Xdrive Megabox (Gamescast): Recent Episodes
Mike & Jymbo
Two Millennial dads - Mike and Jymbo - talk about games. The art, the science, the ups, the teraflops.
Hello! Today we're talking all things consoles - what was our first, what have been our favourites? We're also digging into expectations for the Switch 2, and a little bit about the Zelda movie. This episode was recorded back in October but apologies it suffered a loooong delay!Contact us:X / Twitter: @xdrivemegaboxEmail: xdrivemegabox@gmail.comJymbo: @jimtendo_dsMike: @msdq
Jymbo & Mike are back. Get ready to hoik on your tunic and shake your Sheikah Slates, because this time we're diving into Nintendo's new epic, Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
We're covering first impressions up to about 15-20hrs in - so very few spoilers, and lots of theorising about what might happen next. No doubt we'll do a Part 2 follow-up to see if those theories were right very soon...!
Enjoy!
Contact us:Twitter: @xdrivemegaboxEmail: xdrivemegabox@gmail.comJymbo: @jimtendo_dsMike: @msdq
Hello! Did you miss us? Never to be out-listed, and in anticipation of The Game Awards, Mike & Jymbo gang up with NEW people (!) - Mike & Ting from Lost Levels Club podcast - for our first ever crossover episode, ranking our Games of the Year for 2022. We got a beautiful mix of styles and genres out of this, so we were very happy. Much better than the actual Game Awards, I'm sure. So please enjoy :)Contact us:Twitter: @xdrivemegaboxEmail: xdrivemegabox@gmail.comJymbo: @jimtendo_dsMike: @msdqContact Lost Levels Club:Twitter: @lostlevelsclubEmail: mike.and.ting@lostlevels.clubIn this show: Shin Megami Tensei (series) Call of Duty: Warzone 2 Citizen Sleeper Immortality Ghostwire Tokyo Patrick's Parabox Baba is You Jonathan Blow The Entropy Centre Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Rollerdrome I was a Teenage Exocolonist Pokemon Legends: Arceus Persona 5 Horizon Forbidden West Tunic Marvel's Spider-Man Into the Breach Elden Ring Margit the Fell Omen Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Tingle Mario Rabbids: Sparks of Hope Olli Olli World Life is Strange: True Colours Forgotten CityJymbo's Reviews! Ghostwire Tokyo Mario Movie Trailer2023: Hogwarts Legacy Forspoken Starfield Star Trek: Resurgence Fire Emblem: Engage Metroid Prime 4Game Awards: Sifu Cult of the Lamb Stray Elden Ring God of War: Ragnarok Plague Tale: RequiemTHE ULTIMATE TOP 5 (combined): Elden Ring Mario Rabbids: Sparks of Hope Tunic Call of Duty: Warzone 2 Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Never to be out-Nintendo-fanboyed, Mike and Jymbo embark on a highly rigorous analysis of the Nintendo Direct of February 2022. Lots of announcements! Some quite interesting and exciting ones! Lots of JRPG-y... things... And Takahashi and Koizumi playing Switch Volleyball.
We ask:
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Which announcements were you most excited by?
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What are you actually going to buy?
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What does Nintendo's 2022 look like?
As ever, talk to us!
Twitter: @xdrivemegabox
Email: xdrivemegabox@gmail.com
Instagram: @xdrivemegabox
NEW! Reddit: r/xdrivemegabox
Show notes
What are we playing?
Jymbo: Front Mission (original), Shin Megami Tensei 4: Apocalypse, Triangle Strategy!
Mike: Forgotten City (finished), Olli Olli World, Subnautica... and watching Love is Blind: Japan...
News
Cyberpunk PS5 is out!
Elden Ring!
Vault of mint condition games found in Nebraska!
Topic of the show: Nintendo Direct February 2022
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Which games are you most looking forward to?
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Which will you actually buy?
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What does Nintendo's 2022 look like?
Get in touch!
Email us: xdrivemegabox@gmail.com
Twitter: @xdrivemegabox
Instagram: @xdrivemegabox
Send us a voice message on Anchor: https://anchor.fm/xdmb
Wh-wh-wh-welcome back! We're finally here!
After a brief hiatus of 6 rather than 2 months (who's counting, eh?), Jymbo and Mike are back for a Series 2, kicking off with Gaming Resolutions. We've had quite a lot of big news this month, like the Microsoft-Activision deal, so we discuss that. Then we get into what we're aiming for with games this year. Enjoy!
Spotify users: Look up 👆🏻there's now a gorgeous little rating system! Please do give us a score and support the show if you get the chance, it means a lot to us. Thank you! Lots of love, M&J x
Show notes
What are we playing?
Mike: Life is Strange: True Colours, Forgotten City, Hitman 3, Metroid Dread, Smash Bros Ultimate
Jymbo: God of War (PC), Subnautica & Subnautica: Below Zero, Thunder Tier One, Outer Worlds, Cyberpunk on Stadia mobile (!!)
News
Microsoft buying Activision Blizzard
God of War launched on PC
Cuphead Netflix Show trailer out (show coming Feb 18)
- Jymbo was secretly reviewing the new Nacon Xbox mobile controller!
Out this month
Expeditions: Rome [PC] – January 20
Hitman Trilogy [PC, PS5, XSX, PS4, XBO] – January 20
Rainbow Six Extraction [PC, PS5, XSX, PS4, XBO] – January 20
Windjammers 2 [PC, Switch, Stadia] – January 20
The Company Man [Switch] – January 21
Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem [PC] – January 25
Pokemon Legends: Arceus [Switch] – January 28
Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection [PS5] – January 28
Topic of the show: Gaming Resolutions 2022
Jymbo resolutions:
- Play Switch outdoors more
- Play more Xbox
- Do some more console tinkering
- Play more backlog
- Play more multiplayer with friends and not strangers
- Play more games out my comfort zone
- Go to more events, retro shops, charity shops
- Get a PS Vita
- Attend a carboot sale
Mike resolutions:
- Be less addicted to PS Store / Nintendo eShop
- Play at least 5 big games released this year, WITHIN this year
- Try some streaming, either multiplayer or singleplayer
- Read and write more
Contact us!
Email: xdrivemegabox@gmail.com
Twitter: @xdrivemegabox
Instagram: @xdrivemegabox
Send us a voice message on Anchor: https://anchor.fm/xdmb
OK, we got excited. The Game Awards were actually very good! So we came out of temporary retirement for one last job.
We catch up, talk all things Game Awards, review the announcements, and talk our own top Games of the Year. Enjoy!
Show notes
Rough timestamps:
What are we playing? - (0:00-14:30)
Game Awards reactions - (15:00-43:00)
What games have we 'missed' this year, that we'd still like to play? - (43:00-57:00)
Games of the Year? - (57:00-1:10:00)
Contact us-----------------------------
Find Jymbo: https://twitter.com/Jimtendo_DS,
Email us: xdrivemegabox@gmail.com
Twitter: @xdrivemegabox
Instagram: @xdrivemegabox
Send us a voice message on Anchor: https://anchor.fm/xdmb
Hello! With all the E3 announcements, and Nintendo's surprisingly good line-up, we just had to dip back in for a special post-match analysis. This was recorded the day after E3 ended, around June 16th, but has taken a while in editing so apologies!
Today we're covering the majority of the mainline presentations: Ubisoft, Square Enix, Xbox/Bethesda, Nintendo. Which of the games are we most excited about? Who do we think won Best Pres? Enjoy, and hopefully see you soon :)
Show notes
E3 announcements overview
Ubisoft:
Top announcements
Rainbow Six Extraction
Far Cry 6 Season Pass
Riders Republic
Avatar game
Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope
Square Enix:
Overview
Guardians of the Galaxy
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin
Final Fantasy pixel remaster
Babylon's Fall
Xbox/Bethesda:
Overview
Starfield
Battlefield 2042
Back 4 Blood
Stalker 2
Halo Infinite
Flight Simulator
Redfall
Nintendo:
Overview
Contact us
Find Jymbo: https://twitter.com/jymography,
Email us: xdrivemegabox@gmail.com
Twitter: @xdrivemegabox
Instagram: @xdrivemegabox
Send us a voice message on Anchor: https://anchor.fm/xdmb
We end where it began. For the 10th episode we go back to the topic that started the pod in the first place: the battle of the PS5 vs Xbox Series consoles.
Six months on, have our opinions changed at all? What has impressed or surprised us?
This is the last episode of this series, so we hope you enjoy! We're taking a break for a couple of months to plan for a second one, returning bigger badder and better. If you have any thoughts / questions / topic requests then please do let us know at:
Twitter: @xdrivemegabox
Instagram: @xdrivemegabox
Email: xdrivemegabox@gmail.com
See you soon! M&J xx
Show notes
Q: what games have reached the 10th in their series?
What are we playing?
Jymbo: Roomba, Mystery Game X, Red Dead Redemption 2 / Red Dead Online, Star Trek (Xbox 360)
Mike: Disco Elysium, Bugsnax, Minit
News
Cyberpunk bosses will still get bonuses
Jeff Goldblum will be an elf in D&D podcast "Dark Dice"
Knights of the Old Republic remake in the works (reportedly)
SuperPotato (famous Akihabara store) selling retro games on eBay
Topic of the show: New Generation Consoles Revisited
Questions:
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What have you bought since getting console?
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Anything you've been surprised by?
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What are you most looking forward to?
Contact us
Please get in touch with any feedback!
- What are you most enjoying / least enjoying?
- Any feature / review / segment requests?
- Where should we go next?
Email us: xdrivemegabox@gmail.com
Twitter: @xdrivemegabox
Instagram: @xdrivemegabox
Send us a voice message on Anchor: https://anchor.fm/xdmb
Hello! This week Jymbo and Mike are answering the ultimate question: are Games as a Service really evil incarnate, or is there hope for them yet?
To provide an entirely unbiased, well-researched base to this we have sunk many hours (over many years) into live service games in preparation: Red Dead Online, No Man's Sky, Fortnite, COD Warzone, Plants vs Zombies... Nothing gets past our eagle eyes and twitchy thumbs.
Last ep of the season next ep! Please share questions, thoughts, requests for topics next series to xdrivemegabox@gmail.com, Twitter or Instagram. And enjoy!
Show notes
News
Deathloop delayed to September
Streets of Rage 4 updates coming
E3 is happening on line
Mario has gone
Disco Elysium has voices
What are we playing?
Jymbo: Red Dead Online
Mike: Bugsnax, Disco Elysium, Haven
Topic of the show: Games as a Service
Questions:
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Which live service games make our Naughty and Nice lists?
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What's the future of Games as a Service?
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Is there an antidote?
Contact us
We are taking a break for a month or two after Episode 10 to plot a second season, so please get in touch with any feedback!
- What are you most enjoying / least enjoying?
- Any feature / review / segment requests?
- Where should we go next?
Email us: xdrivemegabox@gmail.com
Twitter: @xdrivemegabox
Instagram: @xdrivemegabox
Send us a voice message on Anchor: https://anchor.fm/xdmb
This week we're answering a question from Mike's sister from very early on: how has our attitude to gaming changed since becoming parents? Do we notice any difference in the kind of games we play?
This was very interesting and heartfelt. We really enjoyed talking about it, so thank you. It also raises some curious differences in approach!
Show notes
News
Square Enix Presents
Fortnite Season 6 trailer
Monster Hunter Rise (Nintendo eShop)
Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One
Super Mario 35th anniversary (inc 3D All-stars)
Disco Elysium Final Cut
Disco Elysium banned in Australia
What are we playing?
Jymbo: Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2, Red Dead Redemption 2, Star Wars: Squadrons
Mike: Avengers, FF7 Remake, Bugsnax
Topic of the show: Daddy gaming
Questions:
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How have your tastes changed since having children?
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Have you found yourself drifting towards Easy Mode on games?
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Are there any game moments that have had an extra effect on you as a result?
Contact us
We are taking a break for a month or two after Episode 10 to plot a second season, so please get in touch with any feedback!
- What are you most enjoying / least enjoying?
- Any feature / review / segment requests?
- Where should we go next?
Email us: xdrivemegabox@gmail.com
Twitter: @xdrivemegabox
Instagram: @xdrivemegabox
Send us a voice message on Anchor: https://anchor.fm/xdmb
Hello hello. This time we're looking at Remakes & Remasters. What makes good ones? Are they good? What makes a master a master? Or a make a make? And also, what games would we like to see get a nice lick of paint?
We chat all sorts, from Resident Evil to Tony Hawks to Final Fantasy and many more. Enjoy!
Show notes
News
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles new game trailer
Bethesda on Xbox Game Pass (inc. Morrowind)
Death Stranding Extended rumours
Lost Levels Club podcast - very good and Mikes shout-out at the end!
What are we playing?
Jymbo: Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 (!)
Mike: Avengers
Topic of the show: Remakes and Remasters
Shin Megami Tensei 3
Arcanum
Fallout 2
Zelda: Skyward Sword
Dark Messiah of Might and Magic
Messiah
Banjo Kazooie
Perfect Dark
Morrowind
Conker's Bad Fur Day
Contact us
Listener questions: Please do get in touch!
Twitter: @xdrivemegabox
Instagram: @xdrivemegabox
Email: xdrivemegabox@gmail.com
Send us a voice message on Anchor: https://anchor.fm/xdmb
THIS WEEK. Mike & Jymbo discuss the best and worst of movies based on games. It was meant to be short! Boy was it meant to be short. But those pesky digression pixies got in the way and we got probably the longest episode yet. Whoops!
We chat Nintendo Direct, Star on Disney Plus, Super Nintendo World, the games we picked for each other last time (Paradise Killer and Planescape Torment), Cyberpunk of course and Henry Cavill. Enjoy.
On this episode
-----------------------------
News
Star launches on Disney Plus
Super Mario 3D World releases
Mario Kart tour at Super Nintendo World
Nintendo Direct Feb 2021
Last of Us casting - Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey
Wii Channel music - funky version
New PSVR coming
What are we playing?
Jymbo: Paradise Killer, Shin Megami Tensei, Super Mario 3D World, Witcher 3, Cyberpunk
Mike: Return of the Obra Dinn, God of War, Planescape Torment, Titanfall 2, Cyberpunk
Topic of the show: Movies from games
Jymbo: Resident Evil, Silent Hill, Tomb Raider, Detective Pikachu, Sonic the Hedghog
Mike: DOA Dead or Alive, Prince of Persia Sands of Time, Assassin's Creed (?)
Contact us
Listener questions: Please do get in touch!
Twitter: @xdrivemegabox
Instagram: @xdrivemegabox
Email: xdrivemegabox@gmail.com
Send us a voice message on Anchor: https://anchor.fm/xdmb
Otherwise known as testing out the Anchor voicemail feature...!
(Which you can use here.)
Here we're answering 3 questions, from Zu, V and Mitch:
- What makes Zelda Breath of the Wild a Zelda game? Would we rate it as much if it weren't?
- What's our take on multiplayer (online/offline)?
- What games would we like to see sequels to?
Thank you everyone! Let us know what you think of the feature - we loved the questions and hope it's not too freaky to hear your voice in the ep.
If it's fun, we'll try and do some more soon :)
Contact us:
Twitter: @xdrivemegabox
Instagram: @xdrivemegabox
Email: xdrivemegabox@gmail.com
Send us a voice message on Anchor: https://anchor.fm/xdmb
This week we're going deep on 'iconic' games. Which games do we think fit the bill? Are there common traits? How did they do commercially?
We had a great time with this question, asked by @virgiliojarrin. Thank you, Virgilio!
We also tried out the voice message features this week - look out for that in a bonus episode coming very shortly...
You can send one in too via anchor.fm/xdmb or get in touch via Twitter or Instagram (@xdrivemegabox).
Please enjoy!
On this episode
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News
- Goldeneye remake for Xbox leaks
What are we playing?
Jymbo: Witcher 3, Baldur's Gate 3, Populous 3: The Beginning
Mike: Cyberpunk 2077, Journey to the Savage Planet, Zelda: Link to the Past
Discussion: Iconic games
Disco Elysium
Deadly Premonition
Arcanum
Zelda
Mario
Half-Life 2
Uncharted
The Last of Us (inc. Part 2)
Contact us
Listener questions: Please do get in touch!
Twitter: @xdrivemegabox
Instagram: @xdrivemegabox
Email: xdrivemegabox@gmail.com
Send us a voice message on Anchor: https://anchor.fm/xdmb
We've done a hell of a lot of looking back so far, so today we're looking forward for once!
Let's look at 2021: what are we excited about? What would we like to see? What are we hoping for?
On the episode
News:
Lucasfilm Games is here
Wandavision is here
Cyberpunk CEO apologises
Cyberpunk creators are still under attack
Zelda Ocarina of Time's medallions originally had powers
What we're playing:
Mike: Donut County, Cyberpunk 2077, Jurassic World Evolution
Jymbo: Cyberpunk 2077, Death Stranding, something secret TBC
Games we're looking forward to:
Jymbo: Zelda Breath of the Wild 2, Shin Megami Tensei 5, Vampire The Masquerade Bloodlines 2, potential Metroid collection, potential Zelda collection, Super Mario 3D World
Mike: Hogwarts Legacy, Vampire Bloodlines 2, Deathloop, Riders Republic, Stray
Hopes for 2021:
To see our families again, and hugging to be allowed
Vaccines all round ("you get a vaccine! you get a vaccine!")
Also, Jymbo thinks Zelda BOTW2 will definitely happen
Contact us:
Listener questions: Please do get in touch!
Twitter: @xdrivemegabox
Instagram: @xdrivemegabox
Email: xdrivemegabox@gmail.com
Send us a voice message on Anchor: https://anchor.fm/xdmb
This is just a hit of pure nostalgia.
When we got looking back, we ended up on quite a few tangents. We had to cut them out of the main ep, but for those people who were very specifically growing up and playing games in the UK in the 90s, please enjoy this tiny Brucie Bonus.
In this mini-ep
Point-and-click adventure games
Curse of Monkey Island
PC Zone magazine (Charlie Brooker era)
Zelda Breath of the Wild follow-up
Zelda: Link to the Past
Ocarina of Time Water Temple
Blade Runner (1997 Westwood game)
Go on, buy Blade Runner you know you want to
Hello! Happy New Year! We're feeling all nostalgic here for older, better times, so this week we're looking at our top 5 Games of All Time.
Mike keeps forgetting that the point of a Top 5 list is they're all good. Jymbo decides to scare himself sh**less with robots.
We had a lot of fun with this one and had to cut a huge chunk of nostalgia out, so maybe expect that as a little side Bonus Mini-sode in future.
Thank you for listening, give us a shout on socials and see you in a couple of weeks!
On the episode
Intro & News (0-20min in)
KFConsole
Shiny black 'PS2' PS5
Cyberpunk in 3rd person
Games of all time (20min >>)
Mike's Top 5: Breath of the Wild, Perfect Dark, Assassin's Creed 2, Half Life 2, Civilization 3
Jymbo's Top 5: ... Breath of the Wild, Disco Elysium, XCOM 2, Fallout 2 & Planescape Torment, Soma
Listener questions: Please do get in touch!
Twitter: @xdrivemegabox
Instagram: @xdrivemegabox
Email: xdrivemegabox@gmail.com
Send us a voice message on Anchor: https://anchor.fm/xdmb
Gracias, arigato, merci, good night and see you soon!
It’s been a packed week! Jymbo and Mike are sleepy, but we talk The Game Awards 2020, Disney’s 52-title mega-reveal, Cyberpunk and our own Games of the Year.
----------------------- Show notes ----------------------
News
The Game Awards winners 2020
TGA new game announcements
Vin Diesel has played 1000+ hours of the original Ark
Disney is making everything
We are playing...
- Jymbo - Cyberpunk 2077 (x2)
- Mike - Cyberpunk, Ghost of Tsushima
Games of the Year
Jymbo - Yakuza Like a Dragon, Watch Dogs Legion, Tony Hawks 1&2, Resident Evil 3, Ring Fit
Mike - Paradise Killer, Lonely Mountains: Downhill, Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey, Death Stranding
Mike's fanboy piece on Death Stranding
Wrap-up
Next pod's topic: Games of All Time
-------------------- Get in touch --------------------
Twitter: @xdrivemegabox
Instagram: @xdrivemegabox
Tweet Jymbo questions for next time: @jymography
Welcome to Xdrive Megabox! Games analysis and retrospectives from two slightly tired Millennial dads.
Today we're looking at the new generation of consoles, the PS5 and Xbox Series X and S.
We managed to get hold of them!
Running order
What are we playing?
- Jymbo: Yakuza Like a Dragon, Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Watch Dogs Legion, reviewing Xbox Series S & X
- Mike: Spider-man Remastered, Ghostrunner, AC Valhalla, Bugsnax
Gaming news
- Kratos comes to Fortnite
- Doomguy comes to Fall Guys
- Nintendo hacker goes to prison
- Cyberpunk 2077 is almost here
- Super Nintendo Land teaser pics and video
Topic of the show: Next gen
- Jymbo got to review the Xbox consoles
- Mike's been playing PS5
- Jymbo's Xbox Series X review and comparison
- Mike's PS5 first impressions
Wrap-up