Choice Media Pod

What was your best family gaming experience of 2025? That's the question put to Nathan, Aly and Gwent in the latest episode of Amazing Gamers.

There was a lot of love for Legend of Zelda, Echoes of Wisdom; We closed out with what we're looking forward to in 2026.

We also touched on finding common ground in gaming with the kids, teaching through games ("never lead a trash mob into a boss fight"), and those moments that remind one why not all games are marked E for everyone.

A certain sidequest involving Cid from Final Fantasy 16 might have come up.

Dynasty Warriors, Persona 3, Tetris 99, and Silksong also entered the chat, and we touched on how some games inspire art and others inspire frustration.

Nathan also tells the story of why his kids bought their own Joycons.

Just how Meta was Metaphor? The Scholars of Nebelheim reconvened for this episode to discuss the metaphorical aspects of this new Atlus classic, while also exploring the historical context of Utopia and what those two works have in common.

Facts brought some Utopia/Metaphor easter eggs to the discussion, Nathan provides some background on the Thomas More of history, and we attempted to rank Metaphor in the pantheon of Atlus RPGs.

The power of Zelda has brought the Amazing Gamers podcast out of hiatus!

In this conversation I caught up with former colleague Dana (Comics In Boston on Instagram) to discuss the Zelda series; favorites, last one we played; and biggest miss in the series (sorry Ocarina of Time fans).

We might have also digressed into least favorite video game moments (Looks at Mega Man falling straight down after getting hit by something). I also discovered that Castlevania64 exists.

I might have also scratched an inch: shared my thoughts on that whole discourse that Tears of the Kingdom is too similar to BOTW.

Dana also hung in there for my off the wall Who Would Win questions. He’s a stand-up guy like that.

Was FF7 Rebirth good?

Will the finale for the new FF7 trilogy stick the landing?

And what should that look like?

The Scholars of Nibelheim @damned-writer.bsky.social, @gwentchamp.bsky.social, and @wandererssong.bsky.social tackled the big questions on Amazing Gamers 🎉👏🙏

It was a great conversation that somewhat restored my hope for the series.

There's epics, and then there's epic fails.

Where does Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth fall on that spectrum?

To start the second season of Amazing Gamers, I turned to @highleyginger.bsky.social for some thoughtful perspectives.

We discussed some other epics that popped (or did not) as well.

I may also have contrasted Final Fantasy 7 Re series and Trails (apologies in advance).

The inaugural run of Amazing Gamers wraps-up at the beginning, bringing back two guests who were there at the start of my podcasting journey: Adam ‪@whatcouldbeingbe.bsky.social and Nintendo Force Staff Writer @avengermags.bsky.social.

Both are friends of the show, and we had a lot of fun discussing:

• The often-misunderstood role of the media critic (OR Why English Majors love reading reviews)
• Favorite OSTs (shoutouts to Nobuo Uematsu, Xenoblade, Gris, and Legend of Dragoon)
• First thoughts on Switch 2
• Deep cuts on the summer wish lists
• Maggie’s hottest take ever
• New Persona style game with a female protagonist real?
• The best Xenoblade game?
• Nathan discovers Shovelwear

It’s Fathers Day weekend, so Nathan is here with a list of the games that really hit it out of the park for family gaming.

I review the top 5 that made some memories, tip my cap to some honorable mentions, and detail three games I thought the kids would love but they completely bounced off of….

Amazing Gamers welcomes Bluesky’s #1 Tokyo Mirage Sessions fan Kat (@skeletonkat.bsky.social) into the conversation to discuss how that game is often overlooked even by Atlus RPG fans.

A longtime fan of the Shin Megami Tensei series, Kat remembers some fans thinking the first TMS trailer was an April Fool’s Day joke, and we discuss how expectations was a major factor for this game, which was originally billed as a SMT/ Fire Emblem crossover.

Instead, we got a SMT in the style of Persona that was set in the entertainment industry—which also happens to be great looking, with good dungeons and an addictive combat system.

The fact TMS got a Switch port—when so many classic Atlus games are stuck on old hardware- has us suggesting that Atlus fans give it another try, and judge it on its own merits.

We also discuss Oldsona Trilogy Remake > Persona 4 Remake….and what makes Oldsona special.

• Oldsona—it’s very much a triology
• Persona 1- a game like no other, but an acquired taste
• Persona 2—as good as any story in the series
• You can make an incredible playlist from Persona 2
• Does Metaphor sand down too much friction the series is famous for
• Meh on Persona 4 remake
• Best SMT game? Strange Journey….

Atlus classics stuck on old hardcare

Amazing Gamers welcomes back Dana Forsythe (ComicBooksInBoston on IG) to discuss writing about games and music.

Dana proposed a new collaboration for game reviews (which I think is an amazing idea) and we also discussed the critic's role.

This comes shortly after my debut game review, for Civilization 7 in Nintendo Force Magazine (the May/June issue). I also get into how even greats like Roger Ebert occasionally got it wrong.

We also touch on Dana's discovering Chrono Trigger, his stint as a columnist for Paste Magazine, and the great times he's had covering music fests, such as Boston Calling.

And we close out with a story about my son, who will probably go pro as a Mario Maker 2 Master Builder, if that's a thing...

I love Persona 4, but it's not even in my top 5 of projects I'd like to see from Atlus.

It's funny how we've gone from Persona 4 being difficult to access to arguably too much Persona 4....

In this episode I share my thoughts on that whole thing-- starting with how I dusted off the PS3 a few years back, because it was the only way I could experience this previously underappreciated classic.