Franchise Festival

Chris & Hamilton discuss Mass Effect 3 's Leviathan DLC, the first half of its Citadel DLC, and the Asari homeworld of Thessia. Kai Leng returns!

Chris and Hamilton discuss Mass Effect 3 's Ardat-Yakshi Monastery sidequest and resolve the Quarian/Geth conflict... for better or worse!

Chris & Hamilton walk through the second act of Mass Effect 3 , from recruiting Javik (Ike Amadi) to Tuchanka and the Citadel's Cerberus takeover. Along the way, the Rachni Queen - or her clone - makes an exciting appearance! Disclaimer: This is a re-recorded episode. We are still having some odd audio issues despite switching to Zoom, so we beg your patience with the slightly lower audio qual...

Hamilton, Spencer, and Chris cover the first phase of Commander Shepard's Mass Effect 3 journey, from a trial on Earth to a daring escape from Sur'Kesh. We're reunited with Anderson, Jack, Ashley, Liara, Mordin, Wrex, and more. Also James is there.

Chris and Hamilton discuss the development and gameplay generalities of Mass Effect 3 before setting up the plot with an overview of Mass Effect 2 's "Arrival" DLC mission.

Chris, Hamilton, and Spencer discuss their favorite games of 2025 (more or less), along with some honorable mentions. Don't worry, it's spoiler-free! Topics include: The Seance at Blake Manor The Roottrees Are Dead Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles Pokemon Legends: Z-A Monster Train 2 Metaphor: Refantazio Blue Prince Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Death Stranding 2: On The Beach Like A Dr...

Chris and Hamilton conclude their whirlwind tour through Mass Effect 2 with the Lair of the Shadow Broker mission, Legion's recruitment, and the climax of the Collectors' nefarious plot.

Chris, Spencer, and returning guest Lily discuss nearly all remaining loyalty missions in Mass Effect 2 and make a surprising discovery on-board the derelict Collector vessel. Be sure to check out Lily's great work at The Avocado and on her Patreon page !

Chris, Hamilton, and Spencer are joined by The Avocado 's Lily Bones to discuss Mass Effect 2 recruitments (Samara, Thane, and Tali) as well as the loyalty missions for Garrus and Jack. Please note that we had some audio issues with this recording, so Lily's farewell is absent from our wrap-up and you may hear some minor audio distortion from time to time. Worry not, though: you can still find Lil...

Chris, Hamilton, and Spencer discuss the first third or so of Mass Effect 2 's plot, from the prologue to the rescue mission on Horizon. This covers most of recruitments, which means you get to meet Mordin Solus in this episode!

Chris, Hamilton, and Spencer are joined by Matt Storm (aka Stormageddon) to discuss the development, gameplay, and universe of Mass Effect 2 (2010). Be sure to check out Matt's Linktree to find more of their work!

Chris, Hamilton, and Spencer navigate the back half of Mass Effect 's narrative, from Feros to the final confrontation with Saren.

Chris, Hamilton, and Spencer wind their way through the first half of Mass Effect 's plot, from character creation to Noveria. Along the way, we also discuss party member backstories, the Asteroid X57 bonus mission, and how exactly one should pronounce "Benezia."

Chris, Spencer, and Hamilton discuss the development, gameplay, and background lore of Mass Effect (2007). Come for the BioWare history, stay to find out which alien species is the biggest bunch of nerds. Sources/Links: The Art of the Mass Effect Trilogy : Expanded Edition " Mass Effect is Inspired by... Final Fantasy ?" - Luke Plunkett for Kotaku Turians ( Mass Effect Wiki) NASA Stanford torus (W...

We close the book on Season 4 with a round-up of topics on Capcom's Mega Man , including: personal histories with the series, favorite entries, least favorite entries, biggest surprises, and more!

Chris and Hamilton discuss the development, gameplay, stages, and bosses of Mega Man 11 (2018).

Hamilton and Chris discuss Inti Creates' Mega Man ZX , including its origins as a potential Mega Man Zero 5 and its awkward (yet admirable) efforts to infuse the Mega Man formula with Metroidvania mechanics. Along the way, we uncover surprising connections to Shantae and Ace Attorney . Sources IGN interview with producer Ken Horinouchi Capcom Unity Blog interview with character designer and scenar...

Chris and Hamilton are joined by special guest Patrick of the Boss Rush Network to discuss Inti Creates' first entry in the Mega Man  series: Mega Man Zero  (2002). Be sure to support Patrick's work by visiting https://bossrush.net/ , following him on Twitter using the handle @Auditor415 , and backing the network on Patreon . Sources Jeremy Parish - “Companions Through Life and Death: The Story of...

Hamilton and Chris conclude their coverage of Capcom's Mega Man Battle Network  (2001) with a close look at the game's plot. Even as the level design grows tedious and the story meanders, boss fights remain a highlight.

Chris and Hamilton tackle the development, gameplay, and early hours of Mega Man Battle Network (2001). Along the way, they lavish praise on the deckbuilder format and uncover the startling commonality between Capcom's abandoned IPs. Sources: Interview - "Mega Man Battle Network Started Out As A Horror Game" (Inside Games, via MMBN3D and Rockman Corner) Mega Man Battle Network Complete Works

Chris, Hamilton, and Spencer discuss Mega Man X4 (1997), the first Mega Man X game developed from the ground-up for 32-bit consoles. Are the updates worthwhile, or do they just over-complicate a classic formula? Development Sources: Mega Man X4 – 1997 Developer Interview ( Sega Saturn Magazine , via Shmuplations) Mega Man X: Official Complete Works Book

Chris and Spencer discuss the development, gameplay, and plot of 1997's Mega Man Legends  (Nintendo loyalists may know it as Mega Man 64 ). If our show piques your interest, don't miss the great development team interviews available on shmuplations .

Hamilton and Chris go in-depth with Capcom's first 32-bit Mega Man game: Mega Man 8 ! Along the way, your hosts give a primer on the series' extended sidekick roster, offer their thoughts on the (in)famous auto-scroll stages, and get to the bottom of why this game's voice acting is so... unique.

Chris and Hamilton are joined by special guest Nadia Oxford , author of the Maverick Hunter's Field Guide , to talk about Mega Man X (1993). Along the way, they learn about Capcom's difficulty growing Mega Man past its 8-bit roots, discuss changes between the original and its 2006 remake, and let listeners in on Dr. Cain's secret weakness. Be sure to support Nadia's work over at Axe of the Blood G...

Chris, Hamilton, and Spencer talk about the first Mega Man game developed after the departure of creator Akira Kitamura: Mega Man 3 ! Along the way, your hosts discuss yet another troubled development period, a bewildering localization, and what happens when you build a tower out of snakes.