Maximum Utcast

Returning guest Euan from the Spin-Off Doctors Spin-Off Podcast stops by Currently Playing this month to talk about the games Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire and Return of the Obra Dinn. While we briefly touch on the isometric role playing game Pillars of Eternity, the bulk of the show is spent with the Obra Dinn and it's monochromatic mystery. Later we spend about 20 minutes gabbing about Star Trek with some minor spoilers for the middle of season 1 of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.

0:00:00 - Welcome Back to the Show, Euan!

0:10:52 - What Are You Playing? Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire

0:15:00 - What Are You Playing? Return of the Obra Dinn

0:42:09 - Top 3 Star Trek Characters

1:00:40 - Wrap Up/Plugs

The Spin-Off Doctors Spin-Off Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/51LqP4LfRIzhet54Ehbpwq

Microplastics on Bandcamp: https://thesanford.bandcamp.com/album/microplastics

Microplastics on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/44zgi8AVjCej9U2hIzfLnB

This week the Utcast invents the hottest new IP that will sweep the nation in the summer of 2027, so run, don't walk, to your nearest theater and demand a ticket to "Spurgles 2: The Spurgles Cum Back." Later we talk at length about Castlevania, both with regards to the new one and more broadly about what makes a Castlevania a Castlevania as opposed to a Metroidvania. Then Jonathan is joined by the #1 Travis Touchdown fan artist beatle to talk about Grasshopper Manufacture, No More Heroes, Lollipop Chainsaw, Romeo is a Dead Man and more (you can watch the video of that interview here: https://youtu.be/Urc9a1RGoTA?si=zKSzxXJjWzDbpEsF ) After the guest segment we round out the show with some chatting about the new game Penguin Colony and Jonathan wonders how Zoey can get paid if she ends up working on a fan mod of Morrowind.

0:00:00 - If Munchie Can Do It, So Can We

0:17:24 - Have You Eaten an Apple?

0:18:30 - Castlevania Belmont's Curse is a Generic Metroidvania

0:22:20 - What is the Essence of Castlevania?

0:30:45 - The Belmonts and the Non-Belmont Whip Guys

0:37:01 - A Totally Normal Conversation with beatle

1:18:08 - Are You Worried About Grasshopper Manufacture?

1:26:58 - Is Penguin Colony Lovecraftian Enough For Ya?

1:31:49 - Tamriel Rebuilt and Jonathan's Capitalism Compulsion

1:33:31 - Wrap Up/Plugs/Thanks Patrons!/????

1:45:51 - Dick Explosion

1:48:42 - They're Immaterial!

beatle's fan merch shop: https://bbbbbeatle.acggoods.com/

beatle on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/bbbbbeatle.bsky.social

Jonathan on Bluesky: ⁠https://bsky.app/profile/tronknotts.bsky.social⁠

Zoey on Bluesky: ⁠https://bsky.app/profile/adzuken.bsky.social⁠

The show on Bluesky: ⁠https://bsky.app/profile/ttwav.bsky.social⁠

Daniel on Bluesky: ⁠https://bsky.app/profile/douibyorthst.bsky.social⁠

Support Zoey’s Ko-Fi: ⁠https://ko-fi.com/adzuken⁠

Get Nintendo Force Magazine: ⁠https://www.nintendoforcemagazine.com/⁠

Support the show on Patreon: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/ttwav⁠

Stream or buy Daniel's new album of computer dance music Microplastics: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/album/44zgi8AVjCej9U2hIzfLnB⁠

⁠https://thesanford.bandcamp.com/album/microplastics

Follow us on Tiktok or Instagram or YouTube or all three!

Jonathan and Ryan are back talking about Pokemon and Minecraft like usual, but this month they make stops in the Katamari world, Transformers land, and Melon Sandbox dimension. What will Ryan do with the rest of his life? And what happens when you have a heart on your pants? Who is responsible for all of the world's pollution? All of these questions and more are answered on this month's Talking to My Boy About Videogames.

0:00:00 - All You Care About is Pokemon

0:01:50 - Wearing Your Heart On Your Pants

0:04:21 - "...My Boy" Number Something, I Don't Know

0:05:03 - Minecraft Everything

0:11:12 - An Update to Once Upon a Katamari!

0:13:17 - Transformers Are Like Collectible Rubik's Cubes

0:20:38 - A Perfect Memory

0:21:37 - What is Melon Sandbox?

0:27:14 - Why Would You Want Wobbly Life?

0:28:25 - ShirTober Update

0:32:00 - "Homemade Creations"

0:36:52 - What's Your Favorite Type of Pokemon?

0:37:59 - Wrap Up?/Plugs?

Follow Jonathan on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tronknotts.bsky.social

Follow the Show on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/ttwav.bsky.social

Read Jonathan’s articles in Nintendo Force Magazine: https://www.nintendoforcemagazine.com/

Support the show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ttwav

With the new Castlevania game (Belmont's Curse) right around the corner, what does Jonathan think of the demo? Can he scream about it with his working mouth or will he just politely chat? And how much overlap is there in the interests of our hosts? We go in depth on Castlevania discussions before hopping around to the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Rule of Rose, Hotel Barcelona, and more. Later, Jonathan talks with returning guest Lyn about her new game Pinblast Neon (you can watch the video of that interview here: https://youtu.be/JcOkM28ORd4 ) and throughout the show, in ways that only Jonathan can, we get comparisons to the creative process that are reminiscent of defecation. It's another classic Utcast for the ages.

0:00:00 - I Have a Mouth and I Should Scream, But Don't

0:08:23 - Navigating the Minefields

0:13:27 - Getting Creative with Poop

0:16:23 - How Does Belmont's Curse Fit in with the Castlevania Series?

0:32:05 - Castlevania Thoughts All Day

0:37:32 - Did Ocarina of Time Borrow from Castlevania?

0:41:02 - How Much Overlap Do Zoey and Jonathan Have?

0:43:05 - The Aura of the Ass in Rule of Rose

0:49:45 - Came Out Shitily But It's Good Now

0:52:35 - Putting a Twist on Pinball in Pinblast Neon with Lyn Tanner

1:26:56 - Resident Evil Movie Review

1:33:27 - Wrap Up/Plugs/Thanks Patrons!

1:45:48 - You Can't Help But Think About My Butt

1:47:37 - I Dream of John Cena

Get Pinblast Neon on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/5216470/Pinblast_NEON/

Get Pinblast Neon on Itch.io: https://cookieinferno.itch.io/pinblastneon

Lyn on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/lyn-aka-blpry.bsky.social

Jonathan on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tronknotts.bsky.social

Zoey on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/adzuken.bsky.social

The show on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/ttwav.bsky.social

Daniel on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/douibyorthst.bsky.social

Support Zoey’s Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/adzuken

Get Nintendo Force Magazine: https://www.nintendoforcemagazine.com/

Support the show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ttwav

Stream or buy Daniel's new album of computer dance music Microplastics: https://open.spotify.com/album/44zgi8AVjCej9U2hIzfLnB

https://thesanford.bandcamp.com/album/microplastics

This month, Elsa Returns. We're talking hot dogs and anime titties on Currently Playing where Elsa points out some of the absurd character designs and recounts some of the lore of the BlazBlue series where she's been focusing on the latest spin-off in the franchse, BlazBlue Entropy Effect X. From its humble beginnings as a roguelite action phone game to it's X-panded console port, Entropy Effect's gameplay has gotten its teeth into Elsa despite their strange choices for character design and writing. Can a jacket and t-shirt contain impossibly large breasts? Listen and find out!

Elsa's Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/agwhaan

Elsa's PayPal: https://paypal.me/titusworldslide

SANFORD - Microplastics on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/44zgi8AVjCej9U2hIzfLnB?si=60F9w50eQFmhgMCGTS5qYA

SANFORD - Microplastics on Bandcamp: https://thesanford.bandcamp.com/album/microplastics

SANFORD - Microplastics on Subvert: https://www.subvert.fm/sanford/microplastics

Jonathan and Ryan are professional podcasters on this episode of Talking to My Boy About Videogames where there is a coherent outline of topics and they actually stick to that outline (with a few divergences). Along with hearing about games like Blood Dungeon, Pokemon: Legends Z-A, and Tetris Effect, we hear an idea for a new Pac-Man game from Ryan, learn about the natural cycle of water, and hear Jonathan's opinions about GTA6. Ryan also has some interesting ideas with how $1 billion could have been spent rather than making a murder simulator, and we hear a little bit about Poppy Playtime: Escape from Playtime and the way co-op can work in a horror game.

0:00:00 - Professional Podcast

0:01:28 - Videogame Talk Human and Human Talk

0:03:28 - Let's Get to That (Videogames)

0:04:44 - 1st Topic, Blood Dungeon

0:09:57 - The 2 Pac-Man Problem

0:12:07 - Can We Review Blood Dungeon Yet?

0:18:04 - The Natural Water Cycle

0:20:14 - 2nd Topic, Pokemon Legends Z-A

0:25:52 - GTA6 Perpetuates the Cycle of Hate

0:33:20 - Escape from Playtime Lets You Play Together

0:39:03 - 3rd Topic, Tetris Effect

0:44:45 - Look How Far We've Come

Follow Jonathan on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tronknotts.bsky.social

Follow the Show on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/ttwav.bsky.social

Read Jonathan’s articles in Nintendo Force Magazine: https://www.nintendoforcemagazine.com/

Support the show on Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/ttwav

It's two weeks of back to back Utcasts as we mix things up to go goofy-mode on your asses. We're talking about the Ocarina of Time Remake, Torneko's Mystery Dungeon, Chibi Robo, Mega Man, and more. Later, CurtDogg stops by to reminisce about old times with Destructoid live events plus tell us a bit about his own live events and also talk about his new kickstarter for rollercoaster accessibility review videos (which you can support here: http://kickstarter.curt.dog/ ) (and also the CurtDogg section is available as a video on our YouTube channel with a lot of relevant visual b-roll: https://youtu.be/o2cfat6-YO4 ). Rounding things out, we air some dirty Maximum Utmost laundry as Jonathan and Zoey try to get to the heart of how and why you should (or shouldn't?) support franchises. Whoever wins, we lose. Plus Zoey raps.

0:00:00 - Careful with That Button!

0:07:14 - The Confabulated Great Lakes Avengers

0:11:34 - What's the Deal with Frame Rates?

0:17:27 - You Can Just Be a Guy in Torneko's Mystery Dungeon

0:21:02 - Weighing in on the Ocarina of Time Remake

0:25:24 - It Might Get Weird

0:29:56 - Punching the Accessibility Ticket to Rides with CurtDogg

1:04:47 - Wading Into the Muck of Supporting Franchises

1:22:04 - Wrap Up/Plugs/Thanks Patrons!

CurtDogg's Kickstarter: http://kickstarter.curt.dog/

CurtDogg on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CurtDogg

CurtDogg on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/curt.dog

Jonathan on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tronknotts.bsky.social

Zoey on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/adzuken.bsky.social

The show on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/ttwav.bsky.social

Daniel on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/douibyorthst.bsky.social

Support Zoey's Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/adzuken

Support the Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ttwav

Get Nintendo Force Magazine: https://www.nintendoforcemagazine.com/

This episode, we're carrying forward things that you're thinking about, which is to say we're talking about a bunch of old weird stuff. Remember when the rights to Dick Tracy were the hottest topic of the day? How about when Final Fantasy became a gacha phone game but then removed all of that stuff? We also reminisce about when video games were allowed to be weird with Seth Sturgill (video of that chat here: https://youtu.be/eYhBTVfwQ9I )...or maybe they still can be weird? Later, Zoey treats us to a deep delve into the lore of the Elder Scrolls as a way to illustrate that games have sanded off all their rough edges in favor of appealing to more people...to their detriment.

0:00:00 - Now That's What I Call Nips

0:07:31 - The Dick Tracy Rights Battle Saga

0:12:30 - Final Fantasy Resonance by Way of Earthbound

0:24:46 - The Queen of Mean

0:28:08 - Are Games Allowed to be Weird Any More? w/ Seth Sturgill

1:05:31 - Have Games Been Dumbed Down for Some Bonehead Mass Audience? (AKA Zoey's Elder Scrolls Corner)

1:13:34 - Is Jonathan Too Snobbish to Play Elder Scrolls 6 or GTA6?

1:25:38 - Wrap Up/Plugs/Thanks Patrons!

1:31:25 - Scissors of the Body

Nintendo Drive Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0ZQMDIbANc5tTDC8Tpit1S

Bit Harmony Videogame Music Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0ba8qb4cWkblzH51nsvZNf

Seth's YouTube Page: https://www.youtube.com/@UCVZSmT3TA60Y8wsvBA9oulA

Seth on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/twodollarhero.com

Follow Jonathan on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tronknotts.bsky.social

Follow Zoey on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/ttwav.bsky.social

Follow the podcast on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/ttwav.bsky.social

Follow Daniel on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/douibyorthst.bsky.social

Pre-order Daniel's new techno album "Microplastics" here: https://thesanford.bandcamp.com/album/microplastics

Support Zoey’s Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/adzuken

Support the Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ttwav

It's the 2nd anniversary of Currently Playing and this month, Daniel talks to Carson Anderson, a software engineer who gives talks about the technical aspects of coding on YouTube. Today he's telling us about his "monogame" which is Monster Train 2, a roguelike deck-builder in the vein of Slay the Spire. We get into the weeds about what makes Monster Train 2 unique and how it distinguishes itself from the first game in the series. If you're anything like Carson, you might find yourself spending hundreds of hours in there, so come on ride the train!

0:00:00 - Welcome to the Show, Carson!

0:04:07 - What Are You Playing? Monster Train 2

0:46:24 - Top 3 Monsters (All Types)

0:49:52 - Wrap Up/Plugs

Carson on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/carsonoid.bsky.social

Follow Daniel on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/douibyorthst.bsky.social

Follow the show on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/ttwav.bsky.social

Support the Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ttwav

On this most Maximum of Utted-casts, Jonathan takes us on a grand tour of random pop culture before opening the discussion to a case of covering up potential bigotry in the video game world. Is the purple Pikmin racist or beloved? Later, our friend Lily Valeen stops by to talk about how her identity informs her work on her games Boss Game, Bright Red Song of Love, and Touhou: Lonely Lovely Bonfire, plus a whole lot mor (you can view the entire interview as a video here: https://youtu.be/sqsas6xxQQA ). Spider-Man, E. Honda, Yngwie Malmsteen, and more make guest appearances, and we get some surprise last minute thoughts on games like Door Door, Mouthwashing, and Wiping.

0:00:00 - Jonathan's Pop Culture Quiz
0:11:58 - The Torment Zone
0:14:20 - Is It Bigotry or Not?
0:20:58 - The Color Purple Pikmin
0:35:58 - Making Games You Love That Feel Just Right with Lily Valeen
1:12:52 - Vacuum Cleaner Vore
1:15:04 - Perfect Peter Parker
1:16:40 - The Great Edmond Honda Debate
1:20:33 - Wrap Up/Plugs/Thanks Patrons!/Door Door/Mouthwashing/Wiping
1:37:05 - I Love Your Ass
1:38:45 - Basically Clayface

Learn more about the games, artwork, and music made by Lily Valeen on her website: https://itsmelilyv.com/
Follow Lily on Bluesky
Subscribe to the print magazine Nintendo Force: https://www.nintendoforcemagazine.com/
Read the written website of this show: https://maxutmost.com/
Follow Jonathan on Bluesky
Follow Zoey on Bluesky
Follow the podcast on Bluesky
Follow Daniel on Bluesky
Support Zoey’s Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/adzuken

Support the Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/ttwav