Pixel Noise: Recent Episodes
Pixel Noise LLC
What happens when you combine three musicians, six college degrees, and video games? Well, we’re not sure either, but you’re in the right place to find out!
SummaryTony and Dan endeavor to understand Alex’s taste in comedy. Also, Dan played Neon White, Alex has been reading books (esp. Gillian Flynn), The Last of Us is still a good show, and Metroidvanias are briefly discussed. Recorded February 11, 2023.
IF YOU PODCAST PLAYER DOESN'T DISPLAY LINKS IN THE NOTES BELOW–Linked show notes available at https://pixelnoise.fm/episodes/76
SocialsSupport our show on Patreon to get live and early episode access!
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Show Notes* 0:00:00 Homework Start! * 0:00:05 Neon White + videogamedunkey reviews "Neon White" + Celeste + Slay the Spire + Horizon: Forbidden West - Machine Strike + Final Fantasy 7 + Paper Mario + Super Mario RPG: The Legend of the Seven Stars + Mario Kart + Overwatch * 0:18:27 Metroidvania + The Legend of Zelda on the NES + Metroid Dread + Super Smash Bros. + Metroid Prime Remaster + Super Metroid + Metroid Fusion + Owlboy + Crash Bandicoot * 0:24:56 Alex's Books + Gillian Flynn + Gone Girl + Gone Girl + David Fincher + Dark Places + Rebecca F. Kuang + Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: an Arcane History of the Oxford Translator's Revolution + The Poppy War + HarperCollins Strike * 0:31:34 Our Tastes in Comedy + The Sopranos + West Wing + The Boys + Invincible + The Sex Lives of College Girls + The Good Place + It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia + Bo Burnham + Cunk on Earth + New Girl + Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt + Parks and Recreation + The Office + Scrubs + Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery + Knives Out + Pitch Perfect + Lassie * 0:59:43 HBO's The Last of Us + Up in the Air + HBO's The Last of Us Podcast + Two and a Half Men + Our Flag Means Death + House of the Dragon * 1:30:40 Back to Comedy + Taika Waititi + Edgar Wright + Scott Pilgrim vs. the World + Hot Fuzz + Last Night in Soho + Baby Driver + Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy + Edgar Wright- How to do Visual Comedy + "You gotta pay the troll toll..." + "Straight Mixer" + Young Frankenstein + Nathan For You + The Rehearsal + Dragonball Z Abridged + Ninja Sex Party + Taylor Tomlinson + The Adventure Zone: Balance + Untitled Goose Game + Inside + Chicken Run + My Cousin Funny + The B-52s + Trover Saves the Universe + High on Life + The Stanley Parable + Max Gentlemen Sexy Business! + The Looker + Portal + Tiny Tina's Wonderlands + Steven Universe + Schitt's Creek
SummaryThe Last of Us HBO show is out, and the Pixel Boys have a lot to say about the first episode! Also Yu-Gi-Oh! The Duelists of the Roses, The Night Cage, Choo Choo Charles, and Alex reads books now. Recorded January 18th, 2023.
IF YOU PODCAST PLAYER DOESN'T DISPLAY LINKS IN THE NOTES BELOW–Linked show notes available at https://pixelnoise.fm/episodes/75
SocialsSupport our show on Patreon to get live and early episode access!
Let us know what you think on the Pixel Noise Discord!
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Show Notes* 0:00:00 Class Start! * 0:00:09 Yu-Gi-Oh! The Duelists of the Roses + Hearthstone + Go + Magic: The Gathering + Slay the Spire + Dragonball Z Abridged + Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Abridged Series + Ash Ketchum Retires + Ash is in a Coma + The Great Pokemon War + Star Wars' Prequel Trilogy + What happens when you ride your bike indoors? * 0:21:26 Alex Reads Now + Apple Books + Gone Girl + David Fincher + Stormlight Archives + Dark Places + The Pillars of the Earth + Code to Zero * 0:30:01 The Night Cage + Betrayal at House on the Hill + Atmosfear + Dungeons & Dragons * 0:36:59 Choo-Choo Charles + Portal + SomeFilmAboutBoston + Bowser's Fury + Half-Life + Five Nights at Freddy's * 0:44:43 The Last of Us HBO E1 + The Sex Lives of College Girls + Schitt's Creek
SummaryAlex, Dan, and Tony got together for Alex’s birthday, in person, for the first time in forever! They played Secret Hitler and Llamas Unleashed and have thoughts to share. Alex spontaneously decided to join all of the social media. Also, The Game Awards 2022 just happened. Tony gave Alex Yu-Gi-Oh! The Duelists of the Roses for his birthday. Recorded December 17th, 2022.
IF YOU PODCAST PLAYER DOESN'T DISPLAY LINKS IN THE NOTES BELOW–Linked show notes available at https://pixelnoise.fm/episodes/74
SocialsSupport our show on Patreon to get live and early episode access!
Let us know what you think on the Pixel Noise Discord!
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Show Notes* 0:00:00 Sleepy Start! * 0:00:18 Alex's Birthday * 0:01:35 Alex joins "social media" + Twitter + Instagram + TikTok + Bo Burnham's Inside * 0:25:18 Secret Hitler + Llamas Unleashed + Sheriff of Nottingham + Avalon + Two Rooms and a Boom + Monopoly + Coup + Werewolf + Among Us + Formula A * 0:53:17 Llamas Unleashed + Magic: The Gathering * 0:59:36 Comparing to other social deduction games + Fluxx + Munchkin + We Didn't Playlets This At All * 1:03:19 The Game Awards 2022 + God of War Ragnarök + Will Smith at the Oscars 2022 + Stray + GOTY Stage Performance + "the single most watched awards ceremony in the world" + Death Stranding 2 + Electronic Entertainment Expo + Apple Keynote + The Last of Us Part 1 for PC + Hades 2 + Earthblade + The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom + Pokemon Scarlet and Violet + Elden Ring + Horizon: Forbidden West * 1:27:45 Yu-Gi-Oh! The Duelists of the Roses + About the game + Yu-Gi-Oh! Dungeon Dice Monsters
SummaryDan needs a new shooter to play with friends (give us your suggestions in the Discord), Alex has been playing Fire Emblem VI, and Tony 100%-ed Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. Also, collectathon follow-up and Pokémons Scarlet and Arceus. We end, of course, with lots of D&D updates. Recorded November 20th, 2022.
IF YOU PODCAST PLAYER DOESN'T DISPLAY LINKS IN THE NOTES BELOW–Linked show notes available at https://pixelnoise.fm/episodes/73
SocialsSupport our show on Patreon to get live and early episode access!
Let us know what you think on the Pixel Noise Discord!
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Show Notes* 0:00:00 Beetleborgs Start! + VR Trooper * 0:01:54 Collectathon follow-up + Episode 70 + Super Mario 64 + Super Mario Odyssey + MacGuffin + Super Mario World + Bowser's Fury + Pokemon Scarlet & Violet + Bethesda's Mark Lampert: "10 years from now, if Skyrim is still playable..." + Elder Scrolls VI + SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated + Banjo-Kazooie + Symm + Mandela Effect + Banjo-Tooie + Gettin' Jiggy Wit It + Final Fantasy X + Game Boy Printer + Breath of the Wild * 0:17:57 Pokemon Scarlet + Dan's Days Gone bike chase glitch video - Days Gone clip 1 - Days Gone clip 2 - Days Gone clip 3 - Days Gone normal gameplay + Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire + Deltarune + Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the All-Time Best-Selling Game in Japan + Pokemon Legends: Arceus * 0:28:48 Pokemon Legends: Arceus' turn-based battle system + Dungeons & Dragons + Link's Awakening Remake * 0:34:56 100% Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga + Lego Video Games + Earth Defense Force 2017 * 0:42:02 Dan needs a new shooter + Apex Legends + Fortnite + Overwatch + Valorant + The Last of Us multiplayer game and tv show + Upcoming Naughty Dog game + Alone and Forsake by Hank Williams * 0:59:36 Fire Emblem 6 + Fire Emblem Series + NieR + Tactical Role-Playing Game) + Final Fantasy Tactics + Advance Wars + Mario + Rabbids + XCOM + Fire Emblem Randomizer + Ocarina of Time Randomizer * 1:10:11 Pokemon new forms + Terastal phenomenon + Terastalized Pikachu + Mario Kart 64 Battle * 1:14:44 D&D updates + Your Family Tree Explained + Tabletop vs Imagination + Brennan Lee Mulligan and Matthew Mercer + Magic: The Gathering + Dimension 20 + Crown of Candy + Candy Land + Nathan Fielder + Matthew Colville on Fudging Die Rolls + 11:45 for Matthew on Pre-Rolling Dice + Hoard of the Dragon Queen + Alex's Homebrew Rules + Michelangelo's David) + One D&D Playtest Materials
SummaryDan’s been getting into baking and food photography, and Alex and Tony started a new D&D campaign with lots of homebrews. The second playtest material for D&D Unearthed Arcana is discussed, which leads to a lengthy conversation about whether wizards should be able to heal. Also, sleep & alarms, Monster Train, Cult of the Lamb, and a bit of talking about the show on the show. Recorded on October 8th, 2022.
IF YOU PODCAST PLAYER DOESN'T DISPLAY LINKS IN THE NOTES BELOW–Linked show notes available at https://pixelnoise.fm/episodes/72
SocialsSupport our show on Patreon to get live and early episode access!
Let us know what you think on the Pixel Noise Discord!
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Show Notes* 0:00:00 Live from New York... * 0:00:51 patreon.com/pixelnoisefm * 0:01:33 Alarms & sleep * 0:06:07 Dogs & cats * 0:10:22 Alex tries to discuss D&D * 0:11:09 Food photography & baking + Dan's baking Instagram + Dan's music photography Instagram + Dan's Macro lens adapter + The Exposure Triangle – A Beginner’s Guide + Bethesda fountain + Behind the Scene – Dan's live music blog - "BtS is your all access pass for today’s music scene. While based out of the cultural hotspot of New York City, we are a collaborative project between photographers and writers spanning the United States. We hope you feel the love and dedication we put in our photos, reviews, and interviews as we feature all your favorite bands." + Li, S., & Liu, P. (2022). Will “moving” food tastes better? Effect of dynamic food image in print advertising on food taste perception. Journal of Sensory Studies, 37(1), e12719. https://doi.org/10.1111/joss.12719 + Innistrad) + Ember Mug + "We are creating a new experience below 42nd Street." –MTA * 0:48:39 Talking about the show on the show * 0:50:46 Cult of the Lamb quick update * 0:51:05 Monster Train 100% Update * 0:52:40 D&D one-shots on Twitch + Harvey the Cat + Harvey the Doctor + Volo's Guide to Monsters * 1:15:36 Alex's D&D homebrews * 1:18:16 Second playtest material for D&D Unearthed Arcana * 1:24:54 Should wizards be able to heal?
SummaryWe all finally played Cult of the Lamb and boy do we have opinions. Alex tells a revealing story from his past, Tony still has not played Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands but did play Trombone Champ, and Alex watched more of Nathan Fielder’s shows. Recorded on September 24th, 2022.
IF YOU PODCAST PLAYER DOESN'T DISPLAY LINKS IN THE NOTES BELOW–Linked show notes available at https://pixelnoise.fm/episodes/71
SocialsSupport our show on Patreon to get live and early episode access!
Let us know what you think on the Pixel Noise Discord!
Follow us on Twitch Twitch.tv/PixelNoiseFM and follow our calendar, so you'll know when we're going live next!
Also, follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, YouTube, and even Pinterest! You can join our mailing list here.
Show Notes* 0:00:00 Oreo Start! + Hydrox * 0:00:32 Cult of the Lamb + Monster Train + Inscryption + twitch.tv/paradigmshift89 + Black Book + Hades + Slay the Spire + Binding of Isaac * 0:40:39 Alex's Snow Shovel Story + Animal Crossing * 0:50:58 Trombone Champ + qwop + Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy + Stars and Stripes Forever + The Beautiful Blue Danube + Also sprach Zarathustra + William Tell Overture + God of War Ragnarök + Stardew Valley + Katamari Damacy + Wii Sports + Among Us * 1:03:28 Tiny Tina's Wonderlands + Skyrim Character Creation Mod + Civilization) + Idle Clicker * 1:10:18 Nathan Fielder + Nathan For You + The Rehearsal + 69 + The Good Place + Game of Thrones + Dragonball Z Abridged + The Boys + Stranger Things + Bo Burnham's "Can't Handle This" from 'Make Happy' + Star Wars: The Last Jedi + Inception
There was a huge update on D&D and Magic from Wizards and Alex and Dan have a lot to say! Then, the Pixel Boys endeavor to define a “collectathon.” Also Cult of the Lamb, Inscryption, KOTOR, and Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. Recorded on August 20th, 2022.
The Pixel Boys start talking about Stray and Final Fantasy X but actually just have a lot to say about speedrunning. The past tense of “speedrun” is debated in depth. Also Dan’s been playing a lot of Monster Train, Alex and Dan have been going to the gym, Alex watched Mr. Bean’s Holiday and Tony and Dan watched The Rehearsal. Recorded August 13th, 2022.
Tony started playing Stray and loved it, and PlayStation released a detailed video on The Last of Us Part 1 that Tony got super excited about. The Pixel Boys also discuss when to use subtitles and Dan played a bunch of new board games. Recorded July 23rd, 2022.
The Pixel Boys have a big conversation about how trophies/achievements in games have changed over the years, and how they relate to accessibility. Also, Tony finished Final Fantasy X, Dan started Metroid Dread, and at long last, Dan 100%’d Slay the Spire. Recorded June 25th, 2022.
The Pixel Boys all played Inscryption and watched The Inside Outtakes. Tony is playing Lego Star Wars The Skywalker Saga, Dan's 100%-ing Slay the Spire and Tiny Tina's Wonderlands, and Alex got a new PC (and it comes with some apologies). The Last of Us Part 1 was announced, as well as a bunch of other stuff. Recorded June 11th, 2022.
When does a test become a game, and vice versa? Dan played Nintendo Switch Sports, Alex wants new workout headphones, and everyone gets very interested in Inscryption. Alex and Tony watched Obi-Wan Kenobi, Tony started his first playthrough of Metal Gear Solid, and Alex is going to play Duck Souls. But yeah, mostly Inscryption. Recorded May 28, 2022.
Welcome to your PXN64, now with more performance than ever before! Dan’s 100%-ing Slay the Spire and has been playing a lot of new board games (Doomlings, Fog of Love, Side Effects, Llamas Unleashed). He also just got into Steam (mostly for Baluder’s Gate: Dark Alliance). The Pixel Boys then spend a bunch of time giving feedback on their last D&D campaign together. Alex played Monster Hunter World. Recorded May 14th, 2022.
Dan opens the episode strongly with a surprising amount to say about Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, which reminds Tony of a recent rumor that Naughty Dog is working on a fantasy-style game. Then the Pixel Boys quickly devolve into classics such as Elder Scrolls 6, Horizon Forbidden West, and realism in games. The qualities of good competitive play and the effects of money on game design are discussed, leading to a bit of news about Wizards of the Coast purchasing D&D Beyond. The PBs are challenged by media with slow starts, and this leads to an attempt to nail down our game preferences. They wrap with a brief life update from Dan. Recorded on April 18th, 2022.
Mini Motorways, the latest beautiful puzzle game from Dinosaur Polo Club, has captured the Pixel Boys’ minds. Tony and Dan are still playing Horizon Forbidden West, and we all watched some movies and talked about them (including The Batman & Free Guy). Also Hades, Steam Deck, the Kirby & the Forgotten Lands demo, Elden Ring (from afar), the Overwatch 2 beta, Super Mario World, and Roller Coaster Tycoon 2. Recorded March 12, 2022.
Dan and Tony are enamored with Horizon Forbidden West and have a lot to say about it. Alex has been enjoying Bowser’s Fury. Also, Elden Ring, comparisons between Horizon and Zelda, Stardew Valley: The Board Game, Elder Scrolls VI, Bungie, and Dynasty Warriors games. Recorded on February 26th, 2022.
The Pixel Boys have a huge discussion about what a puzzle is. Also, their experiences making art, getting D&D character art, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Pokémon Legends: Arceus, Monster Train, Myst, resource management games, and Wordle. Recorded February 12th, 2022.
Pokémon Arceus is out! Alex played Donkey Kong 1994 and Tony started a second Death Stranding playthrough. Dan’s been into Monster Train and Wordle, and Tony’s been into Mini Motorways. Also Kentucky Route Zero, Path of Adventure, the Legend of Vox Machina, and Spider-Man No Way Home. Alex put a text adventure in D&D, and we close out with Microsoft’s latest acquisition.
The Pixel Boys are back from winter break, and boy have we some thoughts and stories. They talk a bunch about the current state of the world and remote education, but before that, Tony finished Metroid Dread, Dan played GRIS, and this makes Alex reminisce about Undertale and Owlboy. Dan’s mostly been playing Pokémon Brilliant Diamond, and Alex has mostly been playing Path of Adventure. Tony talks about Neeva.com, and he finished his nostalgia playthrough of Jak II. Also, Alex played Overwatch on Christmas.
It's the holiday season, and that means it's time to talk about our favorite games of 2021 (some of which may not be video games)! We discuss them both in the context of The Game Awards, as well as beyond. Also, Dan's been playing the recently released Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and anticipating the upcoming Pokémon Arceus, Alex is "taking his veggies" and trying a bunch of new games, and Tony is playing Metroid Dread.
The Pixel Boys were short on time this week, so they recorded an extra-special lightning round! 30(ish) minutes of far too many games to list in a summary, but of course full topics list at pixelnoise.fm! Finally, the mini-topics list can rest clear...
The Pixel Bois have been listening to Bo Burnham’s INSIDE a whole bunch, and these songs take center stage in this episode. Dan took Tony’s advice and went caseless with his new iPhone, and got to A14 with The Watcher in Slay the Spire. Tony and Alex played the new Back4Blood with friends, and Tony streamed Star Wars Shadows of the Empire. Our review of Life is Strange Wavelengths was very short, as was our review of the N64 Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack (spoilers: they’re both broken).
Tony finished his first Pokémon game, and it was Emerald! Dan tried to enjoy a holiday weekend. Actually reading the game manual is considered. Alex leads a discussion of how hard skills and soft skills are applied in D&D, and talks about his recently completed first playthrough of Super Mario RPG. Tony and Alex finished Life is Strange True Colors, but Dan is still working on it. Alex finished Deltarune Chapter 2.
Dan’s been playing a lot of games recently! Tony and Dan played Deathloop, and had a lot to say about how it compared to Returnal and other roguelikes. Pixel Noise has a new stream !gamelist, which starts a conversation about what we find rewarding in games, collectibles, corner checking, and of course, genres. Tony thinks Pokémon is a weird RPG, Alex played Super Mario RPG, and Dan played Overcooked. Everyone’s played Life is Strange: True Colors, Alex reveals what he’s secretly been doing while recording the podcast, and we listened to INSIDE (The Songs).
Dan played some new games (The Plane Effect & When the Past was Around), & Alex played A Link to the Past. Alex and Tony went to IRL arcades, which spawns conversation about sports games and first impressions. Alex has been enjoying his retro streams, and Dan has not been enjoying being stuck at A19 in Slay the Spire. Tony poses the idea of game replayability varying at the platform level, and he reveals which Horizon Forbidden West launch edition he ordered. The Pixel Bois try to get excited about new games and GOTY, but hopes for this year are dim. Finally, they cap it off with a discussion about Bo Burnham’s INSIDE.
Do you put stickers on your devices? Do you have tattoos? How do you express yourself? A surprising opening is followed by a storytelling in D&D discussion, Alex watches The Lord of the Rings Extended Editions, and Tony starts and finishes Twilight Princess. All the while, Dan's been on the A20 grind in Slay the Spire. Also, Bethesda's trying to sell us Skyrim yet again (Skyrim Anniversary Edition).
After a stark diversion last time, the Pixel Boys are back with more talk about TV, movies, and Dungeons & Dragons. After an opening conversation about Valve’s new Steam Deck, Alex reveals that he has been watching Schitt’s Creek, much to his co-hosts’ surprise. The rest of the episode is full of conversations on how D&D has evolved over time, the roles of storytelling and mechanics in the game, how it interacts with mix/maxing, and even how it can be used as a therapeutic tool. Oh, and there’s a new D&D themed Magic set.
In this unusual episode, the Pixel Boys figure out what communication is and how to do it, as well as the purpose of demographics and classifications. That's it. We solved it. Once and for all. You're welcome. [Kappa]. Also, we spend literally one minute talking about video games.
How you start a game (or a TV show) is extremely important. This idea is woven into discussions of Final Fantasy X, Fallout 3, The Elder Scrolls series, and TV shows in general, with a focus on Schitt's Creek. Dan also provides his brief impressions on Demon’s Souls. The episode concludes with an in-depth exploration of the first four Elder Scrolls series games (The Elder Scrolls: Arena, The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, & The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion).
E3 2021! The Pixel Boys go over all the hits (except Ubisoft). Before that, Tony and Dan talk Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. Later, Alex and Tony discuss the new Blind Bingo stream format they came up with, the perils of trying and returning games, and the episode ends with an extra inning of crits in D&D. Oh, and Tony was here to kill chaos, but no one came...
Dan lost his Apple Watch to Adina’s zoomies, but the Pixel Boys have not lost their love for D&D. The dichotomy between improv and preparation in D&D is discussed, and there’s a juicy tangent into etymology and phonetics. Alex is using Discord as an organizational tool for some reason. Tony and Dan are playing Ratchet & Clank and Biomutant, respectively. This leads Tony to the new word “Newstalgia,” as a way to describe how a series he’s never played is giving him the nostalgic feels. The episode ends with a proclamation from Tony on Nintendo and New Pokémon Snap.
Tony and Dan hijack the start of the show to gush about the new Horizon Forbidden West gameplay trailer, then Alex veers us into Tony’s experience playing original Pokémon Snap (Tony’s thoughts will surprise you). Then, in true Pixel Noise fashion, we tangent quite heavily to the topic of bulleted and numbered lists, how they’re used, and what they’re for. The fundraiser for the Newburgh LGBTQ+ Center is discussed (link to donate below), and then Alex attempts to lightning round mini topics to clear them out. He is thwarted, however, by Dan and Tony having more involved thoughts on Biomutant and NieR Replicant. Finally, we learn Dan doesn’t like Square Enix for some reason.
The Pixel Boys played Dungeons and Dragons, and boy do they have a lot to say! The episode opens with a thought experiment involving latency in sound, then lots of D&D, and follow up on optimization vs. player choice. This leads to thoughts on the New Pokémon Snap, which Tony proposes is the “epitome of collectathons.” Alex relates this to puzzles hidden in “the machine” (meaning, the internet). Finally, Tony and Dan give their impressions of the latest PS5 exclusive, Returnal.
The show starts off with a PS5 update lightning round. Dan's solved his physical trophy problem and Alex's meme streams are discussed. Tony enjoyed Machinarium. Tony and Alex tried out a new stream format, and used it to start Witcher 3 and Spec Ops The Line for the first time. Confirmation dialogues in games are discussed, as well as Jeff Kaplan's resignation, leading into a discussion on public figures in media. The episode wraps with new thoughts on Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
IF YOU PODCAST PLAYER DOESN'T DISPLAY LINKS IN THE NOTES BELOW– Linked show notes available at https://pixelnoise.fm/episodes/43
Tony and Alex played Return of the Obra Dinn and Dan is still playing Hades. Alex and Tony both started watching Game of Thrones, but their reasons and methods may surprise you. Alex peels back the curtain on his personal life, the Pixel Boys still have three rather different brains, and they still all despise exercising (Ring Fit Adventure follow up). Finally, Tony gives his thoughts on playing Spiritfarer co-op with Maria.
The Pixel Boys have an in-depth discussion on ratings and evaluating art. Also, the Foo Fighters made a new album, Dan got a PS5, and we revisit Astro’s Playroom and Among Us. Additionally, Alex follows up on the problems with the Skyrim lockpicking mechanic and even proposes a solution.
Dan has a lot to say about D&D, Tony & Alex played Skyrim as a co-op game, and everyone has a lot to say about the utility of rules.
Support our show on Patreon to get live and early episode access!
Let us know what you think on the Pixel Noise Discord!
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Game Start! 0:00:00
Happy Streamiversary! 0:00:53
Skyrim Together 0:01:54
- Journey
Skyrim vs D&D 0:25:27
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Among Us
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Adventure Zone
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Critical Role
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Fantasy High
Journey and D&D 0:28:08
Restrictions in D&D 0:51:04
“Rules do not exist to bind you…” 0:56:23
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NieR
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Facade
Follow up: Critiquing Art 1:11:30
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To Other Worlds
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Undertale
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Evoland
We kick things off with more Nintendo belly-aching, including Pokémon Snap, Pokémon GO, Ring Fit follow up, the new Nintendo Direct, and Tony wishing Nintendo had a game pass. A fascinating view on the purpose of Kirby in Nintendo’s lineup is proposed, and the interesting bits of Super Mario 3D are extolled. In the second half, we veer off into Alex’s motivations when playing games and Dan and Alex’s experiences beating Hades. Finally, things get a little spicy as we discuss the relative merits of player choice and optimization in games through the lens of save mechanics and more.
Support our show on Patreon to get live and early episode access!
Let us know what you think on the Pixel Noise Discord!
Follow us on Twitch!! We stream daily! Twitch.tv/PixelNoiseFM
Also, follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, YouTube, and even Pinterest! You can join our mailing list here.
Pokemon Snap 0:00:00
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New Pokémon Snap, Switch Trailer
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Bioshock
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Breath of the Wild
Pokemon Go 0:05:09
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Ingress
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Among Us
Dan’s Ring Fit Adventure 0:18:08
The Value Proposition of Nintendo 0:23:07
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Nintendo Direct 2/17/2021
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Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Switch Bundle
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Nintendo Top Selling Title Sales Units
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Uncharted 4 Playstation 4 Bundle
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Wii Sports
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1-2 Switch
Kirby 64 The Crystal Shards 0:33:37
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Classic Kirby Games
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The Kirby Series
Super Mario 3D + Bowser’s Fury 0:45:50
- Bowser’s Fury
Alex’s Motivation in Gaming 0:53:53
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Overwatch
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Celeste
Dan finished Hades 0:56:11
Saving, Optimization, and Player Choice 1:12:28
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Skyrim
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Slay the Spire
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The Last of Us
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Half-Life
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Dark Souls
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Baldur’s Gate II: Dark Alliance
The Pixel Boys discuss Hades, learning through trial and error, Just Dance, and Ring Fit Adventure. A discussion of GameStop stonks (AKA GameStocks) swerves into Dan's adventures into cryptocurrencies and more. Also, they finally solve how to evaluate the collectibles in a game as well as when the collectibles ARE the game (commonly known as "collectathons").
Support our show on Patreon to get live and early episode access!
Let us know what you think on the Pixel Noise Discord!
Follow us on Twitch!! We stream daily! Twitch.tv/PixelNoiseFM
Also, follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, YouTube, and even Pinterest! You can join our mailing list here.
0:00 Hades
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Getting Over It with Bennet Foddy
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Magic: The Gathering
14:04 Just Dance
- Wii Sports
19:18 Dan plays Ring Fit Adventure
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Playstation VR
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Superhot
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Astro Bot Rescue Mission
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Beat Saber
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Tell Dan to Workout (discord link)
30:42 Patreon Plug
31:14 GameStocks
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”Short”
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International Barbershop Quartet Competition
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Doge Coin
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Ripple, and the associated scandal
59:35 Collectibles & Collectathons
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Banjo-Kazooie
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Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater
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twitch.tv/symmetricheart
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The Witness
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Horizon: Zero Dawn
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Days Gone
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Celeste
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Breath of the Wild
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Majora’s Mask Randomizer
Prepare for some hot takes! Alex finally plays Stardew Valley solo as well as Hades, we have a discussion on Nintendo’s motivations and intentions, and we review Cyberpunk 2077. Lastly, we go into overtime to discuss Celeste, because Tony and Dan have finally finished it.
The Pixel Boys are joined by https://www.twitch.tv/beccajoy20 and https://www.twitch.tv/ParadigmShift89 to discuss Pixel Noise’s year 2020. This episode was recorded live with our viewers at http://twitch.tv/pixelnoisefm.
The Pixel Boys are joined by https://www.twitch.tv/julieblue123 to discuss The Last of Us series. This episode was recorded live with our viewers at http://twitch.tv/pixelnoisefm.
The Pixel Boys discuss the PS5, Astro’s Playroom, and beating Nintendo at their own game. This episode was recorded live with our viewers at http://twitch.tv/pixelnoisefm.
The Pixel Boys are joined by https://www.twitch.tv/katieshesko and https://www.twitch.tv/ParadigmShift89 to discuss the NiER series. This episode was recorded live with our viewers at http://twitch.tv/pixelnoisefm.
The Pixel Boys are joined by https://www.twitch.tv/katieshesko and https://www.twitch.tv/symmetricheart to discuss The Legend of Zelda series. This episode was recorded live with our viewers at http://twitch.tv/pixelnoisefm.
The Pixel Boys are joined by https://www.twitch.tv/beccajoy20 to discuss the hit multiplayer game of 2020: Among Us. This episode was recorded live with our viewers at http://twitch.tv/pixelnoisefm.
The Pixel Boys are joined by https://twitch.tv/gothhippiepanda and https://www.twitch.tv/yungcdkitty to discuss indie music and streaming. This episode was recorded live with our viewers at http://twitch.tv/pixelnoisefm.
The Pixel Boys are joined by https://www.twitch.tv/Always_Dignity and https://twitch.tv/samueldmusic to discuss Stardew Valley. This episode was recorded live with our viewers at http://twitch.tv/pixelnoisefm.
The Pixel Boys are joined by http://twitch.tv/Badeline_Strawberry to discuss Celeste. This episode was recorded live with our viewers at http://twitch.tv/pixelnoisefm.
The Pixel Boys are joined by https://www.twitch.tv/vegetablebread and https://www.twitch.tv/rockysaber to discuss Slay the Spire. This episode was recorded live with our viewers at http://twitch.tv/pixelnoisefm.
The Pixel Boys reflect on what they’ve learned in a year of podcasting and streaming. This episode was recorded live with our viewers at http://twitch.tv/pixelnoisefm.
The Pixel Boys review each and every category of the 2020 Game Awards. But before, we have thoughts on what makes a "choose your own adventure," what makes an RPG, a little on Cyberpunk 2077, and our histories with how we create characters in games. Strap in, my friends, this one ran long.
Lean forward, lean back, grab a coffee, or grab a beer, the Pixel Boys wax poetic in this one. We tackle a couple of big topics: how you create and foster the right energy in your Twitch stream, and how you keep toxicity out of your online community. We cap it off with a quick jaunt back into investment and goal-setting territory as well as some thoughts on the best platformer of this year– Astro’s Playroom.
We got a PlayStation 5 delivered right before we hit the record button! The Pixel Boys discuss the PS5 hunt and a ton of other games, including Bugsnax, NieR:Automata, Watch Dogs Legion, Assassin's Creed: Valhalla, Slay the Spire, No Man’s Sky, and The Pillars of the Earth. Also, Tony watches Steven Universe and Dan has a need for consistently themed trophies, and they’re not the kind of trophies you’d expect.
Dan has some shiny new DM-ing experience to bring to the table, Tony is enjoying NiER, Alex is eating with his Titanium Spork, and everyone has a lot to say on the new PS5 UI demo. Also featured is a discussion on what makes a good boss battle, how Death Stranding was a missed opportunity, and lots of advice on working with coworkers, both online and off.
The Pixel Boys reminisce about the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series, dump on some other titles (Marvel’s Avengers, Dead Space), discuss the 1985 movie Clue, and give summative thoughts on Majora’s Mask and Among Us. Also co-op geese, Remote Play Together, Amazon Luna (and Stadia, I guess), and more.
Happy The Last of Us Day! This fortnight, Microsoft’s acquisition of ZeniMax and Bethesda, which leads into our predictions for next gen and beyond. Also, a deep dive on Animal Crossing New Horizons, Alex started playing Horizon: Zero Dawn for the first time, Tony’s continued playing Majora’s Mask for the first time, and many more games are discussed.
Games, ethics, aesthetics, and more! Tony did his first playthrough of Ocarina of Time, Alex finished RE2 Remake, Dan reminisces on the joys of Kirby Crystal Shards, and many more games are discussed. Tony discusses the PC he just built while Alex and Dan do their best to slow his roll. Finally, a discussion of Aristotelian ethics, because Alex is worried if we don’t find objective truths we’ll have nothing to talk about on the show.
This week Pixel Noise swings into TV talk primarily. Alex tried a bunch of shows and is concerned about authenticity in character development. Also more follow up on work/play divide working at home, thoughts on Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and the pitfalls of nostalgia.
This week we’re serving up the main topics, including development and polish in video games, maturity, console wars, education, Breath of the Wild, and more lessons we’ve learned from streaming!
An hour of what makes us different as people, followed by another couple on Ghost of Tsushima, Amnesia and horror games in general, and our different feelings on streaming.
Criticisms (and spoilers) of TLOU II criticisms abound! Dan gives his first impressions on Ghost of Tsushima and we make Alex defend his decision not to try it. This leads to a deep dive on the value of trying new things, the definition of genre, and the value of physical games. Oh, and we played Fortnite together for the first time.
Tiered The Last of Us Part II spoilers! Check the show notes & chapter markers in your podcast player for timestamps. The boys also discuss big topics around audience member responsibilities, otherness, and discourse with people you disagree with on the internet. Wouldn’t be a TLOU II discussion without it! 😅. Yes, this one ran long. Yes, it’s all being released as one episode even though it’s double length. No, there will be no intermission. Join us!
It’s been a HUGE week for Pixel Noise, we tried D&D, cleared the follow up decks (Portal 2 Co-Op, The Binding of Isaac, Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes), reflect on the Celeste Moonberry cup (in which Alex WON a speedrace), and, of course, begin our review of The Last of Us Part II with a spoiler-free review, and then spoiler-slot for the first 10 hours (chapter markers provided in your podcast app). More to come...
The boys go deep on speedrunning, good movie-making, and practice. They also do some more defense of Stadia Pro, discuss the Unreal 5 demo, the TLOU 2 State of Play, and give you all the latest Pixel Noise content updates.
Alex has a lot of questions for Dan about what it’s like to be a teacher in quarantine. It was just too good to lose, even though it has little to do with our normal content. Have fun, if you’re interested in this kind of thing!
A packed episode including Super Mash, MLB Advanced Media, quarantine talk, Tonight We Riot, politics, Minecraft, Celeste, LudoNarraCon, What Remains of Edith Finch, Coffee Talk, Eliza, Neo Cab, Cuphead, and Stadia Pro.
What does the ideal Twitch streamer look like? What’s the difference between Emotes and Emoji? How does Mega Crit use big data to make an awesome card game? What is a AAA game anyway? The answers to these questions and many more, right here on the Pixel Noise podcast.
We’re officially Twitch Affiliates! Moving up in the world, speedrunning, what we’re streaming, what TV we’re watching, what cool indie music we’re listening to, Celeste and Antichamber reviews, and, of course, more Slay the Spire.
Minecraft, PS5 hardware stats, even more Slay the Spire, and special episodes of not a cooking podcast as well as not a politics podcast! Won’t you join us?
Trophies, achievements, and reminiscing, oh my! We talk about Slay the Spire (more), the new Deltarune trailers, and some of our favorite games and gaming moments.
Settlers of Catan, Sheriff of Nottingham, Cards Against Humanity, Slay the Spire, Coffee Talk, and way too much TV and politics talk. Sorry.
It’s a brand new decade (some say) and in this one, in addition to naming our games of the decade, the guys talk about movies, the new PN Death Stranding video review, Sim games, Fortnite(!), and follow up on The Game Awards.
Pokémon Sword & Shield, Death Stranding, a little Stadia, Mario Maker 2, and even ERB. Also, a new idle clicker appears! Finally, a big oof about Life is Strange 2. Oh, and GOTY predictions.
Stadia, Death Stranding, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, and Pokémon Sword and Shield, Detroit: Become Human, and more.
The Big Xbox Story, music talk, customizable controllers, racing games, retro consoles, and only a sprinkling of Overwatch 2.
Metagaming, lots on China, Blizzard, a little Death Stranding, hidden information in games, Debussy in Goose Game, and, at last, Red Dead 2, God of War, and Stardew Valley.
Parsely text adventures, Untitled Goose Game, Link's Awakening, the upcoming console wars and TLOU release, and the recent OW Grand Finals.
This episode was recorded on March 31st 2019 and posted 7 months later. Some of the predictions about the future hardware are outdated now, but we had some great thoughts on some great games that it would have been a shame to lose. We’re still getting the hang of this posting thing…
MTG War of the Spark Official Trailer
Really Bad Chess
Apple Arcade
Stadia
Stadia announcement
Wii Mini
Puss in Book
Detroit: Become Human
Red Steel
The Occupation
UNDERTALE
Worst State of the Anything since Trump did his version
Nintendo Direct February 2019
Overwatch League
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Bandersnatch, Deltarune, The Witness, yearly themes, shortcuts, Kingdom Hearts, and a little Red Dead
Recorded 9/16/2018 and posted much much later.
iOS Manifesto
Monopoly (Tony had no idea how many there were on the app store)
Holedown
Mini metro
Flow Free
Desert Golfing (Number 29 in the Sports category on the App Store at the time of recording)
Scalak
Hexalogic
Hearthstone
.projekt
Shadomatic
Riddlestones
The Witness
Really Bad Chess
Flipflop Solitaire
Lifeline
Nintendo Direct
Animal Crossing Switch
Final Fantasy VII on Switch
Mega Man on Switch
Input lag on televisions. Know before you buy.
Pokemon Let’s Go
Town [working title]
Octopath traveler
We Happy Few
Spider Man
List of Spider Man games. The sheer number of them will surprise you.
Superman 64
Lego Island
The PS2 Spider-man game we’re talking about (Car Punching)
Spider-man (1982) (Screenshot)
Adventure for the Atari 2600
The annoying bat
Aaaaand, we’re back to the Switch
Breath of the Wild, unfortunately our 2017 GOTY
Super Mario Odyssey
Senran kagura reflexions
List of Rated M games for the Switch
Sennheiser 506080 Game One
PUBG
Fortnite
https://news.avclub.com/fortnite-has-now-been-cited-in-more-than-200-divorce-pr-1829084255
The Last of Us: Factions MP
Recorded 8/2/2018 and posted much much later.
Switch Follow up
Stardew Valley
Minecraft (with mods)
Breath of the Wild
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Game of the Year
Firewatch
–Contentious Conversation and the Director's Commentary
Life is Strange Before the Storm
Journey
Wolfenstein II
–Heavy.com
–Polygon
–Kotaku
Magic: The Gathering
Red Deck and Blue Deck we used, from the Core Set 2019
Teachers Against Education (http://teachersagainst.education)
Game we’re (Tony and Dan) excited about from E3
Last of Us II
Starfield
Elder Scrolls VI
Spyro Reignited Trilogy
We Happy Few
Fallout 76
Ghost of Tsuchima
Trover Saves the Universe
Assassin's Creed Odyssey
Metro Exodus
Biomutant
Death Stranding
Cyberpunk 2077
The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit
Kingdom Hearts III
The gang gets together in person once more at the secret Manhattan bunker to discuss Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
There’s a few ways to objectively determine which game is the best. They’re all wrong, but let’s jump in and see if we can learn something anyway.
Here, we take a stab at our new show, PixelNoise. It's an episode 0, please forgive us.
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At last we've finished The Last of Us. What follows are some much more fully formed thoughts.
That being said, SPOILERS AHEAD.
Please "View Full Description" for links, photos, and more!
If you like the TonyAlexPodcast and would like to support us doing what we do while obtaining some one of a kind goodies please consider checking out our Patreon. Also connect with us on facebook and twitter.
The background fan noise shuts off about 6 minutes in, don’t worry. We didn’t even know we were making a podcast until the end of this episode anyway, a mic just happened to be on while we were talking about the game we were just playing.
Alex had only played about a quarter of the game, Tony had played all of the game. An odd conversation ensues, including plot vs mechanics, tiptoeing around spoilers, and a healthy dose of wild speculation.
That being said, SPOILERS AHEAD.
Please "View Full Description" for links, photos, and more!