On this episode we select a number of games which we believe to have perfect endings. Our choices range from perfectly executed narrative wrap-ups, to fourth wall breaking tomfoolery, to plain old childhood nostalgia. So spoiler warning for everything we talk about, but honestly, everything we discuss is relatively old at this point.  

We're talking about main characters on this episode, namely the ones we really love and the ones we really hate. In discussing our favourite gaming protagonists, we talk about strong writing and relatability, as well as a character's design being married to gameplay. In discussing our least favourite gaming protagonists, we just sort of get a bit complainy.  

On this episode we tackle the nebulous topic of the depiction of food & drink in video games, starting off with food's classic roles as chunky pixelated health pickups. As the episode goes on, however, we are interested to discover that we nearly entirely forget to talk about games that are overtly about food or cooking, as our ideas of the best depictions of food in gaming seem to go hand-hand with vibey, atmospheric games, awash with comfy recreations of the mundane.   

On this episode we set out to have a discussion on the current subscription services that have come to define modern gaming for many, such as XBox Game Pass and Playstation Plus Premium, and the conversation dovetailed off in several directions. We hit topics such as brand loyalty, toxic fanbases, and the slew of recent broken game releases, as we finally 'solve' the Console Wars once and for all. 

We dip back into the Resident Evil well to chat about the lauded Resident Evil 4, mainly because it received a phenomenal remake this year, which we also chat about obviously. We compare the two games, discussing our favourite moments, from the things they changed from the things that remained wonderfully untouched. There are some ropey impressions too.

On this episode we bounce from old first-person-shooters to Japanese visual novels as we talk about some games that are genuinely close to our hearts, but in which we cannot deny their ropier, more awkward elements. 

We get painfully nostalgic for Nintendo's first handheld device on this episode, as we share our fondest memories of the old grey brick, as well as the "Colors", "Pockets", and "Advances" it spawned. We discuss the franchises that defined the console for us, such as Pokemon, Tetris, Wario Land, and, uh, James Bond.   

On this episode we take a look at both of Rockstar Games' Western-themed epics, as we try to reconcile the quite sizable problems we have with both games with our love of their masterful storytelling and overall rootin' tootin' cowboy aesthetic. We also have find time to bellyache about the depiction of the Irish in these games, because obviously.  

All four of us gather for an episode in which we once again ask each other interview-like questions about the world of gaming. This time the questions have us discussing video game remakes, as well as what TV adaptations we would like to see in the wake of HBO's The Last of Us. We talk about the habits we have developed towards gaming as a hobby, both good and bad. And we recommend the games to each which we believe are big enough to represent entire genres. 

This episode of Hey! Look! Listen! is all about everyone's favourite merchandisable plumber, Mario. Ignoring his penchant for karting and partying, this episode instead ranks each and every one of the traditional Mario platformers, which means it covers the length and breadth of both the history of Nintendo and the history of gaming as a whole.