Downloadable Content

From its humble beginnings on the Nintendo 64, t his madcap insanity we know as Super Smash Bros. has kept us gleefully entertained, with something for just about everybody, whether you're a casual player to a hardcore tournament player. And with the latest incarnation on Nintendo Switch, this series shows no signs of letting up.  How has this craziness kept going for twenty years and several...

On the final episode of our 8th season of DLC, it's our third and final Free Play episode. This open discussion has us talking a variety of things: what games we're playing, VR games, recommendations for the Switch, FF15, the new Epic Games store, and a ton more as we go nearly 3 hours to close out 2018. Ep S8E17

When a developer creates a game and decides to take a multimedia approach to the game's narrative, what does that do for the player's experience? If a player has to go beyond the game in order to fully appreciate its narrative, does it become a chore? An expensive money grab? An acknowledgement that the developer can't contain the game's narrative in its own media? Inspired by an opinion article i...

Squaresoft director Tetsuya Takahashi began writing a scenario for a game that was to begin development. Finding it too dark to be a Final Fantasy title, it became Xenogears. Several years of planning, creating backstory, and development ensued, and in February 1998, Xenogears was released. Critically acclaimed then despite its obvious lack of polish or completeness, does it hold up 20 years later...

What makes speedrunners tick? These gamers devote countless hours to their craft: completing a game so quickly and so thoroughly that it boggles the mind. Whether for fun, for charity, or both, speedrunners give life to games decades old, broadcasting their conquests and giving new fans a glimpse into the titles we played as kids. There's truly an art to it, and we explore it on this episode. Ep S...

November 1998 saw the release of the 5th major installment in the Legend of Zelda series: Ocarina of Time. It proved to be a groundbreaking entry in the franchise, and is widely considered one of the greatest games ever made. Twenty years later, it continues to delight fans the world over. Why? Listen in as we dive into Hyrule once again. Ep S8E13

It's the 3rd official entry in the Metal Gear canon, but in 1998, Konami released Metal Gear Solid on the PS1 to universal acclaim. Widely considered to be one of the greatest video games of all time, it combines stealth and confusing narrative, as well as an unforgettable cast of characters. Listen in as we take a deep dive into this amazing classic. Ep S8E12

With Nintendo's current crusade against ROM-hosting websites, now seems a good time to talk about forced and planned obsolescence in video games. What happens when developers pull the plug on a game that is still enjoyed by many? What ways do we have to preserve games? With few legal ways to do so, is emulation and piracy the solution to preservation, or do we need to re-examine how we see games a...

With Resident Evil 2 bursting onto the scene in January 1998, survival horror became firmly established on the PlayStation. Not to be outdone, Square created a game that blended the styles of RPGs, action, science fiction, and survival horror to create Parasite Eve, based on the novel of the same name. We look back at this underrated classic on its 20th anniversary. Ep S8E10

In our 3rd and final part of our E3 2018 recap, we cover the highlights and game announcements from the PC Gaming Show, Sony, and Nintendo. Ep S8E9C

In Part 2 of our E3 2018 recap, we cover the highlights and game announcements from Square Enix, Limited Run Games, and Ubisoft. Ep S8E9B

E3 has wrapped up and there is a lot to digest. Lots of press conferences, lots of announcements of games, and lots of emotion. What stood out? What are we looking forward to? Who do we shit all over? What games do we think will not see the light of day for decades? On Part 1, we break down EA, Microsoft, and Bethesda's showings. Ep S8E9A

On the second Free Play of the year, we talk about some pre-E3 news, some games we're currently playing, talk about Nintendo a little bit, and plenty more in this open-discussion format episode. Ep S8E8

It's been 8 years since the last numbered Mega Man game; for its 30-year anniversary of the franchise, they announced Mega Man 11. On this episode, we prognosticate and speculate about it, and talk about what else is going on in Capcom-land as well. Ep S8E7

This year's incarnation of PAX East 2018 in Boston, MA, had to be expanded to 4 days because 3 just wasn't cutting it anymore. Joined by some of the fine folks at Sprites and Dice, we give our thoughts, opinions, and personal experiences about all the games (both video and tabletop) we sampled, concerts, panels, tournaments, and plenty more! Ep S8E6

On the first of our Free Play episodes this year, Tanya makes her first appearance in over a year, joining our great big panel to take part in discussion of a wide range of topics: Chrono Trigger on PC, more lootbox stuff, the Switch turning one, and plenty more in this 2.5-hour episode. Ep S8E5

What if we all could play our entire personal libraries of games on a single device, and no longer need to shell out hundreds or thousands of dollars on separate consoles or a PC build? Or, at the very least, make it so that if two people have the same game but for different consoles, have the ability to still play with each other? We have the technology, and we're already starting to see games im...

We look back on a topic we discussed back in Season 1, looking once again at the idea of pay-to-play in video games now in light of the lootbox mess games like Star Wars Battlefront 2 have wrought, where we have to ask ourselves: is this actually gambling? And what can developers do to try to get more money without resorting to slimy tactics? Ep S8E3

Just in time for Valentines' Day--we take a look at romance in video games, whether it's games that feature a romantic plot or subplot as part of the overall narrative, or whether it's something that you as the player character can initiate and control. What are some of your favorite romantic storylines in games? Ep S8E2

To kick off Season 8, we take an extra-long look at one of the most critically-acclaimed indie titles in recent memory: UNDERTALE. We give our thoughts and opinions on the game, talk about its appeal, and its polarizing nature. We are FILLED WITH DETERMINATION as we begin year number eight of DLC. Ep S8E1

On the season finale, we come full circle on the Switch. Having started 2017 talking about it, we take a look at how Nintendo's latest console has fared 9 months in, talk about our favorite games thus far, and look ahead to 2018. Ep S7E18

In all the video games we've ever played, chances are there are some from your childhood you could never beat until you tackled them as adults. Some of those games you probably still can't beat, no matter how hard you try. On this episode, we give our own personal struggles: games we conquered after many years, and others who laugh at our torment. Ep S7E17

On the 20th anniversary of Fallout, our guest-host through the wastelands, Gabriel, takes us through a dust-filled, nuclear dystopia. Listen in as the panel talks about their experiences and memories playing this franchise, hopping from one Vault to the next. Ep S7E16

On the final Free Play episode of the year, we cover such topics like The Technomancer, upcoming indie games for the Nintendo Switch, the importance of game narrative, and plenty more! Shenanigans abound. Ep S7E15

Ten years ago, we got into a bathysphere and headed to the bottom of the North Atlantic Ocean. There, we found a beautiful city, an underwater metropolis covered in Art Deco excess that hid a collapsed and ruined utopia. We talk about the three games in the BioShock franchise...would you kindly listen in? Ep S7E14