Shine Get! A Video Game Collecting Podcast

YEAR IN REVIEW!! As 2025 comes to an end, Cal & Murph can't help but look back on their year in gaming. Which games did they play that stuck with them the most? What were the highs and the lows? We discuss! Follow Murph: https://x.com/alsonamedjosh Follow Cal: https://x.com/MTGCal

There's few things in video games more memorable than a console's venerable boot up sound. We hear it ever time we start gaming and some have even entered larger cultural consciousness. On this one, Cal & Murph tier-list an arbitrary list of console boot ups. Join us.Follow Murph: https://x.com/alsonamedjoshFollow Cal: https://x.com/MTGCal

Cal & Murph love backwards compatible consoles. As the industry has changed and evolved, ability to play older games on your newer consoles has waxed and waned. On this one, we talk through how different manufacturer's obviously value it differently and which consoles do it the very best.Follow Murph: https://x.com/alsonamedjoshFollow Cal: https://x.com/MTGCal

On this one, Cal & Murph discuss the parts of great games that they don't like as much. Join us as we discuss common friction points from titles that we - other than a bit here and there - completely loved. Not trying to be negative, it was just a fun idea. :) Thanks for listening! Follow Murph: https://x.com/alsonamedjoshFollow Cal: https://x.com/MTGCal

Cal & Murph love to collect video games. They also love to collect consoles! There ARE consoles they won't collect for though - what are they? It turns out, even the consoles they "won't" collect for, they're still interested in, but just can't get around to it. Listen to them discuss why these consoles just don't hit the mark for their interests! ------------0:00 - Intro3:05 - Virtual Boy8:50 - Atari 260014:30 - NES22:05 - Playstation Vita31:38 - Sega Dreamcast39:44 - Atari Jaguar 44:05 - Game Boy Micro / Sega Nomad53:10 - Sega CD1:00:00 - Recent Pickups

When you're buying a video game, you often have to make an immediate decision: do you want the game physically or digitally? Collecting makes the thought a little bit easier and some games are literally only available physically, but there are downsides to having to keep track of something. Cal & Murph discuss what they buy, how, and why. ------------0:00 - Intro0:42 - Main Topic1:35 - How do We Decide What We Buy?6:00 - The Difficulty & Ease of Digital Games16:40 - Lets Talk Nintendo24:50 - Digital Media Induces Decision Paralysis29:24 - The Intentionality of Physical Things31:10 - Storing Any Game is Annoying40:20 - Modern Physical Games Aren't Real47:14 - Video Game Preservation (Or Lack Thereof)55:45 - Recent Pickups

The Final Fantasy series can be daunting for a new player. 16 numbered games, tons of spinoffs, and more gameplay styles than you can shake a stick at is a lot to take in for any gamer. So where to start? In this special episode, Cal and Murph are joined by special guest and Final Fantasy aficionado Paige Smith, AKA TheMaverickGirl, to talk about the highs and lows of the series, what makes it special, and why it's something every fan of video games should at least try.Episode #313

On this episode Cal is the star, because that's right, we're taking an in depth look at every single GameCube he owns! From a Panasonic Q to a dev kit to a 1 in 50 Heineken GameCube, Cal and Murph go over all of them, and because this is the internet, of course rank them in order from least to most cool. Grab your Wavebird and boot up that classic GameCube intro, cause this is a topic you won't want to miss!Episode #3000:00 - Intro02:41 - DOL-101 Special Editions08:32 - Stock DOL-00111:38 - DOL-001 Special Editions13:20 - Much Ado About Jewels16:52 - Spice Orange24:57 - Starlight Gold27:46 - Pearl White34:14 - HeineCube40:38 - Char's Customized47:38 - Teal Dev Console50:39 - Hanshin Tigers57:41 - Panasonic Q01:07:13 - Tales of Symphonia01:15:30 - What is Cal Missing?01:21:29 - Recent Pickups

If you're looking to add more quality games to your collection without breaking the bank, we have the solution. With both must-play classics and enjoyable deep cuts available for under $15, we made a list of 15 games that you can get on the cheap!Episode #2900:00 - Intro0:25 - Main Topic4:50 - Super Mario Bros/Duck Hunt7:35 - Super Mario Galaxy10:05 - Madworld14:53 - Kingdom Hearts 1.5 + Kingdom Hearts 2.520:25 - F-Zero23:09 - Need for Speed: Underground 228:30 - Aladdin 30:57 - Sonic GT 2002/Jet Set Radio Future34:08 - Sonic the Hedgehog 238:16 - Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D43:29 - Grand Turismo 1/246:35 - Mass Effect Trilogy51:40 - Virtua Cop54:38 - Lego Star Wars57:50 - Just About Any Great PS2 & Xbox Game!1:03:30 - Recent Pickups

Cal and Murph have both just finished playing through Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 by Sandfall Interactive, and boy, do they have thoughts. How do they feel about the gameplay? The plot? And how about that ending? Be warned, there are spoilers ahead, so proceed at your own risk!Episode #2800:00 - Intro02:38 - What Piqued Our Interest?07:33 - First Impressions14:02 - Gameplay Thoughts35:17 - End of Act 145:47 - Act 21:01:59 - End of Act 21:15:08 - Act 31:26:54 - The Ending1:43:04 - The Music1:47:49 - Closing Thoughts1:48:49 - Recent Pickups

The podcast has a new name and a new look, welcome to the Shine Get Podcast!To commemorate this momentous occasion (and now that Mario Kart World has been out for a bit), Cal and Murph decide to go through the entire Mario Kart series and rank every game from worst to best. Do any of the classics stand a chance against the modern titans? Where do the hosts land on the Mario Kart 8 vs. World debate? All that and more in this weeks episode!00:00 - Intro04:43 - 9.08:03 - 8.12:33 - 7.20:12 - 6.26:17 - 5.31:36 - 4.37:52 - 3.50:41 - 2&11:03:43 - Recent Pickups

CONSOLE WARS! Many of us grew up right around the time of the Playstation 3 and the Xbox 360 - they're near and dear to both Cal & Murph's hearts so we decided to pit them against eachother to find out which one we think comes out on top!0:00 - Intro0:35 - Main Topic5:20 - Tale of the Tape7:30 - Strengths & Weaknesses of Both16:55 - THE GAMES!18:55 - Favorite Xbox 360 Exclusives26:30 - Favorite PS3 Exclusives34:20 - Many of the Best Games are on Both!40:55 - Backwards Compatibility!47:22 - Collecting for These Consoles49:22 - What Console Version to Get?1:05:45 - Recent Pickups!Follow LevelUp: https://x.com/LevelUpPod_Follow Murph: https://x.com/alsonamedjoshFollow Cal: https://x.com/Nintendo_Cal

Sports games have a long history of being both massively purchased 0 and also massively maligned by gamers everywhere. The key franchises release year after year while more boutique titles steal our hearts while commercially failing. Cal loves em' though, so we're gonna talk about 'em. What's fun? Can you collect them? That & more! 0:00 - Intro 0:30 - Main Topic 1:45 - Why do Sports Games have a Bad Rap? 8:25 - Do We Play Sports Games? 16:30 - What Happened to Arcade Titles? 23:38 - Collecting Sports Games 28:50 - The Fantasy Mode 35:55 - Playing Older Sports Games 43:23 - Recent Pickups Follow LevelUp: https://x.com/LevelUpPod_ Follow Murph: https://x.com/alsonamedjosh Follow Cal: https://x.com/Nintendo_Cal

STAR WARS GAMES!!! An epic universe surely deserves games to match. Cal & Murph run through many of our favorites from the long and varied history of games that take us to that long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. 0:00 - Intro0:30 - Main Topic4:00 - Lego Star Wars13:30 - Battlefront 1/2 (Classic)21:24 - Battlefront 1/2 (Modern)27:30 - Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader31:14 - Shadows of the Empire34:44 - Masters of Teräs Käsi 37:36 - Episode 1: Racer41:40 - Knights of the Old Republic 1/246:05 - The Force Unleashed51:45 - Jedi Fallen Order/Survivor57:08 - The Clone Wars1:00:21 - Recent PickupsFollow LevelUp: https://x.com/LevelUpPod_Follow Murph: https://x.com/alsonamedjoshFollow Cal: https://x.com/Nintendo_Cal

Plenty of gamers remember the golden era of readily accessible rhythm games - Dance Dance Revolution, Guitar Hero, Rockband and more dominated the space for several years. But what happened since? Cal & Murph reflect on our favorite Rhythm games, what newer games from the genre we enjoy, and ones we want to play as well. 00:00 - Intro1:02 - Main Topic2:00 - Why did Murph Get Back into Rhythm Games?5:13 - More than Guitar Hero7:30 - PaRappa the Rapper13:17 - Dance Dance Revolution19:30 - Donkey Konga22:22 - Taiko Drum Master/Taiko no Tastujin24:07 - Guitar Hero/Rockband35:10 - Patapon / Elite Beat Agents38:55 - Channel 540:48 - Just Dance45:02 - Thumper46:38 - Beatsaber51:20 - Hi-Fi Rush54:20 - What Rhythm Games We Want to Play1:01:00 - Recent PickupsFollow LevelUp: https://x.com/LevelUpPod_Follow Murph: https://x.com/alsonamedjoshFollow Cal: https://x.com/Nintendo_Cal

Cal & Murph have been excited about a very specific console mod recently - so they decided to talk about modding your Retro consoles more generalized! What kinds of mods are available? What pros and cons do they offer? Are they worth it? What do we with was more prevelant in the scene?00:00 - Intro00:30 - Main TopicFollow LevelUp: https://x.com/LevelUpPod_Follow Murph: https://x.com/alsonamedjoshFollow Cal: https://x.com/Nintendo_Cal

If you play video games at all, you are familiar with the dreaded backlog. It creeps up on you; slowly piles up until you are drowning in games you want to play but can never seem to get to. In this episode, Cal and Murph walk through some tips on how you can beat your backlog, find joy in playing games again, and get back to some happy gaming.Episode #2000:00 - Intro00:27 - Main Topic03:13 - Prioritize09:18 - Stop Buying More16:33 - Slow & Steady24:52 - Guides27:25 - The Completion Mindset31:28 - Moving On37:02 - Peer Pressure39:19 - Making Yourself Happier41:38 - Wrap Up44:49 - Recent PickupsFollow LevelUp: https://x.com/LevelUpPod_Follow Murph: https://x.com/alsonamedjoshFollow Cal: https://x.com/Nintendo_Cal

Controllers are the interface between us and the game that we're playing - and have even dictated much of video game design along the way! On this episode, we talk about which controllers are our favorite, which just plain stink, and the plenty in the middle. What are you favorite controllers and why? Episode #19 00:00 - Intro 00:34 - Main Topic 03:13 - Atari 2600 06:15 - NES 10:00 - Sega Genesis 13:25 - SNES 18:03 - Sega Genesis 6 Button 20:00 - Sega Saturn Model 1 & 2 23:27 - Playstation 26:53 - Nintendo 64 36:26 - Dualshock 1 (Playstation) 41:10 - Sega Dreamcast 44:45 - Dualshock 2 (Playstation 2) 49:40 - The Duke (Xbox) 54:23 - Nintendo Gamecube 1:00:35 - Xbox Model 2 1:02:55 - Xbox 360 1:04:45 - Nintendo Wii 1:09:22 - Dualshock 3 (Playstation 3) 1:13:24 - Wii U Gamepad 1:17:30 - Wii U Pro Controller 1:20:48 - Dualshock 4 (Playstation 4) 1:25:50 - Xbox One 1:27:40 - Joycons (Nintendo Switch) 1:30:54 - Nintendo Switch Pro Controller 1:33:20 - Xbox Series 1:34:52 - Dualsense (Playstation 5) 1:39:48 - The Level Up Controller Tier List! 1:44:01 - Recent Pickups 1:49:20 - Outro Follow LevelUp: https://x.com/LevelUpPod_ Follow Murph: https://x.com/alsonamedjosh Follow Cal: https://x.com/Nintendo_Cal

With the Nintendo Switch 2 on the horizon, it's time to take a look back on the first Switch console: its successes, its failures, and its overall legacy. As one of the best selling video game consoles of all time, does it deserve all of its success and praise? 00:00 - Intro 00:39 - Main Topic 05:29 - Our Experiences 16:33 - Switch Hardware 36:38 - The Games! 1:06:55 - Final Thoughts 1:17:14 - Switch Online 1:17:59 - Recent Pickups Follow LevelUp: https://x.com/LevelUpPod_Follow Murph: https://x.com/alsonamedjosh Follow Cal: https://x.com/Nintendo_Cal

So, you want to build your ultimate game room? Unfortunately, that requires a lot of thought and planning. You have to figure out where your games go, where your consoles go, how they're hooked up, etc. In this episode, Cal and Murph take a look at how they've organized their game collections in the past, how they have things organized now, as well as tips, tricks, and other things they wish they did differently! 00:00 - Intro 01:20 - Main Topic 03:43 - Organizing Our Games 22:42 - Organizing Our Consoles 41:32 - Controllers & Accessories 57:08 - Final Thoughts 59:58 - Recent Pickups Follow LevelUp: https://x.com/LevelUpPod_ Follow Murph: https://x.com/alsonamedjosh Follow Cal: https://x.com/Nintendo_Cal