Episodes
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8-4 Play 10/30/2026: DO BELMONTS DREAM OF RESORT SPORTS?
Don't sleep on this Tight 60™ re: Castlevania: Belmont's Curse, Wii Sports Resort: Switch 2 Edition, Silent Hill: Townfall, and hopefully enough news to earn you the good ending. 01:14 – Nicknames 09:36 – Castlevania: Belmont's Curse 19:22 – Nintendo Switch Sports Resort 27:01 – Silent Hill:...
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8-4 Play 10/16/2026: BASED COMBAT
Don't you dare punch out of this episode, Maverick! We got heaps of praise for Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve, journeys in Silent Hill: Townfall and then we start looking at those Ocarina of Time previews! 00:44 – Nicknames 05:27 – Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve 14:17 – Silent Hill: Townfall 18:42 –...
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8-4 Play 10/2/2026: OLD MCRONALD
We dive deep into Well Dweller, the Castlevania: Belmont's Curse demo, and Control Resonant, plus new VR glasses from Meta and more Xbox goings-ons in news. 00:56 — Nicknames 06:32 — Well Dweller 15:48 — Castlevania: Belmont's Curse 25:22 — Control Resonant 44:48 — News: Donald becomes Ronald…
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8-4 Play 9/18/2026: TOKYO GAME SHOW 2026
Best ep of the year streak continues with all killers, no filler: John Linneman, Jason Schreier, Mike McWhertor, Shane Bettenhausen, Jeremy Parish, Chris Kohler and more stop by to talk anything and everything to do with this year's TGS. 01:02 – Intros 15:28 – TGS Merch Haul 24:45 – Castlevania:...
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8-4 Play 9/11/2026: TORNEKO ATSUME
As the kids say, "nothing but bangers and mash": Zelda, Onimusha, Orbitals, MGS4, Final Fantasy III / VI (?), Star Wars: Zero Company plus everything from the recent Nintendo Directs and State of Play! 01:26 – Nicknames 06:39 – Onimusha: Way of the Sword 17:01 – Final Fantasy VI 25:48 – Big Walk...
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8-4 Play 8/28/2026: SALTY MOONTEARS
A tight 60 (ok 70ish) about The Duskbloods network test, Marvel Tōkon, Beast of Reincarnation, and various Gamescom opening night hijinks. 01:08 – Nicknames 03:41 – The Duskbloods 21:20 – Beast of Reincarnation 25:47 – Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls 47:42 – News: Gamescom, Terranigma, and more!
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8-4 Play 8/14/2026: RED LED REDEMPTION
It's a brand new ep with a whole lot of old: two lost Virtual Boy games, a recap of Quintet's SNES hits, and a return trip to Halo with Campaign Evolved. How many Gabes does it take to wreck a Warthog? The answer won't surprise you. Plus week-old news! 01:06 – Nicknames 06:53 – Beast of...
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8-4 Play 7/31/2026: BOOYAH BROTHERS
Ay? Ay! (Have you been playing Splatoon Raiders? Because we sure have!) Plus the latest in the worlds of video game news and sudden Tokyo summer electrical storms. 01:16 — Nicknames 10:00 — Splatoon Raiders 41:24 — News: Microsoft/Sony Network Outage, Capcom Sales, E3 Archives, and more!
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8-4 Play 7/17/2026: SCORCHED EARTH
It's 8-4 Play's Summer Sale! 25% off hosts! 90% off our usual topics! The death of physical media! More layoffs! And balloon animals for the kids! 01:04 — Nicknames 01:41 — News: Physical Games, Microsoft, and more! 47:21 — Rhythm Heaven Groove
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8-4 Play 7/3/2026: COCKY LITTLE FREAKS
Star Fox, Adventures of Elliot, and a now-quaint lil' discussion on physical games (recorded prior to PlayStation's bombshell announcement). 00:47 – Nicknames 06:47 – Star Fox 19:32 – The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales 28:57 – Microsoft, Steam Machines, GTA 6, and more!
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8-4 Play 6/19/2026: VACATION WELL WASTED
Special guest Robert Ashley stops by to talk about his amazing podcast A Life Well Wasted, old EGM / 1up.com memories, and (as required by law in 2026) AI and Xbox. 00:39 – Nicknames 06:54 – A Life Well Wasted 30:27 – Splatoon 34:41 – News: SGF Recap, Microsoft, Steam Machines and more!
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8-4 Play 6/5/2026: BLAME IT ON THE RAIN
RIPPED FROM THE HEADLINES (a couple days ago): Game-by-game-by-game analysis of PlayStation's latest E3 June State of Play, plus…well, mostly that, honestly. 01:44 – Nicknames 13:03 – Sony State of Play
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8-4 Play 5/22/2026: TOUCHED FUZZY, GOT DIZZY
Special guest hosts Snoop Dogg, Seth Rogen, and Willie Nelson celebrate episode #420 by discussing the new Steam controller, Nintendo retirees, and how all our celebrity references are dated af. 01:22 – Nicknames 20:27 – Steam Controller 25:46 – Star Fox 29:20 – News: Nintendo price hikes, XBOX,...
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8-4 Play 5/8/2026: FANTASTIC MR. STAR FOX
Up-to-the-minute Star Fox hot takes, week-or-two-old Saros first impressions, and the ancient mobile flip-phone Japan-only Xenosaga spinoff review you never knew you wanted. 01:10 – Nicknames 06:38 – Star Fox Direct 30:42 – SAROS 41:40 – Xenosaga Pied Piper
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8-4 Play 4/24/2026: STROOP, THERE IT IS
17-Bit's Jake and Raj join the crew to chat about dat indie dev life, dat Pragmata life, and dat Tomodachi Life, with a very special message on the dangers of drinking while podcasting. 01:07 – Nicknames 05:13 – Final Fantasy IV 11:30 – Awaysis 37:50 – Tomodachi Life 54:17 – Pragmata 1:00:29 –...
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8-4 Play 4/10/2026: NOT MY SYRCUS
Do pirates do pilates? Clench your AnEarth and climb Gabe's favorite tower to find out as the crew explores the Switch 2 Edition of Super Mario Bros. Wonder, makes a return trip to Pokopia, dabbles in yet more PC Engine, and debates the latest news and rumors (Star Fox?! Zelda?!?). Plus donuts…
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8-4 Play 3/27/2026: CHAIRING IS CARING
Craft yourself a seat by the river and take a load off as we share first thoughts on Pokémon Pokopia, check in on the current state of Monster Hunter Wilds, and catch up on a couple other games + the latest news and Japanese (?) pizza lore. 00:40 – Nicknames 17:44 – Pokemon Pokopia 37:06 –…
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8-4 Play 3/13/2026: ALICE IN CHAINSAWS
Th-th-the gang t-t-talks the g-g-good, the bad, and the silly of Resident Evil Requiem, plus more Zelda, Minishoot Adventures, and Project Helix in news. 01:38 – Nicknames 05:55 – The Legend of Zelda 12:47 – Resident Evil Requiem 52:37 – Minishoot Adventures 55:53 – News: Resident Evil Requiem...
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8-4 Play 2/27/2026: LEGEND OF AWAYSIS
17-Bit's Jake Kazdal stops by to talk Zelda anniversary memories, his upcoming game Awaysis, Virtual Boy do's and don'ts, and all the big news out of Microsoft and PlayStation. 09:58 – The Legend of Zelda 33:34 – Awaysis 53:01 – Virtual Boy 1:01:32 – Nioh 3 1:04:25 – Arc Raiders 1:10:42 – News:...
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8-4 Play 2/13/2026: SEEING RED
Strap on your climbing gear and watch out for vertigo as we scale the dizzying heights of Cairn and plumb the stereoscopic depths of the Virtual Boy. Plus news! 00:58 – Nicknames 06:18 – Blue Prince 16:37 – Cairn 33:30 – Virtual Boy 52:23 – News: Nintendo Direct recap, Steam Machine delayed, and...
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8-4 Play 1/30/2026: NO ONE CAN STOP MR. TETROMINO
The crew checks in (hotel humor!) on the 3.0 update and Switch 2 version of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the good and bad of Xbox's latest developer direct, and the horrors and sweet, sweet delights of the upcoming Virtual Boy lineup. 03:51 – Animal Crossing: New Horizons 32:31 – News: Nintendo...
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8-4 Play 1/16/2026: YOU, ME, AND LINDA'S CUBES
Linda Cubed, DQ7 Reimagined, Castlevania 64, and Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance highlight a mish-mash of new and old impressions alongside the latest news as we kick off 2026 for the second time with a respectable Tight 79! 01:15 – Nicknames 07:00 – Linda Cubed 19:28 – Dragon Quest VII Reimagined...
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8-4 Play 1/2/2026: BALL DROPPIN' NEW YEAR'S FREE-FOR-ALL
Friend of the show and former EGM editor Che Chou joins us to ring in 2026 with another freeform Q&A ep fueled by bourbon and filled with New Year's resolutions, holiday memories, GOTY talk, and Cybermorph. HNY! Time — Topic Discussed 11:40 – Listener Questions
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8-4 Play 12/19/2025: PRIME MINISTRY
Ring in the holidays with extended Metroid Prime 4 thoughts and an audio tour of the Nintendo Museum's new art exhibit, plus Game Awards recap / reax in news! Time — Topic Discussed 01:06 – Nicknames 25:00 – Metroid Prime 4: Beyond 51:25 – News: The Game Awards, SEGA Channel games preserved, and...
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8-4 Play 12/5/2025: VIEWPOINT 1998
With Metroid Prime 4 dropping mere hours before we recorded, we went for the next best thing: a bunch of games from the late 90s! Tune in for talk of Analogue 3D, Radiant Silvergun, Viewpoint 2064, 2D gaming on the PS1, and more—plus some current-century stuff like Ball x Pit and Lumines Arise....
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8-4 Play 11/21/2025: ALL STEAMED UP
Lumines (loo-meh-nez) Arise, new Hyrule Warriors, Game Awards noms, Metroid Prime 4 hopes and fears, new Steam hardware (x3) and more! 00:45 – Nicknames 13:20 – Lumines: Arise 20:32 – Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment 33:11 – News: The Game Awards, Super Mario Galaxy movie, and more!
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8-4 Play 11/7/2025: RTX-5090 Z-A HD-2D TURBO
Hear all about (deep breath) Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake (exhale) and the A-Z of Pokémon Legends: Z-A, with a side of Nintendo news and Halloween in Japan. Time — Topic Discussed 00:47 – Nicknames 17:30 – DRAGON QUEST I & II HD-2D Remake 25:31 – Pokémon Legends: Z-A 35:00 – News: Nintendo...
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8-4 Play 10/24/2025: ONE-UPPED
1UP Show memories, Hollow Knight 2, Little Nightmares 3, Ninja Gaiden 4, FIIIIIVE GOLD-EN! RINGS!! Plus more FFT, RIP Itagaki-san, and a buncha news. Time — Topic Discussed 00:00 – Nicknames 09:32 – Hollow Knight: Silksong 17:21 – Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles 20:59 – Little...
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8-4 Play 10/10/2025: THE SILENT HILLVALICE CHRONICLES
Clutch your digiballs and sharpen your sickles as we dive into Silent Hill f, Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles, Digimon Story Time Stranger, Mario Galaxy 1&2, a bunch of obscure Alfa System games, the latest news, and more! Time — Topic Discussed 00:37 – Nicknames 08:49 – Silent Hill…
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8-4 Play 9/26/2025: TOKYO GAME SHOW 2025
It's our favorite time of year: Tokyo Game Show! A cavalcade of special guests pop through to talk about everything we saw at and around day 1 of the show, including Marvel Tokon, Onimusha, RE9, Yakuza Kiwami 3, Age of Imprisonment, Nioh 3, Ghost of Yotei, Dragon Quest 1&2, and lots more! Time —...
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8-4 Play 9/19/2025: SILK STRONG
Get your canned beverage of choice and your ticket for the green car -- it's time to board the bullet train for TGS! For the ride over, we've got a Tight 60 filled with Silksong impressions and a breakdown of all the big news out of last week's mega-sized Nintendo Direct. Time — Topic Discussed...
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8-4 Play 9/5/2025: WHAT A THRILL
Turn down the Silksong BGM and turn UP the talk about Metal Gear Solid Delta, the Lumines Arise demo, Exit 8 and Platform 8, and a whole buncha news. Time — Topic Discussed 00:52 — Nicknames 03:32 — Exit 8 and Platform 8 19:50 — Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater 30:50 — Lumines Arise demo 45:16…
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8-4 Play 8/22/2025: NEODUDES
UFO 50 (buy it!), Mina the Hollower demo (try it!), Neorude (look it up!), Phantasy Star IV (dust it off!), Off (turn it on!), and a whole messa news (listen to it!) Time – Topic Discussed 01:14 – Nicknames 08:36 – Mina the Hollower impressions 16:11 – UFO 50 31:00 – Neorude The Leading RPG 33:51…
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8-4 Play 8/8/2025: MOUSIN' AROUND
Oops, all games! The Adventures of Elliot, Rematch, Mario Paint, Lunar 2, Earthion, Shin-Chan Summer Vacation, Shinobi, Ninja Gaiden, Dyson Sphere Program (the game, not the vacuum), and news! Time – Topic Discussed 00:57 – Nicknames 10:33 – Mario Paint 12:57 – Earthion 14:56 – Donkey Kong…
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8-4 Play 7/25/2025: BANANZA REPUBLIC
Roy joins to peel back Donkey Kong Bananza, go crazy on Monster Hunter Wilds DLC, and...talk about...Death Stranding 2; also Zelda movie casting, Xbox retreating from $80 games, Switch 2 sales and more! Time — Topic Discussed 02:04 — Nicknames 09:50 — Donkey Kong Bananza 23:42 — Death Stranding 2...
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8-4 Play 7/11/2025: SWEET HOME AUSTRALIA
Mark returns to hawk Lumines Arise and talk about 'Jima's latest, Death Stranding 2; also, Blue Prince bingo speed runs, all that :gestures: Xbox stuff, and obscure Famicom and PC Engine games (because JP) Time — Topic Discussed 01:41 — PC Engine Talk 16:04 — Death Stranding 2 29:20 — Sweet Home...
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8-4 Play 6/27/2025: SUMMER REVUE
Summer is the time for love, Takarazuka, and Death Stranding 2 early access. Plus the latest Switch 2 impressions, Japan life updates, and thoughts on the DK Direct. 00:58 – Nicknames 12:36 – Death Stranding 2: On the Beach 27:30 – Grandia 33:54 – Mario Kart World 54:09 – News: Donkey Kong…
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8-4 Play 6/13/2025: ROCKET START
One week and three and a half million units later, tune in to hear the crew's first hands-on impressions of Switch 2 and all the excitement surrounding the launch in Japan, plus the latest news out of Summer Game Fest, State of Play, the Xbox Games Showcase, and more! Time — Topic Discussed 00:52…
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8-4 Play 5/30/2025: SWITCH 2 COMETH
With The Second Coming upon us, Digital Foundry's John Linneman joins us for an exhaustive chat through the tech driving Nintendo's new hardware, including a few key lingering questions… Time — Topic Discussed 00:46 – Nicknames 18:56 – Switch 2 Talk 1:04:16 – FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals...
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8-4 Play 5/16/2025: MEET ME IN THE RUMPUS ROOM
Tide yourself over this dry spell before the Summer Game Fest feast with (still tasty!) leftovers of Clair Obscur and Blue Prince, plus morsels on gaming media woes and EVO Japan bits in news. Time — Topic Discussed 01:21 – Nicknames 09:30 – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 15:34 – Blue Prince 19:20 –...
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8-4 Play 5/2/2025: GOLDEN OBSCUR: EXPEDITION 84
Golden Week? This year it's more of a Golden Weekend, sadly, but that hasn't stopped us from putting our vacations on pause to share impressions of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Mario Kart World, and our Switch 2 preorder experiences. Plus news! Time — Topic Discussed 01:00 – Nicknames 05:54 –…
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8-4 Play 4/18/2025: ROYAL BLUE
Grab your journal and get ready to scribble extensive notes on Blue Prince, the new Vampire Survivors DLC, the latest Switch 2 news, and Gabe's turf burns in this very special pre-Golden Week Tight 55™︎ episode! Time — Topic Discussed 00:54 – Nicknames 08:50 – Blue Prince 25:24 – Vampire…
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8-4 Play 4/4/2025: JUNE THE FIFTH
SMAAAAAAASH that C-Button and join our chat all about (what else) Switch 2. Mario Kart! Donkey Kong! The Duskbloods! Pricing! Region-locking! Jorts!
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8-4 Play 3/28/2025: DIRECT MISS
Sure, we may have recorded before yesterday's Nintendo Direct, but that just means we had more time to talk Xenoblade Chronicles X: DE, read up on the latest Monster Hunter Wilds news, and get a 10-minute two-minute history lesson on the origins of the Metal Max franchise. Time — Topic Discussed...
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8-4 Play 3/14/2025: PUMP 'N' DUMP
Pull up a slab of cheese nan and dig in to a full episode of (what else?) Monster Hunter Wilds, as the team Gears-of-War-slow-walks you through our first few days with the game. Time — Topic Discussed 01:50 — Nicknames 04:33 — Monster Hunter Wilds 58:05 — News: Monster Hunter Wilds breaks…
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8-4 Play 2/28/2025: THE STUFF OF NIRGENDS
Enjoy the final pod before we go Wild on the new Monster Hunter with…well, MHW review talk! Also solid chatter on some older and / or semi-obscure Japanese gems because, hey, it's us. Time — Topic Discussed 01:00 — Nicknames 10:08 — Monster Hunter Wilds Review Recap 23:25 — Resident Evil…
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8-4 Play 2/14/2025: STATE OF YAY
The gang runs down PlayStation's latest State of Play showcase, including Housemarque's Saros, Monster Hunter Wilds, Shinobi, Sonic Racing, and (dramatic music)…Digimon? Time — Topic Discussed 01:07 – Nicknames 02:40 – Sony State of Play (and News) 41:24 – Ender Lilies 45:53 – The Legend of…
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8-4 Play 1/31/2025: IS MONSTER HUNTER OUT YET?
You'll jump outta yo seat for the Dynasty Warriors: Origins impressions and Ninja Gaiden 2 Black / 4 news, but sit back down and buckle the f up for live - that's right, LIVE - (and already outdated) Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket pack openings. 00:51 – Nicknames 12:11 – Dynasty Warriors…
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8-4 Play 1/17/2025: SWITCH, TOO
We did it We finally outsmarted Nintendo And all it cost us was…everything Time — Topic Discussed 02:20 – Switch 2!!
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8-4 Play 1/3/2025: NEW YEAR'S ROCKIN' Q&A SPECIAL
We've barely recovered from our New Year's hangovers, but we're already back and hard at work for you, dear listener, with a brand new ep, recorded live and in person in the year of our lord 202—what's that? We're out of space? Uh...special Q&A ep—enjoy! Time — Topic Discussed 03:36 – Listener...
About this show
Every other week, tune into 8-4 Play for talk about Japan, video games, and Japanese video games, straight from the 8-4 offices in beautiful downtown Tokyo.
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