This week we fought demons, braved network connectivity issues, and thirsted over Lilith in the Diablo IV beta. Tune in for our takes on the good and bad in the beta and the gastronomically inadvisable way we got there.

Then one of the best-reviewed games of 2005 2023 leads us into our own considerably less positive feelings on gaming's ongoing obsession with remakes, and what it might be costing us.

Timestamps

(00:30) - Nier Automata Ver1.1a is back to not being back

(02:30) - Diablo IV, aka Flame Wall the video game

(33:00) - Remake fatigue or: There is no new game under the Sun

(57:10) - Somehow we're talking shit on FFXVI again

(1:00:20) - What have Willa and Robin been up to this week?

Mentioned this week

Jen Glennon on remakes

Helen Shaw on Parade

Kazuma Hashimoto on Resident Evil 4

Willa on Paradise Killer

Music

Street Food by FASSounds

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There's a lot on our plates this week, so of course we start by talking about how hot 40-year-old Jill Valentine would be if Capcom weren't terrified of the idea of women aging. Then it's on to the Resident Evil 4 demo, Paradox Interactive's recent showcase and strategy games in general, and Willa's take on Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon. We end the show with Twice and a giant block of cheese because we answer to no one.

(00:20) Milf appreciation minute

(04:15) Resident Evil 4 demo

(10:40) Paradox Interactive showcase

(21:40) Robin's week of strategy games and sniffles

(27:40) Willa really likes Bayonetta Origins

(40:45) What have Robin and Willa been up to this week?

Music:

Street Food by FASSounds

Mentioned this week:

Willa's review of Bayonetta Origins

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This week, we're talking VR: when it works and (mostly) doesn't, why it still hasn't caught on, and what would actually make us abandon our feeble bodies for the virtual realm. Robin talks about a digital mouse that made her cry, Willa hosts another installment of Horny Vampire Corner, and as usual, we end the episode by deciding everything would be better if we were in charge.

Timestamps:

(00:30) The future of gaming is still kind of busted

(35:50) What have Willa and Robin been up to this week?

Music:

Street Food by FASSounds

Mentioned this week:

Making Sense of VRChat from People Make Games

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Sony got Robin a State of Play for her birthday and she's hoping they kept the receipt. We talk about what worked and (mostly) what didn't, which characters we want to step on us, and say the words Naruto Boruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections out loud before ending with a pre-launch autopsy of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.

Timestamps:

(00:30) State of Play speedrun, featuring bone armor, cloud heads, and Juri Han's feet

(31:15) Suicide Squad: Kill Your Expectations

(46:45) What have you been up to?

Music:

Street Food by FASSounds

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Folks, it's been a rough couple of weeks, so we're taking a break from reality to tackle one of the great questions of our time: Which video games are Die Hards? Tune in as we discuss whether all video games are actually about fighting your dad and develop a unified theory of all fiction.

Timestamps:

(01:20) Die Hards and Reverse Die Hards

(41:50) What have Willa and Robin been up to this week?

Music:

Street Food by FASSounds

Happy birthday:

Zoe

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The worst February of our lives continues with the release of Hogwarts Legacy. We discuss how the media failed to take its significance seriously, why our reactions are about more than just a game, and why, yes, supporting it does make you a bad person. 

We cap off this week’s fun-filled episode with a genuinely much cheerier segment recommending some great games by and about trans people that you should be playing instead.

(This episode touches on transphobia throughout. While there's no detailed discussion of any particular transphobic comments or acts, please proceed with caution.)

Timestamps:

(00:25) The Flaco Report

(03:20) Hogwarts Legacy or: Why your trans friends seem so mad lately

(53:00) Robin tries and fails to recommend a game

(56:00) Oh god no we're talking about Harry Potter again

(59:20) Trans games you should play instead of Hogwarts Legacy

(1:07:10) What have Willa and Robin been up to this week?

Music:

Street Food by FASSounds

Mentioned this week:

Hogwarts Legacy does not deserve to be reviewed on its own merits - GamesHub

There Is No Magic in Hogwarts Legacy - Wired

Trans Witches Are Witches bundle

Trans game recommendations

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Listen, this is a weird one. Robin got laid off so we spend the first part of the show bemoaning the state of games media and getting very sappy about our role in it. In a futile attempt to lift the mood, we then discuss comfort games: what we look for when we need a pick-me-up and some of our personal favorites.

As always, we end with the fun bird fact of the week.

Timestamps

(00:30) The layoff spectacular

(16:50) Comfort games!

(48:20) What birds have Willa and Robin been looking at this week?

Music: Street Food by FASSounds

Mentioned this week:

"The Defector of Video Games"

Pittsburgh's peregrine falcon cam

Flaco the Eurasian Eagle-Owl

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Get ready to jam with Girl Mode as Willa and Robin talk about the overnight success of Hi-Fi Rush and rhythm games throughout the years in this musical-themed episode.

Timestamps:

(00:20) Hi-Fi Rush shadow drops into our hearts

(22:08) New wave rhythm games

(31:10) Old-school rhythm

(35:36) What have Robin and Willa been up to this week?

Articles referenced:

Diego Arguello on rhythm games for TechRadar

Music: Street Food by FASSounds

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This week, Willa and Robin talk about two recent video game adaptations: one that's going away too soon and one that we just can't get away from. We also learned that Marvel's Avengers was apparently still a thing, and Willa breaks Robin's heart with breaking news.

(0:40) R.I.P. Marvel's Avengers

(3:40) The Last of Us is one of the television shows ever made

(41:30) Nier Automata Ver1.1a, with a special appearance by crushing disappointment

(1:08:40) What have Willa and Robin been doing this week?

Music: Street Food by FASSounds

Mentioned this week:

Willa on TLOU's trust issues and Bruce Straley getting screwed over

Willa again on Nier Automata Ver1.1a Episode 1 and Episode 2

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This week we are here to kick ass and romance video game women, and we are all out of ass to kick. With Persona 3 and Fire Emblem Engage now out we discuss the pros and cons of each series and how well each franchise enables our desire to smooch as many characters as possible.

Timestamps:

(00:15) Persona and Fire Emblem Engage

(36:44) What have Robin and Willa been up to this week?

Articles referenced:

Robin's review of Fire Emblem Engage

Willa on Persona 3 Portable remaster

Willa on Saori from Persona 3 Portable

Music: Street Food by FASSounds

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