Super Combo Cast: Recent Episodes
Toben and Alex
Two scholars do a monthly video game reading club in a variety of genres. Check the liner notes and other posts at Super Combo Tech on Substack, with video streaming on Twitch and YouTube.
supercombotech.substack.com
This month (July’s) game was Against The Storm, a city builder, roguelike, sort of RTS mashup, with lots to like in terms of how the game scaffolds play for newcomers and experience players (excellent tutorial and UI for understanding how it works), as well as expansive player choice in terms of victory conditions and flexibility. We talk about those elements, the music, with more of that covered in the liner notes (naturally), as well as how this game compares to things we’ve played in the RTS/4X past.
You can also catch us in August for Fire Emblem: Shadows of Valencia, and some discussion of one of our favourite series as we head into the next game arriving in it, Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave, which has a release date now in September (2026).
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
This month’s podcast, for June, was Pocky and Rocky (Reshrined), with Toben splitting time between the SNES original, of which Reshrined is a re-visioning and extension, and the PS4 version. I played on Steam.
This one had us considering the possibilities for a sequel or design update, while still appreciating aspects of the game’s original design ideas (especially enemy variety, aesthetic, pixel art); as an extension to an older-school top-down shooter, we what could have been or could be with a hypothetical sequel? Would the experience be improved by introducing rogue-like elements, or modernized (twin-stick) controls?
Also discussed: Against the Storm, July’s upcoming game, as well as the Steam Machine and its fairly troubled launch (who is it for, what does it say about the industry that it arrives now and at this price, and what would it mean if the game console as a category were to go the way of the consolized PC?).
Check out the liner notes for the usual ephemera and fun extras and next time we will be talking about Against the Storm.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
This month’s (May) podcast was all about TetherGeist, a precision platformer from O and Co. Games. Recently released, we talk about the legacy this game signposts with its aesthetic, narrative, and mechanical choices, its smart layering of tether mechanics on top of platforming, as well as who this is for, given that depending on time investment and skill, this game can become quite challenging fairly quickly.
We expect that the speed running community and events like SGDQ, once TetherGeist arrives there, will give this game a long tail and keep it relevant (in the same conversation as Celeste) into the future.
Check out the liner notes here, and tune-in for Pocky and Rocky Reshrined/Original at the end of June.
Thanks for listening/reading!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
This month’s podcast (April) was on Final Fantasy X a favourite of Toben’s and a new Final Fantasy for me. We discuss characterization, Sin, the battle system, leveling, as well as position this entry within its long-varying series. How does it compare to some of the more action-oriented final fantasies of the last few years — and what is the best way into the series now that there are so many viable options? How does the pace of this game work to dole out the narrative beats?
Also, please check out the liner notes for great ways to further explore FFX outside the game. And then, of course, check us out in May for our discussion of Tethergeist, an indie platformer with fun movement mechanics and great art that we’ve had our eyes on.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
This month’s podcast (March) was on Dredge, the Cthulhu fishing simulator/cozy game from Black Salt Games, published by Team 17. This one impressed us with its integration of Cthulhu fear of the deep and the elder gods, while not really changing the equation or adding much to the idea we had of fishing (in games) prior to playing it. The cozy aspect seemed to present itself most in the cycle of completing tasks like catching and selling fish, upgrading your boat and moving around the various locales from safe harbor to safe harbor. Which, at least for us, did something to dull the frightening edge and eerie tone that the game is trying for.
Check out the liner notes for the usual ephemera and notes on the episode.
And catch us at the end of April for Final Fantasy X, an all-timer for Toben as an RPG and game in general, and a first real play-through for me.
I will (likely) learn to blitz-ball! I think it means underwater polo, but with a lot more style. It also seems to remind me, locale and tropical biome-wise, of Chrono Cross, but we’ll see how it goes.
If you want to donate to help fund our work head here:
https://ko-fi.com/supercombotech
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
On this month’s podcast we talk about Demonschool, the tactical combat and persona-like RPG set at a gangster, demon and zombie beset college on a mysterious island. We loved the characters, world, and aesthetic with its Sega Saturn leanings, but had serious concerns about the tactical battle system, mini-games and progression systems. If you loved this one, let us know! We want to hear about how it clicked for you. Toben has a companion review in writing to go with our discussion and you can check out the liner notes here.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
This month’s podcast was all about Baldur’s Gate 3. We’ve played this one a while, and will keep playing it and discussion was mostly around how this landmark RPG release effects the sort of landscape of RPGs, in relation toBG3’s expansive nature. We also discuss how it manages to adapt DnD, of course, as well as who this game is for, and possibly, gasp, who it might not be for.
Check out the liner notes for links and resources discussed in the episode, as well as the usual ephemera.
Next month (February) is going to be Demon School, which is a return for us to the turn based tactics we love, along with this imagining of what a Sega Saturn RPG in the tone of Persona with modern tactics game play might look like in 2025 (not literally on the Sega Saturn, though I hope that could be real someday).
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
This month was Earthion, from Yuzo Koshiro and Ancient. This is a modern-developed 16 bit game, particularly for the Sega Genesis (releasing next year on that platform, but here and now on Steam, Xbox, PS5, Switch, etc.).
We talk a bit about Yuzo Koshiro’s legacy and a long career in making games, what the genre has meant to us and our experience with it, this being our first sidescrolling shoot em’ up, as well as the mechanics and systems that work well here to respect the player’s time and also introduce a more modern audience a kind of game and experience that has been around for a long, long time (in 70’s and 80’s arcades, down into home consoles, and still going).
Check out the liner notes for some historical links, as well as the usual ephemera.
And watch out in December and January for some writing we’ve been working on to be posted, as well as for January’s podcast on Baldur’s Gate 3.
Happy Holidays and New Year!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
This month’s podcast was on Super Giant Games’ Transistor. The developers, of Hades I and IIfame most recently, released Transistor, their second game, in 2014 to acclaim and general contentment from critics and fans. The game is also often cited as a fan-favorite. But unfortunately, we had some issues playing through it in 2025. Maybe we’ve been been too taken or used to the mechanics and the feel of Hades, maybe it wasn’t the ideal time to play through a second effort from a studio that now relies on a early access refinement model to tune their games (arguably to a kind of perfection). Either way, we discuss Transistor and how it works or doesn’t, discussing its in some ways inspired world building and design, soundtrack, hybrid turn-based battle system, and other aspects, along with how it fits into the grand pantheon of Super Giant’s catalogue.
Check out the liner notes for the usual ephemera and side quests, and feel free to reach out with how Transistor has or hasn’t hit home with you (especially the fans out there). We’d love to hear it and try to understand better why it doesn’t work for us — but clearly does for others.Also stay tuned for next month (December’s) podcast on Earthion, the Yuzu Koshiro and Ancient produced throwback side scrolling shooter (with a Genesis/Mega Drive physical edition coming in 2026!).
*The game I couldn’t remember the name of that reminded me of what if Super Giant did a side scrolling shooter was Devil Engine: https://store.steampowered.com/app/891790/Devil_Engine/
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
This month’s podcast (for October) was Absolum, a roguelike beat ‘em up from the modern day masters at DotEmu (and other partners). We talk about the fantasy influences, genre and roguelike touchstones with Hades, Streets of Rage 4, and others, as well as how multiplayer and the layers of systems work and are woven together. It seems like the developer’s catalog, known largely for some licensed beat em’ up games before this (beloved games all), really leaned into more systems and mechanical complexity for Absolum, which is wholly their own.
Check out the liner notes for the usual suspects in terms of ephemera, soundtrack, speed runs (if they exist as yet), and then catch us end of November for our podcast on Transistor.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
This month’s game of the month (September) was Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance. This game was the console ARPG (along with its sequels and in-engine-siblings) that blazed the trail for Blizzard to eventually release Diablo III on consoles (to great success). And also a kind of inciting event for the fact that we now can play Diablo and other ARPGs portably on Switch and Steam Deck (on controllers) and the like, which is awesome.
The first in this duology on the sixth generation consoles (appearing on PS2, Xbox, and Gamecube) and GBA in de-made (but still complete form) gave us the setting and storytelling of Baldur’s Gate crossed with the looting and dungeon crawling of the PC Diablo games, along with a set of controls that didn’t fight the player the whole way.
Although we discuss some friction and trouble with how this one has aged for a modern player (since 2001), we agree in the end that Path of Exile I and II, shiny modern examples, owe a few something to this game and the Snowblind engine games that came after it. The core appeal of the ARPG is still there (and attacking us seemingly randomly when we hit the button).
Check out the liner notes for the usual ephemera and links around our playthrough this month.
And join us at the end of October for our conversation around Absalom a roguelike beat-em’ up from the people that made Streets of Rage 4 and other favourites of ours.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
This month (August) was Yooka Laylee and the Impossible Lair, another link moving along in our Donkey Kong Country and Returns/Tropical Freeze lineage; we’ve been trying to see where this rabbit hole ends (as of 2025). In the end, this one was disappointing for a few reasons, but has a lot of promise, especially if you appreciate the collectable structure of the game (which requires with its gating, often for us, at least, that you spend time grinding for the game’s currencies). We discuss the 2.5d “unity” feel of the game, the various gating and currency systems, the level design, and others features in relation to Yoshi’s Island (last month’s game), as well as others talked about previously on the podcast.
This one is very well produced, has good music, and evidence that suggests it was a labour of love for the developers.
All of that is to say that it could be a fan favourite for those that do appreciate the Retro Studios Donkey Kong games, and/or those that really have a lot of time to devote to its systems and level/currency grind; it just didn’t really do enough for us.
We’ve got the usual suspects in the liner notes, and look out at the end of September for our take on Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance — another bit of lineage tracing to look the console origins of the action RPG.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
This month (July) was Yoshi’s Island. The SNES/GBA original (GBA we’re counting as a port rather than a massive update or remaster, although the liner notes will have more information on that). You may also know it as Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island, or, Yoshi’s Island: Super Mario Advance 3.
Regardless, if you aren’t familiar or don’t remember, it’s the one where Yoshi-family must safely transport a baby Mario across a dangerous landscape. You can shoot eggs, collect keys and other currencies/collectables are more prevalent here than previously in Mario (good for replaying). You play and run and jump as Yoshi, who must not get hit or else risk Baby Mario getting captured and taken away. A timer lets the player how long they have to re-seat Baby Mario before you lose a life and various pickups and other elements let you add to that timer (to a maximum of 30 seconds, minimum of 10).
The levels progress linearly and there are still a lot of hold-outs and obvious influences from Super Mario World (the first), but then in the end we sort of feel this is more of a new branch of the Mario tree that quickly becomes a Yoshi tree (with subsequent sequels on the DS and 3ds and Wii/Wii U, and now Switch). It’s obviously quite influenced by the Mario mainline games that preceded it, but then it’s quickly also its own thing, owing to a different feel to the previous (mainline Mario) games, a focus on exploration, as well as its hand-drawn aesthetic.
This branch of the grand ol’ platformer tree is more exploration-heavy, more accessible in certain ways with its difficulty (no timer on the level overall), uses a relatively less expansive move-set with less modifications from items and no mount-based different abilities when holding things, for example (odd a bit for a Yoshi game that the colour of Yoshi seems to mean nothing here), etc. We discuss this auspicious (and a bit bewildering at times) beginning for Yoshi-platformers as well as what we’ve been playing recently, and, as is want to happen, Pokemon stuff.
Check out the liner notes for links to what we discussed and usual ephemera. Catch you next month (August) for Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
Last month (June) we discussed Metaphor ReFantazio, the fantasy RPG from the Atlus and the producers/developers of Persona. We talked about the time management systems, combat mechanics, social links or bonds with party members (an import from Persona), as well as the political perspective the game adopts (considering it is a game where narratively and in some ways mechanically you mount a political campaign). We also consider how this RPG branch or perspective differs in respect to the see anything do anything or Bethesda school of RPG design (Fallout 3, 4, New Vegas, Morrowind, Skyrim, Starfield). We have a lot of good things to say about this one. It’s highly recommended. I’ll be continuing my play through in parallel as I play this month’s (July’s) game Super Mario World 2.
Check out the liner notes for more Metaphor ReFantazio goodies. And in particular, happy soundtrack listening (it’s epic).
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
This month, May’s podcast, was on The Legend of Zelda (TLoZ): The Wind Waker. This game originally came out in 2003, believe it or not (on the Gamecube). While the version we played, largely faithful as it is, was remastered for the Wii U in 2014. Depending on when you read these words the easiest way to play Wind Waker today is likely either on the Nintendo Switch Online (Gamecube emulation) with your Nintendo Switch 2, or as the case today, via emulation with Cemu (Wii U emulator) or Dolphin (Gamecube/Wii emulator). One of the least modernly available Nintendo games, but not for long, I guess.
We long suspected a collection was coming for the switch (bundling the two Wii U stalwarts, Wind Waker, and TLoZ: Twilight Princess together, but as of 2025 May, that’s not the case.
Discussion was around the aesthetic feel of the game through the artwork, sound design and music, character designs, and humour. We also discussed how those and some other elements compare to its more modern (capital O, open world) Switch siblings.
Check out the liner notes for the usual ephemera and stuff that might interest you around this game (speedrun, OST, interviews, etc.) and we’ll see you at the end of June/beginning of July for our podcast on Metaphor: ReFantazio, 2024’s big (est) ticket Atlas-produced JRPG.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
This month (April) was Halo Infinite, a game in a series we had a lot to talk about. The open world and other elements felt divisive for us, and mainly, in a way, somewhat ironically (given its name), but also in terms of the development of the game and its road map, fittingly empty.
There just wasn’t as much to do that was meaningful as we had hoped there would be. Balance issues also seemed to abound in terms of how the narrative wants you to feel about the Chief and his abilities, versus the game scenarios that seemed most challenging to us.
Building out the tech tree wasn’t super satisfying (we both went for grapple hook and then really didn’t bother with much), and the world-building had its own missed opportunities; for example, Infinite would basically be much improved by its own Nemesis-type system, as the named enemies felt after a while to just be another way-point on a map full of not-so-meaningful way-points (unfortunately).
Nonetheless, there is a lot to like here; a lot of work went into the presentation (music, visuals, sky boxes, etc.), the way the Chief controls (how it feels to embody his perspective), the 30 seconds of fun loop that was so compelling in other games is still mainly intact as well.
Check out the usual links and ephemera in the liner notes here. And watch out for end of May’s discussion of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.
*Apologies for the dropped connection about halfway through; skip ahead two minutes or so to skip us talking separately (and not to each other).
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
This month’s (March) podcast was on Pokémon Black, part one of the DS odd duck in the Pokémon family: it has a direct sequel (which we didn’t play this month, but may get to later)! There are some interesting growing pains to observe in this game — it having 3D elements that might not stand the test of time (in 2025) being on the DS, it having an entirely new for-the-time roster of Pokémon without the old standbys, thirty-somethings are nostalgic for, etc. We definitely have a lot of friction with this one, but I think also allow in the conversation that if this is your first generation of Pokémon and first game you played in the series, of course you might be more attached do these particular pocket monsters and the story around them. Speaking of story, this game definitely has one, and makes a concerted effort to say a bit of something more than previous entries around the relationship between Pokémon and trainers — what each might mean to each other, and/or what Pokémon emancipation might look like as a political or philosophical perspective. However, this game also doesn’t full commit to that bold direction or promise, allowing only the same “catch, train, battle, repeat” verbs that were well established before this entry. We’re a bit mixed, but also intrigued (narratively), but also definitely happy to see some of the quality of life improvements that were made here and get added to the later formula and games (in Pokémon X and Y and later on with the multiple companion motivations/arcs, with gym leaders having more to do than just hangout inside their gyms, puzzle-box gym designs, etc.).
Check out the liner notes for the usual cadre of links and ephemera, and come back at the end of April for discussion of Halo Infinite.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
This month (February’s) podcast was on Monster Train, a deck-building rogue-like and also tower defense game (somewhat literally in the way the game represents things with you pyre/health at the top). You have cards with abilities and units, various effects are enacted, you place units in the way of an enemy deck and their units which try to get to the top floor to take out your pyre/engine.
In this one we discuss our experience building decks and secondary champions, trying out the various combinations, how this game stacks up to others we’ve played in the genre, difficulty and tuning of it with rogue-likes in mind, like Hades and Darkest Dungeon as well as Balatro, which was on our minds as a recent game of note (play that too!).
Check out the liner notes here, as well, for the usual extra bits and bobs to add to the experience of listening and hopefully checking out Monster Train for yourself.
Also if you’re already a fan, the second game comes out soon (!):
Next month is Pokemon Black, with a return to the series after our play-through of Pokemon Crystal back in 2022.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
This month (January’s) game was Path of Exile 2. Our conversation settled in on the genre conventions this game embraces, extends, and avoids (in relation to something like Diablo II or even Dark Souls type experiences), as well as how it works in a visceral way to convey what’s happening when the player provides input (how enemies react to your abilities, staggering, etc.). We talk about early access in relation to this game and others, what it takes to know a game like this well, the rabbit hole being truly deep if you want it to be, its live service aspects and what it might look like in the future without a clearly broadcast roadmap for developments and changes beyond what they’ve said they originally wanted to do.
In the liner notes we have some usual suspects in developer commentary/talks, build guides, soundtrack links, and more.
Check us out in February for a discussion of Monster Train.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
In our last cast of 2024 we discussed Stardew Valley. Our conversation included all the ways to play (multiplayer, defined or undefined roles, etc.), our histories with the game personally, comparison to Harvest Moon, systems complexity and gener consideration, roleplaying by your own moral compass, as well as who Stardew Valley is for in 2024 (and then into 2025).
In the liner notes, we highlight the interesting variations on play that many streamers and let’s players have done with Stardew. There are people playing for the social interactions (interacting with the town’s inhabitants), min/maxing their farm, roleplaying one of the ideological positions the game presents (JOJO mart versus the independent or traditional farmer), speedrunning (of course), and more.
2025 begins with Path of Exile 2 in early access. We couldn’t wait to play, and considering Toben’s investment in the genre (as a researcher), this should be a good one to kick off the new year.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
This month, November, we’re discussing Sonic Mania, the lost link in 2D Sonic games released in 2017 (now for all modern platforms). This game is a kind of modern version of a theoretical Saturn Sonic game that we all would have appreciated, but did not receive from Sega circa 1995. As is our custom we discuss our personal history with the series, the specific parts we like about being the blue blur (and assorted friends), as well as that killer soundtrack. Momentum (mechanically and in terms of pace of the game/difficulty) are discussed, as well as Mania’s integration (such as we understand it) with the wider series and world of Sonic.
Check here for the liner notes, and watch out soon for our discussion of Stardew Valley, our last game discussion of 2024.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
This month (October), we took a different approach and sampled a few upcoming games as part of Steam’s next fest. It ran from October 14th - 21st, and our conversation follows what we tried (games we both played and less often not), as well as how they made an impression on us, the mix of genres or influences we see in each one, what worked for us and didn’t, etc. Check out the liner notes for a link to each game.
Stay tuned in November for Sonic Origins and Sonic Mania, which is part of our ongoing platformer journey. Origins is a collection of a lot of the older 16-bit and 8-bit (handheld and home console) side scrolling blue blur releases reinterpreted with additional character additions (play as Knuckles and Amy and others in Sonic 1), and Sonic Mania is a kind of missing 32-bit link in the 2D Sonic chain (released far past the Saturn was no longer officially supported).
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
Last month (August in this case), was Marvel’s Midnight Suns. Discussion centered around Marvel as a property in games, the way the characters are representative of their comic counterparts or not (how Blade’s abilities or character translates into the Suns systems and others, for example), as well as the mix of heroes and pace of the game (upgrading decks was a bit slow in our opinion). Also we talked about the Persona social sim of it all (more than you might think) and the deck-building as a way to dole out character upgrades and abilities/moves and expand what each character can do.
Check out the liner notes here, and look out for the Super Mario Allstars podcast incoming soon. Apologies for the delay in posting, it shouldn’t be too long a wait for the next one.
*as a note, the last fifteen minutes of Toben’s side of our conversation are cut off. We unfortunately don’t have that to add back in, but I do keep talking if you want to imagine what he might have said ( at 37 minutes or so). We talked about sales and the game’s reception and what might happen in the future of this franchise (if there is one, etc.). Apologies also for the fidgeting noise. I didn’t realize I was doing it as we recorded and it’s especially noticeable in the audio without Toben (of course).
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
This month (July) we took a look at Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze on the Wii U and Nintendo Switch as a last look at one of our favorite series that we ultimately liked a lot better on the SNES.
The conversation is mostly a continuation of a previous episode, and a bit of a rehash, considering our opinion of the “modern” Donkey Kong Country games hasn’t changed all that much in light of the latest entry (check out the DKC Returns cast here to catch up on that if you like). But we did give it a shot!
Things to enjoy here were strong production values in art design and sound and the kind of rube goldberg aspect of the stages which move and transform around you — which could be quite cinematic and interesting as it happens. Interestingly, the rube goldberg aspect is also non-interactive, which could make it less appealing over time, and the game’s mechanics, how it feels to move around the levels and use the characters were where we had the most issues. A button for acceleration (or “run”) locked to a roll was an interesting choice, which had us stumbling in places that seemed unfair, as well as occasionally rolling off to die when the “bang on the drums” move was intended instead. The level design seemed to halt any sense of momentum in certain (strange) places as well, which we didn’t really understand.
We’d like to hear from those of you that strongly disagree with our view of the modern DKC games, in particular if you have also grown up with the Rare games on SNES. We seem to be stuck in the past on this one (and is that nostalgia talking or legitimate)? Feel free to drop in your consideration of Retro Studios’ offers as well as your memories of playing Donkey Kong Country in the comments.
Also check out the liner notes here for our usual lineup of music, speedrunning, and other interesting links or commentary happening around each game we play.
And next month (August) is Marvel’s Midnight Suns. We expect to have a lot to say about Firaxis’ take on a Superheroic cardbattler/social sim.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
This month we went to hell — and back — to talk about Diablo II Resurrected. We discuss the history of the ARPG/looter genre, make comparisons to modern games that couldn’t have done it without Blizzard’s contributions to the genre, all while diving into systems and what makes Diablo II so incredible more than 15 years after its release.
Check out the liner notes for the usual suspects of speedrunning, build guides (in this case), where to go or start if you want to get into the genre, and the tunes.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
This month (in May) we took a look at Resident Evil 2 Remake. The first in the line of modern remakes of the older games (including 3, and later on 4), this game transposes the original overhead/isometric perspective of the 1998 original game for the over-the-shoulder more modern perspective and control scheme that was originally adopted in RE4.
We talk about the origins of the series and where RE2: Remake fits, as well as the puzzle-box component and its limitations and strengths as a piece of fiction, or a kind of escape-room conceit that RE2: Remake allows and how it hints at the wilder (and weirder) world in which this police station and events of the game are possible. We also talk about scarcity and how an older-style game like RE2: Remake, even with respect for modern sensibilities in some ways, is still limited by the design of its time.
Check out the liner notes here, for the standard assortment of extras and further reading/watching/listening.
This month coming up (June) is Diablo II: Resurrection so watch out for that one. (Hopefully processed and posted sooner than RE2: Remake. Sorry about that!)
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
In April we went through Fire Emblem: Awakening. As a 3DS game on an “officially” dead platform (one getting lots of headlines for preservation efforts made by the community to get it back online recently), as well as the game acknowledged widely to be the first in the “modern” Fire Emblem era and a last chance for Fire Emblem in the west (if not successful we may not have gotten more games here), this one is very interesting.
We talk about how to play this game given that the 3DS isn’t so easy to find on the secondhand market anymore (for a reasonable price), the game’s team-up mechanics as a one-off of sorts, but a very interesting way to expand the possibility space, as well as the multiplicity of abilities that each character can use, weapons, and the general expansion of this as a builder RPG (where you have a great deal of influence on how your party is specced and what they can do). Toben also contextualizes this game in the wider series in terms of accessibility and incfluence, a eugenics/tactics inheritance sim, as well as a kind of spaghetti-against-the-wall experiment to see where things might go (and it turns out have gone in some ways). Also we talk about its much more anime-influenced direction in storytelling.
Check out the liner notes here for links to some of what I’ve mentioned here, as well as our standard fare in music, speedrunning, and learning more about the games and contexts of play we talk about.
Catch you next month with our discussion of Resident Evil 2 (remake), which is a bit of a tonal and genre shift relative to Fire Emblem (to put it mildly).
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
This month (March) was Unicorn Overlord. Turn-based (in the way it plays out on screen), but a kind of real-time strategy style in terms of how your units act on their own (after you set their behavior and kit them out), this one was an interesting grab bag of RPG influences blended into a surprisingly appealing slurry (visuals of that process aside). UO owes in part its mechanical flavor, approach to narrative, and UI design to Ogre Battle and Fire Emblem, as well as other popular and less popular RPGs across the canon (like the Sega Saturn’s Dragonforce series). Visually, however, its all Vanillaware (the developer), which is in our opinion a bold thing to behold. Toben appreciated the attention given to animation, as even small movements of characters during cut scenes or idle animation are given more detail than in other similar style games.
We thought it was a bit strange that enemies don’t scale with the player’s level or access to equipment, but were otherwise impressed by the way UO’s many systems overlap and play off of each other — looking forward to more.
There’s also an update to Chocobo Hot and Cold (the mini game) for those Final Fantasy IX super fans just waiting for that mantle to be taken up.
Check out the liner notes for a closer look at aspects of the UO’s design and visuals, as well as our usual flavor of hyperlink.
Coming up in April is Fire Emblem: Awakening.
We will have things to say (THINGS!).
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
On this month’s podcast (February) and backlog foray we shovel our way through Harvest Moon. Its legacy is of the farm simulator that planted the pixel-art seeds of farm management and buying the affections of others with gifts in the hearts of many a 90’s gamer. In particular, those seeds blossomed and inspired a rush of modern farm sims, not least of which is Eric Barone’s Stardew Valley, which shares a number of deliberate similarities to Harvest Moon. In our opinion improving on nearly all aspects of its inspiration (except oddly enough in the area of character animation).
In its time and in summary Harvest Moon is a farming RPG that looks a bit like SNES games you may already know. Zelda: A Link to the Past, Final Fantasy, and maybe even the Ys series and others, seem to have inspired HM’s designers. And in the end, in light of advancements its inheritors have made to the HM bones — farming and management loops, inventory system, and expansive levels of interaction with NPCs — it’s the aesthetic of HM (1997) that endures or stands strongest against its more expansive and modern counterparts.
Check out the liner notes for backround on the wild publishing history of HM as a franchise, as well as music and speedrunning as per usual for us.
And then stay tuned for a podcast on Unicorn Overlord, which is a rare first-month (new game) pick up for us, in keeping with our clear fascination with turnbased strategy games.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
This month (January) was Camp Santo’s Firewatch an indie darling from 2016, arriving last on Nintendo Switch in 2018. You are Henry, a man fleeing a sense of fatalism and helplessness related to your wife’s deteroriating medical condition to go to the Wyoming wilderness and watch out for fires. In the process, through the unfolding mysteries of the area you’re responsible for and your relationship with the dispatcher, Deliliah, you find out some things about yourself. The game is beautiful and cinematically framed and paced (each day has meaningful events, less of the mundane), with the intrigue and mystery ratcheting up as the days go on. The player has control over Henry’s dialogue, including choosing to be silent in some cases, or to continue the conversation by pointing out random features of the wilderness in front of you.
On the cast we talk about the relationship between Henry and Delilah, nostalgia for the radio, the sort of narrative purpose of the ‘other’ events, the game’s relationship with red herrings and tension, as well as the sort of magic trick (and work) of crafting a meaningful story around all that walking and talking. For more context on this aspect, as well as music and art, check out our liner notes.
Camp Santo, acquired by Valve in 2018, was working on a new game at least for a while, but this was put on hold in 2019 in favour of other projects happening at Valve.
Check out our podcast at the end of this month (February) on Harvest Moon for the SNES/Super Famicom.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
This podcast, our last of 2024, was about The Banner Saga Trilogy. In the spirit of our enduring preference for turn-based strategy games, we compared this one to Fire Emblem when it seemed like a good idea or was relevant, but Banner Saga is so much its own mix of genres and influences that it wasn’t always useful to compare across the other things we’ve played. Check out the liner notes, with further information and cool links, as usual, here.
The thread of our conversation, after a while, seemed to settle in on the ways in which there is a lot happening to ground Banner Saga in a consistent and consistently stylized world. The caravan or banner clan management aspects, often interspersed with branching narrative decisions, create a mundanity and a pace that feels different and contrasts against the just-over-there possibility of unending battle (represented by frequent turnbased battles). The trudging along and bleakness of the scenarios the game pits you against, with frequent caravan decisions resulting in disaster or loss, set a bleak tone for this world and your place in it. The interplay and eventual perspectival switchs between the cosmic mythological level and the human (or Varl/Horse Friend) level of politics creates a feeling of a wider lived-in world than the perspectives of the characters shown directly to the player.
And nevermind the art and music (which we didn’t even touch on), being incredibly well-realized and deployed, while evoking possible visual influences (like Sleeping Beauty or Don Bluth’s animation), and just being satisfying to see happen (that bow animation though).
We highly recommend people check out the The Banner Saga Trilogy if you’re at all interested in Norse mythology, branching narratives, or even as a first turnbased strategy RPG. It’s well worth the (relatively short but well-paced) journey.
Next month, January 2024, is Firewatch! If you’re new, hello!
And if you’re a subscriber than thank you for listening in 2023!
Cheers,
Alex and Toben
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
This month (November) was Guardian Heroes on the Sega Saturn and Xbox 360 (XBLA). You can catch this one on the Xbox Series X/S using backward compatibility if you wanted to pick up an high definition (or higher definition) copy today. Otherwise, consider emulation a viable option.
The conversation this time centered on the interesting connections that Treasure makes with Guardian Heroes to other genres of game (including, surprisingly, the branching narrative paths of Banner Saga). Part fighting game, sidescrolling brawler, arcade/home hybrid, and something of a dead or dying breed (what with arcade-first “big budget” games being unheard of now), Guardian Heroes is a super interesting almost-relic of a time-gone-by. There’s a lot to appreciate if you’re willing to put in the time. And surprising depth if you have more time than we did to experience all the characters, endings, and possible builds.
We also lay out the coming year of Super Combo Cast and reflect a bit on where we’ve been and where we’re going.
Check out the liner notes here for more information and interesting links.
Our season finale coming up (December) is all about The Banner Saga. Look for that soon!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
This (last) month’s game Shining Force II podcast had us reflecting on the handheld gaming experience in the 90’s, emulation, and Sega’s possible version of the turn-based strategy game genre if the legacy of Shining Force II had extended in more directions (or Sega had continued making hardware, perhaps). It was fun to imagine what that future could have been. Check out our liner notes with the usual links and extras here.
And later on, this month, we have Guardian Heroes on either the Sega Saturn or XBLA (Xbox 360). This one was a weird beat-em up RPG hybrid, that almost, but not quite, sets the player into a rogue-like progression system (more on this later).
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
This month (September) was Donkey Kong Country Returns (DKCR). Apologies for the late release.
We had some thoughts about DKCR! The changes to Rare’s SNES formula and the new “feel” for a lack of other terms in the Wii/3DS versions made the early game and then perceived higher challenge level later on, harder to push through for us. Momentum and the feel of controlling Donkey Kong and Diddy are a bit different if you are someone who grew up on the original DKC series, but if DKCR was your first game, it also checks all the same boxes as the first game. It’s using three-dimensional space to have the levels collapse around you in interesting ways, which is new, and the collectibles and bosses and level-design conceits are all there and in force (reminiscent of if not replicating the vibes from the original games). Toben compares this release to a Costco pizza (relative to your favourite takeout pizza). It’s good, it’s got all the parts, but if given the choice we’d still opt for the other variety.
Check out our liner notes here for the standard lineup of speed running, music, and other content around Donkey Kong Country Returns. And for the Retro Studios fans, don’t worry, we’ll be playing Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze next year to see their spin on DKC taken to snowy extremes.
Next month (October) is Shining Force II, another foray/return into our (apparent) favourite genre of turnbased strategy games.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
This month’s podcast (August), was Kingdom Hearts Final Mix. This one was divisive in that my approach and experience as a new player wasn’t as favourable as Toben’s as a longtime fan of the series. But really, that makes sense. Kingdom Hearts was a particular flavour of RPG back in the day on the PS2 and I can see its strengths clearly enough after spending some hours with it. But boy does it play like a game of its time (which, on reflection, I haven’t really played a lot of from that era). It’s interesting to consider too where this one could have gone before the series spent multiple games and console generations retconning and adding and re-imagining this game.
In this episode we also sidebar a bit on Yakuza: Like a Dragon, as well as September’s game/series Donkey Kong Country Returns.
Check out the liner notes here, and consider if you’re new to this series, consider approaching with a guide or guides in hand.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
This month (last), was Shovel Knight, the beloved old-school platforming game from Yacht Club Games. We talked about the references and nostalgia factor, the game’s difficulty and boss/character design, upgrading, and whether or not platforming game literacy is necessary for this one (where it might fit for new-to-the-genre players and old hats).
Check out the liner notes here for the usual assortment of links and interesting tidbits.
Consensus is that we enjoyed it a lot, and that Shovel Knight has a ton of replayability and just a wealth of content (a treasure trove even), for those looking for a platforming and nes/snes style experience with some lighter rpg mechanics. The game feels responsive and accurate, and the aesthetic is spot on in terms of feeling like the 8-bit era. There are multiple single player campaigns, a boss rush mode, a versus mode, and in-game achievements to accrue. On steam, at least, you can pick this one up as a “collection” of games with each of the modes included, or individually with each separated off as its own game. We recommend the whole collection when you can find it on sale, or even at full price if you suspect this is for you.
Stay tuned in early September for our podcast on Kingdom Hearts the first (Final Mix), which we’re going through in August.
Check out previous podcast episodes here along with all the liner notes.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
This month (June’s episode) is Kirby and the Forgotten Land, the first fully 3d Kirby game, which seems strange to say given the long and storied history for the pink puffball, but it’s true. Check out the liner notes here, and watch out for Shovel Knight at the end of July!
We had a lot of good things to say about Kirby; it’s a feature-complete, excellent introduction to 3D platforming for all ages. With accessibility options and lots of things to do to progress, including a full coop campaign with a waddledee friend, an arena mode, a robust upgrade tree with challenge levels and lots of options to explore (or not), there is little reason we’ve found not to give it a shot.
In particular I liked the way each level rewards exploration by providing clues if you’ve uncovered some aspect of an existing “secret” or path to saving more waddledees (which is a thing you do in ever level, and also how its boss levels are gated). Especially for younger gamers, this kind of scaffolding is great for replaying levels. In a year that also includes the technological wizardry of gatchapon zonite vending machines in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Kirby also has great collectibles in the form of gatchapon figures you can find throughout the levels. We also enjoyed the “mouthful” set pieces in the game, where Kirby is meant to take on the shape and abilities of certain objects (rather than remaining relatively similar to standard Kirby size) to solve puzzles or progress further in the game.
Our current game, for end of July’s podcast, is Shovel Knight, which is Yacht Club Games’s seeming forever game (although new original IP is coming this year from the developer). This game it could be argued kicked off a retro-platforming-inspired renaisance(?). It’s NES aesthetic and screen-by-screen transitions straight out of Megaman are memorable and nolastgic for gamers of a certain age, while the mechanics are modernized and updated for 2014 (and 2023). The game has been additionally supported with multiple (3!) campaigns added to the original, which drastically changes up the movement and experience of the levels.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
This month (May) was Xeno Crisis the challenging arcade run-and-gun shooter from Bitmap Bureau. Liner notes are here.
Our conversation this time was relatively short and straight-forward. It’s a classic arcade genre, polished to a sheen, with procedurally generated rooms, and enough upgrade pathing and choice between levels to keep things interesting. The sprite art and music are fantastic. Also it’s available on so many platforms, which we talk about - in physical and digital editions (for emulators and more modern consoles and PC), which is great. A word to the wise too, it’s a difficult one. So be prepared to either cheat or practice a bit with a coop friend. Goes best with pizza and friends!
Check out our podcast on Kirby and the Forgotten Land, the newest (and fully 3D) game in the Kirby series at the end of the month!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
This month (last now) was Wargroove the turn-based strategy RPG developed and published by Chucklefish. Check out the liner notes here.
An interesting month because we both had issues with the game’s pacing or, for lack of better terminology, its tuning, which felt a bit too hostile to first-time players or styles of play that don’t fit the scenarios it presents. The game felt like a puzzle box situation in that each scenario had “one” or “a couple” solutions, but didn’t allow Fire Emblem style grinding or roleplaying. And also that the units are disposable and aren’t characters, besides the commanders, that they don’t demonstrate more clear growth (again ala Fire Emblem) was not quite to our taste.
But taste is the right word. For those that love Advance Wars or similar style games, this one should scratch the itch.
We’re interested to see how Wargroove 2 can iterate on what is already a very full-featured experience.
This month is Xeno Crisis, a top-down arcade shooter ala Smash TV for the old-school fans. This game is also rare because it’s available on modern consoles, and also the Neo Geo, Mega Drive, Dreamcast, Gamecube, and N64 (among others!?).
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
This month (March) was Goof Troop, developed by Capcom, notably one of Shinji Mikami’s first games as a designer (later of Resident Evil fame). Released in 1993, this actually came out before Disney’s Aladdin for the SNES. But we think they were probably developed alongside one another; common sound effects and graphics across both releases seem to indicate shared DNA at least.
Goof Trip is an interesting coop puzzle-room/adventure game. Max and Goofy are slightly different characters to control, doing different amounts of damge to enemies and differing in movement speed, and working together with your partner is necessary to figure out what items are necessary to move on.
In our liner notes I’m going for the usual: speed runs, music, and show-related tidbits, investigating this lesser-known Disney release of the 16-bit era.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
This month was Gears Tactics, a turn-based tactics entry in the cover-shooter series, developed by Splash Damage and The Coalition. I had thought of this as a kind of straightforward adaptation of Gears with healthy doses of XCOM thrown in, incorporating the environment and visual design of Gears of War with mechanics like active reloading, reviving downed allies, over watch etc. Having now played a few hours of XCOM 2, a game in the longtime series of turn based tactics games, I appreciate now more than ever the fluid animation and production value on display in Gears Tactics; there’s also some quite good boss fights. Check out the liner notes here, with some of our regular links around fan mods, speed runs, and the like.
Next month is Disney’s Goof Trip for the SNES. This one is pretty new to me, but an old favourite for Toben. We’re going to try to play some coop over Retroarch.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
This month we took a look at Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge. This game is an old school in style (but not in substance) beat em’ up, providing a tidy hit of nostalgia and modern upgrades to the SNES era Turtles in Time arcade beat em’ up formula. Developed by Tribute Games and DotEmu this game is perfect if you have a few friends that want to have some laughs and fun with that beat em’ up genre, but aren’t necessarily looking to memorize advanced movesets (but if you turn up the difficulty be ready). You can do drop-in and drop-out multiplayer with up to six people, across various paltforms, so it works for the remote game nights as well. In the end, if you’re a new player or an old hand with this style of game as well as TMNT as a media property, there’s a lot for everyone. Tons of fun and its now the TMNT game I will be recommending to anyone that wants an idea of where to start with TMNT’s roller coaster history of ups and downs with game adaptations.
Check out our liner notes for some links and information around the development and speedruns around the game, as well as YouTube for the aggregate of some video streams of our monthly play-throughs of games, as well as other side projects/segments we’ve published.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
This month we played all three Donkey Kong Country games, developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo/Super Famicom in 1994, 1995, and 1996.
We talk about the difficulty patches, Rare’s way of teaching the player mechanics, boss fights and general evolution of the key pieces across the series, as well as the experimentation of the third game in relation to the rest.
These games are classics of the platforming genre, with the extra pizazz of computer-generated graphics as input for sprite animation and to create level backgrounds; behind the scenes Nintendo was already trying to develop a Nintendo 64 so that it could be released in Summer of 1996 (in Japan), but DKC 1 was a technical — computer-generated — showcase in the meantime. Whereas by 1996, in November for DKC 3, the N64 had already launched.
Maybe that explains why DKC 3 is the weird one.
Check out the liner notes for this episode for a look at speed running and the history of development/tech behind the DKC series on SNES.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
This month (November) we looked Remedy Entertainment’s Control. A deeply conspiratorial (in its tone and X-Files like aesthetic) third-person action game, set in the deep recesses of the Federal Bureau of Control.
Check out the liner notes here.
We discussed the game’s accessibility, its gating of areas and fit to the Metroidvania genre, its RPG-like (or light) levelling systems for character and weapons, as well as incredible density of writing and so many tightly orchestrated delivery systems for narrative.
Control truly impresses with the sheer number of virtual media it narrativizes its world with. You can get story and in-game lore/history through audio logs, through letters, notes, and ephemera; with an in-game TV show, through visions and dreams; through psychic communication, of course through cutscenes. In this game, even the player is given a meta-layer of narrative to occupy. We are inter-diegetic folks! The most interesting part is that despite the density of content available, the pacing is spot on (to us). It never feels forced or like the game wants to do anything but respect your time.
There are parts that weren’t convincing to me at the time, or that I felt wouldn’t age well (or have me itching to return to Control right away). But in the couple months since playing I have definitely felt the urge to return to its claustrophobic and paranoid world.
Control Ultimate Edition which is available on PC, Xbox (Series S/X and One Platforms), and PS4/5, is well worth the trip.
Apologies for this one coming so late. We had to re-record and the months don’t get any longer when at the end of the year.
Catch up with Super Combo Tech, besides here, on YouTube, with streaming (far less often as of late) on Twitch.tv.
Donkey Kong Country (1, 2, and 3) are next to close out the year!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
This month (last now), we took a look at the Castlevania GBA Collection on steam and via emulation, as well as some portable play. Playing a bit of the others, but mostly playing Aria of Sorrow, the latest release on the GBA (2003), we discussed the game’s RPG mechanics, map, boss fights, and general experience playing. Check out the liner notes, with some speed-running links and other supplemental content for this episode, here.
November is Control and December will be Donkey Kong Country 1, 2, and 3. Follow our backlog journey on Twitch and YouTube for aggregates of streams and other content!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
This month (last) we discussed Elden Ring and its open world intricacies; discussion revolved around our individual experiences of the builds and possibility space of character-building, as well as the game’s world, world map, and comparisons to August’s game, Zelda BOTW. For some links to content creators and discussion of the external (to the game) community Elden Ring has generated, take a look at the liner notes.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
This month’s (August’s) cast on The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is here! We talked about the modding scene a bit, our hang-ups with the divine beasts, the shrines and puzzling in general, as well as the weapons systems and durability. The liner notes have some links to the amazing community things that have been happening with this game over the last few years.
Follow on Twitch and YouTube (for streams aggregated and other content).
Look out for Elden Ring next!
BOTW running on Cemu at higher resolutions with all the stuff turned up:
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
This month (July) was Psychonauts 2 and we were incredibly impressed with the depth and density of the world Double Fine have created. A great narrative game attached to a pretty good platformer. Special accolades for the character design, environments, and the art in general. It’s truly incredible if you haven’t experienced it. Liner notes with some links for understanding the narrative design process on a game like this, as well as some excellent art/design are here.
Twitch streams are going to hopefully resume this week here. YouTube aggregates of the twitch and other content is here.
Thanks for listening and have a good week!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
Liner notes are here for this month; we discussed the Fire Emblem series in general, focalized through our experience with Fire Emblem - The Sacred Stones, with Toben providing insight into this favourite GBA entry’s affordances and the ways it fits into the series. We end up on recommendations for experiencing the whole series history, a kind of no filler (North American) list for how to see the series evolve over time, as well as what key thing Toben would like to see implemented in the series going forward.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
Longer conversation here, with some deep(er) dives into the systems behind Pokemon progression/stats in Gen 2 and more generally over the series, liner notes are here.
We’re doing Fire Emblem - The Sacred Stones this month (June). Streaming on Twitch, with aggregates of weekly streams on YouTube.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
Liner notes are here for this cast, and you can catch us streaming Thursdays, with archived video content on YouTube after that.
You should be able to listen on Spotify and many other places where podcasts are. I’m working on apple podcasts. I have tried a couple times now to sync and no go.
This month is Pokémon Crystal nuzlocke time!
*changed the thumbnail to reflect SoR4
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
The liner notes are here:
Watch the stream Thursdays on Twitch.
This month is Streets of Rage 4!
And depending on your podcatcher of choice, Super Combo Cast should be available beginning April 7th or so (just giving it time to appear on each platform). So subscribe where you like to listen.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
For watching our streams live (Thursdays 8pm EST):
For corrections and links to things we talked about during the podcast with timestamps see the liner notes for this episode.
Nobody Saves the Worldis next on stream!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com
For watching a long cut of streaming sessions that led up to the podcast:
For watching our streams live:
For corrections and links to things we talked about during the podcast with timestamps see the liner notes:
It was an awesome experience figuring this all out for our first game, and we’re on to Aladdin this month (Genesis and Super Nintendo)! Some other sidebar content as well coming up soon.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit supercombotech.substack.com