The Insert Credit Show

The Insert Credit Crew is joined by CANABALT creator Adam Saltsman to discuss the appeal of giant robots, to design a game for my old Nokia cell phone, and to play "Kill, Marry, Boff" Round 3.Questions this week:What is your favorite depiction in a video game of Hell? (03:56)What is it about about giant robots that people find so appealing? (10:11)What can we expect from Grand Theft Auto 20? (15:39)John Romero, Jonathan Blow, CliffyB: KMF? (22:05)JASON YOUNG: Other than Final Fantasy VII, what other games might benefit from a de-make? (28:35)First we lost Nintendo Power, now G4 is going off the air. What's the next video game celebrity death? (36:50)What is your dream video game crossover? (42:55)Pitch me a mobile game for the Nokia cellphone I had in high school. (49:08)Which Valve headliner will have the greatest impact on video games: Greenlight, Steam TV, or Steam's VR headset? (55:26)If Valve is the Pixar of Video Games, then who's the Dreamworks of Video Games? (01:02:20)LIGHTNING ROUND: Who would you cast? (01:08:11) Edited by Andrew Toups.

Kotaku editor-in-chief Stephen Totilo debates with us over the validity of video game nostalgia, online comment systems, and the sanctity of the Warthog.Questions this week:All of your games and consoles have been stolen, but you do have a $1,000 GameStop gift card that expires at the end of the week. How do you spend it? (03:14)Which games have most innovatively used the DualShock controller? (09:46)Has a video game ever made you cry? (16:08)What are the most embarrassing comments you've seen on an online video game article? (22:16)What can we the viewers expect from the upcoming Metal Gear Solid movie? (28:36)What are the biggest mistakes to avoid when designing a dungeon? (37:36)How can the Tony Hawk franchise stage a comeback? (43:59)JOEX111: How would you design a great game around a daytime soap opera while staying true to the spirit of the show? (50:15)Create a mixtape of video game music to listen to while driving your car. (56:38)What's the best video game quote to put on your tombstone?(01:03:00)LIGHTNING ROUND: Corporate Slogans (01:04:04)Edited by Tim Rogers.

Action Button Entertainment art director Brent Porter hangs out for some real talk about BioWare, escort missions, and how to make D-Day interesting again.Questions this week:What can horror games do to effectively scare players? (02:36)What is the correct way to establish lore in a video game series? (08:54)ANNA P. What's the best food item in a game? (15:09)Where's the best real world location to set a Metroidvania? (20:46)Is BioWare really the Joss Whedon of video games? (27:02)How can war games make D-Day interesting again? (36:41)Defend the oft-maligned escort mission. (42:59)Which real life sport translates most accurately into its video game counterpart? (49:08)What will the repercussions be once Wreck-It Ralph shatters all of the box office records? (55:31)…and a special Game Show Round! (01:03:30)Edited by Andrew Toups.

Hollywood Correspondent Vito Gesualdi pops in to talk about Nintendo Power, Turbo Play, and MAD Magazine.Questions this week:What would you have to say at Nintendo Power's wake? (02:11)Design a game based on Don Quixote. (08:38)How did the "shoot-them-up" genre become so culturally linked to the "moe" aesthetic? (14:57)Who would win in a fight between Gabe Newell and Gabe from Penny Arcade? (21:25)What would you do with the foreknowledge of how the game industry would develop 10 years ago? (27:47)How much would you value the only US copy of Final Fantasy II? (35:47)How can we bridge the gap between those who exclusively play sports games, and people who play everything but sports games? (42:10)Is the OnLive service worth saving? (48:37)What's the best ridablanimal in a video game? (55:01)Aaron Cortelyu: What's wrong with the Souls series? (01:01:21)LIGHTNING ROUND: Come up with as many Mad Magazine title parodies as you can in 3 minutes. (01:07:56)Edited by Andrew Toups.

Insert Credit regular Patrick Miller joins us to talk about Gamescom, players of video games, and warthog drifting.Questions this week:What distinguishes Gamescom from other industry events? (01:17)Were there any GameCube games with good voice acting? (07:28)What is the best feeling vehicle in a video game? (13:42)MICHAEL STERNS: What are your least favorite industry buzzwords? (19:50)Would you rather play a Pokemon MMO or an Animal Crossing MMO? (26:10)Who is the William Hung of video games? (33:41)Rank all the games in the Halo series from best to worst. (39:54)How can we streamline the character customization process without losing nuance? (46:10)What are some films every gamer must watch? (52:44)Design 8 new Robot Masters for the next Mega Man game. (58:50)LIGHTNING ROUND: Bottom Line Review (01:03:20)Edited by Andrew Toups.

Fresh off his article on The Bouncer, Christian Nutt joins the gang to discuss unkept Fable promises, using the -san suffix in English writing, and Charizard.Questions this week:In game design, where is the line between difficult and unfair? (03:30)How has the beat-em-up genre evolved in the past 20 years? (09:35)Who would win in a fight: Master Chief or Charizard? (15:53)Design a game for the Oculus Rift visor. (21:57)Why is the Tales Of series worth my time if I've played literally any other JRPG? (28:10)What's the prettiest looking video game ever made? (36:36)Cavia was originally founded to make video game adaptations of Studio Ghibli movies. Would that have been a good idea? (42:53)How did you envision the falsely prophesied perfect Fable game? (49:10)LUKE MAXWELL: Why is Dragon Quest X the way that it is? (55:30)What is the most embarrassing article you've ever written? (01:02:05)LIGHTNING ROUND: Spoil as many video game endings as you can in the next 3 minutes. (01:09:22)Edited by Andrew Toups.

This week the Insert Credit gang is joined by Dyad creator Shawn McGrath to discuss weapon design, NPC dialogue, and the rigidity of Johnny Wadd.Questions this week:What is the most fun weapon in a video game? (02:18)In an MMO addiction clinic, what would be used as methadone? (08:36)NORBERT LEVEJSIK: Who is the Johnny Wadd of video games? (10:52)Pitch DYAD as a Saturday morning cartoon. (16:58)What studio would you cede control of Kingdom Hearts to: Atlus, Level 5, or Cavia? (21:40)Can we actually see a good Superman game in our lifetime? (29:42)If you were Doctor Robotnik, how would you finally beat Sonic the Hedgehog? (35:54)Rank these from best to worst: Spec Ops The Line, Marble Madness 2, Shank (42:08)What's the best way to make a living in the video game industry? (48:14)What bands and artists would you recommend to people who primarily listen to video game music? (53:10)LIGHTNING ROUND: You have 5 minutes to write as much dialogue as possible for NPCs in a 90s Japanese RPG. (59:50)Edited by Andrew Toups.

Those Three Guys (tim, brandon, frank) return for a fourth helping of no-nonsense questioneering. Join us for a hearty discussion of Metacritic, Monster World, and mouse livers. Questions this week:Is Bonk's Adventure better than Monster World? (03:40)How useful are score aggregation websites like Metacritic? (10:29)To what extent did Sega do what Nintendon't? (16:47)In the year 2027, what will video games be like for cats? (20:31)Is Steam a plague or a blessing? (26:55)Solid Snake, Duke Nukem, Marcus Fenix: KMF? (33:10)NICHOLAS LEIVILLEI: What are the best or worst lessons a video game taught you? (37:46)How would you run a paper and ink video game magazine with unlimited resources? (44:12)Who is the most tragic character in a video game? (50:31)You and your friends are prank calling GameStop. What kind of calls do you make? (57:17)LIGHTNING ROUND: Final Fantasy (01:03:40)Edited by Andrew Toups.

Is your body ready for one full hour of frank, tim, and brandon discussing time as a game design mechanic, the value of the PlayStation Vita, and how to explain Hyperdimension Neptunia to your mom? Because if so then oh man do we have a treat for you!Questions this week:What distinguishes the Ouya from every other attempt to create the Uber Console? (03:11)Which games best utilize the concept of time? (08:06)Who would win in a fight: Arkham City Batman or LEGO Batman? (14:53)What's inside Molyneux's box? (21:19)What is the Seinfeld of video games? (27:02)Write a more robust story mode for a Dead or Alive: Xtreme Beach Volleyball sequel. (33:37)AARON BOAG: Is the PS Vita actually worth buying right now? (39:24)Can love bloom even on shagagamer.com? (45:44)What would the Insert Credit webcomic have been like in 2000? (52:10)Explain Hyperdimension Neptunia to your mom. (58:28)LIGHTNING ROUND: Action Button Style (01:01:25)Edited by Andrew Toups.

frank cifaldi, tim rogers, and brandon sheffield once again join us to discuss kickstarter, the history of achievements, and the meltdown of 38 Studios.Questions this week:Is Bonk's Adventure better than Super Mario Bros? (04:35)What are the ingredients of a good boss battle? (11:02)What achievements would you shoehorn into classic video games? (17:16)How can a game be easy without being boring? (23:47)What new Pokemon would you incorporate into the next generation? (30:03)UPIE: Who would win in a fight: the game industry, or the alternative medicine industry? (35:47)The Penny Arcade kickstarter: brilliant, deplorable, or hilarious? (38:40)What video game has the best title? (45:04)What are your impressions of the fighting game community? (51:17)Why should or shouldn't we be terrified by the meltdown of 38 Studios? (57:44)Is a video game's ending really that important? (01:04:55)Which development studio do you wish could return from the dead? (01:05:27)What video game have you put more hours into playing than any other? (01:06:07)What exactly is so exciting about Source Filmmaker? (01:06:38)Edited by Andrew Toups.

This week frank cifaldi, tim rogers, and brandon sheffield join us to discuss Hideo Kojima, how to make MMOs fun, and skellingtons.Questions this week:What were some neat features of the Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii that were never utilized to their full potential? (05:22)MMOs: How can we make them fun? (11:09)In the era of GameFAQs, how can easter eggs and cheat codes survive? (17:38)Give an elevator pitch to Nintendo for a new console peripheral. (23:46)What is the next big thing after zombies and vampires in video games? (29:55)Hideo Kojima, Shigesato Itoi, Fumito Ueda: KMF? (36:16)Who is the Charles Manson of video games? (42:11)If you could erase one video game and its influence from the time stream, what would it be? (45:00)How has Metal Gear Solid affectd the video game landscape for better or worse? (51:20)In Resident Evil 6, your character can move around while they shoot. Is this a good thing? (01:00:00)Who would you cast next for PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale? (01:00:40)Voice acting in Zelda: can it happen, can it be good? (01:01:21)