Yet again, I have convinced Jared to tackle another Zelda game. This time, we played Majora’s Mask. We talk about what’s good, what’s bad, how it compares to Ocarina, why it’s so controversial, and how Jared and I absolutely despise the Zelda timeline.
Leave a CommentCategory: Seasonal Anime Checkup OVA Podcast
In a very on-brand podcast this week, Jared and I tackle two games very different games that serve up healthy amounts of wackiness and emotion. First, I discuss the most recent otome I have played, Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly. (Say that three times fast!) I discuss the characters, the interesting flow chart mechanic, my favorite of the guys, unexpected sadness, and how completely bonkers the story gets at times. Jared then takes over to finish talking about Yakuza 6. Jared first talked about Yakuza a bit ago, but now that he has completed the game, he talks about the rest of the story beats, playing baseball, how many people he beat up, and also a massive amount of sadness.
Spoilers for both games!
And please enjoy the art that is Jared’s cover art this week.
This week, Jared and I took a different approach to the OVA. Since I defended (and passed!) my dissertation defense this week, we decided to talk in depth about the early years of the video game industry in the United States. We discuss the very first video games, the formation and culture of Atari, women and video games in the 1980s, the video game crash, and Nintendo’s resurrection of the industry, as well as some parallels of the early industry into today. If you want a crash course on the early history of the US video game industry, look no further!
Leave a CommentHonestly, I wish I had counted how many times this series has made me cry. I know that it is a lot. I love the story, and I have since tried to locate any and all supplementary media for it. The three-volume manga run just ended in the US around a week ago, and so Jared and I decided to discuss it. We previously talked about the movie Your Name, so we don’t really dive into a detailed description of the story. Instead, we talk about what’s new, what’s different, how the manga handles certain important scenes, and how the story translates into a completely different format.
Leave a CommentOn April Fools, Toonami showed a preview of the new FLCL, and I learned that Jared had never seen the original FLCL. I previously watched it in the early 2000s, and so after a rewatch on my part and an initial watch by Jared, we decided to chat about it. Is it a product of its time? Does it hold up after 18 years? Does nostalgia have any factor into the quality? We also talk about Richard Cheese and Crystal Pepsi, because if you had any doubts of when this was dubbed, you’ll know by those references. Also, LISTEN TO THE PILLOWS.
Leave a CommentSomehow I’ve gotten Jared into the ridiculousness that is Code: Realize, and we’ve talked previously about the game and the anime. Last week, US fans were treated to the fan disc, which is essentially a fan service expansion of the original story. In this episode, we discuss that fan disc, Code: Realize ~Future Blessings~, in its entirety. We talk about which of the OG guys has the best route, how much I hate Van Helsing, the addition of a datable Herlock Sholmés, a mafia route, and a Finis route which is surprisingly not disgusting. (Looking at you Period Cube) There is also a fun series of stories featuring everybody’s favorite adorable Drac-chan. Needless to say, I was stoked about this expansion, and the more Code: Realize I get, the happier I am.
Spoilers throughout! Listen here!
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Earlier this year, Jared and I talked about how amazing ReLIFE is, even without a conclusive ending. Since then, the manga has concluded and the anime got a 4 episode OVA to wrap up the series. While I had not read the manga when we first watched the anime, I have now, and we talk about what happens in the manga and the amazing ending. We then compare it to the 4 episode OVA, which obviously had to pack a lot of content into a small amount of time. Lastly, Jared and I wanted to cover all the different endings we could, so we watched the live action Japanese movie from 2017 which boasted a brand new, unique ending to the series. We talk about the film in general, how we felt it handled the characters, how the unique ending stacks up against the rest, and whether we think somebody who had no familiarity with the series would enjoy the movie or not.
Needless to say, there are mighty spoilers ahead, and if you haven’t read or watched ReLife, get on it then come back! Otherwise, you can listen here!
Leave a CommentSo, Jared tells me that there is this thing called March Madness with sports. This week, we decided to pit 64 different characters from Persona 3-5 against each other to determine the ultimate Persona 3-5 character. We have a lot of debates, crazy matchups and victories, and Jared is extremely shocked by one of my decisions. Like, really shocked. If you wanna join in the fun, you can find the bracket right here!
Leave a CommentThis week, Jared and I do a long dive into a fantastic 2017 RPG, Tokyo Xanadu eX+. We talk about what worked so well in the game, compare it to the Persona series, where we could retroactively place it in our 2017 GOTY lists, my crazy nicknames for characters, and why I give it a 9.8/10. We have a spoiler-free section in the beginning and a spoiler warning before we dive into the main story bits.
Leave a CommentThis week, Jared and I are talking about two very different games. Due to a glitch, Jared got a sneak preview of a large part of the upcoming Yakuza 6, and I talk about the most recent Secret of Mana HD release. Jared talks about the neat things you can do in Yakuza, how I should not be trusted with babies, and his thoughts on what he got to play. We also discuss the art changes in Secret of Mana HD, the story additions, and whether or not Square put any effort into the release.
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