Mark continues Caitlin's forced education on the Neo Geo with Shock Troopers, an underappreciated run and gun. They then discuss Death and Taxes, a narrative game with some strange framing choices.

WE INTERRUPT YOUR EPISODE NOTES WITH URGENT HORSE NEWS: A horse game is incoming! 

What We're Playing

01:01 Caitlin: Fire Emblem: Three Houses

07:51 Caitlin: The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

09:40 Mark: Halls of Torment (Casing Carrots, 2024)

17:58 GOOF: Shock Troopers (Saurus, 1997)

28:14 Feature Game: Death and Taxes (Placeholder Gameworks, 2020)

44:19 Spoilers Begin

51:25 Spoilers End

SHOUT

52:43 Mark: Windstorm: Legend of the Khiimori (Aesir Interactive and NightinGames)

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One ought never to overlook a chance to extol the virtues of Terry Bogard, so we discuss the classic Garou: Mark of the Wolves. In anticipation of the upcoming Veilguard, we touch on all the main Dragon Age games released thus far.

What We're Playing

00:50 Mark: Tactical Breach Wizards (Suspicious Developments, 2024)

02:02 Mark: Anomaly Agent (Phew Phew, 2024)

10:33 Caitlin: Risk of Rain 2 (Hopoo Games, 2020)

21:39 GOOF: Garou: Mark of the Wolves (SNK, 1999)

32:35 Feature Game: Dragon Age (BioWare, 2009-)

SHOUT

1:18:39 Caitlin: Neva (Nomada Studio)

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We finally show Nintendo some love in the form of The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, and get blown away (in many ways) by Tactical Breach Wizards.

What We're Playing

01:02 Caitlin: Rabbit and Steel (mino_dev, 2024)

08:45 Mark: The Ninja Warriors (Natsume, 1994)

13:24 GOOF: The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (Flagship and Capcom, 2004)

TechDweeb's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TechDweeb

30:19 Feature Game: Tactical Breach Wizards (Suspicious Developments, 2024)

SHOUT

49:58 Mark: Halls of Torment (Chasing Carrots)

52:19 Caitlin: Orcs Must Die: Deathtrap (Robot Entertainment)

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All shooting, all the time! Both Rabbit and Steel and Undertale leverage shoot-em-up elements in novel ways, and they form a natural set with the punishing Ikaruga.

What We're Playing

00:57 Caitlin: Core Keeper (Pugstorm, 2024)

08:19 Mark: Fire Emblem: Three Houses (Intelligent Systems, 2019)

13:49 Mark: Rabbit and Steel (mino_dev, 2024)

18:00 Caitlin: Risk of Rain 2: Seekers of the Storm (Gearbox, 2024)

21:21 GOOF: Ikaruga (Treasure, 2001)

30:05 Feature Game: Undertale (Toby Fox, 2015)

SHOUT

52:27 Caitlin: Dragon Age: The Veilguard (BioWare)

53:11 Mark: Iron Meat (Retroware)

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Sometimes the only way to show that you love is to complain and nitpick, and that's exactly what Caitlin and Mark do with Fire Emblem--a game they both enjoy but think is sometimes borderline absurd. 

What We're Playing

01:04 Mark: Tactical Breach Wizards (Suspicious Developments, 2024)

08:47 Caitlin: Risk of Rain 2: Seekers of the Storm (Gearbox, 2024)

13:14 GOOF: Metroid (R&D Team 1 and Intelligent Systems, 1986) and Metroid: Zero Mission (R&D Team 1, 2004)

25:10 Feature Game: Fire Emblem: Three Houses (Intelligent Systems, 2019)

SHOUT

50:51 Caitlin: Goblin Cleanup (Crisalu)

52:13 Mark: Capcom Fighting Collection 2 (Capcom)

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Caitlin reciprocates this week by trying ICO, one of Mark's all-time favourites. They also both explore the coming-of-age story I Was a Teenage Exocolonist, in which you play as... well, let's not undermine the excellent title, shall we?

What We're Playing

00:53 Caitlin: Rabbit and Steel (mino_dev, 2024)

08:45 Mark: Valkyrie Profile (tri-Ace, 1999)

15:11 GOOF: ICO (Team ICO, 2001)

29:54 Feature Game: I Was a Teenage Exocolonist (Northway, 2022)

48:09 Spoilers Begin

56:32 Spoilers End

SHOUT

58:48 Caitlin: Fields of Mistria (NPC Studio)

59:24 Mark: Risk of Rain 2: Seekers of the Storm (Gearbox Software)

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Caitlin said Valkyrie Profile was one of her top 10 games of all time, so let's take a deeper look! Mark reciprocates by listing his own top 10.

What We're Playing

00:41 Mark: Earth Defense Force 4.1 (Sandlot, 2016)

11:15 Caitlin: Flock (Hollow Ponds and Richard Hogg, 2024)

17:24 GOOF: Valkyrie Profile (tri-Ace, 1999)

35:35 Mark's Top 10 Games of All Time

36:07 Honourable Mentions

Destiny/Destiny 2

Dragon Age 2

Dragon Age: Inquisition

Risk of Rain Returns

44:47 Top 10

Star Control II: The Ur-Quan Masters

Vagrant Story

ICO

Silent Hill 2

Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup

Mass Effect

The King of Fighters XIII

Spec Ops: The Line

Persona V Royal

Hades

1:11:20 SHOUT: Dragon Age: The Veilguard (BioWare)

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Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is a strange and unexpected offering, an odd delight amongs a sea of derivative games. Caitlin then reveals her gaming autobiography, her top games of all time.

What We're Playing

02:03 Caitlin: Slay the Spire (Mega Crit, 2019)

06:00 Mark: Pokémon Pinball (HAL Laboratory, 1999)

Tech Dweeb's 10 Must Play Retro Pinball Games: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2X1tC9DjjQ&pp=ygUSdGVjaCBkd2VlYiBwaW5iYWxs

13:15 Feature Game: Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess (Capcom, 2024)

Special Bunraku Performance: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=124HrR-M0iQ

27:19 Caitlin's Top 10 Games of All Time

28:30 Honourable Mentions

Suikoden 

Undertale

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Final Fantasy XVI

33:43 Top 10

Chrono Trigger

Baldur's Gate 3

Hades

Valkyrie Profile

Mass Effect

Shadow of the Colossus

Dragon Age: Origins

Final Fantasy VI

The Witcher 3

Red Dead Redemption 2

SHOUT

58:44 Caitlin: Slay the Spire 2 (Mega Crit)

59:33 Metaphor: ReFantazio (Studio Zero)

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Quintet released some bangers on the SNES: ActRaiser, Soul Blazer, and Illusion of Gaia. How does their last one--Terranigma--measure up? And how much chill do you want in your journalism? Or, for that matter, your video games? Caitlin and Mark talk about Times & Galaxy.

What We're Playing

01:04 Mark: TMNT: Splintered Fate (Super Evil Megacorp, 2024)

07:30 Caitlin: Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail (Square Enix, 2024)

12:43 GOOF: Terranigma (Quintet, 1995)

26:51 Feature Game: Times & Galaxy (Copychaser Games, 2024)

37:55 Spoilers Begin

42:44 Spoilers End

SHOUT

49:37 Caitlin: Donkey Kong Country Returns HD (Retro Studios)

51:25 Mark: DNF Duel (Arc System Works)

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If you had told us that we would be loving speedrunning in a first-person platformer, i.e. Neon White, we would not have believed you. If you had told us that Caitlin would still be knee-deep in Unicorn Overlord and underimpressed by one of Mark's all-time favourites, we would have easily believed you. 

What We're Playing

03:19 Caitlin: Unicorn Overlord (Vanillaware, 2024)

04:48 Mark: Journey to the Savage Planet (Typhoon Studios, 2020)

GROB commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESsRiSbIuKM&pp=ygUham91cm5leSB0byB0aGUgc2F2YWdlIHBsYW5ldCBncm9i

10:56 GOOF: Prince of Persia (Broderbund, 1989)

24:30 Feature Game: Neon White (Angel Matrix, 2022)

SHOUT

55:17 Caitlin: The Garden Path (carrotcake)

56:36 Mark: Whisker Squadron: Survivor (Flippfly)

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