The Insert Credit Show

Video Game Journalist Catherine Masters joins the panel to cover console prices, the Microsoft BDS boycott, and Bubsy helping Mario with something. Hosted by Catherine Masters, with Frank Cifaldi, Ash Parrish, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman. Watch episodes with full video on YouTube Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums SHOW NOTES: “If I had a game console, I bet I’d play it all day.” Nintendo DS Lite Dogz 2 Atari 2600 Intellivision Sega Game Gear Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Sonic the Hedgehog: Triple Trouble Intellivoice B-17 Bomber DualShock Game Genie Rumble Pak Sound Blaster Mike Mika 1: How much more expensive can game consoles get? (04:43) Sony raises PS5 prices by up to $150 PlayStation 5 Popular Kids Console Nex Playground Gets $50 Price Hike Nex Playground PlayStation 4 Sony Reportedly Testing Dynamic Pricing on the PlayStation Store Nintendo Switch Demonschool Halo series 2: Why do people treat a Steam release like “the” PC release? (09:51) Steam itch.io GoG Kingdom Hearts series Epic Games Store EA Origin PlayOnline UPlay Steam Deck Alanis Morisette - Ironic 3: After a year, what impact has the BDS Microsoft boycott had? (15:23) BDS Microsoft Boycott RC Cola OpenAI Entire Claude Code CLI source code leaks thanks to exposed map file Anthropic OpenAI just gave up on Sora and its billion-dollar Disney deal 4: What’s the deal with all these egg games? (19:05) Fowl Damage Egging On Arctic Eggs Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg Egg Squeeze Terry Kavanaugh yolkfolk.com Dizzy and Seymour Dizzy Bubsy The Yolkfolk Dizzy: Prince of the Yolkfolk Slender Man The Backrooms 5: Alex Jaffe asks, what tattoo would you give to a tech bro asking for “gamer cred”? (24:55) Offspring - Pretty Fly for a White Guy Super Mario series Triforce Hylian Shield Berserk Master Chief The cake is a lie Skibidi Toilet Lara Croft SGMATRK Warthog 6: What games could you rework from single player to multiplayer? (31:10) National Videogame Museum (United Kingdom) Twitch Plays Pokemon The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures No Way Out Knuckles’ Chaotix Super Mario Odyssey IndieCade Tetris: The Grand Master Celeste Mr. Bones Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice 2p1c by LilAggy and parkenharbor Games Done Quick Bennett Foddy QWOP Baby Steps 7: What should Catherine do instead of watching Insert Credit this week? (36:17) Giant Bomb RndStranger PC Engine The Video Game History Hour Remap Radio Sega Saturn Triple Click 8: What’s the juicy cotoure tracksuit of video games? (38:56) Juicy Cotoure tracksuit Lollipop Chainsaw Ugg boots Stellar Blade Wet Oneechanbara series Super Smash Bros. series Mario Kart series MultiVersus 2K Sports Fortnite Candy Crush Saga Love and Deepspace Goddess of Victory: Nikke Bejeweled Juicy couture an Ed hardy collab photoshoot NYC fashion week LIGHTNING ROUND: Pokedexperts (47:45) Recommendations and Outro (56:33): Catherine: Hire Catherine if you’re a reputable publisher, make plans to finish things, Memory Card, Catherine’s work at The AV Club Ash: Pursuit of Jade, revolution now Brandon: 1000 Women in Horror, Apocalypse Hotel, 東風 by Sawteeth, Frédérick Raynal’s kickstarter for Popcorn Duel + Spinner Frank: You can just watch Star Trek whenever you want without paying anyone money This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by 0nlygh0sts, Kyle Brown, Kory, Alexander Davies, willROAR, Jordan Thornquest, Death_Strandicoot, Sean Patrick, PlazmaGoose, and more patrons like you. Thank you. Subscribe: RSS, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more! (A previous version of this episode used an image from yolkfolk.com that we were not aware was AI generated. This has been fixed, and we apologize for showing it to you. Generative AI sucks, sorry about that.)

Your Insert Credit Panel covers bargaining with publishers, sordid secrets of video game couples, and the Zohran Mamdani of esports. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Ash Parrish, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman. Watch episodes with full video on YouTube Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums SHOW NOTES: Cookie’s Bustle Linux Steam Deck Fleetwood Mac - Landslide Stevie Nicks “Nothin here except a stinkin’ pile of manure.” Coke Zero Looney Tunes 1: What’s your favorite cartridge shape? (03:19) Atari Jaguar Sonic & Knuckles Game Boy Game Gear Sega Genesis HuCard TurboGrafx-16 WonderSwan Game Boy Advance 2: As a game developer, how do you buy more time from your publisher? (08:21) Ysbryd Games Demonschool Hollow Knight: Silksong Yu Suzuki Space Harrier Hayao Nakayama 3: What are the most important skills people don’t talk about in esports? (13:16) Esports Zohran Mamdani Holes Filled SonicFox Bovine spongiform encephalopathy Sumo 4: Given recent drama, what are some other secrets of video game character couples? (18:55) Capcom Addresses Street Fighter 6 ‘Incest’ Controversy Alex Street Fighter III Bayonetta 3 Sonic ’06 Sonic Princess Elise the Third Shadow Maria Robotnik Tails Mary Shelly Frankenstein 5: What video game would you recommend to Mary Shelly? (27:15) Date Everything Elden Ring White Day: A Labyrinth Named School Yume Nikki Silent Hill f Fatal Frame Frankenstein: The Monster Returns Monster Mash Amiga Guitar Hero series Spooky Scary Skeletons Final Fantasy XV 6: SteveWithaB asks, was there a time you remember being bullied for enjoying video games? (30:04) Columbine High School shooting Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) Sega Saturn 7: What is the waking up just a few minutes before your alarm of video games? (37:47) Treasure Co., Ltd. Ironic Batman: Arkham series Resident Evil: requiem Crimson Desert Grand Theft Auto VI LIGHTNING ROUND: ARE YOU FUCKING STUPID? (41:26) The inspiration for this Lightning Round archive.gamehistory.org Recommendations and Outro (58:38): Frank: Kinetica, actually donate the stuff you set aside to donate Brandon: Suddenly In The Dark (1981) Ash: Out of the Closet Thrift Stores Jaffe: Donate goods to Housing Works This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by patrons like you. Thank you. Subscribe: RSS, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more!

Our panel of experts discuss AI in game development, how to guide players, and Duke Nukem’s actual, real balls of steel. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Ash Parrish, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman. Watch episodes with full video on YouTube Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums SHOW NOTES: Xzibit Pimp My Ride Titan Quest Ep. 430 - Pac-Man 2cular Pac-Man 2: The New Adventures Ghost Witch of Netor Three’s Company John Ritter Will Eisner “I awakened prematurely, and I have found nothing but filth and destruction.” Pecan pie Cherry pie Pumpkin pie Apple pie Pizza pie Nobou Umeatsu Metaphor: ReFantazio 1: At what point is a production tool considered AI? (08:38) GenAI Claude AI Linux GrapheneOS Unreal Engine 5 2: What are the benefits of setting a game in the post-apocalypse? (15:26) Rage Pokémon Pokopia Pokémon Blue Version Star Wars Cowboy Bebop 3: What’s the worst answer you’ve ever heard from a video game professional to a question? (20:43) Naoki Yoshida Final Fantasy XVI Final Fantasy XVI has a medieval approach to diversity PlayStation 3 Gamasutra Shuhei Yoshida Ouya Simon Carless GameDiscoverCo 4: What video game facts would you put on a Snapple cap? (26:16) Snapple Scrapple Liverwurst Pong IGF Gex series Dana Carvey Dana Gould Viggo Mortensen Broke His Toe In ‘The Two Towers’ Donkey Kong series K. K. Slider Shigeru Miyamoto Sonic the Hedgehog Yuji Naka Duke Nukem Fushigi 5: LeFish asks, what are the best ways of misdirecting players in videogames? (33:49) Yellow paint BioShock Kaizo Dead Space The Secret of Monkey Island Zero Suit Samus Final Fantasy XV Cortana 6: What are historically the smallest decisions that have had the largest impact on video games? (40:30) Magnavox Odyssey Nolan Bushnell Video game modding Game & Watch D-pad Wii Sports Reggie Fils-Aimé Satoru Iwata 7: What is the realizing you were dehydrated when the water you drink is too good of video games? (45:56) Artichoke Super Mario series Crow Country Sonic Mania Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II Shōnen Steel Ball Run: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Hunter x Hunter YuYu Hakusho Sega Dreamcast LIGHTNING ROUND: Letters Delivery (51:26) Recommendations and Outro (54:52): Brandon: The videogame inspired by Philip Glass that nobody noticed, Demonschool is on sale (please rate and review), check out the library Ash: Do whimsical things outside your normal routine, Frank: Go out and find stuff Jaffe: Stay indoors This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by patrons like you. Thank you. Subscribe: RSS, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more!

Necrosoft Games Director and Intrepid Reporter Brandon Sheffield interviews fellow developers and attendees of GDC 2026. Hosted by Brandon Sheffield, with Brendon Chung, Tony Grayson, Laura Michet, Chris Pruett, Phil Salvador, and Antonio Uribe. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman. Watch episodes with full video on YouTube Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums SHOW NOTES: Brandon Sheffield GDC 2026 Yerba Buena Gardens 1: Antonio Uribe, AKA Fáyer, creator of PancitoMerge and Dig! Dig! Dino!, on baked goods and making a Playdate game (04:14) Fáyer PancitoMerge Arco Dig! Dig! Dino! Playdate The Whiteout Casual Birder Fulcrum Defender Into The Breach Suika Game Threes Harvest Moon series Stardew Valley PICO-8 Itch.io Game Boy Advance Nintendo DS Nintendo Switch 2: Phil Salvador, Library Director of Video Game History Foundation, on building a library (21:56) Phil Salvador Video Game History Foundation Chuck E. Cheese The Secrets of Sega Channel: VGHF recovers over 100 Sega Channel ROMs (and more) William Volk Papers Game Developer Magazine archive.gamehistory.org NeverDead MLB SlugFest Rejected Audio Activision 1994 Expense Report Form 3: Tony Grayson, Director of Antonblast for Summit Sphere, on platformers (36:08) Tony Grayson Antonblast Wario Land series Pizza Tower Bonk series Persona series Peak Highguard 2XKO Fortnite Apex Legends Demonschool Cuphead It Takes Two 4: Laura Michet, Narrative Director of Blendo Games and writer of Skin Deep, on comedy in video games (50:05) Laura Michet Blendo Games Skin Deep The Substance (2024) Riot Forge Skype 5: Brendon Chung, Creative Director of Skin Deep from Blendo games, on signposting in immersive sims (01:02:03) Brendon Chung Skin Deep Immersive Sim Repo Man (1984) System Shock series Thief series Deus Ex series BioShock series Dishonored Series Prey series Deathloop Brigand: Oaxaca Die Hard (1988) Final Fantasy Tactics series Into the Breach Phantom Brigade 6: Chris Pruett, Director of Games at Meta, on modern horror games (01:17:35) Chris Pruett Robot Invader Silent Hill f Resident Evil: Requiem Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake R.E.P.O. Five Nights at Freddy’s series Mouthwashing 7: Brandon Sheffield, Writer and Director of Demonschool, on AI and being home from GDC (01:29:00) Tripuzz Stahlfeder: Tekkō Hikūdan AirGrave Santos Patrick Miller This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by patrons like you. Thank you. Subscribe: RSS, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more!

Our heroes convene to discuss the changes at Microsoft and Sony, the liberation of Cookie’s Bustle, and the Year of the Horse. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Ash Parrish, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman. Watch episodes with full video on YouTube Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums SHOW NOTES: Sunsoft Plastic Man Catwoman Ragman Sandman Sgt. Rock Sega Genesis Game Boy Color Batman Returns (1992) Michelle Pfeiffer “I love you! Don’t reject me!” Mega Max X Maverick Jaeger Guns N’ Roses 1: What does the landscape of console gaming look like now and in the future? (03:58) Asha Sharma named EVP and CEO, Microsoft Gaming Sony Has Reportedly Returned to Console Exclusivity MindsEye developer announces more job cuts while alleging ‘corporate sabotage’ Highguard Overwatch Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Pokémon Pokopia The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks Mat Piscatella 2: When in a video game would you prefer to play as yourself, versus a character with a distinct personality? (12:45) White Men Can’t Jump (1992) White Men Can’t Jump Atari Jaguar Elena Dark Souls series Nathan Drake 3: If you had to lock in video game aesthetics forever, would that point be right now, or another time? (17:36) Final Fantasy XII Final Fantasy XIII Yakuza series The bread scene Vagina Bones Steam Next Fest Street Fighter III Scott Pilgrim EX 4: What was the endgame for the Cookie’s Bustle patent troll? (23:59) We’ve freed Cookie’s Bustle from copyright hell. Here’s how. Cookie’s Bustle Pac-Man 2: The New Adventures Mr. Boop Chiitan 4chan Mr. Bones 5: Frank, talk about the weird NextFest experience you had (32:03) Steam Next Fest Fester’s Quest HowLongToBeat.com 230 games came out the first week of 2026: An Investigation. (Jenna Stoeber’s video) Apple Arcade Steam Deck 6: The AV Club’s Catherine Masters asks: Happy year of the horse! What does a AAA horse game on the level of Forza or God of War look like? (41:34) The Patreon.com/insertcredit Gacha Machine Forza series God of War series Turbo MLB The Show series Red Dead Redemption II The Mane Quest The Legend of Khiimori Horses of Hoofprint Bay Shadow of the Colossus Tina Belcher CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 7: The AV Club’s Catherine Masters asks, what would the Pink Pony Club be like as a place in a game? (48:52) Pink Pony Club Chappell Roan Gwent: The Witcher Card Game Crazy Horse Too LIGHTNING ROUND: Year of the Horse - Mane Six (54:56) Twilight Sparkle Fluttershy Rarity Applejack Rainbow Dash Pinkie Pie Recommendations and Outro (01:01:06): Brandon: The second Kekko Kamen movie, Riverbend (1989): 6K Restoration Kickstarter, The Caller (1987), don’t overexert yourself while exercising Ash: Touch grass, move your body, look at the sky Jaffe: Go to physical therapy This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by patrons like you. Thank you. Subscribe: RSS, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more!

The panel reviews Pac-Man 2: The New Adventures, deeming it the most British Japanese game ever, and potentially the future of video games. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Ash Parrish, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman. Watch episodes with full video on YouTube Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums SHOW NOTES: Mortal Kombat series “Look! Look!” Pac-Man 2: The New Adventures Blinky Pac-Man (TV series) The Ghost Witch of Netor Sue Will Smith The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Monkey Island series 1: Why is this game like this? (06:16) The Cutting Room Floor - Pac-Man 2: The New Adventures (Genesis) MobyGames Marvel Land Namco Pac-Attack Pac-in-Time Yakuza series The Honeymooners I Think You Should Leave “Eggman Game” sketch Red Dead Redemption Super Princess Peach Garry’s Mod Freddi Fish series Putt-Putt series Sesame Street licensees Sonic the Hedgehog: Spinball The Experience Share Pokemon series Tomb Raider series Age of Empires series Tekken series Kingdom Hearts 2: If you had to live in a house shaped like a video game character, who would it be? (38:53) Super Mario Bros. 2 X-Men 2: Clone Wars Steve Slime Baba Is You Kirby Kim Kardashian 3: What other video game sequels take such a big swing they deserve the subtitle “the New Adventures?” (41:08) Sonic the Hedgehog: Spinball Overwatch 2 Valis series Zelda II: The Adventure of Link Batman Final Fantasy VI Tōru Iwatani 4: Spencer Gifts asks, should Zelda style game be called adventure games or should point and click games be called adventure games? (46:56) Legend of Zelda series Adventure Colossal Cave Adventure Book Off Uncharted series God Hand Hey You, Pikachu! Lifeline Seaman The Sims Little Computer People Haunting Starring Polterguy Lemmings Shadow Labyrinth 5: Let’s talk about the hot girl in Pac-Man 2. (52:56) The Ghost Witch of Netor Pac ’n Roll Pac-in-Time Pac-Land Demona Ms. Pac-Man Pac-Mom Dexter’s Mom Mike Pence 6: Let’s talk about the arcade segments stapled onto this game. (58:17) The Lion King Mr. Bones 7: Is this a good game? (01:03:37) Indika Uncharted series Keita Takahashi LIGHTNING ROUND: Name Design - The New Adventures (01:13:21) Credit Report (01:21:06) Recommendations and Outro (01:22:45): Frank: Pac-Man 2: The New Adventures Brandon: The Feminine Complex, Corpse Mania (1981), Total Recall 2070, donate to Trans Continental Pipeline Ash: Read Aftermath, pay for journalism, take a walk in the sun Jaffe: Share your interests with people This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by patrons like you. Thank you. Subscribe: RSS, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more!

Ash Parrish hosts the blackest episode of Insert Credit yet, with an all-star panel of former guests and contributors. Hosted by Ash Parrish, with Topher Florence, Vanessa B, and Pro Kesadia. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman. Watch episodes with full video on YouTube Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums SHOW NOTES: “My brothers and sisters of the United States of America, tonight we, the free people of the resistance, ask you to become one of us” Curling Funky Kong Figure Skating Sonic Adventure Balatro Snowboarding 1: Is there still a place for live service games right now? (05:01) Highguard Overwatch Overwatch 2 drops the 2 and goes back to being Overwatch Highguard Is Yet Another Symptom – And Victim – Of A Rapidly Decaying Internet Marvel Rivals Helldivers II 2XKO Riot Spent A Decade Developing A Fighting Game Then Laid Off Around 80 Developers Less Than One Month After Release Fortnite Disney Speedstorm Concord Emma Frost Cloak and Dagger Taskmaster Runaways Silk Anya Corazon League of Legends Arcane Killmonger Cut 2: Who should be the next Nintendo character to get hit with the baby ray? (13:46) Mario Tennis Aces Baby Waluigi Baby Wario Babality Baby Rosalina Mario Kart World Toad Yoshi Bowser Jr. Bowser Pauline Donkey Kong Bananza Samus Link Ganondorf E. Honda Dr. Mario Space Warlord Baby Trading Simulator 3: If you were taking up the mantle of MF Doom, what cartoons would you use in your skits? (17:42) MF Doom Johnny Quest Fantastic Four Static Shock The Pirates of Dark Water Mummies Alive! Reboot Transformers: Beast Wars Cheetor Dinobot Optimus Primal Silverbolt 4: Who is the “I would have voted for Obama for a third time” of video games? (20:51) Ken Levine BioShock Abbott Elementary Jacob Neil Druckmann Geoff Keighley Todd Howard The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus Grace Walker Super Spesh Insert Credit Quick Break: Brenton Woodrow’s Marathon (25:35) 5: Alex Jaffe asks, which 21st century video games would be best for a 1980’s DiC-style cartoon? (26:52) DIC Entertainment The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! Captain N: The Game Master Splatoon SpongeBob SquarePants Kirby Kirby: Right Back at Ya! King Dedede Avatar: the Last Airbender Among Us Among Us Show Elijah Wood Minions Castle Crashers Alien Hominid 6: Brandon Sheffield asks, why is the Sega Genesis for black people? (31:51) Sega Genesis Super Nintendo Entertainment System Sonic the Hedgehog series Michael Jackson Sonic 1 Music: Spring Yard Zone Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker Comix Zone Sony PlayStation Microsoft Xbox Tekken series Street Fighter Alpha 3 Virtua Fighter series Sega Dreamcast Power Stone series ToeJam and Earl series LIGHTNING ROUND: Cookout (38:09) Recommendations and Outro (52:50): Vanessa: twitch.tv/pleasantlytwstd, Relooted Ash: Review the games you like Pro_Kesadia: twitch.tv/pro_kesadia, Romeo Is A Dead Man Topher: topherflorence.bsky.social, make some bundt bread This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by Brenton Woodrow’s Marathon and patrons like you. Thank you. Subscribe: RSS, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more!

Editor Esper Quinn joins Ash and Brandon to cover the rest of 2025’s best games. Hosted by Brandon Sheffield, with Ash Parrish and Esper Quinn. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman. Watch episodes with full video on YouTube Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums SHOW NOTES: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Demonschool 1: Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment (02:28) Dynasty Warriors: Origins The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Hyrule Warriors series Linkle Vampire Survivors 2: Soulstone Survivors (05:38) 3: Let Them Come: Onslaught (06:21) 4: Vital Shell (06:38) 5: to a T (07:39) Keita Takahashi Despelote Perfect Tides: Station to Station 6: Ball x Pit (10:49) Arkanoid 7: Shinobi: Art of Vengeance (16:20) Blasphemous Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound Insert Credit Gaiden #14 - Arcadevania, with Ben Fiquet 8: Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound (18:11) Blasphemous 9: Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles (19:46) Fire Emblem series Advance Wars series Triangle Strategy Dissidia: Final Fantasy NT series Yasumi Matsuno Ogre Battle Tactics Ogre Final Fantasy Tactics Vagrant Story Final Fantasy XII Final Fantasy Tactics Advance Jeanne d’Arc Disgaea series 10: Terminator 2D: No Fate (25:20) Xeno Crisis The Phantom The Phantom (1996) Macaw45 Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time Judge Dredd Metal Slug series 11: Blade Chimera (29:03) Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth 12: Squeakross: Home Squeak Home (31:32) Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer Jerma Streams - Squeakross: Home Squeak Home 13: Unbeatable (34:45) 14: Ambrosia Sky: Act One (37:06) PowerWash Simulator 15: Spirit Swap: Lofi Beats to Match-3 To (38:54) Lofi Girl 16: Skin Deep (41:27) Laura Michet 17: Angeline Era (44:43) Ys series Earthbound 18: Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. (47:39) Tekken series Hades II 19: Birdcage (51:24) Doom: The Dark Ages Radiant Silvergun Sōkyūgurentai Ikaruga 20: JAIL DICE: Roll to Break (53:17) Devil Dice 21: Magic: The Gathering®—FINAL FANTASY™ (56:54) The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth Magic: The Gathering® | The Hobbit™ Assassin’s Creed War of the Spark Ep. 401 - Let’s Gather Some Magic, with Esper Quinn 22: Hell Is Us (01:03:59) 23: Hades II (01:13:47) Hades Pyre Transistor 24: Shadow Labyrinth (01:16:42) Pac-Man Xevious Mr. Driller Secret Level 25: Doom: The Dark Ages (01:21:49) Doom Eternal Doom Djent 26: The Dark Queen of Mortholme (01:26:30) Blasphemous Slay the Princess 27: Pokemon Legends: Z-A (01:30:00) Pokémon Scarlet Yakuza universe Digimon Story Time Stranger Pokopia 28: Hotel Barcelona (01:35:53) Hidetaka Suehiro Goichi Suda Super Time Force 29: The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy (01:39:43) Danganronpa series Zero Escape: The Nonary Games Kazutaka Kodaka Kotaro Uchikoshi Gnosia 30: Shujinkou (01:45:24) Street Fighter: 30th Anniversary Collection Gunhouse 31: Haste (01:49:32) Klonoa: Door to Phantomile SSX series Tony Hawk Pro Skater series Peak 32: AI Limit (01:53:06) 33: Super Robot Wars Y (01:54:29) Gunpla Sentai 34: Routine (01:58:03) Aftermath Crow Country 35: Sid Meier’s Civilization VII (02:03:15) Sid Meier’s Civilization V Sid Meier’s Civilization VI Endless Legend Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth 36: Blast Rush LS (02:10:29) Blast Rush 37: Advent Neon (02:12:37) Socket DeviantArt Newgrounds 38: Donkey Kong Bananza (02:16:02) Donkey Kong 64 Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze Mario Kart World Super Mario Odyssey The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks 39: Cronos: The New Dawn (02:23:03) Silent Hill 2 Silent Hill f 40: Absolum (02:27:01) Streets of Rage 4 41: Monster Prom 4: Monster Con (02:31:14) LeahPlease Monster Prom series 42: Dreams of Another (02:33:58) The Unfinished Swan Viewfinder 43: Date Everything! (02:37:49) Gijinka OS-tan Hyperdimension Neptunia series Hatoful Boyfriend 44: Kingdoms of the Dump (02:43:18) Mario RPG series Fragrant Story 45: Blippo+ (02:45:38) Playdate Yacht Telefantasy Studios Max Headroom Blippo+ (NSW2) No Commentary 46: Full Metal Schoolgirl (02:56:39) Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 47: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (03:00:40) Suikoden Brain Lords - The Backlog Games of the Year ft. Esper Quinn Ben Starr Matthew Mercer Persona series Faye Wong It Takes Two Outro (03:18:04) 48: Despelote (03:20:56) Outro, Part II (03:21:24) This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by patrons like you. Thank you. Subscribe: RSS, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more!

Insert Credit nominates and ranks the fifteen best video games of the year 2025. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Ash Parrish, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman. Watch episodes with full video on YouTube Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums (Finalized list appears at the bottom of the show notes, don’t spoil yourself!) SHOW NOTES: Boogerman: A Pick and Flick Adventure “Displeased! If I breathe, if I live, I am displeased. Only the dead are satisfied.” 52 Pickup Video Game History Foundation Digital Archive Demonschool 1: Ash Parrish’s First Nominee (05:20) South of Midnight BDS Ahmed Best Jar Jar Binks 2: Brandon Sheffield’s First Nominee (09:27) Yakuza series Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Ichiban Kasuga Kazuma Kiryu Goro Majima Yakuza 0 Deadpool 3: Frank Cifaldi’s First Nominee (14:46) Wanderstop Davey Wreden The Stanley Parable The Beginner’s Guide Animal Crossing series 4: Ash’s Second Nominee (20:34) Blue Prince Escape Academy 5: Brandon’s Second Nominee (24:50) Asura the Striker Space Harrier OutRun Darius 6: Frank’s Second Nominee (28:01) The Roottrees are Dead The Séance of Blake Manor HowLongToBeat.com 7: Ash’s Third Nominee (32:37z) Dead Take Tales of Kenzera: Zau Assassin’s Creed: Origins Full-motion video Ben Starr Neil Newbon Final Fantasy XVI Baldur’s Gate III Matt Mercer Jeffrey Epstein Harvey Weinstein Alan Wake series Sam Lake Max Payne series Palworld Meet The Unconventional Publishers Trying To Unfuck The Games Industry 8: Brandon’s Third Nominee (37:53) Call of Ponchy : Mahjong Warfare Fortnite D3Publisher Inc. 9: Frank’s Third Nominee (43:24) Silent Hill f Silent Hill 2 Sonic the Werehog Bonk Bubsy Frank’s Top 5 Albums of the Year (54:01) The Tune-Yards - Better Dreaming Deep Sea Diver - Billboard Heart Tunde Adebimpe - Thee Black Boltz Wet Leg - moisturizer Wet Leg: Tiny Desk Concert Wednesday - Bleeds 10: Ash’s Fourth Nominee (59:31) Hollow Knight: Silksong Hollow Knight Death Stranding 2: On The Beach 11: Brandon’s Fourth Nominee (01:05:41) Hypogea Quake 12: Frank’s Fourth Nominee (01:08:50) Windswept Donkey Kong Country Kaizo Super Mario series Oh, Deer! 13: Ash’s Fifth Nominee (01:14:37) News Tower Citizen Kane (1941) Game Dev Story Home of the Underdogs Superhero League of Hoboken Mad TV 14: Brandon’s Fifth Nominee (01:22:01) Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Promise Mascot Agency Insert Credit Gaiden #13 - The Intended Game, with Oli Clarke Smith 15: Frank’s Fifth Nomination (01:27:41) Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater Hideo Kojima 16: Alex Jaffe’s First Nomination (01:33:29) THE INSERT CREDIT GAME OF THE YEAR 2025 TOP 16: Silent Hilf ($69.99) [14 hrs] News Tower ($24.99) [9.5 hrs] South of Midnight ($39.99) [11.5 hrs] Wanderstop ($24.99) [10.5 hrs] Hollow Knight: Silksong ($19.99) [28 hrs] Blue Prince ($29.99) [26.5 hrs] Dead Take ($14.99) [4 hrs] Promise Mascot Agency ($24.99) [12.5 hrs] Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii ($59.99) [36 hrs] Windswept ($19.99) [9.5 hrs] Hypogea ($9.99) [2.5 hrs] Asura the Striker ($14.99) [0.5 hrs] The Roottrees are Dead ($19.99) [11.5 hrs] Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater ($69.99) [12 hrs] Call of Ponchy: Mahjong Warfare ($0.99) [??? hrs] Demonschool ($24.99) [31.5 hrs] This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by patrons like you. Thank you. Subscribe: RSS, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more!

The finest minds in video games discuss the evolution of turn-based combat, turning pixels into symphonies, and the devastating return of Violence Island. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Ash Parrish, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman. Watch episodes with full video on YouTube Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums SHOW NOTES: Audacity E3 Doctor Who Doctor Manhattan Blink Tom Baker Sherlock Steven Moffat Daliens Cybermen “Do you think people are happy in this wizard kingdom?” Mega Man series Clown Man It Nicole Kidman Kid n’ Play 1: What tips you off that someone discussing video games has no idea what they’re talking about? (06:08) New York Times IGF Awards Call of Duty series Mega Man: Legacy Collection Batman Superman Zack Snyder Madden series Daryl Hall & John Oates - Out Of Touch 2: How have turn-based battle systems evolved over 30 years? (11:58) Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Shin Megami Tensei series Valkyria Chronicles Final Fantasy XII Parasite Eve Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle Metaphor: ReFantazio Kingdoms of the Dump The Doors - Riders On The Storm Final Fantasy X-2 3: On what occasions have you wished a game was harder? (17:27) Soulslike Gunstar Heroes Bayonetta 3 Pokemon series 4: If we were to re-establish an official video game seal of quality, what would be the qualifying criteria? (21:41) Official Nintendo Seal Steam Deck 5: Syswivv asks, what kind of video game would Andy Warhol have made? (28:08) Andy Warhol Madonna Fortnite CD-i Eric Idle Starship Titanic Harlan Ellison Harlan Ellison: I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream CD+G Sega CD Empire (1965) Peter Molyneux MAGFest GDC Bubsy 3D: Bubsy Visits the James Turrell Retrospective James Turrell 6: Describe Bubsy 3D: Bubsy Visits the James Turrell Retrospective to Ash (32:24) Arcane Kids Donut County Bubsy series 7: What’s the best use a game has ever made of being able to click in the analog stick? (34:39) The Godfather: The Game Manhunt God of War III Oedipus Yanya Caballista: City Skater Katamari Damacy Kinect Ghost (1990) Octodad: Dadliest Catch 8: Who is your favorite video game character to debut in the last ten years? (40:39) Crow Country Mara Forest Hollow Knight: Silksong Hornet Bayonetta series Bayonetta Nier: Automata 2B Indika Final Fantasy XV Prompto Argentum Ignis Scientia Overwatch Tracer Baldur’s Gate III Astarion Balan Wonderworld Balan Concord LIGHTNING ROUND: Violence Island (46:02) Recommendations and Outro (01:01:52): Brandon: The Most Terrible Time in My Life (1993), Gnosia, yucca Ash: Put chili crisp on everything, Support Laid-off Vox Media Workers Frank: Lil’ baby potatoes This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by patrons like you. Thank you. Subscribe: RSS, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more!

Our heroes confront video game movie adaptations, how controversy sells games, and Tom Cruise in Sonic 3 & Knuckles the Porn Parody the Official Game of the Movie. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank “Baseball” Cifaldi, Ash Parrish, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman. Watch episodes with full video on YouTube Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums SHOW NOTES: The mushroom making people hallucinate dozens of tiny humans Lilliputians “If I was a creature made of stagnant water, I’d rather die and return to my bog.” Mark McGwire Michael Jordan Sylvester the Cat Yosemite Sam Dennis Rodman Akron RubberDucks Ricky Henderson Twitch banned Dr Disrespect after viewing messages sent to a minor, say former employees 1: What are some good games with built in breaks? (08:20) Demonschool Final Fantasy XV Final Fantasy VII Final Fantasy VIII Hades Loop Hero Ball x Pit Arkanoid Hypogea Quake 2: Which character has suffered the biggest design downgrade in video game history? (15:50) The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition Earthworm Jim HD Arle Nadja Overwatch 2 Ugly Sonic Sonic Boom series Sonic Adventure series Cloud Strife Ballz Fat Pikachu Bomberman: Act:Zero Tomb Raider series Mario 3: Who’s your Mario? (21:29) Neo Geo Pocket Sonic The Hedgehog Pocket Adventure Super Mario Galaxy Super Mario Bros. 2 Astal Superstar Saga series Alex Kidd in Shinobi World 4: Is the average video game based on a movie better than the average movie based on a video game? (25:42) Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Super Mario Bros. (1993) Max Headroom Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024) Return to Silent Hill (2026) Fallout Silent Hill f White Day: A Labyrinth Named School Sweet Home Werewolves of London 5: SaveaSaturn asks, what game that you’ve never played would you take to a desert island with you? (31:39) Mario Kart series Earth Defense Force 2: Invaders from Planet Space Magic: the Gathering Arena Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Baldur’s Gate III Dezaemon 2 Dragon Quest series Satisfactory Super Mario Maker 2 NetHack Caves of Qud Make My Video: Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch 6: What makes bad video games successful? (38:30) Horses Hatred Fortnite Super Smash Brothers series Sonic ’06 Top Gun (1986) Top Gun Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Super Mario Bros. Super Mario Bros. 3 7: What is the “Maybe it will happen today” of video games? (44:17) Mother 3 Duke Nukem Forever Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Beyond Good and Evil 2 SNK Kingdom Hearts IV Chrono Trigger Fallout: New Vegas LIGHTNING ROUND: GameFAQ&As - Genshin Impact (49:54) Recommendations and Outro (56:38): Brandon: From the Fields granola, Dosa Chips, American Rickshaw (1989), please review Demonschool positively on Steam Frank: Rate and review things in general This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by patrons like you. Thank you. Subscribe: RSS, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more!

As has become tradition, Insert Credit ranks the best games of all time. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Ash Parrish, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman. Watch episodes with full video on YouTube Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums SHOW NOTES: Digital Eclipse Final Fantasy VIII “If I die here alone, a miserable death, no one will bother to pick up my bones.” Sonic the Hedgehog Arator the Redeemer World of WarCraft Demonschool Ryu Number #IDARB Street Fighter: 30th Anniversary Collection Aetherdrift Bestow Greatness (the supposed Ash card) Johnny Silverhand Yakuza 0 EarthBound Super Mario Bros. 3 Panzer Dragoon II: Zwei Doom OutRun: Online Arcade Silent Hill 1: Frank’s Mom’s Favorite Game (08:56) Super Mario series 2: Ash’s Cousin Eric’s Favorite Game (14:07) Ms. Pac-Man Sega Genesis Mortal Kombat series Pac-Man 2: The New Adventures 3: Brandon’s Partner Christina’s Favorite Game (19:45) Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Nintendo DS Grand Theft Auto series Game Boy Advance Ivy the Kiwi? 4: Frank’s Co-host Ash’s Favorite Game (25:08) Dragon Age: Inquisition Overwatch Bayonetta Sonic the Hedgehog Part II Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles Sega Technical Institute Mark Cerny 5: Ash’s Friend Nicki’s Favorite Game (34:34) Pokémon Red Version The Vision of Escaflowne ACen Pokémon Blue Version Sega Game Gear MissingNo Sailor Moon Street Sharks Pikachu 6: Brandon’s Dad’s Favorite Game (39:52) Military Madness TurboGrafx-16 Famicom Wars Advance Wars Neutopia Legend of Zelda series Tetris Spelling Bee Sub Hunt PalmPilot Atari 2600 Circus 7: Frank’s Best Friend and Editor Esper’s Favorite Game (45:31) Drifting Off with Joe Pera: A Sleep Podcast The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) Final Fantasy VII Phil Salvador Sega Saturn Final Fantasy VII: Remake Barrett Wallace Final Fantasy Got It Right With Two Black Fathers Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII 8: Ash’s Friend Will’s Favorite Game (55:34) Karazhan Ventrillo Hikikomori Elwynn Forest Dreadsteed 9: Brandon’s Friend Scott’s Favorite Game (01:04:38) Final Fantasy VI Super Nintendo Entertainment System Record of Lodoss War La Blue Girl Nobuo Uematsu 10: Frank’s Friend Lucy’s Favorite Game (01:11:42) Mass Effect 2 Pulp Fiction (1994) Fallout: New Vegas 11: Ash’s Cousin Jason’s Favorite Game (01:24:29) Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Dragon Ball Z Vegeta Dragon Ball Dragon Ball Super 12: Brandon’s Former Coworker Christian’s Favorite Game (01:32:36) Ys: Book I & II Tengai Makyō: Ziria Bump System The Frog For Whom the Bell Tolls 13: Frank’s Wife Amanda’s Second Favorite Game (01:38:38) Kickle Cubicle Irem R-Type series Disaster Report series Adventures of Lolo 14: Ash’s Husband Travis’s Favorite Game (01:42:33) Contra III: The Alien Wars Mana series Castlevania: Bloodlines Contra Hard Corps Weenie Hut Jr’s Super Castlevania IV UFO 50 15: Brandon’s College Friend and Insert Credit Co-Founder Vincent’s Favorite Game (01:47:42) Metaphor: ReFantazio Puyo Puyo Sun Bubble Bobble Puzzle Bobble 16: Frank’s Pal Ian’s Favorite Game (01:52:31) Killer7 Suda51 Cam Clarke Resident Evil 4 No More Heroes Shadows of the Damned 17: Ash’s Sister Alexis’s Favorite Game (01:59:53) Uno No Mercy Connect Four Kingdom Hearts Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit Disney Channel No Strings Attached Katamari Damacy 18: Brandon’s Friend Chaz’s Favorite Game (02:06:00) Shining Force II N-Gage 19: Frank’s Other Friend Ian’s Favorite Game (02:10:48) Super Mario World Kaizo Super Mario Maker Disneyland Walt Disney World 20: Ash’s Best Friend Abby’s Favorite Game (02:17:11) Dragon Age: Inquisition Baldur’s Gate series Alistair Sid Meier’s Civilization series Cullen Rutherford Miscegenation 21: Brandon’s Coworker Tara’s Favorite Game (02:28:43) Aces Wild: Manic Brawling Action! NieR: Automata NieR PlatinumGames Inc. Final List (02:28:43) View the finalized list right here! This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by patrons like you. Thank you. Subscribe: RSS, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more!

The panel reviews Mr. Bones, a Sega Saturn classic featuring frustrating design choices, a certain comedy level, and skeletism. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Ash Parrish, Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman. Watch episodes with full video on YouTube Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums SHOW NOTES: “Oh, there go all my bones!” Mr. Bones Bonk series 1: How did we get here? (03:57) Sega Saturn Star Trek Awesome Games Done Quick January 6 United States Capitol attack Mr. Bones by Lizstar in 1:12:00 Boneitis LSD: Dream Emulator Game Boy Color Game Gear Street Fighter series PlayStation Sega Genesis Sega Dreamcast Ronnie Montrose Ed Anunziatta Sinners (2025) Paul Pena Bastion 2: What are the good versions of the ideas presented in this game? (27:20) Tempest Vectorman series Arzette: the Jewel of Faramore Fitz Houston Seinfeld Contra series 3: Brenton Woodrow asks, which Saturn or Dreamcast game that never had a sequel is best suited for a sequel in 2021? (37:02) Burning Rangers Magic Knight Rayearth Sonic R Richard Jacques Sonic & All-Stars Racing series Powerslave Black Fire Metroid Prime Final Fantasy II Last Bronx Shining Force series Panzer Dragoon Saga Rick Moranis Clockwork Knight Dark Savior 4: If not Mr. Bones, what’s the best skeleton in a video game? (42:04) Dry Bones Dry Bowser Mr. Bones Japanese cover Grateful Dead 5: Let’s talk about this game’s comedy level (44:46) Monkey Island series Grand Theft Auto series Super Mario series Jeff Fort Zono, Inc. Generations Lost Bruce Straley The Last of Us KISS Frank’s preservation of the print art for Generations Lost X-Men 6: What can we learn about the blues from this video game? (51:07) Paul Pena Jet Airliner 7: Do you like Mr. Bones? (56:43) TechnoClash X-Men 2: Clone Wars The Amazing Spider-Man: Web of Fire Sega Channel Sega Menacer Freak Boy LIGHTNING ROUND: Name Design - Mr. Organs (01:02:31) Credit Report (01:08:16) Recommendations and Outro (01:13:08): Brandon: The All New, All Astonishing Insert Credit Patreon, May I Ask For One Final Thing?, Journal with Witch, Blackhawk Museum Ash: Ball x Pit, touch grass, tell people you care about them, this empire shall burn too Frank: someone make a thread in the forums of media where fascists lose and die This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by patrons like you. Thank you. Subscribe: RSS, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more!

Our heroes convene to discuss the Sega Game Gear, the most satisfying punch in video games, and sports MMOs. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Ash Parrish, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman. Watch episodes with full video on YouTube Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums SHOW NOTES: Half Price Books PlayStation 3 Sonic the Hedgehog series Resistance: Fall of Man Madden series LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game Criterion Closet Severin Films Joe Dante Pirhana (1978) Gremlins (1984) The Howling (1981) Small Soldiers (1998) Synapse Films Rent-A-Relic “Please forgive me for my sin of making illegal copies. Please forgive me for my sin of hypocrisy. Please forgive me for my sin of arrogance. Amen.” All Those Moments by Rutger Hauer Ralph Ellison Invisible Man The Invisible Man H. G. Welles 1: What kinds of video games do you think we’ll never see again? (07:27) Metal Gear Solid Teleprinter Kinect Nex Playground Wii Light gun All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989) All Dogs Go to Heaven Don Bluth Dragons Lair series The Secret of NIMH (1982) Mina the Hollower Commodore 64 2: What’s the most satisfying punch you can throw in a video game? (12:15) Shatterhand The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker Final Fight Castlevania: Symphony of the Night Bayonetta Game Gear Krusty’s Super Fun House Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (1995) Mortal Kombat series Darkstalkers series Toasty! God Hand Electronic Gaming Monthly 3: Which Game Gear games are most faithful to their source material? (17:07) Gunstar Heroes Dynamite Headdy Ecco the Dolphin Sonic the Hedgehog: Triple Trouble Shining Force series Battletoads Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Master System Aleste series Beep Games, Inc. OutRun Space Harrier Yuji Naka 4: The Adaptation Game - Betty Boop (21:50) Betty Boop Mr. Boop Cuphead Stray Rotoscoping Max Fleischer PaRappa the Rapper The Charleston 23 skidoo Pac-Man 2: The New Adventures 5: littleboat asks, what is the word of the year in videogames? (27:42) Friendslop “Slop” chosen as Merriam-Webster’s 2025 word of the year Peak Big Walk Untitled Goose Game Titanfall 2 Titanic (1997) H Game 6: Are there sports MMOs where everybody is one player? (35:38) Second Life Madden series NBA 2K series Rocket League Rematch Sifu Hyper Gunsport 7: Has making a video game gotten harder or easier over time? (39:42) Unity Unreal Engine Ed Annunziata SGDK Intellivision Amico Blender LIGHTNING ROUND: GameFAQ&As - Baldur’s Gate III (45:15) Recommendations and Outro (52:52): Frank: King Leo peppermint Brandon: Dickens Fair, Dark Angel (1990), Cat Eyed Boy Ash: Greyhound (2020), I, Claudius Jaffe: I, Podius (for Ash), Pluribus (for Brandon), Ragman (1991 series) (for Frank), leave us a review, watch a couple Insert Credit Show episodes in a row on YouTube, support us at patreon.com/insertcredit This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by patrons like you. Thank you. This week’s horrible buzzer was sent in by selib. Thanks! To submit your own horrible buzzer, send an original recording no longer than two seconds in mp3 or wav format to [email protected], and maybe we’ll use it on the show! Subscribe: RSS, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more!