Brainlords: Video Games of the Mind

This week on Brainlords special guest Bobvids helps us on Part Two of our P.T. series discussing the current era of liminal spaces in games. Even Baby Steps and 1000xResist have looping hallways, so are the lessons learned from this ludonarrative only limited to scares? We discuss our hopes for the future of spooky games in this raucous conclusion to our horror retrospective.    Questions, Comments, Suggestions? CONTACT US: brainlordspod@gmail.com Kyle - Cute Monster Props Jorge - JMV Special guest - BobVids THINGS DISCUSSED  Lasagna Cat, The Spiritual Successor to Simpson’s Hit and Run, Item Label - Papupi, Silent Hill 2, Devotion, Outer Wilds, Outer Worlds, Undertale, Higurashi: When They Cry, Look Back, Crow Country Despite being a non-existent game, how has PT influenced gaming since its release? (0:17:27) P.T., Amnesia: Dark Descent, Five Nights at Freddy’s, Baby Steps, MiSide, The Blair Witch Project, Nexpo, Chilling Scares, Lethal Company, R.E.P.O, Phasmophobia, Allison Road,  What is the difference between a game influenced by PT and a game influenced by Amnesia? (0:33:57) Alien Isolation, Deltarune, Glittermitten Grove, Frog Fractions 2,   How has the influence of PT become a positive and when/how does it become a negative? (0:44:52) Dreams, PT Trailer, Earthbound, Layers of Fear, Devotion, Silent Hill F, Silent Hill 1, 1000 X Resist, The Stanley Parable,  Game Ratings: Human characters in Silent Hill (1:16:21) Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, Silent Hill 3, Silent Hill 4, Silent Hill: Homecoming Why do Liminal Spaces work so well in video games? (1:33:39) The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Bullet Storm, Call of Duty, Shenmu, The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, MyHouse.WAD, Doom, House of Leaves,  What do we hope for the future of horror games post PT? (1:46:49) The Question Zone (1:56:19) Bober Da Bober asks Do you think if you play PT in reverse it would be called TP, and climbing out of the drain of creativity symbolizes Kojima's time with Konami? The Witness, The Looker Gryphoneer, the Universally Beloved Online Icon asks Imagine Jovial Bob himself called you and offered to put you in charge of developing a video game adaptation of any of his properties. What would you pick to adapt and how would you adapt it?   The Park, Fatal Frame, MADiSON,    Dial (The Dude) asks isn't it a bit funny how Resident Evil re-invented itself in a P.T.-like fashion with the original demo for Resident Evil 7, and then the final game was *anything* but that anyways, I personally think it'd be really funny if Norman Reedus played Ethan Winters   Resident Evil: Village, Hereditary   LiminalLongJohnSilvers asks What is the cardinal sin of horror games who attempt to capture that PT and/or liminal aesthetic The Rec Room (2:14:30) Split Fiction, Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein, Frankenstein: An Anatomy Lesson, Good Boy, Bring Her Back, Talk 2 Me, Stray Children, Moon: Remix RPG Adventure, Super Mario RPG, Eraserhead, Poltergeist, Cave Crave VR

This week on Brain Lords we Present: Talking. In this Podcastable Teaser we bring on guest Super Bunnyhop to Parse the Terror still seen in P.T. For a game that doesn’t technically exist, Silent Hills completely reshaped the Playable Trauma of modern horror games. But was that always the case or does this Polished Take on Amnesia exist beyond its creators and controversy? Questions, Comments, Suggestions? CONTACT US: brainlordspod@gmail.com Kyle - Cute Monster Props Jorge - JMV Special guest - Super Bunnyhop THINGS DISCUSSED  The Nintendo DS, Resident Evil Deadly Silence, Shin Megami Tensei Devil Summoner, Guilty Gear Dust Strikers, Advanced Wars Dual Strike, Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow, Kirby Triple Deluxe, Super Smash Bros. So what's the deal with PT anyways? (0:10:11) P.T. aka Playable Teaser aka Silent Hills aka Silent Hillz: Boyz in da Hood, Extra Credits: Dark Souls 2,  What about PT’s controversy is worth preserving? (0:25:54) Metal Gear Solid V, Penumbra series, Amnesia: The Dark Descent Is PT really the trailblazer that we think it is? (0:34:04) Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear Solid Delta, Slender: The Eight Pages, Resident Evil 7, Takeshi’s Challenge, Space Invaders, Dark Souls,  Game Ratings: Games That Break the 4th Wall (0:46:28) Inscryption, Hypnospace Outlaw, Death Stranding, Monkey Island, Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge, Loom, Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes, Conker’s Bad Fur Day, Gex, Doki Doki Literature Club Does PT have merit in a vacuum? (1:09:43) Is PT still alive in other games? (1:19:24) O.D., Death Stranding 2: On The Beach Closing Thoughts (1:33:55)  PT Unreal The Question Zone (1:42:44) while many horror games (especially silent hill) delve into thematically dark/taboo subjects, how obvious should these subjects be? should they be more abstract and left up to interpretation or do you think abstraction as whole can be too much and leave the viewer wondering what the fuck they just played - Eddie's phtoshopped eyebrows Wouldn't it have been funny if Silent Hills came out and it was actually just not a good game? #morbiussweep -MorbiusFan69 Does anyone actually know how to reach the ending of PT? I’ve tried multiple times and can never pass the final puzzle. -The Wine Ghost As a native Georgian, what are you favorite hiking spots? Also what do you think P.T. would have looked like as a full game? -Rata Güera Rosemary’s Baby, The VVitch, Halloween, The Educated Imagination - Northrop Frye The Rec Room (1:56:56) Twin Peaks, Custom Robo, Fear and Hunger, Darkest Dungeon, Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc, Stinky Tofu (臭豆腐), King of the Hill Season 14

This week on Brainlords we have a Halloween episode about drowning, being hunted, the dark, and the undead, all the hallmarks of our favorite…children’s platformers? Special guest Shannon Strucci scares us silly with stories of Spyro and Sonic being just as spooky as Silent Hill! How scary can a game be before it’s considered horror and why do so many games from our childhood leave us so traumatized? Questions, Comments, Suggestions? CONTACT US: brainlordspod@gmail.com Kyle - Cute Monster Props Jorge - JMV Special guest - Shannon Strucci THINGS DISCUSSED  Shamurai Champloo, Cowboy Bebop, Space Dandy, Michiko y Hatchin, Carol and Tuesday, Deadly Premonition The Scariest Non-Horror Games with Shannon Strucci (0:06:50) Fear of WATER (0:15:35) Subnautica, Half Life, Sonic the Hedgehog, Tomb Raider, Mario 64, Fallout New Vegas, Fallout 4, Metroid, Kingdom Hearts, Star Wars Shadows of the Empire, The Legend of Zelda Windwaker, Ecco the Dolphin, UFO50, Dredge, Banjo Kazooie,   Fear of the DARK (0:30:31) Vermis, Dragon Quest, Breath of Fire 2, Breath of Fire 4, Metaphor Refantazio, Half Life 2, Undertale, Super Metroid, Minecraft, The Stanley Parable,   Fear of the DEAD (0:47:14) Super Mario World, Psychonauts, Illusion of Gaia, Legend of Zelda Majora's Mask, The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time, Darkstalkers, OFF, Blanksword, Baldur’s Gate 3, Spyro the Dragon Game Ratings: Unkillable or Pursuer Style Enemies (1:11:22) Bubble Bobble, Silent Hill 2, Super Bomberman R, Mouthwashing, Metroid Fusion, Metroid Dread, Zone of the Enders, Resident Evil 2 REmake, Resident Evil 7, Final Fantasy 8, Super Mario Bros 3, Super Mario Bros 2 (Doki Doki Panic) Fear of the UNCANNY (1:32:23) The Exit 8, Okami, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, Sherlock Holmes Nemesis, The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom, Metal Gear Solid, Blue Prince, Gorogoa, Gone Home, Donkey Kong Country, Resident Evil, Baby Bullet, Tomba, Heart of Darkness, Another World,  Fear of BEING HUNTED (1:54:07) The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Odyssey, Megaman Legends, Turok, Jurassic Park (SNES), R-Type, Life Force, Ape Escape,  Closing Thoughts (2:08:50) A Hat in Time The Question Zone (2:14:04) Cryptmaster miski spooky edition says: ecco the dolphin is one of the most lonely, claustrophobic, haunting games I've ever played. it's underwater sonic but all the time because you're a mammal that needs to breathe. Oh and it's based on the beliefs of a scientist who slowly poisoned their brain chemistry and ruined their career forever from doing way way too many psychedelics in an isolation chamber and thought he could teach dolphins to speak and they could tell him about aliens? oh god. oh no. DevilDiceSurprise asks: what video game monster awoke "something" in you lmao Resident Evil Village The Rec Room (2:25:24) Umigari, It Takes A War, GO VOTE, Vote for leftists that will actually regulate power companies, Fatum Betula, Welcome to Elderfield, Godhusk, Absolum, Dragon’s Crown, The Boys, Invincible 

On the eve of the release of Pokemon ZA, fresh off a major leak, the Brianlords ask the question: does Game Freak deserve it? Your ire, your pity, and alllll of your sorrow, this company was once a shining example of an early Japanese indie and is now burning out its staff on an endless stream of Pokemon. We talk about the non-Pokemon Gamefreak games, the company’s history, and what it means to have a highly polished action game in the works. Plus a bonus mailbag sharing your Pokemon memories! What does Game Freak Deserve Questions, Comments, Suggestions? CONTACT US: brainlordspod@gmail.com Kyle - Cute Monster Props Jorge - JMV THINGS DISCUSSED  Victory Gundam What does Game Freak Deserve? Fields of Mistria, The Last of Us Your history with Pokemon (0:7:02) Pokemon Red and Blue, Mendel Palace, Quinty, Drill Dozer, Pulseman, Jerry Boy, Tembo the Badass Elephant, Harmonknight, Pocket Card Jockey, Pokemon Black and White 2  What is the current state of Game Freak (0:17:39) Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, Pokemon ZA, Pokemon Snap, Beast of Reincarnation How has Game Freak handled the Pokemon franchise? (0:29:59) Pokemon Green, Pokemon Sun and Moon, Let’s Go Eevee, Let’s Go Pikachu, I EXPOSED What’s Really Going On At Game Freak,  Pokemon Timeline Hints and 7 Other Details about Sword and Shield, Music Credit: Alex Heflin - Cinnabar Island, Shin Megami Tensei V Can Game Freak exist outside of Pokemon (0:57:15) Little Town Hero, UFO50, Pac Man, Smart Ball, Magical Taruruto-kun, Yoshi, Bushi Seiryūden: Futari no Yūsha, Click Medic, Giga Wrecker,  Umamusame: Pretty Derby, Lies of P, Yokai Watch Game Ratings: Non-Pokemon Game Freak games (1:09:22) Rocket Slime Adventure Has Game Freak earned good faith or does it deserve hate? (1:22:03) Pokemon Concierge, Pokemon Trading Card Game, Pokemon Pinball, Fire Emblem Engage The jury’s verdict on Pokemon (The Question Zone) (1:43:49) Palworld The Rec Room (2:05:03) Candy Rangers, Magi Nation, Beastieball, Cassette Beasts, Animorphs (GBC), Robomon, Perfect Blue, Millennium Actress, Paranoia Agent, Tokyo Godfathers, Paprika, Psychonauts

This week on Brainlords we complain about the price of games nowadays. But then why did the games of yesteryear feel like a better deal despite being $80 well before Mario Kart 8? Is there anything you can do to appreciate an artform that seems so designed to take most of your paycheck? And yet somehow indie games should honestly cost more! Find out why as we release this episode for the same price as some of the best video games ever, free! Kyle - Cute Monster Props Jorge - JMV THINGS DISCUSSED Hollow Knight: Silksong, Battle Angel Alita, Metropolis, Milk Inside a Bag of Milk Inside a Bag of Milk, Milk Outside a Bag of Milk Outside a Bag of Milk,  Is Gaming a Financial Burden? (0:08:40) Star Fox 64, Breath of Fire New games and consoles are too expensive (0:12:33)  NBA 2K21, Mario Kart World, GTA6, Outer Worlds 2, Borderlands 4,  Nintendo Virtual Boy, Switch 2, Pokemon ZA, Pokemon, Donkey Kong Bananza Emerald Rush, Breath of the Wild, Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion, Bowser’s Fury, Helldivers 2, Split Fiction, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Lies of P, Space Marine 2,   Old Games and consoles were too expensive (0:33:59) Street Fighter II, God of War, Astro Bot Game Ratings: Video Game Collectors Editions (0:47:47) Unicorn Overlord, Horizon Zero Dawn, Blaster Master Zero, Super Mario Galaxy, Catherine, Odin’s Sphere, Bayonetta 3, Sonic Mania, Death Stranding, Culdcept Revolt, MGSV,  The Best Games are Free (1:08:03) Kyle’s List of Amazing Free Games and Mods : Dwarf Fortress, Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup, Doom the Roguelike, Nethack, Spelunky, Cave Story, Knytt, Untitled Story, N+, Super Meat Boy, Commander Keen, Space Funeral, Oregon Trail, Off, Barkley Shut Up and Jam Gaiden, Yume Nikki, Cave Story, Lisa the First, Doki Doki Literature Club, IB horror Museum, One Shot, Battle For Wesnoth, Samarost 1, GTA 1&2, Frog Fractions, MUGEN, Spooky’s House of Jumpscares, The Stanley Parable, AM2R, Beetle Ninja, Lunacid Tears of the Moon, Dweller’s Empty Path, Franken, Myhouse.wad, The Forgotten City, Black Mesa UFO50, Metal Gear Solid: Delta, Warframe, Infinity Nikki, Overwatch 2, Newer Super Mario Bros Wii, Steamworld Dig, Fall Guys, Flesh Blood and Concrete, SWOLLEN TO BURSTING UNTIL I AM DISAPPEARING ON PURPOSE   Indie Games Are Too Cheap (1:26:42)   How much money do Steam Games make?, Hollow Knight, Crystal Story: Dawn of Dusk, Peak, Shovel Knight, Stardew Valley, PLEASE SAVE HORNET ALL SHE NEEDS IS THE NUMBERS ON YOUR CREDIT CARD, Judero, Look Outside, Peak   The Question Zone (1:43:49)   With the rising cost of mainstream games and consoles, will we see a new renaissance of indies or will everyone just move on to free to play games? -Oracle of WageTheft    Borderlands 4  Are there repercussions of having a generation of kids whose comfort games are all free to play games or games as a service or are we simply old man yelling at cloud (gaming)? - Slime A Lime  Roblox Questions, Comments, Suggestions? CONTACT US: brainlordspod@gmail.com The Rec Room (1:53:35) Putting Italian Sausage on your grilled cheese, using mayo instead of butter on your grilled cheese, Steamworld Dig, Steamworld Dig 2, Diablo 2, An Untitled Story, Football: 17776, Gunbuster. Urusei Yatsura: Only You 

This week on Brainlords we look back on the 8 years we’ve had the Nintendo Switch to determine what we'll be looking back on even later! We take a ~nostalgic~ tour through the final days of the WiiU, getting the console in its early years, the peak years of its greatest hits, playing during the pandemic, and the twilight years that preceded the Switch 2. Are these just rose (and blue) tinted glasses or was there truly something special about the first merger of Nintendo’s handheld and console hardware that truly can’t be replicated again? Questions, Comments, Suggestions? CONTACT US: brainlordspod@gmail.com Kyle - Cute Monster Props Jorge - JMV THINGS DISCUSSED DearS, OFF Remember the early days of the Switch? (0:08:24) The Elder Scrolls Skyrim, Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild, NBA 2K, Mario Kart 8, Splatoon 2,  Super Bomberman R, Waku Waku 7, Blaster Master Zero, Golf Story, Fast RMX, Puyo Puyo Tetris Remember the prime years of the Switch? (0:24:16) Metroid Prime Remastered, Metroid Dread, Mario Tennis Aces, Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Pokken Tournament, Mario 3D World, Mario Bros U, Hyrule Warriors, Captain Toad’s Treasure Tracker, Celeste, Gris, Shovel Knight, The Missing: JJ Macfield and the Island of Memories, Deltarune, Yooka-Laylee, Hollow Knight, Super Mario Odyssey, The Flipgrip, Downwell, Gunbird, Sengoku Blade, Donkey Kong Arcade, Super Smash Bros Ultimate Game Ratings: Smash Bros Ultimate DLC Trailers (0:54:42)  Banjo Kazooie, Kingdom Hearts, Persona 5,  Minecraft, Final Fantasy 7,   Remember the Switch during the Pandemic? (1:11:06) Shin Megami Tensei V, Animal Crossing New Horizons, The DragonCon Marriott carpet, Ring Fit Adventure, Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics, Octo Expansion, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity,  Paper Mario: The Origami King, Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer Featuring The Legend of Zelda, Mario 3D All Stars, Bowser’s Fury, Metroid Dread, Cruis’n Blast Remember the final years of the Switch? (1:25:09) Super Mario RPG, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Demon Throttle, Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster, Megaman X, Deadly Premonition 2, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3, Bayonetta 3, Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, Princess Peach: Showtime!, Mario and Luigi: Brothership, The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, Stardew Valley The Question Zone and Switch Memories (1:36:47) Pokemon Scarlet What do different types of lore do to your enjoyment of a game? For example, well done in game lore with a fleshed out world? Or game lore pertaining to the making of the game, or why something is the way it is in the game because of an experience or idea that someone got from their personal life and made it into a game mechanic or story beat? Or perhaps other types of lore I am not thinking of? Who knows? - Mariochief Signalis, Dark Souls, ActRaiser 2 Do you think there's a chance for DEEP LORE that isn't horror/tragedy-adjacent to be impactful? Does it need at least a veneer of maturity to catch on or be impactful, or can it be satisfying to uncover if it isn't super dark? - irwegwert Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, The Legend of Zelda: Windwaker, Donkey Kong Country What Switch games in your backlog do you want to play the most? - MyBodyisBready Live A Live, Luigi's Mansion 3, Gal Metal Who are the people you most associate with the Switch? - Mamamiyamoto Legend of Mana, Theatrythm Final Fantasy, Chocobo GP  The Rec Room (1:55:01) Labyrinth of the Demon King, Mario Paint, Mario Paint, Sonic Expo 

This week on Brainlords we celebrate the final moments before Silksong can no longer be delayed. Jorge doesn’t get what the deal is with Silkposting while Kyle is removing the clown makeup as we speak. We go over the humble origins of Hollow Knight to discuss if it really is that good (yes) and how we got here with eight years of hype and memes. How has the Metroidvania genre fared since then and what do we do now that Silksong, a game made with the opposite of crunch is finally out? THINGS DISCUSSED Baulder’s Gate 3, Undertale Explain the Silksong Hype for me (0:05:38) Hollow Knight, Silksong Is Hollow Knight good? (0:07:35)  The Wanderer’s Journal - Fangamer, Megaman X, Ducktales (NES) I don’t get Silksong Hype (0:31:43) RALSIE PLUSH ONLY $36 BUY NOW!!!, Folding Ideas presents: Silkposting, Despelote, Mother 3, Mother 64, Marvel’s Deadpool VR, Game Ratings: Indie Metroidvanias (0:58:33) Chasm, Metroid Dread, Dandara, Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight,  Momodora: Moonlit Farewell, Axium Verge, Metroid, Super Metroid, Castlevania, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Cave Story, Yume Nikki Hey MetroidVanias, you doin’ alright? (1:14:31) Iconoclasts, Metroid Fusion, La Mulana 2, The Messenger, Monster Boy and The Cursed Kingdom, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Haiku the Robot, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, Tales of Kenzera: Zau, Megaman Zero, Megaman ZX, Blasphemous 2, Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus, Crowsworn, Nine Sols, Earthbound, Lisa: The Painful RPG, Shadow Labrynth, Tunic, Batman:  Arkham Asylum, Metroid Prime 4, NieR: Automata, Stellar Blade, Black Myth: Wukong So what now? Post Silksong Jokes and the Jason Schrier Interview (1:27:39) Why Silksong Took Seven Years to Make, Dark Souls, Xenoblade Chronicles 3, Deltarune Closing Thoughts (1:38:52) The Question Zone (1:41:29)  Why are Souls games fans so illiterate? Jokes aside, are there fandoms out there you think have lost the ability to interpret games on their own without relying on interpretations of the story by big name YouTubers? I think the Souls fans definitely rely too heavily on YouTube videos to tell them what to think -Meowtroid    Final Fantasy 7   What is your personal Silksong, as in is there a piece of media that you personally feel has gone through the same silent period that Silksong has? - Untitled Zangoose   Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway’s Flash, Iron-Blooded Orphans, The Witch from Mercury, Gundam Build Fighters, Barkley Shut Up and Jam Gaiden, Mother 3    can you think of any works that are "anti-lore"? (i.e. works that seem to reject or rebuff a database-style approach) or is the fandom simply too powerful and capable of turning anything into a wiki? - isyourguy   13 Sentinels Aegis Rim, Donkey Kong Bananza, Mario Odyssey, Lies of P,     The Rec Room (1:56:58)   Megalopolis, Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway, Gundam Unicorn, Gundam: The Origin, City: The Animation, New Panty and Stocking, Pop Team Epic, Azumanga Diaoh, Odin’s Sphere, Demonschool, Into the Breach, Fangamer Pinverse, OFF,    

This Week on Brainlords, special guest Voidburger takes us on a scenic tour through Silent Hill. Some game theories seem to have a life of their own but what happens when that becomes the death of your enjoyment? Jorge discusses being secretly dead the whole time while Kyle explains why Pokémon is actually dark and twisted. Will this episode be a dream all along or a nightmare of fan theories?! Questions, Comments, Suggestions? CONTACT US: brainlordspod@gmail.com Kyle - Cute Monster Props Jorge - JMV Special Guest - Voidburger THINGS DISCUSSED Earthbound, Undertale, Deltarune, Super Mario RPG, SQUALL IS DEAD THEORY  (0:06:17) Final Fantasy 8, Abnormal Mapping Podcast, The Rugrats, The Sixth Sense DARK POKEMON THEORIES (0:29:30) Pokemon Series, Digimon, Thomas the Tank Engine, Piglet’s Big Game, Choo-Choo Charles, FLCL SILENT HILL LORE (0:43:46)   Silent Hill 2, Until Dawn Game Ratings: Games that are secretly dark (1:10:55) Omori, Doki Doki Literature Club, Majora’s Mask, Psychonauts, Psychonauts 2, Final Fantasy IX, Illusion of Gaia, Deltarune, The Legend of Zelda Link’s Awakening  WHO IS THE ROARING KNIGHT?! - DELTARUNE THEORIES (1:26:01) Alan Wake 2, Remedy Games, Half-Life, Anodyne, They Stanley Parable THE QUESTION ZONE (1:50:00) how  do you feel about creators changing plots based on theories (either liking the theory more than what they had planned, or changing it to "one up" the audience when people realize whats going to happen)  -chewing on the bars of my cage like a dog Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth,  Avatar the Last Airbender, The Legend of Korra Which game do you think has the most unnecessary or inconsequential lore? And which game do you think was enhanced the most by the theories and deep lore surrounding it? -Old Man Splimbo Five Nights at Freddy’s, The Legend of Zelda series, Donkey Kong Bananza, Willy’s Wonderland, Drakengaurd, NieR Automata, NieR Replicant what makes creepypasta and secret lore theories so compelling to kids? -Old Fart Do you think fandoms have done more harm than good in media spaces these days and contribute to eroding media literacy overall? Something I've come to resent them for is not allowing something to remain unexplained for example is a big part of why I find myself unable to connect with fan communities now a days. -Old millenial who yells at clouds.  What do you think of the “you shouldn’t put much more effort into it than the writers did” rule for video game theories?  -Pikachu was a dream the whole time Megaman X Do you have a general guideline of when setting and world building details move from "adding to the experience" into "The Lore™"? Like when does "oh this item has the same symbol that one character had on their jacket" turn into "I have shut the game down and rolled out my chalkboard" for you?  -Pedantic in Peoria Feelings on plot twists that are figured out by fans before a games release such as "Venom Snake is really the Doctor" or "FF7 Remake is actually a sequel to FF7" because something in the lore gave it away immediately. -Edwardo the Terrible Metal Gear Solid V, Metal Gear Solid Grounds Zeroes For years I've hated the Zelda timeline, because it poisons any discussion of the series with speculation about contradictory, inconsequential details that don't matter. Are there any fan theories that you dislike because the Discourse is annoying? -Enemy of Time Earthbound,  Closing thoughts and Rec Room (2:07:10) Outer Wilds, Voidburger - The Virgin Maw vs The Chad Pyramidhead, Voidburger- Video Essay about Adventure Games and the Gay 90s, Mouthwashing, Games Done Quick

This week on Brainlords we’re upping the difficulty to Legendary! Why do we keep coming back to the only medium that you might not even be good enough to experience? We share our histories with Gamer Rage (tm) and discuss some games that are better for having all the hardest parts in the beginning in order to conclude which game is *perfectly* difficult. Questions, Comments, Suggestions? CONTACT US: brainlordspod@gmail.com Kyle - Cute Monster Props Jorge - JMV    THINGS DISCUSSED Death Stranding 2 How do you balance difficulty and frustration in games? (0:11:35)  Halo: Combat Evolved, Control, Doom, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, Devil May Cry,  Bayonetta What games have the ideal difficulty curve? (0:22:57) DMC3, Stranger of Paradise, Armored Core Series, Zone of the Enders, Gatcha Force, Custom Robo,  Silent Hill series, Resident Evil series, Star Fox 64,   Should games have personalized difficulty options? (0:40:27)  Celeste, Claire Obscure: Expedition 33, Doom: The Dark Ages, Dark Souls series, Lies of P, Sekiro  Do you rage at games? (0:54:29) Deltarune Ch3 Game Ratings: Secret Bosses (1:04:10) Final Fantasy I, Final Fantasy VII, Bloodborne, Kingdom Hearts 1&2   What is the ideal reward for difficulty? (1:22:02) Deltarune Ch1, FZero GX, Paper Mario, Anarchy Reigns What is a Perfectly difficult game? (1:34:08) Muramasa Demon Blade, Yoshi’s Island, Tunic The Question Zone (1:54:28) What are your favorite easy games? - I’m Too Young to Diane Kirby Superstar, Kirby’s Epic Yarn, Felix the Cat (NES) What is the gaming achievement you are most proud of? - SwordOfKings128 PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds The Rec Room (2:02:10)   Space Warlord Organ Trading Simulator, Animal Crossing: New Horizons,  Lucah: Born of a Dream, Death of a Wish, Friendship ft Tim Robinson, Summer Wars, Wolf Children

  This week on Brainlords we are living in a Nightmare…Bart’s Nightmare! Or is it Buster’s Bad Dream? We discuss the wonderful world of Licensed games, advertisement games, and video game product placements to ask the question: Are they even art? Kyle compares a good Disney game that has nothing to do with its license to a bad Simpsons game that gave him an emotional response. Jorge discusses how to find validation as a working class artist when you don’t get to choose what you work on. The one thing we can agree on? The amazing taste of Nissin Cup Noodles. *smiles at camera*   Questions, Comments, Suggestions? CONTACT US: brainlordspod@gmail.com Kyle - Cute Monster Props Jorge - JMV   THINGS DISCUSSED: Zbots, Slitterhead, 20XX, 30XX, Is a Licensed Game only art if it's good? (0:10:58) Goof Troop (SNES), The Great Circus Mystery starring Mickey & Minnie, Bart’s Nightmare, Virtual Bart, Shaq Fu, Wayne’s World SNES, Home Improvement: Power Tool Pursuit!  Is there artistry in *really* nailing a license? (0:32:26) Dragon Ball FighterZ, Inuyasha: A Feudal Fairy Tale, One-Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows, My Hero One's Justice, Jump Super Stars, Jump Ultimate Stars, Jump Force, Cool Spot, Pepsiman Can product placement say anything meaningful that isn’t goofy by proxy? (0:49:15) Darkened Skye, The Sims, Death Stranding, Alan Wake, FFXV, Monkey Ball, SNK Allstar Game Ratings: Overrated, underrated, and accurately rated Tiny Toons Adventures Games (1:08:10) Buster Busts Loose, Tiny Toons (NES), McKids, Buster’s Bad Dream, Dizzy’s Candy Quest, Wacky Sports Challenge, Acme All-Stars, Tiny Toons: How I Spent My Summer Vacation BONUS QUESTION: Why are Tiny Toons Adventure games so good and Looney Toons Games so bad? (1:17:46) Speedy Gonzales: Los Gatos Banditos, Sylvester and Tweety Breakfast on the Run, Infogrames, Bug’s Crazy Castle What role do celebrities play in making better or worse art? (1:21:09) The Last of Us, Death Stranding 2, Onimusha 3, City of the Wolves,  What’s it like working on a license? (1:27:44) NoClip Burger King Games documentary,  Robocop Rogue City, CalorieMate LIQUID FOR GAME CREATORS The Question Zone: GET READY (1:44:32) Are we headed towards the age of Fortnitification of all games - Number One Heehomie Fortnite, Mortal Kombat, Smite What game world would you like to immigrate to? Yes you will have to immigrate to that game’s government system. - True Inky Megaman Battle Network, Donkey Kong Country 1-3, Tropical Freeze  Why was the Era of Capcom/Konami Disney tie-in games so good and how would you describe the current era of licensed games. -Steamboat William Aladdin (SNES, Little Mermaid (NES), Ducktales (NES), Batman Arkham Games, Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League, Redfall, The Walking Dead (Telltale), Marvel Ultimate Alliance, Star Wars Rogue Squadron, Transformers Devastation, Legend of Korra (PlatinumGames) The Rec Room (1:59:58) TMNT Splintered Fate, TMNT Tactical Takedown, Shredder’s Revenge, The Protomen: Act 1, Megaman 5, Yo Noid 2, Nubby’s Number Factory, Simpsons Summer of 4ft2 Original Airdate VHS rip, Ultimate Love Songs collection

This week on Brainlords, we discuss our favorite genre of music, SOUNDTRACK: VIDEO GAME. Kyle and Jorge each pick their OSTs of the year from 2015 to 2024 and guess each other's lists for some friendly competition. Is game music less memorable than the squarewaves of yesteryear or are we actually in a golden age? Spoiler warning: Extremely mild spoilers for Death Stranding 2, Undertale, Deltarune, and Signs of the Sojourner. (Mostly just minor moments and describing the context around interesting songs.) Questions, Comments, Suggestions? CONTACT US: brainlordspod@gmail.com Kyle - Cute Monster Props Jorge - JMV   THINGS DISCUSSED: Death Stranding 2, Super Mario Bros, 10 Years 10 Soundtracks - What makes video game music more effective than music in other mediums? (0:04:15)  2015 (0:15:06) Axiom Verge, Splatoon, Undertale, FF Brave Exvius 2016 (0:25:54) Redout, Aram Shahbazians, Orientalism: Desert Level Music vs Actual Middle-Eastern Music, Hyper Light Drifter, Death’s Door, Va11 Hall-A, FFXV 2017 (0:34:59) Sonic Mania, Nier Automata, Nier Replicant, Stellar Blade, Pyre, Breath of the Wild, Rivals of Aether,  2018 (0:43:03) Into the Breach, Celeste, Lena Rain, Xenoblade, The Tetris Effect, Deltarune, Radiant Historia 2019 (0:50:47) Sayonara Wild Hearts, Disco Elysium, 13 Sentinels, Hypnospace Outlaw Game Ratings - Overrated, underrated, and accurately rated licensed tracks in a video game. (1:00:35) Lollipop Chainsaw, Gears of War, FFXV, MGSV, Rock and Roll Racing, Saints Row 3 2020 (1:10:10) FFVII Reamake, 13 Sentinels, Paper Mario: Origami King, Signs of the Sojourner, Sakuna of Rice and Ruin, 2021 (1:20:03) Shin Megami Tensei V, Inscription, Chicory: A Colorful Tale, Bravely Default 2, Cult of the Lamb 2022 (1:28:56) Neon White, Xenoblade Chronicles 3, TMNT Shredder's Revenge, Tunic, Live Alive 2023 (1:36:01) Alan Wake 2, Gravity Circuit, Octopath Traveler 2, Lies of P, Air Twister, Pizza Tower 2024 (1:43:46) 1000 x Resist, Unicorn Overlord, Nine Sols, Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble, Another Crabs Treasure What’s changed about video game music in the past 10 years? (1:53:02) What are we listening to in 2025? (1:57:47) Clair Obscure, Deltarune Ch3+4, Cave Story The Rec Room (2:04:48) To a T, 30XX, Rewatching Andor, Having very little trust and patience for the people selling you a house.

Just like FFX, our *Final* Final Fantasy Episode gets a sequel! Special guest Andrew Bluett fresh off writing a retrospective of FFIX helps keep us final-factual. How would we look back on each of the Final Fantasy games if 7, 8, 9, 10, and 10-2 were the last games in the series? Would Square just have turned into the FFVII machine? And is VIII really that much of a black sheep? Hear our hot takes on Blitzball as this triad triples down on our favorite minigames and more.  CONTACT US: brainlordspod@gmail.com Kyle - Cute Monster Props Jorge - JMV Special Guest: Andrew Bluett THINGS DISUCSSED All the ding-dang FF games, just all of them. What if each Final Fantasy was the FINAL Final Fantasy? (7 through 10-2) (0:05:53) Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross, Majuular Andrew’s History with the Final Fantasy Series (0:11:54) Kingdom Hearts Series, GTA5, Californication, Bojack Horseman,  Final Fantasy 7 (0:21:01) Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children, Dirge of Cerberus,  Final Fantasy 8 (0:39:03)  Lost Odyssey Game Ratings: Most overrated, underrated, and accurately rated Final Fantasy minigames (1:01:33)  Pyre, Chocobo Racing, Chocobo Racing GP Final Fantasy 9 (1:18:54) Hathaways Flash, The Dark Crystal, Jollibee, 2001 A Space Odyssey, Final Fantasy 10 (1:43:01) Escaflowne, Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, Trigun, The Big O Final Fantasy 10-2 (1:59:41) The Question Zone (2:14:27) When it comes to Chocobos, are you team "wark" or team "kweh" -Oceanity   Let's say there was no Final Fantasy, what game would then be THE flag hip Square title? -Ultimecia_did_nothing_wrong Okay I was clowning around with my last question, but with the flash of popularity that OtoWakka had making the X/X-2 HD a best seller on steam in Japan, what other themes or character relations of other Final Fantasy games do you think would bring in new audiences? -Wee Baby Jaso Who would you pick out the lesser known, or even least loved party members to be in the roster of the next Dissidia? - BouncerGOTY2k DBZ Budokai 3 The Rec Room (2:31:51) Fun Factor, Who is Your Doctor?, Escape From Vault Disney, Stranger of Paradise, Deltarune Chapter 3&4, Actually learn from FF7 and being active in your local politics. Be safe y’all.

What if it really was the FINAL Fantasy? This week we ask the question, what would the legacy of each FF game be if it was the last game in the series? In this part 1 episode we go over the history of each of the pixel games up through VI. Would FFII be given a fair shot if it only got compared to FFI? We discover that FFIV may be the Citizen Kane of RPGs, and talk about FFV as the Mother 3 of FF games (I assure you this makes sense). Is FFVII just an enhanced version of FFVI? These Spoony Bards tell all in a theoretical retrospective of some Freakin’ Fantastic games. CONTACT US: brainlordspod@gmail.com Kyle - Cute Monster Props Jorge - JMV   THINGS DISCUSSED: Hotel Barcelona, Deadly Premonition, The Missing, Shadows of the Damned, Liberation Maiden, Mario RPG, Earthbound, Chrono Trigger,  What if each Final Fantasy was the FINAL Final Fantasy? (0:07:04)  Final Fantasy (like all of them. Every single one.) Magic the Gathering, Dragon Warrior What is your history with FF games? (0:13:56) Breath of Fire, Illusion of Gaia,   FFI (0:24:33) Seiken Densetsu, The Bouncer FFII (0:35:08) Dragon Quest 2, Aliens, Wizardy, Ultima, Nasir Gebelli FFIII (0:44:01) Game Ratings: The most overrated, underrated, and accurately rated Battle Music of the FF Pixel Era. (0:56:39) FFIV (1:09:41) Jeremy Parish FF2 Review, Final Fantasy Mystic Quest,  Namingway Romhack FFV (1:27:40) RPGE FFV Fan Translation, Mother 3,  Legend of the Crystals FFVI (1:37:46) Claire Obscure What is the legacy of the Pixel Final Fantasies? (1:55:10) The Question Zone (1:57:17) Would you want any of these titles to be remade in the scale and scope of FF7 Remake, if so how would this change the nature of the game in essence? - Mogabubu Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Using Elements from previous Final Fantasy games, what would your perfect Final Fantasy be? For example, the combat of Remake in the world of Ivalace starring Vivi -Final Fantasy Mystic Chex Quest Bravely Default Which of these game would you consider the best starting point for people interested in starting Final Fantasy -Tina Raisin Branford  What is the best FF to start with if you are intimidated at everyone’s answers to that question? -Ultros and Typhon The Rec Room (2:16:04) The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, The Rehearsal, Claire Obscure: Expedition 33, Metaphor ReFantazio, Formless Star 

This week special guest George Weidman, aka Super Bunnyhop, helps us figure out our love hate relationship with Hideo Kojima. Do we sabotage our own enjoyment with hype cycles and marketing jargon? Jorge reveals some misinformation about the English translation of Nawa, a story that inspired Death Stranding. Kyle recounts The Postman, a story that definitely didn't inspire Death Stranding (despite the authors claims). And George argues that the Hideo Kojima's character names really aren't that bad, especially Machine Gun Kid. Will we fall prey to the same hype for Death Stranding 2 or will we all just turn into Sticks?   CONTACT US: brainlordspod@gmail.com Kyle - Cute Monster Props Jorge - JMV Special Guest: Super Bunnyhop!   THINGS DISCUSSED: Japan, Mystica Ninja Starring Goemon, Dragon Quest, Earthbound, Kirby Café, Megazone 23, 13 Sentinals Was Death Stranding worth the hype? (00:06:32) Death Stranding, Alan Wake 2, Papers Please, Metal Gear 2, Metal Gear Solid What exactly is a strand game? (00:25:10) Ancestors: Mankind’s Odyssey, Dark Souls, Ducktales, Breath of the Wild, Control, Destiny, Deadly Premonition,  What’s the deal with the whole rope and stick thing? (00:38:58) Nawa - Kobo Abe, The Man Who Turned into a Stick - Kobo Abe, Stick - Kobo Abe, Metal Gear Solid 3 What are the best and worst parts of Hideo Kojima as an Auteur? (0:57:14) MGSV, MG Rising: Revengeance, Megalopolis, MGS3 Is Death Stranding a reflection of the politics of a disenfranchised Japanese westaboo? (1:06:01)  The Postman Was Hideo Kojima inspired by The Postman or did he just rip it off? (1:16:09) Fallout New Vegas GAME RATINGS: Most underrated, overrated, and accurately rated Hideo Kojima character name? (1:25:04) What do we think the A24 adaptation should actually adapt and what should Death Stranding 2 be about? (1:34:17) Dune, Pig Question Zone (1:45:09) Does Heartmant have any measures to prevent his death during resuscitation? Have you heard the comparison to The Postman? Is Timothee Chalamet in DS2? What’s the deal with the heavy Neon Genisis Evangelion references in Death Stranding? What was really going on with Mama and Lockne? The last few hours of the game really bludgeon you with overemphasis of its themes. Considering the infamous Russian taunt thread, was Kojipro justified in assuming people wouldn’t understand its story? Rec Room (1:56:07) Jambalaya, Judero, The Postman, Waterworld, 1000xResist, Look Outside, 84 Hashi  

On today’s episode of Brainlords we explain why games might be better if they were a little “worse”! Jorge gives a history lesson on The Flow State while Kyle explains how it recently became synonymous with the addiction loop of a slot machine. Is fun the only emotion gameplay should strive for or should we want a bit more friction in an interactive art form?   CONTACT US: brainlordspod@gmail.com Kyle - Cute Monster Props Jorge - JMV Edited by Kyle   THINGS DISCUSSED: Should games be fun? (0:04:04) Super Mario World What does friction mean? (0:06:39) Dragon’s Dogma 2, Signalis, Bravely Default What are some instances of a game that had friction that you didn’t like? (0:16:20) Stephanie Sterling, Breath of the Wild, Twilight Princess, Animal Crossing Wild World, Street Fighter 6, Blazeblue, FF1 Anniversary PSP What is the Flow State? (0:24:09) Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Flow in Games (2007) - Jenova Chen, Journey, Flow, Sky: Children of the Light, Tears of the Kingdom, Addiction by Design - Natasha D. Schull, Simon’s Quest, Diablo 1, Diablo 2, Dark Souls, Demon’s Souls, Bloodborne How do we tell the difference between deliberate design choices and bad controls? (0:43:20) Pathologic, Pathologic 2, Deadly Premonition, Windwaker, Darkest Dungeon, Pseudoregalia, Disco Elysium, Silent Hill 2, Devil May Cry, Resident Evil 4, Final Fantasy IX, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Game Ratings: What is the most overrated, underrated, and accurately rated game with Tank Controls? (1:09:31) Shadows of the Empire, Resident Evil 1, RE: Remake (Gamecube), Parasite Eve, World of Tanks, Tomb Raider, God Hand, Katamari Damacy Games as theater - Should games be Dramatic or Epic? (1:15:51) Lisa The Painful RPG, Undertale, 1000xResist, Look Back (NOTE: we said Your Name but we meant Look Back), Doom, Doom (2016), Astro Bot, Flinthook Should the goal of a remake be to eliminate friction? (1:03:17) Link’s Awakening Remake, Ocarina of Time, Nightdive Studios, System Shock 1 What are some more concrete examples of a remake that took away some friction and lost something? (1:37:11) Super Mario RPG Remake, Silent Hill 2 Remake, RE: 4 Remake Closing Thoughts (1:47:17) Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island The Question Zone (1:53:35) What is the best objectively bad game? - Francis York Morgan Altered Beast, Harvester, Evil Zone, Dwarf Fortress. What is the point of preserving a game after it gets remade? - True Doom Murderhead Monkey Island, Smash Bros Melee, Mario 64, Metal Gear Solid Delta, MGS3/Subsistence/3DS, Metroid Prime Trilogy, Wizardry The Rec Room (2:05:59) Magical Puzzle Popils, Dragon Crystal, Playing Games randomly for the Steam Nextfest, Angeline Era, Severance Season 2, Hydlide, Ys, Nativshark.

This week's episode we attempt craft the perfect Paper Mario using elements from each game like it was some sort of ransom note. Our first ever guest, Oceanity, uses her expertise as one of the only people who actually played Color Splash to help us identify what is at the heart of the best Mario RPGs. Kyle explains why The Origami King is a flawed gem. Does the Paper theme even matter or are the "good" games only that way because the partners are such funny little guys? We wrestle with Nintendo's relationship with Paper Mario's identity crisis, revisiting The Thousand Year Door with mixed feelings, and more in this page turner of an episode.    CONTACT US: brainlordspod@gmail.com Kyle - Cute Monster Props Jorge - JMV Edited By David Pinckney Special Guest: Izzy - Oceanity   THINGS DISCUSSED: Samurai Pizza Cats Does the Perfect Paper Mario Exist? (0:05:08) Super Mario RPG, Paper Mario, Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, Super Paper Mario, Paper Mario Sticker Star, Paper Mario Color Splash, Mario and Luigi Series, Paper Mario Origami King, Super Mario RPG Remake, Mario TTYD Remake What is the Most Overrated, Underrated, Accurately Rated Mario RPG? (0:17:00) Earthbound, Chibi Robo, Custom Robo, Radio the Universe, Final Fantasy Pixel Remake Your Personal History with Paper Mario. (0:23:44) What even is a Paper Mario game? (0:53:55) What is Mario's Personality? (1:04:05) Why does Paper Mario Have Such and Identity Crisis? (1:07:17) Which Paper Mario has the Best Story? (1:19:25) Which Paper Mario has the Best Gameplay? (1:23:44) Which Mario RPG has the best Soundtrack? (1:31:27) Which Paper Mario Has the Best Partners? (1:38:12) What does paper mean as a theme and how has it changed over time? (1:50:33) Why do other Paperverse indies struggle to do what Paper Mario does? (1:55:38) Underhero, Bug Fabels, Born of Bread, YIIK What do the Non Paper games do better or worse than the Paper Games? (2:01:25) Closing Thoughts. (2:09:31) Question Zone (2:13:28) What Mario character or enemy would you want to see as a partner in a Paper Mario game? -Guruguru Giraloo Can any other IP have a paper spinoff? -Flat Peach Theory Rec Room (2:21:04) Secret of the Kells, Song of the Sea, Wolfwalkers, Keep Driving, The Pat Metheny Group, Common Side Effects, Mars Express, Unicorn Overlord  

If we can’t talk about fighting games then we’ll just have to fight each other! Our first debate episode where we ask whether game collecting is preserving or hoarding? Kyle takes the role of defender for the more positive aspects of the retro game scene and how accessible collecting can still be (as long as you’re cool). Jorge on the other hand argues the more toxic aspects of game collecting and the game industry’s failings at correcting this. And the winner of this debate… is you, dear listener! Unless you’re the type to whine about selling your copy of Go! Go! Hypergrind. In which case this is an intervention, I’m sorry.    CONTACT US: brainlordspod@gmail.com Kyle - Cute Monster Props Jorge - JMV Edited By David Pinckney   THINGS DISCUSSED:   Game Collecting: Preserving or Hoarding? (0:02:22) JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Heritage For the Future. What is the Current State of Video Game Collecting? (0:07:18) Silent Hill 2, Pokemon Black 2, Persona 3 Reload How Has Game Collecting Changed in 20 Years? (0:19:46) Mega Man Legacy Collection, Tomb Raider 1-3 Collection, Night Dive Studios, Earthbound, Stadium Events, Nintendo World Championship, Gotcha Force, Gundam Vs, Armored Core 6, Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon, Decompiling and Recompiling game code.  What Role Does Physical Media Play in an Increasingly Digital Landscape? (0:39:08) Culdcept Saga, PS5 Pro, Super Mario RPG, What Role Does the Games Industry Play in the Game Collecting Scene? (0:49:30) Halo 3,Star Wars Dark Forces, Tiger Woods PGA 2007 Does Game Collecting Enable Preserving or Price Flipping? (1:03:58) Closing Statements (1:12:03)  Little Sampson, Cocoron, Nostalgia 1907, Pete Door, Business Insider Lego, Rule of Rose, The Game Chasers, Alan Wake 1, Death Stranding The Question Zone (1:48:30) We Dont Say How's the Film Watch of that Movie, or I love the Book Read of that novel. Imagine we eliminated the word Gameplay, what would you say instead? - Anthony Anthony Chopperelli   Why do you think some gamers tend to be adverse towards emulation? - Victor Viper The Rec Room (1:58:30) UFO 50, Retro Game Challenge, Game Center CX, Dandadan, Watching anime in theaters. Batman Court of Owls, Under the Red Hood, Crisis on Infinite Earths   

Say Fuzzy Pickles! This week Jorge shares his experience at the 30th Anniversary Mother 2 Exhibit in Japan. Kyle accounts some bewilderment when meeting a tween who's favorite game in the world is Earthbound. Why does the Mother series keep attracting newer generations of kids and what do we think about the future of the Mother franchise? We share the history and *our* history with Mother because our favorite series isn't dead, it's complete!    Kyle - Cute Monster Props Jorge - JMV Edited By David Pinckney   THINGS DISCUSSED:   (0:00:42) Why do kids keep playing Earthbound? (0:00:51) Jorge's Earthbound Japan Trip  Hobonichi Mother 2 Exhibit (0:17:11) What did it mean for you as an artist to see Earthbound in such a rough, unfinished state? Metroid Dread (0:21:29) Kyle Encounters an baby Earthbound Mega fan.  Earthbound Doesn't Care, The Angry Video Game Nerd (The angriest gamer you ever heard) (0:28:32) What is the History of the Mother Franchise? Megame Tensei, Shin Megame Tensei, Mother 1, Mother 2, Mother 3, Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy 4,  (0:44:18) What is *your* history with the Mother Series Breath of Fire, Super Mario RPG, Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends, Final Fantasy Mystic Quest, The Legend of Zelda, Kingdom Hearts, Snes9X, Chrono Trigger, FF6, Terranigma, Illusion of Gaia, Seiken Densetsu 3, Secret of Mana, Final Fantasy Legend, Smash Bros Brawl, Smash Dojo, Starman DOT net, Oceanity - Twitch (1:04:20) What's Mother 1 even about? (1:14:43) What's Mother 2 about? (1:22:04) What is Mother 3 about? (1:34:02) What Mother inspired games have resonated the most with you? Undertale, Deltarune, Lisa, Why am I Dead at Sea, Hylics, Knuckle Sandwich, Eastward, Omori, YIIK,  Yume Nikki, Jimmy and the Pulsating Mass, Space Funeral, Off, Earthbound Halloween, Moon: Remix RPG (1:52:30) What is the future of Mother? Oddity, Mother 4, Homestuck  (1:57:25) Closing Thoughts  (2:02:45) Rec room  G.O.D. (SNES), Okage the Shadow King, DQ Remakes, Chrono Trigger, Super Mario RPG, Linda^3, Stand By Me, Geno7 Mother Type Beats, (2:11:50) The Question Zone  If earthbound is a game about experiencing the outside world and it's wonders, why are so many Earthbound inspired games about depression and darkness? - Peanut cheesy bread  (2:17:18) If you could change the secondary market for video games in any way how would you? - David bunch (2:20:45) Outro and Contact Information

 "If Chun-Li's Thighs are too big it's not going to be good for the meta." Welcome to Brainlords! This week Kyle and Jorge discuss what can go wrong with a character design according to artists and more importantly (and loudly) according to fans. We wrestle with the fact that new versions of a character are caught between our expectation and brand management and talk about what its like adapting a licensed character to 2d, 3d, and real life! It's Brainlords vs our favorite crossovers and the only winner is you, the listener! Kyle - Cute Monster Props Jorge - JMV Edited By David Pinckney   THINGS DISCUSSED: Dragon*Con, Lies of P, Bakeru, Zenless Zone Zero (0:06:53) What *should* a character look like? SF4-6, Kong of Fighters, Mark of the Wolf (0:15:57)  What does Terry Bogart even look like? - Is he a face, vibe, aura, or brand? (0:21:10) What is the difference between street fighter and King of fighters? (0:26:44) - Video Game Crossovers were once an opportunity to examine familiar characters in new art styles - how has this changed? Fortnite, Naruto Ninja Storm, Steven Universe Funko Pops, Daicon IV, Soul Calibur IV (0:41:10) What defines a character for the fans?  Marvel Vs Capcom Infinite/1/2, Tatsunoko vs Capcom, Time Bokan Yatterman (0:52:01) When do fans become the arbiters of fan design?  Mario Wonder, Sonic Generations (1:06:18) What are your favorites interpretation of a character? Least Favorite? Bomberman R, Super Puzzle Fighter, Viewtiful Joe, megaman x,  (1:14:49) How can a characters styles evolve over different games in a franchise? Hyrule warriors, Smash Bros Series, Persona Series, Fire Emblem Series  (1:27:54) Wrap Up (1:31:21) Question Zone: What is your ideal new Smash Bros Characters? - Tornado92 Puyo Puyo Series, Chibi Robo, Shantae, Mischeif Makers  (1:35:56) Dream Crossover, GO! -Hellhouse MD Umiwara Kawase, Cave Story, Yume Nikki, Rivals of Aether, Lisa the Painful, Hylics, Off, Space Funeral, Ib Horror Museum  (1:39:54) Rec Room Lawnmower Man Directors Cut, Ys and Popfil Mail on the JP Switch eShop, Princess Crown, Frog Monster, Hundreds of Beavers

"The Game Awards really need to have a hype man."   In this weeks episode we celebrate the Game Awards for over 49 of UFO Soft titles. Using the well defined categories from Geoff Keighleys much smaller award show, we select winners for such awards as Best Ongoing Game, Most Anticipated Game, and Game of the Year using only the games from UFO50. We even create some categories of our own. What games could win Best Golf Game? More than you'd think!   Kyle - Cute Monster Props Jorge - JMV Edited By David Pinckney   Things discussed: Untiltled Fuimoto Ueda Game, Elden Ring Nightreign, Onimusha, Virtua Fighter, The Game Awards Brian Lords Presents: The UFO 50 Game Awards (0:08:00) Best Adaptation - Cyber Owls (0:9:55) LJN Best Accessibility - Camouflage (0:19:43) Community Support - Star Waspir (0:22:42) Player Choice - Party House (0:25:52) Best Debut Indie - Night Manor (0:32:55) Friday The 13th Best Ongoing Game - Pilot Quest (0:36:23) Cookie Clicker, The Legend of Zelda Best Audio - Minnie and Max (0:45:58) Super Metroid, Symphony of the Night, Goonies 2, 8 Eyes Best Action - Rakshasa (0:49:56) Contra, Ghouls and Ghosts Best Sim/Strategy - Avianos (0:53:57) Best AR/VR - Misasma Tower (0:59:51) Best Director - Jerry Smolki (1:08:44) Mad Max Fury Road, Aquaria, Humble Bundle (back when it was good), Derek Yu, Illusion of Gaia Best Art Direction - Mooncat  (1:20:21) Action 52 Most Anticipated Game - Party House the Board Game (1:28:41) Best Multiplayer - Bushido Ball (1:29:47) Windjammers, Smash TV, River City Randsom Best Sport/Racing - Big Bell Race (1:34:30) Astro Bot, Astros Playroom Best Golf Game - Pingolf (1:39:33) Golf (NES), Pinbot, Bride of Pinbot Best Family Game - Alfazars Hat (1:43:23) Pocky and Rocky, Diddy Kong Racing, Gimmick Best Fighting Game - Hyper Contender (1:47:14) Smash Bros Series, Bionic Commando Best RPG - Valbrace (1:52:02) Yakuza Like a Dragon, Dragon Quest, 2 Fantasy Star, Punch-Out!!, Dark Souls, Final Fantasy 1/3 Games for Impact - Porgy (1:57:40) Best Performance - The gut who goes "MISSION START" in Cyber Owls (2:00:01) Best Score and Music - Pilot Quest (2:01:00) Best Narrative - Mortol (2:03:39) Jake Steinberg - Gamers Don't Understand Story Best Mobile Game - Overbold (2:09:13) Smash TV Best Indie Game - Barbuta (2:12:58) Best Game I'll probably Play Next Year - Grimstone (2:18:37) Best Bell Game - Campenella 2 (2:19:08) Spelunky, Blaster Master Best Bird Game - Avianos (2:20:05) Best "Bad" Game - Combatants (2:21:56) Best Game We're Sad Didn't Win Anything - Rail Heist (2:25:15) Best  Game We Didn't Play but Have to Give and Award to Anyways - Divers (2:28:52) Biggies Cutie - Aplha (2:30:19) Most Faithful Throwback - Ninpek (2:32:34) Mappyland GAME OF THE YEAR - Party House (2:35:36) Corn Kids, Pac Land Question Zone: What is your Game of the Year? (2:46:51) - Greg Milk Unicorn Overlord, Metaphore RE:Fantazio, Astro Bot, Mouthwashing, 1000xResist,  Why did Astro Bot Win Game of the Year?  () - some guy at Gamestop) Signialis, Arrival, Mass Effect Rec Room - Lao Gan Ma, Transformers One (3:10:32)