The Insert Credit Show

Video Game Reporter Ash Parrish joins the panel to cover unfinished games, Mario’s origins, and the friendship-building return of Violence Island. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Brandon Sheffield, and Ash Parrish. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman. Questions this week: Is Mario Italian? (04:22) From Esper Quinn: If a game offers you a starting class of Warrior, Wizard, Rogue or Cleric, which do you choose and why? (09:30) With Sonic Frontiers and the new Pokemon games we must ask, what does it mean for a game to be finished? (13:15) Do you have any questions for Alex Jaffe? (24:33) Spencer’s Gifts asks: What is the best game with the worst graphics, and what is the worst game with the best graphics? (30:55) Violence Island (36:37) Who or what is the Gritty of video games? (53:06) LIGHTNING ROUND: Dirtbag Diving (55:08) Recommendations and Outro (58:57) A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: Gunhouse Mr. Hooper Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper The Super Mario Bros. Movie Official Trailer Bob Hoskins The Sopranos Pod Yourself A Gun Yume Kōjō: Dokidoki Panic Diablo series The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Cadash Pokémon Sonic Frontiers Gunsport Hyper Gunsport now wishlistable on steam Sonic Mania Sonic Adventure The Adventures of Batman & Robin Batman: The Video Game Batman: Arkham Knight Gotham Knights The Adventures of Batman & Robin Batman Super Mario Sunshine Super Smash Brothers series Krystal Defender BioShock Infinite David Cage Detroit: Become Human French baguette given UNESCO protection Ex-BioShock Infinite developer explains the viral baguette boy Pong Asteroids Minesweeper A Mind Forever Voyaging Marvel Midnight Suns Dragon Age series PaRappa Rappa Paper Mario PaRappa the Rapper anime opening PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale Sol Badguy Die-Hardman Gene Kazuma Kiryu Francis York Morgan Phoenix Wright Marvel Vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds Gritty Blinx: The Time Sweeper Command & Conquer: Red Alert Doom Patrol Doom Runners (1997) Recommendations: Brandon: TOUGH BOY by TOM★CAT, Doom Runners (1997) Frank: Don’t give Frank any money, RichWhitehouse.com Ash: Donate to the Video Game History Foundation Winter Fundraiser where donations are matched dollar for dollar until the goal is met, Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, Marvel Midnight Suns, Marvel Snap Support on Patreon Subscribe: RSS, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more!

Editor Esper Quinn joins the table to give thanks for a feast of listener submitted questions. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers, Brandon Sheffield, and Esper Quinn. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman. Questions this week: Max asks: What is the most fun or interesting scoring mechanic in a shooting game? (10:59) Malcove asks: How would you reintroduce vampires to modern video games? (14:44) A Most Handsome Boy asks: Thoughts on a good steam? (16:56) ColdPie asks: what type of tourism opportunities would you take advantage of if you were visiting the Republic of Gamers? (20:37) BreadyToDie asks: Have you ever played the sequel of a game before playing the original? (22:53) Pannekoeken asks: What happened to rhythm games? (26:32) Dilson asks: Which cooking games aren’t boring? (33:56) Ripley Rose proposes an Improv Zone – Sonic’s Dad Got Arrested (38:19) Gaagaagiins asks: When has a video game adaptation been objectively better than the source material? (43:33) Anonymous asks: What singleplayer game should have gotten a competitive multiplayer mode? (48:49) Ross Hamrick asks: Which arcade racing game has the best manual transmission? (52:01) Cole asks: are Japanese video game scores better for a reason? (56:32) Kiko B asks: Which two video game franchises would be improved by swapping protagonists? (01:04:28) Terrace asks: What was the Secret of Evermore?(01:06:52) LIGHTNING ROUND: Crumbling Zero asks to Rank the Metacritic Top 10 (01:07:50) Recommendations and Outro (01:32:22) A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: Klonoa series The Club Battlefield 1942 Ikaruga Star Soldier Unreal Tournament series Bulletstorm Vampyr Castlevania / Akumajō Dracula series Vampire Survivors Itch.io Internet Archive JDownloader Call of Duty: Warzone Blinx 2: Masters of Time & Space Mother / EarthBound series Surge NOS Yakuza / Ryū ga Gotoku series Final Fantasy series Ninja Gaiden Madden series Tony Hawk skateboarding series NieR series PaRappa the Rapper Gitaroo Man Groove Coaster series Theatrhythm series Beat Saber Vib Ribbon series Samba De Amigo Guitar Freaks series Guitar Hero series Rock Band series Ore no Ryōri Legend of Zelda series Cooking Mama series Yoshinoya Yakiniku Bugyō Overcooked! Sonic creator Yuji Naka arrested in insider trading scandal Astral Chain Inferno Dante’s Inferno Street Fighter (1994) Street Fighter: The Movie King Kong (2005) Peter Jackson’s King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie The Chronicles of Riddick (2004) The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay Casablanca (1942) Citizen Kane (1941) Donkey Kong 64 Transistor What We Do In The Shadows F355 Challenge: Passione Rossa OutRun 2 Initial D licensees Lorenzen’s Soil ROBLOX_OOF.mp3 by Hbomberguy Jazz Jackrabbit series Celeste Tak series TY the Tasmanian Tiger series Vexx Brave: The Search for Spirit Dancer Banjo-Kazooie Gears of War series Conker games L.A. Noire Secret of Evermore Secret of Mana Recommendations: Frank: Nutritional yeast Brandon: Duma Tim: Nothing so mundane as a grocery store Esper: Princess Tutu Support on Patreon Subscribe: RSS, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more!

Journalist Gita Jackson joins the full panel to decide how much video games should cost, share research tips, and reveal Barbies in the garbies. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers, Brandon Sheffield, and Gita Jackson. Featuring Harper Jay, Azurelore Korrigan, and Vincent Diamante, with writing by Mark Cerny. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman. Questions this week: From Andrés Velasco y Coll: Has there been a speedrun that particularly impressed you? Or, how would you ruin Sony Computer Entertainment? (06:16) Now that every issue of Nintendo Power is uploaded to the Internet Archive, what should we do with it? (13:09) What should it cost to buy a video game? (19:46) What can we say about the legacy of Rieko Kodama? (34:39) Insert Credit contributors share memories of Rieko Kodama (48:31) Kiko asks: is it ever worthwhile to play all the way through a game you hate? (01:02:15) LIGHTNING ROUND: Localization Station (01:11:55) Recommendations and Outro (01:18:25) A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: F-Zero GX Twisted Metal series Mario Kart series PlayStation VR2 launches on February 22nd for $549.99 PlayStation Vita Recording Kendrick with a Vita Battlefield series PlayStation TV Jak & Daxter series The Walking Dead (franchise) The Last of Us series 28 Days Later (2002) Station Eleven You Can Now Read All 285 Issues Of Nintendo Power Online Retromags Demonschool wishlistable now on Steam Humble Bundle The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Dragon Quest series Final Fantasy series $5 off Sega Genesis! Home Alone Home Improvement: Power Tool Pursuit Duck Hunt Elden Ring Amnesia: The Dark Descent GameFly Stranded Deep Rieko Kodama Sonic the Hedgehog Altered Beast Phantasy Star games Skies of Arcadia Deep Fear Magic Knight Rayearth Style Savvy 7th Dragon series SpellCaster Landstalker Brave Prove Harper Jay Vincent Diamante Azurelore Korrigan Mark Cerny Pokémon main RPG series Alan Moore Storytelling Online Course God Hand Cult of the Lamb Mathew Kumar Dexter Girls Recommendations: Frank: Follow Gita on twitter, Mad Men Gita: Interview with the Vampire Tim: Mad Men Brandon: Star Trek: Lower Decks, Morbid Saint Support on Patreon Subscribe: RSS, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more!

EVO tournament organizer Andrés Velasco y Coll and PC Gamer editor Fūnk-é Joseph join Frank and Jaffe for the new Sonic game, predatory publisher tactics, and Nickelodeon’s Fortnite. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Andrés Velasco y Coll, and Fūnk-é Joseph. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman. Questions this week: Are 3D Sonic games a failed experiment? (04:17) How do games best emulate being able to fly? (10:03) What precautions should developers take to avoid being taken advantage of by publishers? (14:11) How do you curate a video game zine? (18:37) The Adaptation Game: Turn a video game into a daytime game show (24:00) Bearcabin asks: What kinds of developers would video game magazines end up being? (29:44) Are there any good video game ads? (35:45) What is more difficult to do in video games than in real life? (42:32) What is the Avatar: The Way of Water of video games? (46:56) LIGHTNING ROUND: Major Arcana (54:52) Recommendations and Outro (59:48) A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker Donkey Kong Country The King of Fighters ’98: The Slugfest Portal series Sonic the Hedgehog universe SEGA Bass Fishing Super Mario World Batman: Arkham series Pilotwings Final Fantasy XIV Online: A Realm Reborn Minecraft Defender Dank Zine the photo Andres drops in question 4 Fortnite series Candy Crush Fruit Ninja Carmen Sandiego series Among Us Electronic Gaming Monthly Hsu and Chan Bubsy series Disney’s Aladdin Sneak King Nintendo Power Clay Fighter 63 1/3 Famitsu The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time SoulCalibur Vagrant Story JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle Final Fantasy XII Super Smash Bros. Brawl L.A. Noire Clash Royale Evony: The King’s Return Mafia City: War of Underworld Mega Man 3 Twisted Metal series John Romero’s Daikatana Sweet Tooth (the comic) the Video Jukebox VJ ad Frank links in question 7 Surgeon Simulator Valorant Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) Avatar (2009) The King of Fighters XV EarthBound series Duke Nukem Forever Cyberpunk 2077 Recommendations: Frank: Check out the SimCopter 64 article on GameHistory.org Andrés: Tampa Never Sleeps for some the best North American KOF fighters Fūnk-é: Making Comics, Fūnk-é Joseph Jaffe: Alan Moore’s Writing for Comics Support on Patreon Subscribe: RSS, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more!

The full panel reunites to determine what a video game is, how to do RPG dungeon music right, and Bob Oldfather. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman. Questions this week: Why did Embracer Group acquire Square Enix Montreal, change its name to Onoma, and then immediately shut it down? (05:25) What kind of video game items do you never want to use again? (08:09) When you’re playing an RPG and you complete an enemy encounter, should the overworld or dungeon theme start over from the beginning, pick up where it left off, or just play through the encounter itself? (15:15) NASCAR racer Ross Chastain pulled off a risky wall-riding maneuver this week setting a lap record, claiming that he learned the move from playing NASCAR 2005 on the GameCube. How is it that video games are changing the way sports are played in real life? (21:04) Is this particular dartboard a video game console? (30:02) Violence Island (39:17) LIGHTNING ROUND: From Yeso: Guess the game based on its Metacritic review (01:06:38) Recommendations and Outro (01:13:31) A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: The Laughing Cow Light Cheese Spread Kosher Natural & Kosher Shredded White Mozzarella Cheese Cheez-It® Extra Toasty Snack Crackers Goldfish Crackers Video Game Studio Goes Through Expensive Rebrand, Is Then Immediately Shut Down Final Fantasy series Hollow Knight Yakuza / Ryū ga Gotoku series Pokémon main RPG series Dragon Quest series Adventures of Superman NieR series Phantasy Star IV NASCAR driver pulls off crowd-stunning ‘wall ride’ he learned on GameCube NASCAR 2005: Chase for the Cup Marvel Spider-Man: Miles Morales Formula 1: Drive to Survive A dartboard by a company called Arachnid Dartslive Gyromite Mario Golf series Pong Magnavox Odyssey Densha de Go! series Raiden (Metal Gear series) Bahamut (Final Fantasy X) Raiden (Mortal Kombat) Augustus Cole Mutant Football League series Ty the Tasmanian Tiger Crash Bandicoot Tommy Vercetti Mr. Resetti Recommendations: Brandon: Five Fingers for Marseilles (2017) Frank: Bookmans Entertainment Exchange if you’re in Tuscon or Phoenix Jaffe: Vote! And tell your friends to subscribe to the new Apple Podcasts feed Support on Patreon Subscribe: RSS, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more!

Game music composer and console restoration expert Christa Lee joins this year’s monster hunting party, taking on evils like foreshadowing, deceptively powerful industry figures, and ranking the Silent Hill series. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Tim Rogers, Brandon Sheffield, and Christa Lee. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman. Questions this year: What do we think of all the Silent Hill stuff that got announced? (03:35) What games best use technological constraints to their advantage? (09:59) When does a game seem perfect for you, but still doesn’t work? (15:58) What’s the right way to do foreshadowing in a video game? (23:09) The Fightening Return of Questions Deemed Too Stupid for the Dirtbag (29:36) What’s the biggest risk you’ve taken in a video game? (39:50) Should video games even have unwinnable scenarios? (46:05) Who are the most surprisingly powerful people in the video game industry? (53:06) LIGHTNING ROUND: Ranking the Silent Hill series (01:00:39) Recommendations and Outro (01:12:32) Visit the forums to see the final ranking of the Silent Hill series! A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: Silent Hill series Clock Tower series Septentrion: Out of the Blue Mizzurna Falls Ihatovo Monogatari Ep. 207 - Specdracular 2021, with Ian Ferguson Konami announces Silent Hill F and a Silent Hill 2 remake Resident Evil series Super Mario series Silent Hill 2: Enhanced Edition Higurashi: When They Cry series Siren series Vectorman series Eternal Champions Metal Gear series Panzer Dragoon series Paradise Killer Star Ocean series Ninja Gaiden series Dark Souls series Devil May Cry series Bayonetta series Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance Astral Chain Sol Cresta DoDonPachi Final Fantasy Tactics TearRing Saga: Berwick Saga - Lazberia Chronicle Chapter 174 Fire Emblem series Shining Force Ogre Battle series Dorohedoro Dragon Quest VII Jill Sandwich Super Smash Brothers series Xenoblade series Iron Man 3 (2013) The Dark Knight (2008) Angel’s Egg (1985) Mad Max 2 (1981) The Madness of King George (1994) Dawn of the Dead (1978) Highlander II: The Quickening (1991) Zombi 2 (1979) Splinter Cell series Titanic (1997) Blade Runner (1982) Catwoman (2004) Catwoman P.T. Alien: Isolation The Silver Case Platinum Demo: Final Fantasy XV Final Fantasy XV Yggdra Union: We’ll Never Fight Alone Baroque universe Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Elden Ring Quake series Duke Nukem series Turok: Dinosaur Hunter The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Shenmue series Tim: Have already put a “Skip Intro” on Star Trek: The Next Generation if you’re someone who has the ability to make that happen inside Paramount+ by the time this episode airs Brandon: Virtuosic Hair Metal Band T-Ride, buy from CastleMania if you’re gonna buy any of these rereleases coming up Christa: Insmouse no Yakata, get your VirtualBoy ribbons fixed at SoundRetro.co, Furuhata Ninzaburō, Mikey and Nicky (1976) Jaffe: Wishlist Demonschool and Hyper Gunsport on Steam, Welcome to the Fantasy Zone Support on Patreon Subscribe: RSS, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more!

The panel reunites in total to cover the death of the Stadia, if it’s ever okay to make a 30 FPS game, and Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Questions this week: Find any long lost NES games lately, Frank? (06:18) What do we have to say about the passing of the Stadia? (13:15) Which video game franchise took the greatest number of releases to start getting interesting? (19:01) When can a current game justify a 30 FPS frame rate? (25:03) Jaffe Guesses the Golden Age of Konami – Round 5 (36:21) Spencer’s Gifts asks: What is the best non-interactive work of video game media? (41:54) Is there a video game you think would have been more successful if it was released later? (47:43) What is the Aqua Teen Hunger Force of video games? (52:16) LIGHTNING ROUND: GameFAQ&As - Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (59:18) Check out the forums to Colossus scream about this episode! A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: Math Blaster! Defender Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Ultra Vortek Trevor McFur in the Crescent Galaxy Cybermorph Highlander Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time Hover Strike The Simpsons X-Men Elevator Action variants Super Glove Ball Battletoads series SimCity Google is shutting down Stadia Gunsport Wishlist Hyper Gunsport on Steam E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial Super Mario series Yakuza / Ryū ga Gotoku series NBA 2K12 Red Dead Redemption series Street Fighter series Ys series Kirby games Donkey Kong games Bionic Commando series Pilotwings Gotham Knights Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Marvel Spider-Man: Miles Morales Wishlist Demonschool on Steam The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Dark Souls series Assassin’s Creed series Demon’s Souls Elden Ring Mass Destruction Madden series Castlevania: Symphony of the Night Metal Gear Solid Suikoden II Tokimeki Memorial 2 Dance Dance Revolution / Dancing Stage series beatmania games pop’n music Silent Hill series Silent Hill 2: Enhanced Edition Super Mario Bros. (1993) Ultima GameCenter CX Taito X-55 NieR series Dragon Quest series Philosoma Halo series The Witcher series Dante’s Inferno DOOM series Black Tiger EarthBound American Psycho (2000) Undertale Linda³ Star Fox 2 FX Fighter series Comanche: Over the Edge Silhouette Mirage Aqua Teen Hunger Force Xavier: Renegade Angel 2007 Boston Mooninite panic ‘Turok’ maker plays the name game Controversial Shadow Man: 2econd Coming advertising campaign Night in the Woods Goat Simulator Alien Hominid Invader ZIM SpongeBob SquarePants Beavis and Butt-Head Recommendations: Brandon: Reservation Dogs, play Control in German Tim: Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, put a “Skip Intro” on Star Trek: The Next Generation if you’re someone who has the ability to make that happen inside Paramount+ Frank: Check out the weird rough draft of the HD restoration that introduces each episode of The Next Generation on Pluto TV’s Star Trek channel Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

EIC of Polygon and co-host of The Besties Chris Plante fills in for Frank on topics like the Cyberpunk anime, Anthem, and a Republican poet’s paradise. Questions this week: How can game companies draw attention back to their titles after a botched release? (07:07) How do you make collecting treasure in a game feel significant? (14:14) What would you put in The Orange Box 2? (20:12) How would you quantify an experience point? (26:07) Design a game based on a White House press conference. (32:59) From PAX 2022: An interview with Starbucks Workers United organizer (37:59) MoxBagel re-asks: What’s the ideal video game to play over dinner? (41:11) Has a plot hole in a game’s story ever ruined the game for you? (48:37) What is the Avengers: Endgame of video games? (58:14) LIGHTNING ROUND: Name Design – Panic! At The Disco songs (01:05:38) Recommendations and Outro (01:18:57) If you look behind this episode’s waterfall you’ll find people discussing it in the forums! A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: Disney’s Darkwing Duck The Besties General Chaos Mortal Kombat GoldenEye 007 Super Smash Brothers series Cyberpunk 2077 Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Starfield Anthem Assassin’s Creed series Silent Hill 2 Yakuza / Ryū ga Gotoku series Tomb Raider series Deus Ex series Marvel Avengers Gex series Portal series Half-Life: Alyx Quantum Conundrum Counter-Strike series Team Fortress series Back 4 Blood Crusader Kings series Perfect Tides Hollow Knight Baldur’s Gate series Legend of Zelda series Super Hydlide Demonschool (now wishlistable on Steam) Paper Mario series Samba De Amigo Elite Beat Agents Xanadu (1980) Space Channel 5 Papers, Please Gears 5 Dark Souls series The Last of Us series Genshin Impact Deadly Premonition NieR: Automata Kentucky Route Zero Persona series Call of Duty series Spec Ops: The Line BioShock series Dead & Buried (1981) One Piece Halo series Avengers: Endgame (2019) Fortnite series Katamari Damacy Hook John Wick (2014) John Wick Hex EarthBound Recommendations: Jaffe: Watch One Piece Brandon: hold the up and down buttons to control those barrels in the Carnival Zone in Sonic 3, don’t watch Austin Powers, don’t watch any of the Bill & Ted movies, Mom and Dad Save the World (1992) Tim: Check out Star Trek: Discovery if you want to see David Cronenberg be weird and Michelle Yeoh be weird Chris: Subscribe to Shudder or The Criterion Channel Support on Patreon Subscribe: RSS, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more! Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Tim Rogers, Brandon Sheffield, and Chris Plante. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

The full panel reassembles to create an Insert Credit approved ranked list of twenty arcade games. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman. Nominees in Order of Discussion: Asteroids Deluxe (21:30) The Irritating Stick (26:10) Ivan ‘Ironman’ Stewart’s Super Off Road (30:16) Alien Vs. Predator (34:28) X-Men (40:15) Capcom Vs. SNK 2 Millionaire Fighting 2001 (44:43) The Outfoxies (50:33) NBA Jam: Tournament Edition (01:02:25) Groove Coaster (01:08:24) F-Zero AX (01:15:51) Frogger (01:26:25) Typing of the Dead (01:30:10) Tapper (01:39:32) Azumanga Puzzle Daioh (01:42:23) Prop Cycle (01:47:39) Dog Patch (01:57:29) Darius (02:02:04) Ibara Kuro: Black Label (02:07:28) G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (02:10:33) Outrun (02:14:31) View the finalized ranked list in the forums! A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: Curiosity 22Cans Elvis (2022) X-Men Final Fight series Rampart Metal Slug series Giovanni’s Pizza Galaga Xevious Ibara Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Derby Stallion series Dog Patch OutRun series Asteroids Deluxe Spacewar! Tempest The Irritating Maze Irritating Stick Ivan ‘Ironman’ Stewart’s Super Off Road Ivan Stewart Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom Double Dragon Alien vs. Predator Street Fighter series The Punisher Undercover Cops Panzer Bandit Yakuza / Ryū ga Gotoku series Judgment / Judge Eyes series Metamorphic Force Capcom Vs. SNK 2 Millionaire Fighting 2001 Marvel vs. Capcom series SoulCalibur Guilty Gear Super Smash Brothers series The Rumble Fish 2 pop’n music series Dance Dance Revolution / Dancing Stage series Pump It Up series The Outfoxies Rolling Thunder Code Name: Viper Cobra Triangle Vice: Project Doom Among Us Pac-Man Samurai Gunn TowerFall series Nidhogg VIDEOBALL Elevator Action Returns NBA Jam series Mortal Kombat games Tecmo Bowl series NFL Blitz Groove Coaster series Flappy Bird Fruit Ninja series Darius series The Ninja Warriors series Alundra F-Zero AX Super Monkey Ball series Sega Rally series After Burner series Time Crisis II Point Blank 2 Deus Ex Frogger Crossy Road The Typing of the Dead The House of the Dead series Virtua Cop 2 Police Trainer series Tapper Diner Dash series Red Dead Redemption II Landmaker Azumanga Daioh Puzzle Bobble Puzzle Fighter series Wing War Wing Arms Virtua Fighter Virtua Racing Virtual On series Cyber Sled Katamari series Ridge Racer series Prop Cycle Hyper Gunsport Ibara Kuro: Black Label RayForce / Layer Section series G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Sin and Punishment series Cabal Yu Suzuki After Burner: Climax Support on Patreon Subscribe: RSS, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more! Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

Game annotater and journalist John Learned joins the panel to cover dead babies, doing a Batman, and Mr. Bones and me. Questions this week: What’d you think of Return to Monkey Island, Frank? (04:57) What have been the most significant improvements to the Metroidvania format since Symphony of the Night? (11:30) How many fighters should be in a fighting game? (16:53) What’s the best use of a musical instrument in a non-music based video game? (21:53) What job in the video game industry are you not qualified for, but could do an okay job at anyway? (27:14) Spencer’s Gifts asks: Are lost memories a compelling story device? (35:27) Violence Island Season 2 (41:37) Other than an achievement or trophy, what’s the best way to reward a player for 100% completion in a video game? (58:00) LIGHTNING ROUND: Pull Quotes (01:03:30) Recommendations and Outro (01:08:19) Return to the forums to discuss this episode! A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: Alexey Pajitnov Street Fighter series Legend of Zelda series Perry Mason Asuka 120% series Radiant Silvergun Perry Farrell Demon’s Souls Dark Souls series Return to Monkey Island Monkey Island series Castlevania / Akumajō Dracula series F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch Chasm Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon Hollow Knight Super Metroid Yoku’s Island Express King of Fighters series Tekken series Skullgirls series Big Band Mr. Bones Ninja Baseball Bat Man Pac-Man 2: The New Adventures Darkstalkers series Super Mario series Mortal Kombat Fatal Fury Special Windjammers Sunset Riders Power Dolls Vagrant Story Final Fantasy series Dragon Quest III Deckard Cain Abel Marina Liteyears U-1 Yuna Raidou Kuzunoha XIV Captain Marvel Captain Commando Batman: Arkham Knight Yakuza / Ryū ga Gotoku series NieR series Stardew Valley Recommendations: Brandon: Buy stuff from Japan right now since the exchange rate is so good, Cypher (2002), Frank: Beavis and Butt-Head John: Breaking Bad Jaffe: Send proof of new or upgrading Patreon membership to personally choose an obscure video game reference to open a future episode with! Wishlist Demonschool on Steam by Necrosoft. Check out our sister show, The Video Game History Hour. Enjoy the new action button reviews boku no natsuyasumi. Subscribe to Annotated Games by John Learned. Support on Patreon Subscribe: RSS, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more! Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Brandon Sheffield, and John Learned. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

Brandon continues his time in Japan for the Tokyo Game Show by covering hidden shrines at Sega HQ with Lotte May and Yumiko Miyabe, Rez development with Mark Macdonald, Kaiju bars with Jun Shimizu, Tokyo Game Show games with Andrew Kiya, the Japanese language with Cheryl Ng, and video game purchases with Paul O’Leary McCann. Discuss part II of this episode in the forums! Hosted by Brandon Sheffield, with Lotte May, Yumiko Miyabe, Mark MacDonald, Jun Shimizu, Andrew Kiya, Cheryl Ng, and Paul O’Leary McCann. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

Full moon, hot cars, cool games, good records. Brandon Sheffield is in Japan for Tokyo Game Show 2022, and has lots to share from the trip, including a Nintendo HQ visit, Maidreamin’, highway driving and street racing spots with Chibi-Tech, and record store finds with Kenan Alpay. Discuss this episode in the forums! Hosted by Brandon Sheffield, with Chibi-Tech and Kenan Alpay. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

The reunited Ash Parrish and Chris Kohler, both formerly of Kotaku Splitscreen, join Frank Cifaldi and Alex Jaffe in answering the top video game questions on Quora. Questions this week: Is there any reason to choose a female character in video games? (03:18) Why does everyone speak English in the Fallout video game series? (06:04) Playing Skyrim as a vampire, is it worth it? (06:56) Why is Magnus Carlsen hinting at not playing world championships anymore while at the peak of his power? (09:20) What’s the hardest video game ever made? (11:31) How can I permanently end my son’s gaming? (14:45) What are some good free game engines? (21:16) In a 4X game, do you play tall or wide? (22:45) What game has the environment that blew your mind? (24:27) Where do you scale the Game Sonic? (27:58) If you’re making a game and a company wants to buy it from you, how much should you sell it for? (32:41) Will the era of console exclusive games ever end? (38:28) Why is it when I play Minecraft with 1660Ti I barely reach 60fps? (39:28) My son is playing Elden Ring and it’s full of demonic imagery. What should I do? (40:28) What are the least known game genres? (42:34) Are there any games that can actually earn Paypal money?(45:42) LIGHTNING ROUND: Overwatch League Team Slogans (46:37) Recommendations and Outro (50:35) Any questions? Ask them in the forums! A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: Quora’s video game questions Mass Effect series Fallout games NetHack Street Fighter II: The World Warrior New Super Mario Bros. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Final Fantasy XIV Online: A Realm Reborn Mister Mosquito Boktai: The Sun is in Your Hand Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain Dragon Age: Origins Mortal Kombat games The Sims 4 Magnus Carlsen Nintendo World Championships 1990 Space Hulk: Vengeance of the Blood Angels Blood Will Be Spilled Edge of Tomorrow (2014) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Takeshi no Chōsenjō Carmen Sandiego series Yars’ Revenge Super Mario 64 Star Fox 64 Chameleon Twist Roblox Minecraft Sonic the Hedgehog: Triple Trouble Sonic the Hedgehog universe Lemmings Twine RPG Maker (not free) Undertale Homestuck Reigen Arataka and Sans squared off in Tumblr Sexyman poll Video Game History Hour Ep. 22: Remembering Atari with Howard Scott Warshaw Stellaris Civilization series World of WarCraft series Dragon Warrior II Zelda II: The Adventure of Link Pokémon Silver Version Penny Arcade MC Frontalot MC Chris Call of Duty series Elden Ring Q*bert Miner 2049er Splatoon series The Oregon Trail eBay Recommendations: Frank: The Video Game History Hour Ash: BPM: Bullets Per Minute Chris: Immortality Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Ash Parrish and Chris Kohler. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

Brandon Sheffield reports from the Demonschool booth at PAX 2022, where he shares stories direct from Ian Adams, Frank Howley and our own Frank Cifaldi. Demonschool Booth Worries (00:14) A PAX-ish Anecdote, with Ian Adams (02:12) Day 1 Wrap-Up (03:19) Hotel Experience (05:06) Orange County in Newcastle upon Tyne (06:42) Day 2 and Adventure Game Panel, with Frank Cifaldi (08:53) Seattle Is Just San Francisco 2 (23:38) The Last of Us 2 Whiskey Event, with Frank Howley (26:16) Wrap Up (30:05) Hosted by Brandon Sheffield, with Ian Adams, Frank Howley and Frank Cifaldi. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

Insert Credit Fringe Games Correspondent Liz Ryerson returns to the panel to cover being a tool user, the year of peak stupidity in video games, and crystals of fun syrup. Questions this week: If you had a free day at the world’s most complete arcade, how would you spend a thousand quarters? (02:27) Is Gamescom the new E3? (07:59) What is the Snyder Cut of game conferences? (13:19) Recommend a video game soundtrack for Alex Jaffe’s dad’s commute (18:57) Improv Zone: Game Director YouTube Channels (23:49) Mr. Heck asks: what makes successful video games similar, and what makes video game failures unique? (39:24) What’s the stupidest thing you’ve ever seen in a video game? (47:59) How would you put the sound of a black hole into a video game? (52:47) What kind of games and areas of game culture do we not talk about enough on Insert Credit? (56:30) LIGHTNING ROUND: Episode Title Throwbacks (01:01:41) Recommendations and Outro (01:11:06) Two hundred and fifty? That’s a lot of episodes you could discuss in the forums! A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: Yo, Bro California Extreme 2 Spicy Emergency Call Ambulance Prop Cycle Elevator Action Deluxe series Daytona USA Marble Madness Revolution X Metal Slug series Cadash EightyTwo Golden Axe: The Revenge of Death Adder Long Island Retro Gaming Expo Phantasmagoria series Gamescom Kölsch Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021) Todd Rogers John Romero that Seinfeld photo shoot Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas EverGrace NieR series BioShock series Fallout games Deathloop Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Tony Hawk skateboarding series Katamari Damacy Space Channel 5 Ape Out EarthBound FunHouse Mortal Kombat games Disney’s Goof Troop Biohazard / Resident Evil series Maniac Mansion Twister (1996) Inception (2010) Dan Snaith Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan / Elite Beat Agents series London Cab Challenge Smashing Drive Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg Billy the Wizard: Rocket Broomstick Racing Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events Neopets: The Darkest Faerie Death of Adventure Games Gabriel Knight 3: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned Armed & Delirious Alex Kidd series Exile: Wicked Phenomenon Knuckles’ Chaotix Nasa releases audio of what a black hole ‘sounds’ like Legend of Zelda series Oh, Deer! Super Mario series Fortnite series Clash Royale Recommendations: Brandon: Wash your car from top to bottom, watch the Comanche dub of Prey (2022), Winter Beast (1992) Frank: If you like to channel surf old games, don’t forget to play the popular good stuff too Liz: Death’s Dynamic Shroud, Season of the Witch (1972), Kitschfork Support on Patreon Subscribe: RSS, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more! Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Brandon Sheffield, and Liz Ryerson. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

Here’s something different! Episode Not 250 brings you a few of the Who Would Win In A Fight matches from forums.insertcredit.com and delivers swift judgment from Alex Jaffe. Stick around for conversation from Alex, Frank, and Brandon on subjects like Judaism in the Bay Area, Batman: The Animated Series, cultural aesthetic adoption over the decades, and more. Support on Patreon Subscribe: RSS, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more! Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

Our beloved panel of experts discusses podcasts on Stadia, Chimp Chent, and Breath of the Gliald. Questions this week: From Ash Parrish: If a game development studio was run like a busy kitchen, what would employees shout while running around? (01:18) How do developers make money from subscription services like GamePass? (06:12) Which former game development collaborators would you most like to see team up again? (10:52) What are the false impressions we get about war from war video games? (17:57) What’s the plot of Super Monkey Ball? (22:36) Gaagaagiins asks: Rank the following – dash, roll, slide, glide, hover, fly and jump. (27:22) How do you get past video game burnout? (37:11) LIGHTNING ROUND: Name a new Guilty Gear character (41:25) Recommendations and Outro (44:03) Legally, the government can’t stop you from discussing this episode in the forums! A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: Giant Bomb The Bear Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop Hot Comics for Cool People by Brandon Sheffield and Dami Lee Yakuza / Ryū ga Gotoku series Stadia Sonic Team Balan Wonderworld SNK Corporation Silent Hill 2 Unity Signs New Deal To Help U.S. Army, Government Metal Gear Ac!d NeverDead Thimbleweed Park Monkey Island series Bonk series Final Fantasy series Dragon Warrior / Dragon Quest series Landstalker Shining Force Yo-kai Watch series The Adventures of Batman & Robin Darius series Call of Duty series Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots America’s Army series Super Monkey Ball series Super Mario series Legend of Zelda series Kirby games Rocket Knight Adventures Dark Souls series Virtua Fighter series Battle Arena Toshinden series Another World Genital Jousting Demon’s Crest Castlevania / Akumajō Dracula series Celeste Burnout series Astro’s Playroom Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Recommendations: Tim: Don’t go outside if you live in New York Brandon: The Cannibal Man (1972), you can eat squash leaves and stems, research the correct order to watch The Prisoner Frank: New Beavis and Butt-Head series is pretty good Jaffe: The Sandman Support on Patreon Subscribe: RSS, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more! Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

Insert Credit Hornt Correspondent Ash Parrish rejoins the panel to answer questions members of the Insert Credit forums deemed too stupid even to submit to the dirtbag. Questions this week: BluntForceMama asks: What is your mom’s favorite TV show, and how would you adapt it into a video game your dad would want to play? (02:06) Gaagaagiins asks: Is Capcom just Sega without the Sega-ness? (07:09) beets asks: If you were going to make a table from video game hardware, which would you choose? (10:03) yeso asks: can Yoko Taro see out of that thing? (12:41) King Tub asks: when I’m rewarded with gold for fighting a monster, what’s it doing with that gold? (15:13) Is Superman just seeing everybody’s dicks all the time? (18:03) Gaagaagiins asks: Design a Fromsoft Onimusha game with a Jean Reno-level celebrity appearance and setting (20:44) antillese asks: If muddy brown is the color of Xbox 360 games, what is the video game color of other consoles? (22:12) The Fragrance of Dark Coffee asks: What isn’t the Jingle All The Way of video games? (26:19) dylanfills asks: Is the Phoenix Wright series copaganda? (30:15) Anna asks: If every video game character escaped the virtual world and attacked their creators, which developers could beat their creations? (35:22) TokuCowboy asks: What does the CD mean in Sonic CD? (40:56) HelloMrKearns asks: What is the Mitsuoka Le-Seyde of video games? (41:28) dylanfills asks: is Doomguy a bottom? (47:48) LIGHTNING ROUND: Arcade of Our Own (51:16) Recommendations and Outro (01:03:22) Discuss this episode in the forums or ask questions of your own! A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: Insert Credit Flavored Questions that are too stupid for the Dirtbag Zoot Suit Riot Devil’s Crush Poirot Murder, She Wrote Endeavour Selling Sunset Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen Sub Hunt Biohazard / Resident Evil series Virtua Fighter series Star Gladiator series Power Stone games Mega Man Legends Dino Crisis Lost Planet series Yoko Taro Dragon Warrior / Dragon Quest series Monster Hunter series Final Fantasy series Cyber Doll Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex The Boys Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Onimusha 3: Demon Siege Jean Reno Christopher Lambert White Knight Chronicles Resonance of Fate Bonk series Bazaru de Gozaru no Game de Gozaru Alundra Mortal Kombat Jingle All the Way (1996) Braid BioShock series Seinfeld Pac-Man Minesweeper The banner ad Frank discusses during the break Ace Attorney / Gyakuten Saiban series Le Samouraï (1967) Revolutionary Girl Utena Yakuza / Ryū ga Gotoku series Monkey Island series Fist Puncher Space Harrier Dark Souls series Civilization series Lester the Unlikely Teddy Ruxpin Sonic CD Mitsuoka Le-Seyde Steel Battalion Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat Guitar Hero series Aaron Woodrow’s ringtone DOOM series a page from the Doom comic Recommendations: Brandon: Wishlist Hyper Gunsport and Demonschool on Steam Ash: Endling: Extinction Is Forever, Escape Academy Frank: Try unsalted nuts, send Frank the Doom comic Support on Patreon Subscribe: RSS, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more! Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Brandon Sheffield, and Ash Parrish. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

The panel convenes to assess the Oofya, share controversial Klonoa opinions, and choose the first five video games to be given the Criterion Collection treatment. Questions this week: What difficulty mode do you start games on? (00:42) How do you remedy the tone of Grand Theft Auto while maintaining crass irreverence? (05:53) How do you create urgency in a video game without an explicit timer? (16:35) What should Roblox replace its iconic “oof” noise with? (20:31) Jaffe Guesses the Golden Age of Konami – Round 4 (28:37) Tom asks: If the Criterion Collection were to release video games, what might the first five titles be, and what would the ideal special features be for each of them? (30:04) LIGHTNING ROUND: The Inaugural Criterion Collection of Video Games (01:01:33) Share your picks for games 6 and onward in the forums! A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: Kingdom Hearts series Final Fantasy VII: Remake God of War series DOOM series Rockstar Games Cleaned Up Its Frat-Boy Culture — and Grand Theft Auto, Too Grand Theft Auto series Red Dead Redemption II The Sopranos The Simpsons Saints Row series Tim Roger’s Friend Jason Schreier Bully Sonic the Hedgehog universe Penguin Game tweet Super Valis IV Bio-Senshi Dan: Increaser to no Tatakai Celeste Castlevania / Akumajō Dracula series Roblox Roblox’s new ‘oof’ sound is a big oof Jeff Gerstmann’s tweet Super Mario series Intellivision Amico Klonoa series (be nice, klonoa is just a little guy doing his best) Tomba! Croc: Legend of the Gobbos The Criterion Collection Seanbaby ICO The Complete Mr. Arkadin (1955) Panzer Dragoon series The Last of Us series Virtua Fighter 2 SEGA AGES 2500 series Gunstar Heroes Powerslave Quake Samurai Shodown NeoGeo Collection Seven Samurai (1954) Linda³ Again Blizzard Arcade Collection Playdate Yu Suzuki Tokimeki Memorial games Myst Another World Katamari series Shadow of the Colossus Star Control II Elite Armageddon (1998) Mortal Kombat II Turok: Dinosaur Hunter Live a Live Once Upon a Time in China: The Complete Films High Seas Havoc Socket Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel Awesome Possum Kicks Dr. Machino’s Butt Recommendations: Tim: The Criterion Channel Frank: Get some good sleep and poop on the regular Brandon: If you drink wine buy a wine aerator, and if you live in the Bay Area buy Alvarrado Street bread Jaffe: The Bear on FX Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

Producer, critic and podcaster Paul Tamayo joins the panel to cover when you should pee your pants, Mario’s political affiliations, the coveted 7/11 video games, and Guantanamo Nights Zone. Questions this week: Which real world racing event has the most interesting game mechanics? (06:54) What are the best implementations of alien technology in video games? (14:05) Could you design a game about New York City that doesn’t involve driving? (19:55) What would be the best city to drive around in a video game? (27:48) Spencer asks: Why did so many companies throw their hat in the console ring during the fifth generation? (35:28) Was PaRappa the Rapper good, or do we just remember it because it has a rapping dog? (42:56) What are your video game spending habits like? (48:04) Within the game’s fiction, why do video game villains design their bases as platforming puzzles? (56:01) LIGHTNING ROUND: GameFAQ&As - Grand Theft Auto Online (01:01:01) Recommendations and Outro (01:09:05) Kick! Punch! Discuss this episode in the forums! A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: The Real World NASCAR Nascar and the Art of Revenge Daytona 500 Baja 1000 Alienware Hylics 2 Needler Outer Wilds Earth Defense Force / Chikyū Bōeigun series Another World Ramble Planet Halo (TV Series) Onechanbara: The Movie (2008) Onechanbara: Bikini Zombie Slayers (2009) Stray Marvel Spider-Man Assassin’s Creed series Grand Theft Auto series True Crime: New York City The Godfather: The Game Courier Crisis Premium Rush (2012) San Francisco Rush: Extreme Racing Driver: San Francisco Hitman III Landstalker Dark Savior 3DO Interactive Multiplayer Atari Jaguar Sega Saturn FM Towns Marty Amiga CD32 Apple Plippin Playdia Casio Loopy Spencer Gifts Spenser: For Hire Philips CD-i PC-FX Mortal Kombat Super Nintendo Entertainment System Sega Genesis Way of the Warrior Ken Kutaragi PaRappa the Rapper Um Jammer Lammy PaRappa the Rapper 2 PaRappa the Rapper: Remastered Paper Mario Panzer Dragoon Saga F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch Bowser Doctor Eggman Doctor Albert W. Wily Dracula Love Island Super Mario Odyssey Super Paper Mario Sonic Forces Recommendations: Paul: RRR (2022) Tim: Learn Chinese, it’s important Brandon: Do not leave your dog in East Oakland unless you want Brandon to take care of it, GRRL, the current season of The Bachelorette if you liked Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar (2021) Support on Patreon Subscribe: RSS, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more! Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Tim Rogers, Brandon Sheffield, and Paul Tamayo. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

Even Hollywood Florida can’t keep Alex Jaffe from asking the panel about Nobunaga’s Position, The Zorro Theorem, and Jonk Bonk. Questions this week: What’s up with that Vice article about Embracer Group making a game archive? (04:47) What are your favorite kinds of puzzles in video games? (12:34) How would you design a new spinoff of Koei’s Romance of the Three Kingdom’s series? (19:28) When does a game need a remake? (23:16) Which four video games would you buy for each of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? (28:57) Le Fish asks: What would the title, plot, and promotional tagline of a Bonk movie be? (34:43) Is it always more exciting to play offense than defense? (41:02) Do you have any recurring intrusive video game memories? (43:35) What is The Orville of video games? (47:44) LIGHTNING ROUND: Famicom Feud – Spike Video Game Awards Celebrity Hosts (53:05) Recommendations and Outro (01:09:26) Share your recurring intrusive video game memories in the forums! A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: Growing strong and healthy…Minmo! Cool World (1992) Why Is a Game Publisher Trying to Buy Every Video Game Ever Made? ‘Super Mario 64’ sells for over $1.5 million Neutopia II Video Game History Foundation National Videogame Museum Spacewar Computer History Museum 30 Rock Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals Biohazard / Resident Evil series Rise of the Tomb Raider Uncharted series Shadow of the Tomb Raider The Last of Us series Hitman series Romance of the Three Kingdoms series Dynasty Warriors series Angelique Games Tokimeki Memorial games Nobunaga’s Ambition Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Fortnite: Battle Royale Left 4 Dead series Back 4 Blood American Truck Simulator series Kerbal Space Program Picross series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge Friday the 13th: The Game Elden Ring Bloodborne Bonk series Encino Man (1992) Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) Demolition Man (1993) Evo Moment 37 A Healer Only Lives Twice Asuka 120% series Final Fantasy XV The Orville Stardew Valley Harvest Moon / Story of Seasons series Castlevania / Akumajō Dracula series Contra series Mega Man / Rockman series Mighty No. 9 Ted (2012) A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014) Recommendations: Tim: Smoke weed every day Frank: Be by yourself for a little bit Brandon: The City of the Dead (1960) specifically for Venetia Stevenson’s performance Jaffe: John Adams Support on Patreon Subscribe: RSS, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more! Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

EVO Head Tournament Organizer Andrés Velasco y Coll fills in as host for a number of listener submitted questions, covering Italian David Cage, Stardon’t Valley, and how to get a job in the video game industry. Questions this week: Anders asks: How do you get into the video game industry? (07:35) AOL Netscape asks: What series or franchise has a spinoff game arguably better than its predecessor? (23:32) Ross Hamrick asks: How would you remake Jackie Chan Stuntmaster? (29:52) Horizontal Hold asks: Which Nintendo IP would Sega make a good entry of? (37:08) Mox Bagel asks: Which game director would make the best physical version of their game? (44:24) Dilson asks: What are the best crouching animations? (54:40) The Fragrance of Dark Coffee asks: What is the oldest game you’d still recommend today? (59:48) Spencer asks: Which games have the best third act? (01:09:18) LIGHTNING ROUND: Name Design – Popular Podcasts (01:15:51) Recommendations and Outro (01:22:32) Delve into the forums to discuss this episode! A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: Crime City Divekick: Addition Edition Super Hexagon VIDEOBALL Metal Gear series Hyper Gunsport now wishlistable on steam Indivisible BioShock series Animal Crossing: New Horizons Necrosoft Games is hiring a producer Evo Combo Breaker CEO Fighting Game Championships Video Game History Foundation Ninja Ninja Gaiden King of Fighters series Castlevania: Symphony of the Night Monster World IV Super Mario series Biohazard / Resident Evil series Tōhō (Touhou) series Sonic R Sonic the Hedgehog: Spinball Heroes of Might and Magic series Dark Arms: Beast Buster 1999 Dark Souls series King’s Field Legend of Zelda series Bust-A-Move Jackie Chan Stuntmaster Scarface: The World Is Yours Simpsons: Hit & Run Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction Prototype Jackie Chan’s Action Kung Fu Dynamite Deka series Star Wars: Jedi - Fallen Order Stranglehold Watch_Dogs Destroy All Humans! inFAMOUS series Kirby games Landstalker Sylvan Tale Crusader of Centy Linkle Liver Story Magic Knight Rayearth Dark Savior Star Fox series Kid Icarus series Punch-Out series Super Smash Brothers series Panzer Dragoon Pokémon Snap River City Ransom series Yakuza / Ryū ga Gotoku series Vagrant Story Bennett Foddy Illbleed Silent Hill series Sleep No More Chris Pratt says his Mario voice is ‘unlike anything you’ve heard’ City Hunter Rolling Thunder series The Ninja Warriors Sonic Mania The Adventures of Batman & Robin Bayonetta series Gears of War series Kenka Bancho: Badass Rumble Asteroids Deluxe Tempest Galaga Zoo Keeper Dog Patch California Extreme Pong Combat DOOM Crispy Doom Warlords Spacewar Computer History Museum Lunar Lander StarCraft series Marvel Spider-Man: Miles Morales Cyberpunk 2077 Mother / EarthBound series Undertale King Kong (1933) Ape Escape Recommendations: Frank: Listen to some other show if you want recommendations, GDQ 2022 Mario Kaizo relay race Brandon: Space Is the Place (1974), Void Pyramid, Xoo: Xeno Xafari Andres: Dimension 20’s Starstruck Odyssey Support on Patreon Subscribe: RSS, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more! Hosted by Andres Velasco y Coll, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

Adios Director Doc Burford joins the panel to cover pulse oximeters, what Michael Bay understood about West Side Story, and the RP Walk Button. Questions this week: At what point in playing a game do you feel justified picking up a guide? (06:05) If all video games are fantasy fulfillment, which games serve the most niche interest? (11:18) Design a game for the Nintendo Wii Vitality Sensor accessory. (17:14) Jaffe Guesses the Golden Age of Konami – Round 3 (24:20) Daisopop asks: What’s better? default running with a walk button or default walking with a run button? (25:31) Is Niantic a one-hit wonder? (31:58) Who is the Baz Luhrmann of video games? (37:59) LIGHTNING ROUND: GameFAQ&As: S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl (43:11) Recommendations and Outro (49:36) Toggle your run/walk button and get over to the forums to discuss this episode! A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: “Mystery Box” Vintage Video Game Magazines Arc System Works Super Mario series Mega Man / Rockman series Persona series Castlevania: Symphony of the Night TV Sports series Super Mario Bros. / Duck Hunt Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter Citizen Sleeper Runaway 2: The Dream of the Turtle Alundra Euro Truck Simulator series Ice Road Truckers The Simple Life The Good Life PC Building Simulator Hardspace: Shipbreaker Adios Animal Crossing series Stardew Valley Nintendo president: Wii Vitality Sensor shelved, ‘did not work as expected’ Wii Fit Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day! Ring Fit Adventure The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Bad reviews of Yankee Candle might predict waves of Covid-19 Final Fantasy VII Pokémon GO Ingress Shin Megami Tensei series Baz Luhrmann David Cage Ken Levine Tom Hooper Darren Aronofsky Mother! (2017) The Great Gatsby (2013) Elvis (2022) Doja Cat Romeo + Juliet (1996) The Beach (2000) Romeo Must Die (2000) BioShock series Busby Berkeley Michael Bay West Side Story (1961) Recommendations: Frank: The Video Game History Foundation Brandon: Mad God (2021) East Bay Wilds, wishlist Demonschool on Steam please Doc: pick up Adios on Switch, Xbox, PC, whatever Jaffe: Adios on Switch, Xbox, PC, whatever Support on Patreon Subscribe: RSS, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more! Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers, Brandon Sheffield, and Doc Burford. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

Game design lead for Future Club Mathew Kumar joins the panel to cover piles of graphics cards, Dall E, and customer service at the dream factory. Questions this week: What makes a video game “obscure?” (06:27) Brandon Sheffield re-asks: What is a game you didn’t like until you played it? (14:52) Imagine you’re streaming through a glitch where half your viewers get audio but no visuals, and half get visuals but no audio. What game could you play that both audiences would enjoy the most? (21:00) Design a new mode for Minesweeper (27:59) Dirtbag Seth asks: What responsibilities does a King of Fighters have to their subjects? (34:27) What will AI-generated video games be like? (37:31) Does fast travel mean traversing a game’s world isn’t interesting? (44:39) Which video game feels the most Scottish? (51:48) LIGHTNING ROUND: Famicom Feud - Top 8 Video Game movies on Rotten Tomatoes (56:36) Recommendations and Outro (01:13:47) Check out that AI forum game and lots more in the forums! A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: NBA 2K series Façade Planetokio Wurm: Journey to the Center of the Earth EarthBound Space Invaders variants Live a Live ObsCure Linda³ Insert Credit Obscure: The Aftermath Crusader of Centy Fortnite Unreal Tournament series Beethoven’s 2nd Contra: Rogue Corps Real Sound: Kaze no Regret Sam & Max licensees Monkey Island series LSD: Dream Emulator Hitman series Yakuza / Ryū ga Gotoku series The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Sudoku Minecraft The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Hexic King of Fighters series The Santa Clause (1994) DALL·E 2 Half-Life Dwarf Fortress What’s that game? (neural network generated image mode) Marvel Spider-Man Marvel Spider-Man: Miles Morales Marvel’s Wolverine Braveheart Dragon Force Grand Theft Auto series Excite series Forza Horizon 4 Lemmings Kasumi Ninja screenshot Shrek SuperSlam Recommendations: Frank: If you know any retired or semi-retired game developers in the midwest, let Frank know Brandon: Tool Assisted Speedrun of Pac-Man World for PSX, mikeyeldey: the album for Sega Genesis, set up a nice time for yourself Tim: Say thank you for things in your life Mathew: Ignore Big Luhrman, Mickey Reece’s Alien (2017) Support on Patreon Subscribe: RSS, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more! Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers, Brandon Sheffield and Mathew Kumar. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

Deputy editor of The Daily Beast Allegra Frank joins the panel to cover Kirby adults, Pokemon Gonlyfans, and whether or not demons are cool. Questions this week: Does adapting a story focused on choice into another medium cheapen player agency? (04:58) Where does the Kirby franchise go from here? (13:19) What’s happened with Pokemon Go in the last six years since anyone played it? (20:13) Which video game character would you pick to guest host Saturday Night Live? (26:58) Are demons cool? (32:02) Kyle asks: Which famous writer would be best at writing a video game walkthrough? (41:36) Tim asks: who cares? (48:42) LIGHTNING ROUND: GameFAQ&As: Dragon Age Inquisition (49:35) Recommendation & Outro (01:00:44) Pokemon Go to the forums to discuss this episode! A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: Demonschool by Necrosoft Games, now wishlistable on Steam Dornie Super Mario 64 Jurassic Park: Rampage Edition Castlevania: Symphony of the Night Yoshi Black Mirror: Bandersnatch F For Fake (1973) The Walking Dead BioShock Dragon Age series Mass Effect series Life Is Strange series Halo Kirby games Kirby Air Ride Kirby and the Forgotten Land Curb Your Enthusiasm Pokémon universe Pokémon GO Mongo only pawn in game of life Cork The Human Toll Of Fallout 76’s Disastrous Launch Marcus Michael Fenix George Steinbrenner Big Boss Solid Snake Dr. Hal “Otacon” Emmerich Demonschool Shin Megami Tensei series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge Persona series Yakuza / Ryū ga Gotoku series Final Fight: “Streetwise” Ernest Hemingway Homer Beowulf Salman Rushdie Jonathan Franzen Conker’s Bad Fur Day Sylvia Plath Warlock Jean-Paul Sartre Jorge Luis Borges Miguel de Cervantes Recommendations: Brandon: F For Fake (1973), Desiccation’s Cold Dead Earth, Tim: This lunchtime photograph, Don’t call yourself a flexitarian Allegra: Freeze then thaw your tofu Support on Patreon Subscribe: RSS, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more! Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Tim Rogers, Brandon Sheffield, and Allegra Frank. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

Final Fantasy and JRPG streamer The Night Sky Prince pals around with the panel for an RPG-focused episode covering wily game mavens, Bush doing 9/11, and the Lynchian madness of Kingdom Hearts. Questions this week: Brandon Sheffield asks: What is the “Play it again, Sam” of video games? (05:46) What would make Final Fantasy XVI not just the best game in the series, but a game that even Frank and Brandon would want to play immediately? (12:44) What are some RPG mechanics from a bygone age you’d like to see make a comeback? (20:54) Rename Creative Business Units 1 through 4 (26:24) MoxBagel asks: If Chunsoft continued to make all eleven main Dragon Quests, how would they be different? (37:21) Is the practice of grinding a fundamental flaw in RPGs, or can it be additive to the experience? (43:38) What are the qualities of a party member you’ll always keep in your party? (50:44) Establish a canon of worthy 2D successors to Final Fantasies IV-VI (56:32) LIGHTNING ROUND: RPGeography (01:03:07) Recommendations & Outro (01:09:29) Use Discussion on the forums! It’s super effective! A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: Dragon Ball Z: Super Saiya Densetsu Phantasy Star IV Phantasy Star games Dragon Warrior Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Treasure of Tarmin Cartridge Pokémon Blue Version Quest 64 Play it again, Sam Casablanca (1942) Pac-Man Death Stranding Pong Super Mario series Final Fantasy XV Everything we learned from Final Fantasy XVI’s new trailer The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Call of Duty series Devil May Cry 5 Ultima Shin Megami Tensei series Elden Ring Creative Business Unit I Final Fantasy series Saga Frontier series Kingdom Hearts series The World Ends with You series Creative Business Unit II Dragon Warrior / Dragon Quest series Gunslinger Stratos NieR series Bravely Default series Octopath Traveler series Creative Business Unit III Final Fantasy XIV Online: A Realm Reborn Final Fantasy XVI Dragon Quest Builders series Creative Business Unit IV Seiken Densetsu / Mana series Nintendo R&D 1 Sega AM2 Meet Shinra, Square Enix’ powerful cloud processing tech Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge Spike Chunsoft Yuji Horii Akira Toriyama Koichi Sugiyama Destiny 2 Loop Hero Half-Minute Hero series Cecil Harvey Shining Force series Centaur (pinball) Deus Ex: Human Revolution is FINE, And Here’s Why Legend of Heroes series Lost Odyssey Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals Chrono Trigger Wild Arms Suikoden series The Legend of Xanadu II Seiya Monogatari: Anearth Fantasy Stories Tokimeki Memorial games Albert Odyssey Tales series Final Fantasy Tactics Wild Arms 2 Xenogears Grandia Dark Savior Alundra Recommendations: Brandon: Wishlist Necrosoft’s new game Demonschool on Steam, check out the website Frank: Our Flag Means Death Tim: Buy a nice pair of shoes The Night Sky Prince: The Night Sky Prince on Youtube, Twitch and Twitter Support on Patreon Subscribe: RSS, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more! Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers, Brandon Sheffield and The Night Sky Prince. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

The panel reveals which console has quietly become the second Dreamcast, their honest feelings on how Sonic Frontiers is looking so far, which game Tim started 24 times before finishing, and much more. HEADS UP! During Question 6, beginning at 45:51, Tim starts telling a story that contains some pretty horrifying dental trauma. If you don’t want to hear bad things happening to teeth, please skip to 49:37. Questions this week: Is a tech demo a video game? (02:36) Are we getting a new Space Harrier? (13:41) What are the best fonts and typefaces in video games? (20:22) Design eight characters for a Street Fighter spinoff where each character is based on a U.S. state (26:31) Mono asks: What’s the saddest sound you’ve ever heard in a video game? (35:06) Do you or does someone you know have video game superstitions? (41:27) LIGHTNING ROUND: GameFAQ&As – The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (52:39) Recommendations and Outro (58:15) Fly away to the forums to discuss this episode! A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: Mega Man / Rockman series Karl Malone GameFan Die-Hardman Sonic Frontiers gameplay The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Important note: At one point in this episode Tim insists that we recognize that Jerry was dethroned by Carl for just a moment. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Sonic Adventure Super Mario Odyssey Alex Kidd series Halo: Infinite Destiny Yakuza / Ryū ga Gotoku series The Night Sky Prince Elden Ring Yooka-Laylee Space Harrier series Air Twister Air Twister trailer Apple Arcade Top Gun (1986) Apple TV 4K Fantasian ChuChu Rocket! Universe Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls Sōkyūgurentai Mars Matrix Wild Arms 2 Crime Crackers 2 Ys series Persona 2: Eternal Punishment Final Fantasy VI EarthBound Final Fantasy Tactics Ore no Shikabane wo Koete Yuke Street Fighter series Billy Kane Duke Kahanamoku Ernest Borgnine From Here to Eternity (1953) EB Games Ayrton Senna Kid ’n Play Duke Nukem Forever Family Feud Castlevania: Symphony of the Night Animal Crossing: New Horizons Madden Curse Landstalker VIDEOBALL Biohazard / Resident Evil series Sonic 3D Blast The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past Wing Commander series Shrek Recommendations: Brandon: George & Jonathan - The Best Music, Citizen Sleeper, please wishlist Hyper Gunsport on Steam, watch the PC Gaming Show on Sunday June 12 at 12:30p/3:30e to see Necrosoft’s new video game announcement Tim: Figure out what Tim is recommending yourself, I guess. Sounds like he likes HBO shows. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

Questions this week: Tim Rogers asks: What’s it like going to a chiropractor? (05:08) What’s the Metal Gear Solid 2-style subversion Death Stranding 2 will have? (13:23) What would it take to get you to buy alternate costume DLC? (19:56) What would we do if we bought EA? (25:56) Jaffe Guesses The Golden Age of Konami – Attempt 2 (32:02) Anonymous asks: Design a mascot for the ESRB (32:26) What is the Porco Rosso of video games? (37:37) Violence Island – Shadowban Championship (42:41) LIGHTNING ROUND: GameFAQ&As – Minecraft (01:19:16) Recommendations & Outro (01:27:02) A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: SimCopter Call of Duty series Earthworm Jim Killer Instinct Cyberpunk 2077 Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman A new Death Stranding is happening, Norman Reedus says Death Stranding Metal Gear series Zone of the Enders Death Stranding: The Kotaku Video Review (by Tim Rogers) K2 Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse Super Mario Odyssey Honda Prelude Ghost of Tsushima Report: EA Looking to Sell or Merge Madden series Burnout series Road Rash series Titanfall series Skate or Die series skate series EA Sports and FIFA are breaking up after 30 years It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) 3DO Interactive Multiplayer Shadows of the Damned Dead Space series Mirror’s Edge series Syndicate Entertainment Software Rating Board Gunsport God of War McGruff the Crime Dog Porco Rosso (1992) Onimusha 3: Demon Siege SkyGunner Tail Concerto Drakengard 2 Snoopy vs. the Red Baron Shadow the Hedgehog Yevgeny Borisovitch Volgin Kratos Rabbids Takahashi Meijin The King of All Cosmos Bomberman Sephiroth Recommendations: Brandon: City of Blood by Akvan Frank: George Carlin’s American Dream Tim: Severance Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

Developer of TowerFall and Celeste Maddy Thorson joins the panel to cover the Treasure of Sierra Madrock, Nephew Tokens, and if double jumps are really necessary. Questions this week: Topher Florence asks: Cast a Super Mario Bros. Movie using the actors from the 1999 film The Matrix. There are no other restrictions. (06:51) How can a game’s soundtrack encourage gameplay? (13:45) Why did MicroKingBlizzardActivision show off that diversity chart like they were proud of it? (19:33) How much of Nintendo can the Saudi Prince of Arabia own before it’s no longer ethical to buy Switch games? (27:05) Should video games abolish the double jump? (30:42) Reg asks: What is the best video game manual you have read? (37:50) How do you implement accessibility options in a game where its difficulty is the point? (43:34) Do video game release dates mean anything anymore? (48:25) Will 3D platforming ever be better than 2D platforming? (54:16) LIGHTNING ROUND: GameFAQ&As – Super Mario Maker 2 (01:00:03) Recommendations & Outro (01:03:39) Dash to the forums to discuss this episode! A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: Mission in Snowdriftland Titanic (1997) The Flintstones: The Treasure of Sierra Madrock Daffy Duck: The Marvin Missions Bonk’s Revenge Manmaru The Ninja Penguin TowerFall series Celeste Super Mario Maker series Crystal Caves M.C. Kids Super Mario series The Matrix (1999) Keanu Reeves Joe Pantoliano Carrie-Anne Moss Hugo Weaving Laurence Fishburne Tatanga Anthony Ray Parker Matt Doran Marcus Chong Gloria Foster Super Mario Bros. (1993) Max Headroom Sonic the Hedgehog universe Kingdom Hearts series Katamari series Mini Metro Silent Hill 3 Fez Activision Blizzard’s New Diversity Game Tool Comes Across Terribly Saudi Arabia Now Owns 5% Of Nintendo Super Ghouls ’N Ghosts Legend of Zelda series Landstalker Gunstar Heroes Bokura no Kazoku Gunhouse X-Men Final Fantasy VI Phish God of War Ragnarök accessibility features revealed Elden Ring Contra series Recommendations: Frank: Find and play the Titanic platformer made by Dragon Co. Tim: Don’t play Wolverine: Adamantium Rage (or do) Maddy: V Rising Brandon: Don’t add Amazon Prime Movies to your list at the end of the month, Lacroix Despheres Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers, Brandon Sheffield and Maddy Thorson. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

Media Crossover Expert Topher “Docfuture” Florence sits with the panel to cover fetchy texture and Bare Nuckle. Ash Parrish shares thoughts on the Halo TV series in “Master Chief Does the Covenant.” Questions this week: Can video games do anything interesting with the multiverse trend? (07:21) What are your predictions for Kingdom Hearts 4? (14:01) Why do games give you equipment and features later that would have made it more fun from the start? (19:30) Design a game based on the winter biathalon of cross country skiing and rifle shooting that doesn’t take place in an athletic competition. (25:34) How would you design a convention experience for Mario Party games? (31:05) Dirtbag Kiko B asks: What’s an example of a fetch quest you sincerely enjoyed? (42:09) What are the greatest challenges in video game animation today? (48:14) What distinctions would you make between the numbers 1 through 4 on a 10-point game rating scale? (53:47) What is the CW’S Riverdale of video games? (01:05:45) LIGHTNING ROUND: Skin It To Win It (01:11:52) Recommendations and Outro (01:18:10) In some timeline, in some universe, you’re already discussing this episode in the forums! A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: Tab McCol Clamato Liquid Death Yakuza / Ryū ga Gotoku series OutRun series Fighters Megamix Project X Zone series Hunter × Hunter Spy × Family John Goodman LEGO Dimensions series Super Smash Brothers series Chrono Cross Kingdom Hearts series Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) Ke Huy Quan Red Dead Redemption II Avatar (2009) God of War Panzer Dragoon series Castlevania: Symphony of the Night Dodgeball Academia Final Fantasy XII Castlevania: Rondo of Blood The Last of Us Simon Stålenhag Jak II Final Fantasy XV Cyberpunk 2077 SSX Tricky SkiFree Mario Party series video game stuff that’s too big In the latest Halo episode, Master Chief does the Covenant Legend of Zelda series Tomba! series NieR Sea of Thieves Tomb Raider series Xianjian Qixia Zhuan / Legend of Sword and Fairy series Hades The Exorcist (1973) Octodad: Dadliest Catch God Hand Hatred America’s Army series Tokimeki Memorial Trucks (TV Movie 1997) Tetris Asuka 120% series Panzer Bandit Harmful Park Kururin Pa! Mad Stalker: Full Metal Force Ranger X Crusader of Centy BioShock Infinite Lady Phantom Jumper: Griffin’s Story Speed Power Gunbike Riverdale Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance Bel-Air Clown (2014) Persona series Louie Kaboom Recommendations: Brandon: Truth Seekers Topher: Three Busy Debras Tim: Euphoria Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Tim Rogers, Brandon Sheffield and Topher Florence. “Master Chief Does the Convenant” by Ash Parrish. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

Insert Credit Co-founder and legendary game composer Vincent Diamante joins the panel to cover Fighters Megamix romance, Russian Adventure, and the top 5 Sonic games that aren’t the immediately great ones. Questions this week: Kris Graft asks: Which two fighters from Fighters Megamix would make the best or worst romantic couple? (05:17) Now that we have a little distance, what features of the PS4/Xbox One era will feel retro someday? (09:45) On what occasions have you restarted a game from the beginning before finishing it? (15:02) What is “immersion” in video games? (19:54) Design an “In This House We Do Disney” piece of wall art for gamers (25:16) Dirtbag Salvatore Romano asks: Excluding 1, 2, 3, & Knuckles and Mania, what are the top 5 Sonic the Hedgehog games? (30:36) Which video game series took the greatest number of entries to start getting good? (36:16) What is the best logo design in video games? (41:38) Is Nintendo evil? (46:31) LIGHTNING ROUND: Acronymizer (50:33) Recommendations and Outro (56:30) Immerse yourself in this episode by discussing it in the forums! A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: Bram Stoker’s Dracula Dan Slott’s Spider-Man run Children of Virtue and Vengeance World Trigger SimCity 2000 Fighters Megamix Bean the Dynamite Bark the Polar Bear Daytona USA Virtua Cop Rent A Hero Banjo-Kazooie Kumachan Candy Herbie Jeffry McWild Dural Tomb Raider series Marvel Guardians of the Galaxy Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin Balan Wonderworld Yuji Naka says Square Enix doesn’t ‘value games’ after Balan Wonderworld mess Castlevania: Symphony of the Night The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Time Traveler The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening Super Hydlide Uncharted: The Lost Legacy Chrono Cross Loop Hero the stupid disney thing Jaffe talks about Fortnite series Elden Ring Battlefield 1942 Zombie Revenge Disaster Report Sonic R Sonic & All-Stars Racing: Transformed Sonic Adventure Sonic Rush Sonic the Hedgehog Chaos Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine Sonic the Hedgehog: Triple Trouble Knuckles’ Chaotix Rush’n Attack series Tetris Final Fantasy series Madden series Bubsy 3D: Bubsy Visits the James Turrell Retrospective Bubsy: Paws on Fire! Mortal Kombat games Street Fighter series Asuka 120% series Castlevania / Akumajō Dracula series Need for Speed series The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind Mass Effect 2 Capcom cubes logo Ibrahim Hamdi’s game logos in arabic Brain Grey logo HOT B Logo TWEWY logo original Puyo Puyo logo Reggie Fils-Aimé on contractor woes: ‘This isn’t the Nintendo I left’ Recommendations: Vincent: Scritti Politti Brandon: Halloween (1978) Frank: Dan Slott’s Spider-Man run Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Brandon Sheffield and Vincent Diamante. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

The Tarnished Kris Graft takes his spot on the panel to cover bloodwritten OSHA violations, snipers, and syphilitic electrocution revival. Questions this week: Andrés Velasco y Coll asks: When did Konami go bad? (07:39) Kris Graft, what did you do to get fired from Game Developer? (14:28) Which NPCs deserve a promotion to playable characters? (21:13) Do negative status effects make a game more interesting, or just annoying? (27:34) Improv Zone: Elden Ring Political Debate (33:20) Dirtbag Gaagaagiins asks: What are some games that would be improved by the removal of their headline feature? (38:55) Violence Island (47:50) LIGHTNING ROUND: This or That (01:05:22) Recommendations and Outro (01:20:31) Come discuss the episode, my laggardly reader, in the forums! A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: Target La Nueva Charreada Seinfeld Rasputin Music CRIMESIGHT 428: Shibuya Scramble P.T. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain Guillermo del Toro Crimson Peak Chrysler PT Cruiser Castlevania: Advance Collection Contra: Rogue Corps Minority Report (2002) Brandon Sheffield’s reported net worth Cortana Weapon Shop de Omasse Dragon Warrior / Dragon Quest series Papers, Please Elder Scrolls series Red Dead Redemption II Yakuza / Ryū ga Gotoku series Judgment / Judge Eyes series Final Fantasy IV Fallout games Loop Hero Cyberpunk 2077 Vampire Survivors Elden Ring Elden Ring messages Fortnite series Orcs Must Die! Sentry Death Stranding Dishonored series Assassin’s Creed series PaRappa Rappa 50 Cent Mario Goro Majima Yakuza PS2 dub with Mark Hamill as Majima Lester the Unlikely Larry Laffer Yevgeny Borisovitch Volgin Ash’s Pikachu 50 Cent forgot he had a stash of Bitcoin now worth $8m Recommendations: Brandon: Smithereens (1982), tonyhax, Jun Chikuma’s The Midas Touch Tim: Don’t shave with an electric razor Kris: Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022), older The Simpsons episodes, Dark Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Tim Rogers, Brandon Sheffield and Kris Graft. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

Cool, cute, and Iori Yagami! Insert Credit Fighting Game Correspondent Patrick Miller hosts Brandon Sheffield, EVO Head Tournament Organizer Andrés “nothingxs” Velasco y Coll and classic Insert Credit writer Azurelore Korrigan to cover the King of Fighters, the fall of SNK, and Insert Credit’s history with both. Questions this week: What brought this panel together? (02:11) What are your fighting game credentials? (10:55) How has SNK’s purchase by a murderous dictator impacted your relationship with the company and King of Fighters series? (18:24) What would an in-person Insert Credit event be like? (28:43) If you disappeared for twenty years, what alias would you return as? (34:49) Why do you play KOF? (41:26) How will Kyo and Iori’s long term relationship unfold? (51:32) Do you think this iteration of SNK is the most successful since the 90’s? (58:39) In a better world, what classic SNK series would you like to come back? (01:07:14) Which game in the series sound design has stuck with you the most? (01:13:03) What is the best outfit in KOF history? (01:20:56) What are your favorite King of Fighters spinoffs and minigames? (01:26:44) Who is the King of Fighters? (01:31:53) LIGHTNING ROUND: Bio Logical (01:37:37) Recommendations and Outro (01:46:56) Ready? Go! to the forums to discuss this episode! A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: King of Fighters series Athena Asamiya Kyo Kusanagi Nakoruru Joe Higashi Yashiro Nanakase Angel May Lee Jinju Iori Yagami Clark Still Mai Shiranui King Leona Vanessa Mad Man’s Cafe Street Fighter series Capcom vs. SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium Skullgirls Asuka 120% Excellent: BURNING Fest. Ga-rou-den Breakblow The Rumble Fish 2 Samurai Shodown series Saudi prince Mohammed bin Salman buys 96% of SNK day after KOF XV release Captain Tsubasa West Oakland Punks With Lunch King of Dinosaurs K9999 Akira (1988) Terry Bogard Krohnen McDougall Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – Mr. Sakurai Presents “Terry Bogard” Chizuru Kagura Kusanagi Yuki Allegory of the Wind Yakuza / Ryū ga Gotoku series Guilty Gear series Metal Slug Tactics Twinkle Star Sprites series Shock Troopers Beast Busters series Athena Crystalis Cool Cool Jam Magician Lord Crossed Swords Top Hunter: Roddy & Cathy Ikari Warriors games The King of Fighters (2010) Yashiro Nanakase Shermie Benimaru Nikaido K’ Puzzle Fighter series This is what the King of Fighters MOBA looks like Kunio / Nekketsu High games Team American Sports Duck King Recommendations: Brandon: Casa Sanchez Picoso Chips Azurelore: Far Away Times Andrés: DNOpls, Patrick Miller’s patreon Pat: Capcom vs. SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

After defeat at the hands of scheduling conflicts, Esper steps in to deliver a few of the best Insert Credit Show moments since October 2020. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

While Alex Jaffe is under the weather, Tim Rogers is stepping in to perform something vaguely resembling hosting duties. Ash Parrish joins the panel to relay Activision news, Sonic 2 The Movie thoughts, and spreadsheet olympics. Questions this week: Did y’all see the news? (19:17) Let’s talk about video game movies. (27:09) What are some list episodes you guys wanna do? (35:17) What do we have to say about Street Fighter II sound effects? (46:21) Recommendations and Outro (49:27) If you want, you can discuss this episode in the forums! A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: Atari Lynx Atari Jaguar Telegames Super Mario 64 Marvel Guardians of the Galaxy Gran Turismo 7 Scuf Playstation 5 controller Mario 64 beta at Spaceworld Tim’s news site screenshot the stinger ending of Matlock Activision Blizzard’s new full-time jobs come with a bit of union busting Max Payne series Alan Wake Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022) In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale (2007) Metal Wolf Chaos Metal Gear series Tekken series Recommendations: Brandon: The Earthsea books by Ursula K. Le Guin, specifically The Tombs of Atuan, watch a Jimmy Wang Yu movie Ash: Do not read Halo: Ghosts of Onyx Frank: John Swartzwelder’s The Time Machine Did It Hosted by Tim Rogers, with Frank Cifaldi, Brandon Sheffield and Ash Parrish. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

The panel reassembles once more to Game Now!, share the best soundtrack for walking your dog, and groan over a couple real Jaffeisms. Questions this week: Previously on Insert Credit 138: What is the best way to announce a video game release delay? (02:11) Will the new PS Plus program be worthy of investment? (07:16) What are the best player health management systems in video games? (13:28) How important is background art to a video game? (19:43) Custom Soundtrack: Half-Life 2 (26:53) Anonymous asks: when was the last time Konami did anything interesting? (33:51) What are the biggest missed opportunities for lawsuits in video game history? (39:59) What’s something modern video game designers have forgotten how to do? (45:41) Brandon Sheffield asks: What are some good action games that aren’t too hard? (51:31) LIGHTNING ROUND: A Synthesthetic Experiment (01:01:58) Go ahead and bark about this one in the forums! A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: Sea Horse Hide’n Seek Coney Island The Great Gonzo in Word Rider Yakuza / Ryū ga Gotoku series The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s sequel is delayed to spring 2023 Skullgirls Phantom Gear Sony revamps PlayStation Plus with new Extra and Premium tiers, merges with PlayStation Now Metal Gear series Halo: The Master Chief Collection Forza Motorsport 7 Gran Turismo 7 Biohazard / Resident Evil series Elden Ring Hollow Knight Gears of War series Deus Ex System Shock Sonic the Hedgehog series Kaze Kiri Tower Toppler Battletoads series Skyblazer Ys series Mickey Mania The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past Uncharted series Tomb Raider (2013 Reboot) series The Offspring Crazy Taxi Half-Life 2 Dragula Trent Reznor Quake Ministry Superman: The Movie soundtrack Skinny Puppy The Monster Mash Contra: Rogue Corps P.T. Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls Fantasian Watchmen BioShock Zeebo Myst Pyst “Weird Al” Yankovic Threes! Wordle Dragon Age: Origins Beethoven’s 2nd Eternal Sonata F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch Gunstar Heroes Marvel Guardians of the Galaxy Kirby games Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime Assassin’s Creed series God of War Guardian Heroes Panzer Dragoon God Hand Wurm: Journey to the Center of the Earth The Legendary Axe Ghost of Tsushima Recommendations: Frank: Wurm: Journey to the Center of the Earth if you’re Brandon Sheffield, go pirate old games instead of buying them you fools Brandon: 2002 (2001) if you like stuff that’s stupid Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

Insert Credit covers GDC 2022 with Liz Ryerson reporting direct from the expo hall on a quest to achieve corporate heaven, while Brandon Sheffield gets quick hits from some prominent attendees and reflects on GDC itself. Chapters: Heaven or Corporate Hell: The GDC 2022 Expo Hall, by Liz Ryerson (00:47) GDC 2022 Reports by Brandon Sheffield: standing in front of a mural (14:32) hotel report and lumbar pillow (16:34) fomo (18:47) Why Is the Whole Idea of Todd Howard Funny? An Investigation, by Kris Graft (21:23) hodd toward (23:15) bbc interview about the ukraine bundle (23:49) piloting through shit, with Rami Ismail (24:35) an anecdote about gdcs past, with Vincent Diamante (25:51) unfortunately configured pizza, with Tyriq Plummer (27:47) wearing a fuck nfts shirt in business meetings, with Xalavier Nelson Jr. (29:02) a story about discovering punk bands, with Chris Charla (31:56) flaccid exchanges and ambient jazz (33:07) san francisco and oakland are different places in america (34:57) america is a whole country that has san francisco and oakland in it (36:08) masking (36:48) an event conspiring (37:49) something to say, with Anita Sarkeesian (38:31) something interesting about anthropology, with Trent Kusters (38:53) the best pancakes in los angeles, with Teddy Dief (40:57) what lyft drivers know about stem cells, with Scott Jon Siegel (42:33) Mental Health, by Nick Suttner (43:53) international news (45:51) crashing a crypto party, with Frank Cifaldi and Kelsey Lewin (46:39) a little more to say, with Frank Cifaldi and Kelsey Lewin (52:29) bye forever (55:13) Share GDC memories in the forums! Hosted by Alex Jaffe, Liz Ryerson and Brandon Sheffield reporting. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

The heroes known as Insert Credit return to do battle with Two Point Eight-A video games, Vectourmaun, and giving yousa unna bongo. Questions this week: If you could play a video game with any three people, living or dead, who would they be, and what would the game be? (01:47) What is the best way for video games to represent aging? (05:28) What’s the stupidest argument you’ve ever been part of over a video game? (11:37) How much does it cost to make a video game? (14:39) The Adaptation Game: Adapt the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) handbook into a video game. (21:26) Dirtbag Anonymous asks: I recently had a job interview where I was asked ‘If your personality was a video game, what game would it be and why?’ How the hell was I supposed to answer this? (28:27) How effective can an adaptation of a video game be if considering only the lore of a series and not the gameplay? (35:17) How can you tell a game was made in Europe? (41:03) What is the seizing in your leg after you wake up that indicates you’re about to experience a horribly painful leg cramp over the next 30 seconds of video games? (46:20) LIGHTNING ROUND: The Time is Right (53:08) Recommendations and Outro (01:01:41) Should you discuss this episode in the forums? I mean I think it would be pretty cool personally, yeah A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: Left 4 Dead Final Fantasy XIV Online: A Realm Reborn Joe Montana II: Sports Talk Football Joe Montana Pat Summerall Joe Montana twitter clip Rock Band Joan Chen Rutger Hauer Christopher Lambert VIDEOBALL Lewis Hamilton Sifu Wizardry games Neil deGrasse Tyson tweeting about the Hulk Fable Animal Crossing series Crusader Kings series Crusader of Centy Dragon Quest V: Tenkū no Hanayome Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals Mother 3 NieR series The Simpsons: Bart vs. the Space Mutants Dragon Ball GT: Final Bout Skullgirls series Sharknado: The Video Game Tim’s Formula: (((average age of developer * number of developers) * 100) * 18) + (CEO yearly salary * 1.5) Grasshopper Manufacture Inc. Occupational Safety and Health Administration Wrecking Crew Frank’s screenshot of the OSHA game The Hazfinder site Hazfinder text version Silent Hill series Gran Turismo series Disco Elysium PaRappa the Rapper series Star Wars Trilogy Arcade Destiny series The Mandalorian Joker (2019) Smallville Warcraft (2016) Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) John Carter (2012) Conan the Barbarian (2011) VectorMan Cyberpunk 2077 Rayman series Assassin’s Creed series Euro Truck Simulator series Sea of Thieves Rumble in the Bronx (1995) Rabbids series Returnal Celeste Buckcherry Recommendations: Brandon: My Kung Fu Sweetheart (2006) Tim: You Love To See It featuring Tim Rogers, the F1 TV app Frank: Sam & Max: Save the World Jaffe: Watch Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) if you’re Frank Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

In an eternal battle against time constraints, the panel speedruns tricky topics like shader bananas, unusually serious discussion of bullying, and Badstlevanias. Questions this week: Is there anything we want to talk about from the recent Sony State of Play event? (02:13) How do you use video games to raise $3.5 million for Ukraine in three days? (08:37) When do you feel like a game was made specifically for you? (13:53) How can we stop Quantic Dream’s Star Wars game from being finished? (18:52) Violence Island (26:12) Outro (38:34) Quick! If you don’t discuss this episode in the forums it might get away! A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: Gran Turismo Sony State of Play Lost Planet: Extreme Condition Dino Crisis Exoprimal The Diofield Chronicle Growlanser Ogre Battle series Fire Emblem series Octopath Traveler TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection Valkyrie Elysium Bundle for Ukraine Blind Play Game Recommendations from the Ukraine Bundle - insert credit forums A Short Hike Celeste Baba Is You Kingdom: Two Crowns Backbone Cloud Gardens CrossCode Wandersong Paradise Killer Valis Lupin III: Pandora no Isan Attack of the Friday Monsters! Cheese Cat-Astrophe starring Speedy Gonzales Star Wars Eclipse from Quantic Dream revealed at The Game Awards Workplace harassment charges jolt Quantic Dream Detroit: Become Human Gabriel Belmont Franziska von Karma Castlevania / Akumajō Dracula series Raving Rabbids Rub Rabbits Linkle Bowsette Linkle Liver Story Geese Howard Goose Recommendations: Bundle for Ukraine Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

The panel returns complete to confront dudekillers, money laundering, and quick-a time events. Questions this week: On what occasion do you lie in video games? (03:40) What is your most treasured video game possession? (08:23) Which video game talent would you most like to have? (13:11) What is your favorite video game occupation? (18:27) Which video game words or phrases do you most overuse? (22:20) Where in a video game would you most like to live? (28:54) Who are your favorite video game writers? (32:54) What is it that you most dislike in video games? (36:52) What is your greatest regret in video games? (41:10) What do you consider the greatest achievement in video games? (45:41) LIGHTNING ROUND: Dirtbag Lightning Round (49:42) Recommendations and Outro (56:07) Discuss-a this episode in-a the forums! A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: Cathedral of St. John the Divine Among Us SpyParty Call of Duty 2 VIDEOBALL Ogre Battle Dragon Quest III Elden Ring Jetpack Joyride Two-Face Sonic CD James Ellroy L.A. Noire Where in North Dakota is Carmen Sandiego? Why in North Dakota is Carmen Sandiego? Landstalker Shining in the Darkness Scanners (1981) Cindy Aurum Final Fantasy XV Destiny Smash T.V. Suikoden Bubsy Sly Cooper series Ratchet & Clank series Segagaga Elden Ring Steam Deck review: A strong start to an exciting new hardware category for game devs Skies of Arcadia Shining Force III Kingdom Hearts series The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Watch_Dogs 2 Shenmue Final Fantasy XIV Online: A Realm Reborn Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age Dead Prem Katamari Damacy: Reroll Shigesato Itoi Resident Evil 3 Resident Evil 4 Fez Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2 Limbo The Proust Questionnaire Recommendations: Brandon: Please check out the Bundle for Ukraine on itch.io Frank: Please check out the Bundle for Ukraine on itch.io Tim: Please check out the Bundle for Ukraine on itch.io, think about the words you use Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

It’s not over yet! Listen to Tim and Brandon mention honorables from last year that didn’t make it on the Insert Credit Top 21 of 2021 list. Plus the essay “isle o tims” by Brandon Sheffield, exploring Balan Wonderworld as a capitalism allegory. Games Discussed: Halo Infinite (01:47) R-Type Final 2 (02:57) Voice of the Cards (03:45) The Good Life (04:05) Inscryption (04:59) Metroid Dread (05:30) Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (06:31) Far Cry 6 (07:26) Guilty Gear: Strive (09:29) Back 4 Blood (10:14) Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury (11:19) El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron (12:24) Forza Horizon 5 (12:55) Solar Ash (17:02) Age of Empires IV (18:50) No More Heroes 3 (19:19) Umurangi Generation: Special Edition (20:01) Pokemon Brilliant Diamond (20:51) Final Fantasy VII: Remake – Intergrade (22:29) Castlevania: Advance Collection (22:58) Overboard (23:26) The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles (24:23) Deathloop (26:33) Unpacking (26:59) Evil Tonight (28:35) Eastward (29:57) Paradise Killer (31:28) “isle o tims” by Brandon Sheffield (36:04) Hello it’s me, brandon sheffield. Two weeks ago, during our best games of 2021 podcast, I made an offhand remark about Balan Wonderworld, a game in which you have an economy based on small creatures called tims, which you literally throw onto the gears of capitalism. I figured I’d expand on what I meant by that. Tims are little creatures that hatch from eggs, and live on the isle o’ tims, which is your hub world. They have distinguishing markings like stripes or different cute ears and stuff like that, but functionally they all want to do the same two things: eat, and procreate. The other thing they can be compelled to do is work, which is what they spend most of their time doing. At the start of the game, the only real structure in the island is a Conan the Barbarian-like turnstyle that has the appearance of a gear. next to that is a long black signboard that flips and makes a big clacking sound as numbers go up. To make that number go up faster, you can pick up your tims and toss them into this turnstyle, which eventually makes them push it. So that’s what I meant by throwing them onto the gears of capitalism. As your number goes up – and by the way it’s not clear what this number represents, but let’s say it’s money – more structures unlock. The sole function of most of these structures is to enable more tims to do more work. There are little elevators that take them up into simple rube goldberg machines, which drop them through a series of gates and slides, before depositing them back on the ground to start the process over again. Some tims are never released into the world, they simply exist underground, turning a giant wheel. The floor is transparent so that you can watch them work. All of this is work simply for the sake of work, because the only thing that is created out of this constant grind is a number that goes up, and then an occasional structural addition that theoretically enables more work to be done. But the apparatus itself is inefficiently designed. Tims get regularly jammed up at elevators. Two of them will try to enter a slide at the same time and be stuck for a while, causing a massive traffic jam behind them. There are regularly a dozen tims, piled on top of each other, stacked two or three high, bouncing up and down on an elevator to try to get to work, but unable to do so. Of course, after a while there is more than one elevator. There are two, and then three. But the tims never take the second or third route – the first is easiest to slide into, so almost every tim takes that path. The number doesn’t seem to go up much faster when tims take the other two paths either, so why should they bother? I also mentioned that tims want to eat, but I didn’t tell you that what you feed them is gems. You feed them one kind of money in order to make a different kind of money. Gems are something I can collect for free in game stages, and which Balan themselves will double if I complete their minigame. Once you feed the tims enough to grow large, there are unique kinds of apparatus these rich tims can use to generate money, but they never want to do it. They’re full now and they don’t want to work. They just want to procreate, which happens when you throw a medium-sized tim at a large one. They instantly create an egg, which hatches a tim that’s too small to work. Feed them a few gems and they will become a worker and join the grind. The structure you’re building is the somewhat ominously-named Clock of Happiness. The name of this structure, whose purpose is never revealed by the way, keeps coming to mind as I see these little guys toiling away to make my numbers go up. There’s a special platform that I can use to view the operation from all angles. It allows me to keep tabs on all my workers and is accessibly only by me. Even with all that I still don’t exactly understand what it is I’m forcing them to work so hard to construct. But I have found myself, as the

In which our heroes (and you!) are absolved of the sin of piracy by the highest authority in game history, and Ice the Goose reveals arcane knowledge of anthropology. Questions this week: What the hell is wrong with Nintendo? (02:32) What games with a setting contemporary to release have best aged into being period pieces? (13:32) What’s your favorite kind of environment in video games? (18:36) Other than canceled, what do you predict Netflix’s Bioshock movie will be like? (24:19) Jerry BreadyToDie asks: When is autosaving better than manually saving, and vice versa? (33:12) How do you balance player progression with game difficulty? (38:37) Review Super Mario Bros. 2 in six minutes. (44:07) Write the first sentence and the last sentence of a text book about video games. (53:31) Recommendations and Outro (55:45) If you discuss this episode in the forums, who knows what could happen! A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (1994) Nintendo shutting down Wii U, Nintendo 3DS eShops and frustrating fans Video Game History Foundation’s tweet on the subject Yakuza / Ryū ga Gotoku series EarthBound Red Dead Redemption II Batman: The Video Game Yo, Bro MTV’s Beavis and Butt-Head Lester the Unlikely Greendog: The Beached Surfer Dude! California Games NBA Jam Third World War (aka Cold War) Golgo 13: Top Secret Episode Third World War Japanese box art Ninja Five-O Elevator Action II Rolling Thunder Resident Evil 4 Marvel Spider-Man Bullet Witch BioShock Netflix is making a live-action BioShock movie The Shape of Water (2017) Cyberpunk 2077 Final Fantasy XIV Online: A Realm Reborn Shining Force Jak II The Last of Us Adventure Island Super Mario Bros. 2 Keith Courage in Alpha Zones Yume Kōjō: Dokidoki Panic Tokimeki Memorial Bonk’s Revenge Zelda II: The Adventure of Link Murder Club Famicom Detective Club series Pong Pac-Man Recommendations: Frank: Resident Evil 4 HD Brandon: Green Frontier Tim: Don’t buy crypto Jaffe: Dog Days of Summer Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

In which our heroes recount a few of the best video games released in 2021, the most interesting video games released in 2021, and the video games they actually played in 2021. Nominees in Order of Discussion (Unranked) Moon: Remix RPG Adventure Dungeon Encounters Balan Wonderworld Marvel Guardians of the Galaxy Hitman III Ghosts ’n Goblins: Resurrection F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch Lost Judgment Cruis’n Blast Psychonauts 2 Chicory: A Colorful Tale Shin Megami Tensei V Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters Scarlet Nexus Loop Hero Mass Effect: Legendary Edition Final Fantasy XIV Online: Endwalker Call of Duty: Vanguard NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139… Fuga: Melodies of Steel Dodgeball Academia Discuss this episode in the forums before you spoil yourself with the final list below! THE INSERT CREDIT TOP 21 OF 2021: F.I.S.T.: Forged in Shadow Torch Shin Megami Tensei V Dungeon Encounters Balan Wonderworld Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker Hitman 3 Psychonauts 2 Lost Judgment Chicory: A Colorful Tale Nier Replicant ver.1.22474487139… Fuga: Melodies of Steel Loop Hero Ghosts ’n Goblins Resurrection Final Fantasy I-V Pixel Remaster Dodgeball Academia Scarlet Nexus Cruis’n Blast Call of Duty: Vanguard Moon: Remix RPG Adventure Mass Effect Legendary Edition A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: Pig (2021) WandaVision The Last Duel (2021) No Time to Die (2021) Melissa Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar (2021) Moon: Remix RPG Adventure Chulip Moon’s manual Papa John’s founder John Schnatter ate 40 pizzas in 30 days and says it’s gotten worse Dungeon Encounters Bravely Default II Balan Wonderworld Marvel Guardians of the Galaxy Deus Ex series Marvel Avengers The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) Hitman III Yakuza / Ryū ga Gotoku series Hitman series Ghosts ’n Goblins: Resurrection Susumu Matsushita MiSTerAddons.com Ghost ’N Goblins series Maximo series Getsu Fūma Den series F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch Metroid series Castlevania / Akumajō Dracula series Genshin Impact Lost Judgment GTO: Great Teacher Onizuka Space Channel 5 Daytona USA Sega Rally series F-Zero GX Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth Cruis’n Blast Cruis’n Blast Switch cover Eugene Jarvis Psychonauts 2 Chicory: A Colorful Tale Wandersong VIDEOBALL Polygon’s GOTY list for 2021 Shin Megami Tensei V Shin Megami Tensei series Final Fantasy Octopath Traveler Deltarune: Chapter 1&2 Kentucky Route Zero Resident Evil: Village Tales of Arise Scarlet Nexus Biohazard / Resident Evil series Astral Chain Loop Hero Mass Effect: Legendary Edition Final Fantasy XIV Online: Endwalker Astro’s Playroom Eschatos Mars Matrix Eastward Call of Duty: Vanguard NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139… Tokimeki Memorial: Forever with You Fuga: Melodies of Steel Solatorobo: Red the Hunter Tail Concerto Dodgeball Academia Golf Story Inazuma Eleven series Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Tim Rogers, Frank Cifaldi and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

Video Game History Foundation Co-Director Kelsey Lewin joins Brandon, Tim and Alex in exploring duality, Caroque, and Spider-Man Root Canaling Pregnant Elsa. Questions this week: Which video game series really got it right on the second try? (02:38) What was the state of video games during the second console generation? (08:05) What are the keys to a great co-op video game experience? (13:27) What would be the easiest game to adapt into a movie on a limited budget? (20:30) Design a fourth Frogger 2. (23:36) Dirtbag Evoline Theory: What is the impact of the Five Nights At Freddy’s franchise on the games industry? (30:48) Violence Island (36:26) LIGHTNING ROUND: Intellivision or ColecoVision? (46:47) Recommendations and Outro (53:45) Everyone else is discussing this episode in the forums, why aren’t you? A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Go Go Ackman 2 Halo 2 Street Fighter II: The World Warrior Half-Life 2 Persona 2: Eternal Punishment Persona R-Type Final 2 Super Mario Bros. 2 Turok 2: Seeds of Evil Final Fantasy II Dragon Warrior II Final Fantasy XIV Online: A Realm Reborn Final Fantasy VII: Remake Ganbare Goemon 2 Street Fighter Alpha 2 Super Mario Galaxy 2 Fairchild Channel F Atari 2600 Magnavox Odyssey 2 ColecoVision Intellivision Quake III: Arena Resident Evil 5 Gears of War series EVE Online Lucky & Wild Super Mario Odyssey Pokémon: Let’s Go! series Sewer Shark Mad Dog McCree Ground Zero Texas Night Trap Her Story Sonic Forces Frogger II: ThreeeDeep! Frogger 2: Swampy’s Revenge Frogger 2 Baroque Baroque: Become a Meta-Being Ribbit King The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction Jumping Flash! Simple 2000 series Kero Blaster Cave Story Cave Story’s Secret Santa Five Nights at Freddy’s Willy’s Wonderland (2021) Pig (2021) Taken (2008) Doctor Eggman Dizzy William Sekiro Wander The King of All Cosmos Mister Mosquito Chibi-Robo Recommendations: Brandon: Cancel Spotify Pro Tim: Download 4K Video Downloader, download Insert Credit Show every week from YouTube to feel more like a pirate Kelsey: Liquid I.V. Esper: my personal advice is to download all Insert Credit Show episodes from the archive.org page, the canonical “source” files, to feel cool. Support on Patreon Subscribe: RSS, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more! Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Tim Rogers, Brandon Sheffield and Kelsey Lewin. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

Our heroes reunite to tackle the return of Reagen Sheffield, the Turkish Star Wars of Yuzo Koshiro, and Paul Blart Mall Battletoad. They also discuss the Microsoft-Activision-Blizzard-King merger, Tifa in the Italian senate, and the metaverse. Questions this week: In the wake of the MicroBlizzion buyout, how screwed are video games? (03:20) What would be a less useless metric for determining game story quality than number of words in script? (14:46) What video game music would you play for the Pope? (20:31) What would be the worst video game clip to interrupt a national senate meeting with? (26:10) Dirtbag Spencer asks: What is the shallowest, nitpickiest reason you dislike a video game? (30:29) Does “the metaverse” actually have anything to do with video games? (37:45) In a video game, how high should you be able to jump? (44:03) What are the best uses of the PocketStation and VMU? (51:08) What is the mumblecore of video games? (58:16) LIGHTNING ROUND: Bad Bad Game Reviews (01:02:22) Recommendations and Outro: (01:24:13) No pressure, but if you wanted you could discuss this episode in the forums! A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: Katamari Damacy Killer7 Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Sonic Jam Mega Man / Rockman series Silent Hill series Microsoft to acquire Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion Call of Duty series Candy Crush Saga Stretch Armstrong Extremely good Tifa and Barrett crossplay Call of Duty: Vanguard Call of Duty: Black Ops - Cold War World of WarCraft Overwatch God of War Final Fantasy VII: Remake After Burner: Climax OutRun: Online Arcade Adorama The Goblin Bunker (shouts out to yall) Dying Light 2 Threatens 350K Words, 40K Lines Of Dialogue Anna Karenina Dead Island The Intellivision Amico Disaster, Explained Liz Ryerson (shouts out to liz) Hideki Naganuma (proceed with caution) Cyberpunk 2077 The Pope Seems To Enjoy Listening To Undertale’s Megalovania Castlevania: Bloodlines Castlevania: Dracula X The Legend of Zelda EverGrace Super Mario Bros. 3 large prime numbers performing “ZiGGURAT” live in oakland on 01222012 (part one of two) with camerawork by frank cifaldi Final Fantasy Rule 34 vid smut shocks Italy, surprising artist Metal Gear series The iDOLM@STER series Mortal Kombat games Beyond Good & Evil Flynn: Son of Crimson The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening Cliff Bleszinski The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Paradise Killer “A Race to Dominate the Metaverse” Pac-Man Pong Destiny Yakuza / Ryū ga Gotoku series Fortnite: Battle Royale Doomcube Second Life Final Fantasy XV Jumping Flash! Hyper Gunsport on Steam (now wishlistable which really helps more than you’d think) Power Stone Godzilla Generations Darius Doko Demo Issyo Tokimeki Memorial 2 NFL 2K The Jackbox Party Pack Fallout Shelter Fallout 4 XCOM: Enemy Within Pokémon GO Pokémon: Let’s Go! series Interstellar (2014) Mumblecore Life Is Strange series The Last of Us Night in the Woods Recommendations: Brandon: The digital single OARANA by our very own The World Famous Vincent Diamante Frank: Put things in the world for reasons other than making money Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

Insert Credit Sells Out! Liz Ryerson returns with a vengeance to help design sixteen games for brands that owe us money now. Advergame Designathon: Design a side-scrolling shooter for the WWE. (04:04) Design a top-down puzzle game for Six Flags. (06:28) Design a tower defense game for the Portugal Board of Tourism. (08:29) Design a platforming game for Ariana Grande. (11:00) Design an 8-bit roleplaying game for Monday Night Football. (14:21) Design a dating sim for Now That’s What I Call Music! (17:18) Design an FMV game for the U.K. National Lottery. (20:14) Design a VR racing game for the Rocky franchise. (22:41) Design a bullet hell for the Tasmanian Devil. (24:41) Design a party game for Wal-Mart. (26:33) Design a gacha game for Good Morning America (28:34) Design a fighting game for BBC Arts & Culture. (33:51) Design an isometric adventure game for Rolex. (38:37) Design an open world game for Doctors Without Borders (42:46) Design a first person shooter for Deer Park Spring Water (45:55) Design a Myst clone for the Catholic Church (48:03) Recommendations and Outro (49:50) Tell everyone your substantially better idea in the forums! A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: Tetris Logopedia MobyGames WWE Chō Aniki Roman Reigns The Undertaker Hulk Hogan Becky Lynch Asuka Sasha Banks Asuka 120% Final: BURNING Fest Six Flags Soko-Ban Wetrix 3-D Tetris RollerCoaster Tycoon Lemmings Portugal Board of Tourism Ariana Grande Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius Ariana Grande | Final Fantasy Wiki Ariana Grande | Fortnite Wiki Jennifer Lopez browser game Monday Night Football Football: The Tim Rogers Review Madden series Barkley, Shut Up and Jam: Gaiden - Chapter 1 of the Hoopz Barkley SaGa Golf Story Dear Boys Slam City with Scottie Pippen Post Malone Boris Number Girl Olivia Rodrigo Miley Cyrus Dua Lipa The Weeknd Billie Eilish Balan Wonderworld National Lottery (United Kingdom) Wales Interactive Ltd. Soul Axiom Gamer Girl FMV game The Rocky franchise Punch-Out!! Doc Louis Mario Kart: Double Dash!! Tasmanian Devil Bonk’s Adventure Supermarket Sweep Walmart is getting serious about the metaverse Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004) Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon Good Morning America Robin Roberts George Stephanopoulos Michael Strahan RogerEbert.com Roger Ebert BBC Arts and Culture John Cleese David Bowie Kate Bush Morrissey Dan Hibiki Landscapers David Thewlis Olivia Colman Guilty Gear series EastEnders The Favourite (2018) The Great Yorgos Lanthimos Rolex Clockwork Knight Landstalker Super Mario 64 Kokuga Ikaruga Sin and Punishment Dynamite Headdy Just Cause series Far Cry series Death Stranding Deer Park Spring Water Burning Rangers Deus Ex Myst Angels & Demons The Da Vinci Code Recommendations: Jaffe: Identify the closest public bathroom to you in case of emergency. Brandon: The House (2022), The Silent Sea Tim: Hard to Be a God (2013)* Liz: The Favourite (2018), Beetlejuice (1988) *Not an official recommendation Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Tim Rogers, Brandon Sheffield and Liz Ryerson. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

You’ve waited long enough, now Insert Credit ranks the greatest video game consoles of all time, and a few others for good measure. Choices: -Round 1, Frank (05:25) -Round 1, Tim (09:25) -Round 1, Brandon (15:35) -Round 2, Frank (19:36) -Round 2, Tim (24:49) -Round 2, Brandon (30:15) -Round 3, Frank (35:46) -Round 3, Tim (41:40) -Round 3, Brandon (50:30) -Round 4, Frank (56:51) -Round 4, Tim (01:04:52) -Round 4, Brandon (01:10:57) -Round 5, Frank (01:19:10) -Round 5, Tim (01:24:25) -Round 5, Brandon (01:31:25) -Round 6, Frank (01:38:07) -Round 6, Brandon (01:44:23) -Round 6, Tim (01:52:14) -Round 7, Frank (02:00:05) -Round 7, Tim (02:07:00) -Round 7, Brandon (02:14:28) Recommendations and Outro (02:25:09) Discuss the results in the forums! THE INSERT CREDIT RANKED TOP 20 CONSOLES: 1. PlayStation 2. PS2 3. SNES 4. Genesis 5. Xbox 360 6. Nintendo DS 7. PC Engine 8. NES 9. Dreamcast 10. Saturn 11. Windows PC 12. PSP 13. Game Boy Advance 14. Game Boy 15. Wii 16. WonderSwan 17. Switch 18. ZX Spectrum 19. Neo Geo Pocket Color 20. Jaguar 21. Atari 2600 A LARGE SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: Playstation Super Nintendo Entertainment System FM Towns Marty WonderSwan TurboGrafx-16 Microsoft Windows Quake Unreal Tournament Super Mario 64 The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild ZX Spectrum G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Code Name: Viper Batman: The Video Game Vice: Project Doom Journey to Silius Total Recall Friday the 13th Kick Master Demon Sword Strider Sega Genesis Power Blade Power Blade 2 Super Mario Bros. Mega Man Dragon Warrior Final Fantasy Metroid ACTION BUTTON REVIEWS DOOM ACTION BUTTON REVIEWS PAC-MAN Pac-Man (Atari 2600) Little Samson Shatterhand Low G Man The Mafat Conspiracy Golgo 13: Top Secret Episode Clash at Demonhead Ufouria: The Saga Neo Geo Pocket Color Metal Slug 1st Mission SNK vs. Capcom: The Match of the Millennium SNK vs Capcom: Cardfighters’ Clash 2 - Expanded Edition Sonic The Hedgehog Pocket Adventure Biomotor Unitron King of Fighters: Battle de Paradise King of Fighters R-1 King of Fighters R-2 SNK Gals’ Fighters Atari 800 Commodore 64 Aliens: Neoplasma Nintendo DS The Saga Of The Ultra-Rare McDonald’s DS Game Comes To An End After 11 Long Years Flash Focus: Vision Training in Minutes a Day Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day! Imagine: Party Planner Cooking Mama series Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation Sands of Destruction Master of the Monster Lair Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Etrian Odyssey The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass PlayStation Portable Brave Story: New Traveler Jeanne d’Arc Kingdom of Paradise Monster Kingdom: Jewel Summoner Dungeon Maker: Hunting Ground Dungeon Maker II: The Hidden War Rengoku: The Tower of Purgatory Rengoku II: Stairway to H.E.A.V.E.N. Monster Hunter: Freedom PlayStation Vita Ridge Racer The Legend of Kage 2 The Legend of Kage PlayStation 2 Grand Theft Auto series Metal Gear series Sega Saturn Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits Raw Danger! Steambot Chronicles Gradius V Thunder Force VI Contra: Shattered Soldier Neo Contra Silent Hill 2 Silent Hill 3 R-Type Final Drakengard Drakengard 2 Tokimeki Memorial 3: Yakusoku no Ano Basho de Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 Ga-rou-den Breakblow The King of Fighters 2006 Berserk Millennium Falcon Arc: Seimasenki no Sho Grand Theft Auto III Insert Credit PS2cular Bujingai: The Forsaken City The Matrix: Path of Neo Jak II Dreamcast Super Adventure Island Madden NFL ’94 Tokimeki Memorial: Densetsu no Ki no Shita de Dragon Quest I & II Dragon Warrior III Dragon Quest V: Tenkū no Hanayome Dragon Quest VI: Maboroshi no Daichi Chrono Trigger Final Fantasy IV Final Fantasy V Final Fantasy VI The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past Psycho Dream Brain Lord Super Metroid Metroid Fusion Metroid Dread Super Castlevania IV Mega Man 4 Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse Super Bonk Wolverine: Adamantium Rage Waterworld Insert Credit BSNESGOAT Robotrek ActRaiser 2 Angelique Hagane: The Final Conflict Ganbare Goemon series Game Boy Advance Game Gear - Wikipedia Neo Geo Street Fighter series Panzer Dragoon Panzer Dragoon Saga Panzer Dragoon II: Zwei Sonic R Pup Breeder Dark Savior Steal Princess Daytona USA Shining Force III Shining Force III: Premium Disc NiGHTS into Dreams… Neugier: Umi to Kaze no Kōdō Apple II Number Munchers Ranger X Dune: The Battle for Arrakis Rings of Power Buck Rogers: Countdown to Doomsday The Adventures of Batman & Robin Jon Burton’s video on The Adventures of Batman & Robin Contra Hard Corps Castlevania: Bloodlines Sonic the Hedgehog Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Sonic & Knuckles Ristar VectorMan Vectorman 2 Comix Zone Phantasy Star II Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom Phantasy Star IV Sword of Vermilion Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Maste

GameDeveloper.com publisher Kris Graft joins the panel to cover E3, Square Enix NFTs, what rock and roll really is, and smoking weed at the Sega E3 booth. Questions this week: How does Jaffe beat his friend in a Metacritic rating betting pool? (04:17) What video game character would you invite to a potluck, and what would they bring? (12:04) What the hell is Square Enix’s problem? (19:10) Design an emote for an online game. (25:58) What would a Rockstar Games version of an Orlando theme park be like? (33:28) Tim Rogers asks: You guys wanna talk about E3? (40:46) Dirtbag Mike Larkey asks: Design a recently public domain Winnie-the-Pooh game (47:57) Violence Island (53:52) What is rock and roll? (01:05:06) Recommendations and Outro (01:12:44) Maybe everyone who discusses this episode in the forums will talk about donkey milk less! A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: Metacritic Sifu Horizon: Zero Dawn Days Gone Cooking Mama Crash Bandicoot Bubsy Little Mac Master Chief Marcus Michael Fenix Bayonetta Shin Megami Tensei V The Ninja Warriors Square Enix’s New Years letter talking about NFTs and other trash Cryptoland Fortnite Destiny The Macarena Gangnam Style Voldo Bayonetta’s Avocado Dance i’m not gonna link that whale milking picture, thank me later Grand Theft Auto series Hot Coffee BioShock Infinite Jungle Cruise (2021) A Christmas Carol (2009) The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) Attack of the Friday Monsters! Banjo-Kazooie Hook Story of Seasons series Bomber Man Bomb Man Mighty Bomb Jack Bomberman Hero Minecraft Steve Cubivore Manic Miner Mr. Driller Chao Chocobo VMU PocketStation The Hurt Locker (2008) The Beatles Elvis Presley Cream Led Zeppelin Sister Rosetta Tharpe Chuck Berry Lil Nas X The Beatles: Get Back Thanks: Brandon: Syzygy of the Insert Credit Forums Recommendations: Jaffe: thanking Syzygy Kris: Alan Partridge audiobooks Tim: Don’t bother looking into what Wordle is Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Tim Rogers, Brandon Sheffield and Kris Graft. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

In which our heroes, scattered across time and space, convene by way of editing to cover The Freak Sword, looking to the One Mode Future, and sexy slutty bunny boys. Questions this week: What is the ugliest video game ever made? (02:05) Have you formed any habits in video games that have translated into your normal life? (07:50) Should every game have an easy mode? Should every game have a hard mode? (12:20) Imagine that you had the power to create video game mods just by speaking them into existence. What would you make? (18:20) IMPROV ZONE: Game Counselor help line (22:23) What does it take to convince someone to try a video game? (31:42) Design a track in the same a video spirit as any video game character for Mario Kart. (38:26) How have focus groups affected game development? (43:18) What is the worst game that you would still consider the game of the year for its year, considering its competition? (47:55) Knowing that they will probably never listen to this episode, what are your feelings about the other two panelists? (53:09) Recommendations and Outro (57:28) Now that you have all the pieces, you can discuss this episode in the forums! A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: Garfield and his Nine Lives (Game Boy Advance) Ice Cream Cone Pokemon Swedish Erotica: Custer’s Revenge Hatred Goemon’s Great Adventure Valis series Valis X series Coke Zero formula change Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 Final Fantasy VII Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon Annapurina Interactive Florence Hyper Gunsport now wishlistable on Steam Red Dead Redemption II Final Fantasy VII: Remake Madden series (R.I.P. John Madden) 2K Sports games Portal Grand Theft Auto V Days Gone Yakuza series Super Mario Bros. Legend of Zelda series Final Fantasy VI Bonk series Project X Zone Princess Tomato in the Salad Kingdom Silent Hill Gensō Tairiku Auleria Duck Hunt Final Fantasy XV Critically Acclaimed MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV With An Expanded Free Trial Which You Can Play Through The Entirety Of A Realm Reborn And The Award Winning Heavensward Expansion Up To Level 60 For Free With No Restrictions On Playtime Soft Non-Threatening Friends Cyberpunk 2077 Stardew Valley Mario Kart series Awesome Possum Kicks Dr. Machino’s Butt Super Smash Brothers series Chocobo Racing Chocobo GP Dragon Quest series Deadly Premonition Mad Men Project: Snowblind Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal 1984 in video games Track & Field 10-Yard Fight Jet Set Willy Manic Miner Sabre Wulf Jetpack Gears of War The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion BioShock Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare God Hand Spacewar! Space Invaders Highlander (TV Series 1992-1998) Recommendations: Frank: Drive-in Theaters Tim: Drink more water, if you’re Tim’s dad Brandon: The song Walk from the Sega CD game Nostalgia 1907, sincerely it would be really appreciated if you wishlisted Hyper Gunsport on Steam, thanks for being a part of Insert Credit, take care of yourselves Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

Alex Jaffe, Tim Rogers and Brandon Sheffield continue the celebration of Patron-submitted questions, upending the dirtbag for even more “What is the ____ of video games?” Questions this week: Dirtbag Sailor Silica asks: What is the squeezing through a gap while the next area loads for previous eras of video games? (03:02) Dirtbag Dilson asks: What is the video game equivalent of a sommelier? (04:27) Dirtbag Walt asks: What is the The Adventures of Buckaroo Bonzai Across the 8th Dimension of video games? (05:08) Dirtbag MoxBagel asks: What is the This restaurant packaged the salt and pepper packets in a bag with the napkins and now the napkin is all peppery and unpleasant to use of video games? (08:35) Dirtbag Kory asks: What is the OK Computer of video games, and what is the Kid A of video games? (12:13) A Dirtbag We Don’t Have the Name Of asks: What are the farm-to-table restaurant and microwave dinner of video games? (14:39) Dirtbag UG asks: What is the Joe Pera Talks with You of video games? (19:15) Dirtbag Roman asks: What is the 1989 Velvet Revolution of video games? (22:02) Dirtbag Chopemon asks: What is the Chinese food buffet of video games? (24:07) Dirtbag Dusty asks: What is the DMC DeLorean of video games? (26:29) Dirtbag TapeVulture asks: What is the British accent of video games? (29:39) Dirtbag Chopemon asks: What is the hanging up of holiday decorations of video games? (34:43) Dirtbag Marshall asks: What is Ross Dress for Less of video games, and what is the TJ Maxx of video games? (34:43) Dirtbag A Dry Cleaner for Dogs asks: What is the hoop trundling of video games? (40:42) A Dirtbag We Don’t Have the Name Of asks: What is the James Joyce’s Ulysses of video games, and what is the Alfred Lord Tennyson’s Ulysses of video games? (42:55) LIGHTNING ROUND: The Gaagaagiins Six (46:00) Recommendations and Outro (54:05) Discuss this episode in the forums, please! You’ll be glad you did! A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: Bedouin Sheep dog Yorkshire Terrier Chihuahua Beverly Hills Chihuahua (2008) Galaxian Ridge Racer Mass Effect Sommelier DS Nintendo 3DS Guide: Louvre The Adventures of Buckaroo Bonzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984) Ed Harris (not in Buckaroo Bonazi) Jeff Goldblum (is in Buckaroo Bonzai) Knightriders (1981) Breakin’ (1984) Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo (1984) Destroy All Humans! Leisure Suit Larry 5: Passionate Patti Does a Little Undercover Work Final Fantasy VII Leonard Part 6 (1987) Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins (1985) Kinect Seinfeld Curb Your Enthusiasm Joycon drift OK Computer Kid A Braid Rez Katamari Damacy Atari Jaguar Kid Acarus FarmVille Diner Dash FarmVille 2 VIDEOBALL Butt Sniffin Pugs Where in North Dakota is Carmen Sandiego? Line Wobbler Harvest Moon / Story of Seasons series Dragon Quest Builders series Joe Pera Talks with You Michigan: Report from Hell Animal Crossing series Velvet Revolution Yakuza: Kiwami 2 Cyber Troopers Virtual On Fighters Megamix Fighting Vipers DMC DeLorean The Guy Who Wrote The Ready Player One Back to the Future (1985) E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon Double Dragon Neon The Simpsons Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles WipEout Octopath Traveler Fatal Frame Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer Final Fantasy VI Ross Dress for Less TJ Maxx Marshalls Far Cry 6 Target Meijer ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove! Hoop trundling A Hard Day’s Night (1964) Irritating Stick James Joyce’s Ulysses Alfred Lord Tennyson’s Ulysses Super Mario Odyssey Recommendations: Tim: Listen to some more podcasts, subscribe to patreon.com/insertcredit Brandon: Cellular shades Jaffe: Stop playing gacha games, read more comics Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Tim Rogers and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.