Videogame-industry veterans Mikel Reparaz and Chris Antista rally their colleagues for weekly discussions about games, the industry, and the circus of egos and information that surrounds it all.
This week, we grab Diana Goodman for a high-speed detour to explore five ’70s and ’80s movies that had a profound influence on the early years of gaming, helping shape the then-new medium’s aesthetics and defining its direction for decades… Read more
Cheat codes may largely be a thing of the past, but this week, we’ll look at five cheat codes that became important and iconic enough to earn a place in gaming history – and even to influence its course. Things… Read more
We’re at the tail end of another Shark Week, so let’s capitalize on it by grabbing animal expert Cody Laveau, and taking a look at five games that use sharks to keep you from testing their waters. Then we’ll bite… Read more
When Mikel’s away, the kids will play. Speaking of kids… This week, Matty and Chris are joined by TL Foster to talk all about games that let you play as the kids of some of your favorite videogame heroes. Then… Read more
Some game series run out of ideas and/or steam by their third installment; others hit their stride and shine like never before. With help from GameXplain/IGN alum Micah Seff, we’ll explore that latter group, after which we’ll dig into Dragon… Read more
Hey kids, remember the ’80s? These games sure as hell do, and they want you to know it. With help from MacWorld’s Leif Johnson, we dedicate this week to a look at five modern games that recaptured the neon spirit… Read more
As we head into another 4th of July weekend, we’re joined by veteran writer/editor/videogame person Carolyn Petit (formerly of GameSpot and Feminist Frequency) for a look at five of the greatest games that let you lead your own revolution. Then… Read more
The year’s half-over, and that means that – with help from USGamer Editor in Chief Kat Bailey – it’s time to look back at the past six months and lift up five games as our must-play picks for the first… Read more
We’re back with a full episode full of reactions to E3 news – but first, strap in for a supersubjective, Father’s Day-inspired rundown of some of gaming’s greatest DILFs, with special guest Alaina Yee. Then it’s on to Bloodstained: Ritual… Read more
E3 made a big splash this week, but we were too busy actually being there to record a show about it. We’ll be back with E3 impressions next week; in the meantime, please accept this short, Top 5-only show we… Read more
When a Japanese developer wants to dig up a long-abandoned franchise and market it to westerners, one common tactic is to outsource it to a western developer. Sometimes, especially in the 2000s, this came with a mandate to make the… Read more
Games crib from each other all the time, but sometimes, a new gameplay idea can be a huge hit with fans and still be widely ignored by the industry. With help from John Brandon of Square Roots Podcast, we’ll dig… Read more
Games tend to live in their own conveniently isolated universes, where the rules are different and only one hero’s journey can unfold at a time – but sometimes hidden webs of connective tissue link seemingly separate franchises. With help from… Read more
When wrestlers become actors, the results tend to be either wonderful or laughable – and wrestlers who act in video games are no exception. This week, Larry Niece of Pody Slam! joins us for a look at five standout performances… Read more
Underwater levels have a long history of being terrible, but underwater games? Those are something special. This week, we welcome special guest Cicero Holmes of Spawn On Me and Discovery Debrief as we dive into five of our favorite undersea… Read more
Last weekend, nerd culture was rocked by two huge battles on the big screen and the small one (we’re talking about Avengers: Endgame and Game of Thrones, naturally), so with help from PNB Podcast’s TL Foster, let’s dive into five… Read more
Avengers: Endgame is in theaters this week! What does that have to do with videogames? Plenty, because even if there’s no official tie-in game, Marvel’s Thanos/Infinity Stone arcs have been fueling games since the ’90s. With help from two very… Read more
We don’t usually let real-world tragedy make it into VGA, but the destruction at Notre Dame hit hard for us – and with medieval scholar (and Macworld editor) Leif Johnson joining us this week, we took the opportunity to honor… Read more