Franchise Festival

Chris and Hamilton discuss the development, gameplay, and monster designs of Resident Evil 6, exploring how best to approach the game's unwieldy four-campaign structure and glibly dismissing prognosticators of the "next big thing." Noteworthy Sources 1up.com Interview with director Eiichiro Sasaki and Yoshiaki Hirabayashi PlayStation Blog interview with executive producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi, direc...

Chris, Hamilton, Spencer, and special guest Carly discuss the history of zombie media. After chatting about their favorite zombie movies, games, and TV, they get down into the weeds with which zombie tropes are still worth saving and which need to be buried. And yes, Typing of the Dead merits a mention. You can find Carly at @pryorexperience on Instagram! With regard to sources, we recommend the f...

The Franchise Festival crew chats about the development, gameplay, and story of Resident Evil 5 . Wesker’s back and chewing every piece of scenery he can find, while enemies soak up more bullets than ever. Your hosts debate what exactly separates Uroboros from Plagas.

Chris and Spencer are joined by Duckfeed.tv’s Gary Butterfield and Kole Ross to talk about Resident Evil 4 ‘s famously troubled development, its delightfully ludicrous plot beats, and what makes it hold up so well today. Along the way, Del Lago punks a new generation of fans. If you enjoy the episode, be sure to check out Watch Out for Fireballs , Bonfireside Chat , and the rest of the great conte...

Chris, Spencer, and returning special guest SuperNamu chat about Resident Evil ‘s newest cinematic adaptation, Welcome to Raccoon City (2021). It was interesting to discuss what worked, what didn’t, and what might have been. Be sure to check out SuperNamu on Twitter , Twitch , Instagram , and TikTok !

Chris and Hamilton explore the development and gameplay of the last traditional Resident Evil game. They discuss the game’s notorious inventory and partner systems at length, discovering that not all hookshots are as delightful as the ones in Hyrule. Note that spoilers are plentiful and language is at least PG-13. Sources for development information include Alex Aniel’s Itchy Tasty (BUY ASAP) and...

Chris, Hamilton, and Spencer discuss the development, gameplay, bosses, and puzzles of the Resident Evil REmake. Lisa Trevor and Crimson Head Zombies make a strong impression. The Aqua Ring receives an extensive makeover.

Join Chris, Hamilton, Spencer and special guest Kamijace as they explore Resident Evil: Code Veronica ‘s deep lore, discover the game’s original protagonist, and debate the merits of how director Hiroki Kato creatively reinterpreted Resident Evil 2 ‘s famous “zapping” system. Be sure to check out The Weekly Cooldown for more from wonderful guest host Kamijace ! You can also become a patron of Fran...

Chris and Hamilton discuss Mega Man X: The Maverick Hunter’s Field Guide with authors Nadia and David Oxford. They explore how the book was written, which Mega Man X spinoffs are worth playing, and which Maverick is the wackiest. The reason for Mega Man X5 ‘s seemingly inexplicable Guns ‘N Roses references is revealed. You can buy the book on Amazon , Barnes and Noble , Target , or your preferred...

Chris, Hamilton, and Spencer are joined by special guest SuperNamu to discuss Resident Evil 3: Nemesis ‘ rocky development and controversial dodge system before celebrating the unique terror introduced by its title character. Mercenaries Mode makes its thrilling debut. Selected Sources Alex Aniel – Itchy Tasty: An Unofficial History of Resident Evil Project Umbrella – Interview with Writer Yasuhis...

The crew discusses the development, gameplay, and story of Hideki Kamiya’s brilliant follow-up to 1996’s Resident Evil . Chris and Spencer take a deep dive into Resident Evil 1.5 while Hamilton explores how zombies turns into lickers. The origins of “Mr. X” are explained at last. Follow the show on Twitter using the handle @franchise_fest , check out our official website for more video game histor...

In a rare bit of zeitgeist-capturing, up-to-the-minute coverage, the Franchise Festival crew offers their impressions of Netflix’s Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness (2021). Spoilers abound, so be sure to watch the show before you listen if you want to remain surprised.

Christian, Hamilton, and Spencer explore the development, gameplay, monsters, and story of Capcom’s Resident Evil (1996). The Franchise Festival crew also surveys a selection of earlier genre titles and later console ports, confirming the historical significance of Shinji Mikami’s survival horror debut. Tank controls and an idiosyncratic save system provoke strong reactions from your hosts. Select...

Chris, Jasmine, Hamilton, and Spencer survey nearly thirty years of The Legend of Zelda spiritual successors, including Crusader of Centy , Blossom Tales , Okami , Genshin Impact and more. Then they each share their ‘Top 3’ titles in Nintendo’s long-running action-adventure franchise before bidding a fond farewell to Season 1 and looking ahead to Season 2: Resident Evil . Follow the show on Twitte...

The Franchise Festival crew explores the development, gameplay, and plot of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (2020). Chris, Jasmine, and Spencer discuss their favorite characters and speculate on why this game falls short of its 2014 predecessor. Follow the show on Twitter using the handle @franchise_fest , check out our official website for more video game history resources, and be sure to email...

The Franchise Festival crew discusses the story, sidequests, and cut content of Breath of the Wild in the second of two episodes on Nintendo’s legendary 2017 release. Chris and Jasmine share their love of Kass while Hamilton and Spencer debate the merits of an easy final boss. The curious etymological roots of the Sheikah are uncovered through a look at their original Japanese names. Follow the sh...

The Franchise Festival crew discusses the development, gameplay, and enemies of Breath of the Wild in the first of two episodes on Nintendo’s legendary 2017 release. Chris, Jasmine, Spencer, and Hamilton discover that they have very different opinions on silent protagonists and weapon durability. The surprising connection between Miis and Hylians is revealed. Follow the show on Twitter using the h...

The Franchise Festival crew discusses 2014 beat-’em-up Hyrule Warriors . Chris dives into the history of the Dynasty Warriors / Musou series more generally, along with the serendipity of Hyrule Warriors ‘ creation, while Hamilton explains ‘ Musou fatigue’ and Jasmine details the surprising origins of character weapons. Everyone has a good laugh about the reformed Ganondorf. Selected Sources: Game...

This bonus feature covers content cut from our A Link Between Worlds / Triforce Heroes episode. In these clips, Spencer, Hamilton, Jasmine, and Chris discuss the history of Nintendo EAD, minigames, comparisons with A Link to the Past , and more. Note that audio quality and editing may be a touch rougher than standard episodes. Follow the show on Twitter using the handle @franchise_fest , check out...

Christian, Hamilton, Jasmine, and Spencer explore the development, gameplay, plot, and localization of The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds and Triforce Heroes . Then they debate the relative merits of building on a bonafide 2D classic and the travails of internet communication in the mid-2010s. Please let us know what you like or dislike by emailing franchisefestival@gmail.com . You can als...

Christian, Jasmine, and Spencer explore the story, dungeons, and bosses of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword . Nintendo’s crisis of confidence in the late 2000s and Skyward Sword ‘s connections to From Software level design are discussed. The crew confesses its undying love of timeshift stones. Please let us know what you like or dislike by emailing franchisefestival@gmail.com . You can also find...

Christian, Hamilton, Jasmine, and Spencer discuss the three best games they played in 2020 before looking ahead to 2021 and what it might bring. Be aware that this conversation has more adult language than typical episodes, so it may not be suitable for all ages. In the order they appear, song samples include: “Theme of Adol” – Ys I & II “Wretched Shades” – Hades “Blessings (Bamboo)” – Sakuna:...

Christian, Jasmine, and Spencer cover the development history, gameplay mechanics, minigames, localization, and cut content of Skyward Sword (2011). This game's unique status as the intersection between portable and home console series entries is discussed. The crew mourns Zelda 's lost Second Quest. Subscribe to @franchise_fest on Twitter to get notifications of all new episodes and other Franchi...

This bonus feature covers content cut from our Spirit Tracks episode. In these clips, Hamilton, Jasmine, and Christian discuss the Tower of Spirits' development process, anti-piracy measures, localization quirks and more. Note that audio quality and editing may be a touch rougher than standard episodes. Follow the show on Twitter using the handle @franchise_fest , check out our official Twitch cha...

Christian, Hamilton, and new full-time co-host Jasmine go in-depth with The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks . The crew covers this controversial Nintendo DS game's development history, gameplay, and cut content. Zelda 's silliest species - the Lokomo - is revealed. Follow the show on Twitter using the handle @franchise_fest , and check out our official Twitch channel for streams of new and classic...