Micah’s Donkey Kong Bananza adventure has hit a roadblock—his son has now taken over the game, leaving him stuck early on in the journey. Brad is attempting to use Beat Saber as an alternative way into fitness after a long battle with disinterest in exercise. Can VR rhythm gaming actually help build healthy habits? The crew breaks down last week’s Gamescom event, which left them feeling underwhelmed by most announcements. Has the AAA industry drifted too far from what we actually want? The biggest headline of the week came from the long-awaited reveal of Hollow Knight: Silksong’s release date, and it’s arriving sooner than expected. Sony has finally raised the price of the PlayStation 5 in the U.S., citing tariff pressures. We explore what this means for consumers and the broader console market. We also cover weeks of upheaval at Cloud Chamber, the current Bioshock developer, and the addition of Rod Fergusson to steady the project. This sparks a deeper conversation about why so few games strive to deliver meaningful narratives despite the medium’s storytelling potential. In the Post Office, we dive into legendary gaming myths and the shocking ringside behavior of Raja Jackson at a recent wrestling show.

Dense Pixels is a weekly video game podcast covering gaming news, game reviews, and industry analysis. From AAA blockbusters to indie gems, we break down the latest game releases, PlayStation and Xbox news, Nintendo Switch, PC gaming, Steam, Game Pass, fighting games, RPGs, esports, retro gaming, and the business side of the gaming industry. Hosted by Brad, Micah, Carrie, and Terrence. A TNP Studios production. New episodes weekly on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and all major platforms. Join our Discord at densepixels.com/fans. For more TNP Studios content, check out The Nerdpocalypse (movie & TV news), Black on Black Cinema (Black film reviews), and Look Forward (progressive politics).