#5 - Final Fantasy IX

In Episode 5 of Arcade Bookshop, Bryce has anxiety about copying all of Caleb's choices, but they both just have really great taste. They talk covering more contemporary games on the show, and they also spin a wheel to choose a random video game for a future episode! Most importantly, the co-hosts discuss Final Fantasy IX, which is Bryce's favorite game of all time. Caleb dove into research on this game, but couldn't actually play it, so his overwhelm from the unbelievable storytelling of this game as Bryce provides detail is transparent throughout! They talk intergalactic chicken-monsters, five whole minutes of jump-roping, characters dropped out of airplanes, and crazy planet-fusion. At the height of the discussion, they address themes of identity, family, sacrifice, loyalty, and mortality, diving into the development of several of the major characters in the game.    Stay tuned for the next episode of Arcade Bookshop, when Bryce and Caleb are in love with Final Fantasy IX's literary counterpart, American Gods by Neil Gaiman, on Monday, 10/23. Play and read along with the guys! See the show schedule for the next 5 episodes below and send them a letter about your experiences!   Show Schedule:   10/23: American Gods by Neil Gaiman 11/6: Super Metroid for SNES 11/20: At the Mountains of Madness by H.P. Lovecraft 12/4: Oxenfree (Cross-platform) 12/18: Riverdale Comics Vol. 1   Send game and book pairing suggestions or comments to [email protected]. Find us and send us a message @arcade_bookshop on Instagram.