The SML Podcast

Download Episode 1092 --

Oh we've got another monster episode here with news, reviews, and a chat with Gary Doireau of Incube8 Games!

The show kicks off with Aki & Chris Taylor on hand to welcome Gary Doireau of Incube8 Games to the show to chat all about their upcoming release Infinity, launching this December on… Game Boy Color?? That's right, Incube8 is a company that specializes in bringing homebrew retro titles to physical platforms. We learn the long history of Infinity from it's 2002 cancellation to the impending release after over 20 years. We also discuss what goes into bringing these games to release, picking up various properties to release, and TONS more!

After a quick intermission, it's news of the week with Aki & Bri Galgano joining! We cover a bunch of news and we even get a tiny bit political for a smidge as we discuss the liberation of Sandwich Guy and talk about his victim who was slathered with mustard. Poor baby. We also chat Rockstar's AWFUL week including the latest Grand Theft Auto VI delay, the latest additions and departures for Xbox Game Pass, the PS Portal getting cloud play, a new Vampire Survivors crossover, and it looks like Silent Hill 2 is finally coming to Xbox soon. Plus Jacob Garner shows up right at the end of news in time for reviews!

0:00 - Intro/Incube8 Games Chat 1:05:48 - ODEKA ke Chocobo into News 1:51:00 - Wreckreation - Three Fields Entertainment, THQ Nordic (Jacob) 2:02:48 - Syberia Remastered - Microids Paris, Virtuallyz Gaming, Microids (Bri) 2:14:12 - Neon Tail - Rocket Juice Games (Fei, Leo, Yang), Samustai Ltd. (Jacob) 2:18:46 - Pacific Drive - Ironwood Studios, Kepler Interactive (Aki & Bri) 2:38:15 - Peachy Derby - Cattingames (Jacob) 2:45:08 - Simon the Sorcerer Origins - Smallthing Studios, ININ Games (Bri) 2:52:29 - Arcade Archives 2 SCION - Hamster Corporation (Jacob) 2:57:35 - Beneath - Camel 101, Wired Productions (Bri & Aki) 3:12:12 - Acre Crisis - David Pateti, Sometimes You (Jacob) 3:17:40 - Ultimate Zombie Defense - Terror Dog Studio, Ultimate Games (Jacob & Aki) 3:29:22 - Catnigma - Little Giant, Bad Minions (Bri & Jacob) 3:33:33 - KIDZ KORNER: Hot Wheels Let's Race: Ultimate Speed - BamTang Games, GameMill (Bri & Jacob) 3:41:56 - KIDZ KORNER: Chicken Run: Eggstraction - Aardman Animations, Outright Games (Jacob)

The show ends with some CHOCOBO FUN from Andrew Filipski since we talked about Chicken Run at the end!

3:50:44 - Andrew Filipski - Rock de Chocobo (Final Fantasy X)

Download Episode 1091 --

We've got two of the folks from Zenovia Interactive on the chat about Neon Inferno, so let's fire it up!

The show kicks off with Pernell Vaughan and Aki on hand to welcome Sri Kankanahalli and Gonzalo Varela to the show to chat about Neon Inferno, a fusion of run and gun mixed with gallery shooting releasing later this month! We talk about how Pernell interviewed Gonzalo previously, the origins and creation of the game, the different weapons and systems in the game, the soundtrack as well as Gonzalo's previous work, Pernell's friendship with Frank at Retroware, and tons more with Andy Sperry and Chris Taylor showing up along the way. Plus reviews with Horror Acolyte popping up too!

0:00 - Intro/Neon Inferno 1:06:32 - Neon Inferno - Boss 1 (Intermission) 1:09:42 - Majogami - INTI CREATES (Chris) 1:22:35 - THE GOOD OLD DAYS - GRAVITY (Pernell) 1:30:50 - SWAPMEAT - One More Game (Andy) 1:43:54 - 1000xRESIST - sunset visitor, Fellow Traveller (Aki) 1:54:45 - FAITH: The Unholy Trinity - Airdorf Games, New Blood Interactive (Horror) 2:08:19 - Onirism - Crimson Tales, Shoreline Games (Aki) 2:16:33 - MotionRec - HANDSUM, PLAYISM (Pernell) 2:24:15 - BURA: The Way the Wind Blows - Tiny Meow studio, Raven Insights (Aki) 2:31:45 - Devil Jam - Rogueside (Pernell) 2:42:09 - Infinity - Incube8 Games (Chris)

The show features two tracks from the Neon Inferno soundtrack! Are they from Gonzalo Varela or the other composer Joseph Bailey? I don't know! I have wav files with no tagging, it's a mystery to EVERYBODY (except the people at the studio who know)!

2:59:20 - Neon Inferno - Stage 3

Download Episode 1090 --

We've got ourselves a hearty batch of news to discuss and a whole helping of reviews, so let's get spraying!

The show kicks off with Aki & Bri Galgano on hand to chat about the news of the week including the recent IGN x ID@Xbox Showcase, the newest Monthly Games for PlayStation Plus in November, Animal Crossing getting a Version 3.0 update in January with a Switch 2 upgrade pack, and when Jacob Garner finally pops in, we talk about the least surprising news of the year when Halo was announced for PS5. Mind blowing. Plus Limited Run Games releases, New World Aeternum on life support, Movie Watch, and a big batch of reviews!

0:00 - Intro/news 45:20 - Full Metal Schoolgirl - YUKE'S, D3PUBLISHER (Aki) 54:17 - Fast & Furious: Arcade Edition - Cradle Games, GameMill Entertainment (Jacob) 1:03:50 - Powerwash Simulator 2 - FuturLab Limited (Aki/Bri/Jacob) 1:17:55 - THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD 2: Remake - MegaPixel Studio, Forever Entertainment (Jacob & Bri) 1:25:56 - UNO Ultimate & Show'Em No Mercy! DLC - UBISOFT (Bri) 1:32:49 - Ember Knights: Heroes of the Nexus Edition - Doom Turtle, Twin Sails Interactive (Bri & Jacob) 1:42:44 - Dreamed Away - Nicolas Petton, Pineapple Works (Aki/Bri/Jacob) 1:54:17 - Juiced Fruit Racing - Cascadia Games (Jacob) 2:00:46 - Once Upon a Jester - Bonte Avond, Crunching Koalas (Bri & Jacob) 2:08:51 - Arcade Archives 2 MIDNIGHT LANDING - HAMSTER Co. (Jacob) 2:13:08 - Halls of Torment & Boglands DLC - Chasing Carrots (Jacob) 2:18:33 - Polar Bear is Hungry - Synnergy Circle Games (Bri) 2:21:26 - Journey of Johann: Cave Explorer - Apapappa Games, Xitilon (Aki/Bri/Jacob) 2:26:13 - Gnomdom - Viva & Dana, Silesia Games (Jacob & Bri) 2:33:00 - KIDZ KORNER: Bluey: The Videogame - Artax Games, Casual Brothers, Outright Games (Bri & Jacob) 2:40:38 - KIDZ KORNER: Dora: Rainforest Rescue - Artax Games, Outright Games (Jacob)

We end the show with one more Halloweenish track from The OneUps with a UNIQUE mix of Splatterhouse and…Seal?

2:51:00 - The OneUps - Blood-Splattered Rose (Splatterhouse)

Download Episode 1089 --

Yay our show isn't five hours this time! We did it! Woooooo! Go team!

The show kicks off with Pernell Vaughan, Andy Sperry, Aki, and Bri Galgano hanging out to chat about how thing have been. We chat about foods, dinners, Hamburger Helper, Hot AND Lean Pockets, and tons more. Plus discussion of old Nickelodeon shows leads to us finding out that Bri smoked weed with the guy who played Sam on Clarissa Explains it All. Like, what? How do you just drop that info in the middle of a show. Who else have you gotten blazed with, BRI??? Plus reviews including a visit from Horror Acolyte!

0:00 - Intro 12:10 - The Lonesome Guild - Tiny Bull Studios, DON'T NOD (Bri) 21:36 - Hidden Cats in Spooky Village - Nukearts Studio (Bri & Aki) 28:55 - Escape Simulator 2 - Pine Studios (Aki & Bri) 40:17 - Angry Video Game Nerd 8-bit - Retroware, Programancer, Mega Cat Studios (Pernell) 47:51 - Roulette Hero - CLLC Studio, Spiral Up Games (Andy) 58:52 - Concubine - Upgrade Entertainment (Aki) 1:07:56 - Command Deck - k-critical (Pernell) 1:14:54 - Bloodshed - com8com1 Software, Headup (Andy) 1:22:00 - Silver Bullet - 1CC Games, Flynn's Arcade (Pernell) 1:29:21 - BLOOD WEST - Hypserstrange, New Blood Interactive (Horror) 1:45:33 - PREVIEW: FRACTURED BLOOMS - Serenity Forge (Aki)

The show ends with some Halloween goodness from The OneUps!

1:59:32 - The OneUps - Hardest Working Duck in Show Business (DuckTales)

Download Episode 1088 --

A 90 minute interview for Dreamed Away, a visit from Stemage & The Arkadian, news, and a ton of reviews lead to the LONGEST EPISODE EVER?? What have we done…

The show kicks off with Bri Galgano and Jacob Garner on hand to welcome Dreamed Away developer Nico Petton & and Pineapple Works CEO Wojtek Kubiak to the show to chat all about Dreamed Away! From the Kickstarter, to me backing the Kickstarter to get Peaches in the game, to Peaches now being in the game, we cover the long journey to release including how Nico met up with Wojtek to get Pineapple Works as the publisher of the game! Tons of discussion on influences, favorite games, and tons more!

After Nico and Wojtek head out, it's news of the week with Bri and Jacob with Aki joining alongside Grant "Stemage" Henry and Jon "The Arkadian" Oneal! Oh and PERNELL VAUGHAN shows up on his birthday! We chat about the latest additions and departures for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, exclusives being "antiquated" in the eyes of Xbox, thousands of unprofitable Steam games, more Kirby Air Riders news, delays, announcements, and the news that KRAFTON is becoming an "AI first" company while becoming a "customers last" company to us. All that plus a massive batch of reviews including KEEPER, provided to us for coverage by Xbox and more Kidz Korner with Outright Games! Thanks Xbox & OG!

0:00 - Intro/Dreamed Away Chat 1:36:18 - News w/ Stemage & The Arkadian 2:41:46 - NASCAR 25 - iRacing.com Motorsports Simulations (Bri) 2:55:38 - Bounty Star - DINOGOD, Annapurna Interactive (Aki) 3:06:48 - KEEPER - Double Fine Productions, Xbox Game Studios (Bri) 3:15:05 - Mamorukun ReCurse - City Connection, Clear River Games (Jacob) 3:20:23 - Pinball FX: Scared Stiff & Elvira DLC - Zen Studios (Grant/Jon/Bri) 3:38:17 - Lumo 2 - Triple Eh?, Numskull Games (Aki/Bri/Jacob) 3:46:35 - Kamikaze Lassplanes - Inky Dreams, Crunching Koalas (Jacob) 3:54:15 - Mai: Child of Ages - Chubby Pixel (Aki) 4:03:40 - ILA: Frosty Glide - Magic Rain Studios, First Break Labs (Jacob) 4:07:51 - Spooky Express - Draknek and Friends (Bri) 4:12:31 - Arcade Archives 2 MUNCH MOBILE - HAMSTER (Jacob) 4:17:31 - Captain Tideborne and the Siren's Call - Synnergy Circle Games (Bri) 4:21:20 - AFIL Games Triple Stack - Wise Box Studios, AFIL Games (Jacob) 4:37:05 - KIDZ KORNER: The Elf on the Shelf: Christmas Heroes - Casual Brothers, Outright Games (Jacob)

The show ends with a track from Stemage for the Spoopy Halloween feels! Does that really say nearly five hours?? Oh my.

4:49:38 - Stemage - Terrorvision (w/ Claire Henry)

Download Episode 1087 --

We've got DJ Jones aka Last BeNeVoLeNcE joining the show to discuss the Quartercade, so let's go!

The show kicks off with Chris Taylor on hand! Yes. Just Chris. Literally just me and Chris to start off as DJ Jones aka Last BeNeVoLeNcE joins the show to discuss his project, the Quartercade, a PC/Console hybrid designed as a great entry and budget system for current day gaming and retro classics. We chat about the origins of the project, the process of getting the product built and shipped out, and the headaches he's been running into with Indiegogo over this campaign. Plus Aki eventually shows up and Horror Acolyte pops in during reviews!

BREAKING: KICKSTARTER LAUNCHES FRIDAY 10/24/25! LINK BELOW!!!

0:00 - Intro/Quartercade Chat 1:06:54 - KAKU: Ancient Seal - SneakyBox, BINGOBELL, Microids (Aki) 1:15:57 - Sonic Wings Reunion - SUCCESS, Red Art Games (Chris) 1:29:08 - Blood of Mehran - Permanent Way Game Co., Blowfish Studios (Aki) 1:41:17 - Amanda the Adventurer 2 - MANGLEDmaw Games, DreadXP (Horror) 1:51:20 - The Cabin Factory - International Cat Studios, Feardemic, Future Friends Games (Horror) 1:58:10 - AQUADREAM - Gossiam Games, YUME GAME STUDIO (Aki) 2:05:57 - SML AFTER DARK: Over the Moon - Keys to My Lockheart (Aki)

The show ends with some Final Fantasy VI and VII goodness from The Tiberian Sons to mark some awesome FF games.

2:22:04 - The Tiberian Sons - Prancing Dad (Final Fantasy VI & VII)

Download Episode 1086 --

We've got news, reviews, and a chat with Anna Konczak of Transparent Games about visual novels all ahead!

The show kicks off with Bri Galgano, Jacob Garner, and Aki on hand to welcome Anna Konczak of Transparent Games to the show to chat about Saintess of the Golden Bow and My Wife is a Spy?! We talk about the development of visual novels, Anna's history in writing and extensive history of visual novels available on itch, the complexities of branching paths and tracking storylines, and how Anna got talked into doing a podcast while sick at 3am!

After Anna heads out, it's news of the week with the latest news on the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog update for October including Silent Hill 2 and Until Dawn, a handful of Xbox games getting a Play Anywhere upgrade including Baldur's Gate III, 1000xRESIST hitting Xbox and PlayStation, a new Final Fantasy Dissidia game that immediately lost everybody by being a mobile gacha game that will shut down in 18 months, and tons more! Plus a batch of reviews including a visit from Horror Acolyte!

0:00 - Intro/Transparent Games Chat 53:12 - News 1:13:43 - Bye Sweet Carole - Little Sewing Machine, Meangrip Studios, Maximum Entertainment (Bri & Aki) 1:27:19 - Lethal Honor: Order of the Apocalypse - Viral Studios, HandyGames (Jacob) 1:33:23 - Spindle - Wobble Ghost, Deck13 (Aki) 1:41:47 - Nocturnal Whispers - FMV Interactive (Jacob, Aki, Bri) 1:56:15 - BALL x PIT - Kenny Sun, Devolver Digital (Horror) 2:09:10 - MotoTrials - Proud Arts (Jacob) 2:14:49 - Arcade Archives 2 BATTLANTIS - HAMSTER (Jacob) 2:18:37 - CAPTURED - Perp Games (Bri, Aki, Jacob) 2:26:57 - Castle Crumble - Orbital Knight, Drageus Games (Jacob) 2:30:27 - Sokobear Winter - Bad Kids Games, Bad Minions, Little Giant (Aki) 2:34:48 - Paint Path - AFIL Games (Jacob) 2:38:48 - KIDZ KORNER: Snoopy & The Great Mystery Club - Cradle Games, GameMill (Jacob) 2:45:45 - KIDZ KORNER: Barbie Horse Trails - PHL Collective, Outright Games (Jacob)

The show ends with a track from The OneUps from Mario Paint since we covered a game about paint. Book it! Ship!

2:55:10 - The OneUps - Title Screen (Mario Paint)

Download Episode 1085 --

We've got Platypus Reclayed creator Anthony Flack from Claymatic Games joining to chat, so let's get this going!

The show kicks off with Pernell Vaughan, Chris Taylor, Andy Sperry, Aki, and Horror Acolyte on hand to welcome Anthony Flack from Claymatic Games to the show to chat all about the recently released recreation of Anthony's legendary classic shmup Platypus! We chat about the original game and the history behind the franchise, getting the rights back to the game, the insane amount of clay objects in Anthony's household today, getting Platypus Reclayed into the 4K era, the achievement list, and tons more! Plus a pack of reviews once Anthony heads up!

0:00 - Intro/Platypus Reclayed Chat 1:12:48 - Yooka-Replaylee - Playtonic Games, PM Studios (Andy) 1:23:22 - Absolum - Dotemu, Guard Crush Games, Supamonks (Pernell) 1:33:44 - Scurge: Hive - Orbital Media, Ratalaika Games (Chris) 1:46:53 - Platzle - Rapid Snail, Xitilon (Aki) 1:57:08 - CloverPit - Panik Arcade, Future Friends Games (Pernell & Andy) 2:14:57 - Star Station Frontier - Synnergy Circle Games (Aki) 2:19:40 - PREVIEW: A Pinball Game That Makes You Mad - Azimuth Studios (Andy) 2:29:12 - SML AFTER DARK: A Moment of Bliss/A Petal Among Thorns - Keys to My Lockheart (Aki)

The show ends with a song from the super cool Platypus Reclayed soundtrack featuring tons of classic C64 remixes!

2:40:58 - Chris Abbott - Sanxion 2001

Download Episode 1084 --

We've got a long one here with news, a ton of reviews, and a visit from my old high school buddy Nathan Ide!

The show kicks off with Bri Galgano, Jacob Garner, Aki, and Horror Acolyte on hand to welcome my good friend from my youth, and long time Security guy at Microsoft, Nathan Ide, to the show to hang out and chat about what he's been up to since our days pumping gas in Nescopeck. We chat about his long career working with the security team at Microsoft, the projects at Microsoft and Xbox that he's taken part in, how we absolutely ransacked that gas station of candy and snacks when we worked there, and tons more. Nathan is legitimately one of the best people on the planet to me and it meant a lot getting to catch up!

After Nathan heads out, it's time to tackle the news of the week including the latest additions and departures to the new, improved, and significantly more expensive Game Pass Ultimate, Xbox denying claims that they are exiting the console hardware business, Clair Obscur sales and updates, Nintendo Online SNES additions, Starbreeze layoffs, and tons more. It's a massive batch of news and it all leads up to a massive pack of reviews as well including SOPA, a game about a stolen potato. My cat's name is Potato. She's the one on the YouTube image. Potato rocks.

0:00 - Intro/Nathan Ide Chat 1:16:50 - News 1:38:03 - Dying Light: The Beast - Techland (Aki) 1:50:35 - SOPA: Tale of the Stolen Potato - StudioBando (Bri) 1:57:44 - Arcade Archives 2 GEE BEE - HAMSTER Co. (Jacob) 2:03:07 - Castle of Heart: Retold - 7Levels (Bri) 2:11:00 - MOUTHOLE - Anything Nose Productions, Sometimes You (Jacob & Bri) 2:18:07 - Finding Paradise - Freebird Games, Serenity Forge (Bri) 2:22:41 - Detective Agency: Gray Tie - AVI Games, Ocean Media (Jacob & Bri) 2:28:25 - Animal Kingdom 3 - Seven Sails, Ocean Media (Bri & Jacob) 2:34:19 - Lorn's Lure - Rubeki Games, Feardemic (Horror) 2:46:40 - Stay Still - Galactic Crows, Dolores Entertainment (Bri) 2:55:03 - Extremely Powerful Capybaras - Studio Bravarda, PM Studios (Jacob) 3:00:11 - Pirate Trails: Tentacles and Treasures - AFIL Games (Aki) 3:01:25 - Cats and Seek: Kyoto - Noobzilla, Silesia Games (Bri) 3:03:46 - PREVIEW: Beneath - Camel 101, Wired Productions (Aki) 3:10:10 - KIDZ KORNER: The Grinch Christmas Adventures: Merry & Mischievous Edition - Casual Brothers, Outright Games (Jacob)

The show ends with a track from Metal Hellsinger to honor the studio after their unfortunate closure. It's heavy, but it's clean. Rock out, kids. You're never too young to listen to metal. I mean come on, Disney got Marilyn Manson to do a Nightmare Before Christmas song. Remember that? Anyway, RIP to The Outsiders.

3:18:09 - Two Feathers & Serj Tankian - No Tomorrow (Metal Hellsinger)

Download Episode 1083 --

It's a basic pack of reviews with Jacob making a visit on a Tuesday recording for a special Kidz Korner!

The show kicks off with Pernell Vaughan, Andy Sperry, Chris Taylor, and Aki on hand to chat about what we've been up to lately. Chris has been streaming Dragon Quest games so we chat about the upcoming Dragon Quest remakes and remasters. Andy is chatting about how much Clover Pit he's been playing, which is a mix of rogue-lite gameplay and slot machines with a touch of insanity. Meanwhile, Pernell just won himself a Mario Kart 8 tournament and got himself a gift card, so it's been a good week for everybody. Except Aki because Jacob visit during reviews.

0:00 - Intro/Banter 15:08 - Atomfall: The Red Strain DLC - Rebellion (Aki) 28:21 - Aethermancer - moi rai games, offbrand games (Pernell) 39:11 - Earthion - Ancient Corporation, Bitwave Games, Limited Run Games (Andy & Chris) 46:27 - Candy Rangers - Mechano, JanduSoft (Pernell) 51:31 - Hula Hula Wee - AFIL Games (Aki) 59:13 - KIDZ KORNER: Nicktoons & The Dice of Destiny - Petit Fabrik, Fair Play Labs, GameMill Entertainment (Jacob & Pernell)

The show ends with some Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles goodness straight out of your local early '90s Pizza Hut. And no, I don't remember where I got the files.

1:28:12 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Pizza Power (Coming Out of Their Shells)

Download Episode 1082 --

Oh we've got a fun one this week as we've got Garth Noyce of Triple Eh? joining the show to chat Lumo 2, and a LOT more.

The show kicks off with Bri Galgano and Aki on hand as we welcome Gareth Noyce from Triple Eh? back to the show for his second visit. First visit was for Lumo 1 back on Episode 199. And we're all still doing this. We chat about the game's history, changes compared to the first title, discussions about sales between platforms, and those ducks. Hot damn do we talk about those friggin ducks… Jacob Garner shows up somewhere in there.

After a while, we shift the talk to news of the week including the horrible news that EA sold out to Kooshner and The Saudis that was somehow eclipsed by Microsoft's WORSE news of upping the price of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate by 50% from $19.99 to a whopping $29.99 a MONTH. We discuss the move, the "additions" to the tier including Fortnite crew junk none of us actually want, and our fears about Microsoft and the Xbox brand in general. Did we mention Gareth was a long time Xbox employee? He has opinions! Pac-Man Mega Tunnel Battle: Chomp Champs is getting delisted in November, Rock Band 4 is getting delisted like tomorrow, and four Puzzle Quest games are already delisted. But hey! A new Pinball FX table got announced! Ball Squad! Plus reviews!

0:00 - Intro/Lumo 2 Chat 1:10:29 - News 1:55:07 - Silent Hill f - NeoBards Entertainment, KONAMI (Aki) 2:11:50 - LEGO Party - SMG Studio, Fictions (Bri/Jacob/Aki) 2:27:16 - Alien: Rogue Incursion Evolved Edition - Survios (Aki) 2:38:07 - Arctic Awakening - GoldFire Studios (Jacob & Aki) 2:43:41 - Tiny Lands: Deluxe Edition - Hyper Three Studio, Hidden Trap (Bri/Jacob/Aki) 2:49:46 - Galacticon - Radin Games, Flynn's Arcade (Jacob) 2:53:27 - XIII A final Game of Tarot - Indigo Dreams, Bad Minions, Little Giant (Bri) 2:57:35 - Cloud to Gold - AFIL Games (Aki & Jacob) 3:03:40 - Slide Viking - AFIL Games (Aki & Jacob) 3:07:39 - KIDZ KORNER: Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer - Headless Chicken Games, GameMill Entertainment (Jacob) 3:14:23 - KIDZ KORNER: NBA Bounce - Unfinished Pixel, Outright Games (Jacob)

The show ends with the song Bounce by System of a D….wait. We can't? The kids stuff? Yeah. That makes sense… The show ends with a fun NBA Jam tune from our friends Kunal Majmudar, Mustin, and Steve Lella!

3:21:47 - Kunal Majmudar - From Downtown (feat. Mustin & Steve Lella) (NBA Jam)

Download Episode 1081 --

We've got a whole bunch of people around on this episode to tackle a ton of reviews, so let's get going!

The show kicks off with Pernell Vaughan, Andy Sperry, Chris Taylor, Bri Galgano, and Horror Acolyte all on hand to chat about cats a little bit and then the awful new owners for Electronic Arts a little bit and then we're all wondering where the hell Aki is because she's usually the first one in and we have reviews to do and she's still not here so we chat about how things are going an Dave K shows up and we chat and then Bri has to leave soon so I guess we just have to start reviews even though Aki was supposed to be a part of the first one. She's not. She shows up later. Yay!

0:00 - Intro/Banter 24:36 - HOTEL BARCELONA - White Owls, CULT Games (Bri, Pernell, HA) 49:09 - Concierge - KODINO, Digital Tribe (Dave K) 59:09 - Shujinkou - Rice Games (Aki & Pernell) 1:09:39 - Folly of the Wizards - Upfox Labs, Numskull Games (Horror) 1:22:41 - Assassin's Creed Shadows: Claws of Awaji DLC - UBISOFT (Aki) 1:32:18 - Alphadia III - EXE-CREATE, KEMCO (Chris) 1:46:00 - Super Farming Boy - LemonChili Soft, Renxo Europe Limited (Andy & Pernell) 2:04:53 - Twinkleby - Might and Delight (Aki) 2:11:11 - Jamboy, a Jelly-cious Hero - Nakama Game Studio (Andy) 2:18:34 - Beacon Patrol - BrutalHack, Shapes and Dreams, Assemble Entertainment (Pernell) 2:26:02 - PREVIEW: Kindling - Talonbyte Games (Andy)

The show ends with some Earthworm Jim tunes from our friends The OneUps!

2:37:37 - The OneUps - Andy Asteroids (Earthworm Jim)

Download Episode 1080 --

Tokyo Game Show week means we have way too much to talk about and nowhere near enough time for it. So let's do it!

The show kicks off with Jacob Garner, Bri Galgano, and Aki on hand to hang out listen to me talk about my KFC Bowl and my delicious Mtn Dew Sweet Lightning. Oh and games! Sony State of Play happened with Saros, Chronoscript, NIOH 3, and WOLVERINE which looks absolutely insane. Xbox had a TGS showcase with a new GunGrave, Romancing SaGa 2 on Xbox, and a Forza Horizon 6 LOGO!! Plus a potential EA sale, ROG Ally X and more Xbox pricing, Doug Bowser leaving Nintendo, Avatar getting new DLC, Yakuza releases, and Scared Stiff coming to Pinball FX for some Ball Squad fun! All that plus reviews including Bri's take on Borderlands 4, graciously provided to us by the folks at Xbox. And yes, I'm VERY jealous Bri got it…

0:00 - Intro/News 1:19:42 - Borderlands 4 - Gearbox Software, 2K (Bri) 1:40:19 - Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian - KOEI TECMO (Aki) 1:51:26 - Arcade Archives 2 STEEL WORKER - HAMSTER (Jacob) 1:56:30 - DeTechtive 2112 - M11 Studio, 5Deniz (Bri) 2:01:43 - PREVIEW: My Wife is a Spy?! - Transparent Games, Error 300 (Aki) 2:10:11 - Grief like a stray dog - Rayonist, Sometimes You (Jacob) 2:16:31 - Harmony Chronicles: Cat Out of the Bag - JetDogs Studios, Ocean Media (Jacob/Bri/Aki) 2:26:33 - Tennis Pro Tournaments - InLogic Software, Ocean Media (Jacob/Bri) 2:33:13 - Green Soldiers Heroes: Extreme Bikers - DERIK D.F (Jacob/Bri) 2:40:34 - Carrot's Crusade: Mimika's Reckoning - Synnergy Circle Games (Bri) 2:44:09 - Bunny Pit Stop - AFIL Games (Aki/Bri/Jacob) 2:46:12 - Bunny Pit Stop Attempt 2 - AFIL Games (Aki/Bri/Jacob) 2:51:33 - KIDZ KORNER: DreamWorks Gabby's Dollhouse: Ready to Party - Infinigon Games, Outright Games (Jacob)

The show ends with a track from the game Hollow Night from our buddies in The Tiberian Sons!

3:03:01 - The Tiberian Sons - This is Halloween (Hollow Knight)

Download Episode 1079 --

We've got our friend Matt Pie joining the show once again to hang out and review, so let's get going!

The show kicks off with Pernell Vaughan, Chris Taylor, and Aki on hand to welcome Matt Pie back to the show to chat about what he's been up to and what he's been playing. But first Aki shares the news that her gunpla got a bonus tariff on it that she has to pay before it gets delivered! Yay! Then Matt talks about picking up games under $10 before we go into a fun little discussion on Caves of Qud and the upcoming Switch version! Plus reviews!

0:00 - Intro/Banter 17:20 - Baby Steps - Bennett Foddy, Gabe Cuzzillo, Maxi Boch, Devolver Digital (Matt) 37:27 - Agatha Christie: Death on the Nile - Microids Studio Lyon, Microids (Aki) 48:37 - HYKE: Northern Light(s) - Akatsuki Games, Blast Edge Games, Aniplex (Chris & Pernell) 1:00:54 - Wander Stars - Paper Castle Games, Fellow Traveller (Pernell) 1:12:10 - HYPERxFANTASY - ONYXPRISM (Aki) 1:22:33 - Platypus Reclayed - Claymatic Games (Chris) 1:30:38 - DeadWire - Shotgun Anaconda, The CoLab (Pernell) 1:36:32 - Sushi Ben - Big Brane Studios (Aki)

The show ends with some Super Dodge Ball fun from the one and only Danimal Cannon off of the Bad Dudes project No Balls, No Glory!

1:48:49 - Danimal Cannon - Maybe We Should Stick to Football (Super Dodge Ball)

Download Episode 1078 --

We've got news of the week and the biggest batch of reviews I think we've ever had on the show, so let's not waste time!

The show kicks off with Bri Galgano, Jacob Garner, Aki, and Horror Acolyte on hand to chat about the news of the week including last Friday's Nintendo Direct! Mario Galaxy, Dragon Quest VII Reimagined, the return of Virtual Boy, and tons more were discussed along with the latest Xbox Game Pass lineup, new GBA games hitting Nintendo Switch Online, New Blood Interactive hitting Xbox, and more! Plus an insane SIXTEEN reviews!

0:00 - Intro/news 36:28 - LEGO Voyagers - Light Brick Studio, Annapurna Interactive (Bri/Aki/Jacob) 49:33 - Type-NOISE: Shonen Shojo - DankHearts, WhisperGames (Aki) 59:03 - Dead Reset - Dark Rift Horror, Wales Interactive (Bri) 1:06:18 - Yet Another Zombie Survivors - Awesome Games Studio (Horror) 1:21:50 - Monstrous Lovers - Man-Eater Games, Ratalaika Games (Jacob/Aki) 1:32:19 - Hidden Cats in Tokyo (starring Piddles the Cat) - Nukearts, Silesia Games (Bri) 1:37:10 - Arcade Archives 2 VIDEO HUSTLER - HAMSTER (Jacob) 1:42:05 - Sips and Sonnets - Blue Tango Street (Bri/Aki) 1:48:56 - Bananitro - Inventario, Bad Minions, Little Giant (Jacob/Bri) 1:52:25 - Sokomine - AFIL Games (Aki) 1:56:14 - Groaky Must Jump - Synnergy Circle Games (Bri) 2:00:38 - Mel the Cat - Ember Box Studio (Jacob/Aki/Bri) 2:05:42 - Cat Needs - LeJunesArt, Ratalaika Games (Aki) 2:08:58 - Frame Cat - Half-Cat Team, Xeneder Team (Bri/Aki/Jacob) 2:14:24 - Meow and the Diamond Jump - YUME GAME STUDIO (Aki/Bri) 2:18:00 - Bratz: Rhythm & Style - RecoTechnology, Outright Games (Jacob)

I'm out of breath. Yes, from typing. I'm out of shape and old. Let's keep this song short.

2:32:42 - virt - You Just Blipped (Spelunker)

Download Episode 1077 --

We've got a pack of reviews and a visit from Julian Rice of Rice Games to chat Shujinkou, so let's rock!

The show kicks off with Pernell Vaughan, Aki, Tim Ekkebus, and Horror Acolyte hanging out and not chatting much because we got limited time and lots to talk about before our interview with Julian Rice of Rice Games about halfway through! We chat about the origins of Shujinkou, the steps made to make it both a fun RPG and a learning tool for those taking an interest in Japanese, influences including the Etrian series, and tons more! The game is out now on PS5 & Steam and coming soon to Switch, all with a meaty demo, so check it out! Download it while you listen or something.

0:00 - Intro 6:21 - METAL GEAR SOLID Δ: SNAKE EATER - KONAMI (Aki & Tim) 24:54 - Star Wars Outlaws Gold Edition - UBISOFT (Tim) 36:28 - Hirogami - Bandai Namco Singapore, Kakehashi Games (Pernell) 43:01 - Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree - Primal Game Studio, Knights Peak Interactive (Pernell) 49:25 - Goat Out of Hell - AFIL Games (Aki) 53:26 - Shujinkou Interview w/ Julian Rice of Rice Games

The show ends with some Etrian Odyssey music arranged by Yuzo Koshiro!

2:04:16 - Yuzo Koshiro - Battlefield: Storm (Etrian Odyssey IV)

Download Episode 1076 --

New and a massive ton of reviews are on the docket tonight, and Aki isn't here, so let's party!

The show kicks off with Bri Galgano and Jacob Garner on hand to discuss the most talked about news of the early to mid week. Predictions for the Nintendo Direct! We also chat about the latest PlayStation Plus Game Catalog updates for September, the return of Acclaim and the news games they unveiled, Nintendo officially out of all 3DS/2DS system parts, and the passing of composer Masashi Kageyama. All that plus our usual pack of reviews!

0:00 - Intro/News 16:35 - Warhammer Space Marine 2 Year 2 Season Pass - Saber Interactive, Focus Entertainment 21:15 - Scar-Lead Salvation - Idea Factory, Compile Heart, IFI (Jacob) 30:17 - KARMA: The Dark World - Pollard Studio, Wired Productions (Bri) 39:20 - Arcade Archives 2 MACH BREAKERS - HAMSTER (Jacob) 45:57 - Gloomy Eyes - Fishing Cactus, Untold Tales (Bri) 50:48 - Rally Arcade Classics - NETK2GAMES, NETKDOS (Jacob) 58:40 - Particle Hearts - Underwater Fire Games, First Break Labs (Bri) 1:04:07 - UBOAT - Deep Water Studio, Ultimate Games (Jacob) 1:13:47 - Hellstuck: Rage With Your Friends - Terror Dog Studio, Ultimate Games (Bri) 1:18:01 - Attic Archive - Imagine Software, Pixel Games (Jacob) 1:28:02 - Compass of Destiny: Istanbul - M11 Studio, 5Deniz (Bri) 1:37:36 - Claim the Forest - AFIL Games (Jacob & Bri) 1:42:10 - 9 Lives to Defend - Goldarait, Silesia Games (Bri) 1:46:39 - KIDZ KORNER: Goosebumps: Terror in Little Creek - PHL Collective, GameMill Entertainment (Jacob)

Reviews end with Goosebumps? Show ends with Goosebumps. Tiberian Sons, KICK IT!

1:59:33 - The Tiberian Sons - Welcome to Your Nightmare (Goosebumps)