All My Best Friends Are Digital

Flawed genius is the accidental theme of this week, with the delightful gibberish of LocoRoco and the incomprehensible strategy of Star Renegades. What We're Playing 01:00 Mark: Code RAPID (HitBreak) 15:27 Caitlin: The Séance of Blake Manor (Spooky Doorway, 2025) 25:14 GOOF: LocoRoco (PSP, Japan Studio, 2006) 42:16 Feature Game: Star Renegades (Massive Damage, 2020) SHOUT 1:12:52 Mark: Beitong Pan...

Note: even though we are discussing "Rise of the Sinistrals" and "Deathloop" we are not entering a goth phase. What We're Playing 01:07 Caitlin: Ravenswatch (Passtech Games, 2023) 05:52 Caitlin: Final Fantasy IX (Square, 2000) 13:58 Mark: Minishoot' Adventures (SoulGame Studio, 2024) 21:59 GOOF: Lufia 2: Rise of the Sinistals (SNES, Neverland, 1996) 38:22 Feature Game: Deathloop (Arkane Lyon, 2021...

WE ARE BACK and thirstier than ever! We debate issues of male beauty across Half-Minute Hero and Final Fantasy XVI--the former showing JRPGs distilled to their essence, the latter showing JRPGs evolved past recognition. What We're Playing 01:28 Mark: Sakura Wars--Saturn (Sega S2 R&D, 1996) 16:45 Caitlin: Abiotic Factor (Deep Field Games, 2025) 28:06 GOOF: Half-Minute Hero (Opus, 2009) 40:47 Featur...

We look back on our collected experiences together, dear digital friends, as we crown our Game of the Year before an unfortunate (and hopefully brief) pause. What We're Playing 01:39 Caitlin: Miscellaneous catchup 02:38 Caitlin: Dogpile (Studio Folly, Toot Games, & Foot, 2025) 11:17 Mark: Terminator 2D: No Fate (Bitmap Bureau, 2025) Season 1 in Review Special Categories 18:34 Thanks for Introducin...

One of Mark's obscure arcade favorites is Change Air Blade, a bizarre little shooter/fighter hybrid. Lost Records: Bloom & Rage is our latest narrative-focused diversion. Also, Caitlin has conquered Metaphor: ReFantazio! Let her achievement spur greater and greater successes. What We're Playing 00:53 Mark: Demonschool (Necrosoft Games, 2025) 13:34 Caitlin: Metaphor: ReFantazio (Studio Zero, 2024)...

Who is a more grounded, realistic, fleshed-out character--Wario in WarioWare Gold, or any of the humans in Detroit: Become Human? What We're Playing 01:00 Caitlin: Fellowship (Chief Rebel, 2025) 12:58 Mark: Silent Hill 2 Remake (Bloober Team, 2025) 26:07 GOOF: WarioWare Gold (Intelligent Systems, 2018) 39:32 Feature Game: Detroit: Become Human (Quantic Dream, 2018) SHOUT 1:01:47 Caitlin: REPLACED...

Caitlin's love/hate relationship continues with Silent Hill, and we talk about all kinds of shameful love in Persona 5. What We're Playing 00:51 Mark: Skybolt Zack (DEVS MUST DIE, 2019) 13:39 Caitlin: No, I'm Not a Human (Trioskaz, 2025) 20:51 GOOF: Silent Hill (Team Silent, 1999) 39:12 Feature Game: Persona 5 Royal (P-Studio, 2019) SHOUT 57:49 Mark: Persona 4 Revival (P-Studio) 58:49 Caitlin: My...

Another horror game, namely Clock Tower, for someone who claims not to like horror games, namely Caitlin. Then, Mark finally tries the cultural juggernaut that is The Witcher 3. What We're Playing 01:04 Caitlin: Quantum Witch (NikkiJay, 2025) 09:53 Mark: Neon Inferno (Zenovia Interactive, 2025) 21:35 GOOF: Clock Tower (Human Entertainment, 1995) 34:39 Feature Game: The Witcher 3 (CD Projekt Red, 2...

We're not really doing the fighting this week, we're mostly telling other people to do violence and/or die--both in Ogre Battle from the SNES and Dispatch. What We're Playing 01:11 Mark: Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones (Ubisoft, 2005) 13:25 Caitlin: My Little Puppy (Dreamotion Inc, 2025) 21:24 GOOF: Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen (Quest Corporation, 1993) 39:12 Feature Game: Dispatch...

We return to the Aliens franchise and the Nintendo DS with Infestation, where #squadgoals run smack into permadeath. Meanwhile, your power fantasies in The Outer Worlds 2 run smack into the reality of your character's incompetence. What We're Playing 00:52 Caitlin: R.E.P.O.: The Monster Update (semiwork, 2025) 09:32 Mark: BALL x PIT (Kenny Sun & Friends, 2025) 19:48 GOOF: Aliens: Infestation (Way...

Mark remains in the iron grip of tactical RPGs, and so we revisit Vandal Hearts along with critical darling Keeper. What We're Playing 01:16 Mark: Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage (Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, 2025) 11:36 Caitlin: Sworn (Windwalk Games, 2025) 16:35 GOOF: Vagrant Story (Konami, 1996) 36:33 Feature Game: Keeper (Double Fine, 2025) SHOUT 48:14 Mark: MENACE (Overhype Studios) 49:12 Cait...

With Caitlin's guidance, Mark is slowly going through the generically-titled nineties SNES titles--this time it's Trials of Mana. Absolum is also a pretty weak name. Can the games overshadow their unilluminating titles? ALL WILL BE REVEALED What We're Playing 01:09 Caitlin: Hidden Folks (Adriaan de Jongh & Sylvain Tegroeg, 1998) 07:27 Mark: Lost Eidolons: Veil of the Witch (Ocean Drive Studio, 202...

The nineties are calling in a big way! Sonic, The Big Con, and Caitlin even manages to smuggle in an Evangelion reference. Radical. What We're Playing 00:53 Mark: Akane (Ludic Studios, 2018) 11:40 Caitlin: Phasmaphobia (Kinetic Games, 2020) 21:40 GOOF: Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (Sega Technical Institute, 1994) 40:14 Feature Game: The Big Con (Mighty Yell, 2021) SHOUT 1:01:21 Mark: MagicX One 35 (MagicX...

We get dynastic AF here, with multi-generational dynamics galore. We breed dragon killers with Dragon Valor and look to rescue our dear, grim, chthonic papa in Hades II. What We're Playing 02:03 Caitlin: Monster Hunter Wilds (Capcom, 2025) 11:12 Mark: Drift Survivor 2 (MEWSTURBO, 2025) 20:36 GOOF: Dragon Valor (Now Production, 1999) 36:20 Feature Game: Hades II (Supergiant, 2025) SHOUT 1:00:56 Cai...

It's a Game Boy-heavy episode, including the popular fan translation of Japanese-only RPG Mother 3. We follow up with the game if "improvisational chaos" I Am Your Beast. (We apologize for Caitlin's poor audio in this episode) What We're Playing 01:44 Mark: Fire Emblem: Vision Quest (Pandan [Fan Hack], 2022) 10:41 Caitlin: LEGO Game Boy (LEGO, 2025) 17:59 GOOF: Mother 3 (Brownie Brown/HAL Laborato...

Growing up can be hard, so we explore some coping mechanisms--Road Trip to the End of the World suggests conjuring an adorable anthropomorphic fish, whereas Deception III endorses trap-based murder. Options! What We're Playing 01:06 Caitlin: Loop Hero (Four Quarters, 2021) 10:15 Mark: Lost Eidolons (Ocean Drive Studio, 2022) 24:29 GOOF: Deception III: Dark Delusion (Tecmo, 1999) 41:26 Feature Game...

We, once again, have a shonen problem. Brave Fencer Musashi's abrasive overconfidence is in stark contrast to the cool professionalism of Aliens: Fireteam Elite. Stay frosty, people. What We're Playing 00:59 Mark: Metal Eden (Reikon Games, 2025) 12:06 Caitlin: Final Fantasy VI (Square, 1994) 21:59 GOOF: Brave Fencer Musashi (Square, 1998) 38:12 Feature Game: Aliens: Fireteam Elite (Cold Iron Studi...

How six years can change an industry--from local deathmatch FPS being all the rage (Perfect Dark), to online co-op third-person cover-hugging (Gears of War: Reloaded). What We're Playing 00:52 Mark: Marfusha: Sentinel Girls (hinyari9, 2021) 10:16 Caitlin: PEAK (Team PEAK, 2025) 20:15 GOOF: Perfect Dark (Rare, 2000) 39:27 Feature Game: Gears of War: Reloaded (The Coalition, 2025) SHOUT 1:03:22 Mark...

Metroidvania is a very popular formula. We see how much has it changed in the twenty years between its formalization in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and its indie apotheosis in Hollow Knight. What We're Playing 00:54 Caitlin: Coral Island (Stairway Games, 2023) 17:35 Mark: Mortal Sin (Nikita Todorovic, 2025) 27:05 GOOF: Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (Konami, 1997) 42:50 Feature Game: Ho...

Pocky & Rocky scoffs at so-called difficult games like Soulslikes, and Artis Impact scoffs at the limitations of RPG Maker. What We're Playing 01:03 Caitlin: Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap (Robot Entertainment, 2025) 08:15 Mark: The Rogue Prince of Persia (Evil Empire, 2025) 18:31 GOOF: Pocky and Rocky (Natsume, 1992) 28:36 Feature Game: Artis Impact (Mas, 2025) SHOUT 53:03 Caitlin: Battlestar Galactica...

Minigames abound in the WarioWare series (featuring a drive-by discussion of the Mario Party games), and then we ponder the corporate dystopia that is video gaming in Citizen Sleeper. What We're Playing 00:58 Mark: Deadzone: Rogue (Prophecy Games, 2025) 11:34 Caitlin: Hidden Capybaras with Orange (Whimsical Universes, 2023) 17:00 GOOF: WarioWare: Twisted! (Nintendo SPD, 2004) 34:04 Feature Game: C...

We check out a classic strategy RPG series with Shining Force II, then hurry up and die with Elden Ring: Nightreign. What We're Playing 01:03 Caitlin: Cryptmaster (Paul Hart, Lee Williams, and Akupara Games, 2024) 07:12 Mark: Split Fiction (Hazelight Studios, 2025) 19:38 GOOF: Shining Force II (Sonic! Software Planning, 1993) 36:02 Feature Game: Elden Ring: Nightreign (FromSoftware, 2025) SHOUT 55...

Vagrant Story is one of Mark's all-time favourite games, but is he ready to talk about Ashley Riot's butt? Can Caitlin cope with the madness that is JoJo? Or capybara feet? It's a whole lot. StarVaders allows us a break to focus entirely on the game of it. What We're Playing 01:29 Mark: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood (Anchor, Inc, 2006) 16:05 Caitlin: Capybara Spa (Cozy Bee Games, 2022) 2...

The nineties were a rough place, as the writing of Parasite Eve reminds us. Is Jusant a corrective, given that it has no dialog at all? What We're Playing 01:07 Caitlin: The Ranch of Rivershine (Coze Bee Games, 2025) 11:39 Mark: Kunitsu-Gami: Otherworldly Ventures (Capcom, 2025) 21:28 GOOF: Parasite Eve (Square, 1998) 37:21 Feature Game: Jusant (Don't Nod, 2023) SHOUT 56:05 Caitlin: Artis Impact (...

All action and no real story with Street Fighter II Turbo, and then all story and no real action with 1000xRESIST. Each successful in their own way!  What We're Playing 01:11 Mark: Space Mercenary Defense Force (Tom Paradise, 2023) 10:53 Caitlin: Neva (Nomada Studio, 2025) 17:08 GOOF: Street Fighter II Turbo (Capcom, 1992) 35:04 Feature Game: 1000xRESIST (sunset visitor, 2024) SHOUT 52:01 Mark: Va...