SDGC: Recent Episodes
Super Deluxe Games Cast
Super Deluxe Games Cast is a news and entertainment collective based around nerd culture. We believe in honest but thoughtful analysis and commentary, and we champion both inclusiveness and mental/emotional well-being. It’s not always poetry, and we don’t always agree, but we always keep it real.
We're joined this week by Kotaku's Alyssa Mercante to recap the timeline of the recent escalation of harassment against marginalized people who work in the gaming industry, dismantle the bad faith arguments and justifications by those harassing, and generally grapple with the state of Being Online These Days.
Catch SDGC Live ACTUALLY live Thursday nights at 9pm Eastern US time - twitch.tv/officialsdgc
Join the community Discord for a cool, inclusive, protected space for all kinds of folks to talk nerdy - https://t.co/5cjbEy1SCF
We discuss some creative ways games like Fortnite have tried to resolve toxicity and player discomfort in online multiplayer games, and the need for the work to continue. Also, we think up the best and worst combinations of branding exercises that our tortured minds can spit out.
Catch SDGC Live ACTUALLY live Thursday nights at 9pm Eastern US time - twitch.tv/officialsdgc
Join the community Discord for a cool, inclusive, protected space for all kinds of folks to talk nerdy - https://t.co/5cjbEy1SCF
We're joined by Mat Piscatella to revisit the goofs and gags of the olden days and talk about the changing trends of the industry that everyone needs to get comfortable with.
Catch SDGC Live ACTUALLY live Thursday nights at 9pm Eastern US time - twitch.tv/officialsdgc
Join the community Discord for a cool, inclusive, protected space for all kinds of folks to talk nerdy - https://t.co/5cjbEy1SCF
Derek and Jeff have seen the light and they're here to explain why Dragon's Dogma 2 may (or may not, I guess) be the game for you.
This game was reviewed on PC with a code provided by the publisher. Thanks to Capcom for providing us the opportunity to cover this game.
Catch SDGC Live ACTUALLY live Thursday nights at 9pm Eastern US time - twitch.tv/officialsdgc
Join the community Discord for a cool, inclusive, protected space for all kinds of folks to talk nerdy - https://t.co/5cjbEy1SCF
Finn's on his own today to talk about Pepper Grinder, a lovely, kinetic, frenetic little action platformer that drills (get it) into your skull and refuses to leave.
This game was reviewed on Nintendo Switch with a code provided by the publisher. Thanks to Devolver Digital for providing us the opportunity to cover this game.
Catch SDGC Live ACTUALLY live Thursday nights at 9pm Eastern US time - twitch.tv/officialsdgc
Join the community Discord for a cool, inclusive, protected space for all kinds of folks to talk nerdy - https://t.co/5cjbEy1SCF
We're joined by voice actor Austin Lee Matthews in an episode that quickly goes off the rails from a traditional interview show into an hour and a half show of good natured goofing and gagging. It's no news this week, only vibes. As dudes are wont to say, "we needed this".
Catch SDGC Live ACTUALLY live Thursday nights at 9pm Eastern US time - twitch.tv/officialsdgc
Join the community Discord for a cool, inclusive, protected space for all kinds of folks to talk nerdy - https://t.co/5cjbEy1SCF
We're joined this week by award-winning journalist and former cast member Reb Valentine to talk about some big recent RPGs, highlight our favorite indie titles we saw at GDC and PAX East, and last but not least some gosh-danged MEDIA UNIONS.
Catch SDGC Live ACTUALLY live Thursday nights at 9pm Eastern US time - twitch.tv/officialsdgc
Join the community Discord for a cool, inclusive, protected space for all kinds of folks to talk nerdy - https://t.co/5cjbEy1SCF
We talk about the sudden drastic increase in harassment and threats against women, people of color, and queer folks who work in the gaming space (including one of the cast and at least one personal friend). Plus, freelance journalist Ryan Easby talks about how many people misunderstand the hustle it takes to work in media.
Catch SDGC Live ACTUALLY live Thursday nights at 9pm Eastern US time - twitch.tv/officialsdgc
Join the community Discord for a cool, inclusive, protected space for all kinds of folks to talk nerdy - https://t.co/5cjbEy1SCF
Brit is joined by Derek and Justin to talk about the game everyone is playing, the hit game of the summer, the only thing your teens are talking about: Balatro.
This game was reviewed on PC with a code provided by the publisher. Thanks to Playstack for providing us the opportunity to cover this game.
Catch SDGC Live ACTUALLY live Thursday nights at 9pm Eastern US time - twitch.tv/officialsdgc
Join the community Discord for a cool, inclusive, protected space for all kinds of folks to talk nerdy - https://t.co/5cjbEy1SCF
Finn is here to talk about the breakout new RPG The Thaumaturge, developed in Poland and set in a dark urban-horror-fantasy take on Warsaw. How does this game compare to its CRPG inspirations and its modern contemporaries?
This game was reviewed on Nintendo Switch with a code provided by the publisher. Thanks to 11 Bit Studios for providing us the opportunity to cover this game.
Catch SDGC Live ACTUALLY live Thursday nights at 9pm Eastern US time - twitch.tv/officialsdgc
Join the community Discord for a cool, inclusive, protected space for all kinds of folks to talk nerdy - https://t.co/5cjbEy1SCF
We quickly and immediately shut down giving any oxygen to the harassment campaign against narrative and DEI consultation in gaming, move on to talk about the tricky grey area around emulation in the wake of Yuzu and Citra shutting down, then get caught off guard live by the death of acclaimed artist and creator Akira Toriyama.
Catch SDGC Live ACTUALLY live Thursday nights at 9pm Eastern US time - twitch.tv/officialsdgc
Join the community Discord for a cool, inclusive, protected space for all kinds of folks to talk nerdy - https://t.co/5cjbEy1SCF
We're joined by regular friend of the show Josh aka Anoriand to discuss the uncertain state of games releases and the health of industry after this quickly-coming March.
Catch SDGC Live ACTUALLY live Thursday nights at 9pm Eastern US time - twitch.tv/officialsdgc
Join the community Discord for a cool, inclusive, protected space for all kinds of folks to talk nerdy - https://t.co/5cjbEy1SCF
John and Derek sift through this remastered collection of the original PS1 Tomb Raider trilogy and discuss what value these games hold to the current zeitgeist. It's a worthy endeavor to keep these iconic pieces of gaming history accessible and available, but for who?
This game was reviewed on Nintendo Switch with a code provided by the publisher. Thanks to Aspyr for providing us the opportunity to cover this game.
Catch SDGC Live ACTUALLY live Thursday nights at 9pm Eastern US time - twitch.tv/officialsdgc
Join the community Discord for a cool, inclusive, protected space for all kinds of folks to talk nerdy - https://t.co/5cjbEy1SCF
John, Derek, and Justin discuss the timeline of rumors and reports that eventually led to one of the most toxic fanbases in gaming losing every ounce of sanity they had left. No, Xbox is not dead. Everybody take a breath.
Catch SDGC Live ACTUALLY live Thursday nights at 9pm Eastern US time - twitch.tv/officialsdgc
Join the community Discord for a cool, inclusive, protected space for all kinds of folks to talk nerdy - https://t.co/5cjbEy1SCF
Better late than never, it's our 2023 Game of the Year show! Every member of the cast ends up appearing to talk about their favorite games of 2023, as well as runners up and honorable mentions.
Catch SDGC Live ACTUALLY live Thursday nights at 9pm Eastern US time - twitch.tv/officialsdgc
Join the community Discord for a cool, inclusive, protected space for all kinds of folks to talk nerdy - https://t.co/5cjbEy1SCF
We're joined by former cast member and award-winning journalist Reb Valentine to talk about the biggest stories of the games industry in 2023. Unfortunately the mass layoffs, which have only intensified this January, have proven to be THE defining story of the last year.
Catch SDGC Live ACTUALLY live Thursday nights at 9pm Eastern US time - twitch.tv/officialsdgc
Join the community Discord for a cool, inclusive, protected space for all kinds of folks to talk nerdy - https://t.co/5cjbEy1SCF
Capcom is back with another Ace Attorney collection, featuring new remastered versions of the fourth, fifth, and sixth entries in the main series. John and Derek break down the strengths and weaknesses of the collection, as well as who exactly it's for (spoiler warning, probably NOT for people who skipped the original Phoenix Wright trilogy).
This game was reviewed on Nintendo Switch with a code provided by the publisher. Thanks to Capcom for providing us the opportunity to cover this game.
Catch SDGC Live ACTUALLY live Thursday nights at 9pm Eastern US time - twitch.tv/officialsdgc
Join the community Discord for a cool, inclusive, protected space for all kinds of folks to talk nerdy - https://t.co/5cjbEy1SCF
Xbox's Developer Direct feels like a breath of fresh air for the way it celebrates the people who actually make our games. Also, we talk about what Microsoft's strategy should be for releasing the games they publish on Nintendo and Sony platforms.
Catch SDGC Live ACTUALLY live Thursday nights at 9pm Eastern US time - twitch.tv/officialsdgc
Join the community Discord for a cool, inclusive, protected space for all kinds of folks to talk nerdy - https://t.co/5cjbEy1SCF
We try to talk about the fun stuff for as long as possible before diving into a grab bag of AI related news topics that have come to the forefront in the last week, including two separate stories where an AI tech company might have earned the wrath of Nintendo.
Catch SDGC Live ACTUALLY live Thursday nights at 9pm Eastern US time - twitch.tv/officialsdgc
Join the community Discord for a cool, inclusive, protected space for all kinds of folks to talk nerdy - https://t.co/5cjbEy1SCF
Prince of Persia is back with a surprise 2D metroidvania style, and our boys CJ and Finn have both put hands on it. Is this out-of-left-field franchise revival the right direction for the series, or just a refreshing early entry in publisher Ubisoft's 2024 lineup?
This game was reviewed on Nintendo Switch with a code provided by the publisher. Thanks to Ubisoft for providing us the opportunity to cover this game.
Catch SDGC Live ACTUALLY live Thursday nights at 9pm Eastern US time - twitch.tv/officialsdgc
Join the community Discord for a cool, inclusive, protected space for all kinds of folks to talk nerdy - https://t.co/5cjbEy1SCF
We kick off the new year with long-time former cast member Gabe, all the way from Brazil, for the first time in years! It's all good vibes this week as we talk about the games we missed in a stacked 2023, and some predictions for the coming year.
Catch SDGC Live ACTUALLY live Thursday nights at 9pm Eastern US time - twitch.tv/officialsdgc
Join the community Discord for a cool, inclusive, protected space for all kinds of folks to talk nerdy - https://t.co/5cjbEy1SCF
We're joined again by friend of the show Sam Tolbert to discuss Bobby Kotick's last day at Activision Blizzard, and what may be next for the company's leadership under Microsoft. Also, China's new regulations around the gaming industry are surprisingly good, but launch a weirdly nuanced conversation from this panel of dweebs. Bye bye 2023, we won't miss you.
Catch SDGC Live ACTUALLY live Thursday nights at 9pm Eastern US time - twitch.tv/officialsdgc
Join the community Discord for a cool, inclusive, protected space for all kinds of folks to talk nerdy - https://t.co/5cjbEy1SCF
We're joined by Sam Tolbert to talk about the best announcements of The Game Awards and also the many ways in which the show (and its organizer/frontman Geoff Keighley) failed the very people it claims to celebrate.
Catch SDGC Live ACTUALLY live Thursday nights at 9pm Eastern US time - twitch.tv/officialsdgc
Join the community Discord for a cool, inclusive, protected space for all kinds of folks to talk nerdy - https://t.co/5cjbEy1SCF
The bulk of this episode is comprised of our lengthy interview with Dave Jones, the actor who portrays Halsin in Baldur's Gate 3. Dave talks about his newfound popularity, his history with video games, and positive examples of masculinity in media.
Catch SDGC Live ACTUALLY live Thursday nights at 9pm Eastern US time - twitch.tv/officialsdgc
Join the community Discord for a cool, inclusive, protected space for all kinds of folks to talk nerdy - https://t.co/5cjbEy1SCF
We're joined by Brenden Groom from Pass The Controller to talk about Microsoft partnering with an AI firm to bring AI-generated content to their games. Also, extended goofing about the recently announced live action Legend of Zelda movie, with some inspired and not-so-inspired casting choices.
Catch SDGC Live ACTUALLY live Thursday nights at 9pm Eastern US time - twitch.tv/officialsdgc
Join the community Discord for a cool, inclusive, protected space for all kinds of folks to talk nerdy - https://t.co/5cjbEy1SCF
A remake of one of the best RPGs of the PS1 generation has released, so you know John is on the scene. Who is this HD2D inspired remake for, and is there any reason to go back to the original release (or its PSP update) at this point?
Catch SDGC Live ACTUALLY live Thursday nights at 9pm Eastern US time - twitch.tv/officialsdgc
Join the community Discord for a cool, inclusive, protected space for all kinds of folks to talk nerdy - https://t.co/5cjbEy1SCF
Derek had the opportunity to play The Invincible, a first person narrative-driven adventure game based on a classic 1960s sci fi novel and made with obvious love and devotion for 60s futurist aesthetics. Does this stack up with the best of the genre or did it need a bit more time in the oven?
Thanks to 11 Bit Studios for providing us with a review code for the game and enabling coverage.
Catch SDGC Live ACTUALLY live Thursday nights at 9pm Eastern US time - twitch.tv/officialsdgc
Join the community Discord for a cool, inclusive, protected space for all kinds of folks to talk nerdy - https://t.co/5cjbEy1SCF
It's just Derek, Jeff, and John this week as the crew is still recovering from our massive in-person charity event. We have a lot of games we've been playing that are worth talking about... and of course, there's the Bungie layoffs, because we can't go a week without major industry layoffs.
Catch SDGC Live ACTUALLY live Thursday nights at 9pm Eastern US time - twitch.tv/officialsdgc
Join the community Discord for a cool, inclusive, protected space for all kinds of folks to talk nerdy - https://t.co/5cjbEy1SCF
Derek, CJ, and Brit (in spirit) discuss the fascinatingly creepy indie visual novel Slay the Princess. You all have no idea how hard it is to talk about this game while spoiling as little as possible, but we think you can hear our impressions and still go into the game basically ignorant of what's to come.
Thanks to Black Tabby Games for providing us with a review code and enabling coverage of this game.
Catch SDGC Live ACTUALLY live Thursday nights at 9pm Eastern US time - twitch.tv/officialsdgc
Join the community Discord for a cool, inclusive, protected space for all kinds of folks to talk nerdy - https://t.co/5cjbEy1SCF
Now that this astonishingly unique indie horror game has finally left early access, Derek and John sort through their opinions on the game (even reminiscing about playing a demo for the game back at PAX East 2019!). World of Horror won't be for everyone, but if you look at those screenshots and the sentence "2-bit semi-roguelike horror adventure game" is your activation phrase, do you even need a review? (You should still listen to the review)
Thanks to Ysbryd Games for providing us with review codes for the final version of the game.
Catch SDGC Live ACTUALLY live Thursday nights at 9pm Eastern US time - twitch.tv/officialsdgc
Join the community Discord for a cool, inclusive, protected space for all kinds of folks to talk nerdy - https://t.co/5cjbEy1SCF
Finn and Justin have played Ghostrunner 2, the followup to Socky award winner Ghostrunner. Is this just more of a good thing, or does Ghostrunner 2 find ways to make itself stand out from the exceptional original?
Thanks to 505 Games for providing us with a review code.
Catch SDGC Live ACTUALLY live Thursday nights at 9pm Eastern US time - twitch.tv/officialsdgc
Join the community Discord for a cool, inclusive, protected space for all kinds of folks to talk nerdy - https://t.co/5cjbEy1SCF
We're joined by one man dev team Eric of The Matte Black Studio to talk about his adventures in game development and his upcoming indie "celestoidvania" action platformer, Lucid. We also get to dream about where famed rockstar game designers Shinji Mikami and Hideki Kamiya might end up once their non-compete agreements are over.
Catch SDGC Live ACTUALLY live Thursday nights at 9pm Eastern US time - twitch.tv/officialsdgc
Join the community Discord for a cool, inclusive, protected space for all kinds of folks to talk nerdy - https://t.co/5cjbEy1SCF
SDGC's resident Dragon Quest correspondent CJ is joined by Brit to discuss this Dragon Quest spinoff action RPG, based on an anime, based in turn on an original Dragon Quest manga. Does Infinity Strash live up to the series' long standard of quality spinoffs, or would you be better off with the anime/manga?
Thank you to Square Enix for the review code and the opportunity to review this game.
Catch SDGC Live ACTUALLY live Thursday nights at 9pm Eastern US time - twitch.tv/officialsdgc
Join the community Discord for a cool, inclusive, protected space for all kinds of folks to talk nerdy - https://t.co/5cjbEy1SCF
Multiple former Ubisoft executives arrested for their part in long lasting and widespread sexual abuse and assault at the French gaming publisher. To lighten things up, we also talk about what gaming franchises deserve a second chance at life.
Catch SDGC Live ACTUALLY live Thursday nights at 9pm Eastern US time - twitch.tv/officialsdgc
Join the community Discord for a cool, inclusive, protected space for all kinds of folks to talk nerdy - https://t.co/5cjbEy1SCF
We bemoan another huge wave of layoffs at multiple companies, including Epic Games, Sega, and Ubisoft. Later in the show, we're joined by Ash Parrish from The Verge for an extended interview with Samantha Béart, who portrays fan-favorite Karlach in Baldur's Gate 3.
Catch SDGC Live ACTUALLY live- Thursday nights at 9pm Eastern US time - twitch.tv/officialsdgc
Join the community Discord for a cool, inclusive, protected space for all kinds of folks to talk nerdy - https://t.co/5cjbEy1SCF
Embracer lays off a buttload more people they couldn't afford to keep after their acquisition spree, and Microsoft accidentally leaks a bunch of their own sensitive info through the process of a court case about their latest acquisition spree. Is there a pattern here? Can we make there be a pattern?
Catch SDGC Live ACTUALLY live Thursday nights at 9pm Eastern US time - twitch.tv/officialsdgc
Join the community Discord for a cool, inclusive, protected space for all kinds of folks to talk nerdy - https://t.co/5cjbEy1SCF
We're joined this week by voice actor Cissy Jones to talk about the roles that uplifted her career, the art of voice acting, and the need to protect the people who perform that art for a living from predatory forces in various industries. We also touch on Unity's disastrous policy changes resulting in unprecedented backlash from developers of all sizes.
The crew unites and celebrates as reputable journalists and news outlets report on Nintendo's top secret upcoming Switch successor, which was shown off to development partners at Gamescom. What do the details of this report mean for Nintendo's next console? We also talk about the trend of games releasing early for players willing to pay premium prices, and how Microsoft managed to double-dip on Game Pass subscribers with Starfield.
The long-awaited new entry in the cult favorite Armored Core franchise comes to us via a very different FromSoftware than the one that oversaw the last game 10 years ago. Derek, Jeff, and Justin break down this fast-paced giant mecha action game and how it breaks the mold from what FromSoftware fans old and new might be expecting from it.
NOTE: Shortly after publishing our review, developer FromSoftware adjusted the difficulty of some of the mentioned notorious early-game bosses via a patch, addressing our primary complaint in a way we acknowledged in the review was possible.
Thanks to Bandai Namco for providing us with a review code for the game.
We're joined by a couple friends this week to talk about what we've been playing (spoilers, a LOT of Sea of Stars and some Armored Core 6), layoffs at Embracer Group owned developers, and Sony cranking up the price of their online service.
Long-awaited Kickstarter darling Sea of Stars is finally here! Finn and Derek, who have been playing the game, are joined by John for our review of this love-letter to retro RPGs from the team that brought you The Messenger. Sea of Stars? More like "A+ of Stars". Finn made us write this.
This game was reviewed on PC with codes provided by the publisher. Thanks to Sabotage Studios and TinsleyPR for the opportunity.
We're joined by our friend Josh Fagundes aka Anoriand to try and tackle an actual busy newsweek after nonstop Baldur's Gate episodes. Xbox opens the doors for games on Series S to be more different from their Series X counterparts, Geoff Keighley gets Bill Clintoned for the second time in a year, the voice of Mario retires, and nobody on this show has their stuff together.
We're joined by writer and friend of the show Sam Tolbert to gush some more about Baldur's Gate. Plus, new strike-based moderation policies at Xbox leave room for improvement, and we talk about our favorite indies and AA games of 2023 (both so far and upcoming).
We try to have some topics at the ready, but surprise surprise, a big new RPG several of us are playing just eats up most of the runtime. We do find some time to talk about uncomfortable approaches to race in fantasy RPG settings, as well as the news that multiple major gaming expos and events turned out to be COVID superspreaders. But speaking of spreading: have you heard about Baldur's Gate?
We return after several weeks off to talk about some motherlovin' video games, positive changes within Square Enix, and reliable reports (we swear) of new Nintendo and Playstation hardware coming late 2024. Time is an illusion.
It's been a few weeks since our Final Fantasy 16 review, and having had some time to digest Finn and Derek return to talk about if they still feel the same way about the game as they did the last time we heard each.
This is a companion piece to our Pre-Review and Review podcasts, which you should listen to gain the full context of this recording.
Derek, John, and Finn are joined by frequent guest (and podcast friend) Grant Stoner to discuss Final Fantasy XVI (again? surely not?), accessibility in gaming, and the latest verdict in the battle between the FTC and Microsoft.
Finn, John, and CJ share their final thoughts on one of this console generation's most anticipated games yet. Does Final Fantasy XVI soar or stumble? This is a follow-up to our Pre-Review discussion, which together with this Review fully captures the context of our time with the game.
Curious responses on a Capcom investor call lead us to speculate what dormant Capcom games and franchises could see a comeback this generation... although most of it might just be hopes and wishes. Also, we talk about how live service games have broken people's brains, and the futility of trying to develop a Forever Game.
Finn, John, and Derek are a healthy chunk of the way through Final Fantasy XVI, and are ready to begin weighing in on the game. In this "Pre Review" we'll talk about our feelings on the game so far, including story elements, characters, and gameplay. Story details are kept as abstract as possible. Initial impressions may change when it comes time for our final review, which we are aiming to put together as soon as possible.
Thanks to Square Enix for providing us with a review code.
It's Final Fantasy XVI launch day, and somehow the podcast quit playing in order to drag itself together for a show. We talk a bit about what we've been playing (guess what), the death of E3, the projected end of the console generation, and our favorite reveals from Wednesday's Nintendo Direct.
To celebrate the launch of Season 3 of Castle Bravo, we're bringing you an earlier episode where CJ joins Derek and Charlotte to talk about King Kong Escapes. You can find the full library of episodes over on its own feed at Castle Bravo: A Godzillaverse Retrospective.
We return to Ishiro Honda and the rest of the Dream Team as they take another crack at a King Kong movie for Toho. Produced in partnership with Rankin Bass, King Kong Escapes is a lesser known Kong outing, and was originally intended as an adaptation of an even lesser known western animated series. Honda's pulp sensibilities prove far more memorable than anything that could have been pulled from the cartoon, even if the result is a mixed bag.
We're joined by new friend of the show 8bitDee to... I mean, basically talk about Final Fantasy XVI, and the Final Fantasy XVI pre-launch event, and the new Square Enix CEO introducing himself at that event, and other things along that theme. It's a one-game kinda show today, so you already know if you're in or out.
Justin and Derek sit down with the newly-released retro-style "boomer shooter" FPS and talk about the onslaught of Warhammer 40k games and the virtues of a dedicated taunt button.
Look man there's some games coming out this month, by posting time two of them will already be out, but when we recorded this they basically weren't. Anyway, no news we just talk about this loaded up June. Okay we find like 10 minutes to talk about the Playstation Showcase we missed covering the week before but whatever dude.
It's a Double Guest Spectacular as we're joined by journalists Grant Stoner and Veerender Jubbal to talk about journalism and activism and the often frustrating uphill process of trying to do either. Don't worry we talk about some fun videogame stuff too, a Zelda game just came out after all.
We're joined this week by longtime friend of the show Matt Storm to talk about how huge payraises for Capcom employees have led to skyrocketing success. Also, we toss out some ideas of what we might see and what we hope we see from the summer-long deluge of announcements and showcases.
We fail the "minutes til Final Fantasy" test HARD and spend a significant amount of time talking about the pixel remasters. Then, we discuss the current conversation about Redfall's poor reception and the future of Microsoft as a publisher, the tales of whose impending death we think may be a little overdramatic.
Now that the Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters have finally hit consoles, John and Derek are ready to judge them as most people will play them. Can these remasters be for more than just diehard fans of the original 6 games? Which games in the collection are most worth your time? Can we actually make John talk about Final Fantasy 6 last?
These games were played and reviewed on PC, Playstation, AND Nintendo Switch. Thanks to Square Enix for providing PC and console review codes for these games.
We're joined by journalist and long-time friend of the show Sam Tolbert to discuss the CMA blocking Microsoft's purchase of Activision Blizzard. Also, we discuss the Verge's leaked information about the ROG Ally, and what impact it could have on the chunk of the market the Steam Deck carved out for itself.
This week it's John, Jeff and Justin joined by special guests and friends of the show, Cam and Darren, as the crew helps John celebrate the arrival of the Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters on consoles. Yes, you read that right - it's hard to believe it actually happened. Also on the tap this week are our reactions to the Street Fighter VI showcase, and some brief thoughts on the Super Mario Bros movie.
NOTE - Uneven audio levels are present in this episode due to mic imbalances while the show recorded, some voices may be louder than others. Apologies for the quality issues **
Calamity strikes minutes before the live show and the crew are forced to pull it together on the fly. Multiple people show up partway through. We run the intro two and a half times. Despite this nonsense, we actually manage to get some good talking time in about two of this year's most anticipated games: Legend of Zelda - Tears of the Kingdom, and Final Fantasy XVI.
This week's very special guest is Jasmine of VRWithJasmine - an influencer, content creator, and VR advocate focused on educating people on some of the best VR experiences out there and helping folks get started in an exciting new interactive space. CJ also returns from Los Angeles with a lightsaber in hand to talk about the Jedi Survivor preview event.
Follow VRWithJasmine:
VR with Jasmine - YouTubeVR with Jasmine (@VRwithJasmine) / Twitter
Finn and John tell us about the best and worst (but mostly the best) on display at PAX East 2023, including all the games and teams that received Socky awards. But first, of course, we have to gush about the Resident Evil 4 remake some.
John and Finn are busy at PAX East, but the rest of the crew is here to talk about some of those electronic games. We experiment with a mini-headlines segment. Nightdive Studios brings in a promising new employee right before being bought by... ATARI? And the Unreal Editor for Fortnite promises to change the game for aspiring developers.
After 90 (NINETY) hours of game, John is finally able to weigh in on Octopath Traveler 2. Listen in as he and Derek weigh in on what this sequel needed to do in order to improve over the original, and whether or not it met those expectations.
Review code provided by Square Enix, as usual. Thanks to Square for the opportunity to review this game.
**NOTE: Contains spoilers for episodes 9 and prior of the 'The Last of Us'
It's the final episode as Jeff, John, Justin and Britt react to the season finale of The Last of Us, as well as giving their thoughts on the series as a whole and its significance as a landmark video game adaptation.
It's an all-good-vibes show this week as we're joined by friends of the show Cam Hawkins and SarahOfMars to talk about what we've been playing, Sarah's trip to the abandoned basketball court they built Super Nintendo World in, and the upcoming wave of game-to-screen adaptations.
**NOTE: Contains spoilers for episodes 8 and prior of the 'The Last of Us'
Jeff, Dio, John and Justin react to the intense and horrifying events of episode 8 'When We Are In Need', which features the conclusion of the winter arc from the game.
With multiple rumors and possible leaks about new Nintendo Switch hardware flying around, we finally break our vow of silence and talk about what may be next for Nintendo. The Nintendo rumor scene has a pretty mixed track record, but ignoring all the leaks and rumors we think it's still pretty obvious that a successor is coming sooner rather than later. We talk about realistic scenarios for when we might see announcements and releases, and reasonable expectations for what it might be.
**NOTE: Contains spoilers for episodes 7 and prior of the 'The Last of Us'
It's once again Jeff, Justin and Sam discussing the big character developments in the latest 2 episodes of The Last of Us - Episode 6 'Kin' and Episode 7 'Left Behind', in which we get to see the vulnerable side of Joel and explore some Ellie's tragic past.
Brittney and John are here with the latest installment of Final Fantasy's beloved rhythm game spinoff series, and spoiler alert: it's nothing short of a masterpiece. It's a love letter to Final Fantasy, and to Square Enix in general, bursting at the seams with some of the best music in gaming history.
Review code provided by Square Enix. Thanks to Square Enix for the opportunity to review this game.
This 2D sidescrolling action game from workhorse developer Inti Creates might have slipped under your radar, but John ruminates on his time with it. In a sea of great to sub-par indie Metroidvanias, can Grim Guardians be worth your time?
Review code provided by Inti Creates, thank you for the opportunity to review this game.
**NOTE: Contains spoilers for episodes 5 and prior of the 'The Last of Us'
This week it's Jeff, Justin and Sam reacting to the explosive latest episode, one that sees us to the conclusion of the 'Summer' portion of the story. Among the topics are our impressions of the extra screen time for Henry and Sam, Kathleen's further development, and those intense final scenes.
There was a massive Nintendo Direct and we're gonna talk about it. That's the only thing that happened this week that we want to talk about, so that's the only thing we talk about.
**NOTE: Contains spoilers for episodes 4 and prior of the 'The Last of Us'
This week's cast - Jeff, John, Dio and Sam - discuss what may be the first simply 'good' episode, following in the shadow of three great ones. Topics on deck include the new leader of the bandits, Kathleen, the relationship between Ellie and Joel, and the setup work this one is doing for what will likely be an explosive next week or two for the series.
A ton of service games are being shut down, tech companies are laying people off, and gaming publishers have been bracing for a rough year ahead. But one major publisher thinks they're on track for their biggest year ever: Capcom, masters of the turnabout. We talk about some other stuff. Someone threatens to "thigh" someone else, like as a verb. Normal Thursday night.
Britt and CJ come together to talk about a little indie game that's likely to be passed over in a storm of major releases, but which struck a chord with them.
Review code provided by Toge Productions.
Justin and Derek have beaten the much anticipated Dead Space remake, and frankly neither of them can contain themselves. How does the game improve upon the original without feeling too much like a beat-for-beat remake? We never do numbered review scores, but it's gonna be pretty obvious how we feel about this one.
**NOTE: Contains spoilers for episodes 3 and prior of the 'The Last of Us'
Jeff, Derek, Britt and Justin reflect on the heartwarming yet gut wrenching episode 3 - "Long, Long Time", discussing how it services the story and characters in this world and why it's such a big moment for television and representation.
Derek and Finn come together to talk about Forspoken, the long-awaited and frequently-delayed project from Final Fantasy 15 developer Luminous Productions. Square Enix's latest title is a mixed bag with high highs and low lows, but it has more FF15 DNA in it than you'd think (for better and for worse).
Forspoken was reviewed on PS5 using a review code provided by Square Enix. Thank you to Square Enix for the opportunity.
It's our first traditional show of the year, and what other way to do it than to complain about Ubisoft's blaming employees for the company's mismanagement, and Microsoft taking part in the massive layoffs sweeping the tech sector? Good news. Good news would be a better way to do it.
**NOTE: Contains spoilers for episodes 2 and prior of the 'The Last of Us'
Jeff, Justin, Britt and special guest Sam Tolbert dive back into HBO's adaptation with some detailed thoughts on episode 2 - "Infected". Among the topics this week are the excellent prologue scene, the implications of changes to the way infected function, and that controversial Tess moment.
The entire SDGC crew comes together to talk about each of our picks for 2022's Game Of The Year, as well as our runners up and some honorable mentions. The opinions are spicy, but the variety of games on display is very good.
**NOTE: Contains spoilers for episode 1 of the 'The Last of Us'
Jeff, John, Justin, and special guest Dio break down the debut episode of HBO's 'The Last of Us', based on the hit video game from Naughty Dog. Join us for an in-depth discussion of episode 1 where we talk what we liked, the changes and similarities, and our overall impressions on the show so far.
We had the opportunity to sit down with Ben Starr, voice actor of Final Fantasy 16 protagonist Clive Rosfield, to talk about his experiences with acting and his love of Final Fantasy. But first, some casual weekly goofing off.
We regret to inform you all that we are returning for another year of this nonsense. Thankfully our year gets to start off right with the reveal of Playstation's new accessible input device Project Leonardo, and positive news for unionization under Microsoft. It doesn't feel right to have this much genuinely good news. We're feeling distrustful.
Derek and John have played Chained Echoes, an indie love letter to 16-bit JRPGs, and they've got quite a few things to say. It is frankly absurd that this game was made by a single person, and if you have any love for the SNES era of RPGs you owe it to yourself to pay attention.
This game was reviewed on PC and Nintendo Switch, with our PC code provided to us by the publishers at Deck13. Thank you to Deck13 for the opportunity to review the game.
CJ and John discuss the latest entry in the long-running Dragon Quest franchise. Can Dragon Quest Treasures keep up the series' trend of excellent spinoffs?This game was reviewed on Nintendo Switch using a review code provided to us by Square Enix. Thank you to Square Enix for the opportunity to review this game.
The crew assembles for a chill weekly podcast where we talk about the sheer number of games that have released in the last few couple months. It's so much. Please give us a break (we won't get one).
Jeff is joined by John and Britt to give his impressions on the remaster of Square's prequel story to Final Fantasy VII - the PSP classic "Crisis Core", featuring Zack Fair.The crew talks about how the game holds up, the remaster improvements, and overall thoughts (spoiler-free, of course) on the narrative.Make sure to like and subscribe if you enjoyed the track!Support SDGC on Patreon!https://www.patreon.com/officialSDGCFollow SDGC on these platforms!Twitter - twitter.com/officialSDGCTwitch - twitch.tv/officialsdgcSoundcloud - soundcloud.com/officialsdgcSpotify - open.spotify.com/show/6TEFfCqJ7aHUVIk8eGnzES
We made a topic list for this show. We really did. We were gonna talk about Panda Global using Nintendo to shut down competition, crunch at FromSoft, maybe bs about the Mario movie. We mostly did that. John forced us to talk about FF16 I think. I barely remember. Please don't call the cops.
John and Derek discuss the first of the upcoming series of Front Mission Remakes. Is this the shot in the arm the Front Mission series needs for a comeback?
Thanks to Forever Entertainment for providing us a review code.
Britt and Jeff have been playing Harvestella, Square Enix's new farming dungeon-crawling life-simulator RPG. Can this game offer something fresh and new to fans of farming-sim games?
This game was reviewed on Nintendo Switch using a review copy provided by Square Enix. Thanks to Square Enix for the opportunity to review this title.
Composer Mick Gordon, famous for his work on the DOOM and Wolfenstein franchises, comes forward with detailed allegations of mistreatment by Bethesda while working on DOOM Eternal. Plus, we take community grab bag questions.
A legendary SRPG, Tactics Ogre has a long and storied history spanning multiple console generations. And now at long last, the definitive version of a classic is now available on modern consoles for a whole new audience. Join John and our good friend Josh Fagundes as they tell you why Tactics Ogre Reborn stands the test of time and holds it's own as one of the greats. Thanks to Square Enix for the review code!
Our post-charity-drive episode, which was mostly focused on new game reveals and trailers that occurred during our short break. We also spend a lot of time just reminiscing about our get-together. It's a low-impact, feel-good episode.
Apologies for the late upload, it's Derek's fault due to who they are as a person.
No show this week due to the Extra Large Charity Drive, so in its place we have an SDGC crossover episode of Castle Bravo (originally recorded and released earlier this year).
SDGC host Derek and moderator Charlotte are joined by fellow SDGC host Justin to talk about one of the most highly regarded Godzilla films of all time: Mothra vs Godzilla (not to be confused with Godzilla vs Mothra, a completely different movie made 30 years later). The themes and comedic, family-friendly tone of the original Mothra film blend with Godzilla's larger-scale destruction and monster smackdowns to finally find the sweet spot that would define Godzilla for decades to come.
In a week relatively light on news, we're joined by friend of the show and overall ray of sunshine Veerender Jubbal to talk about what we've been playing, what we're looking forward to over the next few months, and answer some community questions from Discord and Twitter.
Derek had the opportunity to try Scorn as both a pre-release gameplay preview and as a final release. They explain to Justin where new players should set their expectations.
Scorn was reviewed on PC using a review code provided by Kepler Interactive.
It's an unfocused show this week, but no we don't get to just talk about Need For Speed Unbound. Overwatch 2 has a messy and confusing launch, and the Super Mario Bros movie reveal leaves us in a fancasting round robin.
John and Derek discuss the latest game in the cult favorite Valkyrie Profile franchise, the action-RPG spinoff Valkyrie Elysium. It's not anything like what people might have expected.
This game was reviewed on Playstation 5 using a review code provided by Square Enix.
Our main subject this week is the very unexpected and completely unforeseen shuttering of Google Stadia. We promise that there's only the necessary amount of sarcasm for this week.
We discuss the hacking of Rockstar and leaking of information/assets from Grand Theft Auto 6, as well as the messy ethical space of leaking information. There's a big difference between journalists exposing bad business practices and leaking assets for blackmail.
(Apologies for the very late upload, I've been sick ~Derek)
Derek and John got early access to Square Enix's new strategy RPG The DioField Chronicle, and we break down where it succeeds and where it stumbles.
Thanks to Square Enix for providing us with our review codes. The DioField Chronicle was reviewed on both PC and Nintendo Switch.
We're joined by regular friend Josh aka Anoriand to talk about an overwhelming week of game reveals, from huge announcements for the future of Assassin's Creed to a Nintendo Direct and a State of Play. We don't even have time to talk about what we've been playing recently!
We know a big thing happened. It happened the day of the podcast. We're not talking about it. You know what we ARE talking about? Sony's Jim Ryan playing crybully over Microsoft's proposed terms to keep Call of Duty multiplatform after they acquire Activision Blizzard.
Long-time friend of the show Anthony Agnello returns to talk about Gamescom's opening night presentation, how Geoff Keighley's format is wearing thin, and the difficulty for smaller devs to get attention in a world where the biggest publishers suck up all of the oxygen.
Derek and CJ break down our time with and opinions on the newly released Shin Chan: Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation - The Endless Seven Day Journey. It's a mouthful of a title for something we're fondly dubbing "the anti-game".
For the sake of transparency, not only were review codes provided by the publisher, but two SDGC members played a part in the game's western release: Matthew Finneman was responsible for marketing the game in the west, and Derek Van Dyke provided voice over work for one trailer.
Stories of harassment and discrimination put Nintendo of America in the spotlight for a story we're getting awful experienced at telling. If we sound tired of talking about it, we are, but imagine how the workers feel.
On this week's show Derek gives us the rundown on the latest incarnation of the Evo fighting tournament, and the crew muses on the mostly bad buzz around Unity.
We're joined this week by streaming giant Gothalion for a show packed with topics and tomfoolery. From toxicity in fan communities, to surprisingly good news out of Rockstar Games, to even more surprising gaming hardware price increases, it definitely wasn't a slow news week. No "What We've Been Playing" segment this week, unfortunately. Apologies to those of you who prefer the filler.
John and Derek come together to spread the good word of SNES era JRPGs, and spoiler alert: Live A Live is a pretty unique one. Does Square's latest HD2D RPG soar or fall flat? You already know what John thinks.
With little on the way, multiple upcoming titles cancelled, and fan-favorite series nowhere to be found, we talk about the rough state Ubisoft's in and our expectations for the near future. Derek here, I'm not apologizing for that pun in the title.
Almost the entire SDGC gang shows up for a much needed chill and good news episode. Naughty Dog figures out how not to crunch, and Nintendo's Japanese arm stands up for queer folks. We're not used to being happy with the decisions of large corporations, but we'll take it.
We're joined this week by gaming PR legend Stephanie Tinsley as we hash out the good, the bad, and the ugly around the news that E3 will be returning next year. Also there's a story about a pirate movie.
It's a slim team this week as Derek, John, and Jeff go over the recent Nintendo partner mini-direct. If you can read the title, you have a head start on our basic thoughts.
We had an Xbox showcase, we had a Capcom showcase, we had a Final Fantasy showcase, we had a second Capcom showcase at the same time as the Final Fantasy showcase. This was a wild week, and we go over our highlights.
Britt, Finn, CJ and Justin are here to give you the scoop on what they thought of the exciting revival of arcade beat em ups - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredders Revenge.
This week's show is dedicated to discussing the latest edition of Summer Games Fest (Keigh3?), with a few big topics including Street Fighter 6, The Callisto Protocol, and The Last of Us Part 1 remake.
The title says it all, folks. After an extremely packed and satisfying 30 minute State of Play presentation, the crew is joined by friend of the show Cam Hawkins to talk about the biggest bombshells and give some love to the smaller ones.
We're joined by friend and frequent guest Cam Hawkins to talk about Jim Ryan's stupid fucking e-mail, FIFA splitting ways from Electronic Arts, and especially to spitball about what we think may and may not be hitting in the back half of the year.
Derek has played Eiyuden Chronicle Rising, the prequel/spinoff to hotly anticipated Kickstarter success story (and Suikoden spiritual successor) Eiyuden Chronicle: The Hundred Heroes. Is this town-building action/rpg/sidescroller worth your time? John would love to know even though he's buying it anyway.
Thanks to 505 Games for providing us with a review code and enabling timely production of content.
We're joined by MatronEdea to talk about Square Enix selling off most of their western studios and IP for what seems like pocket change, and talk about our favorite "comfort food games". Plus, Derek comes back for round 2 to defend history's most prolific serial killer for some reason.
Our main topic this episode was Sony's recent announcement of a "Preservation Team", combined with recent job postings for a new head of PC strategy. Plus, Finn talks about some of the best and brightest from PAX East 2022.
We're joined by friends Amanda Farough and Anoriand (the ORIGINAL gamedad, he has the YouTube link to prove it) to talk about a complaint alleging union busting activity by Nintendo, which has opened the floodgates for contractors to share their bad experiences working for the American branch of the company. It's not a uniquely Nintendo problem, with this sort of alleged treatment being common through the tech industry and anti-union activity in general being the norm for the American workforce.
We regret to inform you that Activision Blizzard keeps happening. With accusations that California governor Gavin Newsom is interfering with California's case against Activision Blizzard, where does this leave us exhausted folks trying to navigate the situation? For fun, we also spend a bit of time talking about last year's increasingly-prophetic Nvidia leak.
Bro! Our Stranger of Paradise review discussion is here bro! Bro, John and CJ do like a million fist-bumps on their quest to talk about Chaos bro! Bro please listen to this and give us a follow bro! CHAOS!
Chrono Cross was already recognized as one of the best JRPGs ever, but how does the remaster hold up twenty-two years later? Britt talks with John about her first impressions!
We're joined by two friends this week as we break down the reveal of Playstation's "Spartacus" program (a set of changes to the Playstation Plus service). Plus, Sam Maggs and the crediting problem within game development.
Gaming companies are reacting to the invasion of Ukraine, and their responses help tell us a lot about what feels genuine and what feels lazy (or, at best, well-intentioned but useless). What do we actually want from these companies when major current events have the world's attention?
There's no live show this week, so in the meantime check out this new show from SDGC's own Derek Van Dyke and community manager Charlotte Landale that examines the history and politics of the Godzilla franchise. This episode and the rest of Season One can be found on Castle Bravo's own podcast feed, which can probably be found on whatever feed you listen to SDGC on!
anchor.fm/castlebravo twitter.com/CastleBravoPod
We break down the best announcements of Playstation's recent, Japanese-dev-oriented State of Play stream. Spoiler alert, anime fans are eating good. Also, John reports back on multiple recently released (and soon to be released) Square Enix published projects.
Look we talk about a couple things this episode but inevitably this is a big ol' episode mostly about Elden Ring. Fated to be one of the most consequential releases of the generation before it was even out, everybody has a take now that it's in their hands.
With the release of the final Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster, John and Finn sit down and mull over how the project as a whole has turned out, and where things might go from here.
One of the year's most anticipated games is already upon us. Does Elden Ring stumble or soar? Will this game break through to people who have bounced off of From's earlier games, or is it just red meat for the crowd? John has been playing the game nonstop for the past week, and Derek and Finn have questions.
Thanks to Bandai Namco for providing us with a review code in order to cover the game.
This week we discuss the mystery Capcom countdown and what it could be leading up to, and discuss the wide-reaching consequences of Nintendo shutting down old eShop stores and what can be done in the face of losing digital games.
Finn and John join up to discuss the merits of Techland’s new zombie parkour open world sequel Dying Light 2. How did Finn enjoy the game? Did it stack up against the original? Finn gushes about all of those and more in our official SDGC review.
We're joined by friend of the show (and original Gamedad) Josh aka Anoriand to talk about this week's Nintendo Direct, and the roughly seven thousand JRPGs that will be dominating out backlogs for years to come.
Finn sits down with Hunter Bond and Mike Ducarme from Berzerk Studio about their upcoming game Infernax, inspired heavily by black sheep NES titles like Zelda 2 and Castlevania 2.
Playstation buys Bungie and everyone is losing their minds. The consolidation fever is spreading in this industry and it's driving everyone mad. John actually thinks Bandai Namco is getting bought by anyone. Also, with the launch of Pokemon Legends Arceus, one of gaming's biggest franchises is finally shaking up its formula. For better or for worse? Time will tell.
Finn cracks open Dying Light 2 to walk us through the first experience of getting into the hotly anticipated sequel. What's clicking for us on that all-important first session, and what's falling flat? This is a big game, and we're far from done; full review to come later.
Special thanks to Square Enix and Techland for providing a code for our review.
In this house, we're all strangers of paradise! Tonight our very good friend Ash Parrish from The Verge joins us to discuss that absolutely bonkers (in a good way) Stranger of Paradise trailer, Frank Sinatra, and more!
There's only one thing that happened this week and it's potentially the biggest piece of gaming news we'll see all year. Microsoft is in the process of purchasing Activision Blizzard. We talk about what that means for the culture of Activision Blizzard, Bobby Kotick's future employment, the changes to the gaming landscape, and what this could mean for dead and dying Activision Blizzard franchises.
The gang's all here! All 7 SDGC members descend upon tonight's episode to talk about our favorite games of the last year, as well as our runners up.
In part 2 of our discussion on Final Fantasy XIV's latest expansion, John Britt and Jeff talk about what they thought of the dungeons and trials in the game as well as where we might go next in the main story.
We're joined by freelance journalists Kenneth Seward and Grant Stoner to talk about VR gaming and the changing landscape of press events. Also, we rag on NFTs a bit. But just a little bit.
Fanbyte writer Mike Williams, podcast mogul Matt Storm, and writer/host Cam Hawkins all join us as we throw out our wildest and most reasonable 2022 predictions. Hint: There may be some videogames.
In the immediate aftermath of The Game Awards, we bring back friend of the show Sam Tolbert to talk about the best and worst announcements of the show.
John, Britt, and Jeff finally get together to gather their thoughts on the latest expansion to the Critically Acclaimed MMORPG, Final Fantasy XIV - Endwalker. In this first half of the discussion, we talk about some of our favourite narrative beats as well as what we thought of the new zones.
Keep an eye out for part 2 where we'll dive further into our thoughts on the new dungeons and trials.
It's been too long but the Dual Daddies are off hiatus and back every week with a brand new episode on SDGC!
Earlier this year, a LARGE list of upcoming games were leaked via a list on NVIDIA's servers. At the time most disregarded it. However, after several releases and announcements Derek, Jeff and John decided it was time to give this list another look!
Wow! 2021 is almost done, and with the end comes The Game Awards 2021. What does the team think/expect will show up? Our pal Matt joins us to answer these questions and more!
The week after busting our Extra Life 2021 goal (thanks to you), the team talks about how thankful we are for everyone's amazing support! We literally couldn't have done any of it without you :)
Earlier this year, Guardians of the Galaxy was met with mixed impressions upon it's initial reveal. However, we're pleased to report that despite some rote gameplay and middling controls, Guardians of the Galaxy rises above these shortcoming on the strength of it's storytelling, voice acting, characterization, and wide range of accessibility options. Justin, Derek and John are here to tell you all about it!
SDGC welcomes Sarah and Hana back to the show - and to the surprise of no one, it begins with a spirited discussion of popular RPG franchise "The Final Fantasy". Eventually we get to discussing some big updates and changes to Animal Crossing and Destiny 2 - including how we feel about the support models and the way they are implemented.
Make sure to like and subscribe if you enjoyed the track!
Support SDGC on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/officialSDGC
Follow SDGC on these platforms! Twitter - twitter.com/officialSDGC Twitch - twitch.tv/officialsdgc Soundcloud - soundcloud.com/officialsdgc Spotify - open.spotify.com/show/6TEFfCqJ7aHUVIk8eGnzES
On the show this week, SDGC tries for an hour to (unsuccessfully) convince John he can not fight a gorilla. We also touch on crediting developers for their work, as well as our relationship with value and pricing in games.
Make sure to like and subscribe if you enjoyed the track!
Support SDGC on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/officialSDGC
Follow SDGC on these platforms! Twitter - twitter.com/officialSDGC Twitch - twitch.tv/officialsdgc Soundcloud - soundcloud.com/officialsdgc Spotify - open.spotify.com/show/6TEFfCqJ7aHUVIk8eGnzES
NINETEEN YEARS.
That's how long it's been since Metroid Fusion. That's how long we've been waiting to see what's next for Samus Aran. Most games would crumble under the weight of those expectations, but Metroid Dread exceeds them. Derek, Justin, Finn and John are here to explain why Metroid Dread is the best 2D Metroid, and a clear frontrunner for GOTY.
On this week's show we discuss the troubled legacy of Koichi Sugiyama, and the relationship between problematic artists and their work. Also on the agenda are reports that Konami is looking to revive several of its key franchises including Metal Gear and Silent Hill.
Make sure to like and subscribe if you enjoyed the track!
Support SDGC on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/officialSDGC
Follow SDGC on these platforms! Twitter - twitter.com/officialSDGC Twitch - twitch.tv/officialsdgc Soundcloud - soundcloud.com/officialsdgc Spotify - open.spotify.com/show/6TEFfCqJ7aHUVIk8eGnzES
This week we chat a bit about what we've been playing (including some Death Stranding talk), the Bloomberg reports on a new Switch dev kit that Nintendo has denied, as well as touch on Bluepoint finally officially joining Sony.
Make sure to like and subscribe if you enjoyed the track!
Support SDGC on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/officialSDGC
Follow SDGC on these platforms! Twitter - twitter.com/officialSDGC Twitch - twitch.tv/officialsdgc Soundcloud - soundcloud.com/officialsdgc Spotify - open.spotify.com/show/6TEFfCqJ7aHUVIk8eGnzES
This week's show is dedicated to what we've been playing and the latest Nintendo Direct, which had some big reveals and re-reveals, including a look at Bayonetta 3 and that absolutely wild Mario movie cast.
Make sure to like and subscribe if you enjoyed the track!
Support SDGC on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/officialSDGC
Follow SDGC on these platforms! Twitter - twitter.com/officialSDGC Twitch - twitch.tv/officialsdgc Soundcloud - soundcloud.com/officialsdgc Spotify - open.spotify.com/show/6TEFfCqJ7aHUVIk8eGnzES
Finn (loves Tales!) and John (is ambivalent on Tales!) sit down and record a spoiler-free Tales of Arise review!
In this episode we reflect back on Horizon Zero Dawn, Britt goes off on Activision Blizzard, and we ponder if there's anything worth talking about from the NVIDIA Geforce Now leak.
Make sure to like and subscribe if you enjoyed the track!
Support SDGC on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/officialSDGC
Follow SDGC on these platforms! Twitter - twitter.com/officialSDGC Twitch - twitch.tv/officialsdgc Soundcloud - soundcloud.com/officialsdgc Spotify - open.spotify.com/show/6TEFfCqJ7aHUVIk8eGnzES
Jeff, CJ, and Britt talk all about why the latest entry in the Life is Strange series might just be the best one yet. Come join us as we reminisce on our time and favourite memories from Haven Springs. SPOILER ALERT Spoilers start at 19:30, you can enjoy our impressions up until this point but we recommend you finish the game before continuing.
Thanks again to Square Enix for providing us with a review copy for this game. #sponsored
The whole SDGC crew is here to discuss our reactions and thoughts on Sony's latest big E3-esque showcase, with some big game reveals and announcements.
Make sure to like and subscribe if you enjoyed the track!
Support SDGC on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/officialSDGC
Follow SDGC on these platforms! Twitter - twitter.com/officialSDGC Twitch - twitch.tv/officialsdgc Soundcloud - soundcloud.com/officialsdgc Spotify - open.spotify.com/show/6TEFfCqJ7aHUVIk8eGnzES
With the release of Final Fantasy IV Pixel Remaster, we see the first of the SNES FF games remade! But how did it all come out? Is it better than other versions? John, Finn and Derek are here to tell you :)
In this early impressions podcast, Finn tells John and Cj all about his first few hours playing through Bandai Namco's Tales of Arise. Does it Arise to the challenge? Will Finn's jokes get an Arise out of the panel? Find out all that and more on another great RPG discussion.
On the latest SDGC After Hours, John is joined by Cam Hawkins to parse through their feelings on Neo: The World Ends With You! Be warned: HEAVY spoilers are present in case you haven't finished!
Despite John dumping an entire beer into his keyboard and killing the poor thing, the team pushed through the pain and did the video game podcast. Nothing good ever happened without sacrifice.
Make sure to like and subscribe if you enjoyed the track!
Support SDGC on Patreon! www.patreon.com/officialSDGC
Follow SDGC on these platforms! Twitter - twitter.com/officialSDGC Twitch - twitch.tv/officialsdgc Soundcloud - @officialsdgc Spotify - open.spotify.com/show/6TEFfCqJ7aHUVIk8eGnzES
SDGC welcomes Rebekah Valentine (@duckvalentine) of IGN back for a special episode where the crew has some fun talking about all the great games we've been playing lately.
Yes, we know it's late. We had a small group tonight, so Britt and John invited Tauriq Moosa and Ash Parrish on to discuss current goings-on in the gaming industry, and the fact that John is aging like Paul Rudd.
Make sure to like and subscribe if you enjoyed the track!
Support SDGC on Patreon! www.patreon.com/officialSDGC
Follow SDGC on these platforms! Twitter - twitter.com/officialSDGC Twitch - twitch.tv/officialsdgc Soundcloud - @officialsdgc Spotify - open.spotify.com/show/6TEFfCqJ7aHUVIk8eGnzES
On this episode of Super Deluxe Gamescast, we welcome the incredibly cool and talented Ash Paulsen from our good friends, Good Vibes Gaming! Been wanting to make this happen for awhile, so this was a huge honor. Video games!
Make sure to like and subscribe if you enjoyed the track!
Support SDGC on Patreon! www.patreon.com/officialSDGC
Follow SDGC on these platforms! Twitter - twitter.com/officialSDGC Twitch - twitch.tv/officialsdgc Soundcloud - @officialsdgc Spotify - open.spotify.com/show/6TEFfCqJ7aHUVIk8eGnzES
Hey look, a JRPG released! That means Finn of course is going to review it, Britt is going to participate in the conversation about a JRPG, and CJ is going to once again try to understand the appeal of a JRPG!
The gaming industry has a major, major problem with how it treats women. It has for years, actually. Something needs to change, right now. CW: self-harm, mental/sexual abuse, PTSD.
Make sure to like and subscribe if you enjoyed the track!
Support SDGC on Patreon! www.patreon.com/officialSDGC
Follow SDGC on these platforms! Twitter - twitter.com/officialSDGC Twitch - twitch.tv/officialsdgc Soundcloud - @officialsdgc Spotify - open.spotify.com/show/6TEFfCqJ7aHUVIk8eGnzES
Why are people so angry about people playing on Easy mode? Why are people so angry about games being reviewed on Easy mode? Why are people harassing reviewers over it? Our pal Grant Stoner from Can I Play That? joins us live to explain why. Plus, we yell about video games.
Make sure to like and subscribe if you enjoyed the track!
Support SDGC on Patreon! www.patreon.com/officialSDGC
Follow SDGC on these platforms! Twitter - twitter.com/officialSDGC Twitch - twitch.tv/officialsdgc Soundcloud - @officialsdgc Spotify - open.spotify.com/show/6TEFfCqJ7aHUVIk8eGnzES
Hey, Finn is back! The Daddies are Dual once more! What's Finn been up to since becoming Daddy? How is the baby? Will these two talk about Final Fantasy? Find out now!
Tauriq Moosa joins the team.
Not like, permanently. We can't have THAT. But he joined SDGC for a night to dunk on John and have a nice, robust conversation about video games.
Make sure to like and subscribe if you enjoyed the track!
Support SDGC on Patreon! www.patreon.com/officialSDGC
Follow SDGC on these platforms! Twitter - twitter.com/officialSDGC Twitch - twitch.tv/officialsdgc Soundcloud - @officialsdgc Spotify - open.spotify.com/show/6TEFfCqJ7aHUVIk8eGnzES
For most, Metal Gear Solid 3 is the pinnacle of the franchise (unless you're Finn, who is wrong). But even if you're Finn (who is wrong), most fans acknowledge just how much it moved the series forward. And now Derek, John and Finn (who is wrong) are here to talk about it.
After hours of collecting bolts, traveling through different dimensions and using the latest, suggestively-named weapon, Finn and Justin discuss Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. How does Insomniac's new platformer stack up against the series' best? Find that out and more in this interdimensional After Hours review!
E3 has finally arrived so it's time for us to break down everything we loved (and didn't love) about video games this week. LET'S GO!
Make sure to like and subscribe if you enjoyed the track!
Support SDGC on Patreon! www.patreon.com/officialSDGC
Follow SDGC on these platforms! Twitter - twitter.com/officialSDGC Twitch - twitch.tv/officialsdgc Soundcloud - @officialsdgc Spotify - open.spotify.com/show/6TEFfCqJ7aHUVIk8eGnzES
And make sure to check out other podcasts in the ButWhyTho family at butwhythopodcast.com
As parents, we want our kids to share in our love of games, but how do we find the balance between what's healthy and fun and what's overkill? Amanda is here to have the discussion with John on the latest episode of SDGC: Dual Daddies!
This week the SDGC crew was joined by good friends and former crewmates Zach and Matty to discuss the Battlefield 2042 reveal, and a whole whack of news and reveals from Summer Games Fest.
Make sure to like and subscribe if you enjoyed the track!
Support SDGC on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/officialSDGC
Follow SDGC on these platforms! Twitter - twitter.com/officialSDGC Twitch - twitch.tv/officialsdgc Soundcloud - soundcloud.com/officialsdgc Spotify - open.spotify.com/show/6TEFfCqJ7aHUVIk8eGnzES
And make sure to check out other podcasts in the ButWhyTho family at butwhythopodcast.com
This week had a lot of buzz around Sony's first party studios - including some mixed reactions to the announcement Horizon Forbidden West, God of War and Gran Turismo 7 will also be on PS4. The crew also touches on some of the leaks around 2K's upcoming projects (including a Marvel game from XCOM developer Firaxis), more buzz around the new Switch hardware (sigh), and some speculation on what Nintendo might highlight during their E3 direct.
Make sure to like and subscribe if you enjoyed the track!
Support SDGC on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/officialSDGC
Follow SDGC on these platforms! Twitter - twitter.com/officialSDGC Twitch - twitch.tv/officialsdgc Soundcloud - soundcloud.com/officialsdgc Spotify - open.spotify.com/show/6TEFfCqJ7aHUVIk8eGnzES
And make sure to check out other podcasts in the ButWhyTho family at butwhythopodcast.com
Like its mutated main character, Biomutant is made up of so much more than it might appear. In the first of several upcoming discussions, Cj walks Derek through his time in this post-post-apocalyptic world and gives his early impressions after 20 hours, give-or-take.
This week was packed with news as we got reports on a new imminent Switch (thanks to Bloomberg), a possible Final Fantasy spinoff codenamed Origin(s?), tons of Dragon Quest news, Sonic remasters, Horizon Forbidden West gameplay, and more!
Make sure to like and subscribe if you enjoyed the track!
Support SDGC on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/officialSDGC
Follow SDGC on these platforms! Twitter - twitter.com/officialSDGC Twitch - twitch.tv/officialsdgc Soundcloud - soundcloud.com/officialsdgc Spotify - open.spotify.com/show/6TEFfCqJ7aHUVIk8eGnzES
And make sure to check out other podcasts in the ButWhyTho family at butwhythopodcast.com
Sam Tolbert returnals to SDGC (ha ha) to join Finn and Justin in discussing Housemarque's Returnal!
In our latest episode we welcomedspecial guest Hana Kim (@_hanatwothree) to the show to talk about video games and everything else - including Mass Effect, accessibility in the medium, and what we're looking forward to most in the near future.
Make sure to like and subscribe if you enjoyed the track!
Support SDGC on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/officialSDGC
Follow SDGC on these platforms! Twitter - twitter.com/officialSDGC Twitch - twitch.tv/officialsdgc Soundcloud - soundcloud.com/officialsdgc Spotify - open.spotify.com/show/6TEFfCqJ7aHUVIk8eGnzES
And make sure to check out other podcasts in the ButWhyTho family at butwhythopodcast.com
Resident Evil 8.....er, Village is out and it's fantastic! HOW fantastic? John and Justin get into it here!
Finally, Episode 4 of Dual Daddies is live! John and temporary co-host Amanda Farough are joined by Brittney to talk about....yep....parenting and video gamnes!
This week the crew starts off with what we've been playing, including Justin and John dropping their impressions on Resident Evil Village. In the second half of the show we drop our 500th set of E3 predictions (and hopefully our last?). Be sure to listen to hear what we think might show up next month.
Make sure to like and subscribe if you enjoyed the track!
Support SDGC on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/officialSDGC
Follow SDGC on these platforms! Twitter - twitter.com/officialSDGC Twitch - twitch.tv/officialsdgc Soundcloud - soundcloud.com/officialsdgc Spotify - open.spotify.com/show/6TEFfCqJ7aHUVIk8eGnzES
And make sure to check out other podcasts in the ButWhyTho family at butwhythopodcast.com
SDGC has been on quite the saga, and this review is no exception. With a new coat of paint and some updated content, does SaGa Frontier stand the test of time? John and Finn find out!
This week we spend half the show talking about cheap borgers before moving on to what we've been playing, and finally finishing off with that bombshell news that Mario Party is getting an online update 3 years (!?) later.
Make sure to like and subscribe if you enjoyed the track!
Support SDGC on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/officialSDGC
Follow SDGC on these platforms! Twitter - twitter.com/officialSDGC Twitch - twitch.tv/officialsdgc Soundcloud - soundcloud.com/officialsdgc Spotify - open.spotify.com/show/6TEFfCqJ7aHUVIk8eGnzES
And make sure to check out other podcasts in the ButWhyTho family at butwhythopodcast.com
Every time our buddy Cam Hawkins joins us, it doesn’t matter what the topic is; he and John will constantly bring up JRPGs while everyone else tries to get them back on point with topics like Sony's legacy content, PS4s getting bricked and the countless games coming out in Spring/Summer 2021
Make sure to like and subscribe if you enjoyed the track!
Support SDGC on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/officialSDGC
Follow SDGC on these platforms! Twitter - twitter.com/officialSDGC Twitch - twitch.tv/officialsdgc Soundcloud - soundcloud.com/officialsdgc Spotify - open.spotify.com/show/6TEFfCqJ7aHUVIk8eGnzES
And make sure to check out other podcasts in the ButWhyTho family at butwhythopodcast.com
We managed to get through an entire Resident Evil discussion without any Tall Vampire Lady thirst.....but the same can’t be said for Chris Redfield, Sarah!
Oh yeah and E3 is coming back (!) so we talked all about THAT big news.
Make sure to like and subscribe if you enjoyed the track!
Support SDGC on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/officialSDGC
Follow SDGC on these platforms! Twitter - twitter.com/officialSDGC Twitch - twitch.tv/officialsdgc Soundcloud - soundcloud.com/officialsdgc Spotify - open.spotify.com/show/6TEFfCqJ7aHUVIk8eGnzES
And make sure to check out other podcasts in the ButWhyTho family at butwhythopodcast.com
CJ played Balan Wonderworld for review and decided to tell Finn all about it! So what did he think? Was is it Balan Wonderworld, or Boring Wonderworld? Find out here!
Another SDGC After Hours! Justin played over thirty hours of Outriders to provide his thoughts, and John is along for the ride! Thanks to Square Enix for the code, and please remember to like and subscribe!
Make sure to like and subscribe if you enjoyed the track!
Support SDGC on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/officialSDGC
Follow SDGC on these platforms! Twitter - twitter.com/officialSDGC Twitch - twitch.tv/officialsdgc Soundcloud - soundcloud.com/officialsdgc Spotify - open.spotify.com/show/6TEFfCqJ7aHUVIk8eGnzES
And make sure to check out other podcasts in the ButWhyTho family at butwhythopodcast.com
Make sure to like and subscribe if you enjoyed the track!
Support SDGC on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/officialSDGC
Follow SDGC on these platforms! Twitter - twitter.com/officialSDGC Twitch - twitch.tv/officialsdgc Soundcloud - soundcloud.com/officialsdgc Spotify - open.spotify.com/show/6TEFfCqJ7aHUVIk8eGnzES
And make sure to check out other podcasts in the ButWhyTho family at butwhythopodcast.com
John, Jeff, Justin and Derek kick off the latest SDGC Retrospective series with a deep dive into the delightfully brilliant and bizarre Metal Gear Solid.
Make sure to like and subscribe if you enjoyed this track!
Support SDGC on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/officialSDGC
Follow SDGC on these platforms! Twitter - twitter.com/officialSDGC Twitch - twitch.tv/officialsdgc Soundcloud - soundcloud.com/officialsdgc Spotify - open.spotify.com/show/6TEFfCqJ7aHUVIk8eGnzES
And make sure to check out other podcasts in the ButWhyTho family at butwhythopodcast.com
In this week's show we ended up reminiscing on Animal Crossing New Horizons, which turned 1 year old this week, as well as digging back into a little of that Breath Of The Wild discourse (sorry).
From there we briefly touch on the announcement of Jade Raymond's new studio Haven, which will be creating an exclusive title for Playstation as their debut project.
Finally, the crew took some questions from our Twitter community including games we love that got shredded apart by critics.
Make sure to like and subscribe if you enjoyed the track!
Support SDGC on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/officialSDGC
Follow SDGC on these platforms! Twitter - twitter.com/officialSDGC Twitch - twitch.tv/officialsdgc Soundcloud - soundcloud.com/officialsdgc Spotify - open.spotify.com/show/6TEFfCqJ7aHUVIk8eGnzES
And make sure to check out other podcasts in the ButWhyTho family at butwhythopodcast.com
It was a packed show this week as we had quite a few big topics to hit. John, Justin, CJ and Jeff begin the show talking about what we've been playing the past week, including Doom Eternal DLC, Bravely Default 2, and Demon's Souls on PS5 while CJ takes some time off from games to lavish praise on HBO's "Vice Principals".
Next up we quickly discuss what Sony's acquisition of prominent fighting game tournament Evolution Championship Series (Evo) might mean for the future before turning our sights to the recent Square Enix event.
For the last half of the show we dive into discussing Marvel's Avengers and its new PS5/Xbox Series updates and some new Life is Strange announcements - including remasters of two games and a brand new sequel coming fall of 2021.
Make sure to like and subscribe if you enjoyed the track!
Support SDGC on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/officialSDGC
Follow SDGC on these platforms! Twitter - twitter.com/officialSDGC Twitch - twitch.tv/officialsdgc Soundcloud - soundcloud.com/officialsdgc Spotify - open.spotify.com/show/6TEFfCqJ7aHUVIk8eGnzES
And make sure to check out other podcasts in the ButWhyTho family at butwhythopodcast.com
On Episode 3 of Dual Daddies, John welcomes Amanda Farough, your official Gamemom, because Finn is now an ACTUAL daddy and he is very busy! How does one balance parenting and gaming habits in your kids? We discuss this and more here!
In this week's episode, the crew talked about what we've been playing, including niche titles like World of Warcraft, Bravely Default 2, and Demon's Souls for PS5. CJ also edcuates the crew on the joys and economic appeal of renting games from the local library.
Moving onto the recent news stories from the past week, we gave our thoughts on the new Mutant Ninja Turtles brawler and the updated information on the Microsoft/Bethesda deal as it finally comes to a close.
Finally, for the last portion of the episode we take the time to declare what we're most excited about coming in the rest of 2021.
Make sure to like and subscribe if you enjoyed the track!
Support SDGC on Patreon! www.patreon.com/officialSDGC
Follow SDGC on these platforms! Twitter - twitter.com/officialSDGC Twitch - twitch.tv/officialsdgc Soundcloud - @officialsdgc Spotify - open.spotify.com/show/6TEFfCqJ7aHUVIk8eGnzES
And make sure to check out other podcasts in the ButWhyTho family at butwhythopodcast.com
In a very Nintendo centric episode, we welcomed friend of the show Bronson Lee to talk a bit about what we've been playing before diving into the previous week's Pokemon Direct, where a Diamond/Pearl remake was announced a long with a new spinoff: Pokemon Legends.
Nintendo news continues in the second half as we try to nail down our thoughts on the new Nintendo Switch model that seems inevitable, before capping it off with news that Epic Games has purchased Fall Guys developer Mediatonic.
Make sure to like and subscribe if you enjoyed the track!
Support SDGC on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/officialSDGC
Follow SDGC on these platforms! Twitter - twitter.com/officialSDGC Twitch - twitch.tv/officialsdgc Soundcloud - soundcloud.com/officialsdgc Spotify - open.spotify.com/show/6TEFfCqJ7aHUVIk8eGnzES
And make sure to check out other podcasts in the ButWhyTho family at butwhythopodcast.com
In the first half of our show, we rapid-fire a series of important topics that don't have much room for discussion. However, we thought it was important that we bring them to our audience's attention. A Call of Duty player in Brazil is killed by another competitor in an incident highlighting violence against women both in society and the gaming space. Next, Electronic Arts has definitively cancelled plans to revive Bioware's failed live-service shooter Anthem. Finally, a high ranking designer on the upcoming Harry Potter game has a checkered past as a far-right youtuber.
The second half of the show leaves little chance to slow down. It has been a big week for Sony, with news item after announcement after presentation revolving around Playstation. Sony announced plans for a new PSVR headset iteration designed for the PS5. Days Gone is headed to PC, with more Sony first party games on the way. Sony shuts down a large chunk of their internal Japanese development team. And finally, we talk about the highlights from the week's State of Play presentation.
Reset the clock! We've had Mini Directs, Partner Directs, Indie Directs, and franchise-specific Directs, but for the first time in ages Nintendo has finally given us another large general Nintendo Direct. While the 50-minute long presentation was packed with announcements, we try to focus on what we thought were the highlights, like Mario Golf, No More Heroes, and Splatoon. We also talk about The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD, and what else we think may be coming for Zelda's 35th anniversary this year. Of course, it wouldn't be SDGC if we didn't obsess over something tangentially related to Final Fantasy, and Project Triangle Strategy ticks a lot of checkboxes for us.
This week we're joined by streamer and friend of the show EllieJoyPanic. Some of you may be familiar with her Twitch channel, or for her frequent work in charity fundraising. In fact, she helped us raise money just recently for The Trevor Project in support of LGBTQ+ youth! We talk with her briefly at the beginning of the show about her approach to streaming. We also ask a few audience-provided questions, and get one spicy gaming opinion that leaves multiple members of the cast speechless!
John, Britt, and Jeff discuss the big reveal of Final Fantasy XIV's latest expansion "Endwalker" and what it might mean for the MMO
CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains frank and difficult discussion of parts of the Iraq War, and specifically the Second Battle of Fallujah. One of our members, John, is a former US Marine who was present at this battle. In this episode he speaks candidly about what he saw and how it affected him, in order to counteract the oftentimes glamorized image of American activity in the middle east. At one point, John is affected enough by the discussion to need to leave for the rest of the episode. If discussion of war and violence would be a problem for you, or if you are not prepared to hear criticism of America's role in the Iraq War, you should skip this episode.
Controversial Iraq War shooter Six Days in Fallujah returned to the discourse, dropping the first actual trailer for the game since its announcement in 2009. The game intends to portray the real world events of the Second Battle of Fallujah in November of 2004, and those working on the game claim it will capture the psychological horror and reality that US Marines experienced at the time. We (including John, a former US Marine who served in Fallujah) are skeptical of whether this goal can or should be achieved. We also point out the historical whitewashing of the Iraq War, and American military intervention in general, in pop cultural media like video games. That is not to say Six Days in Fallujah could not nail its subject matter, but history has shown us that such projects will paint an overly glamorous view of the US military while exploiting their trauma for profits. That says nothing of the frequently racist and one-sided portrayal of the Iraqi people. We also repeatedly challenge the idea that these events are ready to be called "historical", since sixteen years after the battle this game portrays we've never left Iraq.
It's not all heavy discussion this week though. We attempt to cleanse our palettes with reports that failed Bioware live service game Anthem is finally approaching its "do-or-die" moment with publisher Electronic Arts. Can Anthem be successfully rebooted like Final Fantasy XIV famously was? Or would it be better for Bioware to cut their losses and move staff to new projects? We say "attempt" earlier because serious discussion eventually gives way to much-needed goofing off. It was a heavy show, don't judge us.
Justin and Derek sit down, only a little late to the party, to discuss Vanillaware's genre-mixing 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim. It's part visual novel, part classic adventure game, part tower defense, but all pulp sci-fi. This flew under a lot of people's radars, ours included, when it first launched worldwide back in September of 2020. Should you jump in on the late wave of renewed interest the game is getting? The answer isn't simple, and the game isn't for everyone, especially if you are frustrated by certain stock anime tropes (or as Derek repeatedly puts it "anime bull****").
Unfortunately, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is a difficult game to discuss without spoiling. And trust us, you don't want to be spoiled. The game's 13 high school protagonists each have their own separate stories that can be experienced largely out of order, and the time travelling nature of the plot makes it hard to talk about the game even with other people who are playing it. However, there's still plenty for us to talk to when it comes to the broad strokes of the characters themselves. The game is also surprisingly explicit with its queer representation, and unusually body positive for a piece of anime-inspired media.
This week we focus on Google shutting down their internal Google Stadia game development studios without producing a single game. It was a move far too many people saw coming. Because of this 150 all-star developers are out of a job. Why do companies like Google and Amazon stumble so hard when moving into gaming publishing? And that's before pointing out Google's history of abandoning highly-publicized projects. On the other hand, we're rather enthusiastic about the long-term future of Microsoft's competing game streaming service, xCloud.
We also take a little time to talk about what we've been playing, as well as the official reveal of Mass Effect: Legendary Edition. It's long overdue, but it sure is a sight for sore eyes. We argue about the very expensive turbo-nerd edition that comes with everything BUT the game, and we can't totally make up our minds about the visual overhaul, but we want it anyway. Maybe EA will finally agree to remaster some of their other long-dead games.
Welcome to Dual Daddies, a new occasional mini-series from SDGC! Hosted by our own John and Finn, with occasional guests, we'll talk about the ways that video gaming as a hobby intersects with the privilege and responsibility of parenthood. In this first episode, John talks to Finn about the upcoming birth of his daughter. We also reminisce about what video gaming was like for us as children. John ties everything back to Final Fantasy, as he is contractually obligated. But most importantly, John talks about how gaming informs his relationship with his son, and how it can do the same for Finn and his daughter.
Finn and CJ sit down with the limited demo for Square Enix's upcoming 3D platformer Balan Wonderworld and work out their thoughts. Does Sonic the Hedgehog creator Yuji Naka still have the magic touch, or will this instead be another Billy Hatcher? Come for our thoughts on the game and demo, stay for the love of mid-tier retro platformers.
We apologize for certain technical difficulties that resulted in CJ's audio quality being lower than normal.
While the demo was made freely available to the public, we were provided an early access code for the demo by Square Enix.
This week we focus on Activision Blizzard's disastrous response to a call for increased diversity among those being interviewed for new jobs at the company. The AFL-CIO, America's largest group of unions, asked Activision Blizzard to commit to interviewing at least one diverse (as in, not a straight cis white male) candidate for every job they post. As a note, that says commit to interview, not commit to hire. Activision Blizzard responded that this was basically a waste of their valuable time. Electronic Arts was actually asked the same thing by the AFL-CIO, and at least gave a "we'll look into it" non answer. While normally that would be a pretty unsatisfying response, Activision Blizzard still rose to the challenge of saying something worse.
Of course, it isn't a chill show if we don't gush a little about what we've been playing. We also talk about Microsoft raising the price of Xbox Live, only to walk it back mere hours later. At least free-to-play games like Fortnite are now actually free-to-play without an Xbox Live subscription now! Finally, we each take some time to recount our personal histories with online multiplayer games. It doesn't take long for us to drop the "online" part of that prompt.
Capcom has finally shown us our first real look at the upcoming Resident Evil Village, which means the SDGC crew is eating well tonight. Those of us who were able to play the PS5 exclusive demo weighed in on our experiences, but gaming's premiere horror series always inspires a lot of discussion. What do we hope Capcom learned from Resident Evil 7, and the recent remakes of Resident Evils 2 and 3? Do some of Village's new gameplay mechanics foreshadow the long-rumored but never confirmed remake of Resident Evil 4? How do you pronounce "foyer"? And yes, we do acknowledge the sudden massive internet popularity of Resident Evil Village's new villain, Lady Dimitrescu, formally christened as the Tall Vampire Lady.
It's not all Resident Evil on this week's show, though. We also highlight some of the games we're playing and starting, like 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim and Persona 5. More importantly, at the end of the show we take some time to speak candidly about the increased mental health impact of the last year, month, and even week. The intersection of politics, current events, and our own mental health is always a difficult area to talk about, but it's also impossible to fully avoid. Let's all work hard to be there for each other when we can, to take care of ourselves as best we can, and push forward together.
It's the start of a new year, which means all of us have now safely exited the dumpster fire that was 2020. We played a lot of games while locked inside our homes, and we're happy to talk about a few that really helped pull us through. No Game of the Year discussion is complete without a little heat, but for the most part we're all just glad to have found games that made us feel warm inside. No, John wasn't allowed to pick Final Fantasy 6, but that didn't stop him from bringing it up at least twice.
We're joined this week by journalist and former cast member Rebekah Valentine. Reb is an award-winning business writer for GamesIndustry.biz, and will soon be writing for IGN. Her wholesome energy always brings the best of vibes to any show. If you enjoyed listening to Reb, she also has her own podcast called The Cozywood Kitchenette, where she and her guests make food inspired by video games.
We're joined by CJ Salcedo from Waypoint Set to talk almost entirely about Cyberpunk 2077 and the many, MANY controversies surrounding it.
Finn talks to Joe Mirabello, director at Terrible Posture Games, about his career and his studio's new "playable sitcom" 3 out of 10.
We're joined by Cameron Hawkins to talk about two major figures at Bioware leaving... but honestly, for less time than you think. Light news weeks bring a lot of talk about what we've been playing, and some mildly spicy 2021 predictions.
Justin is joined by CJ Salcedo from Waypoint Set to discuss the latest entry in the omnipresent Call of Duty franchise. Does it live up to the series' best, or does the game's troubled development cycle show?
Finn and Justin discuss the PS5 launch title Astro's Playroom, a followup to one of the most acclaimed VR games ever. Just how does Astro fare in the transition to a more traditional 3D platformer? Find out!
With a slight rebrand for the format, we're here with another Bugsnax review discussion! Bigger! Bolder! Flavor-Blasted! Finn and Socky return, this time joined by Brittney and guest Eva Herinkova. Did we review the game once? Sure, but a game like this deserves to be shared with friends.
Justin grills guests Zach (formerly of SDGC fame) and Sam (Windows Central), on Microsoft's powerful black monolith of a system, the Xbox Series X. Find out what they think of this big step forward for consoles.
Jeff gives Justin his full thoughts on Microsoft's smaller new box - the Xbox Series S.
John, Brittney and Finn discuss the newest entry in the Amnesia series, looking hard at what works and what doesn't.
Finn talks with Massive Damage CEO/Co-founder Ken Seto and gets the full scoop on their recent release Star Renegades.
Finn sits down with Creative Director Jongwoo Kim and delves into what it’s like making Lucifer Within Us, launching during a pandemic, and more.
We talk about the recent partnership between Gamestop and Microsoft, and also perform a temperature check on how we feel about the launch of both upcoming next-gen consoles.
Jeff and Finn explore the fundamental differences between the VR and Switch versions of Falcon Age and how it dramatically affects the player experience.
Justin gives his complete thoughts on the latest entry in the popular Crash Bandicoot series.
Justin and Jeff delve into the revival of Crash Bandicoot and how it modernizes the classic series.
Finn and Brittney talk about Lucifer Within Us, the dark sci-fantasy murder mystery game from Kitfox Games
In lieu of any major news, we found a couple fun topics to talk about. You... can probably guess what they are from the title.
We're joined by CJ Salcedo from the excellent podcast Waypoint Set to talk about Microsoft purchasing Zenimax, the unfortunate reporting behind Nvidia's crashing issues with the RTX 3080, and Cyberpunk 2077 entering mandatory crunch against the promises of the developers.
The premiere of Finn's standalone subseries! Finn has a chat with Chris King of Batterystaple Games about the upcoming 30XX.
Justin and Derek sit down to talk about the widely-forgotten Kingdoms of Amalur Reckoning, being given new life under a different publisher as Kingdoms of Amalur Re-Reckoning. How does it stack up against modern standards?
We're joined by community member SarahOfMars to talk about the big PS5 news blowout we were waiting for, as well as Nintendo's surprisingly meaty microdirect. Also, Final Fantasy 16 gets announced, which is the only thing John is going to talk about until it comes out.
John and Derek are joined by NintenDaan to talk about the newly announced Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, and their hopes and expectations for the game.
SDGC's Justin, Derek, and Finn talk about Square Enix's Crystal Dynamics' Marvel's Avengers, from the rough beta to the awful marketing and promotion to the surprising end result and beyond. Is Avengers for you? Maybe not now, but certainly eventually.
Finn sits down with Derek to talk about Paradise Killer, a stylish and funky mystery that blends modern courtroom VNs like Ace Attorney and Danganronpa with classic open-ended adventure games like King's Quest and Myst.
We're joined this week by Brad Davis to talk about the finally final for real Xbox Series S and Series X prices and release date, to bag on Ubisoft for trying really hard not to talk about sexual misconduct, and to squeal over a new Hyrule Warriors game.
Derek and Jeff talk about the recently revealed Nvidia Ampere graphics card line (or at least the high end models), and break down both what regular PC gamers need to know and how these cards do what they do. They also battle some misconceptions in enthusiast gaming circles, like concerns over memory amount.
Jeff and John have a hard look at why Microsoft's newest entry in its popular series is such a missed opportunity, despite its technical accomplishments.
We're joined by voice actress Danielle McRae to talk about the voice acting industry, her career in the craft, and her experiences in gaming.
We weren't able to get to this topic during a live show, so Finn and Derek sat down to talk about Yoshinori Ono's impact on Capcom and the fighting game industry, why he probably left, and what this means for the future of Capcom fighting games
In a perfect example of having to make up plans on the fly... our original guest was unable to join us, so we were joined by Uppercut's Jessica Howard to talk about some fun video games, and alsooo a candid talk about a variety of progressive takes on gaming! Due to some technical difficulties we also do not have video from the live show. Enjoy Socky instead.
John and Jeff sit down with Derek to ask him how Mortal Shell would stack up to their expectations. Consider this a complement to the review itself.
John and Jeff welcome back Brittney (@itspeachia) to the show to talk about what makes FFXIV Shadowbringers and its conclusion in the most recent patch, so compelling.
NOTE This is a SPOILERCAST and contains detailed plot/narrative discussions
We're joined by community member Blaine to talk about several major pieces of Xbox related news, and the bombshell news that Epic Games is suing Apple and Google over their app store practices. Despite what we say early in the show, we do NOT actually have time to get to the news about Yoshinori Ono leaving Capcom.
Derek examines whether or not Mortal Shell will scratch the itch for Souls series fans wanting more.
The game was reviewed on PC, using a review code provided by the publisher for the Epic Games Store.
Jeff and Justin are joined by community member Blaine to talk out their thoughts and feelings on the adorable Fall Guys.
Derek reviews Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs MaxiBoost On, an arcade fighter port for the PS4 that is as packed with content as its title. Does this game appeal to people who aren't already fans of Gundam, and does it fall into the usual pitfalls of licensed anime titles? Spoilers: it's pretty good.
The game was reviewed on PS4 (the only platform available)on base PS4 hardware with a review code provided by Bandai Namco.
We're joined this week for our 200th episode by two of our Discord community managers, Dio and Rar, to talk about Fall Guys, Nintendo sales numbers, and some thoroughly impressive receipt-keeping.
We're joined by long-time gaming community heel Bronson Lee this week to talk about how fighting games are struggling during the pandemic, what's going on with Squadron 42, and the ethical mire around the hacking/leaking/sharing of old Nintendo assets and source code.
We're joined this week by streamer and community Brittney aka Peachia to talk about the recent presentations by Microsoft and Nintendo, and also to ruin some emotional moments with unprompted dabbing. We are very white.
CrossCode has finally left PC and landed on consoles, which makes this the perfect time for John and Finn to revisit this retro-inspired action RPG.
We're joined this week by Kate Sanchez aka OhMyMithrandir, Editor-in-Chief at ButWhyTho, to talk about Latinx representation in Far Cry 6 and new expectations for how available next-gen consoles will be.
Professional actor John Eric Bentley, most recently known as the voice of Barret Wallace in Final Fantasy 7 Remake, joins us to talk about his career and how to stay well during the pandemic.
John, Justin, Finn and Jeff dive deep into Naughty Dog's sequel to one of the most acclaimed games of all time.
Note Zachary Ryan (IGN) joined the crew for this discussion but due to a technical issue his audio was lost and unrecoverable. This episode has been edited slightly to account for this.
The entire crew is here for one last hurrah as we say goodbye to three of our friends. It's no news and all fun as the 8 of us dink around and just enjoy our time together.
Follow Reb, Zach, and Matty in their future endeavors!
While there's certainly some actual gaming news to discuss, the most important thing at the moment is the plethora of victims and survivors who have come forward with their stories about predators in the gaming industry and media. Believe their stories. That's all there is to it.
Games are finally being revealed again, which means the crew finally has topics to discuss. But we also have announcements of our own! It's a big episode folks.
It's an extra-long episode for a big reveal blowout from Playstation. Also we may or may not have gone so long without news that we forgot how to pace a podcast. Woopsie-doodles.
This show was recorded just as the current Black Lives Matters protests were beginning to break out, two and a half weeks ago as of time of upload. We've personally made donations and took a content hiatus to instead promote black streamers and content creators. Now that this podcast is finally going up, protests are still ongoing, and Breonna Taylor's killers still haven't been arrested. This is a gaming podcast, right? Yeah, but did you know Breonna Taylor's killers still haven't been arrested? Little known fact.
It's a very tech-heavy episode as we talk about the newly revealed Unreal Engine V. But hey, Paper Mario! We torture poor Reb so bad making her wait to talk about Paper Mario.
After many, many years, Streets of Rage is back in a beautiful new wrapper, but as with any present it's what's inside the box that matters! John and Finn discuss the latest (and long overdue)entry in the venerable beat em' up franchise!
When older games get remade, it's good!...….with varying degrees of quality. Does playing a lower-budget remake right after Final Fantasy VII Remake color our impressions? John and Anthony are joined by Zachary Ryan from IGN and Tamoor Hussein from Gamespot to discuss what happens when games are remade!
Microsoft's presentation of the first real gameplay for Xbox Series X falls a little flat for us. EA is willing to upgrade your Xbox One games to Series X games... sort of. And as always, we're just excited about some games, folks.
You can tell that (UNMENTIONABLE CURRENT SITUATION) is weighing heavily on all of us. But a new Assassin's Creed got officially revealed, and an Xbox Series X showcase was announced, and that counts as news in our current news-starved gaming landscape! Who even knows what day it is?
John, Reb, and Jeff get together to talk about their extended experiences with Animal Crossing so far and check back in on how their feelings may have changed since launch.
Zach is joined by Windows Central's Sam Tolbert as the two discuss their 20+ hours with Gears Tactics. The game takes a lot from the tried and true XCOM formula but innovates in some key areas that make the game shine.
We're joined by Briana White, voice actress for Aerith in the Final Fantasy 7 Remake, and you better believe we all have some questions. Once that's over, things go a little off the rails as we let loose some of the chaos energy we held back during the interview.
We're joined by Davionne Gooden from Studio Zevere to talk about his journey as a developer and his upcoming game She Dreams Elsewhere. Plus, inspired by Sony's new DualSense controller reveal, we goof off talking about controllers.
The Last Of Us Part 2 gets delayed due to the bad sick, everyone is working from home, and we need art now more than ever. How can we do right by our favorite entertainment mediums fare over the next year? Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford definitely does not have the answer. Friends of the show Daan Koopman aka Nintendaan and Elizabeth Garcia join the show and help keep things fun.
They're finally here! On this week's episode, the crew basically do nothing but gush about the newly released sleeper hits Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Doom Eternal.
The world is really scary out there so we just wanted to talk about some games we love and then talk about everything we know about Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X. Please be safe, friends.
After months of silence, Sony was ready to say more about the PS5 through an hour-long talk led by Lead System Architect Mark Cerny. Listen in as the crew explains what it all means for gamers and devs, and hear what they thought of the presentation overall.
With the full specs announced for Xbox Series X, Sam, Justin and Zach sit down to unpack what it means for developers and gamers - plus when we think it might hit shelves and how much it'll cost.
Now that the team has recovered from deathly non-corona illness, it's time to talk about our favorite stuff from PAX East 2020 (aka the last time any of us will be able to gather any time in the near future).
Recycling a lot of ideas from Mutant Year Zero, Corruption 2029 hopes its iterative approach to strategic combat holds up. Unfortunately, Matty and Zach find themselves bored and tired with the studio's second swing.
Our first ever PAX panel! John and Finn are joined by a bunch of our friends in games media to partake in the most sacred ritual of the Final Fantasy fandom: arguing about Final Fantasy.
Guest starring: Amanda Farough, Kyle Gaddo, Tom Johnson, Sarah LeBeouf, and Trevor Starkey
Vibrant and violent, Bloodroots is an arcade game about maintaining momentum and causing chaos. In this After Hours, Finn and Zach gush about the game's cartoon art style, tight controls and western aesthetic.
The Coronavirus outbreak may be affecting PAX East and GDC, but at least it didn't delay the Animal Crossing Direct. That's it. That's the episode description, folks.
We discuss the MULTIPLE big name departures from major gaming companies, and also the relaunch of GeForce Now
We're joined this week by Stella Chung (aka ParallaxStella) to talk about live service games, and a very near future where first party games are going multiplatform.
What does it mean to be disenfranchised? And what happens when the disenfranchised come together? In this episode of SDGC After Hours, Justin, Matty and Zach unpack their time with Kentucky Route Zero.
Watch the cast grow in real time as we're joined on the fly first by Anthony Agnello and then Daan Koopman (aka Nintendaan). First up for discussion: Sony leaving E3 and the gradual decline in E3's importance among trade shows. Second: on the heels of several big game delays, what do delays even mean for games? And of COURSE we make time for dumb Nintendo speculation.
The SDGC crew sits down to talk about their personal GOTY picks, as well as their runners up.
In this episode, Zach, Justin and friend of the show Sam Tolbert break down the latest news and rumors before delving into speculation and predictions. Listen in!
It's the first show of the new year, and the crew has some predictions for what we may see in the year ahead (and also just some rumors everyone has already heard). But first, some interesting news about EA restructuring.
Finn and John sit down to discuss the final release in the current Shovel Knight anthology, Shovel Knight: King of Cards.
With most of the crew off to see a Star War, Reb and Derek assemble a panel of guests to wrap up the year and talk about some of the best gaming has had to offer in the hellscape that is 2019.
Justin and Zach are joined by guest Sam Tolbert to unpack everything we know about next-gen and what we're expecting from Xbox and Sony ahead of new consoles next fall.
Join John, Finn and Reb for a chat about the latest pokemon releases, Sword and Shield! Topics include new mechanics, the game's style and favorite pokemon.
The crew is joined once again by the incredible Steve Spohn (COO of AbleGamers) for a lighter episode. We talk about what we've been playing, reminisce about the impact the Playstation has had on our gaming lives, and answer some user-submitted questions. Also, John dies at the beginning. Spoilers.
In this episode, Justin and Zach sit down to discuss their time with Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order. While keeping things spoiler-free, the duo talk about what works and what doesn't in Respawn's triumphant take on the IP.
The time has come. After months of nominations, scoring, math, forgetting to do things, and more math, SDGC finally presents a re-do on The Top 100 Games Of All Time. There was math, so how can it be wrong? We'll find out.
The SDGC crew, joined by friend of the show Samuel Tolbert, go over Microsoft's massive Inside Xbox presentation from earlier that day. Also, did you really think we could avoid taking more shots at Google Stadia? You fool.
Blizzcon 2019 came in with a lot of major announcements, but not everybody is feeling the apology in the opening ceremony. Plus, more staff shakeups within Playstation.
Bethesda launches a nonsensical subscription service for the struggling Fallout 76, and it doesn't even work. Plus, everything is delayed. EVERYTHING.
John, Justin, and Reb sit down to talk about the use of extreme violence in the marketing and promotional materials for major games. When and why do publishers like to focus on graphic violence, and is there any deeper meaning behind it?
It's a slow news week, so the crew invites GameRanx's Tom Johnson on to answer fan submitted questions. It goes off the rails pretty quickly.
The SDGC crew has a lot to say (as always) about newly revealed Playstation 5 information. But first, a whole messy and uncomfortable segment on Blizzard, China, and Hong Kong! There's some other gaming stuff at the end, but who plays videogames?
Finn and Derek talk about their experiences with Wayforward's beat-em-up revival River City GIrls. Is it worth your time?
The crew discusses Destiny 2's big day, as the base game goes free to play and the Shadowkeep expansion launches. Plus: crossplay and staff shakeups at Sony, and answering silly questions with sillier answers!
SDGC is joined by Anthony Agnello to talk about what we've been playing, recent releases, and silly geese. Plus: news on The Last Of Us 2, and... uh... Amiibo buttplugs for some reason.
It's a more casual show this week, but the SDGC crew still finds time to talk about plenty of new and upcoming games, plus the litany of game subscription services coming to the market. Also, we lick Nintendo Switches. We don't recommend doing that honestly.
Justin and Matty sit down to talk Control - the new third-person action thriller from Remedy Entertainment. In a spoiler-free introduction, learn about the game's premise and how it plays. Then, from the 24 minute mark, the pair dive into spoilers, sharing some of their favorite tidbits from the story.
The crew goes over NPD's monthly sales analysis for a VERY slow August. Plus, a babytank load of new information about Death Stranding, and some other various topics and questions. It was a slow news week, we'll take it.
It's a crowded house as the SDGC crew talks about their experiences at PAX West 2019, including impressions on some very exciting upcoming games. Plus, Zach takes a few minutes in the beginning to answer some questions about Gears of War 5 following his early time with the game.
There's plenty of news out of Gamescom over the past week, and all of that matters, BUT ALSO... Wario's Nipples. You don't need any more than that.
The SDGC crew discusses the July monthly sales results from NPD, hot off the presses. Then, it's on to sad news as Loot Crate lays off a large chunk of its work force. Thankfully, everyone still finds some time for much-needed silliness after the heaviness of last week's episode.
It's a heavy episode for a heavy week. The SDGC team talks about the ESA leaking the private info of journalists to the worst kinds of people, the harassment of a a tiny dev team that took a deal with the Epic Games Store, attempts to pin gun violence on video games, and the general throughline of toxicity and hate that exists in (but is not exclusive to) the gaming community.
A light SDGC crew (joined by friend of the show Lina Claire) discusses recent gaming news topics like sales numbers, the potential impact of American tariffs on Chinese-manufactured goods, Call of Duty's use of a horrific chemical weapon as a killstreak, and some guy named Ninja ditching Twitch to join Mixer.
With a smaller cast and a slower news week, the SDGC crew takes time instead to touch on what we're looking forward to in the fall, plus answer some questions.
The SDGC crew dives into the recently revealed Nintendo Switch Lite, and the advantages and disadvantages that come with the model. Will it make an impact? Also, some fun conversation about the very best (and VERY worst) game controllers ever made.
Wait... did John get younger, or...
The SDGC crew is joined by Caitlin Galiz-Rowe from YourGeekyGalPal to talk about recent Activision labor abuse news, because that isn't getting old. Finn and Reb discuss the cutting of Pokemon from Sword and Shield. Finally, Derek, Reb, and Caitlin talk about what it means for them to be queer in the gaming industry, what has helped them, and how others can help make the gaming space inviting for all of us.
Matty and Zach sit down and discuss Frogwares' latest, The Sinking City. Set in the fictional city of Oakmont, the game is steeped in Lovecraftian dread as you, a "newcomer" private eye search to uncover a mounting conspiracy and discover a cult working to undermine your every step.
The game swings big, and despite a number of missteps, still earns a recommendation from SDGC.
The SDGC crew is joined by NPD's Mat Piscatella for the regular discussion of the gaming industry's performance over the last month, followed by a more relaxed discussion (including viewer questions).
The SDGC crew sits down for a rapid-fire discussion of each of the major press events at E3 2019.
SDGC is joined by Game Informer's Imran Khan to talk about the newly revealed details behind Google's Stadia game streaming platform, and other gaming subjects in this last show before E3. Surprises all around with this episode!
John, Brandon, and Jeff (joined by Josh Silverman from Constantly Calibrating) discuss the recent information drops about 3 of the year's biggest games: Death Stranding, Marvel's Avengers, and Call of Duty Modern Warfare.
SDGC Live 148 - E3 2019 Predictions (ft. Steve Bowling and Tom Johnson) by Super Deluxe Games Cast
Nearly a decade after the original, does the decidedly more punk Rage 2 make for a better video game? Justin leads a review with Brandon and Zach to discuss some of what works and a lot of what doesn't in Avalanche and Bethesda's open-world shooter.
John, Brandon, and Derek take advantage of a shorter week to go over some games they've been playing recently, like the newly released RAGE 2 and Plague Tale: Innocence. We also talk about Microsoft and Sony's recent announcement that they'll be cooperating on the development of cloud streaming services, and a maybe-but-maybe-not tease towards the next Splinter Cell on Twitter.
Jeff and Justin are joined by special guests Dio, Matty, and John to talk about the final chapter in the Avengers series and the conclusion to a decade of filmmaking.
SPOILERS BEWARE! Watch the movie before listening.
Make sure to like and subscribe if you enjoyed the video!
Support SDGC on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/officialSDGC
Follow SDGC on these platforms! twitter.com/officialSDGC twitch.tv/officialsdgc medium.com/sdgc soundcloud.com/officialsdgc
Just over 5 hours into Rage 2, Justin sat down with Zach and Brandon to discuss what's good in the apocalypse. Suggested talking points: big guns, big explosions, big muscle cars. Full review to follow.
What a weird, insane week. Rebekah and our pal Tom Johnson were at the Borderlands 3 reveal and have some opinions on what they saw. But was it all overshadowed by Randy Pitchford pitching (sorry) a fit? And how about that FFVII Remake?
The very first episode of our new series on SDGC, Lore of the Things! Here we pick apart and examine story elements from our favorite games, and we begin with Chrono Trigger!
With most of the crew off at the movies, Brandon and Derek are joined by friend of the show Lina, as well as long-time friend and NPD analyst Mat Piscatella. We go over the monthly sales results from NPD, talk about the variety of overblown controversies surrounding Mortal Kombat 11, and then get back on the Unionization Train as news drops about working conditions on the Fortnite team at Epic Games. We're getting tired of singing that particular song, y'all.
The SDGC crew (joined by RPGSite's Natalie Flores) look back on Final Fantasy X and the ways it tried to change the franchise, as well as how it paid homage to its roots.
The SDGC crew goes all hands on deck to talk about the flurry of information about new gaming hardware. Sony officially reveals some specifications about the Playstation 5, but rumors and information about the next generation Xbox system(s) aren't far behind. And that's not getting into the well-sourced information about upcoming Switch revisions, a portable-focused budget version due this year and a more powerful upgrade aimed a little further down the line. No matter your brand, there's something for you today. Plus, we talk about people drawing "hardware" in the Super Smash Bros Ultimate Stage Builder.
John, Finn, and Derek return to our Final Fantasy Retrospective after a brief hiatus... at the just the right time, because it's time to talk about one of the most universally beloved (if still at times flawed) entries in the entire franchise.
The gang sits down with IGN's Adam Bankhurst with a lighthearted chat about what we've been playing recently, before diving into the heavy stuff with discussion about Bioware's recent woes. Plus: speculation and wishes for Respawn's teased Star Wars game, Jedi: Fallen Order!
John, Finn, Justin, and Reb talk about all the news and impressions from our visits to GDC and PAX East (joined by friend of the show Josh Silverman from Constantly Calibrating).
NPD’s Mat Piscatella joins the crew to talk about February sales charts, Anthems surprising debut, Cuphead on switch and Google kicking off its game streaming platform.
Derek, Justin, and Brandon talk about their experiences with the recently released Devil May Cry 5, where the game succeeds, and what (if any) areas the game falls short in.
The SDGC crew are joined by The Hashtagonist in a discussion about Microsoft's changing placement in the gaming industry, and how Google might be trying to fit into all of it. Also, we talk about Anthem's apparent struggles, especially with The Division 2 looking to take what little attention it has away from it. Bonus: who makes the best burgers?
A week out from launch, SDGC's John and Zach along with friend-of-the show Sam sit down to discuss From Software's Sekiro Shadows Die Twice. The action RPG set in Japan marries the developer's tough-as-nails gameplay with more traditional western design philosophy. The game releases March 22, 2019.
The SDGC crew are joined by friend of the show, former gaming insider/influencer, and industry PR man, Shinobi602 (who may or may not look like Newman, the world may never know). We talk about his move from internet personality to gaming career man, chuckle about Nintendo's bird-tush VR headset for Switch, and celebrate the anniversary of Mass Effect 3. We also discuss the upcoming releases of Devil May Cry V and Sekiro, and how these types of games fit into the gaming landscape where single-player games are supposedly dead. And you KNOW we always have time to talk about workplace culture... this time good news for once!
John, Reb, Jeff, Brandon, and Derek tackle the full implications of THQ Nordic's willingness to host an official AMA on a known den of iniquity. In less upsetting news, there's also Pokemon.
Jeff and Justin discuss the dos and don'ts of movie trailers, and dive into some of their recent favourites.
When Game Dad is away, the kids get to play. In a bleak week of game news, the crew carries on and celebrates everyone favorite game exec as he announces retirement. Topics include Anthem, Yakuza, executive change ups and more.
In this episode of After Hours, John is joined by two guest to discuss (and SPOIL) Square Enix's long-awaited Kingdom Hearts 3.
In this episode of After Hours, Brandon, Justin, Matty and Zach discuss their time with Respawn's Apex Legends, and what sets the game apart from other Battle Royale games.
John, Finn, Zach, Derek, and Reb sit down with Steven Spohn from AbleGamers to talk about the push for accessibility in gaming and how that impacts some major current and upcoming releases. Plus: Apex Legends, and a heartfelt discussion on what gaming means to us. Grab a tissue folks, this is a real one.
John, Brandon, Jeff, and Justin are joined by Tom Johnson (GameRanx) and Samuel Tolbert (The Inner Circle) to talk extensively about the newly released Resident Evil 2 remake. Also on the docket: Metroid Prime 4's cancellation, and reactions from the limited access demoes for both Anthem and Dreams.
John, Jeff, Justin, and Derek are joined by NPD's Mat Piscatella to talk about how the gaming industry performed at year end of 2018. It may have been a little Nintendo-heavy, but the real takeaway is that ALL of the major consoles did swimmingly. Watch for more.
John, Zach, and Derek are joined by Jeff Grubb (from GamesBeat) and regular guest Tom Johnson (from GameRanx) to argue over which console is the best of all time. Spoilers, it ain't the Genesis. Also, we talk about Resident Evil... some thoughts on the remake of 2, and reports that Netflix is developing a tv series based on the property. It may have been a slow news week but we make it wild anyway. Derek throws a chair at some point.
Trans Rights.
John and Zach sit down to review Resident Evil 2 (2018) to discuss what makes the game great after 21 years.
John, Finn, and Derek sit down with GameRanx's Tom Johnson and RPGSite's Natalie Flores to discuss one of the more divisive games of the series. It should come as no surprise that opinions remain divided.
John, Finn, Zach, and Derek are joined this week by IGN's Lucy O'Brien to talk about EA's handling of the Star Wars license, why the games industry needs to unionize, and some unforunate decisions by both Ubisoft and Warner Brothers that were announced over the last week.
John, Justin, Matty, Jeff, Derek, Reb, and special guest Steve Bowling (from NintendoLife and GameXplain) talk about the bombshell news earlier in the day that Bungie will be splitting from Activision. At the same time, a strange public battle between Unity and SpatialOS developer Improbable takes a strange turn in real time as Epic Games gets involved. Plus, discussion of Nintendo's "Twitter Direct" and what we should be looking forward to from them throughout the year.
Paused for Popcorn relaunches for a new year! In this first new episode, Jeff and Justin get together to talk about the subject of spoilers in discussion of tv and film.
John, Finn, Derek, Rebekah and RPGSite's Natalie Flores all return in this week's Final Fantasy retrospective, where we tackle some very broad and controversial opinions on the most popular game in the franchise.
SDGC cast members discuss their holiday backlog progress, talk about games that may have flown under the radar in 2018, and make some bold predictions for what is and isn't coming in 2019.
John, Finn, Derek, and Rebekah are joined by RPGSite's Natalie Flores to talk about what is widely regarded to be the best game in the Final Fantasy franchise for the longest retrospective yet.
John, Finn, Derek, and guest Anthony Agnello dive into one of the strangest and most freeform games in the Final Fantasy series: Final Fantasy V. Gilgamesh is the best Final Fantasy character and that isn't up for discussion (the editor responsible for this line has been sacked).
John, Finn, and Derek continue our Final Fantasy Retrospective, where we look back on all of the mainline numbered Final Fantasy games. Joined by The Escapist's Anthony John Agnello, the crew looks back on the various versions of one of the series' most definitive entries.
John, Finn, and Derek continue our Final Fantasy Retrospective, where we look back on all of the mainline numbered Final Fantasy games. Joined by The Escapist's Anthony John Agnello, the crew look back on the last installment to grace the original NES (and its remake for the DS).
The cast of SDGC sits down to discuss their favorite game of the year and a special runner up. From AAA to indie, from VR to adventure games, the cast was all over the map with their favorites.
November 2018 was a big month for games across all platforms. PS4 makes major headway thanks to big savings and stellar exclusives and Pokemon's biggest Switch title to date carried the platform. Meanwhile Xbox earnings are high thanks to Game Pass.
Then, NPD's Mat Piscatella shares his personal favorite games of the year
In this After Hours special, Justin and Digital Foundry's Alexander Battaglia discuss what they're expecting to see in the next PlayStation and Xbox consoles
In this episode, SDGC's Zach and Justin discuss the successes and failure's of the latest Battlfield video game.
An interview with one of Assassin's Creed Odyssey's lead quest designers, Nikolas Kolm.
In this spoilercast, John and Justin delve into Marvel's Spider-Man, developed by Insomniac Games.
John, Justin, and Zach discuss Destiny 2 - Forsaken and share their thoughts on the newest expansion pack, how they feel about it, and how Forsaken sets up Destiny 2 for the future
John - @mistermegative Justin - @roboplato Zach - @BearClawGaming
facebook.com/officialSDGC twitter.com/officialSDGC twitch.tv/officialSDGC
Zach was provided with a review code by Activision for this review, while John and Justin purchased the expansion pack
In this episode of SDGC we discuss our feelings on Octopath Traveler, what it means for JRPGs, the current state of open world games and what (or what doesn't) need to change.
On Episode 116 of SDGC, our buddy Anthony Agnello joins us to talk about things we love in games we don't like, and things we don't like in games we love! Plus, John sings a little Puddle of Mudd! --
Joined by Amanda Farough (@AmandaFarough) and Mat Piscatella (@MatPiscatella) on this week's episode, the SDGC crew discusses NPD numbers, the revival of this year's Pokemon games and why the future of Pokemon is exciting, the out of the blue Fallout 76 revival and how a Fallout spin-off could actually....be good, and we spent the last few minutes discussing Battlefield V (yes, it's old news, but we didn't get the chance to talk about it)!
SDGC is back with Episode 113! We're joined by Tanya (@cypheroftyr) as we discuss what games we've been playing, the closure of Boss Key and the aftermath of it, and the recent Call of Duty reveal that has more or less had mixed results.
On this week's episode, SDGC is joined by special guest Reed Albers (@ReedSAlbers) as they discuss what video games they've been playing recently (yes, we actually talked about that again!), the rollout of Nintendo Switch Online and our thoughts on it, and the nature of E3 leaks and how they affect the people behind them and the consumers
On this week's episode, SDGC has special guests LTesta, Mat Piscatella, and Sam Tolbert on to discuss NPD numbers for the month of April. We also take the time to voice our E3 predictions, as that time of year is approaching!
Special Guests: LTesta - @LTesta_ Mat Piscatella - @MatPiscatella Sam Tolbert - @SamuelTolbert
The following SDGC members were on the show tonight: Brandon - @antitrop Finn - @NOLAnerdcast Jay - @jaycheatham_ John - @mistermegative
facebook.com/officialSDGC twitter.com/officialSDGC twitch.tv/officialSDGC
Jeff and Justin sit down with Sam, Kevin, and John to talk all about THAT movie. This is a review Avengers: Infinity War, in which we dive into discussions on Thanos, the film as a whole, and criticism around it regarding the nature of being a 'part 1'.
On this week's episode, SDGC (joined by special guest Robert Workman) discuss God of War (the 2018 one, not the original one) and the praise it's been receiving, how the franchise has evolved over time, and everyone's thoughts on the game.
SDGC is back with Episode 109 and this time around, we're joined by special guest Tom Johnson of Gameranx. We discuss PAX (and what we played there), God of War reviews and if we believe that the game will truly be the "game of the generation", and Radical Heights in this episode (John also may or may not deliver some big news as well)!
All rise....it's time for Appeals Court, the one and only courthouse centered around videogames. In today's case, we have an outside party try to convince one of Appeals Court's valuable members on a game developed by Platinum Games, a studio that Zach isn't fond of. Was John able to rest his case or will Zach continue to dislike anything that Platinum Games touches?
The following people were involved in today's case: Zach - @bearclawgaming Jay - @cheddahz John - @mistermegative
Music by Mathew Lee Cothran (@comacinema)
http://facebook.com/officialSDGC https://twitter.com/officialSDGC http://twitch.tv/officialSDGC
Episode 108 is finally here! The crew is joined by Rand and Sam Tolbert as they discuss their views on Sea of Thieves (once again...), Far Cry 5 and if the game is meeting their exceptions (despite the drastic changes made to the final product), and what their biggest gaming disappointments are!
On this week's episode, the SDGC crew discusses NPD numbers with special guest Mat Piscatella, our first impressions of Sea of Thieves, and our reactions to the latest God of War previews!
On this week's episode, SDGC discusses the #NotAllGames movement, Microsoft's direction in E3 (and conferences in general), and what each member's dream character in Super Smash Bros. would be
Jeff and Justin are joined by Matt (Finn) and Caitlin to discuss Alex Garland's directorial debut - Annihilation.
SDGC discusses the meeting that happened at the White House that was focused on video game violence, the Nintendo Direct, and what movie franchises we'd love to see as video games.
Back at it again! Tonight we discuss NPD numbers, atmosphere in games, and franchises we'd love to see revived.
You know what time it is...it's time for Appeals Court, the one and only courthouse centered around videogames. In today's case, the system is dealing with someone who dislikes fighting games. It's the system's job to convert this non-believer into a fighting game believer.
Music by Mathew Lee Cothran (@comacinema)
Another episode in the bag! Tonight we welcomed our pals Steve Blomkamp and Wout McDutch to talk about (aside from the usual stuff) violence in gaming media and what, if any, effect it has on levels of violence in the real world. PLUS Steve wears a Socky shirt and John gets sort of hammered!
Jeff, Justin, and Chris get together to talk about Marvel's latest offering. Wakanda Forever!
Tonight the dudes talked about Disney and Star Wars licenses, bringing back mascots like Spyro, and whether or not you should boycott a game based on the beliefs of the dev. Pour a drink and have a listen!
In which the crew talks Shadow of the Colossus on PS4, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Kaz Hirai's legacy!
Come join us as we sit down for (mostly) SPOILER-FREE reviews of Alien Covenant and Wonder Woman. Are these good movies? Should you watch them? What is covfefe? Most of your questions will be answered!
We get together for a lengthy discussion on what makes Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. so enjoyable.
In our second episode, we dive all the way in on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2. This is a SPOILERCAST so please do not proceed unless you have watched the movie!
In our debut episode, we discuss one of the hottest properties of the last few weeks - Star Wars. How great was The Last Jedi trailer? Where's the story going? What can we expect in Episode VIII and IX? Join us to talk it out!