8-4 Play

By 8-4, Ltd.

Technology Video Games

What's 8-4 Play about?

Every other week, tune into 8-4 Play for talk about Japan, video games, and Japanese video games, straight from the 8-4 offices in beautiful downtown Tokyo.

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8-4 Play 2/3/2023: JOJO'S H...

02.03.2023

Game director at Tango Gameworks, self-admitted Zwan fan, and (actual) friend of the show John Johanas joins to talk all about the hottest game that no one had heard of until a week ago: Hi-Fi Rush! Time – Topic Discussed: ...

8-4 Play episodes:

02.03.2023 8-4 Play 2/3/2023: JOJO'S HI-FI ADVENTURE Game director at Tango Gameworks, self-admitted Zwan fan, and (actual) friend of the show John Johanas joins to talk all about the hottest game that no one had heard of until a week ago: Hi-Fi Rush! Time – Topic Discussed: ...
01.20.2023 8-4 Play 1/20/2023: FAR EAST OF SHIBUYA With Gaming Jesus MIA, we broke out the rotary phone and called Turbo Zone Direct (1-800-DUO-THIS) to summon newcomer JP Wentz for an in-person show (!) to talk a lot of PC Engine, a little Pokemon S&V;, a touch of ...
01.06.2023 8-4 Play 01/6/2023: MONEY TO BURN Kick off the new year with a TIGHT 60 (tm) of wistful holiday memories of three ogres battled, two crises cored, one avatar movie, and a fel-o-ny in an air fryer. 01:59 – Nicknames 19:44 – Tactics Ogre: Reborn 31:16 ...
12.23.2022 8-4 Play 12/23/2022: HERE COMES JESUS CLAUS In our holiday special, wayward son Graeme returns home to learn the true meaning of Christmas—i.e. Armored Core and Street Fighter, The Game Awards, Ash hanging up his Pokéballs, and plenty more. WARNING: SANTA SPOILERS: KEEP AWAY FROM 10 AND ...
12.09.2022 8-4 Play 12/9/2022: FUNKY KONG OF 40,000 YEARS Travel back to a time before (a day before!) the Game Awards and revel in the nostalgia and naïveté of those bygone days when people cared about Mario movie trailer #2, Elden Ring art books, and Yuji Naka conspiracy theories. ...
11.25.2022 8-4 Play 11/25/2022: TURKEY SURVIVORS Kyoto’s reigning turducken champion and 17-Bit head honcho Jake Kazdal joins us straight from the dinner table in Kyoto to talk about Somerville, Vampire Survivors, Pokemon S&V;, the upcoming Game Awards, and plenty more! Time – Topic Discussed: 01:08 – ...
11.11.2022 8-4 Play 11/11/2022: S’MORE TAKES (PARODY ACCOUNT) Gather round the campfire for mildly-warm-yet-palatable-even-if-they-briefly-fell-on-the-ground takes on Modern Warfare II, Twitter, Callisto Protocol & Japanese game "cens0rship," Nintendo numbers and more. Time – Topic Discussed: 01:39 – Nicknames 18:38 – Twitter Tawk 32:42 – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare ...
10.28.2022 8-4 Play 10/28/2022: THAT'S NOT COFFEE A verrrrrryyy scaaaaaaary and seasonally-appropriate spooktacular (tm) chat covering all the recent Resident Evil and Silent Hill news, Bloodborne and its unofficial demake, and -- yadda some last thing what did we talk about --. (Boo!) Time – Topic Discussed: ...
10.14.2022 8-4 Play 10/14/2022: GLUTEUS MINIMUS The gang checks in on the Street Fighter 6 Beta, Meta Quest Pro news, and Phil Spencer’s shelf, says goodbye to The Last Soldier, Babylon’s Fall, and Stadia, and offer in-depth analysis on a certain plumber’s plumper — and it’s ...
09.30.2022 8-4 Play 9/30/2022: I AM JACK'S BIG GAMING CHAIR Nicholas de Leon of Consumer Reports saddles up in his Cooler Master Ergo L to talk about Gaming Chair conspiracies, the TGS news we missed, Mark's hate-hate relationship with Quake II, and plenty more. 01:06 – Nicknames 05:36 – Gaming ...
09.16.2022 8-4 Play 9/16/2022: TOKYO GAME SHOW 2022 Big news outta TGS this week (yes, you read that correctly!), so the gang assembles in person (!)—along with Capcom’s @alfonso_thesix and IGN’s @The_Katbot—to discuss Street Fighter 6, the Nintendo Direct and State of Play lineups, various Like a Dragons, ...
09.02.2022 8-4 Play 9/2/2022: THE GOLFER’S DREAM Accursed guest Liam Edwards joins us in the hunt, as we purge the streets of beasts and birdies. May the Great Ones grant us eyes, and maybe a few Ace Cards so we can make this episode a hole-in-one. Time ...
08.19.2022 8-4 Play 8/19/2022: THREE POINT SHOWCAST We may be whittled down to just a cast of three this week, but that won't stop us from brainstorming alcohol marketing strategies, talking about garbage, and helping Tina decide her next FromSoft game. Actually, maybe YOU can help with ...
08.05.2022 8-4 Play 8/5/2022: BORN TO DIE WORLD IS A SNUFF Summer has finally hit Tokyo, and we're all looking for ways to cool down--or at the very least keep our cooldowns spinning in Xenoblade Chronicles 3! Also Tina learns to make her favorite cocktail and Gabe moves up in the ...
07.22.2022 8-4 Play 7/22/2022: THE CAT'S AWAY When the host is away, the rest of the cast will...explore the pain threshold of chocobo racing in Final Fantasy X, examine the extras in the Elden Ring collector's edition, express some spoiler-free thoughts on Stray, and exhibit a variety ...
07.08.2022 8-4 Play 7/8/2022: GABES EARL JONES Roy did what? …Well we can’t put that in the description. Just say something like “We talk about Mario’s voice, SGDQ, Switch pro rumors yadda yadda” the usual BS. 00:51 – Nicknames 08:35 – Elden Ring (Massive Spoilers. Pretty Sure ...
06.24.2022 8-4 Play 6/24/2022: MACARONI AND CHEZ Join the fearsome 8-4-some as they charge headlong into Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, ruminate on the crowning of our final (?) Elden Lord, and waterslide through the Summer Gaming madness. Time – Topic Discussed: 01:39 – Nicknames & Mac ...
06.10.2022 8-4 Play 6/10/2022: LISTENING RAINBOW We're a bit behind (or rather, ahead of?) all the Summer Gaming nonsense -- hey, we live in Japan, we just got rid of Zima, fer crissakes! -- but still got plenty of hot chatz re: Street Fighter 6, Resident ...
05.27.2022 8-4 Play 5/27/2022: SIZE MATTERS Elden who? Bury that fossil alongside the NHK guy--this week, we're diving deep on Project Zomboid, the hot new...wait, it's from 2013? Well, whatever. Roy's into it and that's all that matters. Plus a lil Kirby, a lil news, and ...
05.13.2022 8-4 Play 5/13/2022: ENDIN' RING Our final (?) discussion of Elden Ring dives so deep your rainbow stone would shatter before it hits bottom, including spoiler-filled endgame zigs and half-assed lore zags. Also: some news. Time – Topic Discussed: 01:20 – Nicknames 19:23 – Elden ...
04.29.2022 8-4 Play 4/29/2022: GOLDEN, WEAK What better way to celebrate Showa Day than with a smattering of Radical Dreamers, a dollop of Chrono Cross, and most importantly, in-depth analysis of every t-shirt in Uniqlo’s new Final Fantasy collaboration line? 01:05 – Nicknames 09:34 – Elden ...
04.15.2022 8-4 Play 4/15/2022: TOTALLY TUBULAR A whole lotta Gotta Protectors: Cart of Darkness, signs of Elden Ring burnout (yet somehow we still love talking about it for an hour?), and some kind of Kingdom Hearts something or other I dunno I stopped listening at this ...
04.01.2022 8-4 Play 4/1/2022: NOT ABOUT ELDEN RING April Fools! We do actually mostly talk about Elden Ring again. Hey, where else on the internet is anyone discussing this obscure indie?! We DO have new opinions, at least, with Mark back and 17-Bit honcho Jake Kazdal joining in. ...
03.18.2022 8-4 Play 3/18/2022: ELDEN BLING Who has time to record a podcast when we're still neck-deep in Elden Ring? Not us, Tarnished! But all right, we'll put the twinblades down for an hour, I GUESS. Listen to us talk about our latest ER progress, the ...
03.04.2022 8-4 Play 3/4/2022: KISS THE RING The Dark Souls of Dark Souls successors is upon us in Elden Ring, so unfurl your fingers and join us by the bonfi—I mean, site of grace—for an extended, (mostly) spoiler-free first discussion about our travels and travails throughout the ...
02.18.2022 8-4 Play 2/18/2022: SANTA CROSS We go deep on the latest Nintendo Direct, check in with Tina's Pokémon Legends-ary journey, Roy's first foray into Civilization, and welcome Graeme back to yell about Vampire Survivors and why Gabe is wrong about Dark Souls 2. Time – ...
02.04.2022 8-4 Play 2/4/2022: POKÉMON, HUN Hold onto your apricorns, because this week we’re talking about everyone’s favorite monsters: Banjo and Kazooie! No, just kidding. There’s a new Pokémon game, or so we hear, plus news, an FF14 check-in, Gabe’s mad dash through the Souls series, ...
01.21.2022 8-4 Play 1/21/2022: STATE OF THE ARSE Mostly news, and okay, yes, we do talk about Microsoft buying Activision, but only in the sense of who we plan to main in the inevitable upcoming Super Smash Dude Bros. IP crossover franchise. Otherwise: PSVR 2, AGDQ, and the ...
01.07.2022 8-4 Play 1/7/2022: IN MANGOD WE TRUST Fan favorite Shane Bettenhausen stops by to chat classic games / shoot-them-ups, Steam Deck, and TV Asahi's top 100 game list, with a hat tip to 2021 faves and what we're excited about in 2022. Time – Topic Discussed: 01:09 ...
12.24.2021 8-4 Play 12/24/2021: HAPPY=HOLIDAYS Can't travel home this year? Let us be your slightly drunk and very opinionated family as we blather on about old Sega games, The Game Awards, and those g-d politicians who are RUINING THIS COUNTRY! Time – Topic Discussed: 01:19 ...
12.10.2021 8-4 Play 12/10/2021: KEANU'S FOLLICLES 17-Bit jefe Jake Kazdal rejoins the party to discuss his new VR title Song In The Smoke, as well hot new releases like Dark Souls and Rez. Content warning: contains Final Fantasy XIV talk. Time – Topic Discussed: 00:43 – ...
11.26.2021 8-4 Play 11/26/2021: SEASON TWO The action picks up moments after last season's cliffhanger ending. Gabe is still on the run from the fuzz -- will he ever be able to show his face in our Zoom window again? Ponder this and more as we ...
11.12.2021 8-4 Play 11/12/2021: OLD BUDS, NEW BUSHES We know, we don’t look a day over #247! Pull up a chair and listen to these ol’ timers recount (and forget) tales from our past, checking in on Shin Megami Tensei V, Pikmin Bloom, and the new Animal Crossing ...
10.29.2021 8-4 Play 10/29/2021: SPINEL ME RIGHT ROUND We dive deep on RE4 in VR for the Quest with the help of our resident, evil Resident-Evil expert Alex Aniel, and chat Dungeon Encounters, more Super Nintendo World, and some news. Time – Topic Discussed: 00:48 – Nicknames 06:17 ...
10.15.2021 8-4 Play 10/15/2021: GOOD AS DREAD This week, we all curl up into very tight balls and barge into Jerry's apartment to talk about nothing. Just kidding! We actually talk about Metroid Dread and big TVs. Time – Topic Discussed: 01:06 – Nicknames 15:38 – Metroid ...
10.01.2021 8-4 Play 10/01/2021: TIGHT 64 Autumn is in the air, even if a classic Tokyo Game Show episode is not. Join us as we talk last judgments on Lost Judgment, get cute with Kena: Bridge of Spirits, and review the latest Nintendo Direct. Hey, how ...
09.17.2021 8-4 Play 9/17/2021: LEAVE IT TO THE MASTERS Join us as we traipse through a field of misty GameCube memories, Lost Judgment verdicts, Bugsnax morsels, and PlayStation Showcase amuse-bouches. Time – Topic Discussed: 00:56 – Nicknames 22:04 – Bloodborne 28:10 – Lost Judgment 43:39 – Bugsnax 54:28 – ...
09.03.2021 8-4 Play 9/3/2021: GOLF BADGUY Friend of the show Liam Edwards joins to talk his newly-announced golf-like, Cursed to Golf, plus BitSummit, indie life in Japan, No More Heroes 3, Guilty Gear Strive, and a healthy shake for dinner. Time – Topic Discussed: 01:12 – ...
08.20.2021 8-4 Play 8/20/2021: GOOD TIME TO BE A HUNTER Look: if you aren't Monster-Hunter-positive or at least MH-curious, might wanna just skip this ep. Otherwise, enjoy as GaijinHunter Adam Evanko joins to chat about the new Netflix special, Rise and MH Stories 2, what's next for the series, and ...
08.06.2021 8-4 Play 8/6/2021: SPIRITUAL OPIUM This week we debate the strengths and weaknesses of the two big conbini chains in Japan. Who makes the best pasta? The best fried chicken in an envelope? The best onigiri? Listen to find out! Oh, we also talk about ...
07.23.2021 8-4 Play 7/23/2021: QUALITY ASSURED Rainy season is out, Skyward Sword HD is in, Gabe is...all over the place, and it's a four-day weekend in Japan?! Join the holiday celebration as we answer listener questions and talk about Zelda, Steam Deck, crazy auctions, and more! ...
07.09.2021 8-4 Play 7/9/2021: MR. HOE'S WILD RIDE Ex game-journo and noted theme park connoisseur Michael Donahoe joins us for a deep dive into what he considers the best park on the planet (!): Super Nintendo World. Time – Topic Discussed: 01:09 – Nicknames 23:34 – Streets of ...
06.25.2021 8-4 Play 6/25/2021: SUMMER OF PARADISE The hype train has left with a resounding choo-choo! In its wake, we unpack this year's E3 news and share thoughts on Stranger of Paradise, FF7R Intergrade, 25 years of N64, and more! Time – Topic Discussed: 01:40 – Nicknames ...
06.11.2021 8-4 Play 6/11/2021: BACK ON TRACK E3 is (sorta) back, which means it's time to buckle up for another round of baseless speculation, ridiculous predictions, and general mayhem as we once again board the #E3HYPETRAIN! Time – Topic Discussed: 25:30 – News: Nintendo, Uncharted 4 on ...
05.28.2021 8-4 Play 5/28/2021: PRIME SLIME Dragon Quest may be getting 'darker' and 'more adult', but we here at 8-4 Play pledge to remain as cute and carefree as ever. Join us for talk of all the recent DQ-related announcements, the latest Switch rumors, a little ...
05.14.2021 8-4 Play 5/14/2021: RESIDENTAL No news is good news when the only news is Alex "cvxfreak" Aniel joining us for nearly two hours of impressions of two of the past month's biggest releases: Returnal and Resident Evil Village! Check out Alex's book Itchy, Tasty: ...
04.30.2021 8-4 Play 4/30/2021: G IS FOR GOLDEN It's Golden Week in Japan! Join us for pre-holiday impressions of SaGa Frontier Remastered and NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139, plus the latest news from the worlds of video games and fast food (spoiler: MacDonald is out this week, but McDonald's is ...
04.16.2021 8-4 Play 4/16/2021: TENDER IS THE FUR Impressed with the dioramas in Fantasian, we work together to construct a faithful replica of the 8-4 office. We spare no detail, including our fridge in the state-of-the-art podcast wing filled with tiny Chu-hi! Time – Topic Discussed: 01:31 – ...
04.02.2021 8-4 Play 4/2/2021: MY FAIR GAIJIN HUNTER Joined by special guest Adam "Gaijin Hunter" Evanko, we celebrate the latest pointy, bitey addition to the Monster Hunter franchise! 00:53 – Nicknames 05:52 – Monster Hunter Rise 1:04:48 – News: DLSS on the Next Switch, Sony’s Sunset Plans PS3/PSP/PSVita ...
03.19.2021 8-4 Play 3/19/2021: OUT OF SYNC This week we bravely default to talking about Japan, games, and Japanese games! Plus a bit of reminiscing about boy bands, print gaming media, and some classic puzzle platformers. Time – Topic Discussed: 00:58 – Nicknames 27:19 – Bravely Default ...

Older episodes

8-4 Play

What's 8-4 Play about?

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8-4 Play episodes:

8-4 Play 2/3/2023: JOJO'S HI-FI ADVENTURE

8-4 Play 1/20/2023: FAR EAST OF SHIBUYA

8-4 Play 01/6/2023: MONEY TO BURN

8-4 Play 12/23/2022: HERE COMES JESUS CLAUS

8-4 Play 12/9/2022: FUNKY KONG OF 40,000 YEARS

8-4 Play 11/25/2022: TURKEY SURVIVORS

8-4 Play 11/11/2022: S’MORE TAKES (PARODY ACCOUNT)

8-4 Play 10/28/2022: THAT'S NOT COFFEE

8-4 Play 10/14/2022: GLUTEUS MINIMUS

8-4 Play 9/30/2022: I AM JACK'S BIG GAMING CHAIR

8-4 Play 9/16/2022: TOKYO GAME SHOW 2022

8-4 Play 9/2/2022: THE GOLFER’S DREAM

8-4 Play 8/19/2022: THREE POINT SHOWCAST

8-4 Play 8/5/2022: BORN TO DIE WORLD IS A SNUFF

8-4 Play 7/22/2022: THE CAT'S AWAY

8-4 Play 7/8/2022: GABES EARL JONES

8-4 Play 6/24/2022: MACARONI AND CHEZ

8-4 Play 6/10/2022: LISTENING RAINBOW

8-4 Play 5/27/2022: SIZE MATTERS

8-4 Play 5/13/2022: ENDIN' RING

8-4 Play 4/29/2022: GOLDEN, WEAK

8-4 Play 4/15/2022: TOTALLY TUBULAR

8-4 Play 4/1/2022: NOT ABOUT ELDEN RING

8-4 Play 3/18/2022: ELDEN BLING

8-4 Play 3/4/2022: KISS THE RING

8-4 Play 2/18/2022: SANTA CROSS

8-4 Play 2/4/2022: POKÉMON, HUN

8-4 Play 1/21/2022: STATE OF THE ARSE

8-4 Play 1/7/2022: IN MANGOD WE TRUST

8-4 Play 12/24/2021: HAPPY=HOLIDAYS

8-4 Play 12/10/2021: KEANU'S FOLLICLES

8-4 Play 11/26/2021: SEASON TWO

8-4 Play 11/12/2021: OLD BUDS, NEW BUSHES

8-4 Play 10/29/2021: SPINEL ME RIGHT ROUND

8-4 Play 10/15/2021: GOOD AS DREAD

8-4 Play 10/01/2021: TIGHT 64

8-4 Play 9/17/2021: LEAVE IT TO THE MASTERS

8-4 Play 9/3/2021: GOLF BADGUY

8-4 Play 8/20/2021: GOOD TIME TO BE A HUNTER

8-4 Play 8/6/2021: SPIRITUAL OPIUM

8-4 Play 7/23/2021: QUALITY ASSURED

8-4 Play 7/9/2021: MR. HOE'S WILD RIDE

8-4 Play 6/25/2021: SUMMER OF PARADISE

8-4 Play 6/11/2021: BACK ON TRACK

8-4 Play 5/28/2021: PRIME SLIME

8-4 Play 5/14/2021: RESIDENTAL

8-4 Play 4/30/2021: G IS FOR GOLDEN

8-4 Play 4/16/2021: TENDER IS THE FUR

8-4 Play 4/2/2021: MY FAIR GAIJIN HUNTER

8-4 Play 3/19/2021: OUT OF SYNC

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