Fine Time

Steve and Andre talk about F-Zero 99 and Etrian Odyssey HD before they dive into the latest Nintendo Direct, the incredible mess Unity had made for themselves, and more. Enjoy the show and rate and review us!

Twitter: @FineTimePodcast

Andre on Bluesky: @pizzadinosaur.fineti.me

Steve on Bluesky: @monotonegent.fineti.me

[00:00] Intro

[05:41] Steve loves F-Zero 99!

[13:33] Andre explores Etrian Odyssey HD

[27:38] Break #1

[29:34] Nintendo Direct! (Splatoon 3 Side Order, Mario vs. Donkey Kong, Super Mario RPG, Another Code: Recollection, Princess Peach: Showtime!, Tomb Raider I-III, Detective Pikachu Returns, Contra: Operation Galuga, Unicorn Overlord, Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door)

[1:02:39] Break #2

[01:03:38] Elon Musk had ex-girlfriend Amber Heard dress up as Mercy from Overwatch, LMAO? Y/N

[01:05:03] Nintendo showed "Switch 2" to the press at Gamescom behind closed doors

[01:12:05] Unity, what the hell are you doing????

[01:25:22] Outro

Why won't the usage of the term 'Metroidvania' end? What does it have to do with either Metroid or Castlevania? What are we actually describing when we say it? Is it even a genre at all, or the idea of a genre that doesn't actually exist? Andre sits down to the microphone by himself to try and answer these questions, as well as explore the origins and usage of a term he reviles.

Follow the show on Twitter at @FineTimePodcast

Andre on Bluesky: @pizzadinosaur.fineti.me

The guys played Armored Core 6, Bomb Rush Cyberfunk, and Turrican Flashback as well as talk about the PlayStation Plus price hikes, the corporate insanity of Embracer Group and more in this Big Deal!

Here's the info on our guest Trevor Strunk (@Hegelbon on Twitter):

'Doom At 30' Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/doomat30/doom-at-30

Trevor's podcast No Cartridge: https://no-cartridge.com/

And as always, follow Fine Time on Twitter at @FineTimePodcast

[00:00] Intro

[01:54] Andre is in love with Armored Core 6

[20:12] Steve is traumtized by Turrican Flashback

[27:35] Kevin plays Bomb Rush Cyberfunk

[39:05] Break #1

[40:27] Trevor Strunk joins us to talk about Doom At 30

[01:07:04] Break #2

[01:07:57] Has Joe Biden ever played Pac-Man?

[01:10:03] Gamescom 2023 Quick Thoughts (Tekken 8, Nightdive Studios, Sonic Superstars)

[01:14:41] Super Mario Bros. Wonder Direct

[01:21:49] Sony hikes the prices of all PlayStation Plus tiers

[01:32:17] Embracer Group shutters Volition and lays off 20% of Gearbox

[01:37:02] Do you think PC mods are stupid?

[01:40:36] Outro

Do you want to get the inside scoop on development of the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater franchise? Or do you want to know if little green men are sucking up cows in your backyard? Belly up to the table, because this week you can do both - Kevin sits down with a Neversoft Entertainment founder and the THPS Technical Director to chat about the franchise's early development, the series' peaks and valleys, and leaving it all behind. Afterwards, Kevin chats with modern UFOlogy's most prominent debunker (and prominent debunker of other topics as well) - previously appearing on outlets such as CNN, CBS and BBC, as well as numerous podcasts, he now adds the illustrious Fine Time Podcast to his interview career. Spoiler alert, it's the same guy - Mick West!

Want some more background on these topics? Check out the following links:

Mick's THPS Podcast Interview - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIZ2tu_C5zQ

Pretending I'm a Superman film - https://play.google.com/store/movies/details/Pretending_I_m_a_Superman_The_Tony_Hawk_Video_Game?id=skp4OMt1Qzw.P&hl=en_CA&gl=US

Mick's Book Escaping the Rabbit Hole (Revised and Updated in 2023) - https://play.google.com/store/books/details/West_Mick_Escaping_the_Rabbit_Hole?id=JDeCDwAAQBAJ&hl=en_CA&gl=US

December 2017 New York Times Article Glowing Auras and 'Black Money': The Pentagon's Mysterious U.F.O. Program - https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/16/us/politics/pentagon-program-ufo-harry-reid.html

Tales from the Rabbit Hole Podcast Episode #53 - Lue Elizondo Interview - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eozxt_HnPu4

Mick's YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@MickWest

We Are Not Alone: The UFO Whistleblower Speaks NewsNation David Grusch Interview - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLZzDhDYMcw

Mick's David Grusch Response Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvhMMhW-JN0&t=430s

December 2022 The Military-UFO Complex Reason Magazine Article by Mick West - https://reason.com/2022/11/15/the-military-ufo-complex/

July 2022 New York Times Article Bipartisan Measure Aims to Force Release of U.F.O. Records - https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/13/us/politics/ufo-records-schumer.html

Follow Mick on Twitter: @MickWest

Follow us on Twitter: @FineTimePodcast

Andre deeply criticizes Super Mario 3D World ten years after release, Kevin enjoys an Early Access delight, and the gang ponders deep questions about the industry amid inappropriate jokes. Because what's a Big Deal without inappropriate jokes, right? As always, thank you for joining us for another fun variety show. Timestamps are below the socials. Enjoy!

Twitter: @FineTimePodcast

Andre on Bluesky: @pizzadinosaur.fineti.me

Steve on Bluesky: @monotonegent.fineti.me

[00:00] Intro

[02:08] Andre explores Super Mario 3D World

[23:57] Steve got a new dog!

[30:02] Kevin played XENOTILT in early access

[33:30] A teaser of next week's show...

[35:55] Break #1

[37:21] Pokemon Company basically releases a dildo

[41:22] Xbox 360 Digital Store closing in July 2024

[46:58] Nintendo Direct in September? Expectations?

[49:49] Why don't video games have the same prestige as other forms of art?

01:04:35] Break #2

[01:05:39] Will there ever be a good Superman game?

[01:09:44] Baldur's Gate 3 caused discourse about developers and expectations

[1:31:05] Outro

More than ten years after its release, Steve and Andre decided to tackle After Earth, taking us back to the time Will Smith and Jaden Smith tried to make a summer blockerbuster helmed by M. Night Shyamalan. Was it unfairly malinged at the time? As it turns out, no, it wasn't! Our disbelief is palpable in this episode, so we hope you enjoy the carnage.

Follow the show on Twitter: @FineTimePodcast

Andre on Bluesky: @pizzadinosaur.fineti.me

Steve on Bluesky: @monotonegent.fineti.me

After breaking down Pikmin 4 and Remnant 2, we answer all the questions sumbitted to us in our Summer Mailbag! Here's the rundown:

[00:00] Intro

[2:45] Steve played Pikmin 4

[12:05] Andre is floored by Remnant 2

[28:57] Kevin revisits Guitar Hero and Rock Band

[39:59] Kevin tries Tony Hawk's Underground for the first time

[43:50] Break Time!

[44:28] What would we pick to be at EVO 2024?

[47:15] What Nintendo character would have the best podcast?

[50:48] What character would join a pyramid scheme?

[54:15] Most undeserved sequel?

[57:36] Why can't other eSports be as hype as EVO?

[01:00:00] What magazine would you resurrect from 1996 with their entire staff intact?

[01:04:57] Which movies should have been released with isolated score audio tracks?

[01:07:00] Where is Video Game Land?

[01:07:51] First cheat code you ever used and how did you learn it?

[01:12:16] What's the next non-story video game to get a movie adaption?

[01:14:21] Do you think we've had a great summer for the gaming community?

[01:15:23] Which fighting game character could you take in a fight?

[01:17:56] Which video game level smells the best and which one smells the worst?

[01:20:11] What's the most delicious-looking video game food?

[01:22:23] Emotional impact moment in a game that made you cry?

[01:26:06] What's the best summer game?

[01:29:14] First video game crush?

[01:31:23] What's on your plate at the cookout?

[01:34:57] Outro

Follow us on Twitter at @FineTimePodcast

Andre on Bluesky: @pizzadinosaur.fineti.me

Steve on Bluesky: @monotonegent.fineti.me

Andre and Vin continue their dive into the Sega Genesis Mini 2 library to cover arcade ports, Sega CD oddities, unreleased games, newly ported games and more.

If you missed part one of this discussion, you can listen to it here!

[00:00] Thanks for re-joining us!

[01:13] Afterburner II

[03:26] Viewpoint

[08:16] The Ninja Warriors

[18:12] Final Fight CD

[30:42] Night Striker

[32:51] Truxton (Tatsujin)

[35:17] Super Street Fighter 2 and Fatal Fury 2

[37:59] Rolling Thunder 2

[40:03] Rainbow Islands Extra

[42:41] Break Time!

[44:08] Vectorman 2

[46:39] Clayfighter

[48:22] Night Trap

[51:57] Ristar

[53:03] The Ooze

[56:19] Ecco the Dolphin CD and Ecco: The Tides of Time

[01:01:47] Phantasy Star 2 (New Easy Mode)

[01:06:52] Vs. Puyo Puyo Sun

[01:10:38] Spatter

[01:13:05] Space Harrier 2 (Upgraded Port)

[01:15:57] Super Locomotive

[01:19:18] Fantasy Zone

[01:21:16] Star Mobile

[01:25:11] Devi & Pii

[01:29:52] Wrap Up and Outro

Follow the show on Twitter at @FineTimePodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur

Vin: @lucentai

Catch Vin on Twitch! http://twitch.tv/lucentai

We're back with another variety show! Here's the rundown:

[00:00] Intro (Girl Dinner)

[03:27] Steve suffered through Mega Man X8

[12:09] Andre summarizes Mega Man Battle Network Collection

[21:22] Andre gushes over Toaplan Game Garage: Zero Fire

[26:32] Kevin and Andre played The Crew Motorfest beta

[34:12] Break #1 (Favorite Fishing Games)

[36:49] Limited Run Games (Embracer Group) Showcase (Rise of the Triad, Gex Trilogy, Clock Tower, Another Crusade, etc.)

[49:49] Xbox Live Gold becomes Xbox Game Pass Core

[58:37] How long could you fake being a baseball player?

[01:01:48] Break #2

[01:03:19] Steve's unhappiness with Advance Wars ReBoot Camp

[01:08:44] Place Your Bets! (Whaddya Buying?

[01:21:19] DLC that we wish had happened

[01:26:24] Outro

Follow us on Twitter at @FineTimePodcast

It's another mini-console extravaganza! Genesis and Sega CD games come together in one incredible package! Andre and Vin dive deep into the library of the Sega Genesis Mini 2 to talk about all the gems, duds, surprises and strange shit they could manage to find hidden within.

[00:00] Intro, Hardware, and Lineup Differences

[11:58] Midnight Resistance

[15:48] Atomic Runner (Chenlov)

[20:09] Ranger X

[23:08] Granada

[27:05] Hellfire

[30:24] Elemental Master

[34:09] Crusader of Centy

[37:49] Mansion of Hidden Souls

[40:35] Break Time!

[42:06] Silpheed

[58:07] Sewer Shark

[01:06:32] Splatterhouse 2

[01:12:20] Robo Aleste

[01:16:40] Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi

[01:19:37] Shining Force CD

[01:24:24] See you again in two weeks!

Follow the show on Twitter at @FineTimePodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur

Vin: @lucentai

Catch Vin on Twitch! http://twitch.tv/lucentai