of Heaven inspired this week's Top 5, about games driven by rebellion against the gods. We'll also get into Dustborn, Arco, reveals from Gamescom's Opening Night LIve, and the "terrible" works of pop culture you'll die on a hill to defend.

Question of the Week: Name the favorite game of any politician (not a quiz, just make up something funny).

Break song is Sorrow by Bad Religion. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

The Borderlands movie opened last weekend, and we've got things to say about it. It also underwhelmed at the box office, putting it on track to be a major flop - but will it flop as hard as the videogame-based movies in this week's Top 5, all of which lost millions in theaters? While we wait to see, we'll get into The Crush House, SteamWorld Heist II, Beetlejuice in MultiVersus, and the first game magazines you remember reading.

Question of the Week: What's a piece of pop culture or media that's generally regarded as terrible, but you'll die on a hill to defend anyway?

Break song is Ain't No Rest for the Wicked by Cage the Elephant. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Game Informer's plug was shockingly pulled last week, bringing the last of the major US videogame magazines to an unceremonious end. We'll leave it to others to properly eulogize GI, but we'll mark its passing by inviting Dan Amrich and Dave Rudden (both former editors of GamePro and other mags) to talk about five of our all-time favorite game magazines. Then we'll get into Volgarr the Viking II, World of Goo 2, a new Darksiders, and some things you were introduced to by videogames.

Question of the Week: What's the first game magazine you remember reading? Specific issues if possible.

Break song is the Nintendo Power commercial jingle. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Deadpool & Wolverine is in theaters, and we're so fixated on Marvel's foul-mouthed, fourth-wall-breaking murder-goof that we're going to talk about five games he stars in, and invite the legend Chris Baker - who worked on many of them and made headlines for refuting the "$100,000,000" rumor - to talk about them with us. Then we'll get into Thank Goodness You're Here, videogame voice actors going on strike, our favorite PlayStation mascot getting their own controller, and your experiences with gaming competitions.

Question of the Week: What was something you were first introduced to (like, say, Deadpool or sports) through video games?

Break song is Theme of Deadpool by Hideyuki Fukasawa. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

The recent release of Twisters inspired us to spend this week's Top 5 segment talking about five of the best tornadoes in games, because why not, and we even invited Tony Wilson of Framework to help us talk about 'em. Then we'll get into Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition, Veritus, Kunitsu-Gami, EVO 2024 announcements, and the cool stuff you've won in contests.

Question of the Week: Inspired by Nintendo World Championships and EVO, tell us about a gaming competition you participated in (whether win, lose, or draw).

Break song is Tornado of Souls by Megadeth. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

This week's launch of EA Sports College Football 25 marks the return of the NCAA Football series after an 11-year absence, so TL Foster of Welcome to the Thing joins us to talk about it and five other long-dead or dormant sports franchises that we'd love to see come back. Then we'll get into Anger Foot, Yeah! You Want "Those Games," Right? So Here You Go! Now, Let's See You Beat Them! 2, the cancellation of Crash Bandicoot 5, and the funniest games you've ever played.

Question of the Week: Have you ever won anything in a contest? Tell us about it.

Break song is Sports! by Tim and Eric. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Games that are pure parodies - ones that (mainly) target a single game from a competitor to emulate and lampoon - are relatively rare for a lot of reasons, but we scraped together enough to make them the subject of this week's Top 5. After that, we'll look at The Case of the Golden Idol's Xbox debut, the Xbox Game Pass price hike, 3DS's Puzzle Swap finally getting "beaten," and your favorite games starring playable monsters and/or animals.

Question of the Week: What's the funniest game you've ever played?

Break song is Never Stop Sneakin' by HyperDuck Soundworks. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

We're heading into the 4th of July weekend, when Americans traditionally celebrate Jaws' 1975 attack on Amity Island, so this week we'll (finally!) look at five games where you get to play as a bloody great shark. Then we'll talk about Luigi's Mansion 2 HD, The First Descendant, Nintendo's anti-scalper strategy, and the characters you'd like to sese appear iin Mortal Kombat 1 next.

Question of the Week: What is your favorite game starring a monster or animal you can play as?

Break song is Jaws by Lemon Demon. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

We're halfway through another year, so we've grabbed Brendan Hesse to help us take a look back through the past six months and pick out our five favorite games from 2024 so far. Then we'll get deeper into Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, Beyond Good & Evil - 20th Anniversary Edition, Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble, rumors around upcoming additions to Mortal Kombat 1's roster, and your favorite games to come out this year.

Question of the Week: Who should be the next Mortal Kombat guest character?

Break song is Bosk on a Segway by MC Chris. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdree is out at last today, and we've got Tony WIlson of Framework on to talk about his experience with it - but first, we're going to talk about five DEEPLY suspicious. wildly creepy NPCs who actually proved trustworthy in spite of setting off alarm bells in our heads. Plus we'll talk about the Nintendo Direct reveals — including Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and Zelda: Echoes of Wisdome — as well as Still Wakes the Deep, #BLUD, and much more!

Question of the Week: What's your personal Game of the Year for 2024 so far? (As in, a game that's come out in the past six months.)

Break song is You Can't Judge a Book By the Cover by Bo Diddley. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

This week, we delve into news from Summer Game Fest, Xbox Games Showcase, and Ubisoft Forward — but not before inviting Chris Baker on to talk about five "lesser" ports of A-list games that suddenly became the only versions after the "real" games got canceled. We'll also take a look at Killer Klowns from Outer Space, Selaco, and the pop-culture icons you think still need defining games.

Question of the Week: Have you ever had a chance to experience a piece of "lost" media (canceled games, unreleased movies, etc.)? Tell us about it.

Break song is Good Enough for Now by "Weird Al" Yankovic. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

The incredible Godzilla Minus One is now on Netflix, so Anthony Abatte joins us to talk... not about Godzilla games (which range from "pretty good" to "abysmal"), but about Godzilla and other cultural icons who have videogames, but not ones that really capture their essence the way, say, Arkham does for Batman. Then we'll touch on Killer Klowns from Outer Space, the Yakuza live-action series news, announcements from last week's State of Play, and your favorite videogame-trope-inspiring movies.

Question of the Week: What's a pop-culture icon you think is overdue for a definitive game?

Break song is The Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny by Lemon Demon. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

The release of Furiosa over the weekend got us all fixated on Mad Max again, so we're starting off this week's show with a look at five desert-drivin', raider-fightin', wasteland-survivin' games that owe their existence to George Miller's legendary film franchise. Then we'll get into The Rogue Prince of Persia, MultiVersus' official launch, the Just Cause movie announcement, and the digital games you wish you'd bought physically (or vice versa).

Question of the Week: What is your favorite movie that has inspired videogame tropes?

Break song is Bitchin' Camaro by The Dead Milkmen. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is out this week, and new guest Trone L. Dowd reviewed it for Inverse — but first, we'll talk about five other games where you're hounded (and often guided) by voices in your head. We'll also get into XDefiant, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes, Arctic Eggs, Ghost of Tsushima on PC, Jason Voorhees coming back in multiple ways, and your favorite underutilized and too-often-ignored game features.

Question of the Week: Have you ever bought a game physically that you wished you had bought digitally (or vice versa)?

Break song is Voices in My Head by Denis Leary. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

There's a whole bunch of new releases to talk about this week, including surprise hits Animal Well and Crow Country, but first we've got a Top 5 debate about features that - despite being inarguably awesome - don't seem find their way into very many games. Then we'll get into Little Kitty, Big City, Dread Delusion, Mullet Mad Jack, and the Assassin's Creed Shadows reveal, as well as some of your feelings about playing games early vs. waiting for launch.

Question of the Week: What's a gameplay feature or mechanic you love, but that doesn't appear in nearly enough games?

Break song is Instruments of Destruction by N.R.G. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Hades II's surprise Early Access launch this week got us thinking about other games that found success with unfinished builds and community enthusiasm, so we invited TL Foster of Welcome to the Thing on to talk about five of them. Then it's on to first impressions of Hades II, as well as Puppet Master: The Game, Microsoft shuttering studios, Helldivers 2 drama, and your favorite beautiful flops.

Question of the Week: Do you like playing games early (whether in Early Access or demos), or do you prefer to wait and play after launch?

Break song is Incomplete by Bad Religion. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Great reviews don't always mean great sales, and this week, we invite Phil Keeling of Pixel Lit for a look at five games that were critical darlings, but commercial flops. Then we'll dig into Stellar Blade, Pools, Indika, Another Crab's Treasure, the return of Net Neutrality, and the games you think perfected their series' gameplay.

Question of the Week: Tell us about your favorite beautiful flop. What's an amazing game that wasn't the success it should have been?

Break song is Danny's Song as performed by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

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? Which sequel "nailed it" by iterating on what earlier games had done?

Break song is Toss A Coin To Your Witcher by Sonya Belousova and Giona Ostinelli. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

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 of the Week: Is there a videogame movie in development (or in development hell) you're looking forward to seeing?

Break song is Crawl Out Through the Fallout by Sheldon Allman. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

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 Starbomb. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

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.

Question of the Week: Inspired by Matt's shameless Sonic IHOP plug, what's your favorite videogame/other brand cross-promotional tie-in of all time?

Break song is Invasion of the Gabber Robots by The Laziest Men on Mars. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

"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 or repaired a console, controller, or other piece of gaming hardware on your own.

Break song is Emil's Shop Theme (English) from Nier Automata. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

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 overlooked/cult hit game needs a sequel glow-up?

Break song is Unshaken by D'Angelo. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

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 Contra: Operation Galuga and other WayForward adaptations of existing IP, what series should be WayForwarded next?

Break song is Eternity by Nobuo Uematsu, Hironobu Sakaguchi, and Ian Gillan. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

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 Wanna Take You For A Ride from Marvel Vs. Capcom 2. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

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 game in a series?

Break song is Stuck in the Middle With You by Stealers Wheel. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

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 in 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 guarantee.

Question of the Week: What's your favorite franchise that has been dormant at least 10 years?

Break song is Everybody Wants to Rule the World (Bioshock Infinite cover) by Tears for Fears. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

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 free with Nord's 30-day money-back guarantee.

Question of the Week: What's the biggest asshole move you've ever pulled in a game?

Break song is You Are A Pirate by Máni Svavarsson, Ken Pontac, and Mark Valenti. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

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 deal and try it risk free with Nord's 30-day money-back guarantee.

Question of the Week: What vidjagame villain deserves their own starring role as the (anti)hero of a game?

Break song is Oh No You Didn't by Wojahn Bros. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

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 guarantee.

Question of the Week: Which fighting game character from any franchise deserves their own spinoff action game?

Break song is Knocc 'Em Down by Snoop Dogg. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

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 that could be considered a knockoff of another, more successful game?

Break song is A.M. 180 by Grandaddy. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

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 another big reset?

Break song is Mond, Mond, Ja, Ja by Die Kåfer. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

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 most anticipated games of 2024.

Question of the week: What's an outlier or unusual game in a long-running series whose gameplay formula you wish they'd revisit?

Break song is The Count Sings About 8 from Sesame Street. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

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 Matthew Joseph Payne.

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 this exclusive episode that we like to call... THE ORDERING!

To access the full episode you'll have to go to Patreon.com/lasertime and subscribe.

Thanks for listening, and we'll see you in 2024!

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 timestamp cheat sheet if you'd like to skip ahead to unveil each entry:

8:48: #5 with Jorge Albor

29:33: #4 with Brendan Hesse and Steve Guntli

48:08: #3 with Steve Guntli and Anthony Abatte

1:09:29: #2 with Ryan Harig and Brendan Hesse

1:33:52: #1 with Jesse Cox, TL Foster, and Tony Wilson

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 count down to our Game of the Year.

There's a lot of chat this week, so here's a quick timestamp cheat sheet if you'd like to skip ahead to unveil each entry:

5:27: #5 with Tony Wilson and Brendan Hesse

26:28: #4 with Chris Baker and Steve Guntli

50:02: #3 with Brendan Hesse and Tony Wilson

1:12:44: #2 with Steve Guntli and Woody Ciskowski

1:32:54: #1 with Johnny Brandon and Jorge Albor

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 Remake)

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 Podsiadło and P.T. Adamczyk.

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 Cooks by Shawn Coleman and Michael Kohler.

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?

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 you cast as Link, Zelda, and Ganon?

Break song is Maniac Mansion by Jane Siberry and Lou Natale.

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 Friday Night from Yakuza 0.

Question of the Week: Do you have a go-to game or series you like to play during spooky season?

Break song is Frontier Psychiatrist by The Avalanches.

QOTW: What seemingly benign videogame used to scare you as a kid?

QOTW: Obviously, Matt and Chris geek out about Disney park appearances in games. What real-world location do you geek out about when it appears in a game?

QOTW: Have you ever "haunted" an old game server well past its prime? Tell us why and what it was like!

QOTW: How many times have you switched allegiances and changed your primary gaming platform?

QOTW: What's your favorite Mortal Kombat fatality?

QOTW: What's your all-time favorite racing game?

QOTW: Now that they've done fantasy, post-apocalypse, and sci-fi, what genre would you like to see a Bethesda-style RPG set in?

Question of the Week: What game deserves The Making of Karateka/Digital Eclipse Gold Master Series treatment next?

QOTW: Who do you think should be the next voice of Mario?

Question of the Week: What classic game deserves a Quake II-style glow-up rerelease?

QOTW: What famous character should be in a fighting game who hasn't already been?

Join them each week as they slay their way through the series, episode by episode, re-watching, and watching for the very first time. They'll break down Buffy and her friends' adventures through weekly recaps, categories, and awards while Ash takes some (wooden stake) stabs at predicting what she thinks will happen next. They'll also welcome the occasional Buffy cast member, guest star, or celebrity superfan to join in the slaying.

Listen to The ReWatcher: http://wondery.fm/LT_ReWatcher

* Yep, we already did this topic in 2019, but only realized it after the fact. The discussion, however, is totally new!