With new entries constantly arriving in long-running franchises, many players feel pressure to “catch up” before jumping into the latest release. But should you actually have to play older games first?

From Zelda and Splatoon to the broader culture of gaming backlog anxiety, this episode explores the growing feeling that playing games can sometimes start to feel like homework. We ponder whether or not EVERY game should be a valid entry point for new fans, and why Nintendo sometimes pushes us to revisit older games and sometimes locks them away ahead of a sequel.

We also discuss where we think a new Zelda fan should start for the first time today, and why Zachary is playing Splatoon 2's campaign in 2026!

What do YOU think? Do you prefer starting from the beginning of a series, or jumping into the newest game?

Time Codes:

00:00:00 Opening/Zachary is Playing Splatoon 2

00:12:38 Should EVERY Game be an Entry Point?

00:20:24 Splatoon Raiders, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, Fire Emblem

00:27:24 Where Should a New Zelda Player Start in 2026?

00:34:13 Does Nintendo Want You to Skip Old Games?

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