Critical Arcade

This week Nick and Dave get their hands on probably the Greatest JRPG of all Time; Chrono Trigger. They take control of the time-traveling crew of Frog, Ayla, Lucca, Robo, Marle, and Crono and their task is to save the world from the clutches of Lavos while traveling multiple time periods. Will Nick be able to get over how much content is stuffed into such a small cartridge? Will Dave ever stop gu...

The worst has happened... Nick and Dave's plane has crashed on a densely forested peninsula surrounded by crazed cannibals! Oh, and they both have a son named Timmy who some red guy stole or something. Now they must muster all their skills and knowledge to survive, try to locate their Timmys, and unravel the mysteries of the island. Will Dave even venture away from the crash site? Will Nick comple...

This week Dave and Nick are plugging themselves into the Digital World and teaming up with their digital companions yet again. This time tasked with taking down the evil corporation A.o. A. whose plotting to control the world. Will Dave buckle under the pressure of saving the world being on his now 12-year-old shoulders? Will Nick grow too old to finish the game waiting for the battle animations?&...

This week Nick and Dave are whisked off to have a look at Wario's newly built castle that's overflowing with the riches he's "acquired" and definitely not stolen. But then an ominous evil Jewel awakens and takes everything he has, because of course it does. It's now up to Nick and Dave to help Wario get it all back in a new world that's part Alice In Wonderland and part Jurassic Park! Will Dave's...

This week Dave and Nick are transported to the region of Galar where they have to watch their fiance die in their arms by the hands of the evil dragon's henchmen. But with the power of their new Dragon Blade and disembodied Dragon voice-in-their-head, Valthorian, they must track down the other evil dragons and vanquish them to save the world and to quell the raging fire within themselves. Will Dav...

This week Nick and Dave arrive at the pastel-dipped, strangely dystopian, town of Portia where their estranged father has left them a dilapidated Shack to start a new life and career. Thanks, Dad! They must use their wits and hone their skills to become the best carpenter/farmer/researcher/warrior that there ever was... in a community that has Children of the Corn vibes. Will Dave ever get past hi...

This episode Dave and Nick put on their black turtle neck sweaters, grab their silenced pistols, and their face-changing super gadgets as they are taking on the role of Ethan Hunt, the point man of IMF. They have to track down a list of undercover spies before it gets into the wrong person's hands. With more twists and turns than a broken Spirograph will this be a mission they can complete? ...

One does not just simply walk into Mordor, One takes the entire Lord of the Rings Story and turn it into Legos! This week Nick and Dave take on the iconic roles of the Fellowship of the Rings through the discovery of the Ring at the Shire, the ass-clenching Battle at Helms Deep, and the emotive destruction of the Ring in Mt Doom, but all this with wacky Lego-like antics. Will Dave ever leave the S...

Time for a vacation! In this episode, Nick and Dave fly to the sun-soaked vista of Delfino Isle where they take on the role of everyone's favorite plumber Mario. But instead of enjoying himself with his companions a mysterious doppelganger gets our mustachioed friend framed for crimes he didn't commit. We now face hundreds of hours cleaning everything with ... a squirt gun. Will Nick be driven mad...

It's Back to School this week for Nick and Dave but this time as renegade teens Misako and Kyoko. Instead of having to deal with High School Politics and Exams, they have to save their dreamy boyfriends from mysterious kidnappers. But this isn't normal suburbia. Everyone is trying to stop them from the Principal and his Students to the mall clerks and Security Guards, and even the infamous Yakuza....

In this episode, Nick and Dave camo-suit up, wrap a bandana around their heads, and grab their closest cardboard box. They are on their way to Costa Rica while taking on the legendary role of "Big Boss", aka Snake, tasked with stopping a mysterious army from making Costa Rica a scapegoat for nuclear holocaust. Will Dave manage to follow who all the characters are? And will Nick ever be able to fin...

This episode Nick and Dave have to sharpen their pencils and grab their backpacks because they are headed back to school! This time to Hermelin High, Japan, where playing a parlor game called Persona gets them caught up in a hotpot of the betrayal, manipulation and high-jinxs of teenage life. Does the the first Persona game hit home as well as its sucessors? Or does it get lost in translation? Sup...

This time Nick and Dave take on the role of the most bodacious of the Four Horsemen, Fury. An unbridled mage with an addhorrent dislike of humans and rules, who needs to track down the Seven Deadly Sins and extinguish their lives. Will Darksiders 3 be THQ Nordic's return to form? Or will it be the final swansong of a respected franchise? Support the show at patreon.com/criticalarcade or criticalar...

The world has been plunged into darkness and the future is blanketed in despair. After the rebirth of a luminous bird-like deity, Nick and Dave have been tasked with the restoration of hope and safety back to the lands. Will Nick's vast soulslike reflexes and skill set make this game a breeze? Will Dave just let his AI companion do all the fighting and reep the rewards? Support the show at patreon...

Dave and Nick hit the gym, grab some Lancer Rifles and find themselves drafted into the COG. Their mission? to map out the Locusts' tunnels and blow them all to hell! Will Dave forever be a Fanboy of the Cole Train? And will Nick ever work out the reload mechanic? Support the show at patreon.com/criticalarcade or criticalarcade.com Email us at nick@criticalarcade.com and dave@criticalarcade.com Th...

Nick and Dave return to Pandora to help their old Vault Hunting comrades against the maniacal Handsome Jack, Pandora's new overlord. With guns galore and enemies everywhere, somehow this game still packs a coherent punch. Will Dave be driven mad by searching for the perfect gun? And will Handsome Jack's sociopathic charm sway Nick? Support the show at patreon.com/criticalarcade or criticalarcade.c...

This week, Nick and Dave flip their caps 'round, abandon their mothers, and set off for the region of Paldea. This time having to juggle school life, finding Titans, battling Gyms, and thwarting Team Star. Will Dave's wife run away with the new sexy Professor Turo? Will Game Freak ever get Nick's trust back? Support the show at patreon.com/criticalarcade or criticalarcade.com Email us at nick@crit...

Nick and Dave have their 'Old School' skills pushed to the limit when they take on the role of Samus wannabe, Trace Eschenbrenner, on an unfortunate mission to take down Ridley cosplayer, Athetos, in this metroidvania-inspired 8-bit Adventure. See what we did there? Support the show at patreon.com/criticalarcade or criticalarcade.com Email us at nick@criticalarcade.com and dave@criticalarcade.com...

Dave and Nick travel back to Midgard to embody the role of everyone's favourite father figure Kratos. This time striving to protect his son from the allure of his fate while teaching him that his actions have consequences. Will Nick include some Kratosian wisdom in his parenting? And does Dave even know where he is? Support the show at patreon.com/criticalarcade or criticalarcade.com Email us at n...

Having already saved Meridian and its people, Dave and Nick once again take on the role of the fiery-haired maiden herself, Aloy. Can Guerrilla Games stay true to form and deliver another rollercoaster adventure? Or will the boundary-pushing execution make it lose its spark? Support the show at patreon.com/criticalarcade or criticalarcade.com Email us at nick@criticalarcade.com and dave@criticalar...

In our first Critical Arcade Halloween Special , Fear junkie Nick and scaredy cat Dave are placed at the forefront of a new government agency, F.E.A.R. Tasked with the assignment of tracking down a literal cannibal and being hunted down by the iconic Alma Wade, this game is sure to dish up some terrifying nightmare fuel. Will this game give Nick the same rush of modern horror games? And will Dave...

Nick and Dave find themselves in deep water as they try to survive planet 4546B. Will Subnautica's never-ending thrill ride of 'He Who Dares Wins' mechanics be too much for Nick? Will Dave overcome his fear of the ocean or be stuck like a Mollusk in his escape pod? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Dave puts on his 'L Plates' and plays Overwatch for the very first time, while Nick revisits a turbulent past and reviews it from the eyes of a Veteran. Can Overwatch 2 reach the same heights as its predecessor? Or will Blizzard drag yet another game through the bushes? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Nick and Dave take on the roles of Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett on the mean streets of Miami. Where being a real cop is about body count and comedic banter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Nick and Dave hang out with Mario and the Gang. No Goomba Stomping this time. This time we fight for sports supremacy... with a Final Fantasy Twist? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.