The Besties

We're serving up game criticism on a half shell and trashing like a million Foot Clan conscripts as we discuss TMNT: Shredder's Revenge, Tribute's modern take on Konami's classic beat-em-up series. Also: Mailbag's full! Let's dump it on out. Also discussed: Fall Guys, Fortnite, Yakuza 0, Rogue Legacy 2, Pokemon Shield, Five Dates Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.bestie...

You know Mario, from Mario? He's so much more than a jumping plumber, you know. He's doing soccer now, too. I mean, he's been doing soccer, and a lot of other stuff, and we're going to be talking about ALL that while we share some thoughts about Mario Strikers: Battle League.  Games discussed: No Man's Sky, Rogue Legacy 2, Path of Exile, Fortnite, Vampire Survivor, Yakuza 0 Get the full list of ga...

Frush and Plante discover Sniper Elite 5 is great... if you turn off the grotesque violence. The Sniper Elite series has been active for over a decade, but its mix of gunfights and Hitman stealth never clicked with the crew until now. What changed? Plus, the games that got us through our Covid infections. Discussed this week: Yoshi Crafted World, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Fall Guys, JSA, and F...

Join us as we bust out our phones and apply for a high interest personal loan with Diablo Immortal! How does Blizzard's hack and slash RPG hold up on phones, and how close has it brought us to abject financial ruin? Find out within.  Games discussed: Diablo Immortal, Resident Evil 4 Remake, Street Fighter 6, Final Fantasy XVI, Soda Crisis, Sniper Elite 5, Super Auto Pets, V Rising Get the full lis...

Sure, E3 isn't "officially" happening this year, but there's still a lot of hot, hot gaming news dropping over the next couple of weeks! Join us as we discuss the evolution (and de-evolution) of the industry's (former) big summer event, and what we can expect from The Triple in years to come. Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan . Want more episodes? Join us at...

This week, we launch a new mini-series: The Resties Required Reading List.  Our goal is to curate and contextualize a "must play" list of 25 games released between 1980 to 2020. These aren’t the best games or even our favorite games. They’re the games that should be experienced by everyone who wants a fundamental appreciation of the medium. They’re the games that will give you a richer connection...

This week, we're chatting about an up-and-comer on the Steam charts — the vampire survival sim V Rising. Find out why we're so smitten; with special guest Travis McElroy! Games discussed: V Rising, Everquest TLP, Who Pressed Mute on Uncle Marcus, Vampire Survivors, Stardew Valley Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan . Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/...

This week, we're circling back with some of the lil' guys you might have missed this Spring while you were traipsing in the bluebonnets, or collecting berries or whatever.  Games discussed: Shotgun King, Vampire Survivors, Haiku the Robot, Mini Motorways on Switch, OlliOlli World, Dungeons of Dreadrock, Rogue Legacy 2, Peglin, Who Pressed Mute on Uncle Marcus?, Songpop Party, Forager, Fall Guys, C...

LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga reminds us of Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption, in that it feels unsustainably grand. Its creators have crammed nine films worth of characters, planets, and stories, plus winks at corners of the expanded universe, into one game. A report on crunch at the studio, however, raises serious questions about its leadership's decisions to make the game bigger and...

In today's episode, we're exploring the absolutely pristine history of Star Wars video games, and assigning each of them a grade in an EXTREMELY scientific and deliberate manner. It's a journey, y'all.  Also discussed: Nobody Saves the World on Switch, Death's Gambit: Ashes of Vados, Fortnite, Rogue Legacy 2 Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan . Want more epis...

This week, we're tapping into the Old Ways of E-Bowling and Cyber-Tennis in Nintendo Switch Sports! It's like falling off a log, only the log is a sword, and we're using it to battle our children.  Also discussed: Halo Infinite Season 2, Stanley Parable Ultra Deluxe, Knotwords Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan . Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/the...

This week, The Resties revisit Rogue Legacy 2 after nearly two years in Early Access. The developer made great use of that time, delivering a worthy sequel to the original hit. In the second half, it's time to set goals for our summer gaming backlog. Discussed: Persona 4, Patrick’s Parabox, Perfect Tides, Outer Wilds, Unsighted, Fortnite, Halo Infinite, Dark Souls 2, and Uncharted Lost Legacy. Plu...

Today on the show we're answering a long-requested question: What sorts of games do you play with kids? The Besties weigh in on some of their chosen diversions.  Games discussed include: Monster Legends, ABCYa/ABCMouse/PBSkids, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Super Mario Odyssey, Kirby and the Forgotten World, Roblox, The Room, Humongous Games, and Chuchel. Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discu...

With the McElboys on tour, Plante and Frushtick bring in a special guest, Kahlief Adams of the Spawn on Me podcast, to talk about just what makes a great video game movie, and whether we could narrow down five that best represent the medium. Also, what's up with those Goombas? Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan . Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/the...

Do you have to finish a game to fully appreciate it? This week, The Resties discuss the huge time investment of our favorite hobby, and decide how much of a game is enough. In the back half, Plante and Frushtick use a fancy new mod for the original Doom to discuss ray tracing. Learn why the "big thing" in video game graphics still may be years from matter to most players. Get the full list of game...

Look, we told you we'd be talking about Elden Ring for a very long time, and here we are, doing just that. We're going to be talking about the game's first half, and then, after a brief interlude, the second half! And then we're gonna talk about it less in the future, probably! Other media discussed: Sonic 2, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Old Enough, Perfect Tides, Minx  Get the full list of...

We're ditching the gruesome violence of the Borderlands franchise in exchange for the whimsical violence of Tiny Tina's Wonderlands; an exchange that then inspires us to reinvent Doom for an all-ages audience.  Also discussed: The Afterparty, Dragon Quest V, Bloons TD 6+, All in the Timing Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan . Want more episodes? Join us at pa...

Is the Gamecube controller brilliant or busted? The Resties rank the past 35 years of video game controllers in this fever dream of an episode. Then, the duo talks about NORCO, a new point-and-click adventure game set in a distant future Louisiana. Also, Speed Racer! Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan . Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties fo...

This week we're diving into the latest installment of the long-running Kirby franchise, Kirby and the Forgotten Land. We'll also discuss Sony's attempt to take on the juggernaut that is Game Pass with its new PlayStation Plus service.  Other games discussed: 13 Sentinels, Tunic. Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan . Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/t...

Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origins is by no means a Great Game, but we'll be gosh-danged if it hasn't charmed the Lv. 6 Shadow Pants off of us. Also, Justin breaks down the phantasmal weirdness of Ghostwire Tokyo! Also discussed: Tunic, Elden Ring, Drive My Car, Fortnite Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan . Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/...

This week, The Resties share their growing love of Tunic, an adventure game heavily inspired by the early entries of The Legend of Zelda. Without getting into spoilers, they also explain the game's similarities to indie hit Fez. In the second half, Frushtick and Plante run through Nintendo's mega-busy 2022 release calendar. Will we release get Breath of the Wild 2 this year AND another Pokemon?  O...

Russ is left on his own and so he brought his old pal, Jeff Bakalar of Giant Bomb, to talk about another sort of game: PINBALL. Yes, Jeff knows a lot about pinball and is grilled for all his precious pinball knowledge. Jeff's top 5 tables to look out for at an ardcade: Funhouse, Addam's Family, Jurassic Park, Deadpool, Monster Bash. Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.bes...

As we approach the end of the first quarter of 2022, we take a look back at some of the classics that the first three months have brought us. Maybe spread the love throughout the year next time? Games discussed: Nobody Saves the World, Pokemon Legends Arceus, Uncharted Legacy of Thieves Collection, Olli Olli World, Super Auto Pets, Cyberpunk 2077 revival, Horizon Forbidden West, Dying Light 2, Des...

Elden Ring is amazing, but it's also intimidating. Since we'll be talking about the game on The Besties throughout 2022, we wanted to help newcomers and lapsed Dark Souls fans take their first steps into this beautiful, but sometimes unforgiving world. Join us as we discuss the best starting class, where to invest upgrades, and the many unspoken rules you should know as you grow from a timid targe...

Consider the title of this episode a warning: Elden Ring is a game that we're gonna be discussing A LOT for the foreseeable future, starting in this very episode. Join us as we discuss what works about From Software's new open-world Souls-like, which is to say, everything.  Other games discussed: Puzzle Quest 3, Steam Deck, Colin Farrell Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at ww...