Colette & Matt Have Entered the Chat

New Pokémon Snap is here, and apparently there's a character in it named Todd Snap? So says Chelsea Stark, the Executive Editor at an up-and-coming video game website we like to call Polygon.com.  This week in chat, we discuss the sublime pleasures of bad games we still love to play. Also, can math ever be fun? Also,  why won't Pokémon respect the "rule of thirds?" And WTF *is* picross, anyway? Wh...

When did nerd culture shift from being passé to the dominant force across all media? Where did all your fan fiction go before the Internet? Remember Blockbuster?? Also, we make a decision on which '90s Star Trek to binge. Also, how did anime get so mainstream? Also, the difference between simple games, and complex games that are easy to access. And, you can play the original NES Zelda and Dragon W...

This week we're joined by the wonderful Sean Baptiste,  whose long career in the games industry led him to become the senior PR and streaming manager for Bethesda Softworks. Today, he works with influencers large and small on the publisher's biggest franchises like "Doom" and "Fallout." We talk with Sean about his extremely diverse career path (which includes play writing, standup comedy, and find...

Why does Colette play the original "Legend of Zelda" every year? It's about way more than just nostalgia. Also, what's the deal with Hello Kitty, which '90s "Star Trek" is the best,  and the JRPGs that fooled us by pretending to be good. What Colette is playing: No Time to Relax: Spiritual successor to Sierra's classic life sim "Jones in the Fast Lane" What Matt is NOT playing: Pac-Man 99: It's Pa...

What makes a game "stick" for you? And what happens when a game has every ingredient you love and you're still not feeling it? Colette & Matt share email from a new listener, discuss why challenge is both motivating and off-putting, and why personal headspace is a key ingredient in whether or not a game becomes an obsession. Also: Should you buy a Nintendo DS in 2021, quitting Hollow Knight, cross...

It's our very first episode! This week, we talk about the gaming loops that keep us coming back for more, why we love to focus on one game at a time (whenever possible!), why Twitch and Discord are so special, and ye olden days of social media and games journalism. What we're playing: Silent Hill 2  Enhanced Edition, a fan-made remaster of the horror classic Magic:Legends, a Diablo-style ARPG with...