Markers on the Map: A Gaming Adventure

A marathon of games. This week, we've actually played a ton of stuff. We'll start out with some opening thoughts on Resident Evil Requiem, Capcom's ninth main installment in the long-running survival horror series. After that, it's back to Arkham City for more Batman as we continue running through Rocksteady's superhero classics. There's also a little Super Mario 64, a revisit to the Haunted Mansion, and a small start to Grand Theft Auto 3. Then, some games that haven't come out yet in beta or demo form with Marathon and Pragmata, as well as Rave Racer, on consoles for the first time since it's arcade release over 30 years ago. Plus, it was Pokemon Day, so we have some Pokemon-related news! Check out the show on BlueSky @MarkersOnTheMap.

Holy crossovers, Batman! It's the dynamic duo we thought we'd never see: Batman and Pokemon. This week, we're returning to Arkham Asylum for a more in-depth discussion on the ins and outs of Rocksteady's original Dark Knight adventure. After that, we take the first steps into Pokemon Shield, with the journey to becoming champion taking us through the magnificent Galar region. We also have another game that's new to both of us in Ridge Racer 6, the Xbox 360 exclusive that's already a blast to play. Plus, we discuss Sony's closure of Bluepoint games, a devastating story. Check out the show on BlueSky @MarkersOnTheMap.

Break free from the PS3. This week, we're back with Carmageddon: Rogue Shift, a new racer roguelike that blends speed and synergies like never before. Through three maps stuffed with challenging races and constant customization, a new contender arrives in the massive field of repeatable, run-based games. Then, a mighty new State of Play from Sony brings tons of surprises, including Metal Gear Solid 4's debut on consoles that aren't the PS3, the return of Dead or Alive, and a remaster trilogy's completion with Legacy of Kain: Defiance. Check out the show on BlueSky @MarkersOnTheMap.

"The Crew Arrives on a New World." This season's first big lore cutscene takes us into a discussion on one of the most influential games of all time, in its finest form. Yes, it's Prince of Persia for the SNES. Devious platforming, vicious swordplay, and an incredible soundtrack highlight one of the most challenging games of its time. A simple story turned complex through twenty levels of nonstop traps, puzzles, and shadows sets the stage for the daring and classic royal rescue that only a truly seminal game can bring. Check out the show on BlueSky @MarkersOnTheMap.

Riddle me this, Shepard. This week, we're taking you do the late 2000s with a pair of Unreal Engine 3 classics. First up, Mass Effect, BioWare's groundbreaking sci-fi epic. It's a game with its fair share of issues, but narrative stands strong despite some of the gameplay archaisms. After that, Batman: Arkham Asylum takes us back to the glory days of superhero games as the Dark Knight Detective takes combat and stealth to a new level in a Metroidvania-styled island taken over by the Joker. We've also got some big frustrations with Ubisoft's game cancellations. Check out the show on BlueSky @MarkersOnTheMap.

Games of the Year. We’ve each selected our Top 5 games, including our game of the year for 2025. You can expect many things this week. The rebirth of a legendary series. The followup to an open world action masterpiece. The total destruction of an underground world… and the destructed society of an underwater one. A new planet full of intrigue. The return to an island and the journey to others. The jaw-dropping works of one of gaming’s greatest auteurs. They’re all here. Check out the show on BlueSky @MarkersOnTheMap.

And now, the first half of the best of the best. This week, join us for #10-6 on both of our lists of the top 10 games we played in 2025. The variety is here with racing games, looter shooters (and another wild FPS), some early 2000s classics, as well as a new entry in an early 2000s classic. A franchise revival continued, and a franchise moving in a bold new direction, as well as a new IP with some of the greatest gameplay and storytelling in recent memory. They're all here, and they're all part of the almighty Top 10 Plays of 2025. Check us out on Bluesky @MarkersOnTheMap.

Happy New Year! This year, we're starting off with three honorable mentions each from the games we played in 2025. From pioneers of one genre, to masterful executions of another, these six runners-up are no joke. A world of stealth and style awaits. Not to mention a wild flashback and a live service done right. Looking forward to a great new year of games starts with looking back at what came before! Check out the show on BlueSky @MarkersOnTheMap!

Commerce... in space. The Gameland Christmas Toy Catalog 2025 is a fictional catalog featuring items that actually do not exist from games that have been played in the year 2025. Our copy just so happens to be aboard the Starship Gamekeeper. The catalog will undoubtably deliver, as it always does. This year, it features items from games both old and new, for they are all relevant. BioShock? We got you covered. Donkey Kong Bananza? But, of course. Mario Kart World, Clair Obscur, Mafia: The Old Country, and Metal Gear Solid Delta? We're just scratching the surface. We've even got a cool collectible from Clock Tower. And to top it all off, we've got the continuing discussion on Metroid Prime 4: Beyond with pros and cons as the game is now complete. Merry Christmas from us here at the show, and we will see you early January for our top 10 plays of 2025! Check out the show on BlueSky @MarkersOnTheMap.

New Metroid week, everyone! This week, after a long, eighteen-year absence, the main Metroid Prime series returns with Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. Retro Studios' return to Samus brings a strange world in Viewros, dominated by mysterious architecture and psychic powers. While we only touch on the very beginning of the game in this episode, it does deliver a powerful first impression. After that, we've begun a playthrough of Mario RPG's Switch remake, a game that once paved the way for many games, even to this day. After that, a quick look at Disney Illusion Island with all its ups and downs in being a Metroidvania with no combat. Check out the show on BlueSky @MarkersOnTheMap.

Extreme Kirby Racing. This week, we're taking an early look at the full Kirby Air Riders experience, from Air Ride, to Top Ride, to City Trial and more in this absolutely wild game. We're also paving the way to Yakuza Kiwami 2 with a revisit to the first Kiwami, the remake of the original Yakuza story. And of course, there's some campaign, zombies, and multiplayer discussion of Black Ops 7 now that the game's been out for a while. And after all that, we take a look and make some predictions on the Game Awards Nominees. Check out the show on BlueSky @MarkersOnTheMap.

The Samurai Jack of all trades. This week, we delve into the multiple modes of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, this year's admittedly great followup to last year's disastrous entry. But it has a huge problem, and we'll discuss that first. Will this be a return to form for the series at the end, or will it continue a downward spiral? After that, we go back to Ghost of Yotei, now that we've both finished the game. There will be some small spoilers, but we'll save the big ones for a future special. After that, we pause Pokemon Drip Elite to start taking a look at the incredible designs of Legends Z-A. Check out the show on BlueSky @MarkersOnTheMap.

Put it in a mech suit. This week, we're back with some very early impressions on Kirby Air Riders, thanks to the Global Test Ride dropping just before recording! We've also got some opening thoughts on Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, the action game prequel to Tears of the Kingdom. Does it show as much promise as Age of Calamity? Only time will tell. Then, we dive deep into Metal Gear Solid Delta's Fox Hunt online multiplayer, which has proven to be both interesting and fun, but does come with a few complaints. The good games just keep rolling out! Check out the show on BlueSky @MarkersOnTheMap.

The horrifying anthology returns! Join us for full spoilers on this year's mystery game. Many games owe features and mechanics to this pioneer of the genre, brought to us on modern consoles and officially released in North America for the first time ever courtesy of WayForward and Limited Run Games. Many haunts, randomized rooms, and a pulse-pounding theme are just the beginning of this short, but highly repayable and memorable 16-bit classic. Have you figured it out yet? Listen in for thoughts on this year's timely terrifying tale! Check out the show on BlueSky @MarkersOnTheMap.

Silent Hill, but make it Pokemon. This week, we take a big look at the long-awaited Pokemon Legends Z-A, where we return to the grand world of X and Y's Lumiose City. In this installment, Pokemon becomes real-time and brings a whole new perspective to the series. Mega Evolutions, great side quests, and quality of life improvements you could only have dreamed of back in the day highlight these opening hours. After that, we return to Silent Hill f for some closing thoughts on the initial run. What was good, what was bad, and what enemies were truly awful to deal with? You'll have to listen in to find out. Check out the show on BlueSky @MarkersOnTheMap.

The Gameland Before Time. This week, we've both got a ton to say about Ghost of Yotei, and most of it is complete praise. Sucker Punch's followup does so much right in terms of gameplay, character and story development, side content, and art style that it's so easy to pick up and enjoy. Atsu's tale of revenge gets more and more intriguing with each and every encounter. We're also talking quite a bit about the recent Black Ops 7 Beta, as well as its Zombies mode. Plus, a quick Silent Hill f update as the survival horror ride continues. Check out the show on BlueSky @MarkersOnTheMap.

Where's everyone going? Space? This week, some opening thoughts on Ghost of Yotei, Sucker Punch's follow-up to one of the best games ever made, Ghost of Tsushima. This time, the player takes the role of Atsu, who sets out to find the Yotei Six in 1600s Ezo. We've got spoiler-free thoughts on the first few hours, including mission and world design, combat mechanics, and the interesting flow of the game. We've got more Borderlands 4, with both of us having finished the campaign at this point. And yes, more Silent Hill f with Hinako's treacherous journey continuing. The Dark Souls of Silent Hill keeps getting more and more interesting as time goes on. Check out the show on BlueSky @MarkersOnTheMap.

The "f" stands for "I tell ya what." This week, join us for an introduction to Silent Hill f, a new installment in Konami's long-running franchise with a melee-based twist. A dark tale taking place in 1960s Japan is just getting started. We've also got some more thoughts on our continuing Borderlands 4 journey, now complete with frame rate fixes and field-of-view updates. And somehow still a broken inventory system. That's not all, though, as Sony dropped a massive State of Play with new looks at Wolverine, Saros, a remaster of Dynasty Warriors 3, a huge update for Gran Turismo 7, and a whole lot more. Check us out on BlueSky @MarkersOnTheMap.

Kairos is calling. This week, it's the big Borderlands 4 intro. Nearly the whole episode has us delving into the latest massive open-world adventure from Gearbox. There's a lot to unpack including moment-to-moment gameplay which is better than ever, upsetting performance issues, and some truly inexcusable item-holding side content. And what's Borderlands without a wild selection of some of the most random and interesting weapons you've ever seen in a game? It's a small start to a large Borderlands journey as the game is more of a live service than ever. But it's finally here and it was worth the wait. Check out the show on BlueSky @MarkersOnTheMap.

Kratos Kong and the Borderlands Curse, a Virtual Boy exclusive. This week, join us for a discussion on one of Nintendo's longest and most varied Nintendo Directs! They've got everything from a whole bunch of announcements, products, DLC, and new games to celebrate Mario's 40th anniversary, to an actual release date for Metroid Prime 4. Things like Hades 2 and the Mortal Kombat Kollection are finally being released, with physical editions coming later. Classic favorites are getting new versions. And yes, the Virtual Boy is literally back, against all odds. We've also got a legendary tale... so legendary that you'll have to listen in to find out just what it is. Check out the show on BlueSky @MarkersOnTheMap.