Brain Lords: Video Games of the Mind

Tired of the constant marketing, brand management, and style guides for the Square X Disney project, the Brain Lords decide they could do better making their own Kingdom Hearts levels! Special Guest Andrew Bluett helps us each design a world based on three categories, Disney Proper, Squaresoft, and anything-goes sicko mode picks. It’s Always Sunny, Pretty Woman, Ellen's Energy Adventure, The Bouncer, the only limit is the patience of the other panelists! Questions, Comments, Suggestions? CONTACT US: [email protected]  Kyle - Cute Monster Props   Jorge - JMV Andrew Bluett THINGS DISCUSSED  Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories, Phantasy Star Online Episode 3, Metal Gear Acid, Final Fantasy VII, Jorge’s Klonoa Shirt, Jak and Daxter, Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, The Death Generator Video Game Font, Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts 2, Kingdom Hearts 3, Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance, Kingdom Hearts: ReCoded, Kingdom Heats Final Mix Round One: Disney Proper Levels  Kyle’s Disney Pick (0:22:58) Treasure Planet Production History Jorge’s Disney Pick (0:37:28) Flubber, A Goofy Movie Andrew’s Disney Pick (0:48:20) Muppets Most Wanted Round Two: SquareSoft Levels  Kyle’s SquareSoft Pick (0:57:04) Final Fantasy IX Jorge’s SquareSoft Pick (1:07:26)  Threads of Fate, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, Skullgirls, Chrono Cross, Chrono Trigger, Brave Fencer Musashi Andrew’s SquareSoft Pick (1:19:31) Final Fantasy XI Game Ratings: Kingdom Hearts Levels (1:27:01) Pirates of the Caribbean, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Tarzan, Hercules, The Lion King,   Round Three: Rule of Cool Levels  Kyle’s Rule of Cool Pick (1:57:32) The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Final Fantasy IV Jorge’s Rule of Cool Pick (2:08:29) Power Rangers: The Movie Andrew’s Rule of Cool Pick (2:18:29) Scrubs, Chicken Little WE RANK THE PICKS (2:27:24) The Question Zone (2:36:51) How do you feel about the gameplay chaining worlds? Lion King, Atlantis, etc.  I’ve got a soft spot in my heart for them and I’d love to hear more voices on them. -Punkkit For Riku section in chain of memories Are u actually playing the real Riku or the fake Riku? Thanks xoxo -Johnny Vash Why are Heartless hearts without bodies and Nobodies are bodies without hearts? Thanks! Love the show. -Esper Quinn What is a movie/property owned by Disney that you 100% believe will NEVER be in a KH game? Why? -psychoballoons Song of the South, John Carter, The Shaggy Dog, Freaky Friday The Rec Room (2:47:04) No Sad Face, Halo 3, Halo ODST, The Black Cauldron, Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, Streets of Rage 4, Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap, Boompane.ordoliberal.com, Smallscreen.ordoliberal.com, Spanakopedia.ordoliberal.com

Questions, Comments, Suggestions? CONTACT US: [email protected]  Kyle - Cute Monster Props   Jorge - JMV This week we have had it with everything from Schmoovement and Soulsborne games. No longer wanting to differentiate the “-likes” from the “-lites” we’ve taken it upon ourselves to rename the most troublesome game genres names. No more smashing -vania at the end of other words, we’re tossing it out and starting anew.    THINGS DISCUSSED  Rocket City Retro Fest, Star Fox 64, Super Smash Bros Melee, Mouthwashing, UFO 50, Chipped Topaz Music, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Super Metroid Let’s Rename: RPG (0:14:52) Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Kingdom Come Deliverance, Donkey Kong Bananza, The Legend of Zelda, Baldur’s Gate, Fallout, Borderlands, Diablo, Armored Core, Battle Arena Toshinden Let’s Rename: Soulslike (0:25:38) Lies of P, Hollow Knight Silksong, Bloodborne, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Dynasty Warriors, Devil May Cry 3, Tunic, NieR Automata Let’s Rename: SHMUP (0:35:39) Contra, R-Type, Mushihimesama, Death Smiles, Gunstar Heroes, Mega Man, Cotton, Parodius, Gradius, Dai Katana, Sengoku, Heiankyo Alien, Doom, Ace Combat, Nintendogs Let’s Rename: Metroidvania/Metroidbrainia (0:46:08) Myst, The Witness, Animal Well, The Return of the Obra Dinn, Kid Icarus, Cave Story, Tunic, Darksiders 2, Star Fox Adventure Game Ratings: Hybrid Genre Games (1:08:49) Bubble Bobble, Twinkle Star Sprites, Bumpy and Dumpy, Henry Hatsworth, Laika: Aged Through Blood, Trials HD, Dave the Diver, Yakuza Series, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, UFO 50,  Let’s Rename: Cozy Games (1:27:53)  Nothing to Declare, Stardew Valley, Animal Crossing, Harvest Moon, Boku No Natsuyasumi, A Short Hike Let’s Rename: Friendslop (1:37:49) Lethal Company, R.E.P.O., Content Warning, Phasmophobia, Among Us, Jackbox, Quiplash, Peak, Powerwash Simulator, Lovers In a Dangerous Spacetime, Space Team Let’s Rename: Schmoovement (1:51:07) Super Smash Bros: Melee, Demon Turf, Demon Tides, Pseudoregalia, Armored Core, Virtual On, Daemon x Machina, Ruffy and the Riverside, A Hat in Time, Kero Quest 64, Big Catch, Mario Odyssey Lets Rename: Roguelite (1:58:45) Rogue (1980), Nethack, Hades II, Returnal,Super Mario Bros, Spelunky, Dungeons of Evermore The Question Zone (2:12:39) Immersive sims. I feel like such a 🤓 nerd saying it. But what else do you call it? Can't say some kind of RPG or you exclude Thief. Systems driven design? Gosh I don't know y'all are smart I believe you can beat me. -Ms. Looking Glass Thief, 0451 Games, Deus Ex, Prey (2017), System Shock What people call RPG should more often be called Stat Em Ups - Luna The Rec Room (2:21:07) Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, Big Bool, Elisio, Alf, Alamo, They Might Beat Giygas, Ninja Gaiden Black, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Bloodborne, Ninja Gaiden 4, Set It Off (1996)  

We had just finished recording our Brain Lord playthrough, when an unexpected guest arrived... This week on Brain Lords we seek an audience with non other than The BRAIN LORD. Y'know, He Who Sits On The Brain Throne. The ancient, interstellar extradimensional being that gives us all our cool takes on video games, and life advice. The Father and final form of our Podcast. Not the game, the guy. That Brain Lord.  Find out where we get all our wisdom, knowledge, and more importantly, episode ideas on this behind the scenes interview with the most powerful gamer in the Nightmare Frontier. Today we truly are playing Video Games of the Mind. Questions, Comments, Suggestions? CONTACT US: [email protected]  Kyle - Cute Monster Props   Jorge - JMV Brain Lord - The Brain Lord THINGS DISCUSSED Food Stamps, Asahi, Sapporo, Kirin Where does Brain Lord Come From? (0:06:00) The Nightmare Frontier, Parallax Scrolling My Blood Sugar is Awfully Low What Game Should I play to Fix it? (0:06:36) Dynamite Bready What's The Best Game to Play in the Woods? (0:06:55) Pile of Wood What Video Game Best Represents Each of The Four Seasons? (0:07:31) Earth Seasons, Optimum Aesthetics Why does the old Gameboy not have a backlight, Is Nintendo Stupid? (0:09:08) Going Outside, Several Light Sources, David Lynch, TFT Reflective Membranes What is the best mom in video games? (0:11:40) Advocacy for Video Game Moms I accidentally swallowed my copy of Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day! on the DS should I call poison control? (0:12:03) Blessing of The Brain Lord, Ryuta Kawashima What is the next genre of game we'll slap gambling mechanics onto? (0:13:18) The Outcome of Everything and Anything, Pachinko, Cousins, Second Cousins Brain Lord can you please let me know if my copy of Opoona on the Wii will continue appreciating in value? (0:16:12) Orange, Disrupt the Market I just bought a Sbarro's franchise, what arcade game should I put in it? (0:17:36) Super Sbarrio Brothers, Free Vegan Pizza Why is Spirits Within the best Final Fantasy? (0:19:04) Hironobu Sakaguchi, Resonant Arc Brain lord, would you happen to know off hand which of the new pokemon starters will have a sexy final evolution? (0:20:20) 130 Million Users Strong What is your highest score in Bubble Bath Babes? (0:22:20) Modest Real Life High Scores, Memory of Several Eons What is Wii U Nostalgia Going To Look Like? (0:24:27) Feeling of Freedom, Yowamushi Pedal In the Brain Lord's opinion, what is the best console? (0:25:44) Gunpei Yokoi What Game Studios Output Is Most like the Chaotic Menu Items of Taco Bell? (0:27:40) Vegan Menu Options Fuck, Marry or Kill: SCII covers for PS2, GC and XBOX (0:31:03) The Commandments of the Brain Lord What Kind of Video Games Would a Wizard Like to Play? (0:33:58) Brandish, Brandish II, Brandish III, Brandish VI, Brandish V What Wisdom do you, Brain Lord, impart on the youth of today? (0:36:00) The Brain Lord's Prayer What are you Hopeful for in the Future of Video Games? (0:36:42) Fan Translations Rec Room (0:38:30) SuperStation one, Jegged.com, Volunteer With Your Local Non-Profit, Eat More Copies of Brain Age and Big Brain Academy UNTITLED 2026 - By Brain Lord We hope you enjoy this special April Fool's episode. We will return to our regularly scheduled programming on April 15th, stay tuned!

There sure are a bunch of furry mascot characters in video games. Returning guest Oceanity helps us cover everything from platformer icons like Sonic and Sly Cooper, to modern day indies gems like Atlyss and Pseudoregalia. Are these characters just syndical cash grabs or do they appeal more to classic folklore than we often give them credit fur... err, for, excuse me.  Questions, Comments, Suggestions? CONTACT US: [email protected]  Kyle - Cute Monster Props   Jorge - JMV Izzy - Oceanity   THINGS DISCUSSED  The Secret of NIHM, An American Tail, Ninja Gaiden Black, Super Smash Bros,  What is a “furry game” anyways? (0:14:48)  Baldur’s Gate 3, Elden Ring, Elder Scrolls Online, Dispatch, Final Fantasy XIV, Stardew Valley, Cult of the Lamb, Gater Game, Ori and the Blind Forest, Rivals of Aether, Dusk an Elysium Tail, Night in the Woods, Hollow Knight, Atlyss,  Why are there so many Furry 90s platformer mascots? (0:28:20) Bubsy, Sonic the Hedgehog, Star Fox, Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel, Aero the Acro-Bat, Gex, Awesome Possum, Rocky Rodent, Tidus the Fox, Rockin’ Kats, Battletoads, Spyro the Dragon, Crash Bandicoot, Punky Skunk, Jersey Devil, Croc Legend of the Gobbos, Socks the Cat Rocks the Hill, The Cheetahmen (Action 52), Sparkster, Rocket Knight, Bubsy 4D, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles , Super Mario Wonder, Super Mario 3D World, Sly Cooper and the Thevius Racoonus, Ratchet and Clank, Seken Densetsu 3, Beath of Fire, Ihatovo Monogatari, Unicorn Overlord,  Game Ratings: Video Game Furry Awakening Characters (0:51:03) Sonic Adventure 2, Five Nights at Freddy’s, Star Fox Adventure, Star Fox Command, Star Fox 64, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon, Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, Bloody Roar, Kingdom Hearts II, Them’s Fightin’ Herds, MLP: Fighting is Magic, Skullgirls, Breath of Fire, Fara Phoenix Would Furry Characters still work if they were human? (1:16:59) Metal Slug, Lightspeed Lina, Wild Blue Skies, Ex-Zodiac, Night in the Woods, Tunic, Pseudoregalia, Fright Train, Deadlocked What does it mean to “go legit” as a Furry game developer? (1:32:13) Dot Hack, Phantasy Star Online, Cosmobreeder Yiffai, Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo, NieR Automata, Stellar Blade, Kings of Hell, Pawperty Damage, Rampage, Rampage World Tour, Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game, Bubsy 4D, Demon Turf, Demon Tides, Squeakcross, Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild, Breeze in the Clouds The Question Zone (1:53:33) What game seems the most like a Furry Game on the surface but isnt actually one - Fursona Non Grata.  Tiny Toons Adventure: Buster Busts Loose, Undertale, Nine Sols, Parappa the Rapper, Um Jammer Lammy,  The Rec Room (2:01:51) Breath of Fire V: Dragon Quarter, An American Tail 2: Fievel Goes West, On Your Tail, The Noss Saga: Wolf of Withervale, Pokemon Odyssey, Pokemon Prism, Pokemon Quetzal   

This week on Brainlords we attempt to solve the origins of the khaki cargo shorts/green Zelda tee combo. Special guest Jiikae helps us dive into the clash between personal aesthetic and what marketers tell us our vibe should be. Would my life actually be better if I got the Kim Kitsuragi replica jacket? Terrible example, yes actually, it would. Questions, Comments, Suggestions? CONTACT US: [email protected]  Kyle - Cute Monster Props   Jorge - JMV Jiikae THINGS DISCUSSED  Melty Blood, Virtua Fighter, Tekken, King of Fighters, Craig of the Creek, The Legend of Zelda A Link to the Past What was the vibe of the retro console generations? (0:13:59) Music - BKNapp, Thousand Arms, Pokemon Red, Pokemon Blue, Final Fantasy IV, Sonic the Hedgehog, Scott Pilgrim, Grand Theft Auto 3, Mortal Kombat, Halo: Combat Evolved, Final Fantasy VII, God of War Why does video game fashion look like that? (0:38:36)  Death Stranding, Shin Megami Tensei, Pokemon Black Milk Collection, The Mothman SMT Sweater, Sonic Timberlands, FFXIII Lighting Luis Vuitton collab, The Acronym Death Stranding Collab, Kith Megamn Shirt, Online Ceramics Silent Hill 2, Resident Evil 4, Disco Elysium Kim Kitsuragi Jacket, Megan Thee Stallion Jojo look, No More Heroes Game Ratings: Games with Hip-Hop Soundtracks (1:02:37) Samurai Champloo: Sidetracked, Street Fighter 3rd Strike, Bomb Rush Cyberfunk, Persona 3, Persona Trinity Soul, Sonic Adventure 2, No More Heroes III, Romeo is a Dead Man, Parappa the Rappa, Mad World, Anarchy Reigns, Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2, Tony Hawk Pro Skater, Saint’s Row When is Gaming Memorabilia self expression vs overconsumption (1:26:58) Xenoblade Chronicles, Sonic Mania Can you be a performative gamer? (1:36:28) Shin Megame Tensei Digital Devil Saga Nocturn, Genshin Impact,  The Question Zone (2:01:14) Do you think consoles have tried to go too aesthetic in a way that actually hurts the design and implentation of it within a home? Why do you think gamer fashion is so anchored in t-shirts? Is it a production cost thing or something else? Why don't we see more pants or skirts or scarves for example? -I tried to put the bee movie script, but Google told me no Why do games where the characters are fly as hell have really ass looking merch? Kyo looks like that but the best you can do is a 3d render on top of a hand brush font of that characters name? -Ratan Hate King of Fighters Do you think the overconsumption of gamer memorabilia is tied to the enshitification of the world and rising costs of living? -I brake for hot monsters The Rec Room (2:11:20) Rochelle Jordan - Through the Wall, Romeo is a Dead Man, Mainframes, Go get a prostate exam! Pew Pew Bang Podcast, Cairn,  Jiikae - Utada Hikaru Video

As the N64 nearly turns 30, it’s fully moved on from a nostalgic console to a secondhand nostalgia console. What better way to celebrate it than a list of its top games with special guest Paper Dawn! But aren’t you tired of seeing the same handful of Nintendo and Rareware titles?  We’ve selected our best games with some extra challenging restrictions. Questions, Comments, Suggestions? CONTACT US: [email protected]  Kyle - Cute Monster Props   Jorge - JMV Dawn - PaperDawN THINGS DISCUSSED  Pokemon ZA, Pokemon TCG Honorable Mentions (0:08:46) Star Fox 64, Star Fox, Bonk’s Adventure, Crock: Legend of the Gobbos, Bomberman Hero, Ape Escape, Ucchannanchan no Honō no Challenger: Denryū Iraira Bō, Ucchannanchan's Flaming Challenger: Irritating Electric Stick, Kuru Kuru Kururin,  ROUND ONE (0:21:23) Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon, Megaman Legends, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Bakeru, Princess Peach: Showtime, Yoshi’s Crafted World, Yoshi’s Wooly World, Chameleon Twist, Glover, Quest 64, Undertale, Paper Mario,   ROUND TWO (0:40:07) Mischief Makers, Gunstar Heroes, Beetle Adventure Racing, Snowboard Kids, Snowboard Kids 2, Mario Kart, Diddy Kong Racing  Game Ratings: N64 Controller Colors (1:00:30)  Donkey Kong 64, Corsair April Fools PC ROUND THREE (1:16:06)  Rocket: Robot on Wheels, Sly Cooper and the Thevious Racoonus, Super Mario 64, Earthbound, Flying Dragon, Nintama Rinrao 64 Game Gallery, Hybrid Heaven, Legend of Lagaia ROUND FOUR (1:42:09) Getter Love!!: Chō Renai Party Game Tanjō, Ogre Battle 64, Unicorn Overlord, Tactics Ogre, Final Fantasy Tactics, Goemon’s Great Adventure,  The Question Zone (2:18:42) What is your favorite N64 Accessory? -Greg Hybrid Heaven, The Legend of Zelda Majora’s Mask, Pokemon Stadium, Wario Land, Perfect Dark, Densha De Go! 64, Paper Mario The Rec Room (2:25:33) Rayman 2: The Great Escape, Gex 64, Dumpling Lasagna, Eureka Mario 64 Romhack, Jada Toys Megaman toys, Mega Man X, Banjo Kazooie Recompilatoin, The Truman Show

Happy one year anniversary Brainlords! On this very special episode, we actually PLAYED Brainlords. What does a scrappy little Zelda-like by Enix say in 2026 and what have we learned from the past year of podcasting? We discuss our favorite episodes and our biggest mistakes as we reflect on the state of video games criticism in 2026. Thanks for sticking with us or even just being a part of our first year!   Questions, Comments, Suggestions? CONTACT US: [email protected]  Kyle - Cute Monster Props   Jorge - JMV   THINGS DISCUSSED  https://monkeyball-online.pages.dev/  Super Monkey Ball 2, Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble, Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie, What even is Brainlord (1993)?! (0:06:39)  Brainlord, Magic the Gathering,  Soul Blazer, Ys, Irem, The Legend of Zelda, Diablo, ActRaiser, Robotrek, Secret of Mana What were your favorite moments and episodes from year one? (0:27:28) Final Fantasy, Yuyu Hakusho, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Paper Mario The Thousand Year Door What was your biggest lesson from year one? (0:40:30) Game Ratings: Brainlords Episodes (0:50:25) Hollow Knight: Silksong, Gundam Hathaway, The Locked Tomb: Gideon The Ninth, Protomen: Act III, Mina the Hollower, What is the voice of Brainlords? (1:00:02) Gundam Witch from Mercury, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Watchdogs, Despelote, Blippo+,  What do you think games analysis should be striving for in 2026? () O.D., The Verge, 404 Media, Jason Schreier, Aftermath, Remap Radio, PC Gamer Space Marine 2, Warhammer Space Marine, Final Fantasy II What is your Brainlords Mission Statement? (1:13:24) Deltarune, Andrew Gold, Big Butt Bobby,  The Question Zone (1:37:15) Dear Brainlords,  In your episode, "What Even Is an Indie Game Anyways?" you highlighted the indie title, "Big Butt Bobby," which sparked some important questions in my mind. Who has the best booty in video games? Whose butt was the greatest missed opportunity? Are there any video game character designers who you admire for their dashing derriere designs? Sincerely, TrueInky Boogerman, Resident Evil: Village, Bayonetta, Stellar Blade, NieR: Automata, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island, Baby Steps, Ape Escape, Overwatch, Ninja Gaiden (2004), Dragon’s Crown, Metaphor: Refantazio, Anarchy Reigns Rec Room (1:53:14) Brainlord (not actually that cheap, sorry y’all!), Haha You Clowns, Cross Code, Tombstone (1993), Master and Commander, True Grit, No Country for Old Men

Questions, Comments, Suggestions? CONTACT US: [email protected]  Kyle - Cute Monster Props   Jorge - JMV Depending on who or when you ask, indie seems to be a genre, a scene, a vibe and a controversy generator for the game awards. Why can't we seem to find any common ground on a term that seemingly just means independently produced? In today's episode, we discuss the different qualifiers (and disqualifiers) for anything from one person twine games to teams of 33-400 people with a roughly $10million budget. Y'know, the little guys.  THINGS DISCUSSED  MAGfest, The Protoment Act III, King’s Field, Katamari Damacy, Super Monkey Ball, Sim City, Paper Larva Artist, Magic The Gathering, Tunic, Awesome Games Done Quick 2026, XBLA, Cave Story, Yume Nikki, Braid, Castle Crashers, Braid: Critical Theory on the Joy of Ludic Expression - A Soulja Boy Review, Jonathan Blow provides his thoughts on women, Super Meat Boy, Bastion, Fez, Sword And Sworcery, Planet Coaster, Humble Indie Bundle (back when it was good), Aquaria Is it an indie game if they don't have a publisher? (0:25:02) Devolver Digital, Blumhouse Games, Outersloth, Aggrocrab, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Undertale, Big Mode, Animal Well, Star of Providence, Double Fine, Psych Odyssey,   Is it an indie if they don’t have a big budget? (0:37:49) Shovel Knight, Stardew Valley, Dwarf Fortress, World of Goo, Hollow Knight: Silksong, Deltarune, Laika Studios, Dave the Diver, Nexxon,  Valiant Hearts: The Great War, Mirror’s Edge, Despelote, Owlboy, FF7 Remake   Game Ratings: Game Awards Indie Game of the Year Winners (0:57:33) Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, Gone Home, Sea of Stars, Chrono Trigger, MGSV, Chrono Cross,  The Messenger, Limbo, Mario Party 1, Trials HD, Ms. Splosion Man, Journey, Disco Elysium Is it indie if they don’t have a CEO? (1:26:17) Sandfall Interactive, Remedy Games, Larian Studios,Supergiant Games Is it indie if a small number of people worked on it? (1:45:08) JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Our Valued Customers, Clair Obscur barred from Indie awards due to undisclosed AI usage, House House, Untitled Goose Game, Big Walk, Peak, Big Butt Bobby, Rayman Origins, Rayman 64 Closing Thoughts and Question Zone (1:59:04) Beeb says - A game primarily funded either through the developers themselves or individuals who believe in their dream, e.g. working for free in their spare time, from previous game revenue, or from crowdfunding. It should not involve investments from other corporations or individuals expecting a return of greater value. Critically, an independent studio does not have a publisher who isn't also themselves.   Mewd says - An indie game can be divided into categories of scale, none of which has an agreed upon term at present. I think the maximum threshold for an indie game will be a title started and developed without initial support from a major publisher and visibly has a more restricted budget than major triple A releases. On the lower end, an indie game is a borderline hobby game produced by a team that could fit in a motel room and is often characterized by strong artistic vision and experimentation aided by the small team size and relative lack of corporate oversight. These are more in the category of an art house indie game or passion project. Ultimately, indie is a spectrum and a game feels MORE indie if it has a strong authorial voice, compensates for fewer development resources with innovation, and is less visibly under the direction of dominant publishers and marketing trends.   Andrew Bluett says - It's tough to pin down today when the term is so diluted and access to easy-to-use tools is the most open it's ever been, but an indie game to me is one which is made by a small studio or team with little to no financial backing from another party. Indie publishers complicate this and blur the line, but there's the matter of scale to consider with this. Is Demonschool an indie game despite being funded and published by Ysbryd Games? Based on the publisher's output of smaller titles with modest costs, you can easily say "yes". What about Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which runs on UE5, is much larger in scope than what one would think of with independent games, but was still funded by Pacific Drive and Sifu publisher Kepler Interactive? Technically "yes". But as the number of publishers shrinks year over year and funding for independent projects becomes more scarce, the definition blurs further. Maybe the term "indie game" should be redefined to consider the financial logistics of development and distribution less than the the level of creative control that developers have over the project. Games like Dave the Diver throw a wrench into this line of thinking as well, but these are the pitfalls of trying to define a term which has been misunderstood and at times pigeonholed into reflecting particular styles or aesthetics rather than simple realities of how a work came to be, and even then the complications don't end. tl;dr fuck man if it wasn't made by Sony, Nintendo, Microsoft, EA, or Ubisoft, call it whatever you want Whot says - When I think indie, I think that anybody could make that game if they had the skills rather than if they had the money. If you have the money to access stuff like mo-cap or a bunch of external contractors, it's hard to call that indie anymore. Games like Expedition 33 or even Dispatch, I feel are something in between AAA and indie. They deserve all the love and recognition of course, but I dunno, it's kinda hard to draw the line of whether to really call them indie games imo. But then there's a game like Date Everything where it's got a horde of AAA voice actors but leans more on the indie side in terms of the rest of their dev team. Again, I think we just really need a term for something between AAA and indie. AA? A? AssistantTurtlemover says - An Indie Game is a game made made independently from a traditional publisher that could intervene financially, creatively or technically in the process of the creation of the game The Rec Room (2:15:02) Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze, Final Fantasy X, Shadow Hearts, Legend of Dragoon, Lost Odyssey, Andrew Bluett’s FFX Retrospective, Lonely Magic - Rebecca Sugar, Steven Universe is really really good yall - it turns out all the “Filler” episodes have setups and payoffs for worldbuilding and emotional beats IMAGINE THAT, Tenchi Muyo, Tenchi Universe, Captain Harlock, Fantasian, Blue Dragon, Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club, Troll 2 4K Restoration, Best Worst Movie

This week on Brain Lords, sequels, remakes, and spiritual successors sure love to add more, but then why do we keep playing the original? We discuss the all too common additions that make their ways into flashy new games and when features like crafting, open worlds, and skill trees took an already perfect game and made it a little worse.  Questions, Comments, Suggestions? CONTACT US: [email protected] Kyle - Cute Monster Props Jorge - JMV THINGS DISCUSSED  Homestar Runner, Stinkoman 20X6, Brotato, Super Smash Bros Games made worse by more loot and crafting (0:08:57) Dragon Quest XI, The Last of Us, Resident Evil 2, Transformers Devastation, Bayonetta, Breath of the Wild, Nioh 2, Dark Souls Games made worse by more skill trees (0:35:10) Borderlands 2, Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Donkey Kong Bananza, Back 4 Blood, Left 4 Dead,  Xenoblade Chronicles 3, Super Mario Odyssey,  Game Ratings: Games with Romance Mechanics (0:52:40) Baldurs Gate 3, Hades, Unicorn Overlord, Little Goodie Two Shoes, Fire Emblem Awakening, Advance Wars, Tokimeki Memorial,  Games made worse by open worlds (1:14:21) Death Stranding, Metal Gear Solid V, Red Dead Redemption 2, Mirrors Edge 2, Mirror’s Edge, Mario Kart World, Forza Horizon, Burnout Paradise, Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom, Shadow of the Colossus, The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time, Banjo Kazooie Games made worse in the remake (1:37:48) AM2R, Samus Returns, Super Mario RPG (Remake), The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, Resident Evil 4 REmake, You Don’t Hate Remasters Enough - Whitelight, Demon’s Souls, Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, NieR Replicant, Metal Gear Solid Delta Closing Thoughts (1:58:07) The Question Zone (2:07:29) Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Megaman ZX, Megaman Zero, Elden Ring, ActRaiser Renaissance,     Pizza Tim asks: You have enough loose change for one last arcade game of the night, what are you picking and why? Gunblade New York, Jurassic Park Arcade, Time Crisis 3, Bubble Bobble, SVC Chaos, Metal Slug The Eggmanosphere asks: When artistic vision is lost in the process of modernization, how do you explain to others that remakes aren't necessarily better than the original, especially when they see the remake as better by virtue of being on a current gen platform?   Final Fantasy 7, Chrono Trigger   The Rec Room (2:18:41)   Slay the Spire, Balatro, Minus the Bear, The Far Side, Baby Steps 

Here it is, our 2025 games of the year…..oh crap we forgot to play any video games! This year join Kyle, Jorge, and special guest Esper Quinn (wahoo!) as your esteemed judges presenting their picks for Backlog games of the year. With so many good games, why did these must-plays just barely miss the mark for us? Enjoy such awards as “Best Game That Got Overhyped for Me and Now I’m Pushing Back on Principal”. In this extra long extravaganza we also share our actual games of the year and even a christmas skit full of humor just for the gamers (tm). Happy holidays y’all!    Questions, Comments, Suggestions? CONTACT US: [email protected]  Kyle - Cute Monster Props   Jorge - JMV Special Guest - Esper Quinn THINGS DISCUSSED  Puzzled Artist (warning: thick ladies), Sonic Adventure 2, Megaman Battle Network, Klanoa: Door to Phantomile, Blue Prince Best Game That Was Too Rich for my Blood (0:11:40) Donkey Kong Bananza, Donkey Konga, Donkey Kong Tropical Beat, Pokemon ZA, James Turner - Character Artist for Sword and Shield    Best Multiplayer Game I Can’t Seem to Find a Group for(0:33:41) Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, Street Fighter, Super Smash Bros, Tekken, FBC: Firebreak, Control 2, Alan Wake, NieR: Automata, Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, Elden Ring: Nightrein, Dark Souls   Best Indie I Ought to Get Around to (0:49:55) Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Ball x Pit, Vampire Survivors, Balatro, Quartet, Quintet, Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest, Despelote, Consume Me, Pokemon Snap, Baby Steps, 1000xResist, Horses, Molleindustria   Best Game I Clearly Want to Play but Imma Let This Cook a Little Longer (1:05:09) Isopod, Hollow Knight: Silksong, Cid Meier’s Civilization 7, Hades 2, Bastion, Transistor, Pyre, Stardew Valley,    Game Ratings: Games we DID play in 2025 (1:20:44) To a T, Promise Mascot Agency, Paradise Killer, Candy Rangers, Sin and Punishment, The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventure, Sonic Racing Crossworlds, Marvel Rivals, Look Outside, The Magical Realms of Tír na nÓg: Escape from Necron 7 – Revenge of Cuchulainn: The Official Game of the Movie – Chapter 2 of the Hoopz Barkley SaGa, Demon School, Lost Odyssey, Final Fantasy X, The Best Game That’s Too Big for me to Get Through As A Person Working Full Time (2:02:51) Silent Hill F, Sekiro, Paper Mario, Earthbound, Slitterhead, Ghostwire: Tokyo, Noita, Death Stranding 2 Best Game that Came Out in December What Were You Guys Thinking I am Far Busy for That (2:13:39) Corgi Space, Spin Rhythm, Sockpop Collective, UFO 50, Gruun, Unbeatable, Angeline Era  Best Game That Got Overhyped for Me and Now I’m Pushing Back on Principal (2:26:21) Umamusame: Pretty Derby (a game that is on Jorge’s Backlog and therefor means he really really wants to play it and just can’t seem to be a goo-goo baby), Love Live, Mahjong Fight Club  The Wrap Up (2:55:30) Final Fantasy Tactics Remake, South of Midnight, Deltarune Ch 3+4, Absolum, Lies of P, Keeper, Ena Dream BBQ, Metal Gear Solid Delta, Mina the Hollower, Ghosts of Yotei, Tokyo Extreme Racer The Question Zone (3:01:12) A Less Cute and More Monstrous Kyle asks - Do you think that being Microsoft-published actually hurts games being nominated and winning awards? For example, Troy Baker gave a hell of a performance with the handicap of also keeping up an impressive Harrison Ford impression. People aren't really talking about it even if he's been nominated for a few awards. Some of this may be due to the release timing, but I've seen similar reactions to other Microsoft owned games and Epic Games Store paid exclusives. Microsoft BDS Boycott, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus Also, Hades II is my game of the year. Screw anyone saying Early Access disqualifies it. Bowl of Lentils asks - Have you ever returned to a game in your backlog and it ended up becoming one of your all-time favorite games? For me that was Valkyria Chronicles on the PS3. Only played an hour or two and then dropped it for years. But when I finally got back to it, I ended up absolutely loving it and playing the rest of the series. Demon’s Souls, Culdcept Saga got kin assigned luigi by clients - at what point would an indie studio no longer be considered "indie" enough for the indie award categories its luigi but i had more to say - do you think with how the push for games to be showcased during TGA is exacerbated because E3 died tragically from disease, and should E3 or something similar be brought back Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon, Tomb Raider The Rec Room (3:20:01) UFO 50, TMNT 4K Restoration Trillogy,  Stop!! Hibari Kun!, Blippo+, Buying Ramune in twist off bottles. The Moon and Serpent Bumper Book of Magic, Magic the Gathering Pauper format, Nirvana The Band The Show The Movie, Insert Credit, 52 Pickup, DC Action News, Topic Lords, Esper Quinn!

This week on Brainlords we talk about our fascination with emulations from another nation. That's right, fan translations! Special guest Bowl of Lentils walks us through their work on the Sakura Wars 1&2 translation while we round robin our favorite games we could have never played without the fans doing it themselves. We talk the good the bad and the ugly, everything from selfless collaborations to petty disputes for clout in this Super Duper High School Level Episode.   Questions, Comments, Suggestions? CONTACT US: [email protected]  Kyle - Cute Monster Props Jorge - JMV Special Guest - Bowl of Lentils THINGS DISCUSSED  Detective Instinct: Farewell My Beloved, Arcturus: The Curse and Loss of Divinity, Falcom (Developer), Genealogy of the Holy War, Private Idol, Clock Tower, The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails Bowl of Lentils Game 1: Sakura Wars 1 & 2 (0:10:07) Translation lead by: NoahSteam, Sakura Wars Series, Mizzurna Falls,  Jorge’s Game 1: Mother 3 (0:27:53) Translation lead by Jeffman Chewy and Tomato, Mother 3, The Earthbound Anthology, Mother To Earth: The Untold Story of Earth Bound, Earthbound USA, Earthbound, Mother 1, Hobonichi Mother Merch, Kyle’s Game 1: Cave Story (0:47:22) Translation by Aeon Genisis, Dokutsu Monogatari, Yume Nikki, Jay is Games, Kero Blaster, Umihara Kawase, Blade Strangers, Daisuke Amaya Furry Art Game Ratings: Video Game Dubs (0:58:52)  Metal Gear Solid Master Collection, Lunar Silver Star Story Complete, The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy, Star Fox Command, Final Fantasy X, Megaman X4, Devil May Cry, Yakuza Like A Dragon, Yakuza 1, Yakuza Like A Dragon Infinite Wealth, Black Myth Wukong, Clair Obscure: Expedition 33, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Brave Fencer Musashi, Kid Ikarus: Uprising Lentil’s Game 2: Famicom Detective Club Part II: The Girl Who Stands Behind (1:28:10) Translation Lead by Bongo, Demiforce, Tomato, Famicom Detective Club, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Tales of Fantasia, Ace Attourney Jorge’s Game 2: Princess Crown (1:37:56) Translation Lead by CyberWarriorX and SamIAm, Princess Crown, Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom, Dungeons and Dragons Shadows Over Mystara, Odin’s Sphere, Policenauts Kyle’s Game 2: Danganronpa (1:53:26) Translation done by Project Zetsubo, Danganronpa Screenshot LP, Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havok, Siren, Virtues Last Reward, The House of Fata Morgana,  The Question Zone (2:09:17) What is the most formative game to you that was not in english when you played it? -LocalizerThunk   Fire Emlem: Mystery of the Emblem, SeGaGaGa, Moon Remix RPG   Are there any fan translations you are looking forward to? -Jerry Boy 3 Namco x Capcom, Project X Zone, Ex Troopers, Mado Monogatari: Fia and the Wondrous Academy, Puyo Puyo, Pokémon Trading Card Game 2: The Invasion of Team GR!, Slime Mori Mori Dragon Quest 3, Moonlight Syndrome, Otoirisou video by Dungeon Chill, Click Medic, Shadow Tower Abyss The Rec Room (2:22:51) The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky, Metaphor Refantazio, Angels Egg, Wordless, Consume Me. Bowl of Lentils History of Chunsoft Sound Novels

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: [email protected] 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: [email protected] 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: [email protected] 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: [email protected] 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: [email protected] 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: [email protected] 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: [email protected] 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: [email protected] 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: [email protected] 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: [email protected] 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: [email protected] 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: [email protected] 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: [email protected] 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: [email protected] 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: [email protected] 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: [email protected] 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)

"People said that game was weird (pejorative), but I remember being 14 with SNES9X thinking this game is weird (praise)." In this weeks episode, forget the most overrated or underrated game. Whether it's good, bad, or mid what is the game that everybody can agree on? Can a game even be underrated when a it has a reputation for being a hidden gem? How does public and critical opinion of a game change over time and does it ever stop changing? Warning, these are just our moderately researched opinions meaning they are 100% right for the rest of all time.  Kyle - Cute Monster Props Jorge - JMV Edited By David Pinckney   Things Discussed: E3 2005, Twilight Princess, Windwaker. 1. What is the Most Adequately Rated Game? (0:08:55) Super Mario RPG, Super Mario Wonder, Metal Gear Solid 2. What does it mean to be overrated, underrated, and and adequately rated? (0:17:06) Doom 3. How does critical reappraisal change what is good or bad in a game? (0:26:56) Baroque, Castlevania 2, Alien Resurrection, Nier Replicant 4. Many games are aptly rated but underappreciated, what differentiates that from being underrated? (0:36:36) 13 Sentinels 5. Does the social aspect affect what games you play? (0:39:11) Diablo 4, Borderlands, God of War, The Last of Us, Call of Duty Series, Bioshock Infinite, Super Smash Bros Melee, Summoning Salt 6. What makes a game divisive and how does that better frame a game? (0:53:51) Death Stranding, No Rest for the Wicked, Earthbound 7. What is your most underrated game? (1:01:47) Fallout New Vegas, Nier Replicant, Earthbound 8. What is your most overrated game? (1:11:58) Tears of the Kingdom, Final Fantasy Rebirth 9. What is your most adequately rated game? (1:23:44) Chrono Trigger, Lost Odyssey, Blue Dragon, Doom, Doom 2016, Frog Monster, Katamari Damacy 10. Wrap up and closing thoughts. (1:34:24)   11. Question Zone (1:3650) "How important is memetic status to a game?" Portal 1, Portal 2 "How would you improve The Game Awards (be reasonable)?" 12. Rec Room (1:49:30) Video Game of the Year: A Year-by-Year Guide to the Best, Boldest, and Most Bizarre Games from Every Year Since 1977 - Jordan Minor, Sisters With Transistors, Nintendo E3 2005, The Green Knight.

  "People don't want Zelda 2, they want Zelda 1-Plus." Our pilot episode! Come get to know us as we ask the question - What do you look for in a game? Meet your hosts Jorge, an Illustrator working on product design at Fangamer, and Kyle, an SFX artist working on video game statues and eSports trophies at Volpin Props. Together they discuss games as an art form and a culture. Topics can cover any aspect to help us appreciate video games new, retro, popular, or indie (but like, the weird indie not just the popular indie though we do that alot too). On todays episode we'll learn what attracts us to a new game, judge each other's steam wishlists, and figure out why it's so difficult to describe games without comparing them to other games.  Kyle - Cute Monster Props Jorge - JMV Edited By David Pinckney   Topics and Things discussed:   EVO, Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, Marvel Vs Capcom 2-3, Dragon Ball FighterZ, BlazBlue, Skullgirls, Guilty Gear Strive, DNF Duel, Melty Blood, League of Legends, Overwatch, Sothern Fried Gaming Expo, Arm Champs II, Battlezone, Manaco GP, Black Knight, Black Knight 2000, Pinbot, Bride of Pinbot. 1. What is Brainlords and who are your hosts? (0:15:11) Gundam The Witch From Mercury, Fangamer, Volpin Props, Final Fantasy 1, The Yetee, Kirby Superstar. 2. What do you Look for in a game? (0:26:00) Unicorn Overlord, Balatro, Milk Outside A Bag of Milk Outside A Bag of Milk Outside A Bag of Milk, Milk Inside A Bag of Milk Inside A Bag of Milk Inside A Bag of Milk, Umineko, Clickholding, Before Your Eyes, He F***ed the Girl Out of Me, Animal Well, Pepper Grinder 3. How Important is novelty when looking for a game? (0:32:50) Theory of the Gimmick Aesthetic Judgment and Capitalist Form by Sianne Ngai, 1000xResist, Nier Automata, Signalis 4. When looking for a game, is there a distinction between modern and retro games? (0:39:20) Pseudoregalia 5. Do you still try out new games blind? (0:44:55) Lisa the Painful, Lisa the First, Shenmu, Cave Story, Yume Nikki, Alien Hominid, Super Meat Boy, RPG Maker VX Ace, Mega Man X, Mega Man Command Mission 6. Lets judge each other's taste based on our Steam Wishlists! (0:53:00) Nine Sols, Hollow Knight, Detention, Devotion, Proto Droid Delta, Megaman Zero, The Making of Karateka, Half Life 2 Developer Commentary, Dumpy and Bumpy, Toxic Crusaders, Adventures of Lolo 1 2 &3, Void Stranger, Undertale, Lorelie and the Laser Eyes, Sayonara Wild Hearts, Asura the Striker, Space Harrier, Dread Delusion, Elder Scrolls 3 Morrowind, Kings Field, Va11 Hall-A, N1rvana, Doki Doki Literature Club, The House of Fata Morgana, AI The Somnium Files, Penitment, 999, 0.45 Parabelum Bloodhound 7. Closing Thoughts (1:16:40) Zelda 2, A Link to the Past, Castlevania 2, 8. The Question Zone (1:2020) "What was the last video game you regret buying and why?" Little Kitty Big City, A Short Hike, Diablo 4, Nickelodeon All Star Brawl, Super Smash Bros Melee, Rivals of Aether 2 "Do you feel like you cant recommend games anymore without taking time out of a person's life?" Disco Elysium, 13 Sentinels, Xenoblade, Severance, Demon Turf, Zone of the Enders, Penny's Big Breakaway, Yellow Taxi Goes Vroom. 9. Outro (1:35:00)  Contact us at [email protected] or search @BrainLordsPod on social media.