Happy October, listeners! The autumn air is crisp, Halloween is approaching, and we are smack dab in the middle of the fall video game season. There are just so so so many video games to play and discuss at this juncture in time, so this week, we're taking a look at two recent video game releases that we've been enjoying!

Eric talks about his spooky space adventures with Metroid Dread, while Laurence brings some vaporwave monkey marble madness to the table with Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania. We briefly discuss the history of these two franchises and what these new entries bring to their respective series in 2021!

These games also prompt us to discuss the recent Discourse™ regarding the usage of video game emulators & ROMs (Is it ethical? legal even? Well, it's complicated!)

Plus, we shout out Unsighted - a new indie Metroidvania action RPG developed by a team of two Brazilian trans women & released recently on PC & consoles. Check it out!

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Be Our Friends!!

EMAIL US at [email protected]

SUPPORT the show & join our pod community on PATREON 
You'll get access all of our bonus content by subscribing for just $1/month or more!'

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Twitter: @GayForPlayPod
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Twitch: twitch.tv/gayforplaypod (Streams on Saturdays/Sundays at 1pm Pacific!)

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CREDITS
Intro and outro music by Connor Marsh (@connorjmarshmallow)

Show art by Nick Adams (@nickadams.art)

Special thanks to our patrons: Blueberri Mary, Elijah Punzal, & Martha Turner <3

MUSIC featured this week:
"Metroid Dread Title Theme" by Sayako Doi, Soshi Abe
"Monkey Target Theme" by SEGA

The Bugsnax are out of the bag, and we're FINALLY here to talk about them! This week we're discussing last year's smash indie hit Bugsnax, and how this cute Pokemon Snap inspired collect-a-thon about Grumpuses snacking on weird half-bug/half-snack creatures surprisingly has some of the most heartfelt queer representation we've seen in a video game in years!

Before that though, we do of course talk for about 15 minutes about our boy Sora from Kingdom Hearts  miraculously making his way into Super Smash Bros Ultimate, because how could we not? But once we get that out of our system, it's Bugsnax all the way down baby.
  Enjoy!

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Be Our Friends!!

EMAIL US at [email protected]

SUPPORT the show & join our pod community on PATREON 
You'll get access all of our bonus content by subscribing for just $1/month or more!'

FOLLOW G4P on Social Media!

Twitter: @GayForPlayPod
Instagram: @GayForPlayPod
Twitch: twitch.tv/gayforplaypod (Streams on Saturdays/Sundays at 1pm Pacific!)

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CREDITS
Intro and outro music by Connor Marsh (@connorjmarshmallow)

Show art by Nick Adams (@nickadams.art)

Special thanks to our patrons: Blueberri Mary, Elijah Punzal, & Martha Turner <3

MUSIC featured this week:
"Sunrise Over Snaktooth Island" by Seth Parker
"Snaxburg At Rest" by Seth Parker
"Chandlo and Snorpy Head Home" by Seth Parker
"It's Bugsnax!" by Kero Kero Bonito

It's-a us! We weren't planning on releasing this episode this week, but after last week's Nintendo Direct presentation, we simply HAD to get on the mic and weigh in with our reactions to the incredibly chaotic cast reveal of the Super Mario movie.

Aside from that, there were also some cool announcements in this week's direct! We go over our favorite announcements from the event, but that being said, the Mario cast discussion makes up about the first 20 minutes of this episode, because truly how were our brains supposed to focus on anything else?

(This episode was originally planned to be a Patreon exclusive release! If you like episdoes like this, check out our Patreon page for more bonus episodes like this one, and let us know what kind of episodes you'd like to see from us in the future!)

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Be Our Friends!!

EMAIL US at [email protected]

SUPPORT the show & join our pod community on PATREON 
You'll get access all of our bonus content by subscribing for just $1/month or more!'

FOLLOW G4P on Social Media!

Twitter: @GayForPlayPod
Instagram: @GayForPlayPod
Twitch: twitch.tv/gayforplaypod (Streams on Saturdays/Sundays at 1pm Pacific!)

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CREDITS
Intro and outro music by Connor Marsh (@connorjmarshmallow)

Show art by Nick Adams (@nickadams.art)

Special thanks to our patrons: Blueberri Mary, Elijah Punzal, & Martha Turner <3

MUSIC THIS WEEK:
"Wario Land 4 - Title Theme" by Ryoji Yoshitomi

Hey! Listen!
Our guest this week is Sam Weller! the host & creator of one of our favorite L.A. comedy shows, Super Dating Simulator. He joins us to discuss making queer-centric comedy out of anime/video game/nerd culture, before we launch into our MAIN topic of the week, where we'll be diving into a hot button issue for Nintendo-stans

Why the **** won't Nintendo let us play as Princess Zelda??

We've talked about the Legend of Zelda series on this podcast often, but this week we're focusing on the titular Princess Zelda herself: who aside from a few Zelda spin-off titles (and Smash Bros.), has never been the playable protagonist of any of her games!

We discuss why we think Nintendo has always given the Princess of Hyrule the royal snub, how the Zelda-community has pushed forward the "Playable Zelda"-campaign, and how & when we might finally see her as the star of her own adventure. Plus we talk about how the franchise's themes of gender presentation & identity have had an impact on many of the fandom members' own identities (ourselves included, obvi!)

Later in the show, we discuss more games, anime recs, and dive into a mini discussion on MONTERO, Lil Nas X's radiant debut album.

It's dangerous to go alone, so come on over and enjoy the episode with us babe!

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Find our guest Sam Weller (@yeahsamweller) on Twitter and Instagram
Follow his show Super Dating Simulator on Twitch and Youtube
As well as his comic account NerdYorkerComics on Twitter and Instagram

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Be Our Friends!!

EMAIL US at [email protected]

SUPPORT the show & join our pod community on PATREON 
You'll get access all of our bonus content by subscribing for just $1/month or more!'

FOLLOW G4P on Social Media!

Twitter: @GayForPlayPod
Instagram: @GayForPlayPod
Twitch: twitch.tv/gayforplaypod (Streams on Saturdays/Sundays at 1pm Pacific!)

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CREDITS
Intro and outro music by Connor Marsh (@connorjmarshmallow)

Show art by Nick Adams (@nickadams.art)

Special thanks to our patrons: Blueberri Mary, Elijah Punzal, & Martha Turner <3

MUSIC THIS WEEK:
"Zelda's Lullaby (Menu)" by Danny Baranowsky

OTHER LINKS (lol **Link**s)

Link Dressed as Zelda by @mivic_art - twitter
"Why Is Link So Hot?" by  Thomas Game Docs - YouTube
"connect: a zelink fan animation (BOTW AU)" by shar - YouTube

Welcome to Rest Mode! Our Multimedia Culture Catch-Up Corner.

Listennnnn... We play a lot of video games here at Gay For Play, but we also consume a lot of other media! The thing about video games is that they are long and sometimes it's fun to talk about other things, so this week, the two of us sit down to talk about the TV shows, books, music, and yes, video games, that we've been enjoying lately.

We discuss, amongst many topics: the Drag Race All Stars 6 Finale, Netflix's Q-Force, our thoughts on Lady Gaga's Dawn of Chromatica, Tinashe's 333, Kanye West's Donda (unfortunately), Psychonauts 2, Ghost of Tsushima - Director's Cut, Arkane Studio's Prey, Cookie Clicker, and more!
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EMAIL US at [email protected]

Join our lil pod community & support the show by joining our PATREON

FOLLOW GAY FOR PLAY!

Twitter: @GayForPlayPod
Instagram: @GayForPlayPod
Twitch: twitch.tv/gayforplaypod (Catch our streams on Saturdays at 1pm Pacific!)

Intro and outro music by Connor Marsh (@connorjmarshmallow)

Show art by Nick Adams (@nickadams.art)

Special thanks to our patrons: Blueberri Mary, Elijah Punzal, & Martha Turner <3

MUSIC THIS WEEK:
"Compton's Cookoff" by Peter McConnell

This week we're joined once again by our friend Sara Brown: an iconic comedian & cosplayer who you may have previously heard on our Persona 5 Royal episode! She's back to talk about yet another ATLUS game, the super stylish, puzzle horror RPG Catherine: Full Body. 
And much like Persona 5, this cult classic misses the mark pretty heavily in regards to how it handles LGBT representation.

(CONTENT WARNING for transphobia in this game that we discuss at length about halfway through this episode)

We chat with Sara about Catherine's portrayal of straight culture, muse on authorial intent when it comes to characters with shitty opinions, and how ATLUS's attempt to course correct its transphobic content in the game's remake (Catherine: Full Body) resulted in a product arguably more problematic than the original.

PLUS Laurence talks about Boyfriend Dungeon & the online discourse that has developed since the game's release, and Eric talks about his recent Vegas trip and his experience at Omega Mart, Meow Wolf's newest interactive art exhibit in Sin City.

It's a jam-packed episode that'll leave you on the EDGE of your seat. Enjoy!

Follow Sara (@saraisnotfamous) on Instagram and Twitter, and check out her show, Super Dating Simulator on Twitch!

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EMAIL US at [email protected]

Join our lil pod community & support the show by joining our PATREON

FOLLOW GAY FOR PLAY!

Twitter: @GayForPlayPod
Instagram: @GayForPlayPod
Twitch: twitch.tv/gayforplaypod (Catch our streams on Saturdays at 1pm Pacific!)

Intro and outro music by Connor Marsh (@connorjmarshmallow)

Show art by Nick Adams (@nickadams.art)

Special thanks to our patrons: Blueberri Mary, Elijah Punzal, & Martha Turner <3

MUSIC THIS WEEK:
"Silent Sheep" by Shoji Meguro
"Tomorrow" by Shoji Meguro

Where we dropping, gays? This week, Laurence and Eric discuss the recent Ariana Grande Rift Tour Fortnite concert: the latest and most ambitious virtual interactive concert by the battle royale shooter-turned-multimedia social gaming hub(?) We don’t quite know how to describe what Fortnite even really is these days. 
We talk about Fortnite’s history and what it has become: a massive multimedia global cultural phenomenon that hosts in-game concerts, events, and more branding deals than the eye (of the storm) can see. This of course, inevitably leads us to a conversation on one of our favorite topics here on Gay For Play: late-stage capitalism babyyy!

Do we have any ownership over any of the media we love? Can we still find genuine enjoyment out of the media we hold near & dear to us, even when we know we’re being constantly marketed and advertised to? Does a twink gaymer in an Ariana skin have any chance of winning a Victory Royale? How does Pokemon Unite and The Wachowski’s 2008 film Speed Racer fit into all of this? 

We attempt to answer all of these questions and more on this week’s episode!

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EMAIL US at [email protected]

Join our lil pod community & support the show by joining our PATREON

FOLLOW GAY FOR PLAY!

Twitter: @GayForPlayPod
Instagram: @GayForPlayPod
Twitch: twitch.tv/gayforplaypod 

Intro and outro music by Connor Marsh (@connorjmarshmallow)

Show art by Nick Adams (@nickadams.art)

Special thanks to our patrons: Blueberri Mary, Elijah Punzal, & Martha Turner <3

MUSIC THIS WEEK:
"Chug Jug With You" by Leviathan

~Awooo! Hi heroes, this week we're travelling back to Hyrule, joined by our show artist and bestie NICK ADAMS to revisit his (& Eric's) favorite Zelda adventure: 2006's The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess  for the Nintendo Gamecube/Wii! We discuss the game's beautiful, melancholic world-building, queer-coded characters, Link's masculinity (not to mention his sexy sumo wrestling scene), take an unhinged tangent on the Zelda-timeline after promising ourselves not to, and we attempt to answer the question every Zelda-fan must ask themselves- Water Temples: flops or no?

We also talk more about the ongoing discussion of sexism and harassment in the videogame industry, following up on the latest news from the Activision-Blizzard lawsuit, as well as the recent news about the toxic work culture at Fullbright Studios, creators of Gone Home & Tacoma (as reported on in this exposé by Polygon's Nicole Carpenter).

PLUS! We discuss Paper Mario, Hollow Knight, queer representation on TV, and so much more!

Find more of Nick's work on his art Instagram, @nickadams.art

Watch Twilight Princess E3 Reveal

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EMAIL US at [email protected]

Join our lil pod community & support the show by joining our PATREON

FOLLOW GAY FOR PLAY!

Twitter: @GayForPlayPod
Instagram: @GayForPlayPod
Twitch: twitch.tv/gayforplaypod 

Intro and outro music by Connor Marsh (@connorjmarshmallow)

Show art by Nick Adams (@nickadams.art)

Special thanks to our patrons: Blueberri Mary, Elijah Punzal, & Martha Turner <3

MUSIC THIS WEEK:
"Title Theme" by Toru Minegishi, Asuka Ota, Koji Kondo
"Midna's Lament" by Toru Minegishi, Asuka Ota, Koji Kondo
"Malo Mart" by Toru Minegishi, Asuka Ota, Koji Kondo

Hiii listeners! We're back from our summer vacation and ooh ooh OOH it's just so damn hot that we needed to cool ourselves off with a nice little retreat to the snowy mountains of... CELESTE!

This 2018 indie platformer is considered by many (ourselves included) to be a modern masterpiece. It's themes of self-reflection, anxiety, and perseverance made for a story that queer and trans gamers saw their own journeys reflected in. We talk about why that is, and how the game retroactively served as a vehicle for lead developer Maddy Thorson's own exploration of their gender identity.

We also catch up on the summer bops we've been bumping, anime we (Laurence) have been watching, and we discuss the current conversation about pervasive sexism and working conditions in the video game industry, particularly in light of the recent sexual harassment lawsuit levied at gaming giant Activision Blizzard.

It's a packed ep! And we're incredibly glad to be back. So grab ya hiking boots and let's go catch those strawberries!

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EMAIL US at [email protected]

Join our lil pod community & support the show by joining our PATREON

FOLLOW GAY FOR PLAY!

Twitter: @GayForPlayPod
Instagram: @GayForPlayPod
Twitch: twitch.tv/gayforplaypod 

Intro and outro music by Connor Marsh (@connorjmarshmallow)

Show art by Nick Adams (@stickartams)

Special thanks to our patrons: Blueberri Mary, Elijah Punzal, & Martha Turner <3

MUSIC THIS WEEK:
"First Steps" by Lena Raine
"Reach for the Summit" by Lena Raine

Greetings LGBTQs, Allies, et al. 

Thank you for supporting this show for the past 7 months!

It’s the beginning of summer, it’s Cancer szn, and the time has come for us two Cali boiz to take our first little vacation!

In this unofficial “season 1 finale” episode, we’re once again in person together taking a look at the year in gayming so far- we talk our favorite games of the year up to now, our favorite non-2021 games we’ve played this year, and our most anticipated games of the months ahead.

We also take a look back at our favorite moments of the podcast so far and look forward to what's coming in the future. Don't worry, we'll be back-pack-back again in August with even more Gay For Play (and just as much jester-flop foolery). TTYL, love ya!!!

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EMAIL US at [email protected]

Join our lil pod community & support the show by joining our PATREON

FOLLOW GAY FOR PLAY!

Twitter: @GayForPlayPod
Instagram: @GayForPlayPod
Twitch: twitch.tv/gayforplaypod 

Intro and outro music by Connor Marsh (@connorjmarshmallow)

Show art by Nick Adams (@stickartams)

Special thanks to our patrons: Blueberri Mary, Elijah Punzal, & Martha Turner <3

MUSIC THIS WEEK:
"Snack Break" by James Currier & Ryan Borbone