Markers on the Map: A Gaming Adventure

"The truth will set you free... and Knuckles." The season two finale of Markers on the Map is a celebration of some of the finest games to ever be released. But first, the biggest ever lore cutscene reveals just what happened on all of those fateful days, tying up loose ends, and finally bringing us to a brave new era. Twists, turns, and revelations abound as we head into the unknown. And then, we...

"Ladies and gentlemen, Gamekeeper here with a very special Tale from the Map. There lived an architect of games known as Dream, who one day found herself face-to-face with an overwhelmingly powerful enemy. This fearsome foe threatened to change the course of history as we know it, but Dream overcame this entity, and the world moved forward just as my brother's eyes foresaw. The big three existed i...

“There was once a suburb called Gameland.” Over the course of nearly 200 episodes, the story of this fictional city has been the backdrop of Markers on the Map. A living, breathing world that is the stage that our gaming discussion and news takes place in. And what’s a world without its lore? Over the first two seasons, we’ve had many cutscenes placed into the episodes that shed a little light on...

And one more thing... and another! This week, it's a classic "we've got so many things to talk about" episode that usually ends up coming out around the time we head into special episodes. So join us for a big catching-up hour where we delve not too deeply into Cyberpunk 2077's Phantom Liberty DLC, Need for Speed Most Wanted, Tomb Raider, Jedi Power Battles, Prince of Persia for the SNES, Pikmin 1...

The Delightful Game from 2008. This week, we're taking a look at Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, an updated version of one of the all-time great action games. A remaster that looks completely modern while playing like those mid-2000s action games we just don't get nowadays. We're also wrapping up a current playthrough of San Andreas with some final thoughts. After that, a big State of Play happened with ton...

Raziel. CJ. Games together strong. This week, we're heading back to the world of Nosgoth through three time periods as we explore the world of The Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2. Bigger puzzles, different combat, and an... interesting save system are all present as the lore gets deeper. And then, we return to Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas for more thoughts on CJ's adventures in Los Santos along wit...

Ah, Raziel... here we go again. Join us for some classics this week, as we dive deep into The Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver Remastered and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. One game sees a vampire battling against monsters and puzzles in the late-PS1 and Dreamcast era, and the other sees the refinement of the work Rockstar began years before in the early to mid-PS2 era. Both feature gripping stories wi...

A metaphor is not when it's "like" a good game, it's when it "is" a good game, and let us tell you, it is, in fact, multiple good games. The top games we both played last year include classics and modern games on a grand scale. A whole different hemisphere. A whole different world - shadow creatures, creatures hiding in shadows, and even a playable one. The sequel to a genre architect, improving i...

We're gonna take you for a ride with this year's Top 10 Plays. So get ready to dive on in. The games we've selected are stellar, and gaming has definitely been reborn - or so some people say when the next great game drops. So don't get left behind, and get the ball rolling with us on the greatest games we played in 2024, be they old or new, reloaded, risen, or rushed. And have no fear, haunted or...

Rudolph's New Years Revolution. Once again, all references to real people or real games in this special are fictional. And what a special it is, as we take a look at one of gaming's finest achievements to wave goodbye to 2024 and ring in 2025 with style. A legendary masterpiece in not only gaming, but media in general - a story for the ages, that inspired so much long, long after it. Yes, it's an...

Commerce. The Gameland Christmas Toy Catalog 2024 is a fictional catalog featuring items that actually do not exist from games that have been played in the year 2024. It is found in the mailboxes of the fictional town of Gameland this Christmas, and is a great guide for all Gameland citizens' Christmas needs. Looking for gifts for the family? The catalog has you covered. How about friends? The cat...

Been a while since we had a fun title like that, but this week calls for it, as we're talking about a ton of games! We've got an overview of Alan Wake 2 - with a few spoilers on mechanics and DLC. We've got the recently-played triple threat of Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania, Astro Bot, and Super Mario Party Jamboree in here, too. And, at long last, Darksiders 2. But the fun doesn't stop there, bec...

Are we just the GameBoy version of Game Country? This week, we take a look at the categories for this year's Game Awards, and discuss what we want to win, and what we think will end up winning when all is said and done. From mega hits like Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth and Astro Bot, to stunning surprises like Balatro, and even upsetting snubs like Infinite Wealth and Silent Hill 2, this is going to...

The dual screen gaming odyssey is here. This week, join us for a new installment of our Launch Lineup episodes, where we're taking an in-depth look at the rollout of Nintendo DS games, 20 years after the console released. It's a strange, small, and staggered release with a few major highs and some devastatingly lame lows (looking at you, Robots). The next generation of handheld gaming is here as m...

Back to our regularly scheduled everything. This week, we've got one our classic episodes where we talk about a ton of stuff we've been playing. This time, it's some closing, spoiler-free thoughts on Silent Hill 2, and that's not all. Sonic x Shadow Generations is finally here, and we delve into this refinement of Sonic's boost gameplay. We also have some positive thoughts on a mobile game in Poke...

Campaign, and zombies, and multiplayer, oh my! It was inevitable - the Black Ops 6 episode. Did you know that in Black Ops 6, your skins from Modern Warfare 3 won't transfer? With that out of the way, it's a real deep dive into this year's Call of Duty. The campaign is being praised as the best in years... but is it really? Well, kind of. Zombies continues trends from the recent games while adding...

The Quest for Peace. The Gamekeeper is here to host this year's Halloween special! This time, a movie tie-in game takes center stage, and it's one we've been meaning to get to for years at this point. Full spoilers are here for a game full of frightening ghosts, tricky puzzles, and just a dash of whimsy. With plenty of rooms, each with their own unique ideas and mechanics, our brave hero ventures...

Time marches on, and the age of a new king draws nearer. In Atlus' incredible new followup to the legendary Persona 5 - Metaphor: ReFantazio - a king must be crowned, and it's up to you and your comrades to get the job done. It's Persona mechanics on a grand scale as the team opts for a fantasy world over modern day cities. Systems, style, and substance collide in one of the year's best. Speaking...

Set your Alarmo, you won't want to miss this week's episode of Markers on the Map! It's got a little bit of everything, like an interesting new piece of equipment from the fine folks at Nintendo. It's also got a philosophical discussion on characters we want to play as in games we don't want to play. Plus, new updates on games like Diablo IV's Vessel of Hatred expansion and more thoughts on Silent...

Pre-order now for *Snow Leopard* pet! This week, we take a look at The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, a great new game where you finally play as Zelda. It's an exercise in finding new and interesting ways to break the game as you stack beds, attach to birds, and send your enemies right back at others in this new take on 2D Zelda. We're also looking at the opening hours of the original Silent H...

Spawnic Underground. This week, delve back into the universe of Todd McFarlane's Spawn with the sixth generation's Spawn Armageddon. In this early-2000s hack 'n slash, Spawn wields an entire arsenal of weapons, powers, and a set of infinite chains that melt enemies like nothing. Join us for the first ten levels of this game, with more to come in future episodes. Demon hordes, smooth combat, and ma...

It's the end of September, so it's basically Halloween. This week, join us for some updates on Phoenix Wright: Dual Destinies, Red Dead Redemption, Astro Bot, Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (and Dawn of Sorrow), Multiversus, and more. Plus, just how awesome is Universal Studios? You'll learn just how cool it is in the intro, including a look at Super Mario World. Plus, news is headlined with devel...

Bots, ghosts, and vampires... sounds like a semi-spooky time. This week, join us for a spoiler-free look into the gloriously joyful world of Astro Bot, one of the year's best new releases. We've also got some thoughts on Phasmophobia's creepy co-op gameplay, and the magic of rewind in the blisteringly hard Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia. With news, it's the PS5 Pro as gaming's big topic, but we al...

Not a good week for live service hero shooters. This week, we return to the Black Ops 6 beta for some more thoughts on maps and modes as Treyarch returns to the Call of Duty franchise. We're also looking at the in and outs of Gato Roboto, Doinksoft and Devolver's "mini Metroidvania" full of charm and classic tropes. We've got a glimpse at the Switch port of Pizza Tower here, as well. And then ther...

The Markers on the Map Jumbo Coloring and Activity Book 2 is the perfect companion for travelers making the trip back to Gameland. Inside, you will find pages full of classic scenes, word searches, and other exciting features. This includes, but is not limited to: discussions on strange decisions that games used to make, the upsetting launch of a brand new IP, a look at the beta for one of the yea...