Tanya and Jonathan talk about games as art vs. product and the hubub about Steller Blade. Elly explains how Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth has integrated into her grieving process, and Haley and K.K. gab about Price of Flight, their post-apocalyptic tactics game show about birds. 0:00:00 - Ned Flanders with the Dead Eyes0:05:24 - Still Cool?0:09:43 - Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and Grief with Elly0:40:52 - Stellar Blade - Silly Toy or Developer Expression?0:45:28 - "Price of Flight" with Haley and...

Tanya and Jonathan talk about the BAFTA's ranking of iconic game characters and the "golden age" of the Wii U. Guests Rydia and Maggie talk about what makes a videogame character sexy and what it's like to be a Christian Gamer. Time Codes: 0:00:00 - Picking a Bone with Famous American Rock Band Live0:04:29 - Is Jonathan in the Top 100 Biggest Mansplainers?0:06:53 - What Makes the Videogame Men Sexy? with Rydia0:29:25 - Bizarre BAFTA Rankings0:35:06 - How Has Faith Shaped Your Videogame...

Tanya is back to talk PAX, Tum & Bum gaming/anti-congestion chairs, and the pros and cons of saying the lord's name. Guests Merritt K talks about LAN Party, her amazing new book, and Mouse Works Studio talk making music and her emotions-based RPG The Innerplains. 0:00:00 - Bad Bitches Won't Say The Lord's Name0:03:40 - Packing Nintendo Force0:05:30 - I Think Therefore I LAN w/ Merritt K0:32:30 - Hambergers & Lobster Rolls at PAX 20240:35:41 - Making Music and Videogames with Mouse...

Our cohost Tanya is sick so Steph Sterling tagged in to talk about the budding resurgance of anti-diversity and anti-journalism in gaming, and what they plan to do about it. Show Notes:0:00:00 - Breast Size is Back0:02:09 - What is Woke?0:03:15 - GG 2.0. F*****g Hell...0:07:05 - Meaningful Art vs. Meaningless Videogames0:09:00 - What are People Mad About?0:11:10 - It's OK to Not Be the Boss0:16:28 - How to Deal with Attention Seekers0:18:06 - The Importance of Logging Off0:20:35 - The...

Tanya and Jonathan talk about how you can't ever change someone's opinion about videogames, why Mother 3 will never be officially localized, and Xbox's multi-platform strategy. Guests Kyra and Secret Sarah talk about working in the games industry as an developer and a translator, respectively. Timecodes for this episode! 0:00:00 - Live from the Shit Room 0:05:02 - Cracking the Family Code w/ Videogames? 0:09:19 - Game Development w/ Kyra 0:40:27 - You Thinkin' About Shigesato...

Tanya and Jonathan talk about the Yellow Paint signposting in games like Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and Resident Evil 4 Remake, and the potential end of the Xbox line of consoles. Guests Coco and Kim Spirit wax poetic about storytelling in games and the pros and cons of digging into titles from 15 years ago. 0:00:00 - The DJ Rewinds It0:20:36 - Goodbye Yellow Paint in Final Fantasy?0:09:42 - Narrative Design Choices w/ Coco0:39:37 - The Very Romantic Xbox Podcast0:45:29 - Revisiting Old Games...

Tanya and Jonathan talk about how the Switch 2 may be a hybrid of a hybrid console (the DSwitch? The Swiitch?!), the chances of The Pokemon Company suing Palworld, and the end of the beginning of Bloodborne Kart. Guest include Kade, who talks about gender, identity, and nontoxic masculinity in gaming, and returning darline Elsa, who explains why she still loves Final Fantasy 11 after all these years. Time codes: 0:00:00 - Telly Savalas Appreciation0:04:07 - The "Crecipice" of Taste0:04:51...

Tanya and Jonathan talk through loses in the industry and how to not stigmatize 13-year-old Pro Tetris players. Guests Lyn and Elly talk about games they play to get through tough times, including Omari and Powerwash Simulator. Show notes: 0:00:00 - I Love Vegetable Gremlin0:04:12 - This Mogwai's Gonna Turn into a Gremlin0:04:54 - A "Beacon of Hope" in Dark Emotional Times with Lyn0:40:39 - Dedications to the Departed0:41:46 - Oh My Gay Heart with Elly1:07:14 - Respect for the Tetris Kill...

Tanya and Jonathan talk about how Gamergate was empty drama and Tekken 8's colorblind mode looks amazing. Guests Spectra Wrestles talks about how Gaming Twitter is a black hole of meaninlessness and Jacqueline. Show notes:0:00:00 - Cat for a Day0:02:52 - 2024, Already a Feel Bad Year0:04:00 - 10 Year Anniversary of Gamergate0:12:38 - How to Stop Bickering and Have a Revolution with Spectra Wrestles0:41:20 - The Victim/Victimizer/Protector Triangle0:45:56 - Getting Passionate about Fighting...

Tanya and Jonathan struggle as E3 finally dies its last death, Jordan Peele and Hideo Kojima reveal a new project, and guests Zoey and Sorrel talk about their GotY's like 24 Killers, Slayers X and Paranormasight. And we've got a new album too! Show notes:0:00:00 - There's No Normies0:07:06 - No Time for the People Who Made the Games at the Game Awards0:09:13 - Games of the Year with Zoey Handley0:42:18 - OD Trailer Reaction0:43:29 - What Do You Know About Hideo Kojima?0:48:27 - Games of the...

Tanya and Jonathan talk about the VGA's total failure to talk about how real life atrocities in Palestine, and games about the real life Holocaust like A Night in the Darkness, matter to games and everything else. Guests Esther and Omar talk about making the Games of Gaza bundle and developing games under to shadow of forced displacement and constant threat, and Elly chats about Air Twister, GTA6, and her sexual Twitter timeline. 0:00:00 - Moments in the Dark0:03:01 - The Past, Present, and...

Tanya and Jonathan talk about what it takes to keep true to your core while expanding your audience, using Dectective Pikachu, Pokemon Go, and Molly Mooon's Excuse Me, Sir as examples of Do's and Don'ts. Guest Melissa chats about the pros and cons of a Zelda live action movie, and Christina tells all about the joys and pains of being one of the best pixel artists in the world, currently working on Minecraft. 0:00:00 - Trigger Warning0:00:21 - A New Life Situation0:04:14 - The Two Types...

Tanya and Jonathan banter about spicy nuts, the fall of Silent Hill Ascension, and the simple joy's of Yu Suzuki's Air Twister. Guest Johanna tells all about Typecast, her amazing new game typing and shooting game, and Siobhán talks about getting dogged for hating on Stray. 0:00:00 - Out of the Mouths of Babes0:03:22 - Getting in the Game0:05:22 - Talking Sprite Art with Johanna Morgan0:27:17 - They Don't Even Like Apple Pie (Silent Hill Ascension)0:32:27 - It's a Bit Bobbins with Siobhán...

Tanya and Jonathan talk about Spider-Man 2 Vs. Super Mario Bros. Wonder and Alan Wake's foray into Fortnite. Guest Dr. Dejean waxes poetic about the confluence of cinema, games and technology, and Mina psyches us for a discussion of the history of copywrite infringement in games and elsewhere. Our guests on Twitter: Dr. Dejean: https://twitter.com/JeanChose Mina: https://twitter.com/RiverMets Circuit Court Entertainment Podcast: https://twitter.com/CCEPod

Tanya is back from her birthing break to talk to Jonathan about the mass layoffs in the game industry, and the strange anger towards the Minecraft Live 2023 mob vote. Guests Lyn and Elly talk about their struggles with predatory gaming, Unity's new policies, and loving titles that fit in the space between AAA and indie. 0:00:00 - Tanya's Day Out0:06:41 - What's With All These Layoffs?0:09:34 - Lyn Interview: Gacha Game Mechanics and Neurodivergent Players0:31:46 - The Great Minecraft...

Tanya is having a baby (maybe tonight?) so we prerecorded a "Why isn't Charles Martinet Mario anymore?" special in advance. We hope it tides you over until we're back on the mic proper again! 0:00:00 - The Mario Martinet Special0:01:35 - A Brief History of Marios0:02:50 - Enter Charles, the Tangible Mario0:03:35 - The Pratt Factor0:06:29 - I "Wonder" What's Next?0:07:59 - Nintendo Tries a Bait and "Switch"0:08:55 - What's a Mario Ambassador?0:11:03 - Jonathan is a Martinet Truther0:11:38 -...

Tanya and Jonathan prepare to take a break in the week before Tanya plans to give birth to a person. Guests Mergo and Elsa talk about the lack of heroic, playable moms in games, and what makes Final Fantasy endlessly compelling. Trigger warning: This episode involves a brief discussion of topic of suicide, and a remembrance of someone who died from it. 0:00:00 - PSA/Trigger Warning0:00:53 - Jonathan's Dream0:06:19 - Tanya: The Pregnant One0:09:37 - Mergo Interview: The Mom-ification of...

Tanya and Jonathan talk about gaming as a safe space while meditating on Super Slide and the Bit.Trip series. Guests Sarah Carapace invites us into the disaster lesbian monster protagonist survival horror TTRPG Dungeon Bitches/Death Spiral, and sweet Rose longs for the nostalgic, subversive magic of Assassin's Creed. 0:00:00 - Twitter is Dead0:03:04 - What's Your Gaming Safe Space?0:04:36 - Sarah Carapace Interview: The Art of Dungeon Bitches0:41:03 - Bit Trip Re-Runner News0:44:34 - Super...

Tanya and Jonathan talk about the new "NPC Streamer" trend exemplified by Cherry Crush TV and PinkyDoll, then review the joy and pain of playing Double Dragon Gaiden and Pikmin 4 co-op. Guest Spectra Wrestles gabs about how working on Metroid Prime video essays, content creation on Only Fans, and taking bumps in the wrestling ring feels more pure than doing gaming streams for money, and Alannah shares her experiences processing her grief through the power of Pikmin poetry. 0:00:00 -...

Tanya and and Jonathan talk about happy accidents like Link's surprise genitalia and the massive amount of money game streamers make. Guests Tina Barta Bridges (Road Rules, The Challenge) makes plans for a Road Rules VR game with Jonathan, and Casey talks about all the great Halloween in July game's she's celebrating with My Friendly Neighborhood, Dredge, Amnesia: The Bunker, Fishing Vacation, Aliens: Dark Decent, and more. Time Codes: 0:00:00 - The Mississippi F*** Conspiracy0:06:25 -...

Tanya and Jonathan talk about the morality of having sex with a person shaped like a bear in Balder's Gate 3, the horror of Skibidi, Bobby Kotick's inflated salary and deflating appearance in The White Party video, and review some G-Fuel flavors that taste like Pokemon Trainers, Spider-Man and Pewdiepie. Our guest Lynn talks about making it big on Tiktok with amazing gaming observations and Spongebob conversations, and Quinn talks about the magic, mystery and potential for Pikmin 4. Time...

Jonathan quizzes Tanya on how queer games are, and if every spiderman thing should look like Spider-verse. Chelora talks about doing drag Waluigi and the pros and cons of Nintendo's representation of marginalized groups, and Alexandra talks about the invisible art of games QA. Time Codes: 0:00:00 - Sub Par Cold Open0:03:57 - Always Coming Out But Never Fully Emerging0:06:00 - Chelora Interview - Queer Nintendo0:34:09 - Does It Get Queer Or Not Quiz Show0:40:40 - Alexandra Interview - The...

Tanya and Jonathan talk about Whoopi Goldberg coming out as a Gamer™, Sonic and Prince of Persia's return to their 2D roots, and the rebirth of Cart Life: The Game About how Things Are Bad. Guests Zoey Handley talks about writing for Destructoid for about half a decade, and James Interactive talks about the Friday The 13th-inspired Screaming Savage Blood Death, working with Edmund McMillen, and RV Youtubers. Time Codes: 0:00:00 - Flatulence and Prayer0:02:54 - Whoopi Goldberg: The Last of...

Tanya and Jonathan share impressions of the first few hours of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and sing out the apology for the Gollum game to the tune of It's So Easy Not To Try from The Return of the King animated film. Gretchen talks about how causal games are too hardcore for her, and Kim Spirit gushes about the Metal Gear Solid 3 remake and the multiple versions of Resident Evil 4 that eventually became other games. This episode is dedicate to James Franklin Holmes, 1970-2023 Time...