With a topic as big as gaming's most enduring, most iconic character, you know it couldn't be done in one episode! Here's part 2 of our trip through every console generation and how Mario has grown from his humble roots in Donkey Kong to Super Mario Wonder.

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There is no more enduring character in video games than Mario, the Italian who gets sucked into an alternate dimension and becomes the protector of the Mushroom Kingdom. He may have started as a humble guy trying to save his woman from a rampaging gorilla, but over the years, he's been a doctor, a sports star, a kart driver, and starred in so many different spinoff titles. On this, the first half of a two-part episode, Jed teams up with Erik Slader from Podcasters Assemble and the Super Switch Club podcasts to talk about the Evolution Of Mario, from humble beginnings to being the Mickey Mouse of video games.

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Every gamer has different tastes in gaming. But there is one truth that unites every gamer: somehow, some way, we need a device to control the game. Controllers are what make a game a game, and they can either immerse you in the action by feeling like a seamless extension of you, or bury you under awkward design. On this episode of First Gen Gamers, Ash and Jed are looking at the best and worst base controllers in console history. The controllers that came with the console itself. What just melts into our hands, and what should just be melted in an incinerator? You gotta listen to find out!

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Kellie from The Final Girls Podcast is the guest on this episode to talk all about women and gaming; what it's like to be a woman in the gaming sphere, representation, and some of our favorite female characters. We also talk a little about her podcast, which celebrates the final girls of horror, and get into what we've been playing recently.

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The word "underrated" gets tossed around willy-nilly. Anything that doesn't get at least a 9/10 has someone calling it underrated. So on this episode, Jed and his special guest Jamie Smith, a Principal Game Developer with Behavior Interactive, are making their choices for truly underrated games. Those games that live in bargain bins, that are black sheep of their franchises, or games that just otherwise went overlooked.

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Remakes are a touchy topic in all media. How much of the original needs to be retained to maintain the spirit? How much originality should there be so the remake doesn't feel like a retread? Should something that didn't hit the mark be remade so it has a second chance at life? Is there media that shouldn't be remade because it's too problematic? Are there games that are untouchable? On this episode of First Gen Gamers, Ashley and Jed discuss their picks for games that, for one reason or another, should never be remade. Are the games too good? Too unique? Too controversial? Only one way to find out what they picked!

Perhaps no console has such a negative reputation as the Philips CDi. Released in the early 90's, it became the poster child for the awkward first-wave FMV games and its four infamous games based on Nintendo properties. But does it deserve its reputation? Could the Philips CDi be underrated? On this special episode, Yahel from Wrestling With Gaming, a self-admitted fan of the CDi, sits down with Jed to discuss all the CDi has to offer. It's a look beyond the infamy and the memes inside a console and a library that many have overlooked.

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Games are unlike any other media, in that new machines come out over time to replace the old, and a whole new set of media comes with. Sometimes, we're lucky and games get made available on newer machines. But sometimes, we're not so lucky. The worst case scenario is when a game only comes out once, and if you don't have that machine, you can't play it. On this episode of First Gen Gamers, that's what Ashley and Jed are talking about: those games that had one shot at glory, one console on which to find an audience, and unless you have that console, the game is forever gated out of reach.

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We all love to quote famous lines from movies and TV shows in our conversations. Video games have plenty of memorable lines, too, and not always from the main character. Sometimes, an NPC drops a line that is unforgettable, whether it's due to being genuinely well-written, a poor translation from another language, or downright weird. On this episode, Ashley and Jed talk about some of their favorite NPC one-liners.

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Nintendo is the oldest player in the video game console market, and one of the most beloved and consistent developers, with an unparalleled treasure trove of iconic characters and franchises. But that doesn't make them above reproach. They've made mistakes. They've made some bad business decisions. And they've positioned themselves as the villain on more than on occasion. On this episode of First Gen Gamers, Ashley and Jed deliver the sequel to their Best Of Nintendo episode by looking at the other side: the worst games, their dumbest decisions, and their bad business practices.

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